Frequently Asked Questions
Parish websites "that make a true Catholic difference"
Did you know that 97% of Catholic parish websites today are not even being read by the very parishioners they were designed for?
Now imagine that your parish website IS NOT in that 97%. And imagine further that your parish website is like St Paul, going from house to house and evangelizing 24 hours a day – even while you sleep.
We build websites - Catholic parish websites, to be more precise. But we do more that that. We work with your parish to deliver a dynamic parish website that evangelizes, catechizes, inspires and blesses your parish members. Your parish deserves a website "that makes a true Catholic difference." And we can help.
We have compiled the following questions so we may be able to best explain our mission and why we continue to be the fastest growing Catholic magazine on the Internet today.
If you have any other questions, please email us at publisher@parishworld.net or call us at (866) 288-0713.
Click here to view a printable PDF version of this page.
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What is the most common mistake by parishes who start on a website project?
What is the mission of ParishWorld.net?
How do we help parishes evangelize more effectively?
What is Whole Community Catechesis?
What's the biggest communication issue in our parishes today?
And what are the three basic realities of parish life today?
Why should parishes use the Internet to evangelize?
But we already have a parish website! Why do we need you?
What if we already have a volunteer web designer for our parish?
What if our volunteer web designer moves away from the parish?
Can we post articles online ourselves?
Will we really get more people to read our website?
Why will more people visit our ParishWorld website?
How many articles are there in the ParishWorld website?
Are your Catholic articles "Roman Catholic orthodox?"
How do you determine "orthodoxy?"
What are your other editorial guidelines?
Why is ParishWorld.net not your regular parish website?
Why is ParishWorld.net superior to our parish bulletin?
How does it different from our parish bulletin?
How else does it improve our parish's evangelization efforts?
Will you provide training?
What if our parish members don't have home computers?
What are the features and benefits of ParishWorld.net?
Can we expect future improvements to ParishWorld.net?
What about podcasting, audio and video?
Where does our diocese fit into all this?
Do you have Spanish articles?
What other languages does ParishWorld.net service?
Are there costs involved?
How much time commitment will this require from our parish staff?
How do we get started?
If St. Paul the Apostle had the Internet during his time, what would he do with it?
What are others saying about ParishWorld.net?
Here are the frequently asked questions:
What is the most common mistake by parishes that start on a website project?
They approach their website program as a technology project. A parish website should be approached as a Pastoral and Evangelization project, NOT as a technology project. The objective of the finished product should be evangelization, Catechesis and pastoral care. Technology should simply be the tool to get there, and not the end goal. And this is precisely why the majority of existing parish websites today fail, even the best looking ones.
What is the mission of ParishWorld.net?
Evangelization - to spread the Good News of Jesus to all corners of the world. Our mission is the New Evangelization - the use of new media (radio, television and internet) to spread the Good News to the under-catechized and to fallen-away Catholics. In February 2008, the Vatican said, "A parish that does not evangelize is no more than just a building. We need to move from a maintenance model to an evangelization model. If all we do is maintain our buildings, we will die spiritually." We at ParishWorld believe that this mandate also applies to our parish websites. A parish website that does not evangelize is no more than a refrigerator magnet -- it advertises the church building and doesn't do much beyond that.
How do we help parishes evangelize more effectively?
We assist by helping parishes convert their current websites from ineffective depositories of static parish information into active, dynamic portals for true evangelization. From websites that are mere "parish brochures" to websites that offer real and continuing evangelization. Every new website we deliver comes pre-loaded with thousands of orthodox Catholic articles. Immediately upon installation of the website, the members of the parish will have at their fingertips a virtual Catholic encyclopedia to help them learn our faith and understand it better. .
What is Whole Community Catechesis?
This is the foundation of our editorial approach with ParishWorld.net. Every week, we provide between 30-40 new articles to your parish website. They're mostly about the Sunday Readings and the lessons that can be learned from them. In many quarters, this is referred to as Lectionary-based Catechesis. Using the power of the Internet, we help the pastor extend his fifteen minute Sunday homily into a week-long whole community Catechesis.
