This makes me think... about what I say & hear...

All communication has a moral dimension. As the Lord himself has said, it is from the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks (cf Mt. 12: 34-35). People grow or diminish in moral stature by the words which they speak and the messages which they choose to hear...


In view of their great power to shape ideas and influence behavior, professional communicators should recognize that they have a moral responsibility... to exercise wisdom, good judgement, and fairness...


The Second Vatican Council reminded us, 'If the media is to correctly employed, it is essential that all who use them know the principles of moral order and apply them faithfully (Inter Mirifica, par. 4)'.

-- Blessed John Paul II, Message for the 38th World Communications Day, 2004.

Among Women ReadHer... 8.27.11 has some website suggestions

Among Women ReadHer is not here in its usual format, simply cuz I'm not here. However, allow me to suggest a few sites that you might find praiseworthy for your reading this week.

CatholicMom.com
- Sure, there are alot of parenting sites on the web. Not too many take the Catholic approach. Over 100+ columnists, including yours truly, full of faith, family and fun. 

Anthony Buono's Catholic and Single column
- Um, yes he's married. Don't hold that against him. He's got a great ministry for singles.


Catholic/Newsy Roundups:
Headline Bistro
- Good news roundup from a Catholic perspective, don't miss the columnists in the right sidebar.
New Advent
- a daily collection from the Catholic blogosphere


Other notable blogs that women may enjoy:
Faith and Family LIVE
Conversion Diary
Happy Catholic

If you love photography:
Our House of Joyful Noise
The Pioneer Woman

Speaking of the Pioneer Woman -- she's got a new show on the Food Network that premieres today. And I'm kinda braggin' a bit cuz my son is doing some of the PR for the show. So check it out!

SQPN offers it's 4th CNMC --This year's Catholic New Media Conference

For a young non-profit organization, SQPN (Star Quest Production Network) has an impressive worldwide following of professional colleagues, friends, and admirers in the still-emerging field of Catholic new media. For four year in a row, SQPN's intrepid podcasting priest and CEO Fr Roderick Vonhögen, along with Executive Director Steve Nelson, and the Board of Directors, are presenting a conference that is one part learning, one part inspiration, and one part community-building -- for Catholic folks from all vocations who have ventured into this digital mission field within the new evangelization.

From CNMC's website:

The Catholic New Media Conference (CNMC) is a festive, educational, and international conference focused on evangelization and building community through the use of new media. This event is designed to connect, guide and inform Catholic communicators as a response to the Church’s call for new evangelization.

“The 2011 CNMC will focus particularly on social media, its impact on culture, and how the Church and its institutions can effectively use it,” says Fr. Roderick Vonhögen, CEO of SQPN.  “We will be exploring how social media can be used with quality content; authentic catechesis and, a true sense of mission,” he says.

All interested in Catholic communication, new media, and social media are invited, including young adults (18+), ministry leaders, and priests and religious, to whom Pope Benedict appealed in his 2010 World Communications Day message, to “become an ever more pastoral presence on the web.”

For specifics about the schedule, please see the Program page.

There will be an amazing array of media veterans, like Sean Patrick Lovett from Vatican Radio, and Blogger Sr. Anne Flanagan from the Daughters of St. Paul and Pauline Books and Media. And there'll be lots of training and inspiration for newbies and up-and-comers from talented and savvy media geeks like Matthew Ward, Jeff Geerling, and Lisa Hendey.

I've attended the three previous CNMCs, and helped to coordinate last year's event in Boston. This year is no different, and I'm pleased to join in the fun once again, this time as a presenter. So I'll ask for your prayers for this event, and for the entire team that is diligently preparing and planning the CNMC, to be held in Kansas City, KS.

I hope I will see you there! Register here.

This makes me think... about New Media religious dialogue

[O]nline religious dialogue almost always evokes detractors... Instead of worrying about whether detractors will arise, however, [Catholic] leaders should assume they will, and then prudently decide how to best engage them. What they shouldn't do is let the fear of detraction prevent any type of discussion.


If dialogue is practiced in full awareness of these dangers, it can flourish. Dialogue is at the heart of growth and community, both securely -- see Socrates -- and religiously -- see Jesus. Discussion gives the Church a human element, revealing her to be a living organism rather than a static institution.


Through prudent New Media dialogue, leaders can help people develop a closer relationship to the Church, and therefore to Christ.


--Brandon Vogt, The Church and New Media, Our Sunday Visitor, 2011.

