Even though Catholic life in the United States is gradually beginning to bloom again as we return to ‘normal’, the faithful will always treasure the spiritual pennies from heaven they received as a result of the coronavirus lockdown. For many Catholic families, private Catholic initiatives opened up opportunities to pause, pay attention, process, and pray. Families and individuals listened to, interacted, and prayed with the authentic voices from the ‘who’s who’ in the Catholic world.
Lay communities, prayer groups, Catholic speakers, and artists swiftly moved in to cushion the impact from the shutting down of churches across the world. While a confounded hierarchical Church was still preaching the ‘unprecedented’ gospel, these lay faithful took to Zoom video calls, and social media, determined, come hell or high water, to live and help others live their Christian calling to the hilt. Here, here and here are three outstanding examples. Several Catholics found more time to spend on regular Catholic television, podcasts, webinars, and other shows. Faithful local priests too launched initiatives on social media for spiritual enrichment, connection, and solidarity.
The Convergent Church: Catholic Families and Intellectuals