Contact: Christine Valentine-Owsik, Valentine Communications, For: Our Sunday Visitor, 215-230-8095, cowsik@osv.com

HUNTINGTON, Ind., April 29, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Just several months before launching his highly anticipated book, The Church and the New Media:  Blogging Converts, Online Activists, and Bishops Who Tweet (Our Sunday Visitor), popular Catholic author, speaker, and blogger of The Thin Veil and the soon to be available website Church and New Media, Brandon Vogt, has been invited to participate in a May 2 meeting at the Vatican (just one day following the beatification of John Paul II) of over 150 top Catholic bloggers from around the world. 

The meeting will facilitate an exchange of ideas on how the Church can engage new media, and conversely, identify the needs of the blogging community.  Only 10 bloggers from America were invited -- four of them being contributors to Vogt's book (Vogt, Thomas Peters, Lisa Hendey, and Taylor Marshall).

Vogt is a mechanical engineer by day, as well as a Catholic writer and speaker who creates a 'round-the-clock information-tapestry' on spirituality, technology, and social justice, as well as book reviews and weekly contests, via his two blogs.

Vogt will provide regular reports during the Vatican meeting via his blogs, as well as through Twitter and Facebook.

"I'm excited, anxious, intrigued, and amazed all at the same time," says Vogt.  "I'll be able to experience the Sunday morning beatification of one of my greatest heroes, Pope John Paul II. And on Monday, I'll be sitting with Catholic and Vatican leaders from around the world, dialoguing about blogging, social media, and what both mean for the Church."

And what exactly do they mean?

"We're still dealing with a largely 'blank canvas' here," says Vogt.  "Part of my mission -- as author, speaker, blogger, and Catholic -- is to spread the Catholic message far and wide.  In writing The Church and the New Media, my major goal is to help the global Church engage these technologies, to reach the farthest corners of the earth."

The world's largest English-language Catholic publisher, Our Sunday Visitor serves millions of Catholics globally through its publishing, offertory, and communication services. Established in 1912, Our Sunday Visitor has grown into the largest supplier of offering envelopes, parish and diocesan mailings, books, periodicals, curriculum, address management, and stewardship services. Our Sunday Visitor is a not-for-profit organization, returning a portion of net earnings back to the Catholic community through the Our Sunday Visitor Institute.  For more information, visit www.osv.com.