One of the diocesan priests responsible for the vocation work in the diocese has a very popular blog which he started in 2001. In the diocesan bulletin he reflects on the work that is required to do a daily blog. While it would be rare, he says, to have more than 200 attending his morning Mass, more than 1300 visit his site every day. And a morning meditation is sent out to 5000. He knows that it is not read by all and that many go into the wastebasket, but he considers it an important out-reach of the Church.Those that come to the site are Catholics. Protestants, Buddhists, others with less mainstream beliefs, and no belief are frequent visitors. After visiting the site, many say they have a better understanding of Catholicism. A Question and Answer forum is especially popular. Many have thanked him for his blog and some have become Catholics because of it.
Persons having a difficult time coping with life have often found the help they needed by reading his blog. In today's parish environment, personal contact with a priest to get answers to troubling questions is not always easy; in the digital world this contact can easily be made.
Even though he has important work to do in the diocese, there is no need to ignore his work in cyberspace. It is, he says, an important way to get out the good news. Because he has seen over the past ten years the good that can be done in cyberspace, preparing his daily blog has become a very important part of his life.
He is also realistic enough to know that not everything in cyberspace can be seen positively. Crimes on the Internet are increasing, personal reputations are being destroyed by reckless, undocumented accusations, internet games are creating an army of addicts, sometimes leading to violent behavior and health problems. These issues cannot be overlooked, he says, and it's weakening the trust and confidence we should have in others and in society.
The digital world, as we all know, is a mixed bag of good and bad elements. The Church needs to keep current with this development in society. It can be the leaven that helps bring trust and confidence to the digital world. For those interested in going to the Korean Blog click here.
