We live in a World filled with distractions. It is easy to believe that we have been moulded by this environment, sucked in to a culture of immediate and constant consumption as if we are helpless to some unstoppable force.

But, we are the architects of our own distraction. It is not an inactive state of apathy. If the World is the chaotic waters flooding over us and threatening to pull us under; distraction is the driftwood that we cling to in the hope that it will carry us to something safer and more solid.

We choose distraction. We choose to scroll – to consume content in 30-90 second snippets of trends and memes to make us feel connected. A part of something. And does it? Not often.

Instead we feel more ‘outside’. We view what we don’t have with envy. As soon as we have latched on to one trend, the World has moved on to another. We can never be in the inner circle. We cannot affect the trend. Only catch a glimpse of it as it is replaced by something else.

According to the WHO, approximately 280 million people suffer from depression Worldwide. During and immediately following the COVID pandemic, cases of depression increased by an estimate 25%. Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for 15-29 year olds behind only road traffic accidents and homicide. Every year, approximately three quarters of a million people take their own lives.

The TV show Adolescence has taken audiences and award ceremonies by storm. Shooters who carve their messages from internet chat rooms make Global headlines at an alarming rate. The most dangerous place in the World to be is online.

The #Pausethescroll campaign is a first, trepidatious attempt to penetrate the social media space with messages of hope, love and community. The message of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The Gospel.

We invite you all to be a part of it by taking the time to pause, pray and pass it on.

The campaign will launch on 1st October and run through to 31st December. We’re sharing short prayers, guides, and reflections online to invite people to pause, pray, and pass it on.

It would mean a lot if you could follow, share a post, or encourage others to check it out. Every share helps the mission grow 🙏✨

#PausePrayPassItOn #RosaryInHand