Grandin Media at One

Time flies, etc. Well, it does, indeed, feel as if time has flown by when I consider that Grandin Media is already one year old. And I do think that the denizens of our Communications Department have been having fun in not only getting this digital news portal launched but also keeping it flying at what is, in my estimation, a very high altitude.

Grandin Media exists to serve the Church's mission of evangelization by telling stories of how the beauty and truth of the Gospel is "landing" in people's lives and transforming them. Whether in news reports, columns, vlogs and blogs, interviews, social media posts, or quirky shows (have you seen Leftfooters?), Grandin Media seeks to tell the Catholic story.

One of my principal preoccupations and worries over recent years has been the fact that, even though the Church has an enormously important story to tell, others are telling it, and not always accurately or fairly. We must tell the story ourselves. Of course, Catholic media has existed a long time, and has exercised its ministry with dedication and skill. Indeed, the Archdiocese of Edmonton was blessed for fifty years with the Western Catholic Reporter. Yet, we realized, as have many others, that the time had come to change our approach and embrace the reality of news delivery in an increasingly digital world. From that awareness, Grandin Media was born.

Grandin's first anniversary falls within the season of Advent. This underscores the urgent necessity of the Catholic communications ministry. On the Second Sunday of Advent, Scripture brought to our minds once again the call of John the Baptist to be a voice crying in the wilderness, summoning people to prepare themselves for the coming of the Lord. That same vocation rests now with the Church of Christ. In the increasingly vast wilderness of the human soul made arid from lack of hope, we, too, cry out and invite people to turn their attention to Jesus and anticipate his transformative coming into their lives through faith. To do this, we must speak in places where people can hear us; we need to be present where people gather. Grandin Media strives to meet this challenge by its embrace of all digital platforms.

Bishop Vital Grandin

We've moved from snowshoes to cyberspace. The namesake, Bishop Vital Grandin, our first Bishop, went wherever his people were to announce the Gospel. In his day, that meant traversing enormous distances on snowshoe. People now, especially our young people, "gather" in the Internet and there learn what is happening, share their own stories, etc. Bishop Grandin taught us to go to the people, and that is what we've done in our digital presence and outreach.

I am enormously proud (not in a sinful way, I hasten to add!) of what Grandin Media has accomplished in a short time. In my estimation, their work is world class. Skill and professionalism are present in abundance. What impresses and edifies me most deeply, though, is the faith in Christ and love for the Church that animates all that they do.

Happy first anniversary! Let's pray that, by God's grace, we shall celebrate many more!