November 20, 2009
Social networking program offers new way to stay connected
Mike Roesch is able to access Facebook by using his cell phone. He is the campus minister at the University of Evansville. “We have an official Facebook ‘group,’” he said. “It’s helpful as yet another tool to inform students of upcoming events.” (Message photo by Mary Ann Hughes) Click for a larger version.
By MARY ANN HUGHES (Message staff writer)
Facebook is a social networking program that can be lots of fun. It can keep friends and family connected, and with 300 million members — and growing — it can get information out to loads of people very easily.
But there are problems too.
Steve Dabrowski is the diocesan director of Youth and Young Adult Formation. He says there are “two schools of thought” regarding Facebook.
“It can be utilized well for youth and young adult ministry,” he said, noting recent statistics which indicate that young adults don’t use e-mail much anymore. They now prefer text messaging and Facebook when they are trying to stay connected.
And with Facebook technology “you can send a message out to 150 people, and it reaches all of them instantly. You can remind them of meetings, and in that regard it’s a great way of communicating.”
However, he cautions, it can be “highly misused.” Inappropriate photographs can appear on other members’ pages and members of a youth ministry page can be “tagged” in them as well. In other words, a youth might choose inappropriate pictures and those automatically are displayed to other users.
In addition, a Facebook member can tag anyone in a photo album, and that update goes out to others as well.
That means the sites must be “policed very carefully. They have to be carefully monitored. You have to be really diligent.
“My office had an issue with this recently,” he said, “where information was being published over which we had no control. In the age of Facebook, people were talking instantly about this matter. I didn’t realize the degree to which inaccurate information gets out there, and there is no way to correct that.”
Rumors — true and false — can be posted “instantly to hundreds of people” with no way to change or verify them. “What do we do when information is going out to hundreds of people with no checks or balances on what is being said?”
Diocesan youth directors from Region 7, which covers Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin, are currently discussing what policies and guidelines should be adopted regarding social network usage for diocesan youth, campus and young adult groups.
CAMPUS MINISTRY
• Mike Roesch is the campus minister at the University of Evansville. He says, “We have an official Facebook ‘group,’ and have really only been utilizing it this school year. It’s helpful as yet another tool to inform students of upcoming events. It seems like many check Face-book more often than they check their e-mail, and it gives us an opportunity to get an idea of who to expect.
“Some students like it, and others prefer to just get the e-mail updates. It also gives alumni and other community members an opportunity to stay connected to the Newman Center.”
He said that “probably an even greater asset is students ‘friending’ me on my own personal Facebook account. I can put up quotations from saints or theologians, or reminders about the liturgical calendar, and it pops right up on their news feed with the edits of all their other friends.”
• Christine Hoehn is the campus minister at the University of Southern Indiana. “At USI our Facebook is ‘USI Newman,’” she said. “We send out weekly reminders, and our bulletin is an email for those who are on our email listing.”
This year, Brian Emmick and Drew Braun, seminarians from St. Meinrad, “are interning, and their time per week is five hours on average. As a way to assist students and the seminarians to stay in touch between visits we began a ‘Stump the Seminar-ians’ group with our students. We are inviting students on our Facebook to email a question of faith” or ask how they chose their path to seminary.
“The seminarians have their biographies on the page, and as the semester progresses we will be adding photos of events and information from our gatherings.”
She has found that “Facebook is such a connection with the lives of students that it can open doors to conversations that are ongoing and allows another avenues of connection.
“I learn so much about what is happening. I may not see someone everyday but I can connect with them on their Facebook page and let them know I care what is going on with their life and that I am praying for them as they struggle with the issues that they are dealing with and the joys that they are experiencing.”
EVANSVILLE
• Lee Griggs is the director of parish life at St. Mary’s Church in Evansville. About a year ago she set up a group on Facebook named “Moms of St. Mary.” There were about 15 members. She realized that “they live on the Internet now. It’s not e-mail anymore. It’s Facebook.”
She recently changed the name of the group to “Women of St. Mary. I felt I was excluding people, so now it’s inclusive for all the women of the parish.”
She’s the site administrator, and says, “It’s very private. I am the only one who approves anyone, and only members of our parish do we accept. That was a concern — that it be private, and it is.”
