News Releases
July 8, 2009
LENEXA, Kansas – July 8, 2009 – Fred M. Fosnacht, CEO of MyCatholicVoice (www.mycatholicvoice.com), the premier online Catholic resource combining social networking and digital multimedia content, presented on Web 2.0 opportunities and challenges for the Catholic church at the National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management annual membership conference. Fosnacht joined Jeff Cole, director of the Center for the Digital Future at the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication, for the interactive presentation and discussion with Catholic bishops and pastors, leaders in business and finance, educators, and philanthropists.
Conducted at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, with key presenters including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Bishop Gerald Kicanas of Tucson, Ariz., vice president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), the Leadership Roundtable conference theme “Clarity, Candor and Conviction: Effective Communication for a Global Church” highlighted the group’s awareness of today’s changing communication needs.
“Catholicism, as a sacramental religion, is meant to bring people to community, for Christ is found in and through community. Today, with the proliferation of technology and online communication, the Church is challenged to find new ways to be community both online and offline,” said Fosnacht. “The Church has an incredible opportunity to engage Catholics and others as they connect, explore, and share in these new ways.”
Fosnacht continued, “The dynamics of new media communication is unlike traditional communication. It is personal, authentic, and invites dialogue and response. When evaluating the effectiveness of church communications, we must ask ourselves, does our communication have these attributes?"
Bishop Kicanas reinforced that technology is the medium and not the message. "Communication, while enhanced by technology, rests on the power of the message and the authenticity of the communicator," Bishop Kicanas stated at the conference. "Technology facilitates the fundamental desire people have to communicate and engage one another.”
Fosnacht and Cole addressed five areas of opportunity for church leadership and church life, including the differences between traditional media and new media, safety, the democratic nature of the Internet, who is trustworthy, and the digital divide. In each of these areas, they laid out the changing landscape and implications for ministry and church life.
The National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management is a non-profit Catholic organization, made up of lay leaders in business, education and other fields, working with priests, religious and bishops, and promotes best practices in church management, human resources and finances.
About MyCatholicVoice
Launched in February 2008, MyCatholicVoice is the premier online Catholic resource for personal inspiration and community ministry. The site’s mission is to capture, organize and share the tradition of the Catholic Church for the next millennium. MyCatholicVoice offers innovative capabilities for exploring and sharing the tradition of the Catholic faith, using the latest Internet and mobile technologies. The site provides easy access to a broad range of current and historical material, including publisher and user-generated content. For more information, visit
www.MyCatholicVoice.com.
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June 25, 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. and LENEXA, Kansas – June 25, 2009 – The National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM) and MyCatholicVoice (www.mycatholicvoice.com), the premier online Catholic resource combining social networking and digital multimedia content, today announced the launch of the MyCatholicVoice Virtual Pilgrimage™ for NCYC 2009 (Nov. 19-21 in Kansas City, MO).
As the official online resource for the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) 2009, the MyCatholicVoice Virtual Pilgrimage utilizes multimedia content online to help youth, youth ministers, and parents to prepare, deepen and sustain their experience. MyCatholicVoice is working with the leading innovators in ministry, new media, and Internet technologies to deliver meaningful content in the areas of Evangelization, Catechesis, Prayer and Community through the Virtual Pilgrimage.
“Appropriately reflected in this year’s NCYC theme, ‘Christ Reigns: In Us, Among Us, Through Us,’ Catholicism is meant to bring people together in community, for Christ is found in and through community. Today, community is online as well as offline, and the Church is challenged to find new ways to be community and a sacramental presence,” said Fred Fosnacht, CEO, MyCatholicVoice. “Through the Virtual Pilgrimage, MyCatholicVoice and NCYC have the opportunity to engage participants to connect, explore and share in these new ways.”
“Extending the energy and spirit of NCYC 2009 beyond the physical event, the MyCatholicVoice Virtual Pilgrimage provides multimedia content and interactive ways which enable youth, ministers and parents to prepare, deepen and sustain their NCYC 2009 experience,” said Dr. Robert J. McCarty, executive director, NFCYM. “Today, using online outreach through the Virtual Pilgrimage, Twitter, and Facebook, we’re able to communicate interactively with youth in ways that resonate with them, and help them share their faith, beliefs and experiences.”
NCYC invites everyone – youth, youth ministers, parents, both attendees and virtual pilgrims alike -- to join the MyCatholicVoice Virtual Pilgrimage TODAY to begin preparing for NCYC 2009. Visit
www.mycatholicvoice.com/ncyc today to join this free online group.
