Social Media Ministry Resources

Links to pertinent material concerning digital technology, culture and ministry; not rigorously up to date.

Social Media for Beginners	Articles about Digital Culture	Social Media Starter Tools
Books about Media for Ministry	Important Studies on Digital Communications	Various Social Media Resources
US Bishops Documents on Communications	Vatican Documents on Communications	Social Media Guidelines
Social Networking in the UK	Porn Addiction Recovery and Accountability	2017 Social Media Stats

Social Networking in the UK: Safeguarding

Safeguarding resources in the UK

UK Safer Internet Centre

Childnet.com on workplace e-safety policies especially suited to schools.

Internet Safety Research: Summaries of findings from major studies

Youth Technology Trends

Safer Internet Day (2013 resources);  Safer Internet Day 2015 (10 February)


Safeguarding
48% of children in the UK say there are things on the internet that bother children their own age and 13% of 9-16 year olds say that they’ve been bothered/upset by something online.

Child Safety (UK Council for Child Internet Safety): Advice on Child Internet Safety: Universal Guidelines for Providers

Safe Network (follow @thesafenetwork on Twitter for updates on workshops in your area)

Safer Children in a Digital Age (published 2008)


UK Church documents on safeguarding
A few matters related to online communication, particularly concerned photographs/video of children at church events. 

Clifton Diocese Safeguarding Resource Pack Very helpful summary of safeguarding laws and policies of the UK-Wales Bishops Conference; includes release forms for taking/posting photographs and video of minors.
Catholic Safeguarding Advisory Service
National Catholic Safeguarding Commission

Afternoon meditation: Lenten Friday with Francis

Part of a continuing series of Friday reflections on Pope Francis' Lenten Message. 

Pope Francis began his Lenten message by taking us back to Christmas, reveling in the fact that God revealed his glory to us in such an unpredictable (and yet divine) way through the poverty of our own human nature. As St Paul wrote to the Corinthians (who didn't value human weakness and limitation very highly), "God chose the weak of this world to shame the strong...so that no human being may boast before God." And of himself, Paul testified (to those same Corinthians!), "When I am weak, then I am strong... the power of Christ rests upon me."

Here Pope Francis invokes the icon of the Baptism of the Lord. "When Jesus stepped into the waters of the Jordan...he did it to be among people who need forgiveness...and to take upon himself the burden of our sins."  There's an exchange taking place, an "admirabile commercium" (a "marvelous interchange," in the words of the liturgy in the Christmas Octave). It creates communion, an experience of the inner reality of the Trinity. The Incarnation, in other words, is not an alms given from abundance and tossed into a beggar's cup; it is a bestowal of all that God has. It is God, casting his lot with us.

Have you ever meditated on Christmas for Lent? How is Pope Francis' reflection helping renew your Lenten observance?

Afternoon meditation: Lenten Fridays with Francis

First of a continuing series of Friday reflections on Pope Francis Lenten Message for 2014: " He became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich" (2 Cor 8:9).

It isn't much of a surprise that a Pope who so clearly identifies with the poor, a Pope with a perpetual vow of poverty, would invite the Church as a whole to rediscover the "life of evangelical poverty," making it the theme of our Lenten observance. For some people, poverty is simply the theme of every day that dawns. And yet they are not exempt from the Pope's reflection, because it is about evangelical poverty: the "Good News" dimension of poverty, which is something very different from merely material destitution.

The first announcement of Good News in the message is that poverty "shows us how God works. He does not reveal himself cloaked in worldly power and wealth but rather in weakness and poverty." Power and wealth are not bad things, but they are not "divine," either. They begin and end in this world. When God stepped into this world (to remedy the ills triggered by grasping for power and wealth!) he did not take on the forms of this world in which power and wealth bring privilege. He "chose to be poor," becoming "like us in all things." Pope Francis' first Lenten reflection takes us back to Christmas! He invites us to meditate on the Incarnation.

True to Francis' own emphasis on "going out to the peripheries" and "walking alongside" the other, he turns our gaze toward the divine Love that "breaks down walls and eliminates distances." How can this Friday of Lenten fasting refocus your attention on the Christmas mystery, and the love that led Jesus to become poor for our sakes?

