by Fr. Martin Mary, FI

Since then, I started making other sites of our Institute in the English speaking: MissioMariae.net (missionary site), AusMaria (Australian site), Radio CorMariae (Radio website of our community in New Bedford), Sisters' site in USA. Now I just finished our official website in India, IndiaMariae.com.

The most unique website I have ever done is our site for India, IndiaMariae.com. Not because of the appearance or content, which most likely resembles the other websites I mentioned above. But rather, this site is DONE IN INDIA (where others were done in the USA and Australia). India (at least our present location) may not have the latest internet technology as the first world (an economic label, actually) might have. In fact, I was using ONLY a wireless USB internet service provider since DSL and Cable connections are unavailable in our area. This makes the making of the site tedious and difficult not only because of the slow connection I have, but the expense to pay every single minute. It will take me most of the time to wait for several minutes before any single changes can be saved or applied.

Because of this present situation, I almost give up making this website since our community schedule is fully loaded with activities and I don't have a lot of time to spare. I believe that this attitude of mine is a product of many years being spoiled in the United States where everything is fast and easy because of material abundance of the society. Here, in India is quite different: blackouts are quite frequent, the heat of the weather during the months of March-May is unbearable, our water in the house is not potable because it is filled with rusts; insects and mosquitoes plague you while trying to put up the website in the open air since it has better wireless signal. Sometimes, I have to do computer work outside with my head covered with cloth like Muslim in our area to avoid ending up having "insect-infested face". At other time, I was so worried about our financial situation that we have only 5,000 rupees (about $150) for our expenses that we have to pay our house rent and bills, not including my internet connection fees. All these were taking place while putting up this website. I asked myself, if I give up now, how can I reach the whole India, the whole world. And this is the genius of the internet. One can be in one unknown place and yet you can reach everyone without being physically there. You can talk to them about the faith, you can put up images and messages of hope for those who are despairing, you can sympathize with those who ask for prayers across the globe, you can let others know that we exist, that consecrated souls to Mary exist and we invite them to share our spirituality. One particular guy I know in South Africa wrote me an email (being a webmaster) and said I want to join your community in the USA. Our community is not yet present in South Africa. This guy was so eager to be part of us, that he, together with his parents, migrated to the United States. That guy is now a priest of our Order, Fr. Bernard Mary, who was just recently ordained a priest. It is through the internet and our US site that he now shares a deep love for the Immaculata with us.

This is the thought that compels me to finish this site in spite of many struggles, difficulties and privations in India. These are but small sacrifices in comparison to many souls whom (I hope) will benefit from our humble site; for vocations in the whole India, who will join us; for some lonely Catholics who will find some consolation that he or she is not alone in trying to be faithful to the Church when everyone else abandons her; for others to find out that there are souls so madly in love with the Immaculata to make a fool of themselves to abandon all just to bring a spark of love for her in souls.

There will be a lot of imperfections in our website. But I invite everyone to look beyond mere codes and designs and even content and remember, that within those codes are embedded in hidden ways, the love and sacrifice that inspire them. This is what makes the internet more than just inert set of codes. It becomes, a language of LOVE.