Welcome to Virtually Catholic!

In 2065, a remarkable pair of women log on to their computers to converse in the only way they know how -- via the internet. Over fifty years ago they met at university in Ireland, and through the grace of God, founded a relationship that would last decades. Through Skype conversations, Facebook chats, and long winded emails they brought the light of Christ into each-others lives from across the Atlantic Ocean. Responding to Pope Benedict XVI’s call during the Year of Faith, to use social media to bring the Truth, and their faith, to their generation online, they co-founded a blog ‘Virtually Catholic’. After many years of writing on ‘Virtually Catholic’ these two women are finally retiring from their roles as bloggers to enjoy watching as their loved ones take on the reins and share their faith with their generation.

That is our vision for Virtually Catholic. If we can bring God’s word and love, in whatever way He sees fit, to you, our readers, we will be incredibly happy! But back to 2013, we are thrilled to be finally launching this blog; it has been in our minds for quite some time. We thought that as two young women, both Catholic, but living in different countries and at different places in life, we could bring a great variety of ideas to the table and make one great big delicious blog feast. We have not been friends for very long, perhaps a year and a half, but what bonds us together besides our ridiculous senses of humor, is our faith, and we have really grown in faith just from being friends to one another.

In this blog we'd like to reflect on what it is like to live out Catholicism in our day and age. Let's face it, we're not living in the rural farm villages of the past where you were probably a social outcast if you didn't go to church on Sunday. Today is quite the opposite, where we are more likely to be ostracized for going to church on Sunday. But perhaps our modern situation gives us the opportunity to live out our love for Christ in a more profound way than those people of the past, even more profound than our parent's generation. How much more of a sacrifice is it to suffer rebukes from your peers for witnessing to the truth than to simply be surrounded by others who share your beliefs? In facing greater trials and opposition, we become more conscious of our decisions and thus, deepen our yes to God. God gives us free will, so that we may freely choose him, because freedom and love go hand in hand.

We hope to reflect on how we may take up our crosses daily and follow him here in 2013, in every aspect of our lives, and see how every little thing we do has the potential to both bring us closer to Jesus, and bring the kingdom of God closer to the earth. God wants us to succeed, and this should fill us with incredible hope. And this should bring us an incredible sense of hope for our church as the cardinals gather in Rome to elect our new pope!

While we are both very sad to see Pope Benedict go, as he has really been a gentle, loving father to us, we are inspired by his great humility in willing the good of our church over the good of himself by making the chair of St. Peter available for someone more fit and able for the job. It is through his instruction that our blog exists, and it is through his love for God and His Church, that we are to welcome a new Pope into our lives in the coming months. Our prayer for Pope Benedict today is that he may continue to live out his vocation prayerfully and joyfully as he always has, and we wish to impart to him our sincere thanks for his ministry.

Pope Benedict’s last tweet as our Supreme Pontiff reads: “If only everyone could experience the joy of being Christian, being loved by God who gave his Son for us!” We hope that our blog will convey to you this Christian joy that Pope Benedict speaks of.

God Bless You All!