In an era where the pope is Twitter-savvy and the ancient texts of the new testament are accessible through a free app on smartphones, it isn’t much of a surprise that churches are jumping on the electronic bandwagon and incorporating technology into their services.

St. Anthony Catholic Parish, a church that found its roots in downtown Renton in 1905 and currently has almost 2,700 registered families, is certainly ushering their congregation into this brave new world.

Over the last year, the communications committee at the church has not only redesigned their website, but they’ve also launched a new app that “features information on parish liturgies and exciting events, a portal to Catholic prayers, daily readings, Pope Francis’ reflections and more.”

“The app shows younger parishioners (even older ones) that the church is relevant and working to communicate in ways that work for them,” said Richard Bray, St. Anthony parishioner and member of the church’s communications team.

The technological shift corresponded with the arrival of the new priest, Rev. Jack Shrum.

Shrum, 39, was assigned to St. Anthony last year and fits the profile of a traditional clergy figure, for the most past. While his simple aesthetic and long, dark robe reflects an age-old austerity and dedication to the priesthood, his Toms shoes show his age.

And during mass on Sundays, he’s known for whipping out his smartphone to refer to a quote or text for his homily.

“I use it as a tool because I can just hit it and I have a quote that’s ready to go,” Shrum said. “It’s easier to carry than an iPad when I’m preaching. Most of the people have never seen that before.”

According to Shrum, being under the median age of priests has been tricky for many in his congregation.

“Lot of people for the most part of their lives have interacted with priests older than themselves,” he said. “So that can be hard of some folks to transition. They might ask, ‘How do I call this young guy Father?’ A priest has always been a father-figure, someone who’s almost always older. So it takes a bit of time.”

But Shrum isn’t too worried. He said he is, “trusting God that he’ll give me the grace and gifts I need to respond and continue to build up that which has been handed down to me.”

As his first year at St. Anthony has gone by and he’s finally been able to “get a better sense of all the stuff happening here,” his encouragement to integrate technology into the church’s everyday rhythm has been transformational.

“The communications team were the implementers of Shrum’s desire to be more present to people in our parish and community,” said Bray. “I think it’s fair to say the entire parish staff… and of course, the members of the communications team, all shared in his desire.”

The multi-generational and multi-ethnic congregation has warmly welcomed the new changes Shrum and the communication team are introducing.

“We have gotten good response from youth and older parishioners on our website and app,” said Bray. “People really appreciate the parish reaching out and connecting. Of course, we’ll be updating and doing improvements as we get ongoing feedback.”

Shrum said that while some were surprised to see the advances (and a priest who uses his phone at the alter during mass), it’s a good sign that nobody has complained yet.

He remains optimistic and hopeful about the role of technology in the future of the church for a means of evangelizing.

“The media became a tool for evangelization for John Paul II,” he said. “That continued with Pope Benedict. Now it’s exploding with Pope Francis and Twitter. The church has always been in the forefront of communication. We’ve always wanted to communicate what’s important — the good news of the gospels.

“As we use it as a tool for communication, it will dispel any doubt or fear,” he continued. “As Catholics, the center of what we do is celebrate sacraments, especially at mass. That’s what brings us together and unites us in Christ. Everything else, especially these tools we use to communicate; it’s just auxiliary. To the extent that Christ is at the center and we keep him there, then we won’t be torn apart. Technology can be divisive, but my job is to keep everybody focused on what brings us together. And that’s Jesus. That’s what brings us together to mass every Sunday.”