Parishes go on-line to serve Catholics

It didn't take Rev. Mark Allman long to see the benefits of having a web site at his parish.

"We have picked up parishioners because of our web page," said the associate pastor of Christ the King Church in Westmere. "I had one couple who said, 'We opened up your bulletin and saw you had a web page, and we said this is a church that's in touch with the times.'"

Picking up new parishioners is just one of many reasons parish web sites are important as the Church approaches the Third Millennium, according to Catholics in the Albany Diocese whose parishes can be found on the internet.

On-line parish

St. Edward the Confessor Church in Clifton Park has had its web site for more than two years, said Chuck Taylor, a parishioner who is the web master for the site. He was checking out the web site for Capital Region Information System of New York (CRISNY), which hosts web sites for not-for-profit organizations, and thought it would be the perfect opportunity for St. Edward's to get on-line.

After Mr. Taylor spoke with Rev. John Cairns, pastor, who agreed that St. Edward's should have its own web site, the idea soon materialized. The web site -- www.crisny.org/not-for-profit/stedward/index.html -- features an architectural rendition of the latest modifications to the church, a mission statement and links to the ministries offered at St. Edward's. In addition, the Sunday bulletin and a bimonthly calendar are on the site, and several months' worth of bulletins remain on the page for people to read.

More to come

Among the changes that Mr. Taylor hopes to introduce are more detailed descriptions of the ministries and service programs available in the parish, as well as directions to the church so people who are looking for a place to worship can learn how to get there.

St. Edward's web site also has links to other pages, including the town of Clifton Park, The Evangelist and The Vatican. There has been positive feedback from people who have found out the Mass schedule, and others who are relocating to the Capital Region and looking for a parish to join.

Father Cairns and Mr. Taylor also can receive e-mail through the web site, and Mr. Taylor believes it is essential for parishes to be accessible on the internet.

"This is a way of letting people know we're here and what we do, so that, as they move into the area, they consider coming to our church," he said. "It's a way of people reaching out and finding information that they're looking for. And who knows where it will lead from there?"

Internet faith

St. Francis de Sales Church in Loudonville has had its web site for about two years, according to Amy Wink, who is not only the web master but also parish secretary and bulletin editor.

One of her duties is to e-mail the Sunday bulletin each week and monthly calendar to Parishes On-Line in Manlius, New York, which formats the information for inclusion on the web site. Ms. Wink updates everything else on the page once each month, such as Mass schedule changes for summer.

In addition, there is a prayer page to which people may add their intentions for remembrance during Mass.

Positive response

People who have seen the web site seem to appreciate that St. Francis makes its information available on the internet.

One woman wrote: "It's so wonderful to be able to refer to it, especially with the addition of the weekly bulletin. Thanks for your input into it and for thinking of the needs of the parish community."

As is the case with other parish web sites, St. Francis's site (www.netheaven.com/~desales) is ideal for people who can't get to church and are seeking information, or for travelers who may be looking for a place to worship.

Future is here

Ms. Wink credits Rev. David Noone, pastor, and his technological know-how with helping to make the web site such a success.

"Father Noone is very forward-minded, and he thinks that the net and the web are a great way to get things across to the general population," she said.

Even when he's on vacation, Father Noone brings his laptop with him and e-mails the parish staff. He also does a lot of on-line research, looking for ideas for homilies and items to include in the bulletin. When he's away, his substitute, Rev. Anthony Barratt, uses the world wide web to conduct research for his doctoral dissertation.

Links

The web site for Christ the King Church in Westmere contains information on everything from church events and faith formation to school events and the Knights of Columbus. There also are links to such web pages as the Baltimore Catechism, the Ultimate Pro-Life Resource Page and Canadian Churches On Line.

Father Allman receives e-mail through the web site -- www.ctkchurch-school.org -- and often schedules appointments for Marriage Preparation in this fashion. He also thinks it's great that people can obtain directions to the church, and can zoom in and out on a map, which also depicts images of night and day.

A census form is on the web page in order to help parish staff update the number of families in the parish. Although the Sunday bulletin is not on the page, Father Allman wants to put a monthly calendar on the web site.

People can also learn about Christ the King School on the web site. There, technology is in full effect: The entire school has access to the internet, each classroom has four computers and each teacher has his or her own e-mail account.

In touch

The internet also connects parishes to each other. For example, Father Allman and Father Noone e-mail their homilies to each other for input. Father Allman also reads three sermons on the internet each week to see what fellow clergy preach at Mass.

Father Allman hopes more parishes will use the internet in spreading the Gospel. "I think the Church has always got to be contemporary, in terms of how it evangelizes," he said.

Personally, he also plans to keep tabs on happenings in the Albany Diocese by clicking onto The Evangelist's web site while he is away, working toward his doctoral degree in Chicago. "I'm psyched that I can pick up my local diocesan newspaper off the internet," he said.

Home page

St. Mary's Church in Crescent introduced its web site last April, and people who have visited [email protected] are impressed with the design and how easily they can navigate, according to Elizabeth M. Racicot, web master.

A member of St. Mary's pastoral planning committee, she designed the web page after consulting with Rev. Richard Broderick, pastor, and parishioners who are involved in various ministries. The focus of the home page is the Eucharist, worship space and the community gathered to pray, she pointed out.

"We wanted to present this vision that when we go out from the table of the Eucharist, we go out to the broader community and not just to each other -- to be there and to be Christ for them," she said.

Photos taken by Father Broderick of stained glass windows in the church that depict the corporal works of mercy adorn the site, and people also can learn about St. Mary's sister parish in San Pedro Jocopilas, Guatemala.

Up-to-date

Many parishioners visit the web site to read the parish bulletin, which Ms. Racicot includes each week. She also updates the "What's New" page, which includes information on new parish staff members, committees and upcoming retreats.

Among her goals are the addition of a guest book for people to share their comments, schedules for Eucharistic ministers and lectors, and articles written by her or Father Broderick that have appeared in local newspapers.

Ms. Racicot firmly believes in the importance of the internet and the potential of parish web sites to reach an extensive audience and to connect individual churches with the Church as a whole.

"It's a way to break through the isolation of a city, diocese or country, and really communicate globally," she said.

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