Bangalore, January 30, 2024: The new Catholic Connect Mobile App was launched by Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão - President of CCBI, other Church leaders and Mr Michael D’Souza - NRI Entrepreneur & Philanthropist, at St John’s National Academy of Health Sciences in Bangalore, on January 30, 2024.Other dignitaries who were present on the dais during the launch included Cardinal Oswald Gracias - Archbishop of Bombay, Cardinal Anthony Poola - Archbishop of Hyderabad, Archbishop George Anthony Swamy of Madras Mylapore, Archbishop Anil Couto of Delhi, Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore, Rev. Dr. Stephen Alathara - Deputy Secretary General of CCBI.

This App is set to spearhead a digital revolution within the global Catholic community, with a particular emphasis on India. It serves as a comprehensive platform, offering access to Spiritual Resources, Relevant News and a range of Catholic Life Services, including Health Insurance, Education, Jobs, and Emergency Assistance. Additionally, users can conveniently locate nearby churches and access various services provided by the Church in India.

This innovative approach promises to usher in a new era of transformation, fostering efficient communication, resource allocation, and community management.

The app will provide information about various Catholic Institutions, Entities, and Associations as stakeholders. The Catholic Connect App is poised to broadcast timely news and information from the 14 different Ecclesiastical Regions. This underscores its commitment to keeping users informed about local developments. This feature enhances a sense of community and connection among users, regardless of their geographical location.

It also helps the Catholics to connect with their respective parishes and dioceses as the App provides a page for “My Parish” and “My Diocese” having sections for Information, Events, Notice Board, Announcements and Obituaries. Users of the app can select their parish and dioceses during the registration

The app provides a dedicated space for CCBI Commissions, showcasing their activities, training sessions, and programmes. This interactive platform allows commission secretaries to directly feature their initiatives, thereby maximising the reach and impact of CCBI's various programmes.

The Catholic Connect App stands as a transformative tool that seamlessly integrates technology with faith, promising to bring about positive changes within the Catholic community. By addressing various needs and fostering collaboration, this app has the potential to strengthen the sense of community, facilitate communication, and enhance the overall experience for users both in India and worldwide.

During the event, Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão honoured philanthropists Mr Michael D’Souza & Mrs Flavia D’Souza in the presence of all the Bishops of India and thanked them for their contribution to the community, dedicating their life to charity and the upliftment of the needy. Bishop of Mangalore Most Rev. Dr. Peter Paul Saldanha and Bishop of Udupi Most Rev. Dr. Gerald Isaac Lobo felicitated Mr Michael and Mrs Flavia.

Cardinal Filipe Neri appreciated the committed efforts of Mr. Ivan Fernandes , Mr. Peter Anil Rego and Mr. Nigel Fernandes, Partners of Arclight Global for this initiative.

Rev. Dr. Victor Lobo S.J. Vice-Chancellor of St. Joseph’s University and Rev. Fr. Denzil Lobo S.J. Faculty at St. Joseph’s University were among the invitees for this launch.

Mr. Pramod D’Souza, Head of Catholic Connect Project at Arclight Global requested Indian Catholics living in India and abroad to download, install and try out the features. “We have a huge opportunity for collaboration across different services that are being offered within the app including but not limited to Health Insurance, Job portal, Education portal, Online stalls” he added requesting service providers in those respective areas to reach out.

The event was ably compered by Rev. Dr. Cyril Victor - Co-ordinator of CCBI Media Apostolate.