St. Pope John Paul II referred often to “the New Evangelization,” a movement of the Holy Spirit in the Church to introduce the true Gospel to the baptized who have not encountered Jesus and to transform our culture – which believes it has progressed past the need for religion. Our current age is not unlike the time of the apostles and the original evangelization, when the majority of people rejected Gospel values, the Church and even Jesus Christ himself.
One of the gifts that God has given the Church to fulfill this mission is the media and mass communications. Because the stakes are so high, it is critical that we use these tools effectively and with good stewardship, employing them to reach the greatest number of people possible.
According to 2020 census data, there are 799,914 people living in the four counties that make up the Diocese of Gary. Nearly 200,000 of those individuals self-identify as Catholic. According to numbers reported by parishes this past October, the total average number of people who attend Mass in Northwest Indiana on any given Sunday is 30,498.
We have a lot of work to do
Since 1987, the Northwest Indiana Catholic newspaper has been the primary means by which the Bishop and the Diocese of Gary has communicated with Catholics around the Region. The newspaper is award-winning, even being named the second-best newspaper in the country in 2023 by the Catholic Media Association.
While the newspaper has beautiful and uplifting content, the ways people consume media in our modern culture have shifted. Over the past several years, subscriptions to the newspaper have plummeted. Currently, the NWI Catholic newspaper has 4,237 subscribers. Even if multiple people in a household read each paper, the number of people reached through this print vehicle represents a small percentage of the people that attend Mass weekly and an even smaller fraction of the number of Catholics and total souls in Lake, Porter, LaPorte and Starke counties.
Our calling as missionary disciples is to reach out to all the people that God has entrusted to us at the Diocese of Gary, to help them encounter Jesus Christ and to grow as missionary disciples who can pass on the faith.
In response to the changing landscape of our culture, the communications office began introducing new, primarily digital tools to reach individuals who were not subscribing to the printed paper with the goal of also reaching those not attending weekly Mass, both Catholics and non-Catholics.
The results were staggering
Facebook was one of the first tools the diocese began using. On this social media platform, users can find high-quality photos from diocesan and parish events, messages from Bishop McClory, opportunities to pray for our priests on their birthdays and ordination anniversaries, and information about Catholic events. In 2024, the diocesan Facebook page reached 260,778 individuals.
The NWI Catholic news website has grown from its humble beginnings, where parts of stories were shared, but required a subscription to read the whole story. In 2022, the NWIC news site received several updates and was connected to the main diocesan website. Today, stories are updated daily and even include content that does not fit in the printed newspaper. In 2024, 42,642 individuals read at least one story on the NWIC website.
Last year, the communications office implemented a weekly “Good News” email digest, featuring Bishop McClory’s columns and video messages, as well as a selection of stories from the NWIC website, including national and world news. The number of individuals currently receiving this weekly email is 30,743, which has a 63% open rate. This is more than double the industry standard and indicates that our audience is interested in receiving these stories through their email.
While the results of using these digital tools are impressive and show a great potential for continued growth, our office recognizes not everyone wants to or possesses the ability to use digital media. Therefore diocesan communications will continue to invest in a print product, but one that can reach all households and beyond.
Another shift made by the communications ministry based on researched trends is to focus on supporting and amplifying the good work that is done in our parishes.
According to the 2023 survey of NWIC readers, over 95% of subscribers attend Mass weekly. Going one step further, according to a national survey done by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University in 2023, the parish bulletin remains the most effective vehicle to communicate with Catholics, even with those who only attend Mass occasionally.
Going forward, our mission will include intentionally working with our parishes to strengthen and supplement their bulletin content and expand support for parish communications. This essential priority reflects the simple truth that it is in our parishes that most Catholics encounter Jesus Christ and are formed to be his disciples and missionaries.
We honor and celebrate the history of the communications ministry in the Diocese of Gary. Knowing that we have only scratched the surface of what is possible with modern communications tools, we look to the future with great hope and a fierce commitment to work tirelessly until every person knows God’s boundless love.
Cecilia Cicone is the digital media strategist for the Diocese of Gary.