Follow NCYC on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/ncyc2009 , and become an “Official NCYC 2009 – Kansas City” fan on
www.facebook.com .
About NCYC
The National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) is an exciting, biennial three-day experience of prayer, community and empowerment for Catholic teenagers and their adult chaperones. The schedule includes general sessions, workshops addressing a wide variety of topics including Catholic spirituality and prayer, social justice issues, sexuality and leadership. There are also opportunities for reconciliation, daily liturgy, and special activities such as concerts, a dance, and comedy club. The thematic park is a unique venue incorporating traditional exhibits with interactive educational and recreational activities and vendors.
About NFCYM
Located in Washington, DC, and staffed by a team of energetic and creative individuals, the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM) is a membership organization working on behalf of youth and diocesan youth ministry leadership across the country and on U.S. military bases. Members include ninety-four percent of all U.S. Catholic dioceses, the National Catholic Committee on Girl Scouts and Camp Fire and more than fifty youth-serving organizations.
About MyCatholicVoice
Launched in February 2008, MyCatholicVoice is the premier online Catholic resource for personal inspiration and community ministry. The site’s mission is to capture, organize and share the tradition of the Catholic Church for the next millennium. MyCatholicVoice offers innovative capabilities for exploring and sharing the tradition of the Catholic faith, using the latest Internet and mobile technologies. The site provides easy access to a broad range of current and historical material, including published and user-generated content. For more information, visit
www.MyCatholicVoice.com.
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December 02, 2008
LENEXA, Kansas - December 2, 2008 - MyCatholicVoice (www.MyCatholicVoice.com) today announced its sponsorship of the Technology Innovation Center for the National Conference of Catholic Youth Ministry (NCCYM) (Dec. 4-7, Cleveland, OH). Featured presentations in the NCCYM Technology Innovation Center will highlight how to best utilize online resources and technology to minister to Catholic youth.
"We're very pleased to have this opportunity to work together with NCCYM to share the Catholic tradition online with today's increasingly 'plugged in' young adults," said Fred Fosnacht, CEO of MyCatholicVoice.
"Just as the Internet has become a platform for other social interaction, it is also an enabler of community and a platform for discussion of faith and spirituality," said Fosnacht. "As Catholics use the Internet to explore what matters most to them, the Internet becomes a place of spiritual sustenance. What's more, this online young adult group will soon be the majority of Catholics in the United States."
NCCYM participants are invited to share their experiences after the conference by posting videos and photos at http://www.mycatholicvoice.com/NCCYM2008. For more information, visit the MyCatholicVoice booth #501 at NCCYM.
About NCCYM
The National Conference on Catholic Youth Ministry (NCCYM) is the largest adult conference for Catholic youth ministers in the United States. Youth and campus ministers, religious education leaders, clergy, religious, performers, artists and volunteers gather for four days of inspiring keynotes, challenging workshops, dynamic prayer and worship, helpful networking, extensive resources, and good-hearted entertainment.
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June 17, 2008
Jun 17, 2008 14:00 ET
MyCatholicVoice Launches Virtual Pilgrimage for World Youth Day 2008
Partnership With U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Embassy of Australia Brings International Catholic Youth Event Online at MyCatholicVoice.com
Virtual Pilgrimage Encourages Interactive Remote Event Participation Globally
Site Features Customized World Youth Day Music Playlists, User Videos, and Blogs by "Feet-on-the-Street" Youth Reporters and Other Special Features
LENEXA, KS--(Marketwire - June 17, 2008) - MyCatholicVoice (www.mycatholicvoice.com), the first Catholic online resource combining social networking with digital multimedia content, today announced the launch of its Virtual Pilgrimage for World Youth Day 2008 (Sydney, Australia, July 15-20, 2008). Partnering with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the Embassy of Australia, MyCathoicVoice is hosting the Virtual Pilgrimage to provide Catholic youth around the world a means to virtually experience the vitality of World Youth Day.
Designed to bring the best of World Youth Day to a larger online audience, the MyCatholicVoice WYD08 Virtual Pilgrimage will feature "feet-on-the-street" reporting by on-site youth attendees sponsored by USCCB. Using video footage and event blogs, these multimedia reports provide a personal and interactive perspective on the event between youth who are physically present at the event and youth following the event online. The WYD08 Virtual Pilgrimage will also offer music selections from the event, messages from attending Bishops, packaged teachings and other special features.
