The first version of the website for the Australian Region of the Discalced
Carmelites (carmelite.com) was launched on 15th August, 1999. The website,
the work of Richard Healey, at that time a new novice with the Order, has undergone
significant development since those early days, with an almost hundred-fold
increase in terms of content that is now offered on the site.
Initially (1999-2000), the website began and developed with just a few (six
to be precise) sections, providing contact information for the Friars and Nuns,
brief biographies on some of our
major
saints, some
vocations information, details on the Young
Carmelite Group (YCG) and information
on our retreat programme.
Over the past few years, each of these sections has grown and expanded, and
new sections have been added. Almost all of the Carmels now
have a 'homepage', and a couple have quite extensive information. The Secular
Order created a new area. The saints section
has also grown dramatically, including a healthy selection from the writings
of some
of our saints. Most of the website energy in late 2001 through 2002 was taken
up with the visit of the relics of St Therese, and the development of the
therese2002.com website. Late in 2002,
with the creation of the I.T. committee to facilitate the work of the website,
many new sections were added, including an expanded prayer section,
a re-launched
prayer request board, Carmelite forum, Justice
and Peace section, reflections on our Spirituality and
Constitutions, expanded
Liturgy section, including many new resources,
reflection page, photo
galleries,
automated mailing list subscriptions, new links and featured
sharings.
2003 also saw the launch of a new regional newsletter, Aspirations,
for the first time including both the friars and nuns.
The site has
also grown in popularity, especially since the site was re-launched in
its
current incarnation in November 2002, already attracting several million
hits (until April 2003). It has been a great forum to experiment with and try
out new ideas ... some
of which have even worked! Thanks for all those who have taken time out to
provide feedback and make suggestions.
The evolution of the website over the past few years:
Our new logo in October
2002 (created by Br Shane)
The logo after minor amendments
to make it a little clearer.
Some of the ideas, navigation bars and colour schemes that never quite made
it, or only made a brief appearance:
Playing with Flash (and Swish):
I don't think anyone else liked this 'wormy' welcome! I still think it
was a cute and friendly idea...
This one was later expanded to produce the current welcome message on the "About
us" page.
At one stage, this was to become the first page in a whole series of 'flash-enabled'
pages ... but that idea also never quite saw the light of day. As technology
continues to mature, and new people share their creative inputs in the
work of carmelite.com, who knows what might emerge in time to come!
We also experimented with using Flash forms for all the inputs, but later
changed
to .php driven forms, with lots of coding help from Peter Dobbie.
You may remember some of these images from earlier versions of the website...
I
give thanks to God for allowing me this opportunity to work with carmelite.com
for the
past almost four years.
I pray that those who will come after me will
receive as many blessings as I have.
I pray also for you who visit this site,
that it will, in some small way, open your heart to the grace of God, and touch
your life.
Please pray for me as I now move on in a new direction. Richard M. Healey
April, 2003.
The new web designer is Br. Shane Kelleher ocd; you may contact
him here.
Page last modified:
Monday, 28 April, 2003
Document path: http://carmelite.com
/site.shtml
The
opening (splash) screen of the site in 2002.
Our new logo in October
2002 (created by Br Shane)
The logo after minor amendments
to make it a little clearer.
I
give thanks to God for allowing me this opportunity to work with carmelite.com
for the
past almost four years.