The Catholic Guide to the Internet

There's a website for just about all things Catholic, from Mass times around the globe to the pope's fan club .

If you Google the word "Catholic," you'll come up with about 126 million hits. Even if you did nothing but look at Catholic websites for the rest of your life, you still wouldn't be able to visit them all. So we've looked at 105 of the top Catholic sites on the Web. If we've missed one of your favorites, let us know!

The first five

These are the first sites a search for "Catholic" will give you. As with everything on the Web, first isn't necessarily best, so heed the old warning caveat emptor -- buyer beware!

1. Wikipedia:   www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic  Wikipedia is the online encyclopedia that anyone can edit, so the information here should be checked against other, more orthodox sources.

2. Catholic Online:   www.catholic.org  A comprehensive site with news, links, saints, directories and Scripture, it offers an easily searchable database.

3. Catholic Answers:   www.catholic.com  One of the largest Catholic lay apologetics site, it also offers links to the original Catholic encyclopedia and This Rock magazine archives.

4. American Catholic:   www.americancatholic.org  The homepage of the Franciscan magazine, St. Anthony Messenger, this site offers a sampler from e-cards to movie reviews to saint of the day.

5. The Catholic Encyclopedia:   www.newadvent.org/cathen  This includes online text of the original 15 volumes of history, teaching and general information from the 1917 Catholic Encyclopedia. It's excellent for historical research, but does not reflect modern thought or teaching.

Prayers

· Catholic Prayers:   www.catholicdoors.com/prayers/

· Nearly 3,000 Catholic prayers from ancient to modern times.

· Novenas:   www.catholicdoors.com/prayers/novena.htm  A list of 182 novenas on virtually every topic imaginable.

· Ebreviary:   www.ebreviary.com  Daily Liturgy of the Hours.

· Universalis:   www.universalis.com  Office of Readings (British website, so texts and feast days may differ somewhat from U.S. texts).

Spirituality

· Adoration Chapel:    www.louisville-catholic.net/WebCameras/AdorationChapel/tabid/825/Default.aspx  A 24-hour webcam at St. Martin of Tours Church in Louisville, Ky.

· Sacred Space:   www.sacredspace.ie  Online daily prayer and Scripture from the Irish Jesuits.

General Catholic sites

· Catholic Way:   www.catholicway.org  The only Catholic area on Christianity.com.

· Catholic First:   www.catholicfirst.com  Prayers, saints, Scripture, Church teachings.

· Catholic Treasury:   www.catholictreasury.info  Catholic beliefs, prayers, spiritual teaching.

· The Internet Padre: A Roman Catholic Resource on the World Wide Web  www.internetpadre.com

· Mass Times:   www.Masstimes.org  Times and places of Masses around the world.

Official sites

· The Holy See:   www.vatican.va  All major Church documents, papal writings, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, art and even "secret" archives can be found here. The search engine is a bit cumbersome, and not all documents are available in English, but it's still the first place for all things Catholic.

· U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:   www.usccb.org  The official site of the U.S. Catholic bishops includes an online Bible, the Catechism, publications, movie reviews and more.

· Catholic Hierarchy:   www.catholic-hierarchy.org  Current and historical information about bishops and dioceses.

· Knights of Columbus:   www.kofc.org  Home of the world's foremost Catholic fraternal benefit society.

Directory of links to Catholic resources.

Beliefnet:   www.beliefnet.com/index/index_10023.html

Catholic area of the general religious/spirituality site.

Charities

· Catholic Charities:   www.catholiccharitiesusa.org  Network of social service organizations in the United States.

· Catholic Relief Services:   www.crs.org  The official international humanitarian agency of the U.S. Catholic community.

· Catholic Network of Volunteer Service  www.cnvs.org:   Listing of more than 200 volunteer opportunities in the United States and overseas.

Culture

· Catholic Forum:   www.catholicforum.com  A forum and discussion area for Catholics.

· Catholic Culture:   www.catholicculture.org  Information on Catholic life sponsored by Trinity Communications.

Education

· Catechetical Resources:   www.catecheticalresources.com  Free resources for Catholic catechists.

· Catholic Educator's Resource Center:   www.catholiceducation.org/index.html  Resource library of the Church's moral and social teachings.

· Favorite Resources for Catholic Homeschoolers:    www.love2learn.net  Information for Catholic  homeschoolers.

· Seton Home Study School:   www.setonhome.org  Largest Catholic home schooling program in the United States.

· Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities:   www.accunet.org

Catholic Youth Networking

· www.catholicyouth.freeservers.com  Networking site for Catholic youth.

· Café Theology:   www.cafetheology.org  Faith-sharing website for young Catholic adults.

· Catholic Jobs:   www.catholicjobs.com  Job listings in Catholic organizations.

· Cantemusdomino:   www.cantemusdomino.net  Resource for sacred liturgical music.

· Association of Hebrew Catholics:   www.hebrewcatholic.org  Designed to preserve the identity and heritage of Catholics of Jewish origin within the Church.

Media

· Our Sunday Visitor:   www.osv.com  Home of Our Sunday Visitor, with news, information and archives.

