NEW YORK — If you find yourself missing HNP Today in two weeks, don’t be alarmed. Breaking from the biweekly schedule, the next issue of the Provincial newsletter will be distributed in three weeks, on Jan. 8.
This reflects the schedule of the Provincial Office, which closes Dec. 23 to 25 and Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 for the Christmas and New Year holidays. The HNP Communications Office staff wishes readers a joyful and peaceful season.
2014 HNP Today Schedule
Newsletter readers are invited to submit news about their ministries for inclusion in HNP Today, which has more than 1,500 subscribers. Submissions — which typically are requested the Wednesday before a publication date — can be emailed to communications@hnp.org. Both text and photo contributions are welcome.
Below are the publication dates of upcoming issues, accompanied by the deadline for submissions:
• Jan. 8 issue (by Jan. 1)
• Jan. 22 issue (Jan. 15)
• Feb. 5 (Jan. 29)
• Feb. 19 (Feb. 12)
• March 5 (Feb. 26)
• March 19 (March 12)
Friars can find the complete 2014 newsletter schedule on the HNP Extranet. Past issues of the e-newsletter are available on the HNP Today Archives page of the Communications section of the website.
Social Media Use
With more than 1.19 billion active Facebook users online, the Province has gone where the people are — social media. The HNP Office of Development’s new Facebook page has generated almost 11,000 likes since its creation in September. Popular with fans is Brother Finias, a cartoon friar who delivers a serious message with humor and kindness.
The Provincial Facebook page has more than 1,700 likes, and the Vocation Office’s Facebook page, Be A Franciscan, has more than 1,000 likes.
Together, the three Facebook pages reach an audience of more than 13,000, bringing the Gospel to a large virtual audience. The Province also has a Twitter account with 717 followers and the Vocation Office’s YouTube account with more than 22,500 views.
Ministry of the Word friar John Anglin, OFM, was once skeptical that social media could be useful to his work. He began blogging in 2009, and gradually joined Facebook and Twitter to spread his message. This year, he published a book with the same title as his blog, The Wandering Friar.
“The blog, Facebook and Twitter weave together to be an Internet ministry which reaches thousands and which enriches me in return,” John wrote in a post titled “Some New Dimensions to an Old Ministry — Using the Internet to Proclaim the Word.”
Friars interested in using social media for their ministry are welcome to contact the HNP Communications office with questions or concerns at communications@hnp.org.
Guardians Meeting Documents Online
To make communication ideas available to all Holy Name friars, documents presented by communications director Jocelyn Thomas to the guardians at their annual meeting are available on the Extranet under Communications.
They include the English-speaking Conference’s social media guidelines, which were approved by the ESC provincial ministers at their October meeting. The guidelines are a means of helping Franciscans make the most of modern tools of communication and evangelization.
Other documents provide 40 ways to communicate the Franciscan identity and ideas for effective email communication. Questions about materials presented at the guardians’ meeting should be sent to Thomas at communications@hnp.org.
— Maria Hayes is communications coordinator for Holy Name Province.