What is the root communication issue affecting our parishes today?
Truly effective Evangelization programs and Stewardship campaigns can only happen with a very effective Communication program in place. This is the basic issue facing parishes everywhere. Your pastor's 10-minute homily every week is not enough to effectively teach Catholics-in-the-pews about our Catholic faith. They need more than 10 minutes a week to better understand our faith and to foster a deeper belief and faith. Have you ever wondered why the average RCIA candidate knows more about our Catholic faith than the 50-year Catholic in the pew? And why do we continue to let this happen when we can do something about it? The mission of ParishWorld.net is to address this situation.
And what are the three basic realities of parish life today?
First, 95% of Catholics in the pews are under-Catechized. Second, 90-95% of the parish members remain relatively uninformed about what's going on in the parish. Third, attendance and participation in parish activities are perpetual problems with roughly 10% of the members doing 90% of the work.
Why should parishes utilize the internet to evangelize?
80% of all US adults today use the Internet on a regular basis. Through the Internet, we can reach even those who do not come to church every weekend. 70% of households today have access to the Internet. 80% of people who work have broadband access at work. 95% of youth access the Internet everyday. It is the cheapest, fastest and most effective way to get a lot of information across to more people with the least amount of effort. Most importantly, 67% of all web surfers use it for religious purposes - that's 2 out of 3. It's a ripe opportunity for evangelization. Ignoring this evangelization opportunity simply runs contrary to our Chist-imposed apostolic mandate as Christians.
But we already have a parish website! Why do we need you?
Here are five realities about parish websites. First of all, almost every parish has a website. But, no one reads them. Two, parish websites have virtually no readership because their content does not change. Any content change they have been making is still not enough to drive readers to the site on a regular basis. Three, parish staff are oftentimes too busy to make the frequent content changes necessary to attract readers to the website. Four, web design knowledge is required to make any content change and that talent or knowledge is not readily available at the parish level. Five, parishes have to either use the services of web designers who have to be paid (too expensive at $60 - $125 per hour) or rely on volunteers (too unreliable and with questionable availability despite their well-meaning intentions).
What if we already have a volunteer web designer for our parish?
If you do, then you are among the fortunate few. But please do consider the following thoughts. Does he have enough time to work on weekly updates on your website after the initial build out? Does your current website have enough articles in it to educate people on a recurring basis about our faith? Are you getting enough people reading your website today? How long will he be around to help? What happens after he leaves? ParishWorld.net resolves all these issues for you and offers you a long-term solution.
What happens when our volunteer web designer drops out from the parish?
This is a valid concern. Most volunteer web designers are young people - the most mobile of all age groups in the parish. When they move, you have to find a replacement for them. And if ever you are able to find such a replacement, it would be easier for the new designer to build the website from scratch than continue coding the previous volunteer's work. We have seen parishes that have gone through 4 web pages in two years and they still have website issues. You need a permanent solution for your website needs. ParishWorld.net delivers that for you and more.
Our parish staff does not know web design. Can we post our own articles online?
Absolutely! Anyone who knows how to send an email can post articles on your ParishWorld.net website. It is a simple cut-and-paste procedure. The article will be automatically and professionally laid out in your parish website by our system. With ParishWorld.net, we empower everyday people like you - parish office staff and ministry leaders - to put up announcements and evangelization articles on the Internet without the need for the services of a web designer!
Will we really get more people to read our new website?
Of course! Before they switched to us, a parish in Riverside County, CA had a website that over the past 7 years generated 40,000 total pageviews. When they switched to our service, they generated over 60,000 page views in the first 6 months alone! We have parishes generating 30,000 page views a month - that's over 1,000 pageviews a day! That's 30,000 articles about our God and our Catholic faith being read every month - and that's just in one parish. That is true evangelization in action. Your parish could be doing the same. ParishWorld.net can help you convert your static website into a true portal for parish evangelization.
Why will more people visit our ParishWorld website?
