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Local Duo Transmits Message Across Globe

Photo from Olivia Paff

The Rev. David Toups and Olivia Paff are covering the pope’s visit with live commentary on a webcast.

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By MICHELLE BEARDEN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: April 17, 2008

Updated: 04/17/2008 12:12 am

TAMPA - It's an institution steeped in history and tradition, with practices and beliefs dating back 2,000 years.

But the Catholic Church is like other organizations. It has to embrace modern ways to stay relevant.

"You have to reach people where they're at," said the Rev. David Toups, a 1989 Clearwater Central Catholic High School graduate.

Fueled by coffee, burritos and prayers from the Missionaries of Charity religious order, Toups is working out of a recording studio in Washington, covering the pope's visit for a live Web broadcast. Joining him for the Internet chat is his co-commentator, Olivia Paff, program director at Spirit FM in Tampa, the diocesan-owned radio station.

Toups, a priest ordained in the Diocese of St. Petersburg, is charged with delivering the color for the nation's capital leg of Pope Benedict XVI's first trip to the United States, which moves to New York on Friday.

Uncharted Territory

Now on staff with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Toups is providing online commentary at www.uspapalvisit.org on the pope's appearances. Today, that includes the 10 a.m. Mass at Nationals Park, a 5 p.m. address before Catholic educators and a 6:30 p.m. interreligious gathering.

This live webcast, with its worldwide audience, is uncharted territory for the bishops.

"Which means if I mess up, I hope no one notices," Toups joked Wednesday between covering the pope's White House visit and his speech before the U.S. bishops.

Having Paff as an online partner serves a purpose. "When one mind goes blank, hopefully the other one can fill in," Toups said. Besides, "I didn't want people to get sick of just hearing me."

The beauty of giving commentary online is there's less pressure without a camera pointing at them. "The desk is filled with stacks of papers, suckers, water bottles, whatever. We can visually relax," Toups says. "Our main thing is keeping pace with the feed, and making sure we're saying the right thing at the right time."

His diocesan assignments included a stint as parochial vicar of St. Frances Cabrini Parish in Spring Hill and dean of students at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach. Last year, Bishop Robert Lynch released him so he could take the job as associate director of the newly formed Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations.

This gig has special meaning for the 37-year-old priest. While studying for seven years in Rome, he met the pope - then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who headed the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith - on several occasions.

The man who stepped out on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica three years ago as successor to the late Pope John Paul II is a much different man today, Toups observed.

"He didn't look so comfortable back then," Toups said. "He wasn't used to being in the front seat. And there was this image of him as hard, unfriendly and unkind. That came with his job as the enforcer of the church's teachings, and it didn't always make him popular."

The man Toups knew in Rome was a gentle, humble servant of the Lord and a brilliant scholar.

Now, as spiritual leader of the world's 1 billion Catholics, Pope Benedict looks "completely at peace and so joyful" in his role as Holy Father, Toups said.

"Part of it is the grace of the office," Toups said. "The rest comes from growing into the pontificate, and being himself."

Benedict, who celebrated his 81st birthday Wednesday, is the toast of the town this week, giving people a break from politics. The city is resplendent in white and yellow flowers - the papal colors - and banners proclaiming a warm welcome. Toups said he's even feeling the love when he walks the streets.

"People see my Roman collar, and they shout out, 'Hey, Father, the pope is coming!' It's electric here."

Paff was just 2 weeks old when John Paul II was elected pope. She had a private audience with him in 2001, then attended World Youth Day in Rome the next year.

A Youthful Perspective

Now she's learning on the job about her new church leader, chugging Cokes and working around the clock. Toups asked her to join him so she could give a youthful perspective - and reach an audience the Catholic Church needs to keep engaged as young people drift away from the denomination.

If she had an audience with this pope, what would she ask him?

"Music is the way to relate to our generation. Is there a way to teach traditions of the church and retain the sacredness, while incorporating more contemporary music?" she said. "We have to evolve as a family if we're going to grow as a church, and young Catholics need to feel included as part of that process."

Paff has a radio show on Spirit FM that airs 3 to 7 p.m. daily. She flies back Friday and, if all goes well with her airline travels, will chat about her webcast experience on her afternoon program.

"If I have any voice left," she said.

Besides the live stream on www.uspapalvisit.org, Spirit FM will also broadcast today's Mass and Sunday's 2:30 p.m. Mass live.

Toups, who also returns to Florida on Friday for the ordination of six new deacons at the seminary, said the experience of being an inside participant at a papal visit rather than a spectator is a new one for him.

"I'm enjoying every moment, but it's overwhelming, too," he said. "Here we're making Christ available to people all over the world. You want to make sure you do it right."

Reporter Michelle Bearden can be reached at (813) 259-7613 or mbearden@tampatrib.com.

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