November 16, 2025 : Good Catholic Sources vs. Bad Catholic Sources

Jesus Christ: the Way, the Truth, and the Life ~               

More than at other time in human history, people are swamped with information. With the internet being in the palm of everyone’s hand, information is everywhere—some of it true and helpful, some of it misleading and evil. We must be discerning not only about the information we access, but the degree to which we access it. This is also true of where we get information about our Catholic faith.

At this point, we should assume that non-Catholic sources of news and entertainment mislead out of ignorance or culminate out of spite. These ubiquitous sources of news and entertainment champion false history, heretical falsehoods, and denigrate faithful Catholics. Worse still, it is also true that many Catholic news sources mislead Catholics into believing falsehoods about the Catholic faith. I am being charitable, honest, fair, and accurate in what I am saying. I am not saying this out of a political or religious bias, but out of a true love of God and you.

Inform yourself. Not daily, but weekly or at least monthly about Catholic news. Read news on what is going on in the Catholic Church from God’s perspective and not the world’s. Read these pastor’s columns weekly. Be responsible and get your catechesis and news from Catholic organizations that inform their readers about the truths of our faith, while sharing what is happening in the Church. Below are some Catholic sources that I recommend and a few I do not. 

RECOMMENDED: Here are some good Catholic news sources you can trust and find on the internet or radio:

·         Catholic Radio 88.3FM – KVBM         https://materdeiradio.com

·         EWTN                                          https://www.ewtnnews.com

·         Spirit Daily                                 https://www.spiritdaily.com

·         Catholic Culture News             https://www.catholicculture.org/news

·         Catholic News Agency             https://www.catholicnewsagency.com

·         The National Catholic Register      https://www.ncregister.com

·         Life Site News                            https://www.lifesitenews.com

·         The Pillar                                    https://www.pillarcatholic.com

·         First Things                               https://www.firstthings.com

·         One Peter Five                            https://onepeterfive.com

·         Sunday Visitor                            https://www.osvnews.com

·         Rorate Caeli                                https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/

·         Pelican+                                       https://www.pelicanplus.com

·         Mystics of the Church             https://www.mysticsofthechurch.com/

NOT Recommended: Here are some unreliable Catholic news sources that unfortunately stand with the spirit of the age and against what Christ and his disciples have always taught.

·         America Magazine, US Catholic, National Catholic Reporter, Commonweal, and all secular sources.

Disconnect to Reconnect.  Related to all of this is information overload and almost all of it from screens. As I mentioned above, don’t bother looking at Catholic News sources daily or even every other day. Stay informed but not more than once a week. When we spend too much time on the internet, especially in the form of our phones, we lose so much more than we gain. I finish this pastor’s column with an abridged article on lessening our focus and time on the internet, and for many of us, breaking our addiction to the internet.

May Almighty God Bless You,

Fr. Thomas Nathe

Disconnect to Reconnect: The Significance of a Digital Detox

https://www.theplainsimplelife.com/disconnect-to-reconnect/

By Vourneen Updated March 2, 2025

Too much screen time distracts us from the things in life that matter most – our productivity, relationships, our health and wellbeing. A digital detox is a movement to reset your relationship with technology so you can reconnect more deeply with yourself and others around you. 

The downside of screens

Even though screens are amazing in many ways, for some people it has become too much of a good thing. It prevents us from being able to live fully in the moment and meeting our responsibilities. We are constantly thinking about what is next instead of living through this very moment with full awareness.

One of the major consequences of screens is that they take away from our relationships. Many people say they feel like they’re always connected to their devices and that there’s never a time when they can completely shut off. This leads to people feeling as though their friends, family and significant others don’t value them. For some, this even becomes an addiction where the more someone uses screens the less important real-world interactions become.

Those who continually use screens as part of their workday also show symptoms of stress and exhaustion. According to some studies, it’s been proven that your attention spans are only on the decline, and this has a negative effect overall. For many, constantly looking at a screen distracts from getting work done.

Using screens before bed means you’re spending more time “winding down” and focusing your attention on something other than sleep. Screens are stimulating, and this keeps your brain in a state of alertness long after you’ve put the device away, having the opposite effect of “winding down”.

All of the above adds up to us feeling exhausted, unmotivated, stressed and unhappy even though we have so many exciting things to do at any given moment! Screens do not solve our problems, they just cover them up, it may even be the reason for our problems.

According to digitaldetox.org:

• 53% of people wake up in the middle of the night to check their phones

• Average teenagers spend upwards of 11 or more hours consuming digital media every day

• The average person checks their phone 150 times a day

• 26% of car accidents are caused by phone use

What is a digital detox

A digital detox is a break from all things digital. It’s not about unplugging for good, instead, it is intended as a breather You switch off your phone, computer and tablet, to become more in touch with the world out there. You can disconnect for a few hours, or even days. Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing – everyone needs to take time out from their digital lives now and again. A digital detox is an opportunity to step away from the distractions of social media and email alerts, so that you can focus your attention on something more important – like enjoying unmediated experiences. The break also helps you to understand how reliant you are on screens, and to assess its influence in your life.

Assess your usage

You may not realize how much you’re actually using it until it’s gone. When was the last time that you went a whole day without looking at your phone? Once you really think about how long you spend on the internet each day, you may be shocked with the realization.

Be aware of how your use of screens affects others around you

Once you start giving yourself a break from screens, your friends and family will start to appreciate this too. You’ll be more present to them, and you’ll start meeting more of your responsibilities, which affects them too.

Plan when to disconnect

It’s not always easy to just turn off everything on a whim, but you can make a plan to disconnect when it’s more convenient for you. For example, you obviously need to be online during work hours, but you could plan to take an hour every evening to disconnect. Or plan a full day during the weekend to go out or do something around the house instead.

Take a month off social media

Taking a whole month off from social media might sound a bit excessive but think about what you’d actually miss by doing this. Social media is a huge time sink, and many people would benefit from taking a break to focus on themselves rather than the online world. Once you go back on social media after a month off, you’ll notice you’re not interested in looking at it as much as you used to.

Turn off notifications

My phone is on silent 24/7 – that’s right, I get no notifications until I check my phone. And even my ringer is off, I only have my phone on vibrate for important calls. I know this may not be possible for everyone, but even if you can turn off notifications on certain apps then you’ll be less likely to keep picking up your phone every time you hear a sound.

Delete apps

If there are certain apps that keep you up at night using, such as a news app or a gaming app, try deleting these from your phone for a time and see if it helps you to disconnect.

Shut off an hour before bed

But shutting off all technology an hour before bed, and instead meditating or reading a book, it will help your body and mind calm down and prepare for sleep. Also, keep the phone out of your bedroom.

Leave your phone behind

If you’re heading off to meet a friend, go into a meeting, and event of any kind, leave your phone behind. You’ll be surprised how much you can enjoy yourself when your phone isn’t constantly in the palm of your hand.

Ideas of fun things to do without using technology

Pray, Read a book (spiritual ones are great), Volunteer, Spend screen-less time with your spouse and kids, Play a table game with someone, Explore nature (hiking, biking or walking), Declutter your house, Watch a sunset, Have a bubble bath, Make a bucket list, Cook, Do chores and relieve some stress.

Conclusion

You don’t have to wait any longer – today is as good as tomorrow to take some steps to disconnect to reconnect with yourself, spend time with your family and friends, and get things done. It’s never too late.