The Best Teen TV Producers are Teens

WATERTOWN, MA (OCTOBER 31, 2008) - According to the U.S. Department of Education Website, teenagers watch an average of 22 hours of television per week. “Roughly 90 percent of the time children watch programs that are not specifically designed for them.”

The point is, young people watch a lot of television and often times, parents and even the viewers themselves agree that the quality of television is poor or immoral.

A group of over 100 teenagers, mostly from the New Jersey area, produce a faith-friendly show called Real Faith TV. Unlike many faith-based shows, the cast consists of all young people and teenagers do most of the talking. The music is upbeat and issues are real-world including, drugs, voting, driving, the internet, and partying and how to be faithful young Catholic.

CatholicTV, at television station from Boston airs Real Faith TV every week on Verizon channel 296, RCN 85, Comcast 268 and live at CatholicTV.org. Watching online is free.

Show times are Saturday at 4:30 PM, Sunday at 9:00 PM, Monday at 3:30 PM, Wednesday at 3:30 PM

Many teenagers and parents consider Real Faith TV amongst the best television shows available to young people. For this, Real Faith TV has received 2 Gabriel Awards.

About CatholicTV:
CatholicTV provides family-friendly, religious, news, and educational programming 24 hours daily. Founded over 50 years ago, CatholicTV is available in selected areas on cable in the United States and Canada, via Sky Angel IPTV and online via a live stream anytime, everywhere at the station's web site. Father Robert Reed, a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston, is the Executive Director of CatholicTV.

Roman Catholics for Obama/Biden '08: Catholic Voters?

Catholics who support Obama have presented voters with websites that
cite compelling reasons why we as Catholics should vote for Obabma. Secular interpretations of the election issues present us with economic and social challenges that appear to take primacy over the life issue.

From the homepage of the website Roman Catholics for Obama/Biden '08, members of this site declare:

We are real, honest-to-goodness, practicing Catholics who embrace and call
attention to Catholic Social Teaching, which the U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops describes as "wisdom about building a just society and
living lives of holiness amidst the challenges of modern society."

Click the link Life and Dignity of the Human Person
a principle of Catholic Social Teaching, though, and you will find only two references to abortion, both of them videos.

Can we as Catholics vote for Obama in good conscience? Will a candidate who
promises the Planned Parenthood Action Fund that the first thing he'll
do is sign the Freedom of Choice Act--an act which would remove limits
to abortions--a candidate who can protect the most innocent of human
life?

Please feel free to comment. More resources at Faithful Citizenship.

Baker Academic Publishes Catholic Commentary on Scripture

Grand Rapids, Michigan — The Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture (CCSS), published by Baker Academic, has officially launched.

The CCSS responds to the desire of Catholics to study the Bible in depth in a way that integrates Scripture with Catholic doctrine, worship, and daily life. Each volume draws on the best of contemporary Catholic biblical scholarship and are written from a standpoint of lively faith. The authors implement the theological principles for interpreting Scripture taught by Vatican II, reading Scripture in its canonical context and interpreting it in the light of Catholic tradition.

Accessibly written yet substantive, the CCSS fills a gap in the available literature by offering commentaries that provide more than brief study guides but are less daunting than academic works. The seventeen-volume series will appeal to lay and ordained Catholics involved in pastoral ministry as well as lay Catholics interested in serious Bible study, professors and students wanting an accessible theological and pastoral commentary from a Catholic perspective, and libraries.

The CCSS is supplemented by features designed to help readers use the Bible more effectively in teaching, preaching, evangelization, and other forms of ministry. Each volume provides exegesis as well as “Reflection and Application” sections to help readers apply Scripture to Christian life today. Interspersed throughout the commentary are sidebars that present information on the background of the text and on how the text has been interpreted by the Church. Abundant quotations from saints and Church Fathers enable readers to glimpse the continuity of the Catholic tradition. An Index of Pastoral Topics at the end of each volume allows readers to quickly locate passages that are relevant to Christian life and ministry. Their rich content and engaging style makes these commentaries desirable not merely for reference but also as books to be relished for personal study or spiritual reading.

The inaugural volume, "The Gospel of Mark" by Mary Healy and "First and Second Timothy, Titus" by George T. Montague SM are now available.

