The Director's Desk

November 1999

Catholics 
on the 'Net? 
You Bet! 
Part 1 of 2

As I was preparing to write this column, I did an Internet search for "Catholic Education" on the Alta Vista search engine. Alta Vista came up with 2,980,470 possible "hits" for Catholic Education (The CEM Center of Central Maryland was hit number 103.)! There is a lot of information available on the World Wide Web. For the person who is new to this technology, it can be pretty overwhelming. How do we unlock some of the secrets of the Internet for catechetical ministry?

This month I offer starters for doing just that.  In this first column we consider resources that are out there right now, ready to serve our catechists in parishes and schools. In Part 2, I will look at ways to help our families maximize the Internet for education and wholesome fun.

Resources that are available now for both catechists and families can be categorized into two basic types:  

1. Resources for Personal Growth and Education
Catholics are really beginning to capitalize on using the Internet to disseminate free information. A number of sites provide tools for basic research on key Catholic topics. Some examples:

Resources for Catholic Educators - Hundreds of links for background on Catholic life and practice.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church - The entire text of the Catechism, with a search engine for finding key words or phrases.
The Saints and Angels Page - Just about everything you would want to know about saints and angels - but didn't know who to ask.
The Catholic Encyclopedia - Not to be confused with the New Catholic Encyclopedia (this one was originally published in 1914), but a great resource nonetheless for traditional church doctrines and practice.
Church Documents and Documents of Vatican II - This Alapadre site provides links to all of the major documents from Rome, as well as English translations of the documents of Vatican II. 
The New American Bible - The entire text, with introductions.

This information can be extremely helpful to offer people who catechize a grounding in our Catholic heritage. Parishes and schools can promote sites like these for both catechists and families alike.

2. Catechist Forums and Discussion Groups
More and more commercial publishers are offering venues for catechists to share ideas and concerns. Some great examples include:

CyberFaith - William H. Sadlier  - Includes columns for enriching your personal faith, plus columns on how to share faith in catechetical and family situations.
Benziger Teacher Activity Center  - Forum for sharing ideas, plus creative ideas from the Benziger Staff.
Resource Publications Discussion Group - Liturgy and RCIA - Primarily about liturgy, but those involved with liturgical catechesis and RCIA will enjoy special forums dedicated to those topics.

These are just a few examples. Wandering onto one or more of these sites can connect you with other lists of resources. Try these  out for starters - you will be amazed at how much catechesis is already happening out there. You may have noticed the inactive "Forum" link in the sidebar at left. Before Christmas we hope to have the Center's Discussion forums up and running. This will be one other place where Central Maryland catechists and leaders can meet online to exchange ideas.

In December, I will look at ways that we can safely encourage families to use the Internet, and how you can make your parish or school website an effective online resource for families.

Chris Weber
Director
Catholic Education Ministries
of Central Maryland.

Copyright © 1999 by the Catholic Education Ministries Center of Central Maryland, Emmitsburg, MD 21727. All rights reserved.

Jubilee 2000 Links

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Director's Desk Archive

October 1999
Forget Y2K, but don't miss the Jubilee!

September 1999
Why Are We Afraid to Evangelize?

August 1999
Prepare Ye the Way...for Catechetical Sunday

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Part 1: No More "Warm Bodies"

July 11:
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July 25:
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