Pope Francis e-book now available

Sister Anne's e-book 5 Keys to Understanding Pope Francis: What He Says and What He Does is now available for all e-reader formats.
For Kindle, click here.
For other formats, click here.

The Pope's latest document

Call your order in right now for Pope Francis' "Joy of the Gospel."

Be sure to let your parish ministry team know that the handy paperback edition  of Pope Francis' document is ready to ship--and that there are bulk discounts available (at $9.95, it's already the least expensive version out there)

5 – 10 copies 10%
11 – 25  copies 15%
26 – 50  copies 20%
51 – 100 copies 25%
over 100 copies 30%

Responding to Ray

Being online (especially on Twitter), I get to "meet" a lot of people. Some of them, like a fellow I'm going to call "Ray," are beginning to reconnect with the Church,  thanks to the witness of Pope Francis, and have questions about aspects of the faith. Ray gave me permission to answer his questions on NunBlog, for the benefit of others.

He starts in a good place: with the Bible.

I would like to start reading the Bible - what are your recommendations on a version - there are sooo many different ones?  I downloaded an app to my tablet (free app, of course) and it has so many different versions - I am not sure which I should use.  Once I settle on that - where is the best place to begin?  I am not sure if reading from Genesis on is the right way to go.

pasotraspaso / Foter / CC BY 

My go-to translation is the NAB (New American Bible)--the version that is used at Mass in the United States. This translation was revised over the past twenty years (so it is technically the "NABRE"--New American Bible, Revised Edition). It is a straightforward translation that pretty closely hews to the original languages the Bible was written in (Hebrew and Greek). That is it used at Mass gives it the edge for me: I like having my reading and "hearing" work together to foster memorization. (Other people prefer using a different translation, like the Jerusalem Bible, so that the difference makes them pay attention.)

Your app probably does not have either of these--and maybe not a Catholic bible at all. The closest translation to the NAB in the Protestant bibles is the Revised Standard Version (RSV). There is a Catholic version of this, but I'm not sure if your app will have this. The RSV was also updated recently ("NRSV"), with some unfortunate attempts at political correctness. In that sense, it is very close to the New International Version, another Protestant translation.

Are you getting the idea that Catholic translations are still kind of rare and maybe not even free? You are right. So far the predominant Catholic translations of the Bible, the NAB and the JB (Jerusalem Bible or New Jerusalem Bible) are not included in most of the free Bible apps. However, you can get an inexpensive NAB ($1.99) on the iTunes store. I haven't used it, so I can't testify to how user-friendly it is.

Why would you shell out $1.99 for a Catholic Bible when the Protestant ones are free? Until the copyright holders soften up on this, there are two primary reasons to pay up. The first is that the translations are very accurate in places that matter the most to Catholics, with footnotes that many other Bibles do without (explanations are mandatory in Catholic bibles and have been for 450 years!). The second is that you are getting a seven-book bonus: Sirach, Tobit, Wisdom, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Baruch, and additional sections for Daniel and Esther. We call these "deuterocanonicals" because their scriptural "status" was recognized a bit later than most of the other books. But by "later" I mean only a century or two before Christ (instead of five centuries before). Protestant bibles will perhaps include these and other ancient Jewish writings as "apocrypha," but they will be mixed in with texts the Church really considers "apocrypha"--not the Bible at all. Getting a Catholic edition of the Bible from the get-go will help you avoid this confusion. However, if you cannot afford to pay for apps, the New Testament of the NRSV or the NIV are close enough to the NABRE for starters. I would stay away from paraphrased versions like the Good News Bible (also called the "Today's English Version"), unless you want something that sounds very, very casual. That is a sign of an extra layer of interpretation, which I find both dubious and intrusive.

That leads to your other question: where to begin.

Oddly, the Bible is not a book to be read from the beginning. This is a book where you start almost at the end. Jesus fulfilled "everything written about him in the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms*" (in other words, the Old Testament). So you want to start in the New Testament, with the four Gospels: four different ways the story of Jesus was told in the decades right after the first Easter.

