Negotiating Faith in Hybrid Spaces: Digital Catholic Practices among Youth in Eastern Indonesia

Abstract : This study examines how Catholic youth in Paroki Santa Maria Assumpta (St. Mary of the Assumption Parish), Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia, integrate digital media into their religious life within a majority-Catholic yet infrastructurally limited context. Employing a qualitative case study approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and participant observations involving 20 participants, including youth, a parish priest, a parish council leader, and leaders of the basic ecclesial communities. Thematic analysis revealed five major patterns: (1) digital engagement as an extension of faith, (2) negotiations between tradition and innovation, (3) community and belonging in hybrid spaces, (4) youth agency and creative religious expression, and (5) challenges and limitations of digital practices. The findings highlight how young Catholics perceive online platforms as natural extensions of devotion, while parish leaders stress the importance of safeguarding sacramental integrity and communal bonds. Rather than replacing tradition, digital practices reframe faith through hybrid forms that blend accessibility, creativity, and community participation. The study contributes theoretically by extending discussions on digital religion into peripheral, non-Western contexts and practically by offering insights for the Catholic Church to develop adaptive pastoral strategies for digital generations.