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SPIRITUALITY

Click on the photo for information about Pope Francis 

Pope Francis 

Most of us acquired our faith from parents and teachers. The lessons learned established a solid foundation. Now that we are men, we are called to expand our faith beyond what we knew as children. Faith grows through prayer and study. Basic resources include the teachings of the church by SacredTradition and The Magesterium. We are all called to read and study the Holy Bible. On this page you will find links to help grow your faith. Since we are also called to be evangelists we must be prepared to answer questions from friends, co-workers and even family members. We are ever mindful of the words of St. Francis of Assisi when he said,“Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” By our lives, we incessantly proclaim the Gospel.
Click on the spectacular image of Caravaggio's Doubting Thomas for a larger view.


Ask the Chaplain
Do you have a question about the teachings of the Catholic Church in the modern world? What is the Church's position on an issue? Unsure of what the Catechism really says about our core beliefs? Click on the following link to send an e-mail to our Chaplain, Fr. Gerard Gonda OSB, and get the facts sent to you privately. Ask the Chaplain




Benedict XVI  -Pope Emeritus Click the image of Benedict XVI  to the left and retrieve a page about him .

Archbishop Jose' Gomez Addresses Supreme Convention   Click to view text of Archbishop Gomez' Speech on Catholics and Immigration
New RomanMissal
Beginning November 27, 2011 the Roman Missal, Third Edition will be implemented. Changes to the the ritual text of prayers and instructions for the celebration of the Mass will require both priests and the faithfull to relearn certain prayers and responses. For the older generation, the changes will seem like a return to the English translation from the Old St Joseph Missal we used at Mass. For others, the changes may seem foreign but they reflect more closely the proper translation of the prayers from the Latin text. Listed below are links that provide a preview of the changes as well as background information and details.

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops - Roman Missal
Complete Revised Order of the Mass
Peoples Responses for the Revised Order of the Mass

What to Study
A good place to start is by reviewing the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The entire Holy Bible is also available from the Vatican web site in several languages. Find The New American English version here. The site has many resources for reading and understanding the Bible. The above links are accessable from the Vatican Archive page which includes a number of useful resources. They are singled out for convenience because it is sometimes hard to find specific information in a hurry. The main access page to the English version of the Vatican is found here and is a rich resource. The following list should help find references quickly:

1. Catechism of the Catholic Church
2. Daily Catechism e-mail Sign up for daily e-mails about the Catechism of the Catholic Church 
3. Divine Mercy e-mail Sign up for daily e-mails  about the Divine Mercy
4. New American Bible from the Vatican
5. Vatican Archive, which includes the above links
6. New American Bible from US Conference of Catholic Bishops (more readable)
7. Bible Gateway - New American Bible searchable
8. Catholic versions of the bible - further reading
9. The Dynamic Catholic - Matthew  Kelly's resources for inproving your relationship with God

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops site is a rich resource for all aspects of spiritual growth in addition to its presentation of a readable Bible. Explore its offerings and you will be rewarded greatly.

Prayer
Personal prayer is absolutely necessary. Each of us needs to learn how to pray and eventually if we ask the Lord for guidance we find an effective solution. Because the Rosary reviews the entire Salvation History of the Church, it is a wonderful prayer. Download a pdf copy of how to pray the Rosary to refresh yourself. The Catholic Information Service of the K of C web site has a number of prayers, confession guides and other useful resources. Most are available in pdf format for download and personal use. For convenience, we also include those pdf files here.

1. Basic Prayers
2. Communion Prayer
3. Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary
4. Rosary
5. Divine Mercy
6. Favorites
7. Reconciliation
8. Seven Dolors
9. Way of the Cross
10. Guide to Confession
11. Prayer for intercession of Saints and Angels

Daily Mass
Some men attend Mass daily as a means of acquiring strength for the ordinary tasks of life. We all need to devote some time every day in communion with the Lord and His powerful Word. The link to the left, "Daily Readings," provides Mass readings for the day as well as information about the saint of the day. Whatever time you spend on the page will be worth the effort.
Mass for Travelers
Mass Times is an on-line ministery for traveling Catholics. It is a wonderful resource for finding local churches while traveling. In addition, you will find many useful links. Click on the Link in RED above.

Other Resources

EWTN. Explore the "Faith" link and discover a vast treasure of beautifully presented teachings of the Catholic Church. Use the resource when you or your friends have questions. The page about Mary is especially useful in helping us explain to our non-Catholic Christian friends her special meaning.

Spirit filled preaching is the specialty of   Word on Fire. There, you will find great homilies and teaching.