Visit the official website at www.catholicscripturecommentary.com

Visitors to New Jersey Shrine Witness Miracle of the Sun

DENVILLE, NJ (OCTOBER 23, 2008) - On October 13, 2008, I would estimate over a thousand visitors attended the National Blue Army Shrine of the Immaculate Heart of Mary to celebrate the 91st anniversary of the Fatima apparitions. The Catholic shrine is located in scenic Warren County on 674 Mountain View Road, Washington, NJ. The shrine has the distinction of being known as the World Apostolate of Fatima, USA.

In 1917, the Blessed Mother appeared in Fatima, Portugal to three shepherd children and conveyed God�s message for salvation and conversion. The Blessed Mother also disclosed that an era of peace would eventually be granted to the world through prayer. For additional information about the Fatima message, please visit the website of the National Blue Army Shrine at the following link: http://www.wafusa.org/fatima_message/fatima_message.html

The anniversary celebration included a lovely rosary procession with display of the Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima. A speech was given by Reverend Lawrence Joseph Schroedel while Father Andrew Apostoli spoke on the sanctity of life for the unborn. Other events included Holy Mass with Father Anthony M. Sirianni as well as Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament with farewell prayers and brown scapular enrollment.

A short time after the celebration, I walked into the parking area and observed numerous people appearing in awe as they looked directly at the sun. Margie Penkala of Hopatcong, NJ, said she was �watching the sun dance and change colors.� The time was somewhere between 3:00 and 4:00 PM. Margie also took an interesting photograph of the Cross of Reconciliation. She was kind enough to provide me with a copy of the image. To view photographs, please visit the following link: http://www.christian-miracles.com/njvisitorswitnessmiracle.htm

Although I did not observe the solar phenomena, I decided to walk over and introduced myself to two priests standing nearby, and recognized Father Frederick Otieno Nyanguf, AJ of the Blue Army Shrine. I brought the matter to their attention and gave them some details on what people were seeing. Both did not observe any sun phenomena but agreed to look into it.

I am reminded of John 20: 29, when Jesus said, �Blessed are those who believe without seeing.� On a personal level, I witnessed the Miracle of the Sun on September 8, 1991 in northern New Jersey. Recalling my own experience, faith does not necessitate seeing the same sign over again. However, for many people a sign from Jesus and the Blessed Mother is an affirmation of God�s continued love for humanity. Moreover, I have seen other signs and wonders from our Lord Jesus Christ. For information regarding my personal testimony on the matter, please visit my website at the following link: http://lenarpoetry.com/MiracleoftheSun.html

In order to corroborate the recent sun phenomena, I called Fran Zucchetto of the Immaculate Conception Rosary Society. She helped organize a pilgrimage to the shrine from the parishes of the Immaculate Conception and Assumption Church, both located in Tuckahoe, NY. Unavailable at the time; however, her Husband Vincent allowed me to speak to Tina, their 20 year old daughter. Tina Zucchetto confirmed that she attended the shrine with her sister and mother, part of a group of 30 from both churches. She said the group all observed �the sun dancing and changing colors.� She described the colors as �changing from pink to yellow and blue to green.� Without question, the Lord provides a special grace in order to allow people to observe the solar event without creating eye injury. However, eye contact with the sun should be avoided otherwise.

I also contacted Betty DeFusco; she coordinated a trip to the shrine through Saint Anne Church, Fairlawn, NJ. She indicated that no one in her group noticed any solar phenomena.

However, my telephone conversation with Lina Sumanga of Our Lady of Fatima Holy Rosary Crusade confirmed that she saw a visual phenomenon. She conveyed that a group of 40 came to the shrine on October 13, 2008 from the Sacred Heart Church, Mount Holly, NJ. Lina said her entire group saw the �sun dancing or spinning while changing colors.� She also gave details about her daughter Roxanne using a cell phone camera to photograph the sun and described the subsequent image appearing as the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

I called Judi Ritchie, a supervisor at the National Blue Army Shrine; she confirmed "sporadic" reports of some visitors observing a solar phenomena.