Brandon Vogt's newly released book, with essays from a stellar cast Catholic New Media enthusiasts, is important reading for Catholic parish and diocesan leaders, as well as for any Catholic with a heart for the new evangelization.

My Catholic Media Favs

Today is Catholic Media Promotion Day! These are my favs!

Favorite Blogs or Websites: 

Ok, I have a gazillion blogs and websites that I already brag on simply by placing them in my sidebar here at the Among Women blog, so do check them out. But here are a few more that I like:

1.  The Catholic Portal at Patheos - Fresh! Filling! Fascinating! I'm always learning here!
2. New Advent - love the roundup on the landing page, and of course the Catholic Encyclopedia is very useful study tool.
3. Catholic Lane - new up-and-coming general interest & news site.

Favorite Podcasts:

1. Word on Fire: The Sunday Sermon by Fr Robert Barron - Indispensable - Even my teenage son likes it.
2. Catholic Weekend from SQPN - I can't always listen to all the SQPN podcasts that I would like to in a given week, but this one features a panel with many of the SQPN personalities that I enjoy.  
3. Catholic Information Service from the Knights of Columbus -- multiple downloaded podcasts for your Catholic growth.

Books: 
I am listing 2 new books that I am excited about and one that I continue to use these last 3 years since it came out:

1. A Garden of Visible Prayer: Creating a Personal Sacred Space One Step at a Time by Margaret Rose Realy (2011).
2. The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers: Reclaiming our Passion, Purpose, and Sanity by Meg Meeker, MD (2011).
3.  Jesus, Present Before Me: Meditations for Eucharistic Adoration, by Fr. Peter John Cameron, OP

Catholic Media: 
It's hard to not give a shout out to well-established Catholic Media players like diocesan newspapers, Catholic TV, EWTN, and all the Catholic radio stations and shows that are out there.  Instead I'd like to focus on some web-based outreaches that underscore the new evangelization on the digital continent very well:

1. For news affecting the global church: Rome Reports
2. For the best Catholic video advancing the new evangelization: Grassroots Films, Brooklyn NY... like this video about World Youth Day, and this video they produced on vocations within the Archdiocese of New York.
3. For shows on faith-related issues: NETNY... I like Currents and In the Arena,

Smart Phone App:

1. Rosary Miracle Prayer App from Daughters of St. Paul - I love praying the rosary with the Daughters, especially when I take a walk outdoors!
2. VerseWise's Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition - I've used others, this one in now my favorite. It's my favorite.
3. Magnificat App - My favorite daily devotional in print, now comes to my iPhone. I always have it with me!

Hidden Gems:

1. St Charles Borromeo's searchable database for the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Now with a mobile application.
2. Divine Mercy - This is my favorite apostolate-oriented website. Others could learn from them. Oh, and the hidden gem within the gem is this series of articles by Dr Stackpole.
3. The Angelus sung in Latin. (I'm still trying to learn this! But the Daughters of Mary sing it beautifully!)

If you listen to Among Women, and wish to leave a review, go here and log into iTunes. Thanks!

Promote Catholic Media tomorrow!

There's an initiative being promoted on Facebook, and by SQPN, and by many others that I know.  Greg Willets of Rosary Army and The Catholics Next Store on Sirius-XM radio came up with the idea, and I want to get behind it.

Tomorrow - March 15-  is being called the Catholic Media Promotion Day.

It's purpose is to get out the vote - well, sort of... its a day of concentrated effort to ask the Catholic Media producers, consumers, and their fans to get out there and show your LIKES for Catholic Media by writing reviews over on iTunes for Podcasts, or promoting your favorite blogs, website and Catholic phone apps. You get the point.

In other words, if you have a voice- use it! Tomorrow send up a blog post, or a review, or an email to people sharing what you like and LOVE about Catholic Media. Then, share your link back at the CMP page.

Here are a few suggestions...

Tell people your three favorites in any of the following category :

• Blog or website 
• Podcast
• Book
• Smartphone app
• Catholic media - radio, television program, newspaper, etc.
• "Hidden Gem" - something online that may not be well known, but that you love

So, first, today go over to Facebook and "like" the promote Catholicism page. Then tomorrow, make some noise!!!!  Then link back so others can see what you really like about Catholic media!

You'll see mine top choices here tomorrow, and I'll be leaving my comments over on iTunes and elsewhere.
~~~~

In an unrelated conversation, but within the same vein of Catholic new media, the panel over at In the Arena was talking recently about the new confession app with the app's creator. This is a topical Catholic show that you may wish to keep up on here.