(If you don’t have time to read this now, please take note of the buttons on the right. They are free for the taking, for you to use on your Web site. Click on a button to pick up the html code.)

It started as a way to track couriers around town. That was in 2006. Now, Twitter has become something one can’t help but hear about everywhere. It’s one of the flag-bearers of “social networking,” another name for what some have called “Web 2.0.” It’s where some major portion of the Web, including many services for parish and diocesan Web sites, is heading (or has headed, depending upon where you are in the spectrum of people trying new things).

It’s not just a teenage phenomenon, either. In fact, Twitter, and now Facebook, are catching on strongly among adults, even parents and grandparents—the people who show up most regularly in our Sunday congregations. It’s a phenomenon that all of us need to pay attention to, even if we’re late in the game getting our parish or diocesan Web sites up to speed with everything we already know!

At the end of May, the Catholic Media Convention (a combined national convention for many diocesan and religious order communicators) had a keynote speech by the cofounder of Twitter, Jack Dorsey. It turns out that Jack is the nephew of Glenmary Father Dan Dorsey, publisher of the Glenmary Challenge. Jack was interviewed for the gathering by yours truly. You’ll find a simple YouTube–style video of parts of the presentation at AmericanCatholic.org. It’s a primer on Twitter for those of us who see it and wonder how it might apply to our communication ministries. In a future column I’ll talk about how the Church and social networking are made for each other. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for some things to spruce up your site, or just some features to try out during this slow season, visit our Webmaster’s resource page or follow any of the buttons on this page.

Enjoy the summer!

John Feister
Editor, AmericanCatholic.org

St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church in Chandler, Ariz. (Diocese of Phoenix).
The home page is inviting with 12 Flash items that effectively communicate with a few words and appealing graphics things going on from the mundane to the exciting. These include a summer-clearance sale at the parish shop, maintenance and development of the church grounds, a diocesan appeal, the shortening of parish summer office hours, a leadership camp and vacation Bible school, a Theology on Tap program and a come-on to join the parish Facebook page. Interestingly, throughout the site the left nav bar not only focuses on what the parish does in terms of “Sacraments,” “Stewardship,” “Liturgy and Worship, “Caring Ministry” and “Community & Family.” It also offers dozens of links pointing specifically to members in their community with areas “For Children,” “For Youth” (including teens), “For Young Adults” and “For Adults.” There is an archive of color bulletins, a Google map and parish facilities map, a month-by-month calendar and page for Mass times. There’s also “Father Joe’s blog,” a photo gallery, a Hire-A-Catholic business directory and a link to daily readings. The stewardship area offers reflections and theological information about stewardship’s ties to spirituality as “a way of life.” The staff directory, such as for the pastoral staff, includes for each member of the team a photo, a telephone number and a link to send an e-mail message.

 

U.S. bishops’ Year for Priests Web site
In response to the call of Pope Benedict XVI to observe a year to encourage and celebrate the ministry of priests, U.S. bishops' Secretariat for Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations has set up a Web site to mark the Year for Priests, a worldwide celebration from June 19 of this year to June 19, 2010. It began on the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a day of prayer for the sanctification of all priests, and just before the 150th anniversary of the death of St. John Vianney, the universal patron of all priests, in August. The site includes the March 2009 announcement by Pope Benedict XVI of the special observance, information on plenary indulgences that may be obtained during the year and a listing of Year for Priests events. There is a page of prayers for the celebration focusing on priesthood, including “A Priest’s Prayer” and “The Peoples’ Prayer for Priests.” The pope's messages and the prayers are available in English and Spanish. The site will feature monthly articles about the priesthood written by prominent Catholic women, though there are none yet posted. Colorful Year for Priests promotional logos to be used in print for parish bulletins, for instance, and on the Web are also available. There is also a link to a “Meet Our New Priests” area, which focuses on the 2009 U.S. ordination class. For parishes and other Catholic organizations looking to help connect members of its communities with this international celebration, this area is “Worth-a-Click” for its easy-to-access, easy-to-use resources.

 

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