Cyberspace Ministry

Pope John Paul II, speaking seven years ago, saw great potential for the church's ministry: 

With the advent of computer telecommunications, the Church is offered further means for fulfilling her mission. Methods of facilitating communication and dialogue among her own members can strengthen the bonds of unity among them... She can hear more clearly the voice of public opinion and enter into continuous discussion with the world around her, thus involving herself more immediately in the common search for solutions to humanity's many pressing problems... It is clear that the Church must also avail herself of the new resources for her ever pressing task of evangelization. (Statement in connection with World Communications Day, May 27, 1990.) 

What is Cyberspace? the Internet? the Web?

The Internet (or simply “the Net”) is a network of computer networks which extends around the globe. The Internet is unregulated because no one owns it. The individual computers and networks which are the building blocks of the Internet are owned, but the Internet as a whole is a vast collaborative effort, controlled by no single party. From the 1960s until recently, the Internet was inhabited only by those who had both access to the necessary hardware and the necessary technological expertise. The slow growth of the Internet increased with the marketing of online services which offered Internet access from one's home. Increasing numbers of people ventured into cyberspace to take part in newsgroups, to exchange e-mail, and to access online databases. But it was the development of the World Wide Web (www) that made the Internet inviting and exciting for millions. 

The “Web” provides a way of organizing information which is graphic, user-friendly, and interactive. It is called a “Web” because of the way resources can be linked to one another in a vast array of interconnections. A user “browses” the web, wandering from one block of information (called a “website”) to another, looking, clicking, moving on. It is the Web that is revolutionizing the Internet, enabling millions to participate, and even to publish their ideas for a worldwide audience. 

Ministry on the Net?

The multiple features of the Internet are useful for various forms of ministry. E-mail can be an effective way for communicating one-on-one with college students, online parishioners, and colleagues in ministry. Mailing lists and newsgroups provide a means for holding ongoing discussions on a wide variety of topics including theological research, church politics, spirituality, ethics and current events. And the World Wide Web enables one to publish information about services and programs on one's own Web site called a “homepage.” The Web also offers access to other institutional and personal homepages, online periodicals, visual exhibits, and church documents. The rest of this article will focus on the use of the World Wide Web. But the reader should be aware that mailing lists, newsgroups, e-mail, and online chat offer other vehicles for dialogue and ministry. 

To envision uses for the World Wide Web in your ministry, browse the Web and examine what is already being done. 

How Do You Find Church-related Web Sites?

In addition, some thoughtful Web users, or “netizens,” have assembled helpful directories, providing links to other sites. Here are a few of the many Catholic directories: 

• 1997 Catholic Internet Directory

http://www.catholic-church.org/cid 

• Catholic Files at American University

http://listserv.american.edu/catholic 

• Christus Rex — Select Sites

http://christusrex.org/www1/icons/links.html 

• Catholic Online Index

http://www.catholic.org/index2.html 

• Radical Catholic Page

http://www.bway.net/~halsall/radcath.htm 

• Directory of Directories of Catholic Resources

http://www.mcgill.pvt.k12.al.us//jerryd/cm/dir.htm 

• CICI Home Page

http://catholic.net/ is intended to be a “central directory and repository of all data on the Internet that reflect the Magisterium or authoritative teaching of the Catholic Church,” whereas the 

• SFBay Catholic Homepage

http://www.microweb.com/burnside/sfbay.htm focuses on “presenting both sides.” SFBay Catholic explains: “This site will present links and articles which support the Magisterium. . . We will also present articles and commentary by knowledgeable Catholics and responsible theologians who disagree with the Magisterium on a variety of policy and moral issues.” Each directory has its own purpose, intended audience, and selection of links to other sites. 

• Catholic Parishes

http://www.wsnet.com/~alapadre/churches.html 

• Newman Centers and Student Associations

http://www.cco.caltech.edu/%7Enewman/OtherNC.html 

• Catholic Organizations

http://catholic.net/RCC/Indices/subs/places.html 

• Catholic Media

http://www.nd.edu/~theo/RCD/Directory5.html 

• Dioceses

http://www.rc.net/dioceses.html 

• Catholic Schools

http://www.microserve.net/~fabian/file/school.html 

What about Christian denominations other than Catholic?

• CrossSearch

http://www.crosssearch.com 

• Virtual Christianity

http://www.internetdynamics.com/pub/vc/ 

• Christian Resources on the Net

http://www.calvin.edu/Christian. Denominations with homepages include: 

• The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

http://www.elca.org/ 

• The Episcopal Church

http://www.dfms.org/ 

• The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

http://www.pcusa.org/pcusa.html 

• Orthodox Christianity in America

http://www.ocf.org/OrthodoxPage/ 

Liturgical Resources on the Web

• Modern Liturgy magazine

http://www.rpinet.com/ml/ml.html has been a pioneer in using online technology. They have solicited reader input through online discussion groups, posted articles for pre-publication feedback, and published portions of the magazine on the Web. 

