About ParishSOFT
» Our Mission | » ParishSOFT: At a Glance | » In the Beginning...
Our Mission
- Listen to clergy, staff, volunteers, educators, and others of parishes, dioceses, schools and other church-related organizations to understand their needs;
- Use relevant technology to design superior products and services to give these organizations the tools they need to carry out their mission;
- Foster collaborative ministry and help these organizations manage the resources entrusted to them;
- Earn the trust of those we serve by acting with fairness and integrity, with a view toward establishing long-term relationships.
ParishSOFT: At a Glance
ParishSOFT LLC (formerly Parish Systems, Inc.) was founded in 1998 by David Rosenberg, a technologist, deacon, catechist, and music minister. Bill Pressprich joined the company in 2002 as president and CEO, bringing many years of executive experience with software companies as well as service to the Church.
Today, ParishSOFT is used by parishes in nearly every U.S. arch/diocese and in 38 arch/diocesan offices. ParishSOFT releases enhanced software and web solutions updates about twice per year, based largely on customer input.
ParishSOFT has the tools and resources to help dioceses, parishes, schools, and church organizations meet their challenges. Our reputation for excellence and uncompromising commitment to our users assures that we are prepared to serve the needs of the Church, both now and in the future.
ParishSOFT stands behind all our products with outstanding service and a written money back guarantee. If you are not completely satisfied with any ParishSOFT product, you may return it within 60 day from purchase for a full refund.
For more information about ParishSOFT or any of our software products and web solutions, call toll free 866.930.4774 or e-mail info@parishsoft.com.
In the Beginning...
ParishSOFT LLC is a company whose technology took root from ministry and stewardship; from need and vision; and from a bit of divine intervention.
When founder David Rosenberg took his seat in a crowded plane in the late 1990s, he had no idea that God had a change in store for him. He was busy with a career in sophisticated medical information systems, and he was not looking for something new.
Technology Arises from Need
But the gentleman seated next to him, Auxiliary Bishop Bernard Harrington, then of the Archdiocese of Detroit, had a story to tell. Several parishes in Detroit were slated for closure-a situation that the Bishop was certain could have been alleviated to some extent with better demographic trending. With no adequate diocesan technology solutions available at the time, he had hired developers to write the first parish census-based program. Unfortunately, the data came too late to prepare the affected parishes and ease the transition. The data came much too late to permit the collaboration and planning that perhaps could have spared some of those parishes from closure.The Vision
Rosenberg examined the software tools available in his own parish offices and discovered that they simply could not effectively manage the day-to-day needs of his parish; nor could they meet the informational needs of the diocese. Research into the existing Catholic product offerings confirmed that there wasn't a product on the market that could manage the information needs of a Catholic parish or arch/diocese.The software on the market at that time lacked several features that Rosenberg and his newly formed technology team deemed essential for church management software and web solutions.
- Open-architecture structure to ensure compatibility with add-on products and to make functionality possible with other common applications (e.g., word processing, spreadsheets, email, etc.)
- Integrated, relational databases that let all modules share the same core data
- Simple integration with the Internet
- Pastoral issues seamlessly integrated to manage religious education, time and talent, and other crucial member and family details.
- Modular design to allow parishes or arch/dioceses to buy only what they need.
The parish products were designed first, and in 1999, several parishes became alpha users, testing the product and providing feedback. The result was the first release of ParishesOnline.com and what was then called "Churchmouse Software."
Growing the Technology
In 2002, Bill Pressprich joined ParishSOFT as President & CEO, adding years of executive experience with software companies to the mix. Anticipating dramatic growth, he set to work building the team from a staff of 6 to more than 35 dedicated employees who all share in the vision formed in the early days of our company.
After working with several dioceses to gain a full understanding of their needs, the ParishSOFT team announced its suite of Diocese software in May 2002. At last, arch/dioceses have the tools they need to collaborate across many organizations, including their local parish offices. With more accurate census information and better demographic trending, an arch/diocese can manage its data more effectively, monitor growth or decline, and make any necessary adjustments to provide better ministry-in some cases, to keep the church doors open.
ParishSOFT expanded its parish offerings by acquiring The Software Library™ and its Church Management Solutions (CMS) products in September 2003. The acquisition provided important advantages, adding financial software products and expertise to the corporate knowledge base and giving ParishSOFT customers a crucial connection between their financial data and their census records.
David Rosenberg has now moved on from ParishSOFT, serving full-time with the Diocese of Lansing. He has put in place a fine team of talented, caring developers and a rich heritage.
Keeping the Customer Focus
Though the ParishSOFT products are the industry leaders in church management software, we still listen carefully to what our thousands of customers have to say, keeping true to the philosophy on which the company was founded. ParishSOFT releases enhanced software and web solutions updates about twice per year, based on customer feedback.