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CathoLinks.com - Online Resources for the Faithful |
|
Family Life |
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Marriage
& Parenting Resources · Catholic
Family Handbook · Nurturing Vocations |
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Marriage & Parenting Resources
First... | Parenting 101 | Child Protection | Social
Youth Groups | Love & Dating | Teaching
the Faith
Other
Resources (including help for troubled marriages)
(See also our Dating, Marriage, & Real Relationships section.)
The
site links below are resources for parents,
to help them love and care for their children
with a self-giving, life-giving and dignity-respecting love
(truly living their Faith),
and raise them in a fully Catholic way.
"As for me and my house, we
will serve the Lord." (Joshua
24:15)
"Bring up your children in
the ways and instruction of the Lord." (Ephesians 6:4)
First
and most importantly, it all starts with
A Healthy Marriage
To have
a "real relationship" you have to be willing to get real with one another.
This means real talk.
To do this you have to have a clear understanding of your feelings and be able
to communicate them to one another. Here
is a great tip from Marriage Encounters,
as well as a link to their online Dialog
Companion resource.
|
When
issues or arguments arise and you're about to ...if
you can substitute "I am" for "I feel", ...if
you can only substitute "I think" or "I believe" for
"I feel", |
Click
here for the online Dialog Companion from Marriage Encounters.
(wwme.org)
Below is an anonymous poem
about being real with others:
|
The
Dilemma To
laugh is to risk appearing a fool But
risks must be taken |
Click here for a Path to Understanding Intimacy with God.
(lifeaftersunday.com) [printer-friendly
version]
Click here for a great essay on Understanding
Behavior and Intimacy Disorder.
(pureintimacy.org)
E5 Men
“Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for
her.” (Eph. 5)
Jesus gave up his body for his bride, the Church, and E5 Men give up their
bodies for their brides through fasting.
These two site links offer
help with Troubled Marriages:
http://www.retrouville.org
http://www.wwme.org
...and here is a great book on making/keeping marriages healthy: For Better…Forever
(See also our Health & Wholeness section.)

The Best Parenting Guide we’ve seen so far is: Parenting With Grace
(See also our Catholic Family Handbook section.)
Here is our all-important
info sheet on Affirming
Your Child!!! - It's not all about "praise".
http://www.attachmentparenting.org/index.html
http://askdrsears.com/resources.asp
http://www.naturalchild.org/articles/
http://www.focusonyourchild.com/develop/art1/
http://www.parentleadership.com/borntoserve.html
Click
here for Plain Talk About Spanking
- and click here for 9 Things To Do Instead Of Spanking
Click here for Helping Your Child Deal With Bullies
|
. Understanding Child Sexual Development |
Here are some pages with real-world reflections
to help us in our daily walk and spiritual growth:
Catholic Manhood (from Catholic Exchange)
Parenting and Family (from Catholic Exchange)
Other Real-World Topics (from Dads.org)
Minute Meditations (from American Catholic)
For
crafts and activities to match the
Church's liturgical season,
visit these Catholic Culture and Catholic Parenting links.
Modesty Guidelines, Modest Clothing, Modest Dress:
Click here for a list of Modest Clothing online shopping links
(colleenhammond.com.hosting.domaindirect.com/resources.html)
...and PureFasion.com is a modelling program that offers
modesty guidelines
and teaches the importance of living a life in accordance with God's will
and fostering a life of grace through purity of heart, mind, and body.
Models participate in an eight month Model Training Program covering:
public speaking, manners and social graces, hair and make up artistry, personal
presentation and much more.
Catholic
Family and Human Rights Institute (C-FAM)
- advocate for families and human dignity at the U.N.
Family
Research Council
- public advocacy on behalf of families.
Institute for Marriage and Public Policy
- aspires to be the main place for the same-sex marriage debate.
