St. Patrick's Catholic Church: Urbana, Illinois: Links

St. Patrick's Catholic Church: Urbana, Illinois: menu

St. Patrick's Catholic Church
Urbana, Illinois, USA

The Catholic Diocese of Peoria

Catholic Answers - Website for the daily, call-in radio program broadcast on EWTN. Listen online to current or archived shows, or download them for later. Visitors can also view a variety of online tracts dealing with numerous topics, arranged into categories ranging from Anti-Catholicism to Morality and Ethics.

The site also has links to an online catalogue of books and video, and to "The Doctor is In," another daily EWTN show, addressing personal issues and topics from a Catholic perspective. Visitors can listen to past programs online.

Catholic Communication Network - Perhaps the best site to visit for Catholic news. In addition to news briefs from Catholic News Service, there are channels for the Christophers and the Maryknolls, with links to streaming video interviews and programs; a Vocations channel, with a variety of streaming video stories about vocations; an Educational channel; and a Music channel. In addition, there are also links to movie reviews, other Catholic media web sites, and more.

EWTN - The online home of the Catholic satellite television and radio network, this site is divided in 12 sections, with specific entries in each section accessed by way of a drop-down menu. Sections include a gallery of pictures and other images and an extensive library section.

Visitors can access live and archived audio and video feeds, and site is multilingual, with much of the material - including audio feeds - available in Spanish. A Q and A section, as well as daily Mass readings and a FAQ are available from the home page.

Charismatic Renewal

The Catholic Charismatic Center on the World Wide Web - Geared toward members of the Catholic Church's Charismatic Renewal movement. Visitors will find links to articles about the movement and people within that movement, prayers and meditations, and testimonies. Links are also searchable by author, publication, and date. The site also offers a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section and informational pages about the movement, the charismatic prayer meeting, and more.

Charitable Organizations

Catholic Charities USA - Site offers links to local agencies and national programs, agency news releases, a mission statement, and discussions of the organization's advocacy and disaster response efforts.

Catholic Relief Services - The online presence of the charitable organization includes a statement of what CRS is and what it does. In addition, there are links to a daily reflection, stories about some of the work being done, a list of current emergencies and ongoing relief efforts, and a page allowing you to make your donation online.

Education

National Catholic Educational Association - This site is geared toward Catholic educators. Content consists mainly of information and publicity about NCEA publications and services. However, there isn't much that would require or warrant a return visit.

Resources for Catholic Educators - For those involved in Religious Education, this site offers lesson plans, coloring pages, clip art, an archive of lessons, web site reviews, and an online Religious Education magazine. In addition, there are links to other education web sites; a Christian magazines section where you can buy subscriptions to 19 general interest, news, and parish-oriented publications; a daily meditation; and daily readings.

Evangelization

Catholic Information Network - It's mission is electronic evangelization. To accomplish that, this site features sections on Mary, Saints, John Paul II, doctrine, Jubilee 2000, and much more. Navigation is perhaps a bit confusing for the first-time visitor. Users select a category from one drop-down menu, then must choose from the options that then appear in a second drop-down menu. There are also web boards for presenting prayer intentions and memorial messages.

Human Rights

Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights - The online presence of the nation's largest Catholic civil rights organization. The site includes an online newsletter (archived back to 1996) discussing Catholic League issues and activities, research papers on a variety of subjects related to Catholicism, and an online order form for videos and books produced by the organization.

The Catholic Worker Movement - This site is dedicated to upholding the dignity of every human being. More specifically, the Movement, co-founded by activists Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin in 1993, is committed to nonviolence, voluntary poverty, prayer, and hospitality for the homeless, exiled, hungry, and forsaken. The Movement's web site includes a history of the organization, essays written from a Catholic Worker perspective, and sections devoted to founders Day and Maurin.

Liturgy/Theology

Biblical Evidence for Catholicism - A theology site put together by a free-lance writer and self-proclaimed Catholic apologist. A variety of topics are discussed, including: "The Papacy and Infallibility," "The Eucharist and the Sacrifice of the Mass," "The Communion of Saints," and "Politics and Social Activism." In addition, there are sections on C. S. Lewis, G. K. Chesterton, John Henry Cardinal Newman, and Malcolm Muggeridge, as well as sections discussing movies and music, Eastern Christianity, and links to other Catholic web sites.

While not the prettiest site around (in fact, the site could kindly be called cluttered), there are numerous articles by the author, as well as links to other sites dealing with the various topics. People interested in Catholic theology will find much to occupy them.

Catechism of the Catholic Church - Just what the title implies, the catechism for the Catholic Church. The site features a search engine for searching within the site, allowing you to search by keyword or paragraph number. The site also states that various paragraphs are cross-referenced to other paragraphs discussing the same topic. This was not readily apparent within articles and would have been a more useful feature if such references featured a link to the cross-referenced sections.

Catholic Apologetics on the Internet - Organized into six sections: The Basics, The Bible, The Commandments, Protestants, Cults, and Catholics. Each main section is sub-divided into a variety of topics, each of which then links to a more in-depth discussion.