The Facebook page is “another avenue to connect the women of our parish.”
• We do not have a Facebook page for the parish,” said Deacon Dave Seibert, pastoral life coordinator at St. Theresa Church in Evansville, “however, I personally have one which I consider an important way of keeping up with what is going on in the life of our youth.
“It’s hard to see the kids regularly with everyone’s busy ‘schedules and many away at college. But everyone seems to have time to post a note on Facebook. I try to stay in the background and not be too obvious. I don’t want them to think I’m spying on them. By no means do I want them to think I’m a stalker. On the other hand this is a way to pick up on a personal problem that they might not share in person. Or to just give some encouragement when they are having a tough week.
“I find they are more open about their lives on Facebook than they are when speaking to them in public. As more adults begin using Facebook I’m finding this is a way to keep up with the little mundane things in their lives too.
“All in all, I think used correctly, this is a very helpful modern tool to assist in our ministry. It still doesn’t replace the personal interaction but can en-hance it if used correctly.”
GIBSON COUNTY
• Benedictine Sister Kim Mandelkow is the pastoral associate at St. Joseph Church in Princeton and at Blessed Sacrament Church in Oakland City.
“I held this position from May 2007 to July 2008, and on Oct. 1, 2009, I returned to this position after spending a year as the director of music ministry at St. Paul Catholic Center — the Newman Center at Indiana University in Bloomington.
“At St. Paul’s I used Facebook almost all the time to connect with both resident parishioner families as well as IU students.”
JASPER
• Precious Blood Parish does have a Facebook page,” said Bernie Heeke, DRE of the Jasper parish. “It was established as an information tool to be used to keep up with the happenings in the area of faith formation.
“The people who are Facebook fans seem to like the site but I’m not sure I would consider it an asset at this time. There are many adults who are uncomfortable signing on to Facebook or do not have computers in their home. The individuals who use Facebook are able to get information quickly.”
NEWBURGH
• “I use it for my high school youth group and to help minister to the kids,” said Joe Hardesty, director of youth and young adult ministry at St. John the Baptist Church in Newburgh. “I cut my mailing budget by $1,200, by trying to go as paperless as possible.”
POSEY COUNTY
• We just set up our St. Matthew Church Facebook page about two weeks ago,” said Donett May, parish manager.
“We already have 36 fans of our site. I feel it is a way to communicate with those who prefer communication through on-line technology. Anyone can start a new topic for discussion so there is a built in blogging feature.
“It also can link to your church home page and church calendar, bulletin etc., so that is beneficial as well.
“Since any fan can post pictures and comments, it is imperative that the site administrator always be aware of postings to edit if necessary. This has not been a problem as of yet, and I certainly don’t anticipate it to be, but it is best to be prepared.
“A posting can be sent to all fans, so I posted a notice about a Mass being added this evening prior to our mission talk. So far we are off to a good start with good comments and discussions.”
Donett explained that she can “view every member and see their Facebook page unless they block it. Ours is an open organization page, however, they can be set up for invitation only. I have some fans who are not current members, but who attended here and moved away, I guess so they can keep up with what is going on back here. That being said, I can delete anyone I choose. Being a small parish, I feel I can handle administration, but I could see where a larger parish might have a more difficult time with screening things.”
She added, “Obviously this is very new, but I hope to do some integration of faith into technology by sending out weekly scriptures or ‘bits of faith.’
“I think it is just another way to reach out and get His message to those who prefer to be communicated to in this way.”
MONASTERY IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
“We do have an official page on Facebook,” reports Angi Seffernick, who is with the communications office at Monastery Immaculate Conception in Ferdinand. “We also have a Twitter page as well as a page on YouTube.
“We established the pages earlier this year to connect with people on those sites, to help spread our messages. We, as a community, always try to be where the young women are, so we’re embracing this newer technology. The response has been favorable, in my opinion.
We hear from supporters, former academy students and family members. It’s a way for us to stay connected with them. It’s quick. It’s easy. Our vocations office has been using Facebook a lot to stay connected to women on their contact list. They get a better response from some via Facebook than they do via email.”