The following scripture is conveyed in Luke 8: 16-17, �No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lamp stand so that those who enter may see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.�

We are witnessing signs, wonders, and miracles in order for God to create a reaction in our society for constructive change and hence prepare the world for an era of peace.

By Loci B. Lenar

Daily Mass Broadcast Now on Catholic.net

Catholics who cannot attend Mass daily are encouraged to watch online

New Haven, CT (OCTOBER 15, 2008) – The Office of Communications/TV Ministry of the Diocese of Worcester, MA, has teamed up with Catholic.net for broadcasting the Daily Mass over the internet in an effort to broaden Catholics’ access to the daily liturgy.

The Daily Mass is broadcast each weekday morning from the Mary, Mother of the Redeemer Chapel in the Cathedral of St. Paul, Worcester, Massachusetts. The Mass began primarily as a way for homebound, elderly and shut-in viewers to be able to participate in the celebration of the Mass by watching from their homes.

In October 2006 the Mass was offered on the internet to viewers all over the world. Since its internet debut, there have been over 25,000 viewers from all over the world including England, Dubai, and New Zealand. Now the expectation is that over 10 thousand viewers are reached daily through www.catholic.net/mass.

“Now we are able to impact significantly the number of viewers that we can reach by offering the Daily Mass on Catholic.net as well as WorcesterDiocese.org” said Steve Kaufman, manager of productions and programming for TV Ministry for the Diocese of Worcester .

The Diocese of Worcester’s Mass is unique because the celebrant is different each day, the homily is very well prepared often directing the preaching to the viewers and making mention of them during the prayers of petition. In addition, the TV ministry of the Diocese does a state of the art postproduction.” Rosalia Tenorio, Director of Catholic.net said that “Offering the daily Mass on our portal is a wonderful addition to our users. We are very thankful to the Diocese of Worcester for extending their service to the Catholic.net Community.”

The Daily Mass and Catholic.net, both non-profit, are funded by contributions from viewers and visitors.


About Catholic.net
Catholic.net is a web based apostolate, directed by the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi Movement, intended to form an online Catholic community committed to evangelize the social world by building up the Kingdom of Christ through their Families, Parishes, Dioceses, and general communities. To foster this commitment Catholic.net promotes interaction among Catholics worldwide through information sharing and online interactive tools. Fundamentally Catholic.net serves as an online platform to build synergies among the various apostolic initiatives.

Catholic-New-Media Feature: Faithful Citizenship on Innocent Human Life

“Behold the Lamb of God!” Even in Jesus’ time, when John the Baptist spoke these words, referring to Christ, this seems a strange thing to say. Yet I cannot help thinking these words also apply to the souls of children in the womb—those who have yet to be born and those whose lives ended before birth. Behold the Lamb of God! The sacrificial lamb of the Old Testament becomes the Sacrificial Lamb of the New Covenant, shedding blood for the salvation of all souls.

These words take on more urgent meaning at the threshold of the presidential election. What should we behold if we do not behold the Lamb of God? The elite media bombard voters with the candidates’ critique of social, economic, and political issues that confront us locally and globally. In turn, conveying the proposals of the candidates, they present us with messages of hope, pervasive change, and programs that promise to vastly improve the well-being of the masses.

These ideas, while ostensibly promoting the common good, must carefully be examined in relation to other foundational principles on which all others are built—the inviolability of innocent human life and the moral obligation to preserve it.

And innocent lives in the womb, the children who have no voice, no way of crying out for their right simply to exist, how can we not cry out for them? How can we keep from speaking for them by giving them disproportionate attention and assistance, due justice, as we cast our vote? In Living the Gospel of Life, a United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) publication, the authors declare, “Abortion and euthanasia have become preeminent threats to human life and dignity because they directly attack life itself, the most fundamental good and the condition for all others.” If life itself is the most fundamental good, then life itself should be given disproportionate attention over all other social, economic, and political agendas.

An extended quotation from Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility (USCCB), merits special consideration:

There are some things we must never do, as individuals or as a society, because they are always incompatible with love of God and neighbor. Such actions are so deeply flawed that they are always opposed to the authentic good of persons. These are called “intrinsically evil” actions. They must always be rejected and opposed and must never be supported or condoned. A prime example is the intentional taking of innocent human life, as in abortion and euthanasia. In our nation, “abortion and euthanasia have become preeminent threats to human dignity because they directly attack life itself, the most fundamental human good and the condition for all others” (Living the Gospel of Life, no. 5).


