Using Tik Tok to spread the Gospel

By Catherine Sheehan

According to Fr Shammi Perera, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Hobart, in today’s world using social media is vital to reach those not practising the faith, particularly teenagers.

In Lent this year, Fr Shammi launched his own Tik Tok account and began posting video clips of himself giving brief one-minute messages on the hope that is found in God.

“I think after COVID, it was an eye-opener to all the priests all throughout the world,” said Fr Shammi, who is also Parish Priest at Sandy Bay.

“All the priests realised that the Gospel has to be preached on online platforms as well.”

“We really need to go after the unofficial Church, a church that does not come to Sunday Mass.”

It was a young man in his parish, Don Malshan, who suggested to Fr Shammi that he begin giving messages on Tik Tok. The young man had been inspired to help evangelise after completing the Alpha course.

“He said, ‘Father, why don’t we do a Tik Tok reflection thing?’ And then he said, ‘If you really touch a particular age group, then that will grow like wildfire on Tik Tok’. So, I said, ‘Ok, let’s have a chat’.”

According to some sources, 60 percent of Tik Tok users belong to “Gen Z”, aged 16-24.

With the help of Don, and another friend Isuru, Fr Shammi put out a series of Lenten reflections followed by messages for Holy Week and Easter. His Easter messages focused on the hope, joy and peace of the Resurrected Christ.

Fr Shammi said his audience had grown significantly since he first began, and his videos now attract around 2,000 views.

“I was surprised,” Fr Shammi said. “I never thought that such a clip would have so much power on social media platforms. So, that was an eye-opener for me.”

“It’s different from preaching a homily. You can’t preach at them. You have to sort of share what you have, but you need to do it in an amicable way, so that you engage the audience as if you’re talking one-on-one.”

Fr Shammi said despite the many pitfalls of social media, God could use it to reach people.

“The Spirit can take these videos and then touch the hearts of the young people, not only the young, but anybody.

“A friend of mine, a girl in Sri Lanka who watched my Easter video on hope, she said, ‘I was going through an experience. I was in despair, and I found your clip very much consoling and comforting’. So, I think that’s how it works… As we know from the Scriptures, the Spirit blows wherever it wills.

“You can get really absorbed in social media but there’s an advantage to it, where you can really use it to proclaim the Gospel.”