Catholic Answers  

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MISSION STATEMENT Catholic Answers is one of the nation’s largest lay-run apostolates of Catholic apologetics and evangelization. Its mission statement explains its purpose:
Catholic Answers is an apostolate dedicated to serving Christ by bringing the fullness of Catholic truth to the world. We help good Catholics become better Catholics, bring former Catholics “home,” and lead non-Catholics into the fullness of the faith. We explain Catholic truth, equip the faithful to live fully the sacramental life, and assist them in spreading the Good News.


BEGINNINGS Catholic Answers began in 1979 after a Fundamentalist church in San Diego, California, decided to leaflet the cars at a local parish during Mass. The fliers attacked the Eucharist and were riddled with misinformation. Upon coming out of Mass and finding one on his car, attorney Karl Keating was annoyed and drove home with a modest goal: to draft a tract that would present basic Catholic beliefs and refute anti-Catholic charges. Keating signed the tract “Catholic Answers,” opened up a post office box in that name, and then placed his rebuttal on the windshields of cars in the Fundamentalist church’s lot.

That modest effort was Catholic Answers’ first publication. Much to his surprise, Keating soon found the post office box bulging with letters—some unquotable, others cheering him on and asking for other tracts. He obliged, writing 24 more tracts that comprised Catholic Answers’ total line of publications for several years.

He also wrote articles for the Catholic press about the clash between Fundamentalists and Catholics, drawing responses that convinced him there was a real need for information on Catholic apologetics—the study of how to explain and defend the faith. In 1986 he launched a monthly newsletter to help people keep abreast of what Catholic Answers was doing and learn more about the exciting field of apologetics.

In 1988 growing demand and his own burgeoning desire to commit himself to serving the faith led Keating to close his law practice and turn Catholic Answers into a full-time apostolate, with its first office and staff members.

The apostolate grew quickly, and in 1990 its original newsletter was replaced with This Rock, a 10-issue-a-year magazine that has become the nation’s premier journal of Catholic apologetics and evangelization.


SERVICES The demand for solid information has turned Catholic Answers into the preeminent apostolate of its kind. Its dedicated full-time staff and volunteers respond to the questions, needs, and pleas of tens of thousands of people a year, in multiple ways. Catholic Answers offers:
A growing collection of books, tracts, booklets, audiocassettes, and videotapes published by the apostolate and designed to bring the public the best in Catholic apologetics and evangelization. These may be ordered through Catholic Answers’ on-line catalogue, along with hundreds of solid, faith-building resources by other top-notch Catholic publishers.
This Rock magazine, the premier peridoical on apologetics and evangelization;
The Catholic Century Seminars program, in which staff apologists and other top-notch speakers lead more than 200 conferences, seminars, and retreats throughout the country every year. “Catholic Answers Live”, a daily, two-hour, live, call-in radio broadcast heard on over 100 AM/FM stations nationally, as well as internationally via shortwave and the Internet. Participants in the broadcasts include many important and influential figures in the Catholic community.
A Correspondence Department that provides answers to the pressing questions of thousands of people who contact Catholic Answers each year.
A web site that presents a broad range of information about Scripture and the teachings of the Church and that assists visitors in tapping into the various branches of the apostolate.
SUPPORTING CATHOLIC ANSWERS We rely on tax-deductible donations from the laity for the majority of our support. Even though our work has the approval of many bishops in the United States and other countries, we do not ask dioceses for direct assistance. The balance of our support comes mainly through the sale of good Catholic literature, tapes, and magazine subscriptions.

You can make a tax-deductible gift to Catholic Answers on-line or you can send it as a check made payable to:

Catholic Answers
P. O. Box 199000
San Diego, CA 92159

A receipt will be mailed to you.

You also can help the apostolate by making a bequest to the organization.



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This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 3, 2008 at Wednesday, September 03, 2008 and is filed under , , , , , , , , . You can follow any responses to this entry through the comments feed .

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