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Archdiocesan
parishes, offices and schools are increasingly creating web pages
to foster and publicize their ministries. This technology
may be of assistance and several of you have mentioned to me that
you are pleased with your web pages. I anticipate the number
of parish/office/school web pages will continue to increase.
Because of this, I would like to bring to your attention three concerns
of which you should be aware.
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Possibly companies
will offer to provide a web page free of charge in return
for permission authorizing sale of advertisements on parish/office/school
web pages. Please know this is not allowed.
No parish, office or school may permit advertisements of
any nature to appear on the web pages.
If you wish further information concerning this policy, please
contact Mr. Leon Mathes, Archdiocesan Chief Administrative
Officer.
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Some parishes
are publicizing the parish bulletins on their web page.
Some people are agreeable to their names and pictures appearing
in the church bulletin since the distribution of it is limited,
for example, only given to those actually in church. However,
some people object to their name or pictures appearing on a
web page and, therefore, on the internet. Some pastors
have considered publishing the list of lectors or extraordinary
ministers of the Eucharist on the parish web page along with
the individual's phone number in order that liturgical ministers
may more easily contact each other in the event of the need
for a substitute. Other pastors have considered publishing
the parish directory with the names, addresses and phone numbers
of parishioners. Please be aware that some people object
to their phone numbers and/or addresses appearing on web pages.
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Therefore, it is strongly
recommended that no phone numbers or addresses appear on web pages.
In addition, if the parish bulletin will appear on the parish web
page, the following paragraph should be published in the bulletin
for several weeks prior to the time
that the bulletin is published on the internet.
Beginning on ________, 2001, the parish
bulletin will also be published on the parish web site on the
internet. Everyone who belongs to the parish whose name
or picture may be published in the parish bulletin, or anyone
who may belong to another parish but whose name or picture may
be published in (name of the parish) bulletin, should be aware
that their name may be published on the internet as part of
the parish bulletin.
IF ANY PERSON DOES NOT WANT HIS OR HER NAME OR PICTURE
IN THE BULLETIN ON THE INTERNET, PLEASE NOTIFY THE PARISH OFFICE
IMMEDIATELY IN WRITING.
Offices and schools should
also be mindful of this concern and be certain that names and pictures
are not used if their use would be against the will of the person
involved.
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Some schools and
parishes also publish on their web page the names and pictures
of minors. It is recommended that this be done only
with the written consent of the parents or guardians.
The following release form should be used:
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I/we, _________________, the undersigned
parent(s) of ________________, a student at __________________
School, hereby grant permission to ______________ School/Parish
and/or the Archdiocese of New Orleans to publish and/or print
my/our child's name and/or likeness on the ________________
School/Parish web site on the internet and/or world wide web.
I/we hereby further release, indemnify
and hold harmless _______________ School/Parish, the Roman Catholic
Church of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, their directors, officers,
agents, pastor(s), employees and insurers from any and all claims
and/or damages on behalf of myself/ourselves and/or our child
arising from the publication of my/our child's names, photograph,
or likeness on videotape and/or film on _______ School's/Parish's
web site on the internet or the world wide web.
This agreement shall remain in force
and effect at all times during my/our child's enrollment at
______________ School.
________________________
__________
Father (Print Name)
Date
________________________
__________
Mother (Print Name)
Date
The use of the web sites
is new in our culture. Very little legislation has been enacted
nor have there been court decisions which would clarify the way
in which parishes/offices/schools should approach the publication
of information on web sites. Therefore, caution should be exercised
in this matter. I hope the above information will be of assistance
to you.
If your parish, school
or office has a website, please contact isd@archdiocese-no.org
so that it may be linked to the archdiocesan web page.
The web page is designed so that links can be provided
to all other web pages of the archdiocese.
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