• Digital Liturgy

http://members.aol.com/liturgies/index.html is a relatively new site for networking and sharing resources related to liturgical ministry. 

• The Notre Dame Center for Pastoral Liturgy

http://www.nd.edu/~ndcpl is beginning to make their resources available on the Web. 

• The Order of St. Benedict Liturgical Page

http://www.osb.org/osb/gen/topics/liturgy provides liturgical information and links. 

• Gregorian Chant

http://www.music.princeton.edu/chant_html/ 

• The Sacraments

http://www.mcgill.pvt.k12.al.us/jerryd/cm/sac.htm 

• Liturgical Studies and Liturgical Music

http://www.users.csbsju.edu/~eknuth/itr/ltgy/index.html 

Scripture and Church Documents on the Web

• The World Wide Study Bible

http://ccel.wheaton.edu/wwsb and the 

• WWW Bible Gateway

http://www.gospelcom.net/bible allow interactive use of the Bible in various translations. 

• Documents of the Roman Catholic Church

http://listserv.american.edu/catholic/church/church.html 

• Encyclicals and Other Papal Documents

http://www.rc.net/rcchurch/vatstmts/index.html 

• Catholic Social Teaching
• http://www.bway.net/~halsall/radcath.html#soc 

• Early Church Documents

http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/christian-history.html 

Visual Exhibits

• The Vatican Museums

http://www.christusrex.org/www1/vaticano/0-Musei.html 

• The Shroud of Turin

http://www.shroud.com 

• The Dead Sea Scrolls

http://sunsite.unc.edu/expo/deadsea.scrolls.exhibit/
Library/library.html 

• Orthodox Icons

http://www.ocf.org/OrthodoxPage/icons/icons.html 

A Sampling of Ministry-related Web-sites

Campus Ministry at the University of Dayton offers prospective catechumens an online explanation of the RCIA http://www.udayton.edu/~campmin/becoming-a-catholic.html. 

The Monastery of Christ in the Desert, founded in 1964 in New Mexico, presents an attractive Web site http://www.christdesert.org/pax.html wherein Brother URL offers an online tour. 

The Catholic Health Association of Wisconsin http://www.execpc.com/~chaw/ offers a wealth of information on ethics and public policy related to medical procedures and health care delivery, as well as information on member hospitals. 

The Father Solanus Casey page http://members.aol.com/blfrdamien/solanus.html features a brief biography and pictures, promoting the cause of this saintly Wisconsin native. 

Spirituality For Today http://www.spirituality.org/ is an interactive monthly “magazine” addressing matters concerning the Catholic Church. 

The Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Catholic Handbook http://www.bway.net/~halsall/lgbh.html offers an impressive collection of resources, some of which have not appeared yet in print. 

The Religious Education Home Page http://www.microserve.net/~fabian/re.html features a directory in which religious educators can list themselves; the 

Catholic Youth Ministry Home Page http://www.microserve.net/~fabian/ym.html features a similar directory as well as a networking mailing list, job listings and a resume bank. 

Catholic Education Network http://www.catholic.org/cen/netschoo.html connects catholic school teachers, administrators and other educators with a vast array of Web- based resources. 

Internet Ministries and Churches

• Chaplain Online http://www.infi.net/~rllewis/chaplain.html 
  “provides those on the Internet chaplaincy service. The Chaplain Online is multi-religious and has no idealogy or political agenda to expound. This service includes information on topics such as spirituality, temperament, self-disclosure, and education - as well as provides hundreds of links to religious and spiritual resources. But the unique aspect of the Chaplain Online is that it provides a resource for those who would like to talk with a chaplain.” 

• The First Church of Cyberspace http://www.execpc.com/~chender/index1.html 
  explains its unique mission: “Though there are many congregations, denominations and other religious groups that advertise their presence on the Web, we are the first to organize within cyberspace itself: making connections, constructing links, dropping clues that point to the presence of the Creator within the creative chaos of the Internet.” 

Cyber-Theology

For More Information

• Center for Religious Communications at the U of Dayton
  http://www.udayton.edu/~relcomm/ 

• Information on WWW at Catholic Education Network
  http://www.catholic.org/cen/web-info.html 

• Guide for Creating a Church Homepage
  http://www.wolfe.net/~uujim/guide.html 

• Internet for Christians
  http://www.gospelcom.net/ifc/virtual.html 

• Quicklist of URLs for Web Page Creation
  http://socsci.colorado.edu/~brumbaug/
  CHURCH/HMPG/quicklist.html