Religio App Startup Helps Churches Engage Members

The Religio app is a new startup gaining widespread attention by bringing technology to churches.

The enterprise software comes amid declining church membership and was developed as a way of equipping churches with the tools to create solid relationships with their members.

The concept is spearheaded by Peter Cetale, a junior at Cornell University, who is also the president of Ivy League Catholic, an organization that connects Ivy League Catholic student clubs.

The entrepreneur endured several life-threatening kidney surgeries as a child and used the experience to strengthen his faith and reinforce his commitment to Catholicism.

During his freshman year, Cetale set about developing the innovative software company that would ultimately help the church grow.

"We give churches the tools to better connect, engage and retain their membership online through our software," Cetale said, according to the Cornell Chronicle.

"We have a mobile app, a community engagement web platform and management software, and so we're very proudly building the digital church of the 21st century."

The app won first prize and $3,000 at the Hospitality Pitch Deck Competition held earlier this month and clinched second place and $500 at Cornell's recent Entrepreneurship Kickoff pitch contest.

Andrea Orduna, a freshman at Cornell University and PR representative for Religio noted that the software was particularly relevant to youth.

"Over the last four years, there has been a 20 percent decline in church membership throughout the U.S., with 80 percent of Catholics leaving the church by the age of 23," she said. "With the recent increased secularization of university campuses, Peter felt that there was a need for student Christian groups to be more united."

Orduna explained that, through the mobile app, community engagement platform, and management software, churches could drastically increase their donations, membership, and engagement.

"Religio is proud to be building the digital church of the 21st century," she said.