Brother Álvaro López: “Being a digital missionary is not difficult, but it’s not trivial either”

“I’m Brother Álvaro, @hermaestro in the social media, and I like to introduce myself as a digital missionary,” says Brother Álvaro López, a Brother of the Christian Schools of the Arlep District (La Salle in Spain and Portugal) or “De La Salle Brother”, as stated on his Instagram profile, where he also describes himself as “passionate about digital culture” and believes that “to move is to meetYOU”.

“Being a digital missionary is not difficult, but it’s not trivial either,” continues Brother Álvaro, noting that “when some of the children or young people I teach say that their teacher is an influencer, I like to clarify and say that I’m a digital missionary”.

Looking back on the beginnings of this experience, Brother Álvaro recalls that “a couple of years ago I was lucky enough to embark on a missionary experience in the Costa Rican jungle, and at the same time I began to explore the digital world more enthusiastically”. It was during that time that he discovered that being a missionary involves “conveying a message” which, in his case, has “focused on the culture of vocations and the Lasallian charism”.

“I am a missionary because I don’t just jump on the bandwagon or follow the trend of the moment. I am a missionary because I have heeded Pope Leo XIV’s call to mend the nets,” explains Brother Álvaro. “Perhaps the lesson I learnt, both in the Costa Rican jungle and in the digital jungle, is that it does not take much, provided it comes from the heart and is well-founded.”

To prepare his content, he relies on a few basic tools: a mobile phone, a tripod, some lighting equipment, an editing platform, and some basic knowledge of video editing and technology. However, beyond the form and the performance, he maintains that “the most important thing is knowing what message I want to deliver, who I want to reach, and what I want them to take away with it”.

“These days, and not just in my digital mission but throughout my whole life, I ask myself how I can achieve consistency in my witness, and that is what I strive for,” continues Brother Álvaro, aware that although “not long ago there was talk of the decline of influencers”, the same does not apply to digital missionaries, because “when it is Jesus who is being proclaimed — and not oneself — we become apostles and witnesses to Jesus”.

“My aim on this channel, on these social media platforms, is to share the Word of Jesus in order to create an ever more fraternal world and to connect with other Lasallians, with other Brothers, and with other young people who are wondering how to follow Jesus,” says Brother Álvaro (“@hermaestro”). “I hope this also encourages you to continue in this mission and, as I always say, a fraternal hug and let’s keep each other in our prayers,” he concludes.