Click
here to order Free Catholic CDs and Audio Tapes
(catholicity.com)
|
Family Honor was created in 1987 to help provide
opportunities for parents and children to connect on important life values,
with a special emphasis on chastity and the goodness of God's gift of
sexuality. Their four main presentations (described below) teach
life-changing truths to parents and their children in a clear, engaging,
faithful and age-appropriate manner. The presenters have each been formally
trained in the following areas, the truths of which are woven beautifully
into the fabric of their presentations: Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, chastity and
virtue, fertility appreciation, family systems and healthy family life,
psychosexual development of children and adolescents, research on abstinence
education, communication skills that support family “connectedness”, and
history/trends in sex education. Leading & Loving - can help parents develop
better parenting skills and learn to build a stronger family. Topics include:
self-worth vs. self-esteem, effective communication skills, understanding
child psychosexual development, fertility appreciation and much more. For
parents only that have children up to age 14. Changes & Challenges -
teaches about God's wonderful gift of fertility and about the beauty of
becoming an adult. Topics include: fertility appreciation, how babies grow in
the mother's body, understanding the virtue of chastity, the SPICE concept
(five dimensions of human personhood: spiritual, physical, intellectual,
creative, emotional), and whole-person sexuality. For parents with their 6th
grade sons or daughters. Real Love & Real Life - teaches parents and
adolescents to build a better family life by learning to communicate,
anticipate and deal with changes. Topics include: fertility appreciation,
learning about appropriate future dating behavior (as in older teens),
developing values and responsibilities in the family, the changes in adolescence,
and much more. For parents along with their 7th or 8th grade sons or
daughters. Created to Love - helps parents and teens
maintain good communication and "connectedness" even as the teens
move toward adulthood. Topics include: effective communication, fertility
appreciation, dating, love vs. infatuation, and much more. Even as they move
toward independence, teens still look to parents for guidance and support.
This program can recharge that important relationship. For parents along with
their 10th, 11th or 12th grade sons or daughters. |
Click here for Helpful info about homosexuality
(couragerc.net)
and click below for some real solid
Medical and psychological research regarding
homosexuality.
(Catholic Medical Association)
Child Protection
(protecting against Sex Offenders, Drugs, Movies, TV,
Internet, Pornography, Unsafe Toys, etc.)
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
Federal
Bureau of Investigation
Protect
Against Sex Offenders - See a local map with buttons that show
pictures and locations.
(familywatchdog.us)
Protect Against Drugs
- Helpful info about various drugs, drug abuse, and talking about drugs.
(theantidrug.com)
|
TV, Movie & Music Reviews http://www.parentstv.org/ptc/familyguide/weekly.asp
http://www.usccb.org/movies/index.htm http://www.screenit.com/all_titles.html http://www.catholicmoviereview.org |
Media Filtering
http://www.TVGuardian.com
- TV/Movie filtering devices for muting profanity (audio only).
http://www.ClearPlay.com
- DVD players that filter both profanity and objectionable scenes.
http://www.internetfilterreview.com - Top 10 rating of
various Internet filters.
Click here for good info about Internet
Safety
(getnetwise.org)
Click here for Guarding Against
Internet Pornography
(internetsafe.org)
Click here for some great Safe Internet Sites
for Kids
Product Safety
Consumer Product Safety Commission
Find a local youth group through the Catholic Youth World Network
(cywn.net)
See also the Fellowship of
Catholic University Students (FOCUS)
(focusonline.org)
Straight Talk on Love and Dating
(See our Love Life
and Pro-Life
sections.)
What about SEX ?
(See
also our True Love, Dignity, Virtue & Sexuality section.)
|
IMPORTANT: For anyone facing an unwanted pregnancy and Covenant
House For anyone who may have already had an
abortion: |
|
Family Honor was created in 1987 to help provide
opportunities for parents and children to connect on important life values,
with a special emphasis on chastity and the goodness of God's gift of
sexuality. Their four main presentations (described below) teach
life-changing truths to parents and their children in a clear, engaging,
faithful and age-appropriate manner. The presenters have each been formally
trained in the following areas, the truths of which are woven beautifully
into the fabric of their presentations: Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, chastity and
virtue, fertility appreciation, family systems and healthy family life,
psychosexual development of children and adolescents, research on abstinence
education, communication skills that support family “connectedness”, and
history/trends in sex education. Leading & Loving - can help parents develop
better parenting skills and learn to build a stronger family. Topics include:
self-worth vs. self-esteem, effective communication skills, understanding
child psychosexual development, fertility appreciation and much more. For
parents only that have children up to age 14. Changes & Challenges -
teaches about God's wonderful gift of fertility and about the beauty of
becoming an adult. Topics include: fertility appreciation, how babies grow in
the mother's body, understanding the virtue of chastity, the SPICE concept
(five dimensions of human personhood: spiritual, physical, intellectual,
creative, emotional), and whole-person sexuality. For parents with their 6th
grade sons or daughters. Real Love & Real Life - teaches parents and adolescents
to build a better family life by learning to communicate, anticipate and deal
with changes. Topics include: fertility appreciation, learning about
appropriate future dating behavior (as in older teens), developing values and
responsibilities in the family, the changes in adolescence, and much more.