"With the support of the USCCB and the Embassy of Australia, we've brought the promise of advanced internet capabilities to the mission of the church for a global online audience in a very practical and personal way," said Fred Fosnacht, chief executive for MyCatholicVoice. "The Virtual Pilgrimage showcases how we are enabling the global Church community to explore and share the rich tradition of the Catholic faith with a demographic that regularly connects and relates to others online. We're very pleased to have the opportunity to provide the Church and its youth with a global online stage for this special event."
"Our partnership with MyCatholicVoice for the WYD08 Virtual Pilgrimage is a prime example of how the Catholic Church is initiating innovative ways to reach its youth," said Sr. Eileen McCann, USCCB. "This offers a truly unique and meaningful experience of World Youth Day to people across the world, and enables personal connection through this shared experience."
A week-long event, World Youth Day is the world's largest youth event. It is an invitation from the Pope to the youth of the world to celebrate their faith. Up to 225,000 registered pilgrims are expected to take part in WYD08 events on site daily, including 125,000 international visitors.
About USCCB
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is an assembly of the hierarchy of the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands who jointly exercise certain pastoral functions on behalf of the Christian faithful of the United States. The purpose of the Conference is to promote the greater good which the Church offers humankind, especially through forms and programs of the apostolate fittingly adapted to the circumstances of time and place. The bishops themselves constitute the membership of the Conference and are served by a staff of over 350 lay people, priests, deacons, and religious located at the Conference headquarters in Washington, DC. There is also a small Office of Film and Broadcasting in New York City and a branch office of Migration and Refugee Services in Miami.
About MyCatholicVoice
Launched in February, 2008, MyCatholicVoice is the most comprehensive online Catholic resource for personal inspiration and community ministry. The site's mission is to capture, organize and share the tradition of the Catholic Church for the next millennium. MyCatholicVoice offers innovative capabilities for exploring and sharing the rich tradition of the Catholic faith, using the latest Internet and mobile technologies. The site provides easy access to a broad range of current and historical material, including published and user-generated content. For more information, visit www.MyCatholicVoice.com.
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February 29, 2008
CATHOLIC CONTENT LLC LAUNCHES MYCATHOLICVOICE,
THE FIRST ONLINE MULTIMEDIA RESOURCE FOR CATHOLICS
- New Web site offers unique combination of social networking and easy access to Catholic multimedia content
- Available content includes top published Catholic theologians, authors and musicians, as well as individual site users
- Site features downloads, uploads, communities, blogs, content ratings and more
LENEXA, Kansas - February 29, 2008 - Catholic Content, LLC today announced the launch of MyCatholicVoice (www.mycatholicvoice.com), the first online multimedia Catholic resource for personal inspiration and community ministry. Making its debut at the 2008 Los Angeles Religious Education Congress (Feb. 29-Mar. 2, Anaheim, CA), MyCatholicVoice uniquely combines social networking capabilities with easy online access to a broad range of current and historical Catholic material, including both published and user-generated content.
"MyCatholicVoice offers innovative capabilities for exploring and sharing the rich tradition of the Catholic faith, using the latest Internet and mobile technologies," said Fred Fosnacht, chief executive of MyCatholicVoice. "Our mission is to capture, organize and share the Catholic tradition for the next millennium, enabling Catholics and others to connect, explore and share in new ways."
Showcasing material from top Catholic publishers, the site features the world's best-known theologians, speakers, authors, and artists, as well as content from community leaders and individual site users. Rich media content is available through samples, links, and free and paid downloads.
Designed as an interactive online destination, MyCatholicVoice offers users a variety of capabilities with free membership through registration on the site.
Registered users can easily:
- Download free and paid music, audio and video content
- Join communities
- Create blogs
- Upload video and audio files
- Share videos, audio and music
- Host discussion forums
- Rate and comment on available content
MyCatholicVoice delivers a wide range of faith-based content representing the diversity of the Catholic faith, and features enhanced search and rating capabilities to help users find what matters most to them.
"By utilizing the full set of features on MyCatholicVoice, users have the ability to create their own personal dialogue on everything from faith and spirituality to culture and politics," said Fosnacht. "MyCatholicVoice reflects the diversity of the global Catholic community, and welcomes respectful dialogue about the Catholic tradition and the shared spirit of all humankind."
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