In the year 2014 the Catholic commentariat is bigger than ever. Hundreds, if not thousands, of such blogs and websites exist for you to get an understanding of Catholicism today. In addition to the wide variety of sites, they’ve also reached a very high level of polish.
Despite the wide variety of sites, it can often seem that they say mostly the same thing in the exact same way. In many ways, the Catholic faith has become a commodity of talking points. As a result of this, Catholicism is often presented in a narrow way.
Catholic Exchange is different. They’re running a fundraising campaign, and I asked if I could write this article to explain why it’s worthy of your support.
Catholic Exchange promotes the truth of our Faith, and it does it in a unique way. For example, among its regular columnists is a Byzantine Catholic who grew up in punk rock who now emphasizes the importance of the monastic life. It also features regular articles from a traditionalist writing about those things traditionalists love.
It includes charismatics, various writers from different religious orders, and lay and priest alike. Perhaps you’ve noticed that while we are all preaching the same Catholic Faith, we are all presenting it in a vastly different but ultimately complementary way.
The credit goes to Catholic Exchange’s editor, Michael Lichens. Michael has actively sought out different writers precisely for that diversity. He told me that far too many Catholics have a misunderstanding of different Catholics such as traditionalists or charismatics, or even orders like the Dominicans or the Benedictines, or the Byzantine Catholics and he wanted to show readers that there are far better stories waiting to be told.
Catholic Exchange has an understanding of the Catholic Church much like St. Cyprian of Carthage when he said:
As there are many rays of the sun, but one light; and many branches of a tree, but one strength based in its tenacious root; and since from one spring flow many streams, although the multiplicity seems diffused in the liberality of an overflowing abundance, yet the unity is still preserved in the source.
Catholic writers are meant to be like those rays of the sun. Through our work we take the Gospel to every corner of the Earth. Yet in taking that Gospel to those ends, that message is adapted to the things we experience.
This does not change the fact that our source is still the Gospel and still the unadulterated Catholic Faith that comes to us from the Apostles. Of all the “big” Catholic sites in the United States, I would argue that Catholic Exchange does the best job of making this a reality.
You and I must remember, thought, that all of this great work costs money to produce. It’s free to you, but it’s not free to publish
Catholic Exchange relies on your donations to keep it going. I ask you to join me in supporting this important apostolate by visiting their online donation page and making a donation today.
If you can’t donate, then pray. Prayer is a powerful spiritual donation. Pray for our editor. Pray for our writers. Pray for me. Pray that I be reminded to always include you in my prayers.
And most of all, put the things we write about into practice in your life. If that happens, then what we are trying to do really does live on and triumph, long after this website will shutter. More than anything else, that is what I ask of you, dear reader. Support what we are doing any possible way you can.
Please consider donating any amount you can today. Also, consider visiting this page to become a monthly donor.