For parents along with their 7th or 8th grade sons or daughters. Created to Love - helps parents and teens
maintain good communication and "connectedness" even as the teens
move toward adulthood. Topics include: effective communication, fertility
appreciation, dating, love vs. infatuation, and much more. Even as they move
toward independence, teens still look to parents for guidance and support.
This program can recharge that important relationship. For parents along with
their 10th, 11th or 12th grade sons or daughters. |
Teaching Youth to Live & Defend the
Faith
Click here for the Basic Essentials of the Catholic Faith
(therealpresence.org)
http://opusangelorum.org/Friends/Friends.html
http://www.catholiceducation.org
http://www.catecheticalresources.com/Teacher_Resources.htm
For
kids, see the clever flash cards from Ascension Press called "Friendly
Defenders":
http://www.friendlydefenders.com/index2.htm
Just For Kids by CatholicParenting.com
provides
coloring pages, crafts, puzzles and
more.
And here are three more great children's books:
1. The Rosary Comic Book
http://www.pauline.org/store/moreinfo/081986479X.html
2. The Princess and the Kiss
3. The Squire and the Scroll
... - A nice review of books 2 & 3 can be found at
http://www.love2learn.net/literature/littleones/litlit.htm
And here's a great prayer site for young children
(catholicireland.net/talk2god)
See also the Faith Facts listing for more answers to various topics.
(cuf.org/Faithfacts/index.asp)
Click
here for the best Vacation Bible School
program provider we've seen.
(groupvbs.com)
(See
also our Examinations of Conscience section.)
Other Resources for Parents or Future
Parents
Here
is a great book on making/keeping marriages healthy: For Better…Forever
Couple-to-Couple League / Natural Family
Planning
La Leche / Breastfeeding and Natural
Child Spacing
Click here for
a GREAT book on Setting Boundaries with Children
Click here for
a GREAT book on Setting Boundaries for Yourself
Click here to Find a Pro-Life Ob/Gyn
Click here to Find a Pro-Life Physician
...and
for those struggling with End-of-Life issues:
Click here for A CATHOLIC GUIDE TO END-OF-LIFE DECISIONS
(National Catholic Bioethics Center, NCBC)
See also NCBC on John Paul II’s Address on Nutrition
and Hydration for Patients in PVS
(ncbcenter.org)
and the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic
Health Care Services
(National Conference of Catholic Bishops, NCCB)
Visit the Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity for various other
topics regarding
defending and promoting human dignity in scientific research and medical
practice.
(cbhd.org)
Attention Parents:
Click here for
How to Nurture Vocations
to the Priesthood and Consecrated Life
These two site links offer help with
Troubled Marriages:
http://www.retrouville.org
http://www.wwme.org
...and here is a great book on making/keeping marriages healthy: For Better…Forever
Catholic therapists, counselors and psychology:
Click here for Guidelines for Selecting a
Counselor or Therapist
(pureintimacy.org)
Click here to Find a Catholic Therapist
(catholictherapists.com)
…and here’s Another Good Catholic Counseling Service
(exceptionalmarriages.com)
Note:
Not all Catholic therapists are yet listed on CatholicTherapists.com, so you can
also
call 703-556-9222 and ask for the "Association
of Christian Therapists" (ACT).
You'll be transferred to someone who can tell you your regional ACT contact.
You'll then need to contact that person yourself and ask them to
provide you with a list of "Catholic" therapists in your area.
Not ready to speak with a therapist?
Learn about Emotional
Deprivation Disorder and how
Affirmation
Therapy is one of the best Catholic psychologies available
(if you're lucky enough to have a Baars therapist in your area).
