Since its establishment in 1931 by Guglielmo Marconi (for Pius XI), Vatican Radio has been broadcasting Mass from the Vatican on a daily basis, which included Pope Francis’ Mass at Santa Marta through the COVID-19 pandemic. As radio and television outlets multiplied over the subsequent decades since the early days of broadcasting, so, too, did the broadcast of Mass, and with the advent of the internet availability has exploded. During the COVID-19 lockdown, parishes everywhere in this country availed themselves of the technology to livestream Sunday Mass, in what proved to be a lifeline to parishioners.

Surely, all these developments should be considered blessings. But, more recently, an unexpected conversation has been raised among my brother priests about the appropriateness of online Mass — basically, “Does it count?” The concern is not entirely misplaced. As a pastor, I am well aware of parishioners who regularly choose to stay home and watch Mass online. It spares them the hassle of getting the kids dressed and out the door, driving to church and finding a parking spot.

It’s understandable, but regrettable nonetheless. We can easily agree that Mass is an assembly that is about “presence,” the Lord’s real presence and ours. Besides this benefit stands the obvious fact that the reception of holy Communion is impossible online. Since the celebration of the Eucharist is the paschal “banquet,” this fact alone seems to present a fatal flaw in the online experience.

And yet any suggestion that pastors or bishops should eliminate streaming from our parishes misses the point that choosing online instead of in-person cannot be regulated. If I suspend the practice in my parish, my stay-at-home parishioners can tune into a myriad of other online options, and then our parish simply loses any connection to them.

Instead of bemoaning modern technology or trying to exclude it from parish life, why not use it to your strategic advantage and at the service of parishioners? Three facts make my point:

1. Online Mass can be a wonderful blessing to those who cannot be present, such as shut-ins, the elderly and those with mobility issues. In our parish, our pastoral visitors bring Communion to our shut-ins who request it, following Mass.

2. Online Mass can be a yoke to parishioners who, for whatever reason on a given weekend, simply cannot attend in person, which we know is sometimes simply a fact of life. Surely this is preferable to no church experience at all.

3. Online Mass can be a “front door” for people who are considering attending your church in person. It can be an easy invitation for your parishioners to make to their unchurched friends and family.

And about those parishioners at home watching Mass in their pajamas … gently, lovingly, regularly invite them back to be with their church family. It’s worth the effort because the internet isn’t going away anytime soon. 

FATHER MICHAEL WHITE is pastor of Church of the Nativity in Timonium, Maryland, and co-author of “Rebuilt Faith” (Ave Maria, $18.95).