Digital Inclusion and Intergenerational Participation in Online Parish Communication in Selected Parishes of the Catholic Archdiocese of Nyeri

Abstract

Unequal access and different patterns of engagement may limit participation even where parish communication is available online. This study examined digital access, platform adoption and engagement with Church content across age, education and urban, peri-urban and rural location groups in eight parishes of the Catholic Archdiocese of Nyeri, Kenya. Church content included liturgy, catechesis, prayer, youth programmes, Small Christian Community updates and notices. Multistage sampling selected one parish from each of eight deaneries, followed by age-stratified selection. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design combined questionnaires from 389 parishioners with 34 interviews involving clergy and lay ministry leaders and 14 focus groups involving 105 youth and older parishioners. Frequencies, percentages and chi-square comparisons described survey patterns; thematic analysis examined participants’ explanations of access, learning and parish relationships. Utu relational philosophy guided interpretation. Reported regular internet access was 81.8% among urban, 80.2% among peri-urban and 61.0% among rural respondents, and ranged from 40.7% with primary education to 89.2% with university education. WhatsApp adoption was high across age groups (88.2%–94.2%), while Instagram and TikTok showed greater age differentiation. The youngest adults did not report the highest Church content engagement. Qualitative accounts identified affordability, learning, generational separation, continuity and recognition of digital service as concerns. The cross-sectional findings support an interpretation of inclusion encompassing material access, practical capability and relational recognition. A coordinated approach combining digital channels, offline communication, youth contributions and local Small Christian Communities merits evaluation.