(conradbaars.com)
Also
A Guide to Psychology and its Practice is a website that
provides
professional psychological information and answers absolutely free.
(guidetopsychology.com)
Click here for Descriptions of Common Psychiatric &
Psychological Disorders.
(saintmichael.net)
Click here for a great essay on Understanding
Behavior and Intimacy Disorder.
(pureintimacy.org)
See also our Crisis
& Charity Resources section for help handling
serious, difficult, or overwhelming life issues.
Go to the top of this
section >
Go to the Home page
>
Go to the Site
Map >
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CathoLinks.com - Online Resources for the Faithful |
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Family Life |
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|
Marriage & Parenting Resources · Catholic Family Handbook ·
Nurturing
Vocations |
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Catholic Family Handbook
The
site link below is to an online version of the classic
Catholic Family Handbook -
another resource for parents,
to help them love and care for their children
with a self-giving and dignity-respecting love
(truly living their Faith),
and raise them in a fully Catholic way.
"As for me and my house, we
will serve the Lord." (Joshua
24:15)
"Bring up your children in
the ways and instruction of the Lord." (Ephesians 6:4)
Click here to read the classic Catholic
Family Handbook online
(http://home.earthlink.net/~cantj59/tcfh.html)
Attention Parents:
Click here for
How to Nurture Vocations
to the Priesthood and Consecrated Life
Go to the top of
this section >
Go to the Home page
>
Go to the Site
Map >
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CathoLinks.com - Online Resources for the Faithful |
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Family Life |
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|
Marriage & Parenting Resources · Catholic Family
Handbook · Nurturing Vocations |
||||
Education Resources
The
site links below are resources for parents,
to help them educate their children
and raise them in a truly Catholic way.
"As for me and my house, we
will serve the Lord." (Joshua
24:15)
"Bring up your children in
the ways and instruction of the Lord." (Ephesians 6:4)
SPIRITUAL EDUCATION OF CHILDREN
The following links can help educate children (and parents) in the faith at
home:
Click here for Frequently Asked Questions (and Answers)
(ewtn.com)
Click here for a little Fuller
Presentation of the Faith
(ewtn.com)
Click here for the Basic Essentials of the Catholic Faith
(therealpresence.org)
http://opusangelorum.org/Friends/Friends.html
http://www.catholiceducation.org
http://www.catecheticalresources.com/Teacher_Resources.htm
For
kids, see the clever flash cards from Ascension Press called "Friendly
Defenders":
http://www.friendlydefenders.com/index2.htm
Just For Kids by CatholicParenting.com
provides
coloring pages, crafts, puzzles and
more.
And here are three more great children's books:
1. The Rosary Comic Book
http://www.pauline.org/store/moreinfo/081986479X.html
2. The Princess and the Kiss
3. The Squire and the Scroll
... - A nice review of books 2 & 3 can be found at
http://www.love2learn.net/literature/littleones/litlit.htm
And here's a great prayer site for young children
(catholicireland.net/talk2god)
See also the Faith Facts listing for more answers to various topics.
(cuf.org/Faithfacts/index.asp)
Click
here for the best Vacation Bible School
program provider we've seen.
(groupvbs.com)
(See
also our Examinations of Conscience section.)
SCHOLASTIC EDUCATION (INCLUDING
HOMESCHOOLING)
The following links provide info regarding the scholastic education of
children:
Standards
of Expected Learning & Knowledge
http://www.coreknowledge.org/CKproto2/about/index.htm
Useful
Scholastic.com information by
grade: K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Middle School
Discovery Institute Center for Science and Culture
- promotes Intelligent Design as
alternative to Darwinism and Creationism.
Homeschooling
Links
National
Association of Catholic Home Educators
(nache.org)
Catholic Homeschool Support - includes a Catholic group
lookup tool.
(catholichomeschool.org)
The Teaching Home - includes a general group
lookup tool.
(teachinghome.com)
Homeschool Home Educators Resource Directory
- includes a general group lookup
tool with lots of resources.
