Giving and gaining. These two words sum up my experience interning at the Catholic Apostolate Center. Over the course of the last four months, I feel like I have helped in assisting the advancement of St. Vincent Pallotti’s mission as expressed in the 21st century through the work of the Center. In return, I have gained a significant amount of experience that I intend to use in my future endeavors as a young Catholic engaged in social media. The Center’s goals are aimed towards forming Catholics who embrace the style of evangelization that Pope Francis has coined as “missionary discipleship,” and before him, what St. Vincent Pallotti called the “Universal Apostolate.” After several weeks of working with this team, I can safely say that I, too, have been impacted by the central message of the organization. Each week in passing, I became more confident in the idea that I am a missionary disciple.
To be more precise, I would like to address exactly how I’ve grown by participating in the Center’s mission. As a young Catholic already involved in social media evangelization, having worked on a small blog of my own creation, it was a true blessing for me to be offered the opportunity to work on a grander project in a more professional environment. I am aware of several peers of mine, both in college and high school, who work on their own amateur Catholic media projects, and I urge them to take interest in the Center’s goals and aims.
Working for the Center is an opportunity that shouldn’t be passed up. The vast amount of resources offered to expand a person’s knowledge of Catholic social media is astounding. The Center is growing, meaning that there is an air of personality and friendliness to it, yet it manages to retain the utmost amount of professionalism by hosting conferences, inviting fantastic speakers on webinars, and using advanced hardware and software that impressed me on my first day. Because of this combination of expertise and community, I felt myself develop not only as a professional evangelizer, but also as a young man in faith.
What have I given to the Catholic Apostolate Center? Certainly, time and dedication, though this is mostly thanks to the staff’s magnificent ability to ferment enthusiasm and foster talent. The managers I worked with were splendidly approachable and allowed me to grow at my own pace. In return, I gave as much as I could—via web design, video editing, and as a production assistant. Some days I redesigned pages of the website. Other days I was given videos to piece together using Adobe Premier Pro. Generally speaking, I feel satisfied with the level of involvement I had with the Center. It is a great entry-level internship for students who are busy; the Center is understanding and flexible for scheduling. Essentially, the warm and energetic environment of the Center helped to kindle my ambition and interest in exploring social media evangelization, and I believe that is the reason I was able to work so efficiently on tasks delegated to me.
What have I gained from my experience with the Catholic Apostolate Center? I have learned a variety of skills and techniques in media production that are difficult for any young person to find without spending copious amounts of money. Walking into the office the first day, I knew I was in a professional studio. The Center is resourceful and efficient, making creative use out of all its equipment and space. Since the team is still expanding, it felt great to know I was contributing to the growth of an organization. These are experiences that not only apply to Catholics interested in evangelization, but also to young men and women interested in small businesses, marketing, and communications. I am happy to have been a part of such an ambitious project, and I am looking forward to seeing how the Center finds ways to continue thriving.
Working at the Catholic Apostolate Center has given me greater insight into the world of professional Catholic media, while also empowering my faith. At the same time, I would recommend this internship opportunity to anyone, regardless of faith, who is interested in the mechanics of production. This really is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I cannot praise enough. Thank you to the staff for giving me the chance to serve alongside you all on our collective quest to become missionary disciples.