Rationale: On January 24, 2002, Pope John Paul II issued a statement on evangelization by the internet. He said: “I dare to summon the whole Church bravely to cross this new threshold, to put out into the deep of the Net, so that now as in the past the great engagement of the Gospel and culture may show to the world "the glory of God on the face of Christ” (2 Cor 4:6). May the Lord bless all those who work for this aim.”

History: Therefore, during the Fall of 2002, prior to my retirement in Palm Coast in May 2003, I had a meeting with Fr. John Tetlow and the newly appointed Parish Administrator, Cindy Ser, with the proposal to start a website for Santa Maria del Mar, as I had been for a dozen years the web minister for the Rider University Catholic Campus Ministry, with a website which was accessed far and wide. This met with their enthusiastic approval. The smdm-fb.org website has been active then since Advent (December) 2002, and been supported by many in the parish.

Unlike most other parish websites which are just static informational pages on the parish, smdm-fb.org is a gateway to Catholic sites on the internet, frequently updated to highlight the liturgical seasons, major feasts, and special events, to provide more in-depth information Catholic resources to parishioners and web surfers.

Usage: Through the parish website, established in December 2002, far more people have been reached to acquaint them not only with what's going on at Santa Maria del Mar Catholic Church, but also a tool for web surfers near and far to access sound Catholic resources on the internet.

For the year starting April 2007 and ending March 2008, there were a total of 66,277 visits to smdm-fb.org, with a total of 307,895 hits, averaging 25,658 hits a month, or 855 hits a day (click here for details). In the future, smdm-fb.org can be modified to be an interactive tool for parish registration and for updated parishioner information.

Funding: No cost is incurred by the parish. Chau T. Phan and son Francis Phan have paid for the registration and web posting of smdm-fb.org.

Wanted: Web assistants, in particular a person to help with the Youth page and the Women's page. Requirements are: Being well versed in the teachings of the Catholic Church, and willingness to devote a few hours each month the update these respective pages. I am also looking for a blogger to report on parish activities.

Revised April 18, 2008