· Vatican Radio:   www.vaticanradio.org  Programs in 40 different languages from 61 different countries.

· Zenit -- The World Seen from Rome:   www.zenit.org  International news agency focusing on the Vatican and the Church.

· Catholic World News:   www.cwnews.com  Global news coverage with Catholic emphasis.

· Catholic News Service:   www.catholicnews.com  The oldest and largest news service specializing in reporting on religion.

· EWTN Global Catholic Network:   www.ewtn.com  Site of the Eternal Word Television Network with TV, radio and library resources.

· Catholic Exchange:   www.catholicexchange.com  News, comments, reviews, movies, blogs from well-known authors.

· U.S. Catholic:   www.uscatholic.org  General interest magazine for American Catholics.

· Busted Halo:   www.bustedhalo.com  Online magazine for spiritual seekers in their 20s and 30s from the Paulists.

· Godspy:   www.godspy.com  Online magazine covering politics, science, economy and the arts.

· Ignatius Press:   www.ignatius.com 

Marian

· The Mary Page:   http://campus.udayton.edu/mary  Home of the largest collection of materials on Mary, from the University of Dayton in Ohio.

· Sodality of Our Lady:   www.sodality.ie

Saints and Sites

· Catholic Shrines:   www.catholicshrines.net  List of all Catholic shrines in the United States.

· Divine Mercy:   www.divinemercysunday.com/index.htm  Information about the devotion to Divine Mercy.

· Lourdes:   www.lourdes-france.org/index.php?  goto_centre=ru&contexte=en&id=405  Official site of the shrine at Lourdes, with online prayer requests.

· Index of Patron Saints:   www.saints.sqpn.com/indexsnt.htm  Ideal for confirmation names.

· Hagiographies:   www.catholic.org/saints/stindex.php  Biographies of many of the saints of the Catholic Church.

· Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patronness of the Americas:  www.sancta.org  Extensive information on Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.

· Virtual Holy Land Tour:   www.md.huji.ac.il/vjt/sub2.html   Visit the Holy Land from your computer.

· Online Guide to Saint Benedict of Nursia:   www.e-benedictine.com  The life of St. Benedict and instruction on Benedictine theology and modern monasticism.

· Scripture

· Scripture Catholic:   www.scripturecatholic.com  Two thousand Scripture citations from the Old and New Testaments defend the Church's teachings.

· New American Bible:   www.usccb.org/nab/bible/index.htm  New American Bible online with search engine.

· St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology:  www.salvationhistory.com/home.cfm  Resources for Bible study from Scott Hahn.

Research

· Papal Encyclicals:   www.papalencyclicals.net  An extensive collection of papal encyclicals and other papal documents from the current pope back to Pope Honorius (1226).

· Biblia Clerus:   www.clerus.org/bibliaclerus/index_eng.html  Sacred Scripture, its interpretation in light of Sacred  Tradition and the teachings of the magisterium, with appropriate theological commentary and exegesis.

· Catholic Liturgical Library:   www.catholicliturgy.com  All things related to the Latin rite of the liturgy.

· Code of Canon Law:   www.intratext.com/X/ENG0017.htm  Entire code of canon law online.

· CatholicHistory.net:   www.catholichistory.net  History of Catholicism in the United States.

· Catholic Biblical Association of America:   www.cba.cua.edu  Association for scholarly study in Scripture.

Finance

Veritas Financial Ministers:  www.veritasfinancialministries.com  Financial advice from a faithful Catholic perspective.

Shopping

· The Catholic Company:   www.catholiccompany.com  Books, gifts and statues that are uniquely Catholic.

· Sacred Silks:   www.sacredsilks.com  Art inspired by the sacred places of the world.

· Stella Maris Books:   www.stellamariscatholicbooks.com  Books, gifts, hard-to-find liturgical items, statues.

· Restored Traditions:   www.restoredtraditions.com/  Famous religious art work from great Catholic artists over the centuries.

Specialty

Your Aging Parent:   www.YourAgingParent.com  Spiritual resources and information for Catholic caregivers.

Courage:   www.CourageRC.org  For men and women who wish to live chaste lives in accordance with the Church's teaching on homosexuality. There is a link to Encourage, a ministry for parents and siblings of people with same-sex attraction.

Mirror of Justice:   www.mirrorofjustice.net  Blog dedicated to Catholic legal theory.

Canon Law:   www.canonlaw.info   Dr. Edward Peters' canon law resources.

Catholic Match:  www.catholicmatch.com  Catholic singles and dating site.

Catholics in the Military:   www.catholicmil.org  Site for Catholics serving in the armed forces, their families and loved ones.

Catholics Come Home:   www.catholicscomehome.org  Ministry for fallen-away Catholics who wish to return to the Church.

Catholic Moms:   www.CatholicMom.com 

Dads.org:   www.dads.org  Site of St. Joseph's Covenant Keepers, a site for husbands and dads.

Family Life Center International:   www.familylifecenter.net

Articles on faith and family life with Catholic emphasis.

Just for Fun

· Greeting Cards:   www.catholicgreetings.org  Free online e-cards with Catholic inspiration.

