NEW YORK — The Provincial newsletter has a new look.
The format of HNP Today, which readers are used to seeing as a biweekly newsletter, has shifted to a blog, allowing news about friars and their partners-in-ministry to be communicated on a more timely basis.
The news stories will be shared on the Province’s social media accounts and HNP Today subscribers will continue to receive biweekly emails containing stories from the past two weeks. The name of the email will still be HNP Today, but it will feature a new design. Those who haven’t subscribed to the email updates can do so online.
To accommodate the recent change in HNP Today’s format, the next email compilation of stories will be distributed on August 13, instead of the previously scheduled August 6. The emails will then follow a regular biweekly schedule for the rest of the year.
The way HNP Today’s archives are set up has also changed. Stories are now organized by the month and year they were published, instead of by the date of newsletter issues. For example, all stories previously categorized under the “Vol. 48, No. 1” issue can now be found by selecting January 2014 under “Archives” in the right-hand sidebar.
Longtime readers might notice that the newsletter’s archives go back only as far as June 2012. During HNP.org’s recent upgrade, the website changed host and server, meaning all of the content from the old design needed to be brought over to the new design. Because of the vast quantity of HNP Today stories — some dating back to 2005 — the communications office staff made the decision to upload two years worth of stories before making the new design available.
“We will be adding the remaining stories in the upcoming months,” said Jocelyn Thomas, director of communications. “Holy Name Province’s rich history has been documented by the Provincial newsletter for many years, and we do not want people to lose access to that history.
“The work that Maria Hayes, our communications coordinator, has done in creating the e-letter’s new format and analyzing the many elements of the enhanced website has been remarkable,” Thomas added. “She has navigated many technical challenges and offered many creative ideas as this project has progressed. I’m certain that the layout she has designed for the e-letter will be appreciated by our many readers.”
Former Provincial Minister John O’Connor, OFM, said he is pleased with this new digital initiative.
“The HNP Communications Office staff constantly looks for ways to better inform our friars,” said John. “From my years working with Jocelyn and Maria, I know they have always aimed to upgrade the Province’s communication methods to be sure that friars not only have the information that they want and need but that the information is delivered in a convenient way.
“This new format for the newsletter – or e-letter, to be current – is a nice change,” he added. “After all, we have used the previous format, with minor variations, for more than eight years.”
Future articles will also be organized using “tags.” These tags, or keywords, will help readers find stories about specific topics, such as a particular ministry or friar, or Provincial initiative. For example, searching the “justice and peace” tag will yield previous HNP Today stories related to the Province’s work with the marginalized and care for creation. The tags will be used instead of the previous “Related Links” feature.
Those with questions or comments about the new Provincial news format should send their queries to Thomas at JThomas@hnp.org.
Editor’s note: If you have difficulties in receiving or reading the e-letter, please contact the Communications Office.
— Maria Hayes is communications coordinator for Holy Name Province.