Our Archdiocese and US Bishops
Archdiocese of Indianapolis
This homepage serves as a portal to any one of the numerous ministries offered by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. the goal of our site is to be an online home for Catholics in central and southern Indiana and beyond -- to be a tool of evangelization, to draw all people more deeply into the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to help them stay connected to the broad world of our faith.
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
The USCCB is an assembly of the Catholic Church hierarchy who work together to unify, coordinate, promote, and carry on Catholic activities in the United States; to organize and conduct religious charitable, and social welfare work at home and abroad; to aid in education; and to care for immigrants. The bishops themselves constitute the membership of the Conference and are served by a staff of over 350 lay people, priests, deacons and religious.
Gifts to the Soul (sites with regular reading/prayer reflections)
Reflections from Ronald Rolheiser
Ronald Rolheiser, a Roman Catholic priest and member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, is president of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas. He is a community-builder, lecturer and writer. His books are popular throughout the English-speaking world and his weekly column is carried by more than sixty newspapers worldwide. This site carries his weekly column. His insights are wonderful and well worth reading every week.
Sacred Space provides daily prayer reflections using the charism of Ignatius Spirituality. This Daily Meditation invites you to enter into the scripture you are reading for the day and see what God might be saying to you. Included with the daily reading is a short reflection to give your time of meditation focus.
Sacred Space
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This site is packed with opportunities for spiritual growth and reflection. There are reflections on the readings, daily prayer suggestions, retreats that can be done while you live your ordinary life and more. This site uses materials that can be read online or printed out as well as downloads for mp3 players. If you are looking for a little something to bring life to your prayer life or a major retreat to turn your life around this is worth looking at. (There is a 34 week retreat that really can become a spiritual practice that you partake in during your ordinary day.)
Daily Reading Reflections: One Bread One Body
This sight has a short reflection based on the readings for the day.
Pray as You Go
This Jesuit set is a part of the their Media Initiative. It allows you to download prayers to your MP3 player.
Sunday Supplements from St. Anthony MessengerReading the Sunday readings in advance of hearing them proclaimed at Mass is a great spiritual practice. It is great to read them a week in advance or with a faith sharing group, but some of us can only manage to reflect on the readings on the car ride home. To get some ideas for faith sharing on the ride home, check out the section entitled, "For the Ride Home."
Faith First Sunday Lectionary Based Lessons for All Age LevelsAlthough this page is meant for elementary through junior high kids, one will find that these commentaries are insightful and appropriate for all age levels. Adult Small Church Communities are encouraged to check out the Junior High lessons as well as the catechist background information.
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Retreat Centers and Places for Time Away
Bendictine Conference Center
This retreat center is located in Beech Grove which makes it readily available.
As part of their mission to aid the spiritual and educational growth of their guests, they offer a full calendar of programs on a variety of topics. Ranging in duration from less than two hours to several days, or a couple of hours per week for several weeks, these programs are designed to the needs of people with differing interests, goals and time commitments.
Oldenburg Franciscan Center
Come to Oldenburg Franciscan Center where you will enjoy inspiring and enlightening programs, gracious hospitality, a serene campus and spacious facilities. Spend a day, a weekend or a week to renew your spirit.
Fatima Retreat Center
Our Lady of Fatima Retreat House in Indianapolis is your Catholic home for Spirit-driven renewal. They gowl is to send you back into your world refreshed and reconnected to your purpose in life.
Abbey of Gethsemane - Silent Retreats
Abbey retreats are silent, unstructured and undirected. Private consultation with one of the monks can be arranged, if desired. Guests are welcome to participate in the Eucharist and hours of prayer. The library has an ample selection of classic and contemporary religious and other books, periodicals and tapes. Retreatants may bring their own tape players with earphones.
St Meinrad Arch Abbey
Located on a beautiful setting in southern Indiana the abbey has much to offer. One can go to tour the grounds, participate in liturgy, spend time in retreat or take adult education classes.
St. Meinrad School of Theology
St. Meinrad Prayer Schedule and Tour
Catechetical Resources Beyond Text Books
RCL - Faith First Resources
RCL is the publisher of the elementary texts, but whether you use their books or not their webpages offer many resources for the catechist and connection to some of those resources is provided below.
Prayer in the Classroom
This site is just what it claims to be a source of daily prayer in the classroom. As you are running to class and need an opening prayer, this site will provide one ready to go based on the readings of the day. It also provides various levels to match the age of your students. Looks like the source is Australian, so you may find an unusual feast day or two, but these can be teachable moments too.
Finding God
WOW this is a great resource for families and catechists. You will find lectionary lessons, ideas for specific faith topics and season lessons.
Teaching Catholic Kids
Teaching Catholic Kids is provided by Our Sunday Visitor. This site supplies real ideas that can be implemented in the classroom; crafts, prayers, activites and more.
St. Anthony Messenger
This resource contains background on all sorts of Catholic topics, from issues of the day to the saints. This is well worth a peak if you are researching a topic or looking for seasonal ideas for the classroom.
Poverty USA
This section of the Poverty USA Web site presents classroom teachers, community, church and service group leaders, home schoolers and other educators with resources they can use to initiate meaningful discussions about poverty in America today. It is designed to help individuals and groups not only begin to understand the size and scope of the problem but also start them thinking about the ways in which they can take action to help create an awareness about poverty in their community and this nation.
Westchester Institute for Ethics and the Human Person
The Westchester Institute for Ethics and the Human person was founded in 1998 to renew, deepen, and promote the Western tradition of moral reflection. The institute pursues its objectives in cultural, political, and academic settings. Through seminars, lecture series, and research fellowships, we seek to reinvigorate contemporary moral discourse at all levels. The institutes' endeavors are philosophically centered, yet interdisciplinary in approach. We engage in fundamental philosophical research, applied research on contemporary moral issues, and public policy analysis. Drawing on the resources of various methods and schools of thought, the institute strives to elucidate the perennial and Catholic view of the human person, and explore its applications to contemporary concerns.
Wechester Institute LinkThe National Catholic Bioethics Center
(NCBC), established in 1972, conducts research, consultation, publishing and education to promote human dignity in health care and the life sciences, and derives its message directly from the teachings of the Catholic Church. The results of this research are available though this website and our various educational and publishing activities, workshops and seminars.
NCBC Link
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