· Pope Benedict Fan Club:   www.popebenedictxvifanclub.com  Just what it says -- a fan club for the pope.

· Catholic Doors:   www.catholicdoors.com/musi2/index.htm   Midi music of favorite Catholic hymns.

· Fisheaters:   www.fisheaters.com/jokes.html  Clean Catholic jokes.

Right to Life/NFP

· Americans United for Life:   www.aul.org  Pro-life information.

· National Right to Life:   www.nrlc.org  The ultimate goal of the National Right to Life Committee is to restore legal protection to innocent human life.

· Human Life International:   www.hli.org  International pro-life organization.

· Couple to Couple League:   www.ccli.org  Information on natural family planning.

· Pure Love Club:   www.pureloveclub.com  Abstinence education from Catholic Answers.

Blogging

Our great-grandmothers shared their lives as they chatted across the back fence. We still want to let others know what's happening, but now we do it through blogs -- short for web log, an online journal where individuals or groups communicate information, thoughts, pictures.

Many Catholics with blogs are members of St. Blog's, which is not a real parish, but rather a loosely knit group of Catholics who maintain these personal journals. Some are "professional" Catholics, including clergy, religious, teachers, writers, journalists and authors, but most are just ordinary Catholics who share their lives and faith. Many are listed in The St. Blog's Parish Directory at www.stblogsparish.com/blogs/bloglist.php.  Some popular Catholic blogs include:

AmericanPapist:   www.americanpapist.com/blog.html

Canterbury Tales:   www.cantuar.blogspot.com

Cardinal Seán's Blog:   www.cardinalseansblog.org

Catholic and Enjoying It!:   www.markshea.blogspot.com

Catholic Dads:   www.catholic-dads.blogspot.com

Charlotte was Both:   www.amywelborn.wordpress.com

Cottage Blessings:   www.alice.typepad.com

Creative Minority Report:   www.creativeminorityreport.com

Danielle Bean:   www.daniellebean.com

Domine, da mihi hanc aquam!:   www.hancaquam.blogspot.com

"Et tu?":   www.conversiondiary.com

Happy Catholic:   www.happycatholic.blogspot.com

JimmyAkin.Org:   www.jimmyakin.typepad.com/defensor_fidei/

Moniales OP:   www.monialesop.blogspot.com

The Anchoress:   www.theanchoressonline.com

The New Liturgical Movement:   www.thenewliturgicalmovement.blogspot.com

The Shrine of the Holy Whapping:   www.holywhapping.blogspot.com

What Does the Prayer Really Say?:   www.wdtprs.com/blog

Whispers in the Loggia:   www.whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com

Coming to a computer near you:  

Want to hear Pope John Paul II praying the Luminous Mysteries? Long to attend daily Mass but are house-bound? Wish you could get techno-savvy kids interested in Church history? Then check out Catholic podcasts. A podcast is a digital recording of an audio or video broadcast available on the Internet that can be heard or watched on a computer or downloaded to a personal player like an iPod. You download your favorite program and then watch or listen whenever it's convenient. With audio podcasts, you can listen in your car, on an airplane or while waiting for appointments.

If you don't want to keep checking for new podcasts, you can have them automatically downloaded to your computer as they come out. Go to www.itunes.com , download and install the free iTunes program on your computer. Once you've done that, you can then go to the iTunes music store online, search for the name of the show you want, and subscribe to it. Once you've entered your information, iTunes will download new episodes to your computer as soon as they come out.

· The Star Quest Production Network:  www.sqpn.com  According to its mission statement, SQPN (Star Quest Production Network) is a multimedia organization specializing in the production of audio and video programs faithful to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. The video and audio productions are in various languages to reach an international audience and cover topics ranging from Q and As about the faith to the pope and even to Catholic humor.

· Disciples with Microphones:   www.discipleswithmicrophones.org/  Disciples with Microphones features more than 50 podcasts from well-known Catholics, including Cardinal Francis Arinze, Father Stan Fortuna and Michael Barone.

· Catholic Podcasts:   www.catholicpodcasts.info/  This site lists resources and various podcasts from parishes and individuals.

· Daily Mass Readings:  www.usccb.org/nab/nabpodcast.shtml  The American bishops offer a daily podcast of Mass readings as well as other podcasts that are both informative and spiritually uplifting.

· Youtube:  www.youtube.com  Caveat: Youtube is the premier video sharing website which allows individuals to upload, view and share their video clips. While you can find Catholic offerings such as lectures, Masses and even hymns, you'll also encounter anti-Catholic diatribes and other offensive materials, so search carefully and view cautiously.

It's in the email

Another way to obtain your daily Catholic fix is through e-mail. Typically you are asked to subscribe by filling out a form with your e-mail address. Then the information is automatically sent to your e-mail box every morning.

Daily Gospel:  www.dailygospel.org/www/presentation2.php?language=AM

The daily readings, Psalm and saint of the day in a free, personalized e-mail.

Vatican Information Service:   www.mlists.vatican.va/mailman/listinfo/visnews_en

The daily newsletter from the Holy See Press Office is available through free subscription. You can choose from several languages.