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Brooklyn and Queens Diocese, New York, is reaching out to young people, suggesting it is ‘hip’ to be prayerful.
An Ad campaign that includes a picture of a church with a velvet rope accompanied by a slogan “Everyone’s on the list,” will soon be scattered across the diocese.
CBS reports residents are ‘chuckling’ because the ads look like they could be for a new cool night club.
Another ad in the series reads, “It’s never just a selfie”, and shows an image of Jesus in the background of a picture of a woman taking a selfie.
Yet another, “His line is always open,” shows a smart phone perched on a Bible.
Monsignor Kieran Harrington, Vicar for Communications for Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn calls the ads “relatable”.
“We wanted to look and see what is it people understand,” he said.
“We really just wanted to be in front of people and kind of knocking at the door saying, ‘listen you are a part of community, we love you, and we want you to be with us’ and that is the whole nature of the campaign,” he told Fox News.
The Diocese of Brooklyn launched the campaign to remind parishioners they have somewhere to go for the holidays, reaching out to young people with social media and technology.
Reaction among Catholics is mixed.
“I don’t know how to call it other than a materialistic hustle, and that’s taking away a piece of the message that is part of the reason people come,” Charlie Peterson said.
“I think it might be in poor taste,” however, “They are talking, and maybe even posting about it,” John Michael added.
Monsignor Harrington told Fox News that young people are responding.
An estimated 1.4 million Catholics live in Brooklyn and Queens, but only 250,000 go to mass every week.
“It’s a knock on the door to let people know they have a family here that very much wants to see them,” Monsignor Harrington said.
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