As you prayerfully consider candidates in the days ahead, examine their values, policies, voting records—their very words and deeds—in light of your Catholic identity and in steadfastness to your faith. Behold the Lamb of God! The immeasurable sanctity of innocent human life hangs in the balance this fall.

I encourage you to pass this along to Catholic acquaintances or refer them to the faithful citizenship website at www.faithfulcitizenship.org.

RealCatholicTV.com: Premium Access Free Offer

RealCatholicTV.com and DFW Catholic, a daily Catholic media service, have partnered to bring viewers one free month of premium Catholic TV programming.RealCatholicTV.com also offers free programming with simple registration, including videos such as Today's Saint, This Day in History, and Catholic News Roundup.

From RealCatholicTV.com's mission page, the organization's aim is "to provide everyone with means to increase their personal holiness through catechesis and evangelization about the truth of the Christian faith."

To obtain the free premium service, users subscribe by e-mail to DFW Catholic’s daily news updates.

I would like to hear comments from users who have the premium service. What kind of programming does RealCatholicTV.com offer that you find valuable? Please comment below.

DALLAS,
TX (OCTOBER 9, 2008) – Internet users worldwide can now access solid
Catholic news and programming thanks to the partnership ofDFW Catholic and RealCatholicTV.com. By subscribing to receive DFW Catholic’s daily news updates via email, users will receive one free month of Premium Access service from RealCatholicTV.com. The relationship, while still in its infancy, is certain to draw more users to both sites and inform viewers about Catholic news and promote orthodox Church teaching.

DFW Catholic, a MetroCatholic
publication, is a one-of-a-kind website which provides daily Catholic
news occurring around the world from the Vatican to the local parish.
The site, which supplements the periodic print publications offered by
the diocesan newspapers, will soon be followed by other regional sites
in Texas and subsequent sites in major markets across the U.S.

RealCatholicTV.com is an internet-based
Catholic television station that offers episodes on morality, movie
reviews, news and political commentary, entertainment, apologetics, and
much more. The group aims to provide viewers with a means to increase
their personal holiness throughcatechesis and evangelization about the truth of the Christian faith.

"As I see it, the promotion is entirely open-ended,” said Simon Rafe, Senior Platform Administrator for RealCatholicTV.com.
“We want as many people as possible to benefit from this." Both groups
share the objective of informing the public about current events, while
at the same time spreading the truth about the teachings of the
Catholic Church.

“We are both young lay organizations and feel
this partnership will help us achieve our common goal of utilizing
top-notch Catholic media to evangelize to as many people as possible,"
said Chad Simpson, CEO ofMetroCatholic, Inc. “We are excited to be working with RealCatholicTV.com and are eager to see the fruit of both ministries.”

For news and more information, visit www.DFWCatholic.org.

Great Catholic-New-Media Tool: Liturgy of the Hours on Your iPhone

This ancient form of prayer, formerly the Divine Office, consists of
Psalms, scripture readings, antiphons, hymns, intercessions, and Marian
prayers. An obligation to members of ordained religious communities, it
is a form of liturgy the Church also exhorts the faithful to pray.
Available on the Web and in mobile format, Catholics can participate in
this prayer wherever they are.

The Liturgy of the Hours is prayed five times during the day and corresponds to the former seven canonical hours:

Office of Readings (Matins)
Morning Prayer (Lauds)
Daytime Prayer (Middle Hour)
Evening Prayer (Vespers)
Night Prayer

The Catechism of the Catholic Church presents the Liturgy of the Hours as a
prayer of the entire church, and it encourages the common celebration
of the principal hours, such as matins and vespers.

At Universalis, the Liturgy of the hours is available in mobile
phone format as well as iPhone.

I'd like to hear whether you have ever prayed this way and how you use your
cell phone—if at all—to pray. Please feel free to comment.

