For those attending the March for Life this year:
The Catholic Information Center, downtown Washington’s “street parish” — thought to be the first U.S. Catholic bookstore on Facebook — is poised to be “Blogger Central” on the day of the 2008 March for Life, with free wireless Internet, a 15% discount for pro-life bloggers, and a tea party, plus celebrity book and DVD signings.
“Our store and chapel have traditionally been a respite stop for March-for-Life participants,” noted CIC manager Kevin Jones. “This year, we wanted to do something more, so—since we already offer free wireless internet—we decided to create some special incentives to encourage marchers to show their support for the Culture of Life on the web.”
The 15% discount for pro-life bloggers will apply all day on January 21-22. To receive the discount, pro-life bloggers must register in advance by e-mailing their name and blog URL to info@cicdc.org by Friday, January 18. On the day of the march, those who have registered may give their name to the CIC cashier to receive the discount on anything the store sells, including books, rosaries, jewelry, prayer cards, religious decorations, and stationery.
For the purpose of this discount, and to encourage pro-lifers to have a strong Web presence, the CIC is defining a “pro-life blog” as any family-friendly Web site that actively promotes the culture of life. This includes MySpace and Facebook pages, so long as they contain a prominently displayed pro-life item.
The bookstore recently augmented its own Web site, www.cicdc.org, with a “Catholic Information Center” Facebook page — believed to be the first-ever Facebook fan club for a U.S. Catholic bookstore.
Bloggers who visit the CIC during the afternoon of January 22 will find a special treat: a tea party immediately following the March for Life, from 3-6 p.m., hosted by Dawn Patrol blogger Dawn Eden. Eden, who has appeared on EWTN’s “Life on the Rock,” will be signing copies of her book The Thrill of the Chaste: Finding Fulfillment While Keeping Your Clothes On, which will be available for 25% off the cover price.
“I can’t wait to meet fellow pro-life bloggers from around the country and connect faces to names,” said Eden. “Many of us are already planning to come to the Blogs4Life conference at the Family Research Council earlier that morning, before the March. The tea party is a great change to relax and get to know each other better after the long day and, thanks to the wi-fi, do some ‘liveblogging’ for the folks back home.”
The CIC is located at 1501 K Street NW, and will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the day of the march. Mass will be in the chapel at 12:05 p.m., and the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed there from 1-4 p.m. For more information, contact CIC manager Kevin Jones, (202) 783-2062, or e-mail
6 comments
Here is the Facebook link:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=6663107219&ref=ts
i pray all goes well..
I can’t seem to find the Catholic Information Center on FaceBook. Do you have a link?
I can’t find the CIC facebook group either.
I think that the “Facebook” reference is more of a “looks like Facebook” in their webpage (a reference which I couldn’t find either.) I just sent them an e-mail about it and will post their reply when/if I get it.
On a side note, finding out about the CIC has been a blessing for me. It is an oasis in the middle of Washington DC lobbying country, K Street. Makes it easy for many of us to attend daily Mass (including Latin NO), frequent confessions, and has a great Catholic bookstore. Also, I bet you’ll never see liturgical dancers there (and not because of the chapel size!)
Thanks for the heads up. I’ll try and stop by that day.