During this time of COVID-19, we have quickly re-organized our apostolate so as to reach out to people digitally. Here are some of the projects currently underway:
– We created a hashtag #spiritualcommunion and many of our initiatives appear under that. The webpage is: http://pauline.org/Portals/0/spiritual-communion.html
– Using com technology to stream on Facebook, we appear daily at the Angelus times of 12 noon and 6 p.m. with reflective conversations on the Daughters of St. Paul Facebook.
– We are reaching out to children through StoryTime with the Sisters, during which different Sisters read our children’s books aloud with the permission of our authors because now is a favorable time to reach children with seeds of hope and faith.
– We have begun a Eucharistic Adoration site to assist people in praying during the pandemic: https://adorationguide.wordpress.com/
– We have created a course to help people cope with depression, using the life of Mary as a lens: https://intothedeep.official.academy/#!mary-walks-beside-you-strength-for-living-in-fragile-times/1/Yx7jd/
– The sisters in our book centers are calling our customers to check in on them, see how they are doing, and ask if we can do anything for them during these stressful times. It has been an incredible experience of communion.
We have learned many things during this time when everything has stopped and, at the same time, everything has begun anew. We have realized that we need to truly think through our online presence as a viable FSP mission presence with an integrated strategy since in some cases it may be the only way we can reach people. And finally, the whole experience of digital evangelization is helping us to “lead from the heart.”