(homeeddirectory.com)
TORCH - Traditions Of Roman Catholic Homes
(catholic-homeschool.com)
|
Homeschooling
Legal Advocacy Home School Legal Defense Association |
http://www.familylifecenter.net/article_category.asp?artCatId=11
-homeschooling articles
http://www.materamabilis.org
-a Catholic Charlotte Mason curriculum site
(highly recommended)
http://www.queenhomeschool.com
-another great Charlotte Mason materials resource
(highly recommended)
http://www.classicalhomeschooling.org
-a classical Trivium (Grammar, Dialectic, and Rhetoric
education) information site
http://www.catholichomeschooling.com
-sellers of Natural
Structure: A Montessori Approach to Classical Education at Home
and other great resources.
http://www.michaelolaf.net and http://www.michaelolaf.com
-two more Montessori resources: method and materials, respectively.
http://www.staa-homeschool.com/
A Beka
is a very fun curriculum, especially for the very young.
(Note: Although it is not Catholic, it is
Christian.)
Home
Science Tools and Tobin's Lab
both sell great items and kits for hands-on science and discovery projects.
... Also check out the Discount School Supply website.
|
. Click here for
our Kids' Links list of sites and
site reviews For
crafts and activities to match the Church's liturgical season, |
Click here
for a list of Mandatum Schools
- a growing list of U.S. Catholic
Universities who publicly require
all Catholic theology professors to have the mandatum
(their bishop's recognition of their pledge to teach in
communion with the magisterium of the Church).
(ncregister.com)
Finding
Archdiocese & Diocese Info
To link to, or find general information about,
the various dioceses, parishes and Catholic schools worldwide,
visit the site link below:
http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/qview.html
What about Social Justice?
(See our Catholic Social Justice section.)
...and
for those struggling with End-of-Life issues:
Click here for A CATHOLIC GUIDE TO END-OF-LIFE DECISIONS
(National Catholic Bioethics Center, NCBC)
See also NCBC on John Paul II’s Address on Nutrition
and Hydration for Patients in PVS
(ncbcenter.org)
and the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic
Health Care Services
(National Conference of Catholic Bishops, NCCB)
Visit the Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity for various other
topics regarding
defending and promoting human dignity in scientific research and medical
practice.
(cbhd.org)
What about SEX ?
(See
also our True Love, Dignity, Virtue & Sexuality section.)
|
IMPORTANT: For anyone facing an unwanted pregnancy and Covenant
House For anyone who may have already had an
abortion: |
What about Angels?
Father John A. Hardon is one
of the Church's authorities on angels
as well as the author of the Catholic
Catechism on the Angels,
Click here for online articles by Fr. Hardon
explaining Angels
(therealpresence.org)
Click here to purchase a copy of the Catholic Catechism on the Angels
(lifeeternal.org)
Go to the top of this
section >
Go to the Home page
>
Go to the Site
Map >
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CathoLinks.com - Online Resources for the Faithful |
|
Family Life |
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|
Marriage & Parenting Resources · Catholic
Family Handbook · Nurturing Vocations |
||||
Catholic Youth Stuff
General | Social Youth Groups | Love & Dating | Knowing &
Defending the Faith
Internet
Safety | Media
& Entertainment | Suicide Hotline
The
site links below are for our Catholic youth,
- some resources to help them really know their faith,
view their world through the lens of
that faith,
and live in a truly Catholic way.
"As for me and my house, we
will serve the Lord." (Joshua
24:15)
"Bring up your children in
the ways and instruction of the Lord." (Ephesians 6:4)
http://www.nextwavefaithful.com
http://www.catholicyouthweb.com
|
. Click here for
our Kids' Links list of sites and
site reviews For
crafts and activities to match the Church's liturgical season, |
Modesty Guidelines, Modest Clothing, Modest Dress:
Click here for a list of Modest Clothing online shopping links
(colleenhammond.com.hosting.domaindirect.com/resources.html)
...and PureFasion.com is a modelling program that offers
modesty guidelines
and teaches the importance of living a life in accordance with God's will
and fostering a life of grace through purity of heart, mind, and body.
Models participate in an eight month Model Training Program covering:
public speaking, manners and social graces, hair and make up artistry, personal
presentation and much more.
Click here
for our Media & Entertainment
list
And here's a great prayer site for young children
(catholicireland.net/talk2god)
(See
also our Examinations of Conscience section.)
