Dear St. Catherine's Parish Family
Recently I preached on the topic of pornography and offered some recommendations for how to protect yourselves and your children from exposure to pornography, especially on the internet, and how to provide healing from the harm caused by pornography.
With regard to protection, installing an internet filter and/or accountability software is extremely important, especially if your children will be accessing the internet on a computer, tablet, or phone. I have done quite a bit of research on this type of software, and since I have an IT background, I have been able to thoroughly test out some of the top rated applications. There are several very good filtering and accountability software packages available, but the one that I have found to be most effective is called Qustodio. It is quite reasonably priced, and it’s capabilities are very broad. The software is customizable and works on PCs and Macs as well as iOS and Android devices. You can find out more about this application on their website at www.qustodio.com.
With regard to healing from the effects of pornography, there are several very good resources available. First, as I mentioned, a good confessions should be the first step to begin the process of healing. But after that, it may be necessary to pursue additional kinds of healing through counseling, especially if pornography use has developed into a compulsion or addiction. We have a wonderful resource in the archdiocese through Holy Family Counseling, which is a group of faithful Catholic therapists. More information about them can be found on the outreach page of our bulletin. Another helpful resource is an organization called Integrity Restored. They have several articles and helpful tools for combatting struggles associated with pornography. Their website is integrityrestored.com.
Please know of my prayers for all of you who may struggle with pornography, and know that I am available to assist you in any way I can.
