The faithful can now get daily prayers sent directly to their iPhones after the Catholic Diocese of Salford joined the digital revolution by creating its own ‘app.’ It will deliver daily readings and thoughts. Father John Flynn, from the diocese, said that the app was about making Catholicism accessible to all.
He said: “We firmly believe that in Christ everything is revealed and we want to make that a viable option for people, be that Holy Joes or the bloke in the white van going along the M6.
“I think it’s very useful for the diocese to be competent with these technologies because so many areas of public life are.
“But we’re not trying to get the popularity vote, we’re just trying to give people another avenue into the Church.
“In 1979, Pope John Paul II called for a new evangelisation, which is the spreading of the gospel in the marketplace.
“Since then, the Church has been very keen on interpreting what he means and putting it into practice, and one aspect of that is to use modern technology to put the message of the Catholic faith across.”
The app was engineered by Cuckoo Design, based at The Old Bank on Chapel Street, Salford.
Spokesman Steve Wheatley said: “About a year ago, the diocese were looking to update their image to go with the opening of the Cathedral Centre and one of the fathers walked across the road and knocked on our door to ask if we could help.
“In our terms, they were looking for a formal corporate identity, a modern crest or emblem to use. It was a perfect opportunity to make important content even more accessible, remotely, gain valuable attention and ultimately drive up visitor numbers.
“Anything that can help a client reach out and genuinely connect with their audience is hugely beneficial.”
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