Catholicvote.com Video: Catholic Voters and American History

Before you cast your Catholic vote this November, watch this video. Whether or not you support its message, it will prompt you to examine who you are and to respond to your faith in relation to citizenship.

catholicvote.com

Where have we come from and where are we going? Does this video accurately portray the the role and potential that American Catholic voters have in shaping our nation? Are we being true to the moral teachings of our faith by voting for one candidate over another?

Daily News for Catholics At New, Improved Website

NORTH HAVEN, CONN., (Oct 1, 2008) — The National Catholic Register is already known for the depth, quality and Catholicity of its print journalism. Now it can add “online indispensability” to its calling card.

That’s thanks to a thorough retooling of its website, www.NCRegister.com.

With full access to all the weekly newspaper’s news, features and commentary — along with a searchable archive of virtually everything the paper has published in the 2000s, plus a growing collection of faith-formative resources — the website now offers Register subscribers arguably the richest library of news-oriented Catholic content on the Internet.

Non-subscribers will continue to enjoy free access to select stories and features.

One of the site’s most dynamic additions is a daily weblog providing incisive, up-to-the-minute analysis of breaking news as it happens.

“The world is moving too fast not to dedicate resources to follow daily developments as they happen,” says the Register’s executive editor, Tom Hoopes. “Our readers have told us they want help viewing events in the world through the eyes of the Church. That’s the need our Daily Blog — and, in fact, all our content — hopes to meet.”

Along with exclusive coverage of national, world and Vatican news, each issue of the National Catholic Register provides commentary from leading Catholic thinkers. Feature beats include higher education, the arts, travel and books. A family-friendly section, “Culture of Life,” promotes marriage, family life and pro-life organizations.

All this content is updated on NCRegister.com when the paper goes to press.

The website’s “Resources” page offers a guide to Catholic colleges, a calendar of upcoming Catholic conferences and other events, a series of devotional guides, and many other useful reading materials.

“We believe our media apostolate is incisive when it comes to providing news and views with journalistic accuracy, doctrinal soundness and confident fidelity to the Gospel and the Church’s teaching,” says the Register’s publisher and editor-in-chief, Father Owen Kearns, LC. “Our readers are some of the most demanding, discerning and ‘tuned in’ Catholics in the country. They’re confident in their grasp of the facts when they go out and engage the secular culture.”

Register readers will now be equipped with greater timeliness and more immediate relevance, thanks to the revamped NCRegister.com and its Daily Blog.

To arrange an interview with Father Kearns or Tom Hoopes about the new NCRegister.com, call Debra Denhart at (800) 356-9916 ext. 3808 or e-mail her at DDenhart@CircleMedia.com.

Voting by Conscience


By Father Brian Bransfield

The only difference between the voting booth and the conscience is we usually have to wait in line to get into one of them. Apart from that, the same thing is supposed to happen in each place as that small cubicle reveals me to myself.

You and I can only vote once in the election this fall. But before we do, hopefully we have repeatedly visited our own conscience. My conscience is what separates the voting machine from a slot machine, and only the human conscience can ensure that the ballot lever is not pulled on a gamble.

The U.S. bishops emphasize the role of conscience in Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, a guide for Catholics as they prepare for the 2008 elections.

What does conscience look like? It is that part of me that is bigger than me. Many issues volley for attention: immigration; affordable education; war; neighborhood violence; health care; abortion; the hungry and homeless; the environment; human embryonic stem cell research; the dignity of marriage between one man and one woman as the most commonly recognized institution in history; economic inequality; gas prices; and the beat goes on.

The common misunderstanding is that conscience amounts to “what I think” on an issue. Conscience is not just “what I think,” but it is me “thinking about what is just” and true. It is not a partial appraisal based on the words of a preacher, politician or passions. The inner moral sense is not built on a sum total of what I think, but is a manifestation linked with truth itself regardless of my preferences.

Conscience does not allow a citizen to forget he is first a person. It tells me I am a person, and, as such, I must look at a quandary according to a certain order: How does this act here and now, in and of itself, fit with being human, and not simply lower prices? Conscience insists that human dilemmas are moral concerns long before they are political points of view. Conscience tells me that to be free I must admit the truth that some acts are inescapably evil and no manner of circumstances or intentions can make them somehow good. Conscience bursts all other bubbles: It tells me the difference between right and wrong, good and evil, based not on the truth of circumstances or best intentions, but first and foremost on the truth of things in themselves.

