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Published by the
Orthodox Church in America,
March 2, 2005
Introducing the new web
site of the Orthodox Church in America |
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The
Orthodox Church in America's web site first
appeared in December 1996, under the auspices of
the department of communications and through the
tireless efforts of Mr. Glen Mules.
The site in those "pioneer days" initially
featured directories of hierarchs, clergy,
parishes and institutions, and the OCA's numerous
ministries; essential information on the
teachings, worship, history, and spirituality of
the Church; the "Question and Answer" service; and
a number of other features. The site rapidly
attracted thousands of visitors from around the
world and was recognized as a serious Orthodox
presence on the internet.
In 1999, two talented brothers, Peter and Robert
Czech, built upon the firm foundation established
by Mr. Mules, adding the popular daily lives of
the saints, numerous liturgical resources and
music, expanded news sections, and many other
features. The youth and young adult site and chat
rooms also made their debut during this period. In
addition, existing directories, departmental home
pages, and the site’s educational, spiritual, and
practical resources were greatly expanded.
By 2004, John Mindala assumed duties as web
master. Due to his tireless efforts, photo
galleries were greatly expanded, and a variety of
other features were added or enhanced. Soon, it
became evident that with the number of pages and
features increasing literally by the day, a
complete reorganization and redesign of the site
had become a necessity.
The new site boasts a variety of enhanced features
and resources, many of which were added in
response to suggestions received from readers.
Making the site as “user friendly” as possible was
one of the web team’s top priorities.
Expanded and new resources include:
• a
thorough reorganization of the FOCUS curriculum
pages, which offer a wealth of Christian education
resources for children, teens, and adults.
• several new resources and study units also are
available on the new Department of Christian
Education website:
dce.oca.org.
• the complete catalogue of items available from
the Orthodox Christian Publications Center, with
enhanced on-line ordering capabilities.
• the full texts of the daily Scripture readings.
• “advertisement” banners that allow the
concurrent display of multiple events and
encourage visitors to visit other areas of the
site.
• a clear statement of the Orthodox Church in
America's mission and vision.
• a new series of devotional articles by the Very
Rev. Vladimir Berzonsky, “Thoughts in Christ,” and
an archive of articles dating back to 2002.
• enhanced photo and gallery viewing capabilities
with the addition of a pop-up viewer for easier
navigation and access to archived galleries.
• an enhanced viewer and easier navigation for the
daily feasts and saints.
• a new “In Memoriam” section.
Popular features, including the Very Rev. John
Breck’s “Life in Christ” series and the “Question
and Answer” service, which enables enquirers to
receive answers to their questions on Orthodoxy
within hours, have been redesigned and greatly
expanded.
Technical improvements include greatly enhanced
and appealing graphics, easier navigation and
universal style, the
ability to view multiple updates to the site from
the home page, improved file structure, and more
printer-friendly pages.
The new site, of course, will continue to be
upgraded in a number of areas, and entire areas
are still in need of redesign and further
reorganization -- truly a monumental task! And we
ask you, our readers, to inform us of any dead
lines, outdated or incorrect contact information,
access problems, or other difficulties to bring
these to the attention of Mr. Mindala at
webmaster@oca.org. Given the sheer volume of
the site's offerings, a certain number of
"glitches" are expected to be discovered.
We also invite you to contact our web team with
suggestions for additional features, further
improvements, and constructive criticisms. Simply
send your queries and comments to
info@oca.org.
Finally, it must be noted that without the
generosity of the hundreds of individual and
parish members of the Fellowship of Orthodox
Stewards [FOS], our web site would have never
become a reality, much less an invaluable resource
to the hundreds of thousands of individuals from
over 100 countries who visit the site every month.
Free-will gifts given to FOS make it possible for
the members of our communications department and
web team to offer their time and talents to the
ongoing expansion of our web site. We thank those
who have supported FOS in the past and present,
and ask those who have yet to offer their support
to join the thousands of individuals and parishes
that have made this site, and numerous other
essential ministries of the Church, possible. For
information on FOS and to make an on-line
contribution, visit our
FOS section on this website.
We hope you enjoy "surfing" our new site, even as
we look to additional enhancements in the months
and years to come!
In Christ,
Father John Matusiak,
Director of Communications
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