How eCatholic and a hashtag helped a D.C. parish get noticed
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August 27, 2014
Aug 27, 2014 bySt. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church is located in Washington D.C. near the Nationals baseball stadium. Over the years, churches in the area have been closing down, selling land, and moving out. @dePaulDC decided to embrace the change and welcome new neighbors moving into the community.
My wife, Sara, and I had the opportunity to meet and befriend several amazing and dedicated parishioners of St. Vincent de Paul. I was intrigued by the the large sign out front, #NatsMass. It made perfect sense. The parish is located just a few hundred yards from the metro and a few blocks from the Nationals stadium.
“For me, it was kind of a no-brainer,” said Fr. Andrew Royals, 34, a native who was appointed the pastor about two years ago. “On game days we had thousands of people walking right in front of our church. I was like, ‘Well, I’m sure some of these people would like to go to church.’…And we thought there’s no reason people can’t do both.”
This initiative started in May and attracted a humble crowd of 5. However, with some perseverance, promotions on Facebook, and the use of the #NatsMass hashtag on Twitter, the August 24th Mass had nearly 100 attendees and is quickly gaining momentum. If you're wondering how they separate baseball fans from regular churchgoers, it's really hard to ignore the sea of red baseball apparel.
“We’re shattering attendance records each Sunday. That’s what gives me hope. I’m pretty sure at some point I’m going to start Mass one Sunday, and I’m going to look out and see a church filled with Nats fans.”
Fr. Andrew Royals, St. Vincent de Paul | Washington, D.C.
Mass starts at noon and is over in plenty of time to walk down the block and enjoy the game. The extra prayers don't seem to hurt any since the Nationals are 6-1 since Nats Mass started. Their only loss so far has been to the Texas Rangers. (My favorite team.)
Several of the 8 a.m regulars from the parish even came back in the afternoon to welcome their extended Catholic family to the church. I know they welcome everyone because I spotted a few San Francisco Giants fans in the pews.
"The social media outreach has become so significant. We found that the backbone of our online outreach has been our eCatholic website," said Fr. Andrew. "It's led to an increase in participation and parish membership."
The New Evangelization isn't just about having a Facebook, Twitter, website, or some other digital account. These technologies are mere tools to help the Church connect with real people and share our incredible faith. Kate and Patrick, members who helped Fr. Royals jumpstart Nats Mass, are living examples of how God can do amazing things if we are open to His will.
"Our first turn-out to #NatsMass was small. But we spoke with each person who attended and they ALL told us that they found out about us from our website. I’m glad that we chose a mobile responsive design; it was an important feature that we wanted as 44% who visit our site do so on a mobile device."
Kate, Parishioner | St. Vincent de Paul
In addition, we have a lot to learn from others as well. The couple mentioned that they were inspired to get involved and motivated by a lifelong member of the parish community, Mrs. Streeter, 94.
“It's so beautiful that she prays for us and the whole world every day."
Patrick Abbott, Parishioner | St. Vincent de Paul
A fellow daily Mass attendee once commented that merely sitting near Mrs. Streeter was like stilling next to a potbelly stove – her devotion and faith was so hot that everyone around her could feel it too.
The outpouring of support for Fr. Drew, St. Vincent de Paul, and #NatsMass has been tremendous. A Washington Post article accelerated the awareness of the humble parish and the amount of people visiting their website skyrocketed. Fr. Drew wrote a letter to parishioners and friends, saying in part,
“…the most wonderful thing about Nats Mass is the communion we share through Jesus Christ, whom we honor above all things. This means that even if you can’t join us for a Nats Mass, we can still be united in Christ. … Here’s hoping it continues to help bring more people to Mass not just here but everywhere. That would be the victory that Jesus would really like.”
It's important for us to never forget that behind every "like" and "follow" is a real person.
I tip my hat to St. Vincent de Paul for embracing change and giving us a great example of how the New Evangelization is promoting the Faith.
