Meet the Reverend Sisters that are taking over snapchat

Still, a group of Catholic nuns have managed to change the narrative by taking over Snapchat, Mashable reports.

Who are they?

These sisters, #MediaNuns, are part of an international ministry of Catholic nuns. Their official name is “The Daughters of St Paul.” They share something in common, the love for social media.

Hence, they take advantage of social media, Snapchat in particular, to preach the gospel and give their followers a peek into their lives.

[No available link text]

Why social media?

These sisters use technology because they believe in using any means possible to spread the gospel.

According to the founder of the Daughters of St. Paul, Blessed James Alberione, “Don’t speak only about religion, but speak about everything in a Christian way.”

They believe that this should be reflected in social media. Sister Theresa Aletheia (@pursuedbytruth), says, “We do share about Jesus explicitly but we also just generally share the joy that our faith has brought us.

“People are often struck by our joy. We see ourselves as doing what Saint Paul would be doing in the world if he were here today.”

She adds that Apostle Paul would “definitely be out using the most modern means available to reach the most people with the Gospel message.”

[No available link text]

What exactly do they share on social media?

Following a reverend sister, one would expect to see only religious things. Well, you would be pleasantly surprised if you follow Sister Theresa Aletheia, a 36-year-old, whose snaps reflect her life.

So, followers get to see her studying for a Master’s degree in Theology and Philosophy. They also get to see “all kinds of things.”

In her words, “We share about our daily lives, life in the convent, just normal everyday stuff. Our sisters are pretty down-to-earth.”

At first, she admits that she found snapchat “absolutely ridiculous” when she started using it about a year ago.

Now, she says, “God had the last laugh because now I am a member of the Daughters of St. Paul who are informally known as the ‘media nuns’ because we are called to spread the Gospel using modern media.”

Fellow nun, Sister Chelsea Bethany, 26-year-old nun (@srchelsea on snapchat) shows what it’s actually like to live in a convent while offering words of encouragement at the same time.

In her words, “I want to give people a peek into the everyday life of a #MediaNun. I am a real religious sister, and because there aren’t too many sisters on Snapchat, I thought it would be a cool way to give people, especially teens, a look into religious life.”

“Maybe the snap on my story about God is the only religious — or even just positive or uplifting — thing people see all day.”

She adds that Snapchat is all about “what’s happening in the moment” and posting “words of encouragement” from God.

Sister Chelsea, who become a nun when she turned 20, also believes that Jesus’ disciples would be doing the same thing if they had had social media in those days.

According to her, they would “totally” be doing what she’s doing, but “it totally depends on personality.”

“Just like not, all the sisters are on Snapchat because it doesn’t fit their personality or communication style, same with the disciples. I don’t know that every single one of them would have actually been on the platform.

“We want to share God with people! We have encountered a love that is so incredible we can’t help but want to share the good news.”

ALSO READ: Pope Francis warns nuns to stop wasting time on social media

Are people happy to see Catholic nuns using snapchat?

Sister Aletheia says some people react “very negatively” to them “but that’s to be expected.”

“We represent much more than ourselves and that can touch something very deep in a person, something he or she may not even realise.”

Not everyone responds negatively. Some ask for prayers while others are just surprised.

Sister Chelsea Bethany says she often gets questions about her life from young women and appreciation for her little prayers or reminders.

She realises that her posts remind people facing “so much negativity” that “they are loved in the midst of chaos.”

“When I see the snap with a lot of screenshots, I know it hit hearts,” she adds.

[No available link text]

We can not imagine Jesus or his disciples on Snapchat. But we are highly appreciative of the many smart, creative ways people are using social media to do God’s work.

Kudos to these sisters and we hope more people join the movement.