In January of 2002, Pope John Paul II gave a speech entitled “Internet: A New Forum for Proclaiming the Gospel.” In this speech he spoke of the value of using the Internet as a new form of evangelization for the Church. Many people within the Church have taken up this call to arms, establishing Web sites on a wide array of topics. With the wealth of information currently available, the next question becomes how to access and process it all. It is the goal of the Catholic Web Traveler, in conjunction with Catholic Exchange, to provide you with links to the most relevant and useful Catholic Web sites focusing primarily on the areas of vocations, family life, media and the arts. We hope you find this information useful and we wish you well on your journeys around the Net!
Vocations Online
www.vocations.com
This site provides one of the best resources on the Internet for exactly what a vocation is and how you can become involved with one if you feel called by God to do so. The amount of information on this site is massive and extremely useful. You will find all sorts of relevant links to articles on topics such as discernment, priesthood and diocesan vocation offices. Topics are broken down fairly clearly and in a relevant manner. If you are seeking to help others deepen their faith and don't know where to start, or if you are already in a vocation and looking for resources to help you do your work better, this site will provide you with what you need.
Order of Saint Benedict
www.osb.org
This web site focuses upon the teachings of Saint Benedict. The overall focus of the site is to provide a clearinghouse of information about any and all things related to the Benedictine order. Information is broken down into sections on such topics as the Rule of Saint Benedict, Oblates of Saint Benedict, Academic Institutions, Publishers and Studies, and International Institutions. You can find daily readings from the Rule of Saint Benedict, a listing of Benedictine retreat houses, links to personal monastic websites and much more. You may feel a little overwhelmed at first by the massive amount of links taking you to various pages of this website or to other places on the Internet, but you will definitely find many gems of information so digging around is worth it.
Catholic Ventures
www.catholicventures.com
Catholic Ventures is a ministry whose goal is “to promote excellence in Catholic religious education and youth ministry through direct service and formation.” On their web site you will find information about their mission and vision. Their web site also contains a healthy amount of useful material for those wanting to enhance their own local ministry. Examples of this useful material include articles on such topics as balancing life between ministry and family, materials to use when ministering to help enhance your presentations and being organized with your ministry work. The layout of the site is clean and well organized so navigation is not a problem. This site is definitely a useful stop for ministers and those who support them.
Nino Marchetti is a member of the parish at St. Catherine's in Burlingame, California. He is an avid web surfer who is dedicated to helping Catholics find the best information on the Internet that will allow them to live their lives more fully in the faith. If you have a web site you would like him to consider listing, or just wish to send a comment, you can email him at ninomarchetti@msn.com.
