Who Is Us?

In conversations with parish leaders who are interested in updating their parish websites, I always ask about their intended audience. Usually, some version of “it’s for us” is the answer. The next question is the mission-based question:  Who is “us”? That answer comes when we start to allocate space on the Home Page and create content for internal pages.

How Inclusive Are We?

Two questions that gauge how serious we are about making our online presence a ministry for the wider us are:

1. Can we have the word Welcome with an image on the Home Page that links to a message on the inside?
2. Can we have an area on the Home Page with an image that welcomes and links to content on internal pages for: visitors or potential new members; people who want to celebrate one of the sacraments; and people who are considering returning to the practice of their faith?

These are not the questions many parishes think about when they consider a new website. Nearly all of our offline pastoral ministry is directed toward the people in the pews on Sunday.  Why shouldn’t the parish website do the same? One practical reason is that the people in the pews on Sunday rarely visit the parish website. They have other ways of getting the information they seek. Another reason is that to ignore the larger “us” we serve would be to ignore our duty to serve everyone.

The Various Audiences for the Parish Website

Active parishioners will visit the parish website from time to time for a specific reason. They may visit it for information regarding an upcoming event, online donations, the bulletin, ministry schedule, council minutes or prayer requests, etc. When they do visit, they expect to find an attractive, easy to navigate website that readily provides the info they want. Those are reasonable expectations that we can meet.

The information that active parishioners are seeking can be provided very efficiently on the parish website and there will still be space to welcome and serve those of us who are not in the pews every Sunday.  Since the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Francis has tried to expand our understanding of the “us” we are here to serve to include not only those who are in the pews on Sunday but those who are not, like the people who only attend on Ash Wednesday, Christmas, Easter or funerals as well as the larger community outside the church walls. The parish website needs to be there for them as well.

The statistics below were included in an article by the Pew Research Center in April 2024 entitled 9 Facts about U.S. Catholics.

Who is Us?

The 60+ percent of Catholics who never or rarely come to Mass will always be part of us. When they visit their parish website, they are seeking specific information as well. Remember, they do not get the parish bulletin or announcements. The website is their only source of information-other than calling the parish office which they are not likely to do. The website helps us to let them know that we are here for them. And, as they find the answer to their question, we hope they will also notice other information on the website that interests them and encourages them to engage with the parish in person more often. Sadly, some people think that providing this kind of inclusive, mission-based, welcoming content on the parish website is a waste of space. I disagree. What do you think?

Here is how I try to reach out to the wider us on St. John Bosco’s parish website www://sjbparmaheights.org.  If you have other examples, please post the link in the comments below.  Thank you.