NEW YORK — With the addition of the “Make A Life Shift: Be A Franciscan” video, the Franciscan Vocation Ministry has launched a redesigned landing page to the “Join Us” section of HNP.org.
The page now shows three rotating images, similar to the home page of the Province’s website. The three images link to the new vocation video, to information about the Life Shift advertising campaign, and to videos of veteran friars sharing their experiences.
Make a Life Shift
The vocation video was presented to friars earlier this year by Brian Smail, OFM, HNP vocation director, at the Province’s Fraternal Gatherings. The video, produced by Carr Marketing of Buffalo, N.Y., was supervised by Brian and his assistant, Carolyn Croke, in collaboration with Jocelyn Thomas, HNP communications director. “Make a Life Shift” uses photographs, narration, interviews with student friars and clips from the Province’s Love at Work video to describe HNP ministries, the friar formation process, and the satisfaction received by men who are Franciscans.
Friars featured in the “veteran friar” video clips include Michael Carnevale, OFM, Anthony LoGalbo, OFM, Michael Harlan, OFM, Frank Sevola, OFM, and Benedict Taylor, OFM.
Newsletter & YouTube
The summer 2010 issue of Be A Franciscan is available on the HNP website. The second issue of this recently-launched publication includes articles about post-novitiate formation, discernment, St. Clare, student friar Paul O’Keeffe, OFM, and the ordination of Lawrence Anderson, OFM, and David Phan, OFM.
The Province’s Vocation Ministry also now has a presence on YouTube with its “Be A Franciscan” channel. Currently, the channel includes 12 videos that provide a glimpse for prospective men into the lives of Holy Name Province friars.
“Making use of social networking sites like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter enables us to reach a huge audience of young people,” Brian said. “Increasingly, the inquiries we receive in the Vocation Office are coming from young men who found us on the Internet. If we can provide good content on these social sites, while offering an attractive, inviting and informative website, then we are well positioned to reach potential vocations on the Internet.”
Brian added that he sees a growing trend among vocation directors using the Internet to reach potential applicants.
— Rebecca Doel is communications coordinator for Holy Name Province.