Beginning at the end is not really that odd. It's only at the end of the detective story that all the clues come together. "Ahhh!" you say: "So that's what it meant!" Knowing what the earliest Christians said about Jesus, seeing the way they re-read the entire collection of Scriptures they had always known as Jews, gives us an edge that they already had. It is a little like learning the language before you go into another country. In reading the Bible, many a "traveler" has given up in despair somewhere in the book of Numbers. The New Testament is the best reading guide for the Old. In fact, in the early Church there was a saying that you can find today in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: The New Testament lies hidden in the Old, and the Old is unveiled (reveals its full meaning) in the New (see CCC 129--CCC meaning "Catechism of the Catholic Church").

There are also some good (free!) online resources that I can recommend to you to guide you in getting to know the Bible.

Carson Weber, a layman in California, has created a 30-session audio course on the Bible for Catholics. He does start with Genesis, but not in the very first lesson! His program is meant to accompany a text book, but you don't really need the book to benefit from the audio sessions. You can also download the classes in podcast form.

Dr. Scott Hahn's St Paul Center for Biblical Theology offers a long list of free online courses on the Bible. You just have to register (free!) to access the classes. These are text, not audio. However, the instruction is extremely thorough. (Dr. Hahn is a former Protestant minister who came into the Catholic Church about twenty years ago. He is a highly respected Scripture scholar; his website has material for beginners and teachers alike.)

The Catholic Education Resource Center also has some articles answering the most common questions about the Bible from a Catholic perspective.




*The Law, the Prophets and the Psalms

This expression comes from Jesus himself, after he rose from the dead! He met two grieving disciples leaving Jerusalem the day after the Sabbath. They knew all about Jesus dying on the Cross. They had even heard that people had seen him alive on Sunday morning! But they gave up hope and left the city. Jesus himself met them on the road and helped them realize that what they had experienced was what the Bible was foretelling all along: "everything written about him (the Messiah) in the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms." See Luke 24 for the whole story.

Registration open for Advent Women's Retreat!

Sister Kathryn Hermes is coming back to Chicago!

This year, the Advent Women's Retreat will be based on HeartWork, a new process of spiritual growth developed by Sister Kathryn.

Join us Dec. 7, from 8:30-3:00 for an Advent retreat day with John the Baptist, King David and St. Joseph that will lead you to a place of rest using the simple tools and exercises of HeartWork--practices you can take with you and continue at home. As in past years, the retreat will be held at St. Peter's in the Loop (downtown Chicago). Doors open at 8:15.

Register through the bookstore (call us at 312-346-4228 or drop in), or register online. Through the bookstore, we can accept Visa/MasterCard, personal checks and cash. Online accepts all major credit cards. The $40 fee (50% discount for religious sisters and students) includes coffee/donuts and a boxed lunch. (As requested, we'll try to have more salad and fruit options this year.)

Sister Kathryn Hermes is a Daughter of St Paul and author of the best-selling "Surviving Depression: A Catholic Approach" (and  its accompanying Journal) "Beginning Contemplative Prayer," "Making Peace with Yourself," and other spirituality books. Sister holds a Master's in Theological Studies and an advanced certificate in Scripture. She is currently Director of Electronic Publishing for Pauline Books & Media, Boston. Sister Kathryn's books will be available for purchase and signing throughout the day. (You can also get them in e-book formats!)

Tentative schedule:
8:15: Doors open
8:30: Orientation and Opening Meditation
8:50: John the Baptist and Making Peace with Life Choices (Meditation and Exercise)
9:30: Private Prayer (handout)
9:50: Break
10:00: King David and Making Peace with Life's Responsibilities (Meditation and Exercise)
10:45: Break
11:15 Private Prayer (handout); Opportunity for Confession
12:00: Mass, followed by lunch
1:30: St. Joseph and Making Peace with our Concern for Others ( (Meditation and Exercise)
2:30: Q&A, Closing Meditation    

For more about Sister Kathryn's HeartWork ministry, visit http://www.pauline.org/heartwork

Everybody's talking about Pope Francis!