There are numerous topics; unfortunately, not all links work correctly. This is especially true with a number of the links to pages on www.catholic.com. Users can work around the problem by going directly to www.catholic.com and searching for the specific tract, but the process is unnecessarily cumbersome.

The Catholic Calendar Page - Visit this site to find out what the daily readings are - for today or any other day - and read them online. There is also an online Rosary, a monthly, and a yearly calendar, so users can keep current about feast days, and Holy Days of Obligation.

The Catholic Liturgical Library - In the site's own words, it is "dedicated to providing accurate historical and current information about the liturgies of the Latin (Roman) rite of the Catholic Church." There are links to articles and official documents related to the liturgy. There are also online versions of the 1962 and the 1970 Missals. There is also a forum section, where visitors can discuss a variety of subjects, ranging from art and architecture to liturgical law.

Theology Library -This Catholic teacher's site promises 118 pages with over 5,100 links. Links are grouped into nine main categories: Church, Revelation, Liturgy, Justice, Theology, Morality, Spirituality, Evangelization, and Religion. Sub-categories range from Angels to Vocations. There are also links to a number of miscellaneous Catholic web sites, along with links to numerous Catholic internet directories and a variety of Catholic and other search engines. This site is not the prettiest, but it is very extensive.

Music

Sons and Daughters - This Champaign-Urbana group combines strong musical skills with an uplifting message to create a sound that is truly a labor of love. The group's web ministry includes biographies of individual group members, the band's performance schedule, information on how to purchase the group's recordings of original music, and a chance to share your thoughts about the band and its message. In addition, there is also a link to a daily Psalm and Gospel reading.

News

Catholic.net - Successor to the Catholic Information Center on the Internet, the site has been around (under one name or the other) since 1995. The site promises "access to leading Catholic magazines and newspapers, papal encyclicals, Church documents, helpful devotional services." News comes from the National Catholic Register and the Rome-based Zenit News Service.

The site also offers links to Catholic newspaper web sites in 15 cities, as well as links to 37 magazines from around the world. Visitors can also access encyclicals of the last nine Popes, as well as an online version of the New American Bible, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. And that's really only the beginning.

Catholic News Service - The official news site of the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Get the latest news about events in the Church and the Catholic faith, read movie reviews written from a Catholic perspective, and read a weekly perspective on the Sunday readings (hidden within the Stories section of the site - you'll have to dig a bit to find it).

Catholic World News - This subscriber-based site allows non-subscribers to read the first paragraphs of stories. Visitors can sign up for a free 30-day trial subscription. Paid subscriptions are $2.95 a month or $30 a year and provide access to full stories; commentaries; archives of past stories; and a digest of headlines from a variety of news sources, including Associated Press, Reuters, ABC, NBC, and more.

Official/Endorsed Sites

Catholic-USA.com - This site provides links to official and endorsed U. S. Catholic web sites. Sites are divided into 13 categories, from diocesan and parish sites to schools to religious orders to the Vatican. One interested aspect of the links page is that it also tells the user how many links are listed in each section. (One category, unofficial sites endorsed as Catholic, has no listings.)

The Holy See - The official Holy See site is accessible in six languages: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. Visitors can learn about the Curia and its tribunals and councils, about the Vatican City State itself. The official Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano is available online in the site's six languages and in Polish. Live Vatican radio and television broadcasts can also be accessed.

The site's Archive section is arguable of most interest, as it provides links to a number of Vatican II documents. Unfortunately, there are problems. Many sections of the site are not very usable. The Library section provides information about the library but no access to library documents. A number of links to pages do not work, although some of those same pages are accessible from elsewhere in the site.

In addition, the site's design, while very elegant, can make it tough to navigate, as many of the section links are hidden behind images and do not appear until the mouse cursor is placed over the specific image. It is also very image heavy and pages can take some time to load.

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops - Visitors can learn about the different departments of the USCCB, from its efforts in the African American Catholic community to World Youth Day. In addition, visitors can access daily readings and Psalms for the previous month, the current month, and three months in advance. PDA users can also access the readings. In fact, the entire New American Bible is available, divided by book and by chapter, footnoted where appropriate. Visitors will find a catechism, a variety of pastoral statements and letters, and movie reviews.

There is also an online catalog for ordering USCCB publications. Unfortunately, it is a bit difficult to navigate. Subject links go to specific titles, but there is no section title to tell you are in the right section, and the links don't always go to the right title. (For instance, the link for Euthanasia takes the user to a title dealing with nutrition and hydration.

Periodicals

America: The National Catholic Weekly Magazine - The Internet version of the print magazine offers online articles, book reviews, editorials, and more. Non-subscribers have access to the opening paragraphs of stories and editorials, as well as full access to news briefs from Catholic News Service, the Catholic Book Club (featuring a monthly book review), and an archive of articles published since 1992.