Conscience must be formed, and, as such, it looks in three directions at once: It looks at me, looks at the moral dilemma at hand, and it sees the truth of both without favor. So often the voter makes appeal to only to the first two categories, me and the dilemma. Mere opinion then substitutes for conscience. To make a decision in conscience is to consult the truth of the nature of things in themselves. Conscience begins “outside-in.” The objective reality summons accountability from me and forms the central coordinate of conscience. Conscience must begin with the true good. This starting point ensures that freedom and truth are not enemies.

There is a faculty deep within that I do not create. It is not programmed. This region is more than super ego or social convention. It is however, formed. The moral sense of conscience must be molded, not developed simply by feelings, opinions, circumstance, intentions or movements, but by the deep moral sense in which we participate by being human and capable of reason. Conscience does not simply decide for happy or sad, but for good or evil. Conscience lines up the quandaries in size order and sees the resemblance. Marriage, racism, the environment, hunger, and abortion are not competing events. They are cousins, if not siblings. Conscience refuses to let one of these become an “issue.”

Conscience winces when it hears a candidate claim that he can fix health care, but still agree that a child in the womb can be killed. Conscience knows that if a candidate favors human embryonic stem cell research, which always includes the killing of a human person, then our neighborhoods can never be free of violence – because we just voted for violence. The moral sense knows that if you treat the environment any way you like, sooner or later you will need treatment because of the environment. Conscience realizes that if you support torture you have just paid the deposit for a war twenty years from now.

Conscience sees broadly. It breaks the bubble, brushes back the curtain, pries down the lever, and by the leverage of honest truth can not simply change, but can transform, the world.

from United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (http://www.faithfulcitizenship.org)

- - -

Father Brian Bransfield is in the Secretariat for Evangelization and Catechesis of the United Sates Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Relevant Radio—A Catholic New Media Resource

Relevant Radio (www.relevantradio.com) is a new media resource that no Catholic should be without. Not a form of new media per se, Relevant Radio casts its net wide by reaching local and global audiences. Its connection to many other Catholic resources keeps Catholics aware of their resources and pervasive reach in modern American culture.

Relevant Radio exemplifies Catholic witness that is faithful to the Roman Catholic Magesterium. Approved by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Relevant Radio is an essential media outlet to American bishops, serving the church both by helping Catholics integrate their faith into everyday life—part of the New Evangelization promoted by John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.

Relevant Radio presents fundamental aspects of the Catholic faith and presents its diverse listeners with information and guidance they can use every day of their lives. In the Chicago area, for example, Relevant Radio offers these programs (Relevant Radio Chicago area programming). Here are links to other resources that Relevant Radio guests recently discussed on morning and afternoon programming.

Archbishop Charles Chaput
Catholics and the Public Square
website: www.archden.org

Jennie Bishop
Talking to Your Kids About Purity
website: www.jenniebishop.com and www.purityworks.org

Bob Atwell
State of the Economy
website: www.nicoletbank.com

Fr. Donald Calloway
Story of Conversion
website: www.marian.org

Don Dendginger
Faithful Citizenship Conference
USCCB website: www.faithfulcitizenship.org

Why not listen to Relevant Radio now online?

Any other Relevant Radio programs you'd like to tell us more about? Please comment.

Sacrifices for Life

10/1/2008 - PST
ELECTION PREP: PROLIFE SACRIFICE AND PRAYER

Young adult Catholics invite Americans to pray and offer up sacrifices in support of pro-life and family values this election

Washington, DC (OCTOBER 1, 2008) - Sacrifices for Life, a young adult Catholic organization in support of the sanctity of life, invites others for a call to action to uphold family values through sacrifice and prayer from now until Election Day.

“The upcoming election is crucial for the pro-life movement in this country,” said Diana Roccograndi, Sacrifices for Life founder. “Many of us are praying and working to elect pro-life candidates who will fight to uphold our family values – our prayers and works will be more powerful when united with sacrifice.”

The effort is growing exponentially as Election Day approaches with members joining across the country.

