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What's Your Home Page?
Many of you might have the standard MSN start up or you might designate another site as the page your browser goes to when it opens. Of course it would be nice if you set your home page as Catholic Home and Garden, but we're realistic. You might like to try our favorite - Spirit Daily.
Run by Catholic author, Michael Brown, Spirit Daily is a mix of both serious and quirky news stories about Catholicism and spiritual trends that affect our lives as Catholics.
You'll find fast breaking news from the Vatican about the Holy Father, changes in the Liturgy, and articles under the heading of "Our Sad Times" having to do with horrors of modern life, vandalism of Churches, and the horror of the continuing scandals in the Church.
You'll also find articles with that "Huh?" factor -- like grilled cheese Madonnas, biological oddities like the deer with six legs, and a whole range of other peculiar events and trends.
Michael often includes his own observations interspersed with reader submissions. These include articles on apparitions, quickening toward the End Times, and recently, the alarming trend towards New Age and Occult practices among Catholic religious nuns. It's well worth a visit ... and return visits, too.
Now, if only we can figure out how to get Michael
to put our site into his links area.
 The Vatican - Official Site of The Holy See
There is so much on this website that you can conceivably spend weeks looking through it all. Available in English, Italian, Spanish, French, Portuguese and German, although not every piece is available in every language.
Click on the image of the Holy Father and you can read his homilies, Motu Propio, Encyclicals, Letters, Messages, Speeches and view a beautiful photo gallery.
Look through the Vatican Secret Archives - not so secret anymore, the Vatican Library, Vatican Museums where you can actually take a virtual tour of several collections, browse the Vatican Publishing House, learn about the Saints and Blesseds, the Liturgical Year and so much more with the help of a powerful search engine.
Who puts this fabulous site together? We have no idea, but it is certainly one of the best of any sort on the internet.
 Ask Father
From time to time we all come up against situations that need a response from a Priest. And sometimes those situations involve the parish where we worship or the Priest who serves as your Pastor. Or maybe you just need a little nudge to go speak to your Pastor. The answer to your dilemma is to Ask Father. Father Z. resides in Rome, and this forum allows you to ask questions - anonymously if you must - and get the answers you need. Solidly Catholic.
Another terrific Catholic mega-site. Not as easy to navigate as it was before they "fixed" it a couple of years ago, but once you get the hang of it, you won't believe the amount of information you'll find here.
Although this is a relatively small site, it is well worth a visit. Run by Steve Kellmeyer, a nationally-known author and lecturer who specializes in showing how theology applies to today's headlines. He appears frequently in lecture halls and on radio stations across the country. His diverse educational background permits him to address a far wider range of topics than is typical for most speakers. Catholic Home Shop offers the fabulous calendars that Steve has produced focusing on indulgences, but you'll also find a whole range of his books that are well worth the read.
Generous with sharing the Word, Steve has made available a number of free eBooks on matters of faith. You'll also find two courses on the Gospel of John and Scriptural Typology. There's a lot to look at here, and a lot of intellectually superior books and MP3s that you should consider buying.
Our Favorite Catholic Blog
Author Amy Welborn's site. Intelligent, witty, incisive
and in love with the Catholic faith.
And how can you resist a Catholic so honest that her byline reads:
"She could never be a saint,
but she thought she could be a martyr if they killed her quick"
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News We Can't Live Without
Do you subscribe to a daily news service? Perhaps we're a little odd, but the news that matters most to us has to do with our Catholic Faith -- and the news source we turn to is Catholic World News.
This low-cost subscription-based service offers breaking Catholic news delivered to your email daily and can also be accessed from the web. (And if you click on the logo above and subscribe, we'll get an extra month or two for our own subscription.) A searchable archive is a great help to researchers and Catholics who just want to know what's really going on in the Church. Reader responses are invited in the Sound Off section and we find it interesting to learn how other Catholics really feel about the issues that affect our faith.
Why Catholic World News? You can read the entire pitch here, but basically we love it because it is professionally presented by experienced and knowledgable journalists who are completely loyal to the Catholic faith. As an independent venture that is not funded by outside sources, there's no pressure on them to squash news stories that might not make everyone comfortable.
An excerpt from their site -
We live in a society that has become steadily more secularized, more alienated from Christian moral principles. The teachings of the Catholic Church, on matters that were universally accepted just a generation ago, are now politically incorrect. Today, anyone who always, unapologetically defends the dignity of human life and the indissolubility of marriage will become a focal point of controversy.
CWN does defend those Catholic teachings. And if that defense makes us a lightning-rod for criticism, so be it. We will not pull our punches to avoid an argument. We try to present facts and analyze arguments in a calm, dispassionate manner. But we realize that our editorial policies will probably anger some readers. That is a price we are willing to pay.
In the Western world today, loyal Catholics have their own common perspective on life in a society marked by secularism and skepticism. At CWN we seek to serve their needs.
The "Off the Record" section is a no-holds-barred look at some of the more disturbing trends in our Church. Very strong in tone, it cuts through to the truth and exposes things that we really wish weren't happening.
The Dossier covers important events in the Church, with this month's issue covering the Holy Father's trip to Turkey.
If you have a website, CWNews offers a news ticker that you can display.
The same firm that owns Catholic World News, Trinity Communications, is also responsible for the Catholic Culture site. Formerly known as Peters Net, it is one of the most comprehensive and relevant Catholic sites you will come across. We use it constantly for research and we think you will find it invaluable for promoting the culture of Catholicism in your Catholic home. It is so important that we urge you to make a donation to them so that the can continue their work. Click logo below to visit them.
We at Catholic Home and Garden have a special affinity for the Catholic Worker movement. It is Catholicism at its radical best. The spirituality of Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin are not for the faint of heart or for those looking for the easy way out. If you're seeking Catholic Action that goes beyond bake sales and bingo games - visit their site. You won't be the same when you leave -- if you stay to read. The companion site will give you a full background on the movement, volunteer opportunities, Catholic Worker shops that support their work, and many more links. Be brave. Go there -- and read. Then act.
Catholic Online Forum
If you find you have the time (we don't), this is a great place to meet other Catholics to explore matters of faith and the Catholic faith in daily life. We've visited it from time to time to ask liturgical questions.
The moderator urges that Charity be our guide, and the operating motto be Faith Seeking Understanding. You will have to register to use the forum and post an introduction. Do be sure to read the rules and guidelines to help you post in the correct area. They do get a little touchy about that.
A helpful guide for exploring Prayers, Indulgences, News from Rome (Urbs) and the world (Orbis), the Holy Father, Modern Martyrs, Coffee & Donuts - a Chew and Chat area, Secular Third Orders, Knights of Columbus, What's Going on in Your Parish, Sanctity of Life, East and West, Mary Mother of God, Marriage and Family, Liturgy and Sacred Music, Canon Law, Sacred Scripture and Ancient Writings, Seasoned Catholics and Young Catholics, Catholics and Non-Catholics, Convert's Corner, Angels and Saints, and a whole lot more.
Virtual Rosary
You should be praying the Holy Rosary every day, but if you haven't gotten into the habit yet, this will jump start your day. Click on the logo.
Be Safe When You Surf
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Catholicism on the Internet The internet certainly has its place in what is referred to as the "New Evangelism" and if you're reading this site right now, chances are you visit lots of other Catholic websites as well.
