Parish Guide

Bulletin — How It Works

The weekly parish bulletin, online and in your own language.
A simple, step-by-step guide for parishioners and parish staff · Powered by Nave

At a glance

The Bulletin is your parish's weekly newsletter — Mass times, announcements, ministry news, and notices — published right on the website. Each week the office posts a new edition; the most recent one opens by default, and every past edition stays available in the archive. The bulletin is shown side by side in two languages (English plus your reading language), so everyone can follow along. A parish can also attach a printable PDF of the traditional bulletin.

1 · Office writes this week's bulletin→ 2 · Add sections (and an optional PDF)→ 3 · Publish→ 4 · Parishioners read online or download→ 5 · It joins the archive
Authored once, read by everyone. Staff write each bulletin in English only. Spanish and Tagalog are generated automatically, so a single bulletin reaches the whole parish. Blank translations simply fall back to English — a partial translation never shows up empty. Throughout this guide, features that need a bit more setup are marked Advanced.

What a bulletin is made of

Each weekly edition is built from a few simple parts. You don't need all of them — even a single section is a valid bulletin.

🗓️ Issue date & label

The Sunday it covers, plus a short archive label. e.g. "May 18 — Pentecost."

✝️ Liturgical Sunday

The name of the Sunday or feast, shown under the title. e.g. "Pentecost Sunday."

📄 Sections

The content itself — a heading plus body text, in order. e.g. Mass Times, This Week, Ministry Notes.

⬇️ PDF (optional)

Attach the printable bulletin file for download or printing. The classic print version.

🌐 Two languages

Every section appears in English and the reader's language, side by side.

📰 The archive

Past editions stay listed so nothing is lost when a new week is posted.

Sections vs. PDF — use either or both. You can type the bulletin as online sections (searchable, multilingual, mobile-friendly), attach a PDF of your printed bulletin for download, or do both. Most parishes do both: rich online sections plus the familiar PDF.

Part A · For parishioners

How to read this week's bulletin, look back at past weeks, search for something specific, and download or print. The page is multilingual, so you're reading in your own language alongside English.

Use case 1 · Read this week's bulletin

Who: Anyone.   Goal: Catch up on this week's parish news.

  1. On the parish website, open Bulletin.
  2. The most recent edition opens automatically, with its date and the liturgical Sunday at the top.
  3. Read the sections down the page. Each one shows two columns side by side — English and your reading language — so you can follow along in either.

Result: This week's bulletin, on your phone, in your language — no paper needed.

Use case 2 · Browse the archive

Who: Anyone.   Goal: Open a past week's bulletin.

  1. At the top of the Bulletin page there's a row of labelled tabs — one per edition, newest first.
  2. Tap any label to open that week's bulletin. The current one is highlighted.
  3. The strip scrolls sideways on a phone, so every past edition is reachable.

Result: Missed a week? Every edition the parish has published is one tap away.

Use case 3 · Search the bulletin

Who: Anyone.   Goal: Find a specific notice — a date, a name, an event.

  1. Type a word into the search box in the toolbar and press Enter.
  2. Matching words are highlighted right in the text of the bulletin you're viewing.

Result: Jump straight to the line you're looking for instead of scanning the whole page.

Use case 4 · Download or print the PDF

Who: Anyone.   Goal: Get the printable bulletin.

  1. If the parish attached a PDF, a download link appears in the toolbar of that edition.
  2. Tap it to open the PDF in a new tab, then save or print it as usual.

Result: The traditional printed bulletin, ready to read offline or post on the fridge.

The download link only shows when that edition has a PDF attached. Online sections are always available regardless.

Part B · For parish staff

The office creates and manages every edition from Admin → Weekly Bulletin. You write in English; Spanish and Tagalog are translated for you. Anyone with content-editing access can manage bulletins.

Use case 5 · Publish a weekly bulletin

Who: Parish staff.   Goal: Post this week's edition.

  1. Open Admin → Weekly Bulletin and use New bulletin.
  2. Enter an archive label (e.g. "May 18 — Pentecost"), the issue date, and the liturgical Sunday title.
  3. Leave Published ticked to make it live, or untick it to keep it as a hidden draft while you work.
  4. Tap Add bulletin. It appears in the list below, ready for sections.

Result: A new edition exists — published parishioners see it; a draft stays private until you're ready.

Use case 6 · Add and order sections

Who: Parish staff.   Goal: Fill the bulletin with content.

  1. Open the bulletin in the list and use + Add section.
  2. Give it a heading and body text. For a bulleted list, start each line with "• " — it renders as bullets on the public page.
  3. Set the Order number to control where the section sits — sections display from lowest to highest.
  4. Edit or delete any existing section from its card; change the Order number to move it up or down.

Result: A clean, ordered bulletin — Mass Times, announcements, ministry notes, in the sequence you choose.

Use case 7 · Attach a printable PDF

Who: Parish staff.   Goal: Offer the print bulletin as a download.

  1. On the bulletin's form, use Bulletin PDF (optional) to upload your file.
  2. Save the bulletin. A download link now appears on the public page for that edition.

Result: Parishioners can read online and grab the familiar printed version.

Use case 8 · Let translations happen automatically

Who: Parish staff.   Goal: Reach Spanish- and Tagalog-speaking parishioners.

  1. Write headings, body text, and the Sunday title in English only.
  2. Spanish and Tagalog are filled in automatically for the languages your parish has turned on.
  3. Need to redo a translation after editing? Use Regenerate translations on that bulletin or section. You can also type a translation by hand to override the automatic one.

Result: One English bulletin becomes a multilingual one — no separate copies to maintain.

Use case 9 · Manage the archive

Who: Parish staff.   Goal: Keep the list of editions tidy.

  1. Every bulletin you create is listed newest-first and stays as part of the archive automatically.
  2. To pull an edition back, untick Published — it stays in your admin list but disappears from the public page.
  3. To remove one entirely, use Delete bulletin; this also deletes its sections (you'll be asked to confirm). Advanced

Result: A clean public archive, with full control over what stays visible.

Quick reference

Where do parishioners read the bulletin?The parish website → Bulletin. The newest edition opens by default.
Where are the past weeks?In the row of labelled tabs at the top of the Bulletin page — newest first, every published edition.
Is the bulletin online sections or a PDF?Either or both. Type it as online sections (searchable, multilingual) and/or attach a PDF for download.
How do I find something specific?Use the search box in the toolbar — matching words are highlighted in the text.
What languages does it show?Two columns side by side — English plus the reader's language (Spanish by default, or Tagalog).
Who can publish bulletins?Parish staff with content-editing access, from Admin → Weekly Bulletin.
Do I have to translate it myself?No — write English only; Spanish and Tagalog are generated automatically. You can override a translation by hand if you wish.
How do I order the sections?Set each section's Order number; they display lowest to highest.
How do I make a bulleted list?Start each body line with "• " — it renders as bullets on the public page.
Can I work on a bulletin before it's live?Yes — untick Published to keep it a hidden draft, then publish when ready.
The big idea: the weekly bulletin is how a parish stays in touch. Nave makes it effortless — write it once in English, and every parishioner reads it on their phone, in their language, this week or any week, with the printable PDF a tap away.

Bulletin — How It Works · A guide for parishioners and parish staff · Powered by Nave