The archive is substantial but not as useful as it might be unless you know what you are looking for. You cannot scan tables of contents for past issues, nor can you view article abstracts meaning that you must often buy sight unseen. On the other hand, a brief search did turn up a number of articles available for free. Pay articles are available for $1.50 each, although alternative pricing plans are available for those who use the service frequently.

American Catholic - The Franciscans site offers a daily meditation, as well as scripture meditations, and a Catholic question of the day. The site is also the home for the online version of St. Anthony Messenger magazine. Here you can view contents of the current print issue and read two articles from that issue, produced in their entirety. There is also an online editorial, a monthly question and answer column regarding the Catholic faith, and more. Users of the site can also submit prayer requests, send e-greetings, subscribe to a Catholic newsletter, read news from Catholic News Service, read in-depth discussions from a Catholic perspective of issues in the news, and learn about the saint of the day.

The Catholic Post - The online presence of the newspaper for the Diocese of Peoria. The site offers articles and other items from the current issue (although not the entire issue is available online). In addition, past issues are archived, and there is a search issue to allow searching within past issues and throughout the entire diocesan web site.

The National Catholic Reporter - Virtual home of the independent weekly Catholic newspaper. While full issues are not available online, the site does offer substantial content from each week's print issue, as well as an online archive. The site's layout is simple, bordering on amateurish, but there is plenty of meat at this site, more than enough to compensate for the lack of visual appeal.

U. S. Catholic - Online presence of the monthly Catholic newsmagazine. The site offers a complete listing of contents for the current issue as well as sample articles from that issue. Visitors will find a fee-based searchable database of past issues; links to current Church-related news stories; an announcements page; a Spirituality Cafe with prayers, reflections, and food for thought; and a message pad for conducting ongoing threaded discussions.

Prayer

Catholic Prayers - If you are in search of a specific type of prayer, this is the place to find it. Prayers are organized by theme and by subject matter. Categories include: Lent, Prayers of the Cross, intercession, and wedding prayers. Visitors can also submit prayer requests and read the requests of others, share a prayer, and read how others had their prayers answered.

Research

alaPadre - is a Catholic interest research site offering a multitude of links to various sites. Sites are arranged into lists of keywords (e.g., communion, reconciliation) and indices (arranged alphabetically), and there are links to alternative directories. The site features a link to the saint of the day.

Users can also locate Catholic churches in other parts of the country, as well as in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, the rest of the United Kingdom, and on the Internet. A bit confusing to navigate at first glance, but worth a visit for those interested in researching the Catholic faith.

The Catholic Encyclopedia - The complete 1908 edition online, presenting official Church teaching and viewpoints at the start of the 20th century on a number of subjects and people. Perhaps of interest to historians and to the curious, but those looking for events and changes of the last 90-plus years will need to look elsewhere.

Web Portals

The Catholic Goldmine - This site seems to offer a little bit of everything, with close to 3,000 links. There are links to live Catholic radio sites, news sites, prayer sites, Catholic business sites, and Catholic organizations (like the Knights of Columbus). In addition, visitors will find links relating to Church documents, the Mass and the Liturgy, vocations, even links to personal web pages for a number of priests. On top of that, this site also presents links to recommended sites, a site of the month, the day in history, and a listing of feast days.

Catholic Online - The parent site of Catholic Communication Network as well as a number of other sites. This extensive Catholic portal site offers links focusing on news and media, saints and angels, Catholic singles, and an interactive forum. Links to Catholic traditions, Catholic life, Catholic sites in Spanish, a site of the day, daily readings, and more can be found by clicking on the Main Menu link.

catholic-pages.com - This site is organized like a portal (a la Yahoo) but contains links to articles, books, church documents, streaming audio and video files, and web sites. Everything is grouped into 19 sections, ranging from Catholic Life to Liturgy to the Vatican. Sections are further divided into specific topic areas, such as marriage. In addition, visitors will find daily reflections, news stories, links to the week's feast days, daily readings, and links to the Divine Offices.

CatholicWeb.com - A subscription-based (but subscriptions are free) Catholic web portal that provides free personal web pages and e-mail accounts and free web hosting for Catholic schools, missions, churches, and dioceses. The portal offers links to other Catholic sites, news headlines, magazine articles, and other special features. (A recent visit advertised a live chat with Bishop Edward Clark of Los Angeles.)

There's also a daily mass video link and discussion forums for members. One negative: many of the links are presented in very small type, potentially making the site difficult to use for some.

RCNet - This Catholic portal sees its mission as twofold: "to offer safer Internet access to individuals, families, and organizations, and to assist Catholic dioceses, parishes, schools and organizations in establishing their presence on the Web, thus helping to strengthen the Catholic Community on the Internet." It fulfills that mission by hosting a variety of Catholic web sites and by offering free web pages to parishes.

In addition, RCNet features a diocesan directory to churches around the U. S. and around the world. (Note that not all states have dioceses or parishes listed, and not all links are operational.) In addition, the portal offers links to other Catholic web sites, as well as to daily readings, meditations, homilies, and prayers.