The Austin Diocese extends far beyond the Austin city limits, but the national attention will most certainly be on the city of Austin over the next 9 days for South By South West. Many locals look at this as the best time of the year for the city, while there is also no shortage of Austinites that will be quick to object and say this is the worst time to be in the city.
The huge international influx of people does create traffic issues near downtown, but then again, what doesn’t cause issues with traffic in this city. We are blessed with a unique opportunity that few cities of our size get to showcase what we have to offer. With famous and quasi-famous people within arms reach of most parts of downtown, Austin turns the eyes and ears of countless people.
There are a lot of great things about the city of Austin, but most of us Catholics also know that some of the more infamous sides of the city, and particularly of this event, aren’t always of great moral character.
I’ve always found it interesting that many faithful Catholics not from Austin often look at Austin as a place equal to Sodom and Gomorrah, with little left worth saving. In fact, I had almost been convinced of that myself when I lived in other places as well. I suppose that when the huge, crazy parties, heavy drinking, and other debauchery get all the attention, it’s easy to see why one would think that. Still, Austin is not all about that.
The Church in Austin is alive. One of the best blessings of Austin Catholic New Media is that we get the opportunity to showcase the many great things happening in this very strong local church. Even the protestant churches are booming in our diocese, and there is hope for continued growth in Church in Austin and more souls making Jesus as Lord of their lives.
In typical Catholic fashion, we’re a little slow in the game, but we’re working on building a stronger Catholic presence at this conference in coming years. This year, we only have one small event. Be sure to join our Interactive Catholics Meet-Up at the Cathedral on March 11, 2012 at 7PM. It will be a great time.
We can no longer go absent from such a presence in our diocese. Particularly in the interactive portion, we need to grow and collaborate to improve what we are doing because it is not good enough to settle for “Good… for a Catholic digital group.” We must compete with the other voices trying to drown out the voice of Truth – we don’t have a choice if we want to truly make an impact. The world needs Jesus. Austin needs Jesus.
Lord, give us the courage and wisdom to serve you, but most importantly, the love to radiate your presence in our local Church. Amen.
Have ideas, suggestions, or resources for SXSW 2013? Contact us. We would love to hear from you.
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