Q U I C K S C A N

Parish Site of the Month
Worth a Click

collapse took place around us. In the midst of it we received a profound message from Pope John Paul II. On May 12, for World Communications Day, the Holy Father encouraged all of us to "put out deeply into the into the Net" in his message "Internet: A New Forum for Proclaiming the Gospel." He implored Catholic communicators like us to be savvy in using the Internet as an outreach tool. His appeal is a clever play on words from Jesus' exhortation to the apostles in Luke 5:4, "cast your nets into the deep." This bold approach to evangelization has been a theme of John Paul II's papacy.

Do you find it a bit ironic that we can use the nonphysical media of cyberspace to help people experience the Incarnation? People accuse the Internet of being impersonal, but the teens in my house use the Internet constantly for personal communication with friends via instant messaging. When they return home from parties or sports events, even late at night, it's straight to the computer to talk with everyone about what happened!

The pope tells us that "electronically mediated relationships can never take the place of the direct human contact required for genuine evangelization." There's a challenge for our parish and other Web sites. How can we make our sites places that help bring people together? As we approach the season of celebrating God coming to us in the flesh, it's a good time to reflect on how our Web sites can facilitate true human interaction.

I've got a few starter ideas. I'd like to hear from you about yours.

1. Invite your Web visitors to come worship at your parish. Tell them when and how to get there. Some parish sites link to Mapquest.com or similar online maps.

2. Be sure there is plenty of contact information on your site, and make it easy to find. Pictures and names of key parish leaders can help everyone get to know them.

3. Post prayer intentions from the local community, either from the parish bulletin or from Web-site submissions (be careful not to identify parishioners by last name on the Web).

4. Consider a bulletin board for the exchange of ideas on parish projects or topics related to your parish's faith-formation programs.

5. Post suggestions or "Letters to the Webmaster" on your site, like Letters to the Editor.

Many blessings in bringing the Good News of Incarnation to your Web visitors!

John Bookser Feister is editor of AmericanCatholic.org and sister sites, all from St. Anthony Messenger Press. He has master's degrees in humanities and theology from Xavier University, Cincinnati.

Next month: Promoting Peace Online (by Julie Zimmerman)

Parish Site of the Month

Transfiguration, Archdiocese of Atlanta
In addition to the regular parish Web site features—Mass times, bulletins,
parish staff—Transfiguration Catholic Church in Marietta, Georgia, has
some excellent nontraditional features. A Web camera broadcasting from the
sanctuary and the chapel, health and wellness information, a parish music
and slide presentation and emergency phone numbers all make this site an
excellent destination for parishioners and those interested in visiting.

Worth a Click

SEARCH ENGINES
Search Engine Relationship Chart (Acrobat reader required)
Ever wonder about the differences among the big Internet search engines and how they work together? Here's a revealing map that shows where the action is. The images link to explanations about each engine. Admittedly, many parish webmasters don't worry much about getting their site placed in the engines. But knowing the landscape can help you decide where to spend your limited time most effectively.

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