ChosenCon, a fan convention for the series The Chosen, took place at the Charlotte Convention Center in North Carolina from February 19-21. Approximately 5,000 fans attended this year's gathering. The convention featured cast members from The Chosen as well as related projects like The Chosen Adventures and 5&2 Studios' upcoming series, Joseph of Egypt. Actor Michael Iskander described the event as "the Comic-Con of the Bible."
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ChosenCon 2026 drew roughly 5,000 fans to the Charlotte Convention Center in North Carolina from February 19–21.1
The convention celebrated The Chosen and related series like The Chosen Adventures, Joseph of Egypt, and House of David.1
Actor Michael Iskander dubbed it "the Comic-Con of the Bible" during his first attendance.1
Panels featured The Chosen star Jonathan Roumie alongside Iskander (King David in House of David) and Adam Hashmi (Joseph in Joseph of Egypt.1
Actors discussed portraying biblical figures and their personal transformations.1
George Xanthis (apostle John) recalled early superfans and expressed ongoing gratitude.1
Paras Patel (Matthew) described his role as a "gift and blessing," noting personal growth despite the series nearing its end.1
Giavani Cairo (Thaddeus) shared how the role aided his faith renewal and healing from father absence.1
Roumie revealed deep emotional impact from filming Jesus' passion, leaving him humbled.1
Cast members emphasized fans' role in The Chosen's success, from humble beginnings to massive crowds.1
Actors like Patel anticipated mixed feelings as Season 6 approaches amid production secrecy.1
The event fostered connections, with stars aiming to greet as many attendees as possible.1
Monsignor Patrick J. Winslow, vicar general of the Diocese of Charlotte, called the convention inspiring.1
He praised biblical series as a "beautiful new art form" striking deep chords in viewers.1
Winslow highlighted its resonance through high production values and faithful storytelling.1
Explore Catholic evangelization through contemporary fan conventions
Catholic evangelization today calls for creative engagement with modern cultural phenomena, including fan conventions—large-scale gatherings centered on pop culture, comics, film, gaming, and fandoms. Drawing from Church teachings, this exploration frames fan conventions as part of the "new Areopagus" of communications and entertainment, where the Gospel can be proclaimed through witness, dialogue, and integration into popular languages and forms. Popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Leo XIV emphasize entering these spaces not as outsiders but as leaven, fostering truth, human dignity, and relationships amid consumerism and polarization.
The Church's new evangelization, as articulated by St. John Paul II, involves initial proclamation, ongoing formation, and re-evangelization of those drifted from faith, awakening personal relationships with Christ. This extends to contemporary settings like fan conventions, which mirror the "world of communications" unifying humanity into a "global village." Institutions and individuals must integrate faith into culture, avoiding separation between Gospel and daily life.
Fan conventions embody this challenge: they are vibrant communities shaped by media, technology, and shared passions, much like the "new culture" of mass media requiring evangelization. Here, Catholics are urged to proclaim the Word using "new languages, new techniques and a new psychology," making the Church's presence active and sympathetic.
Key stages of evangelization applicable to conventions:
Church documents consistently identify entertainment and communications as essential for evangelization. St. John Paul II addressed the "world of entertainment," stating:
The Church... expects you to instil in cinema, television, radio, the theatre, circuses and every form of entertainment that Gospel "leaven" which enables every human reality to develop its positive potential to the maximum. It is impossible to think of a new evangelization that does not involve your world, the world of entertainment, which is so important in forming minds and habits.
Fan conventions extend this "world," blending cinema, comics (visual storytelling), gaming (interactive media), and performance (cosplay). They are modern "Areopagi" where culture forms moral thinking and behavior. Pope Benedict XVI highlighted the internet and new media as forums for the Gospel, cautioning that virtual worlds must lead to real relationships. Conventions bridge virtual fandoms (online communities) to physical encounters, offering spaces for "personal contact which remains indispensable."
Pope Leo XIV reinforces this in a polarized, AI-driven era, urging Catholic media—and by extension, cultural participants—to promote "unarmed and disarming communication" that mends rifts and centers human dignity. At conventions, where debates rage over franchises or identities, Catholics can counter "wars of words and images" with truth-service.
| Aspect of Fan Conventions | Evangelization Opportunity (from Sources) | Supporting Teachings |
|---|---|---|
| Cosplay & Performance | Witness through creative expression of virtues (e.g., heroic characters reflecting Christ). | Integrate Gospel into "forms, sounds and images"; new languages. |
| Panels & Discussions | Proclaim truth amid fandom debates, addressing consumerism or loneliness. | Critical media literacy; counter advertising's ideology . |
| Community Booths | Build solidarity; offer confession, prayer, or service like universities. | Form "cordial community of love"; media for solidarity. |
| Digital Integration | Use apps/social media for follow-up encounters. | AI/media literacy for genuine relationships . |
Catholic presence at fan conventions aligns with calls for lay involvement in media as a vocation. Universities model this by promoting justice, charity, and liturgy publicly—principles transferable to convention booths with Masses, adoration, or apologetics panels. For instance:
Pope Leo XIV stresses media literacy against AI biases and deepfakes, vital at tech-heavy cons where algorithms shape feeds. Evangelizers must foster "discriminating listeners, viewers and readers," treating tech as tools while prioritizing faces and voices. In a culture of "fleeting and illusory" relationships via social media, conventions offer hope through genuine bonds rooted in faith.
Challenges include polarization and ethical lapses in media (e.g., clickbait, violence). Responses: Collaborate on ethics codes; support ethical creators. As in Oceania or Africa, enter these cultures to evangelize them.
Recent teachings adapt to 2025-2026 realities: AI, global conflicts, and info-crises demand "information as a public good" defended by courageous communicators. Fan conventions, amid Jubilee echoes, are sites for young people to find "true friendship and genuine love" via faith. Pope Leo XIV calls for literacy integrating humanistic education, ensuring tech serves humanity.
Catholic evangelization through fan conventions fulfills the mandate to permeate entertainment cultures with Gospel leaven, proclaiming Christ in languages of fandom while countering modern ills. By witness, community, and critical engagement, Catholics transform these spaces into encounters with truth. This demands formation, boldness, and prayer, echoing the Church's media mission for a new evangelization.