The Vatican Believes in Digital Missionaries, and I’m Living Proof
- JPaul Hernandez
- Oct 22
- 4 min read
It took four weeks of waiting, paperwork, and endless prayers before my visa was finally approved. Honestly, there were moments of doubt. I wondered if I would even make it.
But after the long wait, my wife and I stepped foot in Rome, this time not just as pilgrims but as part of something historic: the Jubilee of Digital Missionaries and Catholic Influencers.
When I received the invitation, I was in awe. The Vatican was recognizing digital missionaries as part of the Church’s mission field. And in a world of fake news, AI disinformation, consumerism, hate, and toxic comparison, it makes sense. The online world needs missionaries of hope more than ever.
To my surprise, they believed in me enough to be there.
What I Learned from the Jubilee
Throughout the event, we listened to Jesuits, theologians, panels of digital missionaries, and Pope Leo XIV himself. The message was consistent and deeply convicting:
Focus on faces, not just profiles.
Evangelization is not about bombarding people with messages; it is about building relationships.
The number of followers does not measure influence, but rather the depth of faith.
Be fire in a world of artificial light.
One priest said, “God can convert even an ugly heart.” That struck me. Because sometimes, when your post doesn’t reach people, it feels like failure. But even Jesus on the Cross looked like a failure to the world. The truth is, God works beyond the algorithms.
And then Pope Leo XIV gave us a clear mission:
“Look for the restless heart searching for Jesus in every person you meet. In the world of technology, don’t forget to be human.”
Who Really Influences You?
This question stayed with me: It is not about how many people you influence, but who influences you.
If God is not the one influencing your life, then likes, followers, and views mean nothing. But if you allow Him to lead you and let the saints intercede for you, then your influence becomes eternal.
That is why I believe we need the saints more than ever. They were the original influencers. Ordinary people who let God work through them in extraordinary ways. Their lives show us the path to freedom, to being fully alive, and to becoming who God created us to be.
Why We Need Digital Missionaries
As I sat in Rome, I reflected on this question: With 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, why does the Church need this push?
The answer came to me in prayer. All of us are on a pilgrimage to heaven, but our journeys take different forms. Some are like Blessed Carlo Acutis, who gave his all to Christ at a young age and found the Eucharist as his highway to heaven.
Some, like me, experienced multiple conversions throughout life, moving through seasons of fire, coldness, and brokenness, only to fall deeper into God’s embrace each time.
Others stay away from the Church most of their lives but find their way home late in life.
In all these journeys, we need guides. We need modern-day St. Pauls to say, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). That is what digital missionaries are called to be.
Fr. McCallum, SJ, reminded us that intimacy with God is the foundation. From intimacy flows influence, and from silence, listening flows into mission.
Called to Be Fire
Being invited to this event does not make me a VIP or an expert. It simply means I said yes. The truth is, if you are a baptized Catholic, Jesus is calling you to be a Catholic influencer.
You may not have thousands or millions of followers, but if you influence one person, it’s your turn to bring Jesus to them.
Here are some powerful reminders from the Jubilee:
The Church does not want filtered hashtags or filter bubbles. We want diversity and real encounters.
Bombarding feeds is not evangelization. It is about how you live.
Build digital communities and communion.
The world is full of artificial light. Be FIRE.
Rome reminded me of what Dr. Scott Hahn once said: Rome is our sweet home. And it is from this home that the Church calls us to bring the Gospel to every corner of the world.
As Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28). You can begin right where you are—at home, at work, in your gym, or in your run club.
My Mission: Adulting for Catholics
This Jubilee experience confirmed my mission.
I am not here to create content. I am here to bridge the gap between faith and real life. To help Catholics, especially young adults, live with clarity, healing, and purpose in a noisy and confusing world.
Through my blog, podcast (Adulting for Catholics), and speaking engagements, I aim to journey with you, as adulting is indeed a challenging endeavor. But adulting with God? That is where absolute freedom begins.
Invitation: Walk With Me
The Vatican believes in digital missionaries like me. And I believe in what God is doing in you.
If you have ever felt overwhelmed by comparison, distracted by the algorithm, or numbed by consumerism, know this: You are made for more.
So let’s walk this journey together.
➡️ Explore more blogs here at jpaulhernandez.com
🎧Listen to the Adulting for Catholics Podcast
📩Invite me to speak in your parish, community, or organization
Because in this season of darkness, what the world needs most is hope. And hope begins when we let God influence us first.
To learn more, here is the Digital Missionaries website
And here is the Vatican News write-up.
The best is yet to come,
JPaul Hernandez
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