Remembering
Sister Caroline Cerveny
A dedicated remembrance about our founding partner.
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Founder of the Digital Disciple Network
Caroline Cerveny, SSJ., D. Min.
Sister Caroline Cerveny, a digital ministry pioneer, founded the Digital Disciple Network (“DDN”) in 2015, a professional organization for social media ministers. DDN became the Arrupe Spirituality Digital Center in 2021, inspired by Sister Caroline’s life and work.
Sister Caroline was a member of the Cleveland Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph, TOSF, for nearly 60 years. She was a leader in many areas of traditional and new ministries, including online and social media, which she often said were crucial to communicating with younger people and broadening the reach of the Catholic Church’s message. She wrote more than 100 articles and regularly presented talks at national and international conferences.
Sister Caroline earned a Doctor of Ministry degree in Church Leadership from McCormack Theological Seminary in Chicago and Master’s Degrees in Religious Education from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota and in Vatican II Spirituality from the Jesuit School of Theology at Loyola University, Chicago.
She became Director of Religious Education for the Archdiocese of Chicago and later at the Diocese of Gary, Indiana. She was Director of Social Media for Sadlier Catholic Publishers in New York City. After the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack, she moved to Florida to join Saint Leo University as Associate Director of University Ministry. Sister Caroline loved to travel and organized pilgrimages to the Holy Land, Ireland and Rome.