Online Library
Key Resources
Foundational documents and starting points
Full text via the USCCB website
Official Vatican Website
Full text via USCCB
Encyclicals and other official documents of the Catholic Church
Vatican II documents
The Ecumenical, Universal, Magisterial teachings of the college of bishops in union with the pope constitutes the highest authoritative teachings of the Catholic Church.
For the complete video series on the Vatican II council Click HERE
Dogmatic Constitution on the Church - Lumen Gentium
Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation - Dei Verbum
Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy - Sacrosanctum Concilium
Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World - Gaudium et Spes
Decree on the Apostolate of Lay People - Apostolicam Actuositatem
Decree on the Church's Missionary Activity - Ad Gentes Divinitus
Decree on Ecumenism - Unitatis Redintegratio
Decree on the Mass Media - Inter Mirifica
Declaration on Religious Freedom - Dignitatis Humanae
Declaration of the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions - Nostra Aetate
Declaration on Christian Education - Gravissimum Educationis
Catholic Social Teaching
Developing our conscience through the lens of understanding human dignity, solidarity, and subsidiarity, Catholics around the world are called to incorporate and live out the moral social teachings of the Catholic Church (CST) to bring around a more just society by developing communities that advocate for all people throughout their life by recognizing the inherent dignity of all humans from conception through natural death, ensuring people have adequate spiritual, financial, emotional, and environmental means to care for themselves, limiting the destruction of our shared home, encouraging the family to live out their vocation in society through the raising and education of their children with the insurance of being financially able to do so, and reducing the negative effect of consumer culture on society. CST calls for everyone to understand that we are connected to one another, and our actions have profound effects on others, even if they are invisible to us.
Compendium on the Social Doctrine of the Church
Encyclical Letter The Gospel of Life - Evangelium Vitae - John Paul II
Encyclical Letter On Social Concern - Sollicitudo Rei Socialis - John Paul II
Encyclical Letter On Human Work - Laborem Exercens - John Paul II
Encyclical Letter On Human Life - Humanae Vitae - Paul VI
Encyclical Letter On the Progress of Peoples - Populorum Progressio - Paul VI
Encyclical Letter Peace on Earth - Pacem in Terris - John XXIII
Encyclical Letter On the Dignity of Workers - Rerum Novarum - Leo XIII
Helpful Catholic Links
10 Points for Understanding the Bible
Compendium to the Catechism of the Catholic Church
Catholic Foundation of Eastern Montana
Diocese of Great Falls-Billings
National Council of Catholic Women
Catholic College Education Scholarships
Built of Living Stones; Art and Architecture in the Diocese of the United States - USCCB (pdf)
"The Church's Magisterium exercises the authority it holds from Christ to the fullest extent when it defines dogmas, that is, when it proposes... truths contained in divine Revelation or also when it proposes, in a definitive way, truths having a necessary connection with these. There is an organic connection between our spiritual life and the dogmas. Dogmas are lights along the path of faith; they illuminate it and make it secure. Conversely, if our life is upright, our intellect and heart will be open to welcome the light shed by the dogmas of faith. The mutual connections between dogmas, and their coherence, can be found in the whole of the Revelation of the mystery of Christ. 'In Catholic doctrine there exists an order or 'hierarchy' of truths, since they vary in their relation to the foundation of the Christian faith.'" - Catechism of the Catholic Church nos. 88-90