Denver Archdiocese director of communications challenges students to “engage the secular media”

Denver, Colo., Jan 17, 2005 / 22:00 pm

Speaking at the seventh annual FOCUS national student leadership conference in Denver this past weekend, Sergio Gutierrez, director of communications for the Archdiocese of Denver challenged students to change the culture by engaging the secular media.

He called on them to be active in “writing letters, sending e-mails, and making calls” to their local and national media outlets, clarifying the true positions of the Church when they are misrepresented.

He said that Catholics must move beyond the Catholic and Christian media alone and engage the larger world to bring about a positive change.

“These airwaves are ours”, he said.

Gutierrez cited the influential power of the film The Passion of the Christ, which was spread through mainstream means and a recent column by Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput which appeared in the New York Times.

He said that if Catholics are serious about evangelization, they need to utilize the modern tools the Church has at Her disposal.