ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with a look back, at the historical trajectory of Catholic materiality, in order to set the scene for reflections on contemporary liturgical practices shaped by digital materialities. It discusses a story about virtual and non-virtual candles at St. Patrick's Cathedral to illustrate the complex interplay between offline and online "stuff" as the latter shapes prayer, worship, and devotion in the digital age. This interplay is particularly pronounced when a sanctuary also happens to be a historically and culturally prominent space. The chapter then turns to some specific features of digitally mediated practices of prayer and worship, with particular attention to their traditional visuality. It presents two case studies, namely practices of confession in the digital age, and – more briefly – the soundscape of digitally mediated devotional music. The visuality of online places of worship and prayer, especially Catholic ones, relies heavily on traditional visual markers for "church".
