Returning from the First Asian Catholic Digital Missionary Assembly in Manila, I find myself carrying home something far more valuable than photographs, memories and new friendships. I return with a renewed understanding of digital ministry, not simply as a place to create content, but as a mission field waiting to be evangelized.
Being selected to represent India at the Assembly by the Media Office of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India was a privilege and a moment of deep gratitude. I remain especially grateful to Fr. Cyril Victor, Media Coordinator of CCBI, for giving me the opportunity to be part of this gathering.
For someone involved in Catholic media ministry, the experience was both encouraging and challenging.
A family across Asia
The Assembly brought together priests, religious and digital missionaries from different parts of Asia. I was blessed to meet fellow missionaries from the Philippines, China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, among others.
We came from different cultures and spoke different languages. Our pastoral realities were not the same, nor were our experiences of the digital world. Yet there was a remarkable sense of fraternity.
We were united by one desire: to bring Christ into the digital spaces where people are living, searching and communicating today.
Listening to the stories of others was one of the most enriching parts of the Assembly. Their enthusiasm, struggles and commitment gave me renewed hope.
At times, digital ministry can feel lonely. We create, post, respond and move on, often without knowing the impact of our work. Meeting others engaged in the same mission reminded me that I am not alone.
I am convinced that God brought us together from different countries and cultures to remind us that this mission belongs to Him.
Beyond algorithms and numbers
One of the biggest changes in my thinking concerns how I see the people who encounter my content.
It is easy for a content creator to become absorbed in views, likes, shares, comments and followers. But behind every screen is a person.
Every piece of content that reaches someone's phone reaches a human being who may be searching for meaning, peace, companionship, answers or faith.
A view is not merely a number. It could be a person who needed encouragement that day.
A comment is not merely an engagement statistic. It could be someone carrying a question, a hurt or a struggle with faith.
The digital missionary must therefore learn to see beyond the screen.
From influencer to evangelizer
The Assembly gave me a new orientation to my own media ministry. I have often thought of myself as a content creator and, in some sense, an influencer. But I increasingly feel called to move from being an influencer to becoming an evangelizer.
There is an important difference. An influencer can draw attention to himself or herself. An evangelizer ultimately points beyond himself, toward Christ.
This also changes how I look at negative comments and criticism. Instead of seeing every negative response simply as something to defend against, I can see such moments as opportunities for authentic Christian witness.
I do not have to win every argument. I need to remain faithful to the One I represent.
Who influences the influencer?
Perhaps the most important question I brought back from Manila is: Before I try to influence others, who is influencing me?
For me, the answer has to be Jesus Christ.
If my digital ministry is to be missionary, prayer cannot be separated from content creation. I need to pray before I create and ask not merely, “Will this video perform well?” but, “Will this help someone encounter Christ?”
The algorithm may determine how widely something travels. But prayer must determine why I am creating it in the first place.
Jesus is my first follower
One of the most beautiful reflections I encountered during the Assembly came from a conversation with a Sister from China.
We were reflecting on our media ministry and our preoccupation with algorithms, followers, likes and shares. Then came a simple yet profound question: Who is my first follower?
For me, that is Jesus Christ.
Before I followed Him, He followed me. Before I knew Him, He knew me. Even when I failed to follow Him faithfully, He never “unfollowed” me.
People may follow today and unfollow tomorrow. Algorithms change. Numbers rise and fall. Content becomes popular and then disappears.
But Christ remains faithful.
He never unfollows me.
That thought has remained with me since the Assembly. My content may not always be great. My life may be flawed. I may make mistakes. But if Jesus is my first follower, I want to create content worthy of that first follower.
A missionary presence on every screen
The Assembly has left me with a simple but demanding challenge: to become a witness.
A witness does not simply speak about something. A witness allows his or her life to testify to what has been encountered.
For me, this means allowing my digital presence to become an extension of my priestly and missionary vocation.
The goal is not simply to gain followers, but to help people encounter the One whom I follow.
It is not simply to create content, but to create opportunities for encounter.
It is not to make people remember my name, but to help them remember that God has not forgotten them.
I return from Manila grateful for the people I met, the stories I heard and the fraternity I experienced across Asia.
But above all, I return with a renewed sense of mission:
From influencer to evangelizer.
From content creator to witness.
From seeking followers to creating a community.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
Latest News
