NEW YORK — Holy Name of Jesus Church in uptown Manhattan, is taking advantage of the age of digital communication.
This fall, it launched an e-letter for parishioners and friends and updated its Web site.
Gonzalo de Jesus Torres, OFM, the newsletter editor, said the biweekly electronic newsletter, called Holy Name Parish Today, was created to reach more people electronically.
The first two issues of Holy Name Parish Today were distributed Oct. 6, said Gonzalo, who said he distributes the newsletter to “our staff, parishioners, other churches in the area, and to the benefactors and friends of Holy Name Parish, Holy Name School and the Franciscan Community Center.” The third issue was distributed Nov.4.
“Besides keeping people informed of our ongoing activities, we seek to recruit volunteers for the various ministries of the parish,” said Gonzalo, who was assigned to the parish in June. “We have been very successful in those two areas. The response from our parishioners has been very positive and encouraging.”
“We decided to begin this electronic communication with our parishioners because the population of our neighborhood is changing,” he added. “We are getting a lot of professionals, young families and students from Columbia University.”
“Nowadays, e-mail is one of the most effective and successful media of communication, especially among professional people. Up to now, we have a mailing list with almost 250 names. Every weekend we collect more e-mail addresses at the Masses. We hope to extend the mailing list to at least 500 people within the next months.”
Gonzalo said he “got the inspiration” for the name and the format of Holy Name Parish Today from the Province’s newsletter.
A recent issue of the e-letter thanked people for supporting the annual stewardship retreat, and welcomed new lectors. It also announced important dates for classes and adult formation programs. It also carried an announcement of the church-sponsored flu shot.
The Oct. 21 issue of the e-letter announced the launch of the parish’s new Web site, where the home page boasts a photo of the church’s venerable exterior. The Web address is: www.holynamenyc.org.
A letter from pastor Daniel Kenna, OFM, welcomes people to the site and the parish.
The newsletter also lists the parish mission statement, in both English and Spanish: Holy Name Parish was established on the upper West Side of Manhattan in 1868. We are a vibrant urban ministry in the Roman Catholic Church within the Franciscan tradition.”
“In our rich diversity of cultures and languages, we seek to be open to God’s spirit so that we might grow in the faith that makes us one and give witness to the presence of Christ in our daily lives,” the site says. “As instruments of God’s peace, we reach out to and welcome all people with a special concern for the poor, the alienated, and the immigrant. We do this through worship, education, and outreach in fulfilling our dream that all might be served in the spirit of St. Francis.”