The interview of Pope Francis conducted over three days by his fellow Jesuit Antonio Spadaro did more than spark a few headlines: it got the whole world talking about what the Pope had said (or not said, as the case may be). There's always a risk involved in going off-script, but Francis clearly believes that it is worth it--and he seems to hope that the world's one-billion-plus Catholics will be able to carry their part of the conversation forward.

Many people seemed to get the Pope exactly wrong. Some fervent Catholics are troubled (perhaps they believe the headlines?), wondering if Francis is selling out on key applications of Catholic doctrine, or making political statements ("I'm not a right-winger" means one thing in the US context; something very different for a person who lived through Argentina's "dirty wars").

America (Jesuit weekly) has a number of thoughtful posts on what has got to be the journalistic coup of the magazine's more than a century-long history.

And one scholar suggests that the discomfort being expressed by many anxious Catholics is an invitation to transform the uncertainty into reflection. The article offers some helpful distinctions about the difference between, say, an interview and an encyclical, as well other insights that shed extra light on the Pope's words.

Here are some additional posts on an interview that deserves to be read carefully, reflected over, and prayed with.

Archbishop Chaput responds to many people's questions, concerns, fears.

An initial post from Patheos editor, Elizabeth Scalia,
Followed by this brief "spiritual antivenin" by the same author
and then a bit of context for those who worry that the Pope might be soft on abortion
and a poignant reflection on the would-be patients in the "field hospital" that is Francis' vision of the Catholic Church
(All of the above from the prolific and profound Scalia.)

Keeping Up with Francis (by Daughter of St. Paul nunblogger, Sister Anne)
First thoughts about the Francis Interview (by Father John Zuhlsdorf)
Pope Francis' Comments about Homosexuality in the Big Interview (by Father John Zuhlsdorf)

Catholics and Marriage: the principles behind the headlines

If all you know about Church teachings on marriage and related issues can be summed up in the short (and often inaccurate) phrases typically found in the headlines, it would be understandable that you might find Church teachings mystifying and maybe out of date. If that's you (or someone you know), you'll be amazed by what those teachings really are, and how they fit into a totally Catholic worldview.

It took Pope John Paul five years, but you can cover his entire Theology of the Body in just three days: May 4, 11 and 18.

Under the guidance of Franciscan Father Robert Sprott, we will devote two hours to each of the four "units" of Pope John Paul's series of talks on the human person in God's plan:

      May 4: Session ONE From the Beginning with Adam and Eve; the Sermon on the Mount
      May 11: Session TWO The Resurrection of the Body; Celibacy "for the Kingdom"; Marriage as the "first" sacrament
      May 18: Session THREE The language of the body; conjugal spirituality; the problem of contraception

Each session meets for two hours in the morning (10-12 Central Time) and two hours in the afternoon (1:30-3:30 Central Time).

If you are in the Chicago area, join us downtown. You can sign up for one day or register for the full program at the discounted rate (student rates, too!).

Outside of the Windy City, log in for the live video stream. Registration opens six weeks before the event dates; each two-hour session requires a separate registration. Your registration gives you access to the archived video even after the event is complete, so if the scheduled dates don't work for you, you can still benefit from the program.

Theology of the Body will fill you in on the background of the most controversial and misunderstood teachings of the Catholic Church. You'll be amazed by the beauty, the integrity and the hope this vision of what it means to be "made in the image of God, male and female" really means. Don't keep it to yourself!


The sessions will be based on Pope John Paul's talks, collected in the book "Man and Woman He Created Them." Copies will be available at the bookstore as well as online.

We need your help!

Has Pauline Books & Media been a part of your life? Share your story in the comments! (By sharing here, you give us permission to use your story to tell our story to others!)

2013 Bible Study: Psalms!

That's right: eleven weeks, beginning Feb. 9, at our usual time (10:30-12:00). Pre-order the optional workbook ($22.95) for pickup at the first class.

Christmas Music in the Air!

