"The OneParish App is a tool to empower parishes to reach 100% of their parishioners and school families 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Many of today's Catholics desire to feel connected to their faith, they long to feel spiritually inspired and the OneParish App offers additional tools to compliment your Parish mission." ~ OneParish website

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What can you expect from the One Parish App?

Parish Directory compiles family and individual data into an easy-to-read page that allows parishioners to connect with each other and details parish involvement.
Daily Growth offers thoughtful readings, saints of the day and daily reflections (still underdevelopment) for individuals to help them be the best they can be!  ** I am still not able to pull out my phone to follow the daily readings on an App, but I am building toward it because I really do love both hearing and seeing God's Word!
Donate gives parishioners a 24/7 opportunity to donate to weekly contributions, ministry appeals, events, fundraising campaigns and more!
My Parish collects parish and school details that parishioners need to stay connected and keep informed.
Find a Parish is their map system, that uses MassTimes.org to help guide parishioners to other Catholic parishes while traveling.  ** Also useful for finding Adoration Chapels when you are in the mood to hang with Jesus!
My Profile is completed by each parishioner to update their contact information, add a photo and list parish involvement.

Developer Ryan Kreager, shared this insight on the motivation behind he, and partner, Shane O’Flaherty, desire to create OneParish. "We believe that our relationships to each other and to God are the most vital part of our lives. Pope Francis put it best in his letter for the 2014 World Communications Day: 'It is not enough to be passersby on the digital highways, simply “connected”; connections need to grow into true encounters.' That is why we build technology for parish communities - to help our parishes become places of true encounter with each other and with Christ."

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Overall, I love this App idea.  Technology, bottom line should be bringing people together for faith encounters not just providing information, I could not agree more with Pope Francis or Ryan Kreager words on that subject.  I find this product is well designed, though at least in the Android version, there are still a few tweaks that could be made to make it more end-user friendly. The developers of OneParish are very genuine and eager in their desire to fill Parish and Parishioners needs, earning this project, in my opinion anyway, serious consideration for inclusion in every Catholics technology arsenal.

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Copyright 2014 Allison Gingras