Father Perin and the Internet

GIS: What do you like the best when you come to São Paulo, in the city and in the Sanctuary?

Father Perin: Well, I don´t walk very much in São Paulo. When I come to the city, I usually stay here in the North Zone (of the city), in the Sanctuary of La Salette, in Santana quarter, and in Jardim Joamar (another quarter), where we have another parish and the House of Superior Formation for our seminarians. About Salette Church, I like it because it’s a dynamic church that is creating a big structure, as much for religion as for the Social Center. Every time I come here, I see new things, such as the fax-simile in front of the church, with the message of Our Lady of La Salette in her appearance (he means the statues of Maximin and Melanie across from the statue of Our Lady, and her message on a wall as backstage). I think that, with all these things, La Salette´s message is becoming clearer to people. Another important aspect of La Salette Sanctuary is the familiar catechesis in which the parents also participate on the catechesis process. And, recently, the Internet, that I sometimes consult. In fact, this is a way that became common in almost all the countries that we are. Of course each country uses its site, therefore it’s difficult to other people understand Portuguese, so they are more directed to their own country. And the same happens with other languages, as German, Italian...

GIS: On La Salette (in Brazil) site there’s an option to change the language, and the person can read Salette´s message in some languages. Moreover, we have already received messages from people from the Czech Republic...

Father Perin: In fact, you can have a search for "Salette" (in search engines on internet) and the La Salette (Brazilian) site appears there. I believe that the other countries that we are settled may appear under "Salette" word.

GIS: Nowadays our site has an average of 110 accesses a day, that means that 110 people accesses the site at least once a day, what it is a good average. Moreover, we’ve put our site in search engines and we’ve divulged in other means, even in the mass. We’ve been trying to let the site very dynamic making a lot of updates. The last update we’ve made was on Father Sbalchiero´s book. What else do you think La Salette site should have?

Father Perin: I haven’t accessed during last month (06/01), so I haven’t seen the last updates. I think that the site must be dynamic, always have new things, it isn’t a material that lasts forever. Because, if the person enters the home page, and sees always the same thing, he or she becomes discouraged to visit it again. First of all, there must be the intention of supplying it with new things. Second, I think that, besides La Salette´s message, the site could divulge other messages, and news, what is also something very good and important, with a healthy logical content. But always with short texts, therefore I think that long texts don´t captive people’s attention. Another interesting idea is that system of questions and responses (forums), that promotes a dialogue among people on Internet, what in the end, integrates and makes people participate more. Those are things that are worth to explore. Obviously, responses in all directions may come, but it’s worth making the person act as participant.

GIS: We already have some ideas about it, such as chats and discussion forums...

Father Perin: This is something that compromises people, undoubtedly.