A new Catholic website has been created as a “welcome mat” taking the depth and richness of the Church’s teachings to everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand, especially non-Catholics seeking the peace and comfort that faith brings.
The website – www.catholicdiscovery.nz – is the work of the Catholic Enquiry Centre, which traditionally used booklets and postal correspondence to reach people interested in the Church.
Catholic Enquiry Centre Pastoral Director, Father Neil Vaney, SM, says the website takes a new direction in communicating with non-Catholics.
“The digital age has seen us adapt some of our approaches,” Fr Vaney said. “Our traditional booklets are still popular but modern audiences are hungry for interactive content. We also know that people are looking for spiritual guidance. We have been careful with what we communicate on the website and the language we use. It’s not us just simply saying this is who we are – we want to better highlight the peace, comfort, and sense of truth that faith brings.”
The Catholic Discovery website offers information, motivation, and prayers for different audiences looking at choices in faith. It presents videos, podcasts, pages, and links that offer an introduction to Catholicism.
Catholic Enquiry Centre engagement manager Joe Serci says it offers easy-to-access information with short articles in plain English.
“Catholic Discovery is a welcome mat to the Church,” he says. “The aim is to provide interesting insights on a variety of topics. People are encouraged to contact the Catholic Enquiry Centre should they want more details and to have an initial discussion on Catholicism.
“Globally, the Catholic Church is increasing its focus on digital communication. We know we need to develop and share content that shows the depth and richness we bring as a community. Please do visit our new website. We are building our library of articles, videos, and podcasts. If you would like to share your story don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected] or phone 0800 328 437 to leave a message.”
Catholic Enquiry Centre:
Established in 1961, the Catholic Enquiry Centre is an agency of the NZ Catholic Bishops’ Conference that promotes the beliefs and practices of the Catholic faith. It partners with local dioceses, parishes, and schools to produce resources that help promote Catholicism to new inquirers, former Catholics, and members of the Church involved in evangelization work.
