Archdiocese of New Orleans Initiates Movie Theater Outreach

"Roman Catholic Archbishop Gregory Aymond is taking to the big screen with an invitation to all local moviegoers: 'Come join us!' Before each movie starting on July 22, New Orleans area theaters will show a 15-second spot depicting young Catholics participating in the life of the church, and concluding with the archbishop encouraging viewers to learn more about the faith.

"For the next 12 months, the commercials will run in all local movie theaters in rotation with other advertisers, said Sarah McDonald, director of communications for the Archdiocese of New Orleans. 'We don't know of any other diocese that has undertaken this type of campaign,' McDonald said. 'We're excited, and we're hopeful and we are looking forward to seeing what God can do with this.'

"The campaign comes against the backdrop of what has been described as a modest decline in church attendance and participation around the United States. According to the Pew Research Center, the share of U.S. adults who say they believe in God, while still remarkably high by comparison with other advanced industrial countries, has declined from about 92 percent to 89 percent since 2007."

To access a Times-Picayune report on this initiative, please visit:

The Times-Picayune: New Orleans Catholic archbishop hits big screen with church invite (15 JUL 16)

Background information:

Archdiocese of New Orleans