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One pioneer, one dinosaur, but both see value of online presence for Church
Sault Ste. Marie Bishop Thomas Dowd, left, and Archbishop Albert LeGatt of Saint-Boniface.
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January 29, 2026
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One was coined the "digital pioneer of the Canadian Catholic Church" by starting a blog in 2003, at the age of 33. The other is a self-described “dinosaur” in terms of Internet adoption.
The first is a connoisseur of the online Catholic evangelist ecosystem, and a particular fan of Jimmy Aiken, a “guy with a big red beard and a cowboy hat” teaching the faith through his Catholic Answers ministry. And the second quickly answered “no” when asked if he consumes the content of faith-driven influencers such as Bishop Robert Barron or Fr. Mike Schmitz.
Sault. Ste Marie Bishop Thomas Dowd and Saint-Boniface Archbishop Albert LeGatt’s innate level of enthusiasm towards the digital media space is contrary indeed.
However, both recognize the importance and have discovered value in effectively utilizing online platforms.
Dowd, now 55, expressed that he has always enjoyed connecting with people from around the globe, and the World Wide Web grants him the opportunity. He views “engaging in a way that is open and sincere as sort of casting your bread upon the waters.” He transmits a message and allows the Holy Spirit to do the rest.
LeGatt, 72, was encouraged to begin a monthly video reflection for social media at the request of archdiocesan staffers nearly six years ago. He collaborates with communications coordinator Daniel Bahuaud and social media coordinator Kevin Prada to formulate each video.
“We discuss, in part, the response to the (last video), and then secondly what seems to be on people’s mind or in their heart,” said the Melfort, Sask., native. “We reflect upon it together and then film the segment. I think the fact that it’s not heavily formatted, but it's more like a conversation that I'm having with the people of the diocese and beyond is what they appreciate.”
Legatt’s most recent entry on Jan. 15 centred on how we are called to be bearers of peace and hope amid the noticeable turmoil defining the first days of 2026.
Dowd launched two new web series in recent weeks. The first is weekly 10-minute teaching videos centred on answering key questions about God Himself. The second is called Catholic Marriage for non-Catholics.
While “Fulton Sheen had a blackboard and a piece of chalk, I have a whiteboard, a marker and a cell phone with a decent camera,” quipped Dowd.
Still in its embryonic stage, Dowd’s series about God has thus far shed light on the name of the Lord, who created God and why our Heavenly Father is a mystery. In the days to come, the bishop will illuminate his viewers on what it means for God to create and how to understand the Holy Trinity.
While Dowd and LeGatt plan to continue their ongoing series for the foreseeable future, they, along with their fellow Canadian Catholic bishops, are starting to grapple with the pivotal question of what evangelization will look like in a world driven by artificial intelligence.
Touting the Catholic faith’s “phenomenally sophisticated intellectual tradition with the subtlety of Thomas Aquinas, the heart of John of the Cross and the enthusiasm of St. Francis of Assisi,” Dowd said the task is transposing that deposit of faith onto the web effectively.
He cited the call in the January 2025 Vatican decree on artificial intelligence, Antiqua et nova, for all Catholics to be astute technology users.
“I summarize (it) as Catholics should not be suckers,” said Dowd. “Catholics should be sophisticated consumers of media and not go down the rabbit hole of pious suckerdum. That's not going to be healthy for anybody.”
LeGatt found value in listening to the presentation by Fr. Philp Larrey at last year’s Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops' plenary assembly. Larrey, the founder of Humanity 2.0, a forum for clergy and secular tech experts to jointly collaborate on human flourishing ventures, spoke about the possibilities and potential of AI on the horizon.
This talk inspired LeGatt to ponder how encounter must drive the Catholic Church’s work in the AI space.
“It's always about the encounter with Christ,” said LeGatt. “The encounter with Christ will only come through the encounter with one another in the Church and in people of goodwill. (AI) can end up being all glitz. It can be where the medium overcomes what this is all about. I really see the danger of individualization, relativization and division into camps.”
LeGatt’s videos can be viewed at the archdiocesan YouTube page. Access Dowd’s series at https://tenminute.video/.
(Amundson is a staff writer for The Catholic Register.)
A version of this story appeared in the February 01, 2026, issue of The Catholic Register with the headline "Two sides of the digital coin".
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