The speakers are wafting Christmas music across the Michigan Avenue sidewalk, prompting passers-by to take a second look at the show window and its large Nativity scene. Some families stop and pray, while the parents point out "Mary, and Joseph, and the child in the manger." This year, we can also boast that all five of our Sisters' choir Christmas albums are now available for download on iTunes, to make it even easier for you to share the inspiring sounds of the season.

New Seasonal FB images for download

Visit our publishing house site to download free Facebook “cover” pictures (to use at the top of your Facebook page) and “message squares” to share inspiration with your friends. These images are designed to fit around your profile picture (which gets inset on the lower left corner) without losing any essential part of the picture or text.

Sample "Message Square" for Week 2 of Advent

Time to Register for Advent Women's Retreat

Join Pat Gohn--Wife, mom, author, columnist, catechist and host of the Among Women podcast--for a day of refreshment for the womanly soul. Includes prayer, presentations, small and large group discussions, lunch and, yes, chocolate! Get geared up for the busiest and best season of the year by preparing your heart and taking time for yourself.

Theme: "Blessed Among Women: Women of the Bible, Women Saints and Mystics" 
Dec. 1, 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
St Peter's in the Loop 
(Saturday noon Mass, confessions, evening Mass all available in the Church)

Pre-registration required to reserve your place! 
$35 includes coffee/donuts and lunch (subs) 

Call 312.346.4228

Pat Gohn, Director
Host of "Among Women" Podcast

Pre-order Gohn's soon-to-be-released
"Blessed, Beautiful and Bodacious:
Celebrating the Gift of Catholic
Womanhood"

Sign up for the Advent Women's Retreat with Pat Gohn!

Visit Pat Gohn and listen to the latest episode of the "Among Women" podcast!

Documentary Film Progress Report

Sister Helena, in between all her talks and book exhibits, has been meeting with Rob and the Spirit Juice team to get the Alberione film into its final shape. That has meant a lot of painful cuts to the narration (but I think my part is still in). 

Me, getting some makeup before my interview.
On location  in Italy (Seminary of Alba, where
Alberione was both student and professor).

On location in Italy (October, 2010).

Our hope is to have a kind of first draft (called a "rough cut") by the Conversion of St. Paul (Jan 25). We didn't plan it that way, but it is delightful to think that the film about a man of faith will be completed in the Year of Faith, and well in advance of the 1914 centenary of the founding of the Pauline Family!

In case you were wondering how you can make a real difference in bringing the documentary film "Media Apostle"into existence, an anonymous donor has just made an offer you... (you know the rest).

If between now until November 26 (the Feast of Blessed James Alberione, the subject of the film) we receive $10,000, an anonymous donor will match that, dollar for dollar. That means that by Alberione's feast day, the film will have received all the support it needs for that "rough cut."

So watch the trailer again, share it on your blog and Facebook wall, and encourage your friends to help "Media Apostle" reach the silver screen on time!

Year of Faith Resources

The Year of Faith runs from
October 11, 2012-November 24, 2013

The Year of Faith begins this Thursday! Pope Benedict has six outcomes in mind for this extended time of reflection that coincides with the 50th anniversary of Vatican Council II.

All in all, these goals come together in renewing the Church's evangelizing witness. But it starts with each and every member of the Church growing in "authentic conversion" and in "knowledge of the faith." Come and visit us for a broad selection of titles--and not only in print! There are some great audio books and DVDs to help you grow spiritually in this Year of Faith, which is also a year of grace for the whole Church.

There are also several free tools available right online:

Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church this year! It's easier than you think: Just submit your e-mail address to get a daily reading that guarantees you covering the whole CCC in the Year of Faith! If you'd rather read the Catechism the old-fashioned way, order a copy online, or come and see us downtown! Looking for the Catechism Lite? The YOUCAT (published by the Vatican as a youth version of the Catechism) is a great choice!

Sign up for "So Great a Faith," a Year of Faith resource that comes via e-mail every other week, covering issues that challenge Catholics in living the faith today.

