Published on March 11th, 2024

The first Catholic IT conference in Medjugorje has concluded. In addition to the prayer component of the program, these three days featured excellent lectures, panel discussions, constructive and creative workshops, networking, socializing, and connecting with people from the IT world who share the same values, which, as they themselves testify, is hard to find in this industry. A Catholic IT community has been established in Medjugorje as a result of this conference and in response to Pope Francis’s call to all of us, emphasizing the need to adapt the Church's mission to modern means of communication. The Pope emphasizes, “We must avoid becoming prisoners of the network and instead fish for souls, that is, attract them to the Lord.”

The newly formed Catholic IT community from Medjugorje is, in fact, a seed that a group of technology professionals will continue to water and nurture, so that it may grow into a large branch around the world and bear abundant fruit for the good of all. Naturally, our doors are open to everyone who identifies as part of this group, and we invite them to join us.

Eighty participants from about 15 countries gathered in Medjugorje with the same goal, but we must highlight that this diversity is also its uniqueness—people with different experiences, skills, perspectives, and encounters contribute to the richness of this IT community. Therefore, today, on the last day of the conference, everyone shared their impressions and visions for the future, and we highlight just a few of them:

"I believe none of us are here by accident and that we have the opportunity to make the world a better place. I look forward to the next steps." – Monika, Zagreb.

"I have wanted to come to Medjugorje for a long time, and when I saw how this type of conference was organized, it sounded incredible to connect technology and spirituality, and I thought I had to come and see it. After this event, I see that it is indeed possible. Thank you to the organizers." – Kristina, Zagreb.

Jure from Zagreb emphasized that he sees this conference and the newly established community as a seed planted and believes that in 10 to 15 years we will meet in a much larger group and joyfully remember the early days of the founding of the Catholic IT Community in Medjugorje.

For some participants, this was their first encounter with Medjugorje, and many were emotional while sharing their impressions, making it hard to describe their body language, but everyone agreed that Medjugorje is difficult to express in words.

"Surprising, powerful, inspiring" – these are the three words Anđelko from Zagreb used to describe his experience at the conference. Meanwhile, Boris from Mostar stated that he has been in the IT sector for many years and has attended many conferences in this field, but this was the first conference where he didn’t fall asleep; the program and speakers kept him engaged and active. It was the first conference where he recognized that no one was trying to sell him anything or deceive him. Everything was genuine, and he looks forward to the next steps and communication on SLACK.

"During the conference, I felt that this is a place where we can feel safe, we can trust each other, and there are no hidden messages or interests," said Carlos from Panama.

"Seeing the idea, the theme, and everything together seemed like a joke, but then I came here and saw that it is possible and definitely not a joke. I met people from the business IT world who share my values, and the conference exceeded my expectations. Thank you for that." – Matija from Zagreb.

Matija from Slovakia emphasized how important quality is, but not so much the quantity of participants, and thanked all the women for attending, as he believes that women bring special emotions needed for this project, which men do not possess.

This IT conference in Medjugorje and the establishment of the Catholic IT community mark the beginning of something significant aimed at serving humanity in its spiritual growth. The conference was not only a platform for knowledge exchange but also a foundation for creating new connections and achieving a common goal. Now, with the establishment of this community, we want to continue working and contribute to the spiritual growth of all its members through adaptation, innovation, and technology.