LINKS

We hear constantly nowadays about situations in which the internet is a bad influence, such as in online pornography, or hate-filled or otherwise slanderous websites. (In this regard, isn’t it sad that Parental Control software has become as necessary in some homes as keeping the computer in a “family room”?) Fortunately, we Catholics have access to a truly amazing amount of good solid material on the Web to help us cope with day to day stresses and grow in our faith, such as these links!

These websites cover religious news (including news from the Vatican), writings on church teachings, and a broad range of other topics and issues relating to Catholicism. Some of these might seem a little overwhelming at first, but don’t be afraid to dive in and partake of these excellent resources. Remember that learning about our faith, like growing in it, is a lifelong journey! We’ve included some additional information on some of each site’s features below:

The Holy See (The Website of the Vatican) This is a great site to explore all things related to the Holy See, the governing body of the Roman Catholic Church and Vatican City. You can take virtual tours of the Vatican museum and library and browse through a treasure trove of documents, including homilies, articles and encyclicals from Pontiffs over the last hundred years, from Leo XIII to our Holy Father Benedict XVI. And of course, you can find the official pronouncements here from the Second Vatican Council (better known as Vatican II).

EWTN The website of the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) includes an incredible amount of information on Catholic teachings (including over 6000 documents!) and both live and archived broadcasts and podcasts of their many fine programs. It also includes a great selection of “mini-sites” covering, among other things, papal journeys, tributes to various saints, and writings by the station’s founder Mother Angelica.

Catholic Online This site includes many features and news accounts of interest to us as Catholics that unfortunately you won’t find covered this well in the traditional broadcast or print media. In a wonderful contrast to the “if it bleeds it leads” approach to journalism, this site also features some truly inspirational good news stories concerning our faith.

Catholic Culture This excellent site features 2000 years of writings on Catholicism from the early Church fathers in the first century all the way up to homilies by our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI. The liturgical year section includes calendars for each month’s feast days and other special days in the liturgical year, along with customs, traditions, and even recipes!

Catholic Answers This is one of the premiere websites covering the field of Catholic Apologetics. Apologetics doesn't mean apologizing for Catholicism, far from it! Catholic Answers can help you defend and explain our faith to others and to grow in your knowledge of it as well. They have an extensive archive of radio programs you can download from their Catholic Answers Live series, as well as many good articles, booklets, and tracts.

Catholic Exchange Catholic Exchange includes news items, prayer intentions, and various “channels,” groupings of articles under topics such as Canon Law, Faith and Morals, and Homeschooling.

The Real Presence This site is sponsored by the Real Presence Eucharistic Education and Adoration Association and includes an extensive listing of over 7000 churches and chapels all around the country that have Eucharistic Adoration (with dates, times, and even Mapquest links for driving directions!) This site also includes a Catholic Dictionary and a wonderful library of articles about our religion written by the late Father John Hardon, S.J., author of numerous books such as The Treasury of Catholic Wisdom.

Spirit Daily Be forewarned: this site is a wonderfully habit-forming way to keep on top of what’s going on in Catholicism and in how it relates to the world around us. The extensive links section alone to various Catholic and other websites would give this site great value! Yet Spirit Daily also has links to important news stories about our faith, as well as many inspirational articles, updated daily! The site also has an excellent book-video store, as well an “announcement” section on its home page.

Catholics Come Home Do you know any fallen away Catholics, or those who are lukewarm in their faith? Do you feel that way yourself sometimes? This site is a great antidote to such alienation! It includes a treasure trove of resources for further study about Catholicism, sections on how to share our faith with others, and a wonderful selection of videos from those who’ve “come home!” These pages will make you feel blessed to be Catholic and strengthen your desire to spread the Good News of our faith and of Christ’s great love for us!

Regnum Christi This is the official website for Regnum Christi, “an international apostolic movement at the service of mankind and of the Church.” Its membership includes tens of thousands of lay men and women, as well as deacons and priests, serving our Lord in a wide variety of programs that provide spiritual fellowship and support to communities in more than 40 countries! The site gives information on how you can get involved in their work. It also has some wonderful daily meditations!

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops This website from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops covers the USCCB and organizations it assists such as the Catholic Communication Campaign, the Catholic Relief Services, and the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. You’ll also find numerous documents and other resources concerning various Catholic issues, as well as the full texts of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the New American Bible.

Mass Times Have you ever been out of town and wondered where you could find a mass? This wonderful website, which calls itself “a ministry to traveling Catholics” provides names addresses (and in many cases web addresses as well) of churches and parishes worldwide! You can search by place, zip (or postal) code, phone number, or state or province. They even have a convenient section on Holy Days and a mailing list you can subscribe to for site updates.

Mass Schedules For those of you traveling to or residing in the Philippines, this site includes a Philippine Catholic Mass Schedule - a Holy Mass schedule of Catholic churches in the Philippines. It also includes saints' biographies, Catholic videos, and Mass readings and reflections for each day, among other features.

Catholic-Pages.com The “start” page on this site gives you an impressive array of links to a directory covering just about every topic imaginable concerning our faith. Links include lists of websites, articles, church documents, online books, and multimedia. They even have a discussion forum and a “smile” section of Catholic Humor.

The Third Hour This site provides a wonderful reminder of the importance of the Divine Mercy devotion, with some great information from St. Faustina’s famous diary, particularly as it relates to the 3:00 hour, what Christ told her is “the hour of great mercy.” There are also helpful articles here on Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist, various web pages for prayer intentions, and resources for what Pope Benedict XVI has declared to be the Year for Priests (which goes until June 19, 2010.)

The Great Prayer Project - End Abortion This site has a great idea! As the authors put it “Starting March 25, 2010, we hope to have one continuous year of prayer to end abortion. The way we plan on achieving this objective is by allowing individuals to sign up for 20 minute time slots and pray for an end to abortion during that time period. Think 20 minutes is too long to pray? We have come up with some simple prayer solutions to help you meet this 20 minute goal. You will find out that it's much simpler than you might think. We believe whole-heartedly that prayer is our most powerful weapon to end abortions.” The site is well-designed and a moving inspiration for all of us seeking to end the tragedy of abortion.

And finally, here are some interesting regional websites. The first three should be of special interest to young adults in the New York City metropolitan region, the homebase for our website:

CSPYA This website from the Cathedral of Saint Patrick’s Young Adults group in New York features a calendar for the group’s many fine spiritual and social activities (such their annual “Dear Santa” toy drive). It also includes an impressive listing of volunteer opportunities and events for other parishes in the Archdiocese of New York (and beyond) as well!

Landofarthanius.org This is the website of Defenders of the Holy Trinity, an apostolate which desires to lead Catholic youth and young adults “to greater conversion and holiness,” as they put it, “by way of evangelization, apologetics and catechesis.” They offer some great articles, reflections, and information on events (such as conferences, lectures and retreats) all in the service of our Lord in Christian fellowship. As DHT says on their homepage “Young Adults Need Info!” Their site is a great place to get it!

Café Theology Café Theology is a great website for Catholic young adults who wish to learn more about our faith in informative articles that include news, teachings, and personal reflections and experiences. There are forums for discussion as well. This site is an excellent resource for those who wish to hear, and spread the Good News of the Gospel in a refreshing spirit of evangelization!

St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church This website from the St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Picaynue, MS includes an abundance of information not only about their parish but also about Catholicism itself, including an online Bible Study for Sunday readings from the liturgical year! Their online booklet I’m Glad You Asked, answers many common questions about our faith on such topics as the Blessed Mother, the Sacraments, and the Saints and Angels.