Sacrifices for Life is a pro-life effort to rally Christians to make daily sacrifices for the cause of restoring a culture of life in America -- to help turn the tide against abortion and other anti-life practices that are threatening to destroy the family, and ultimately, society itself.

There are numerous examples in the Old and New Testaments and the lives of the saints which prove that prayer and action combined with sacrifice can bring God’s mercy and healing to our land. We are asking that individuals pledge to generously offer sacrifices from now until the elections on November 4th.

For more information and to participate in this effort go to www.sacrificesforlife.org. We ask everyone to join us in this effort by distributing the flyer widely to others.

Squeezed by Sluggish Economy, Many Find Charity Begins at Home -- On the Computer

(ARA) - The downturn in the economy and rising food and gas prices are taking a toll on charities and non-profit organizations.

Soup kitchens, churches, international aid organizations and schools report donations of all kinds are down as folks struggle to make their own ends meet. For the majority of Americans, giving cash to their favorite cause will be a hardship this year, and charity officials say they are seeing people in higher-income brackets needing food and supplies.

That doesn’t mean, however, that there aren’t ways you can make a difference. One simple thing you can do to support your favorite charity or non-profit organization is log onto one of several charitable search engines that will donate money for every search you conduct, such as www.SearchandGive.com. Using Microsoft’s “Search and Give” is free and easy. Simply select the charity you’d like to support then use the site every time you need to search the Web.

Each time you type a search query into the search box, a penny will be donated to the charity you have selected. Charities you can contribute to include non-profits, local churches, schools, orphanages and foreign aid programs. Microsoft tracks your earnings and makes an annual collective donation to your selected organization.

Nina Gaw, who is both a teacher and the parent of twins who attend St. Gregory the Catholic School in Virginia Beach, Va., received an e-mail through her Hotmail account letting her know about the Search and Give fundraising program last year. “I checked it out, liked what I read and decided to give it a try,” says Gaw.

Since she was the first person at the school to learn about the site, Gaw signed up to be the school’s program coordinator, and as such took on the task of spreading the word about Search and Give to everyone at the school. “To kick off the program, I put up posters around the school, passed out fliers and sent e-mails to everyone I know,” she says.

And her effort paid off. The school raised $3,700 through the program last year. They plan to use the money to upgrade technology at the school. “We’re going to buy three or four Smart Boards this summer, items that weren’t in the budget for the 2008 – 2009 school year due to budget cuts,” she says. “Hopefully we’ll be able to purchase even more next year. Our goal is to double, or maybe even triple our earnings in ’08 – ’09.”

Log on to www.SearchandGive.com to learn more about the program and start earning money for your favorite charity today.

Here are some other ways you can donate to your favorite cause without spending money:

1. Volunteer Your Time.
What better way is there to connect with your community than to give a little back? By volunteering to work a few hours a week at a soup kitchen or as a tutor for underprivileged kids, you’re providing a much needed service the charity doesn’t have to pay to receive.

2. Organize or participate in a fundraising garage sale.
If you have a cause near and dear to your heart, hand out fliers and ask your neighbors to drop off items they no longer need that you can sell at a garage sale for your favorite charity. It’s likely someone in the community would be willing to pay $15 for that dinner table, or $5 for the table lamp your next door neighbor was just going to throw away. A three-day sale in the church function hall -- a place you won’t have to pay to rent -- could easily net thousands of dollars.

3. Donate gently used goods to your local Goodwill, United Way or Salvation Army shelter.
When you drop off said goods, you’re making more of an impact than you may think. Not only will proceeds from the sale of the items you drop off go towards programs these organizations run, you’re providing work for someone in need of a job.

4. Organize, host or dedicate an event.
While this tends toward a greater time commitment that may span a few months, any charitable organization can benefit immensely from fundraising or awareness events hosted in its name. If you don’t have time to put on a full-fledged event, perhaps you can ask the guests who come to your next dinner party to bring along some canned food to donate to the local food shelf.

5. Share information with the charity.
Sharing crucial information with a charity can be extremely valuable. Whether it's sending along news about events, legislation, research, technology, trends, fundraising/marketing techniques, or complementary organizations, passing information is a time- and cost-saver that any charity would be glad to have.

Courtesy of ARAcontent