Untangling the Catholic Web
The Vatican vatican.va You'll find enough here to keep you busy for hours on end. On the home page is a handy way to find all the recent writings, activity and news relating to Pope Francis. You can check out photos and follow his current and upcoming activities. Do a bit more clicking and you can find just about any encyclical, papal writing or Church document you could want to read. The site’s been overhauled recently, and while it’s not perfect, it’s better than it was — and there’s no denying the usefulness and opportunity that’s here!
EWTN Global Catholic Network ewtn.com I once had a project where I had to dig through some of the content on the EWTN website. I thought it would be quickly done, but that’s because I vastly underestimated the amount of content that’s there. Yes, there’s the media linkage you’d expect to the TV and radio programming and the tireless news work they conduct. But there also are subsites on faith that could take you the rest of the year to plumb, including devotions, a document library and a dozen mini-sites that are beautiful, educational and awesome. They also have a subsite dedicated to kids, with games, prayers and TV programs.
New Advent newadvent.org This isn’t an optional site for me. It’s a bit of everything: the Catholic Encyclopedia, St. Thomas Aquinas’s Summa Theologica in its complete text, writings of the Fathers of the Church, the Bible, a library of Church documents that still makes me swoon, and my favorite part, if I’m honest: content curation. Kevin Knight, founder, editor and webmaster, must read faster than I can imagine, because every day there’s a collection of links from around the Internet (sometimes not just Catholic). There’s no doubt that Knight’s work at New Advent is having an impact in the here-and-now.
Catechism of the Catholic Church scborromeo.org/ccc.htm Have you ever wished you could look up a reference in the catechism or find all the places where a certain phrase was mentioned? Have you ever struggled to remember where you read something or wondered what the catechism has to say about a topic? While there are a couple of other places you can go to search the catechism, what this parish in Mississippi has put together beats them all. You can search by a search string or phrase, by paragraph numbers or just peruse the entire book. The administrators just recently made the site mobile-friendly, so there’s no need to shy away from getting all your questions answered, even when you’re away from your computer.
Decent Films Guide decentfi1ms.com Though I like a good movie as much as the next gal, I’m not up on what’s hot and what’s not— or, more importantly, what’s good and what’s not. That’s where film critic Steven Greydanus comes in. Not only is he Catholic, but he must watch movies all day long. And then he writes about them, rates them and lets you know what he thinks. It’s a source I trust and a way to discover gems, too.
Catholic Answerscatholic.com When it comes to “getting the best Catholic web address,” I think it’s safe to say Catholic Answers won. The founders of the site haven’t stopped just with a cool URL, though; they’re working tirelessly to help us all know how to explain and defend our faith by teaching usto better understand it.
Catholic Culturecatholicculture.org In addition to news and commentary, you’ll find liturgical readings, links, history, resources and even reviews of Catholic websites. It’s a site well-done and one worth visiting often.
News.VA news.va The Vatican’s official news network.
Catholic News Service www.catholicnews.com This is compiled by the USCCB and is full of great links and information.
Zenit zenit.org It’s a newspaper in your Web browser, with Catholic perspectives on everything.
The Deacon’s Bench patheos.com/blogs/deaconsbench Deacon Greg Kandra is a pro, and he saves me from having to read other sites. His blogging is equal parts interesting links and insightful commentary.
Conversion Diary conversiondiarv.com Jennifer Fulwiler writes about conversion, life with small children and, if the season’s right, scorpions, entertaining, unfailingly penetrating and usually worth sharing at least twice.
Gospel in the Digital Age blog.archnv.org Cardinal Timothy Dolan blogs, and he blogs well. Reading his blog makes me appreciate the image of bishops as shepherds.
Happy Catholic happycatholic.blogspot.com Julie Davis has been blogging since the early days, and she’s as down-to-earth now as she was then. Her blogging includes links to other sites of interest, book reviews, movie comments and art. Yes, art. I visit her site often and always leave with a smile.
LifeTeen lifeteen.com This is aimed at a younger audience, but I think that just makes it more entertaining for the old fogies like me who follow along. If all you do is listen to the “Sunday, Sunday, Sunday” podcast or watch the “Beyond Words” video podcast, you’ll see what I mean. I’ve grown in my faith just from taking in Mark Hart’s reflections on the upcoming weekend readings. The teaching component of the content on the website is attractive and well done.
Amazing Catechists amazingcatechists.com Founder Lisa Mladinich has pulled together two dozen catechists who post daily on topics of interest to parents and catechists and, really, anyone who wants to know their faith.
Strange Notions strangenotions.com This is designed as a place of dialogue for Catholics and atheists. Have questions about Catholicism and atheism? Here you go. Well done and with conversation to boot.
Catholic Channel at Patheos patheos.com/catholic There is no other one-stop-shop for Catholic blogs like what managing editor Elizabeth Scalia has put together in the Catholic Channel at Patheos. You have priests and religious sisters, moms and dads, commentators and newshounds, critics and world travelers, normal people and quirky writers. It’s truly a little bit of everything, and it’s a buffet of good writing.
Divine Office divineoffice.org Aside from the Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours is the official prayer of the Church. On this site, you can opt to just read the prayers, or you can listen to the audio and follow along. It’s available free online and as a podcast. The apps associated with it are excellent and, while not free, are well worth the investment.
Catholic Mom catholicmom.com Founded by popular speaker and writer Lisa Hendey, the site is almost a portal of things Catholic. There are daily features such as Daily Gospel Reflections, Tech Talk and Book Notes. Each Sunday, there are new Gospel activities. Each week there’s a giveaway of great Catholic resources. There are book club discussions and posts, a weekly Small Success link-up for moms to encourage one another and at least a half-dozen new columns a day from various contributors.
Catholic Dads catholicdadsonline.com “Catholic moms rock when it comes to building community. We men ... not so good.” And according to their “about” page, that’s what Catholic Dads is out to do. The topics range from masculinity to finances and include reviews, family life and culture concerns.
OSV Newsweekly http://osv.cm/lgY62eE or www.osv.com/OSVNewsweekly.aspxGet all the stories from the Newsweekly anytime.
My Daily Visitor http://osv.cm/liLCAdI or www.osv.com. mouse over “Magazines”, and click “My Daily Visitor” Daily Mass readings and reflections.