Whereas Catholic webauthorship focuses to form the visitor of the website
to a more contemplative outlook - to one who is called to have a deeper
understanding of his faith, on the other hand, the focus of Catholic
webapostolates is to minister to the spiritual needs of the visitor and to
shepherd him towards a stronger faith in God, a greater hope in His help
and promises, and a more ardent love for Him by more frequent participation
in the liturgical and parochial life of the Church.

Webapostolates can take many forms. But the most common form used now is
through the e-mail system. In forums and lists, many members use this e-mail
system and post prayer requests for real and actual needs - some of which
are urgent and of the nature of an emergency. Therefore, the subjects
presented to be prayed over with are usually the sick, the suffering, the
dying, the jobless, the despondent, or those with problems within their
families.

Since this webapostolate is done within the context of the Internet, which
is an electronically-mediated communication, this can really be helpful due
to the quick and speedy sending and receiving of responses through messages.
This is truly beneficial and advantageous on the part of the one asking for
prayers. He gets fast responses to his urgent petition, and he gets it most
of the time not from one person only but also from the other members of the
list or forum as well. With an immediate response as such in his e-mail
inbox, that person will truly feel strengthened, consoled, comforted or
assured that there are many people across the globe who are also praying
with him and who show their care and support as regards his prayer petition.

Another form of webapostolate is the posting of a series of prayers or inputs
for meditation during a certain liturgical season of the Church like Advent,
Lent or Easter. We may see this as a kind of mini-webretreat or recollection.
But this must not replace the actual retreats or recollections we need to take
at least once a year in a parish setting or in a retreat house.

Giving a series of prayers or a series of meditation inputs is a webapostolate
that requires much discipline because the one posting the inputs must have
a good source and reference for his content, and also have the discipline and
organization to post regularly until the series is finished. The spiritual
series can be as short as a 9-day novena or as long as a 49-day prayer
preparation for Pentecost (which will be reconstructed at Gospel and Culture).
[parenthetical note: the 49-day prayer series can be found in The Spirit's Love
list beginning with Message # 9215.] It is important to give all the
days in the spiritual series as the person following it may feel upset or feel
a lack of spiritual nourishment if one day passes without the post being made.
Therefore, to give it properly, we are also called as responsible Catholic
webauthors, to be a participant ourselves and undergo also what the series
requires of all its participants.

Catholic webapostolates can be done by any baptized Catholic who has the
basic Christian formation needed to undertake this ministry. However, it
would be best that webapostolates must not be done if the one doing the
ministry has no traditional ministry in the physical world - such as in
the school campus, or in the parish, or in a charity institution.
Webapostolates are only adjuncts to traditional ministries we know of
like the ones in the liturgy, in social service, with the youth, or in
the catechetical ministry. Interpersonal ministries are still the standard
apostolates of the Church. It is the responsibility of the one doing
Catholic webapostolates to refer the person he shepherds to one who can
truly minister to him personally - either to a lay leader or to an ordained
minister.

Catholic webapostolates are emergent ministries an Internet visitor can
discover and come upon first contact on the Net. It is very useful as a
resource in referring people to the actual channels of sacramental grace
- the Eucharistic celebration and the other sacraments.