Because your parish memebrs thirst for more knowledge and spiritual nourishment. We will be populating your parish website with new articles everyday - articles about God, the Catholic faith, the Blessed Virgin Mary, stories that inspire, Gospel readings and homilies, bible readings and reflections, lifestyle stories, Catholic News and more. Even if you are too busy to put in new content, your website will feature new stories everyday - just like your very own CNN.com and MSN.com.
How many articles are there in the ParishWorld website?
To date, there are over 8,000 articles and counting. Every week, we add about 30-40 new articles mostly based around the lessons to be learned from the Sunday Readings.
Are your Catholic articles "Roman Catholic orthodox?"
All of the articles we enter into our system as screened by our Theology editors to ensure that they are true to the orthodoxy of the Roman Catholic Church.
How do you determine "orthodoxy?"
The orthodoxy of the Roman Catholic Church covers a wide range - from the extreme liberal to the extreme conservative. We all agree that "Joe Catholics" are 95% under-Catechized and we do not want to confuse them any further. So we ask you to imagine the Church's orthodoxy to be the hands of a clock with 9 o'clock being the most liberal and 3 o'clock being the most conservative. As a matter of policy, ParishWorld chooses to limit its choice of articles to a very narrow window of orthodoxy - call it between 11 o'clock and 1 o'clock. This way we know our articles are very centrist, middle of the road and easy for "Joe Catholic" to comprehend.
What are your other editorial guidelines?
We choose not to publish articles that are controversial or confusing. We choose to publish only happy, good-natured articles that can lift the human spirit not bring it down. We want to inspire, not sow doubt or confusion.
Why is ParishWorld.net more than just your regular parish website?
First, our content changes daily and that means your local parish website will also change daily. Second, while your website traditionally waits for people to visit it, ParishWorld.net goes out to them weekly. Every Friday morning, your ParishWorld.net website will automatically send an email to your parish members with the coming Sunday's Readings, related homilies and your latest parish announcements. It will also deliver the latest Catholic news, news from the Diocese and fresh stories about our Christian faith and Catholic beliefs. Click here to view a sample. They receive this every Friday morning by email - without fail. This email blast gives your parish an effective, new and powerful means to reach parish members - even those that don't make it to Mass on Sundays. This is true Evangelization.
Why is your parish websitte a superior communication tool vs. our parish bulletin?
There are many reasons why ParishWorld.net is many times more effective than your parish bulletin. First, all your bulletin articles will be included in your ParishWorld.net website. Second, your website will deliver fresh and dynamic articles to your parish members - we change the content daily for you. Third, while the bulletin is picked up only by people who go to Mass on Sundays, your ParishWorld.net website will be delivered by email to everyone every week - even to those who do not make it to church that Sunday.
How else does it different from our parish bulletin?
First, the bulletin only gets a superficial glimpse from most parish members on Sundays. Your ParishWorld.net website will be available for intense reading and ongoing Catechism 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It will be the most exciting and informative perpetual catechetical resource available to your parish members. Second, it offers two-way communication between the parish and its members. Parish members can leave comments and questions for parish elders to answer. This loop completes the communication cycle between the parish and its members.
How else does ParishWorld.net improve our parish's evangelization efforts?
ParishWorld.net empowers every ministry in the parish to evangelize directly through the new website. Each parish ministry can have its own perpetual column - they're called blogs - where they can post announcements, reflections, stories and articles, and anything else they need to share with parish members. All these can be done with zero web design knowledge required. If you know how to received and send email, you can post articles in Parishworld.net.
Will you provide training?
ParishWorld.net will provide all the training you need to use your website to its full potential. We will work at your own pace. The more aggressive you are, the quicker you can take advantage of everything we offer.
What about our parish members who don't have home computers?
They can be reached by all the other existing communication tools the parish currently has. ParishWorld.net allows you to cast a different set of nets to a different set of parish faithful. And with more and more families logging on to the Internet everyday, your ParishWorld.net reach will only grow with every passing year. Consider the following statistics: 70% of households today have access to internet; 80% of people who work have broadband access at work; 95% of youth access the internet everyday.
What are the features and benefits parishes enjoy with ParishWorld.net?
