Today’s missionaries are called to navigate in a world where the values of the Kingdom are frequently set aside in favour of a technocratic and materialistic paradigm. Standing up for these values is no longer simply a pastoral preference; it is a prophetic necessity that, in many contexts, carries a risk to one’s own safety. Among these contemporary shifts, the digital revolution stands as a pivotal force. This issue is dedicated to the insights expressed at the SEDOS Spring Seminar: “The Impact of the Digital World on Missionary Involvement Today.”

Throughout the Seminar, we explored the “Digital Continent”— a vast virtual ecosystem that has become a primary mission field. Moving beyond the mere discussion of technical tools, our Speakers invited us to enter the digital culture with deep theological and anthropological discernment.

Sr. Lieve Stragier, ICM, opens this issue by framing the digital world as a “new continent.” Echoing Pope Francis, she urges the Church to embrace this existential periphery as a space for genuine encounter.

Fr. Joel Nkongolo, CMF, balances technical warnings — such as the “technician temptation”— against the opportunities of “cyber-theology.” He calls for algorethics and for discernment rooted in the Incarnation.

Bro. Dennis Tayo, OFM, presents a Franciscan “spirituality of communion,” moving us from technical strategy to interior transformation. He advocates “mending the nets” of relationships through humility and listening.

Sr. Pina Riccieri, FSP, describes the digital world as an ecosystem that reshapes identity. She demonstrates how the Evangelical Counsels transform digital “contacts” into encounters centred on Christ.

Sr. Francisco Nirmala, FMM, explores the “human-centred AI frontier.” She calls Artificial Intelligence a “gift of God” that requires moral integrity; she reminds us to prioritize human dignity over technocratic efficiency.

In addition to these reflections, this issue features the lived experiences of our Residential Seminar participants and the SEDOS Annual Report which was presented at the General Assembly on 11 November 2025 at the UISG. We are publishing a special message from Sr. Mary Barron, OLA, as she concludes her six-year term as President of SEDOS. We thank her warmly for her dedicated service and wish her every blessing in her future assignment.

As you read these pages, may you be inspired to navigate this new digital frontier with the same courage as the explorers of old, guided by a heart that remains ever-fixed on the person of Jesus Christ.

Dr. John Paul Herman, SVD
Director of SEDOS