Find a local youth group through the Catholic Youth World Network
(cywn.net)
Or find a local parish that offers a LifeTeen program
(lifeteen.org)
Or see the Fellowship of
Catholic University Students (FOCUS)
(focusonline.org)
Straight Talk on Love and Dating
(See also our
Love
Life and Pro-Life sections.)
What about SEX ?
(See
also our True Love, Dignity, Virtue & Sexuality section.)
|
IMPORTANT: For anyone facing an unwanted pregnancy and Covenant
House For anyone who may have already had an
abortion: |
Knowing, Living & Defending the Faith
Click here for the Basic Essentials of the Catholic Faith
(therealpresence.org)
A
spiritual retreat that many Catholics experience once, but one that can last a
lifetime,
is to make (attend) a Cursillo ! The Popes and Bishops have recommended it
for years.
It’s a great way to know God and His family from the heart – not just with the intellect.
Click the links below to learn more about it.
http://www.natl-cursillo.org/whatis.html http://www.fourthday.org
The
Intercessors
of the Lamb are a dynamic community dedicated to
the contemplative formation of all Christians for the powerful ministry of
intercession.
Their goal is to develop and foster a deep interior life in the hearts of God’s
people.
Toward that goal, they have posted numerous teachings online for personal
spiritual growth.
Here is the link to the Intercessors Teachings Archive.
Another
group, Opus Sanctorum Angelorum (Work of the Holy Angels),
also provides online teachings for personal spiritual growth.
Here are links to their full Adult Formation
and Youth Formation
teachings.
Below are other great links for knowing
& defending your faith:
http://www.friendlydefenders.com/game1.htm
http://www.catecheticalresources.com/Teacher_Resources.htm
http://www.ewtn.com/ewtnkids/home.asp?member=no
And here's a great prayer site for young children
(catholicireland.net/talk2god)
(See
also our Examinations of Conscience section.)
What about Angels?
Father John A. Hardon is one
of the Church's authorities on angels
as well as the author of the Catholic
Catechism on the Angels,
Click here for online articles by Fr. Hardon
explaining Angels
(therealpresence.org)
Click here to purchase a copy of the Catholic Catechism on the Angels
(lifeeternal.org)
Click here for good info about Internet
Safety
(getnetwise.org)
Click here for Guarding Against Internet
Pornography
(internetsafe.org)
Click here for some great
Safe Internet Sites
(getnetwise.org)
|
Movie & Music Reviews http://www.parentstv.org/ptc/familyguide/weekly.asp
http://www.usccb.org/movies/index.htm http://www.americancatholic.org/Movies/indexletter.asp?Index=All
|
http://catholicmusicnetwork.com/profiles/index.asp
http://www.catholicjukebox.com
http://www.ewtn.com/radio/jukebox.htm
http://www.nextwavefaithful.com/music_mania.asp
http://www.nextwavefaithful.com/radio.asp
http://www.spiritandsong.com/jukebox
http://www.spiritandsong.com/radio
LIVE AUDIO/VIDEO BROADCASTS of Catholic Talk
Radio:
EWTN
Mediatrix
Radio
Ave Maria Radio
Washington Catholic Radio
IHS Network - CatholicInternetRadio
And here are three great children's books:
1. The Rosary Comic Book
http://www.pauline.org/store/moreinfo/081986479X.html
2. The Princess and the Kiss
3. The Squire and the Scroll
... - A nice review of books 2 & 3 can be found at
http://www.love2learn.net/literature/littleones/litlit.htm
Click
here for our General Youth Sites
list
|
"The Way of the True Knight" The four pillars of Christian Knighthood are avowed in - - - |
If
you are feeling SUICIDAL,
PLEASE call one
of these Suicide Hotlines for help
Suicide
Hotline: 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433)
Help Line
National Hope Line (Suicide Hotline) 1-800-784-2433
or contact a
friend who can stay with you until you can get help!
If you have a computer, you can also go to www.suicidehotlines.com.
Covenant
House
- provides shelter and services to homeless and runaway youth.
Good Counsel Homes
- provides homes and support for pregnant single women.
See also our Crisis
& Charity Resources section for help handling
serious, difficult, or overwhelming life issues.
Go to the top of
this section >
Go to the Home page
>
Go to the Site
Map >