Interesting & Favorite Websites

Some Personal Favorites. I know them, I’ve used them, I’ve found them to be very effective. Take a look:

Spiritual/Religious:

• Daily and Sunday Readings from Mass (Lectionary On-Line)
• Bible On-Line
• BibleStudyTools.com (Need to find a Bible reference? Click “Advanced Search,” “Reference” tab and enter some wording. Rest of site is rich source of resources.)
• Augustine Institute. Serves the formation of Catholics for the New Evangelization. Through academic and parish programs (RCIA, Youth Programs, Liturgy of the Word) they equip Catholics intellectually, spiritually, and pastorally to renew the Church and transform the world for Christ.
• Catherine of Siena Institute is dedicated to equipping parishes for the New Evangelization and in the formation of lay Catholics for the sake of their mission in the world. They provide innovative programs, resources, and leadership training (such as the “Spiritual Gifts Inventory”and the “Called and Gifted” discernment process) that are faithful to Church teaching and will enable your parish to become a dynamic center of lay discipleship, formation, and mission.
• Alpha for Catholics (An effective, practical tool to awaken faith in people outside the faith or on the fringe of parish life and nourish faithful Catholics.)

Exciting Organizations and Initiatives:

• Catholic Leadership Institute (Might be the best Catholic Leadership organization in the U.S.). provides world-class, pastoral leadership formation and consulting services for priests, parish/school staffs and bishops that strengthen their confidence and competence in ministry, enabling them to articulate a vision for their local church, to call forth the gifts of those they lead, and to create more vibrant faith communities rooted in Jesus Christ.
• National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management is an organization of laity, religious, and clergy working together to promote excellence and best practices in the management, finances, and human resource development of the Catholic Church in the U.S. through the greater incorporation of the expertise of the laity.We serve the Church through our Standards for Excellence program; ChurchEpedia, our collection of best practices; and consultancy services.
• Stewardship - Mission of Faith provides powerful guides and tools to help anyone build community by offering a number of targeted resources for Church Communities, Leadership programs, Youth-Schools outreach, Seniors, and Gospel Reflection Groups.
• Ascension Press (Features excellent courses for individual Catholics, parishes, small and large groups in Bible study (Middle-School, smaller children, teens and adults), sacramental preparation, Theology of the Body and Adult Faith Formation.
• (For the Women) Walking With Purpose - aims to bring women to a deeper personal relationship with Jesus Christ through personal study, small group discussion linking everyday challenges/struggles with solutions through the teachings of Christ & Roman Catholic Church.
• That Man is You - Honestly addresses the pressures and temptations that men face in our modern culture, especially those relating to their roles as husbands and fathers. The program harmonizes current social and medical science with the teachings of the Church and the wisdom of the saints to develop the vision of man fully alive!
• (For the Men - again) The King’s Men - Under Christ the King’s universal call to serve, we as men, pledge to unite and build up other men in the mold of leader, protector, and provider through education, formation and action.
• Prepare and Enrich (Although I use this excellent tool in helping couples prepare for marriage, ANY couple could benefit from its insights.)

News and Communications:

• Zenit (Short articles, vignettes, updates pertaining to the Catholic Church from the Vatican)
• Whispers in the Loggia (One of the first and now a leader in Catholic blogging)

Personal:

• Pennsylvania Stream Flows (To know how the water is were the fish are)
• Weather Underground (Great weekly view) and NOAA Weather Site (For you weather junkies who like more details… pick a city, scroll down, read the “forecast discussion” to see what the weather will be near the water where the fish are)
• Cabelas (Every boy needs his own “toy store” to buy the stuff to block out the weather in order to get in/near the water where the fish are).