I do a lot of work online, seeking out topics for commentary on my podcast. Sometimes, it leads to doomscrolling, but I pray that God will give me the strength to avoid using the internet idly. 

One day, God answered my prayer as I went down a social-media rabbit hole and discovered a whole community of non-Catholics, evangelicals and Protestants who discussed and shared their curiosity about the Catholic faith. They documented their journey exploring Catholicism, history and theology.  

We’re currently witnessing a positive trend of men and women thinking of converting to Catholicism. I think this is a spiritual gift from Sts. Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis. This gives us hope. 

But I discovered even more grace: many young adults who were not ready to commit to OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) but wanted to learn more about Catholicism. 

While the internet may be the easiest way to begin, it should always lead to a real encounter, a community and an authentically lived experience.

So I invited them on pilgrimage. 

First, a bit of background on these seekers and why they are seeking the sacred.

For example, two young evangelical Protestant men from California decided to share their experiences of praying a daily Rosary in October. A young Methodist from Arizona explored Catholicism as a way to help her studies as a therapist. Another young woman, raised as a pagan witch, explored Catholicism while making rosaries because they were pretty. A popular influencer in the health and fitness space came along with his wife, both of whom were seeking silence and meditation, which the Church encourages and provides. A young man whose father is a Protestant minister went on this pilgrimage and is now converting to Catholicism. His younger brother, whom I met at another event, may be coming on the next pilgrimage we’ve scheduled for June 10-14.  

The Catholic Church, which is purposely slow to catch up to modern trends, is also cautious in encountering new technology. However, the Church has always used the latest technology — whether the printing press or radio or television or the internet — to evangelize. 

Blessed James Alberione, the founder of the Society of St. Paul and the Daughters of St. Paul, famously declared that the microphone is the new pulpit. One of the saints of this new age of information, Carlos Acutis, used his computer to help people cultivate a deeper devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. Sister Mary Kenneth Keller, a Sister of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, was the first woman to receive a doctorate in computer science — in 1965! 

The Church uses the internet to reach a population hungry for Jesus Christ.

But who could imagine “Catholic curiosity” to trend on TikTok or Instagram? We know that social media curses the world with misinformation, propaganda and psychological manipulation. But, if treated with proper moderation and focus, it can also be educational, entertaining and help make authentic connections. 

That’s what the “Catholic Curious” are seeking! They are bashfully asking the internet for a priest or nun who can help them with their questions. It’s fascinating to hear their questions and encouraging to watch them seeking the sacred. I’m heartbroken to hear their longing for connection and community. I’m entertained to hear their impression of Mass and laughing out loud to see how they rate Catholic Mass compared to other services. 

The shepherd inside of me kept hearing the sheep from a different fold, yearning for the eternal springs that come only from a sacramental faith. I felt compelled to do something. However, I didn’t just want to respond to their posts online. That sometimes leads to time wasted texting back and forth. Instead, my team quickly organized the first-of-its-kind opportunity for these non-Catholic content creators. We invited them on a pilgrimage!  

After all, the mystery of the Incarnation requires Jesus’ followers to experience God in our humanity and not just a phone screen. 

I wanted them to “taste and see the goodness of the Lord.” 

Pilgrimages have been part of my ministry for almost 30 years. I know what I’m doing and have helped other Catholic “influencers” to become pilgrimage leaders. We even turned our pilgrimage experiences into EWTN’s TV show Savoring Our Faith (watch on Sundays at 4:30 p.m. Eastern).

This time, however, would be a new pilgrimage experience for me. 

I’ll be honest: This was a huge risk and a very big investment. 

We decided to call this “Feed My Faith: Meet & Seek.” This experience would have two simple parts:

We invited 100 online Catholic curious creators to join us for an hour-long call, where we shared our vision and a message on how to become a theologian and a pilgrim. We asked them to submit a two-minute video explaining why they should be selected to go on the actual pilgrimage. Our team picked 12 of them to come for an all-expenses-paid trip to the Archdiocese of Baltimore, America’s Catholic primatial sea.

Baltimore is perfect for a U.S.-based pilgrimage. It has the first seminary, the first cathedral, one of the largest Lourdes grottoes, and the burial place of the first American-born saint, Elizabeth Ann Seton. It also has deep connections to St. Jude, St. John Neumann, Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, Sts. John Paul II and Mother Teresa, and the Venerable Mother Mary Lang housed in beautiful churches and shrines.

Our team reorganized our finances in order to pay for these 12 content creators’ travel and lodging. We contracted a private bus and secured rides for local spots. We scheduled prayer time to include a teaching Mass, Rosary, Divine Mercy prayer, meditations and opportunities for questions. And there were a lot of questions! The first night, we even hosted Catholic trivia, which helped them to see how many people (including some who were reverts to Catholicism) don’t really know what the Church teaches and believes.  

Almost supernaturally, this group of 12 gelled so quickly you would have thought they were lifelong friends. But the power of the internet made this introductory encounter feel more like a family reunion. True to the Plating Grace message, we provided them with multicourse meals to slow them down and to celebrate deliciousness, which we have turned into feast days. Much of the bonding took place at the dinner table at my restaurant space, The Gastro Social, in downtown Baltimore. 

It fascinated me to watch them enter a church and get excited about blessing themselves with holy water. They were surprised by the size and beauty of these places that we Catholics call “home.” They were like kids in a candy shop, hungry for the Catholic Church’s spiritual sweetness. I explained why we whisper in our churches; taught them how to find the tabernacle and to genuflect; showed them vestments and sacramentals; and gave them instructions on how to revere a relic. 

One recent Catholic convert called this experience “an OCIA in 3D, Technicolor and scratch-and-sniff!” 

At the end, pilgrims shared their experiences. Many tears of joy were shed, along with many laughs. A few sponsors, including Word on Fire, provided some books, Chews Life provided rosaries, and The Novena Rose Company provided beautiful cutting boards. These souls definitely returned home with heavier luggage, filled with Catholic resources and gifts, i.e., sacramentals, which they all asked me to bless. 

This pilgrimage felt different, but all familiar. It’s like every other pilgrimage, but this time there was an earnest zeal and a palpable hunger! A hunger which only God can satisfy. But it takes servers — like me and my team — to feed their faith. 

Next, I would like to impart an important thought on sharing faith on the internet: 

Catholics must remember that technology and theology are not mutually exclusive, but naturally complementary. I know this firsthand. Ordained in 1999, I’m one of the few “OG” priests who took to the internet and social media shortly after my ordination. 

Now, there are many priests and religious on social media, evangelizing, catechizing, sharing stories and simply being “human” on the internet. It’s a good thing — all within appropriate measures. 

At the same time, I’ve noticed how some in Church leadership are very skeptical and weary of their priests posting online, despite the fact that many (not all) are called and gifted to be a voice in this internet wilderness. I pray that bishops and superiors will provide the support, encouragement and even permission for their shepherds to train on how to make sure posts are feeding the flock rather than fueling the fires. At the same time, we should never let the “negative” reality of social-media ministry be stunted because someone semi-anonomously complains, “Father said something I disagree with, and therefore he must be canceled!” 

This pilgrimage was a wake-up call. It convicted me of an incredibly important truth: The World Wide (& Wild) Web needs to be filled with the Good News. If we don’t proclaim it, the devil will claim that space and fill it with more lies that taste like the forbidden fruit. 

The flock is hungry! Will we lead them and feed them?

To learn more and to support our efforts, visit the Plating Grace Foundation.