FAQ 

Knights of Columbus Questions
F.A.Q.

F.A.Q.
1) Who is Catholic Exchange?
a. Catholic Exchange is a non-profit organization that works exclusively with Catholic organizations. We develop Internet and media solutions for Catholic parishes, schools, apostolate and businesses to help them maximize the potential of the Internet.

As more and more Catholics come on line, there is a growing need for an Internet site they can call home – a place where both their faith and life needs are met. catholicexchange.com is such a place. Catholics and others can get the daily news, check their email, safely search the Internet, manage their finances, check the weather, study the Bible, receive daily Catholic news, and more at catholic exchange.

Employing advanced technology, Catholic Exchange also provides a filtered Internet experience where Catholics can enjoy an Internet experience without be subjected to morally offensive material.

Committed, practicing Catholics who use their skills in technology and marketing to provide solutions for Catholic enterprises founded Catholic Exchange.

2) How are you funded?
a. We rely on monthly contributions from Catholics like you. Please send us $25, or $50 or more per month. This is an opportunity to build the Church and to build God's Kingdom.

3) What is a Parish Portal?
a. A parish portal is a your parish's presence on the Internet. It's the place that parishioners and visitors can visit to find out information about your parish, the Catholic faith, and the world. A parish portal is a tool to help the parish staff implement its administrative and spiritual plans.

4) What's the difference between a portal and a web site?
a. They're both essentially the same thing – a communication tool for your church. A portal is often considered a “supercharged” web site. It includes all the elements of a web site, but then adds additional features such as a search engine.

5) We already have a web site. Why should we change to your service?
a. Actually, we would work in conjunction with your current website and web master to create a more feature-rich website.

Most parish websites have very few consistent visitors. The web site (or portal) we create for parishioners is designed to bring visitors back on a daily and weekly basis. This allows the pastor to deliver important messages to parishioners on a more consistent basis.

6) My parish staff knows very little about the Internet. In fact, we don't even have a computer? Can we still participate in your program?
a. A web site can still be built for the parish even if the parish itself doesn't own a computer. All the parish needs is for someone in the parish to own a computer and serve as the Internet liaison for the parish.

Catholic Exchange does 95% of the work. We will help build, host, and maintain your parish web site. The parish liaison can supply Catholic Exchange with information about the parish (parish calendar, mass times, parish groups, etc.). We take it from there.

The parish portal program is similar the parish bulletin program. It's a service provided to the parish by a third party and co-created by the parish staff or a parish representative. Very little involvement on the part of the actual parish staff is needed.

7) I get my parish bulletin for free. Is your service free too?
a. Yes, it is. We are able to offer these Internet services, including the building and maintenance of your site, at no cost. We rely on donations from the people that visit our portals to run our organization

8) What are your hosting fees?
a. There are no hosting fees for your parish. We cover this cost.

9) I'm thinking about having a parishioner build our web site. Why should I consider outsourcing to Catholic Exchange?
a. A skilled parishioner could build a quality site for your parish. However, here are a few basics reasons why the parish would benefit even more from services of Catholic Exchange:

A) Daily Changing Content: Our site changes everyday, yet requires very little effort from the parish staff.
B) More Features: Our site will attract a larger audience because of the unique features it contains and daily changes to the site's content.
C) Save Time: We can have your parish portal built within three-to-four weeks.
D) Save Money: You'll save the $15 to $75 monthly hosting fee offered by hosting companies.
E) Filtered Search Engine: We've built a search engine that filters out pornography and other morally objectionable material.
F) Financial Benefit: Catholic Exchange will make a donation to your parish as a part of our service to you.

10) What if I've already built a web site? Is it too late to employ a service such as your own?
a. No, it's not too late. In fact, this will actually help us build your portal faster.

We recommend transferring the best information on your current web site to create the new parish portal. This gives you the best of both worlds: your previous work will not be wasted and you will be able to take advantage of the unique features and content of the portal services we offer.

Best of all, we will work with your current Webmaster to maintain your new site and change the content regularly.

If you've already built a site, we can help redirect the web address (or URL) to your new parish portal