For the family, sign up for the "J-Club Year of Faith" monthly newsletter with activities for kids as well as reflections for parents and religion teachers. (By the way, wouldn't the Year of Faith be a great opportunity for your local Catholic school to offer a J-Club Catholic book fair?)

Two Year of Faith opportunities for teens: 
Teens can share some of their experiences in the life of faith--and possibly find them being published in an upcoming book! If they have served on a mission, performed service for the community, or volunteered their time, talent or treasure according to their gifts, Pauline Books & Media is accepting written reflections by teens on experiences of mission, service, and evangelization; in their local parish/school/community, in other places throughout the US, abroad, and even online.editorial@paulinemedia.com for more information and submission forms; deadline for submissions is October 31!

 Teens in the Archdiocese of Chicago can also submit entries in the Digital Disciples Video Contest. Cash prizes for the best 2-minute video by teens, for teens, on the importance of Sunday Mass. Deadline is January 10.

What other Year of Faith Resources would you recommend?

Books about Media and Media Literacy

A handy starter list for your media ministry library (you can move it around with your mouse). I included The Tipping Point because of the way it highlights the different roles communicators play. (If you think about it, it almost suggests itself as a handbook on evangelization!) Titles are listed as affiliate links, which means that I will get a tiny commission if you make a purchase from the link. (Thank you for helping to support my book habit.)

Social Media Starter Tools and Links

Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Rock1997, CC-BY-SA 3.0

Free online storage : DropBox (Hint: if you sign up using this link, we will both get bonus storage!) WeTransfer.com is another very useful service for sending (but not storing) large files.

Social Media Citation Guide: How to credit your sources when you found them online; MLA  and APA formats.

Common Sense Media: Links to articles and videos on a number of media-related issues concerning children and families.

A note about privacy laws ("the Right to be Forgotten") in Europe.

Digital Training Institute (Ireland)

One-page articles (pdf) on aspects of social media, published by an energy company, Solari.

To Follow on Twitter

Starter list for Catholics in ministry: by following their followers and their RT (retweeted posts), you can find many interesting leads. Don't forget to search for your favorite Catholic news sources, your local diocesan Twitter feeds and any parish leaders' tweets.

Church Social Media @chsocm  Also offers a real-time Twitter chat every Tuesday evening (8 pm)

Steven W. Anderson @web20classroom Longtime educator, now a consultant on technology and social media. Offers practical wisdom especially for the classroom.

Crux @Crux

John Allen @JohnLAllenJr

Religious Freedom Institute @RFInstitute

Father James Martin, SJ @JamesMartinSJ

AmericanCatholic (Franciscan Media) @AmericnCatholic

NET Ministries @netministries 

Jonathan Sullivan (Director of Catechesis, Diocese of Springfield): @sullijo

Joe Paprocki @paprockij Chicago catechetical author

Vatican News: @news_va_en

USCCB: @USCCB

America Magazine: @americamag

Catholic Tech Tips @catholictechtip

Busted Halo @BustedHalo

Articles on apps, social media, technology

Don't Develop a Social Media Strategy for Your Parish! A "social communications strategy" is what you should develop, according to this article.

The End of Unplugging, by Mat Honan (Wired): Now that the grid is everywhere, discernment and self-discipline are your only recourse.

Shame with Caution, by Laura Hudson (Wired): Think twice before posting your irritation or outrage.

LinkedIn, Pinterest more popular than Twitter: The growing influence of Pinterest (and LinkedIn); demographics of Twitter

Instagram, Vine and Kik and Porn: Parents, teachers, ministers, need to be aware of popular photo-sharing apps and their link to porn culture. (This article predates Snap Chat.)

iPod, YouTube, Wii play: Theological engagements with entertainment

Appletopia (an excerpt): The authority of the printed page is now giving way to the universality of glass screens.

Social proof, online authority

Why We Can't Stop Checking our Phones

The Next Billion Internet Users (infographic)

The Hermeneutics of Texting: A resourceful teacher got the class to understand biblical hermeneutics by having recourse to their experience of interpreting text messages. The article may provide you with insights about how texts communicate!

2 Rules to Follow when Social Media and Church Culture Collide