A Timely Text Message Can Go a Long Way

Throughout the month of September (2015), Flocknote offered its customers a free series of scheduled daily text messages to build excitement for Pope Francis’ historic visit to the United States. Churches were able to add those free text messages to their Flocknote networks, giving their members both a daily fact about Pope Francis’ life prior to the visit and brief updates once he arrived.

Paula Skalinski, the Director of Religious Education at St. Ann & St. Brendan Collaborative in Dorchester, Massachusetts, was one particular user who thought these simple texts would benefit the people of her parish. Turns out, she was right!

Paula shared with us a story from Corinne Griffin, a parishioner at St. Ann/St. Brendan, who found a simple reminder about Pope Francis’ Mass at Madison Square Garden particularly meaningful.

Here’s what Corinne wrote:

“Paula,

I can’t tell you what this message meant. I had been at Saint Elizabeth’s [Medical Center in Brighton] since 10am w/my hermit neighbor. I saw this message and put the Mass on TV with the speaker on his pillow and when they gave the final blessing Gerard took his last breath. Very spiritual and he was a spiritual man who always watched Mass from his TV. So thank you, thank you, thank you!”

–Corinne