Technology plays a huge role in our lives, and it is not just in the secular world. Ever since the COVID pandemic, technology has played an even greater role in our faith lives, too. Like many things at St. Francis of Assisi, we have a ministry for that!
“The Call to Family, Community, and Participation is the theme in Catholic Social Teaching that the ministry emphasizes most,” says Sharon Winzeler, one of the coordinators of the Tech Ministry. She adds, “We are called to bring the liturgy to all. I am most closely involved with the live streaming (of the Mass) and felt called to respond to this ministry after the staff at St. Francis of Assisi broadcast the Mass during COVID. Being able to take part in the Mass when we were so isolated meant a lot to my spirituality.”
Tom McSweeney, the other ministry co-coordinator, emphasizes that the Tech Ministry members serve during the Mass in one of two ways: the Projection minister displays the words of the songs, psalms, and other prayers, such as the Nicene Creed, on screens in the sanctuary.”
“The second way they serve,” says Tom, “is that the Live Streaming team members broadcast the 9:00 AM Sunday mass over YouTube and Facebook. Two members are involved: one operates the cameras, and the other puts the words of the songs, psalms, and other prayers onto the stream image, in a way that is similar to what the Projection minister is doing in the sanctuary.”
“Those who watch Mass online have their own little community,” observes Sharon, “and they reach out to one another with greetings and signs of peace at the appropriate times. I’m also told that the men on death row at Central Prison watch the Mass together. It is a humbling experience knowing that we can share the liturgy with so many people who are unable to attend Mass. “If the Tech Ministry had more Live Streaming members,” says Tom, “we might be able to live stream more masses.
“A projection minister is needed at each Mass,” says Sharon, “to display the song lyrics and the prayer texts. This is a good place to start if you are interested in the Tech Ministry. All of the materials are provided on slides, and the minister advances through them as the congregation sings and prays. If you can press a button on a computer, you can learn how to project. This ministry is open to all, including high school students. It’s an essential part of the service, and I would encourage anyone interested to volunteer.”
John Hajdin, the Parish Assistant for Liturgy and Technology, adds, “There is also a need for tech folks ‘behind the scenes’ to help with streaming at the 9:00 am Mass.” “Normally,” says John, “one person manages the camera while the other is advancing the captioning slides, ‘shadowing” the projection minister.” Interested in helping in this ministry? Tom encourages interested people not to be intimidated: “As Sharon said, anyone who knows how to use a computer mouse or press keys on a keyboard can learn to do it; it really is that easy.”