Today, the hottest way to send a message is the internet. How fitting it is therefore that St. Gabriel Church, with the messenger Archangel Gabriel as our patron, joins the Information Age. May Gabriel continue to guide us as we begin to make use of this wonderful tool -- the internet, to spread the Good News of God's love as we've experienced it here in our lives as members of this Parish.
Many people feel that the internet is the greatest communication tool ever created by mankind. For anyone with computer and a connection, it provides an uncensored voice that reaches world wide without regard to political boundary, ethnic background, or religious creed. Recently a teenage girl in occupied Kosovo sent email about her experiences around the world in seconds. Compare that to World War II, when young holocaust victim Anne Frank's diary wasn't published until years later.
Isn't the internet an evil place?
The nightly news broadcasts are filled with horrible stories of violence, pornography, and hate on the internet. You may be thinking this is no place for a Church amid all of this evil. They said the same thing to Jesus when he ate among sinners. If we don't use the internet for good and holy purposes then indeed it will be overcome by evil. The same can be said of the real world as for the online virtual world of the internet. The Vatican is on the web. Our Archdiocese is on the web. Our neighboring parishes St. Christopher, St. Monica, St. Michael, St. Malachy, and others are there too. Now we join them as we carry out Christ's command to make disciples of all nations.
Its Already Part of Our Lives
The internet is already part of the daily lives of millions of people. When I joined the Pastoral Council a few months ago I was surprised to find out that 2/3rds of our council members had email. Its not just for the techno-geeks like me. Nor is it just for business people. Many retired senior citizens use the internet to correspond with children and grandchildren hundreds of miles away.
Let's face it... the internet is here to stay. The St. Gabriel Communication Commission hopes to make it a useful tool to communicate to our parishioners and others alike. You'll get an early look at our weekly bulletin, feature articles from our newsletter, and lots of useful information about the spiritual, educational, service, and social activities of our parish.
This is Your Website Too
We hope you think of this as your website too. If you are involved in a parish activity, we want to help promote it. Has God touched your life recently in a special way? Why not share your story with the parish and the world? Please contact Chris Young at cyoung@iquest.net or phone me afternoons or evenings at 291-5376 if you have content or ideas to share about this site.
