On Mondays, I answer questions frequently asked by those considering a return to the Catholic Church. How do I know this stuff? I was away for more than 30 years myself, and am the co-author of When They Come Home: Ways to Welcome Returning Catholics, a book for pastors and parish leaders interested in this ministry.
I’m thinking about starting to go to Mass again but WOW–the website for the church nearest me is horrendous. It’s boring, 
almost all text, few pictures, no videos. They don’t even have a Facebook page, much less Instagram or Twitter accounts. Do I have to go there?
Think about your best friend or another non-family member you respect or love very much. Was your initial judgment about this person based on his or her appearance? The tone of voice? Clothing? Parishes can be much the same. Some parishes that are very welcoming to returnees choose to invest in social media; others spend their limited funds elsewhere.
Why not give that parish a try? See if the bulletin (and yes, it may be available only in paper form) has any volunteer activities that suit your interests. Consider scheduling a meeting with the adult faith formation director or a priest. Who knows, maybe development of a social media strategy is something with which you can bless the parish. If after time passes this parish isn’t working for you, certainly, try another. But don’t judge solely based on its public face.
That said, many parishes do understand the value of social media. Even if they’re not near you, you can learn much about the Church from their accounts and those of the Vatican, its offices, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, cardinals, and Catholic bookstores, publications, and writers.
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