LIVING in a world controlled by our devices, the St Mary's Catholic Parish is no stranger to the online society.

Unlike some religious organisations which are not computer-savvy, the parish is actively using social media as the first point of contact to connect with the community.

With more than 500 followers, the page is receiving lots of attention to its posts of funny church-related memes.

Pastoral associate Patrice Riordan co-ordinates the page and says it's an avenue to engage with parish members and the wider community.

"Facebook has really helped us build relationships within the community," she said.

"It helps us engage with young people.

"Being connected with three schools, we keep parents updated and even some of our older members are asking if we've posted photos of an event on Facebook to show their families."

Mrs Riordan said people would turn to social media to find information straight away, in an era where they're always connected to their phones.

"There's lots of information on Facebook and it's easily accessible, people can take out their phones, search the page and find what they need instantly," she said.

Taking an informal approach on its Facebook page, the parish posts mostly comical memes.

"I have a huge file of funny pictures to upload," Mrs Riordan said.

"We try not to take ourselves too seriously on social media.

"It's there to get a message across and we want to bring laughter and joy to our members."

Trying to keep up with the scrolling habit of social media, Mrs Riordan said the pictures reminded people of the parish.

"We get more responses from memes, they're eyecatching and make people stop and look," she said.

The parish is on more than Facebook; youth members have created groups on Snapchat to keep up-to-date with social events.