Hoping to communicate more efficiently with thousands of Catholics on the Central Coast, the Diocese of Monterey is working on a new communications plan expected to be rolled out starting next year. Under the plan, the diocese will stop publishing its monthly newspaper, The Observer, and instead rely on a revamped Web site to communicate with its 46 parishes throughout San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties.
“It goes back to the evangelizing mission of the diocese, which is to bring the good news to as many people as possible,” said Kevin Drabinski, a spokesman for the diocese. The Gospel “is the most modern insight out there, and we hope to match it with modern ways of delivery,” Drabinski said.
The diocese also has vowed to give parishes professional assistance in creating Web sites if they don’t already have one. Those sites would be available in English and Spanish, Drabinski said.
The goal of the diocese’s Web site will be to reach younger audiences and non- Catholics.
Parishioners without e-mail access will still receive updates through monthly bulletins, radio, television and secular newspapers.
Parishioners within the diocese who subscribe to an email list will receive regular updates about upcoming events, church readings and news from the diocese.
And Bishop Richard Garcia would have access to parishioners’ e-mail addresses to send out personal messages.
Eliminating the newspaper isn’t a cost-saving measure because it has always “paid for itself” through advertisements, Drabinski said.
Chief among the diocese’s goals for the new Web site is a comprehensive feature on seven of the state’s 21 missions that are within the diocese.
The site will include audio slide shows and video of news from the diocese, daily updates from the Vatican and videos on Catholic news from around the world.
Some San Luis Obispo County Catholic churches said they’re looking forward to the new plan as a way to effectively reach out to church members.
“It should be a good thing,” said Judy Cross, parish secretary for St. Joseph’s in Cayucos. Besides posting bulletins on its Web site, which is relatively new, Cross said having a map on St. Joseph’s site is important because of an influx of tourists from the Central Valley during summer.
Linda Mueller, an interim office manager for St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Los Osos, said her church is in the process of building a Web site but would appreciate the assistance.
A Web site could be used as a hub for resources on marriage, baptisms, times of Mass and other events, she said.
Drabinski said the entire communications plan will take about three years to complete.
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