Tips & Tools
- Chat GPT has a free version, but any content you share is used to train its model: https://chatgpt.com/ Parishes are using Chat GPT to create fresh variations on promotional content for repeating events such as pirohy sales.
- Gemini 3 Pro is included in the diocesan subscription to Google Workspace, so anyone with an @youngstowndiocese.org email can access it at: https://gemini.google.com/
- Privacy: Never share personal information with a public chatbot such as parishioner or student names, health diagnoses, birthdates, and other sensitive data.
- Audio transcriptions: The way that The Catholic Echo and the Communications Department currently uses AI is for fast transcripts of recorded interviews, and it could be used for homilies & other talks. Tools for transcripts include Microsoft Teams, Premiere Pro, and Maestra.
- Magisterium.com: This AI references more than 6,700 official documents of the Catholic Church and provides accurate sources.
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PRESENTATION SUMMARY
AI Disclosure: This talk was recorded & transcribed by Microsoft Teams and summarized by Gemini. I did some follow up prompts, manual edits, and added back in details about the unified database as this news generated the most discussion afterwards.
Introduction
Bishop David Bonnar opened our talk by sharing his personal love for communications, his joy in parish work, and his gratitude for the work of the communicators present. He led those gathered in the Sacred Heart prayer as a focus for our work. Fr. John-Michael Lavelle, Director of Communications, addressed the retreat on “A Catholic approach to AI in Communications,” exploring the implications of integrating AI into the Church’s evangelizing mission. He emphasized that while Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers advantages—serving as a research assistant and time-saver—it must always be tempered with rigorous human oversight. The central message was that AI is a tool to assist the work of the Church, but it cannot replace the “heart,” authenticity, and spiritual depth that only human communicators can provide. Msgr. Siffrin provided a reflection and appreciation for the work of Catholic communicators during the Cathedral Mass.
Key Themes
- AI as a “Starting Point,” Not the End: AI should be used as a research and visual tool, with theological content written by humans, serving as a refining tool or starting point rather than the creator.
- The Necessity of Verification: Rigorous proofreading is mandatory, as AI frequently produces errors and deepfakes; communicators must verify all output and monitor social media for misinformation. Participants tried to “Google yourself” with AI mode and some surprising results.
- Preserving “Heart” and “Voice”: Because AI lacks a soul and cannot replace the “heart” or specific pastoral voice, human editing is essential to retain authenticity.
- Avoiding “Catechetical Harm”: Communicators must avoid creating an endless stream of easy, AI-generated content, prioritizing silence, reflection, and disciple formation over noise to prevent “catechetical harm.”
- Pastoral Applications and Data Integrity: The Diocese is implementing a unified database that could use AI to summarize parishioner history for pastoral use. This will require a data cleanup effort. The diocese will fund a phased rollout starting with a pilot program in each county.
- Maintaining Paper Records and Canon Law: Despite the shared database’s utility, Canon Law requires that written sacramental books remain the official, private record, necessitating physical documentation and transfer of notices to the parish of baptism (or initiation).
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BACKGROUND: Catholic Communications Professionals in the Diocese of Youngstown were invited to a special day with prayer, spiritual conversation, Mass, lunch, updates, and a talk by Very Rev. John-Michael Lavelle on a “Catholic Approach to AI in Communications.” The event was held in-person at St. Columba Cathedral Parish Hall, Tuesday, November 18, 2025 from 10am to 2pm, with some sections available remotely. To join the DOY Catholic Communications mailing list, contact the Communications Team at communications@youngstowndiocese.org.
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