The Administrative Office of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has set up an Archdiocesan email system that will be used as the primary administrative communications method between all locations. This system, called ACES, provides a controlled email environment for our parishes, schools and other entities. The Administrative Office expects that ACES will replace all FAX transmissions and reduce paper mailings to locations in the Archdiocese. ACES is provided free to all our locations. Every location in the Archdiocese will be required to have at least one ACES email account by September 30, 2009.
Creating an account in ACES is simple but does require internet access. Using your web browser, simply go to http://aces.la-archdiocese.org and click the "Sign up for an account" link. Refer to the "Creating an ACES Account" in the ACES Q&A section for further information.
ACES mailboxes are hosted on Microsoft Exchange. Most users will use the webmail interface (called Outlook Web Access or "OWA") but advanced users can connect to the ACES email servers with Microsoft Outlook 2003 or later via a Windows Mobile phone or even an iPhone.
ACES Email accounts are to be used for official archdiocesan ministerial and business purposes; please don’t create accounts for personal correspondence. Be sure to read the Terms of Service carefully when you create an ACES account.
In addition to providing email access, ACES accounts will also replace locations’ "Intranet" accounts at the ACC. Your ACES login will grant you access to various intranet applications (such as the job bank listings) and will eventually be used as your login for most electronic systems hosted by the ACC.
One of the features of ACES is that accounts are automatically joined into various email distribution groups, generally composed by deanery. As an ACES account user you will be able to send email to these groups. Note that outside email users will not be able to send email to ACES groups.
Creating and using an ACES account is not difficult and only takes a few minutes. If you have any trouble using ACES, you can contact the Help Desk at the ACC via email at helpdesk@la-archdiocese.org or by phone at 213-637-7699. Again, every location needs to have at least one ACES account by September 30, 2009.
The following are questions and answers that cover the basics of ACES.
Q: What is ACES and why do I need to use it?
A: ACES is an email system and a set of web services that help create and maintain user accounts. ACES has been developed by Archdiocese to replace other less efficient methods of communication between locations and offices in the Archdiocese and, effective September 30, 2009, each location in the Archdiocese will be required to have at least one ACES account. The 2008 technology survey confirmed that essentially all of the Archdiocesan locations have and rely on internet access and email for business and personal communications. ACES allows the Archdiocese to communicate quickly, authoritatively and with better precision to our clergy, staff, key volunteers and others involved in our ministries.
Q: I already have my own email account and the ACC knows how to reach me by email. Do I need an ACES account as well?
A: Yes, if you are in an administrative position (a pastor, parish administrator or parish life director, principal or similar position). Your ACES account is hosted and managed by the ACC. This allows us to ensure that you receive all the email that you’re entitled to, gives you access to mailing lists of your peers and will allow you to use one user name and password for any ACC computer applications that you may need to use in your duties (the DCS census, for example). Once initial deployment of ACES is completed, the ACC will decommission existing email lists that are used for administrative purposes and will rely on the new lists that are generated by ACES. Your ACES email account uses the "la-archdiocese.org" domain address; a well-known authoritative domain for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
Q: How do I get an ACES account?
A: You can apply for an account by going to http://aces.la-archdiocese.org and selecting "Sign up for an account". You will be asked for your location’s Department ID and ZIP code. The Financial Services department at the ACC has assigned an ID for every location; check with your bookkeeper if you don’t know yours. ACES uses this information to automatically determine whether you are a parish or school location and to identify your deanery.
Once you enter that information you will be asked if you want to create:
- A LOCATION ACCOUNT. This type of account is the simplest to create and use and will allow your location to participate in ACES. Think of this type of account as a PO Box for a parish, school or other location. Only one of these can be created for a location and should only be accessed by members of the administrative staff (principal, pastor, parish life director, priest administrator or office manager). If you find that your location’s account has already been created, please contact the ACC Help Desk so we can confirm and avoid any confusion about ACES or possible unauthorized use.
- A PERSONAL ACCOUNT. This type of account is associated with a person, not a location. This type of account is suited for use by DREs, pastors, parish life directors, principals and other clergy or staff who may move from location to location and/or may change assignments in the Archdiocese. It is portable and will avoid the need to set up new accounts or multiple accounts for persons who may have assignments at more than one location. In addition to associating your account to a parish or school location, your account will be associated with a role, such as pastor, parish life director, DRE, business manager, or teacher. A personal account requires a little more information to set up and may require manual approval by the ACC Help Desk to prevent abuse of certain roles. For example, applications that specify a clergy role will generally need to be manually approved. Personal accounts are meant to be just that: personal. You should not give out your user name and password to anyone.
Each account type will ask for some information that will be stored with your account, such as a contact phone number. Personal accounts will require you to select a user name; location accounts will be assigned a pre-defined user name. In both types of account, you will need to enter an alternate email address if you have another email account with another provider such as AOL, Google, etc. ACES will use that alternate email address to inform you of you ACES account status (if it has been approved or declined) and to email password recovery instructions if you should forget your ACES password.
Once you’ve completed the application forms you will be given further instructions, depending on your account type. When you create your account, be sure to store your user name and password in a safe and secure place.
If you have trouble creating an account or have questions about an account application, please contact the ACC Help Desk.
Q: How do I access my ACES email account?
A: The easiest way is to use a web browser and go to https://mail.la-archdiocese.org. Outlook Web Access (OWA) works best with Internet Explorer 6 or newer but you can use Firefox®, Safari® or other browsers for basic email. When you connect to OWA, you will be asked for your Domain/user name and password. Simply enter your email address as your user name (i.e. parish-12345@la-archdiocese.org) and your password. OWA has built-in help; just look for the "?" icon near the upper right part of the web page. If you have questions on this aspect, please contact the ACC Help Desk. If you plan on using ACES frequently and you have Microsoft Outlook 2003® or later then you can set up Outlook to connect directly to the ACES email servers. Please contact the ACC Help Desk for further instructions.
Q: I’ve forgotten my ACES password. What do I do?
A: If you specified an alternate-email address with your ACES account then you can reset your password without any help. Do the following:
- Go to http://aces.la-archdiocese.org and select "Administer your account"
- Enter your user name
- When prompted for your password, click the "Forgot Password…" button
- An email will be sent to your alternate email address. This email will contain a link to the ACES web site. When you go to that link you will be able to create a new password for your account.
If you did not specify an alternate email address then you will need to contact the ACC Help Desk. The Help Desk can also grant administrative access to accounts in special circumstances, such as when an employee leaves a location or is not able to check their email.
Q: I’ve changed my name/location/job. How do I update my ACES account?
A: Go to http://aces.la-archdiocese.org and select "Administer your account". Enter your user name and password and you’ll be presented with a form that contains your current account information. If you have a personal account you’ll be able to change your account’s assigned location, role and other information. Please note that certain changes will require manual approval by the ACC. We can’t have 34 principals at one school!
Q: I have other questions or concerns about email and the Archdiocesan policies or issues at my location. Can I contact the Help Desk?
A: Yes, during the launch period, we know that many will have questions on ACES and related matters that we have not considered or addressed. We are all in a joint learning process. Please feel free to contact the Help Desk, before you become frustrated. We will answer your queries on the call, let you know we need time to get the answer, or refer you to other resources or persons in or outside the Archdiocese. We will make every effort to assist and will have support in Spanish, at least on a referral basis.
The ACC Help Desk can be reached during normal office hours (Monday – Friday, 9am to 5pm) at 213-637-7699 or by email at helpdesk@la-archdiocese.org.