Over the course of his 15 years of ministry, Father Neftalí Rogel has grown aware of a troubling reality among his parishioners. Rather than being dismayed, this El Salvador native views it as a unique opportunity for outreach.
FR. NEFTALÍ ROGEL
“I think the majority of people – not only of our country, El Salvador, but on a global scale – can't make sense of the act of prayer. Precisely for that reason, the modern human is so empty, because he or she lacks that encounter with the Lord.”
Thus, this priest intends to be a guide for those yearning for this meeting with God, especially through their computer or cell phone screens.
Father Rogel began the journey 11 years ago. Despite having difficulty uploading his first videos, he persevered, inspired by his vocation.
FR. NEFTALÍ ROGEL
“Initially, that's how I started. In each parish where I arrived, I created a YouTube channel and shared the important happenings there. Later, though, when I was called to a different parish, I saw that people then found it difficult to find me on the Internet.”
The priest eventually consolidated all of his videos into a personal YouTube channel, which now has well over 100,000 subscribers. What began as a desire to showcase the joy and faith of his parishioners has grown to encompass a much deeper mission.
FR. NEFTALÍ ROGEL
“Later, I realized the importance of evangelizing through multimedia, and I wanted something stable enough that it would remain when God called me home.”
Today, in addition to uploading content from parish events, Fr. Rogel also live streams liturgical celebrations and holds interactive prayer sessions on his channel.
As all videos are recorded and remain on the platform, the priest from El Salvador aims to ensure an encounter with the Lord is just one YouTube view away.
