The Augustinian Recollect Antonio Carrón (Madrid, Spain, 1980) directs the Digital Communication and Evangelization Commission of the Augustinian Recollects. In the following writing he presents his work and the approaches with which they carry out this task.
Por Antonio Carrón, OAR
Communication is the main vehicle through which the Church transmits the Gospel message to the world. From preaching and catechesis in parishes, school religious teaching, or the dissemination of content through new digital platforms, communication plays a crucial role in evangelization.
For years, the Augustinian Recollects have been promoting a communication project that seeks to show the world who we are and what we do and, at the same time, facilitate the bond between those of us who are part of the Augustinian-Recollect Family.
But we are not satisfied with that, but rather we seek to touch lives, also through digital environments, presenting the person of Jesus and the richness of the Augustinian Recollect charisma. This is the great challenge of online evangelization that the last General Chapter of the Order asked to take on, and in which we are embarking.
Pope Francis has echoed on numerous occasions the great challenge that the impact of new digital environments, especially social networks, is posing today:
“The network is an opportunity to encourage encounters with others, but it can also enhance our self-isolation, like a spider web that traps us.” (Message for the 53rd World Communications Day, 2019).
The Augustinian Recollects, in line with the Church, want to create communion in this context, carrying out communication “by people for people” (Message for the 52nd World Day of Social Communications, 2018).
For this mission it is important to consider the foundations, which cannot be other than the values that define us: search for Truth, transcendence, community, interiority, mission, justice and social commitment…
To this we must add elements that allow us to dialogue with the world today, such as transparency, trust, audiovisual and interactivity, etc.
The current online evangelization project of the Augustinian Recollects takes shape in several directions:
- the production of audiovisual content based on personal experiences and current affairs of the Order;
- online training content, through the In Imum Cordis Training School;
- personal interaction on social networks with users who follow us and others who are interested in the content we publish;
- animation and vocational discernment content from the Inquietar project;
- the work of connecting the various digital communication networks of the Augustinian-Recollect Family (provinces, organizations, institutions, people);
- and the launch of new dialogue and presence projects in digital environments, such as the “Dialogues of Casiaco” space or gamification and integration of artificial intelligence projects to discover Saint Augustine.
Today, the Augustinian Recollects are present in the virtual space through the site agustinosrecoletos.com and also on the social networks Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn.
The challenge of an online evangelizing presence today is great, but the work of communion continues to bear fruit. And we will continue in this, walking together.