ParishWorld is the only website of its kind in the world today. There is nothing else like it anywhere. It is cutting edge and it offers parishes many features and benefits they can use to begin evangelizing effectively. Click here to view a list and how it can help your parish.
Can we expect any future improvements to ParishWorld.net?
ParishWorld.net is the most advanced system of its kind in the world today. And we continue to develop new features and technology that will keep us on the cutting edge. We will make all these new changes available to our network of parishes at no extra charge.
What about podcasting, audio and video?
Readers of ParishWorld.net will be able to view and see articles and materials in multimedia audio and video formats. They can download music, bible reflections, video clips, homilies, Catholic TV programs, movies and more from ParishWorld.net. We intend to make ParishWorld.net one of the the largest depository of Catholic multimedia content in the Internet.
Where does our own diocese fit into this picture?
ParishWorld.net allows your diocese to post articles and announcements into your website and all the other diocesan parish websites that are members of our network. These articles are posted by people at the Diocese with the same ease as those posted by the parishes. ParishWorld.net provides the individual dioceses with the ability to communicate directly with the Catholics in the pews. Diocesan announcements and stories are also part of the weekly email blast that parishes send to their parish members.
Do you have Spanish articles?
Delivering Spanish content is very important to us. To this end, we have begun providing Spanish articles to our readers. Pastoral Hispana is our bi-lingual magazine for our Spanish readers. Lecturas (Daily Readings) and Comentarios (Homilies) are now available to our Spanish readers. We have also set up a Spanish column, "Fe y Razon" by Fr. Roberto Mena. We are committed to continuously developing more Spanish content for Pastoral Hispana to service the evangelical and Catechetical needs of our Hispanic brothers and sisters.
What other languages does ParishWorld.net service?
In addition to Spanish, ParishWorld.net also services parishes in Korean. We are currently looking to expand our language offering to the Vietnamese and Chinese communities. These languages should be available soon.
Are there costs involved?
Yes, there are costs involved. But it is a very small amount - as little as a couple of pennies per parish family per month. And your parish will not have to lay out a large amount to get started. These costs are only a small fraction of what a commercial web designer will charge. And we deliver something regular web designers can never provide for you - perpetual delivery of Catholic content to your parish members! ParishWorld offers you a long-term solution that is the most effective tool available in the world today for our common mission of evangelization. We also have programs that allow your parish to defray the cost of our services as well as profit-sharing programs that will generate funds for the parish.
How much time commitment will this require from our parish staff?
Firet of all, keep in ind that we will be loading fresh articles - lots of them - into your website everyday. So even if you you spend minimum time on your website, it will never lack of articles for your parish members to read. Of course, the more time you spend on your website, the more local content it will have. But at the minimum, all we ask is you spend 15-20 minutes each week. This is all the time that's needed to enter 3-4 new articles every week. And it's all so simple - no web programming is required. Just copy and paste 3-4 new articles from your parish bulletin straight into the website. And our software takes care of everything.
How do we get started?
Click here to send us information about your parish. Please make sure to leave us complete information about your parish and detailed comments about your needs. Or call us toll-free at (866) 288-0713.
If St. Paul the Apostle had the Internet during his time, what do you think he would do with it?
He would be all over it! In addition to shouting from the rooftops, he probably would be spending a lot of time spreading the Good News online. One thing is sure; St. Paul would not be ignoring this very powerful medium. He would be utilizing it to the maximum! And you should too.
What are others saying about ParishWorld.net?
Bishop Rutilio del Riego of the Diocese of San Bernardino sums it up best, "The internet offers immense possibilities for our missionary work. ParishWorld offers our parishes real opportunities for true faith formation using this rapidly growing medium.” Fr. Willy Raymond, the National Director of Family Theater Productions says, "ParishWorld provides smart, innovative and dynamic assistance to a lot websites that were like Lazarus too long in the tomb. Bring your website to life in an affordable, appealing, helpful manner." Click here for more testimonials.
Call us today at (866) 288-0713. And see how easy it is to achieve effective communication and true evangelization with ParishWorld.net.
Click here to view a printable PDF version of this page.
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