Catholic Church and school leaders will gather for four days at the 3rd Annual Catholic Communication Collaboration Technology Conference at Loyola Marymount University Aug. 11-14.
“Integrating technology and understanding the digital landscape is new mission territory for the church,” said Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez. “Our task is to understand these resources better and find ways to create what Pope Francis calls ‘a culture of encounter’ in this digital space. We need to use these new media to bring people to the encounter with Jesus and the saving power of his gospel.”
The conference caps off the 3½-year C3 Pilot Project by the Archdiocese launched in 2010 at 25 parishes and schools to explore and implement innovative uses of technology. The archdiocese plans to expand the project to 600 locations.
The keynote speaker is Msgr. Paul Tighe, secretary to the Pontifical Council for Social Communications of the Vatican, and the Church’s resident expert on social media. The address, which will discuss the Catholic Church’s emerging presence in the digital world, takes place Wednesday, Aug. 13 at 11 a.m.
On Tuesday, Aug. 12 at 11 a.m., Msgr. Tighe will join Archbishop José Gomez to celebrate Mass in Scared Heart Chapel on the LMU campus to commemorate the completion of the C3 Pilot Project.
LMU’s School of Education is co-sponsoring the event. “Embracing new technologies and digital communication tools is critical to the future of the church and offers a tremendous opportunity for our Catholic schools to continue to provide young women and men with a path to success,” said Shane P. Martin, Ph.D., dean and professor of SOE. “The LMU School of Education is pleased to partner with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles on this important initiative to improve our capacity for technological innovation and transformation.”