Behind the scenes of the diocese’s first enhanced broadcast

BY CHLOE RODRIGUEZ

This year’s Feast of Corpus Christi was history in the making. With the ambition of communications director Katia Uriarte Philipello and broadcast director Richard Luna, the Diocese of Corpus Christi pulled off a live broadcast of the procession for the first time, reaching viewers near and far.

For this effort, the Communications team used one camera, an I-Phone, a drone, and a Live U backpack at the center of it all. The server enables the transmission of video from a smartphone (using an app), allowing for dynamic coverage of the procession between the drone footage, on-the-ground coverage and interviews, and event moderation from the Cathedral. It has been a fulfilling experience for Katia, a former news anchor, who created the show and was the executive producer: “I’ve been in the news business for the past 20 years, and here it is… I feel like my entire life; the Lord prepared me for this moment.”

Hosts Jesse De Leon, Assistant Director of Communications, and Regina Garcia Posada, parishioner and former KIII News Anchor, guided viewers through the event. The program featured several guests throughout the evening, with live interviews by Social Media Coordinator for our diocese, Liz Morales, live coverage from Communication Specialists Adel Sauceda and

Madelyn Galindo in between, as well as highlights of various outreach programs of the diocese.

While the procession was moving through downtown Corpus Christi, people at home were part of the event, with added value: they learned why Linda, Our Lady of Guadalupe parishioner, volunteered as a golf cart driver, delivering water and picking up parishioners throughout the procession. They also listened to Nueces County Sheriff J.C. Hooper, who shared how much it meant to him, the employees, and the inmates that the procession stops at the jail every year.

The live broadcast team brought in some special guests: Fr. Peter G. Martinez, President of John Paul II High School, spoke about the core values of the school: faith, reason, and virtue. He also shared a personal anecdote about how his brother Frank, who was in the seminary in Rome, met Pope John Paul II.

Valedictorian Elizabeth Arnolds and Salutatorian Andrew Ybarra shared their experience of attending Catholic school and how it deepened their sense of belonging. Elizabeth will attend the University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio, and Andrew will attend Texas A&M University-Kingsville this fall. “Even if the future environment is not specifically Catholic,” says Ybarra, “I can bring my faith to others; it is just a part of me.”

While the procession moved on to the Mother Teresa Shelter and Sacred Heart Catholic Church, the people following from home had seats in the front row.

The second guest was Gloria Romero, a longtime Spanish contributor to the diocese and host of the KLUX program Con Permiso. Gloria provided commentary in Spanish on the procession visiting the Nueces County jail. She said the stop is one of the most emotional. The prisoners knock at the windows and hold their rosaries, excited to receive the blessing of Jesus, knowing that they are still God’s children.

The third guest was Tom McGlynn, Executive Director of the first Fazenda da Esperança, or Farm of Hope in North America. Fazendas are drug and alcohol recovery centers that rely on three pillars: community, work and spirituality. He shared that some experts from Brazil are expected to arrive in a few weeks.

When the procession returned to the Corpus Christi Cathedral and ended with the benediction, the broadcast team was relieved that they had successfully executed a livestream presentation that usually required more staff and planning time. Amid the end of the day’s events, there were many positive comments from people who were happy that they were blessed to offer their time and talent and be a part of this history-making event.