Leaders at the Diocese say the new platform will connect parishioners, share content and resources, and engage a new generation of Catholics.
The Diocese of Corpus Christi officially launched its new mobile app Monday, calling it a modern way to bring Catholic community members closer together in a digital age.
The app aims to connect parishioners, share local Catholic content and reach younger generations through an online platform.
“This is the Corpus Christi Catholic Network app,” said Teresa Saenz, a 22-year-old Catholic who says she’s eager to make the app part of her daily routine.
“I typically spend around like two hours on social media and probably three hours just streaming shows and watching different influencers on YouTube,” Saenz said. “So, this will definitely be easily incorporated into my streaming routine.”
The launch marks the culmination of about three years of behind-the-scenes work from staff and volunteers across the diocese.
“This is my baby. This is so exciting. I woke up this morning and I was like, it’s launch day today,” said Katia Uriarte Philipello, Director of Communications for the Diocese of Corpus Christi.
Uriarte Philipello has been helping develop the app since its early stages. She said the idea for the platform came from Bishop Michael Mulvey’s vision.
“This is the reason that I started working for the Diocese,” Uriarte Philipello said. “When Bishop Mulvey talked to me about his vision that he wanted to create a local Catholic network, I was like, I can do that.”
The Catholic church, a nearly 2,000-year-old institution, is now innovatively stepping into the digital era.
“Local Catholic content every Tuesday at 6 p.m., it’s going to go live and then it’s going to be on demand,” Uriarte Philipello said. “And then on Sundays, you can watch mass live for those who cannot attend.”
Bishop Mulvey said the inspiration for the project began 16 years ago, when he received a call.
“She asked me what we were doing for social media to reach out to the young people,” Mulvey said.
That conversation, he said, sparked a vision that 16 years later has come to life.
“We’re in a digital era, we’re in social media, and certainly the voice of good, the voice of what’s helpful to people needs to be out there in front and center,” Mulvey said. “So I hope that this app will really be available to everyone, young and old.”
While faith in a digital era may look a little different now, leaders at the Diocese say the mission remains the same, bringing people together just like mass does every Sunday.