Holy Donors: Recent Episodes
Petrus Development
Sharing inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world!
Thanks to countless amazing and generous Catholic philanthropists, humanity has been given so many gifts. These stories of goodness, virtue, kindness and humility are so inspiring. Stories of eradicating disease, building cathedrals and universities, establishing towns and schools, feeding the hungry and serving the poor provide hope to a world so much in need of it.
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Journey with Andrew, Matt, Thaddeus, and Rhen as they walk through the creation of this Holy Donors season featuring Katharine Drexel. They'll offer a behind the scenes look at the research involved, and they each share their takeaways from the season.
All told, the sacrifices that Katharine made in service to God had are lessons for us all. In learning about Katharine's courage and determination, we are all encouraged to serve boldly and faithfully.
Recommended reading: "Saint Katharine" by Cordelia Frances Biddle | “Katharine Drexel: The Riches-to-Rags Story of an American Catholic Saint” by Cheryl Hughes
Specials thanks to Cordelia Frances Biddle for contributing to this season.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
In part 4 of Katharine’s story, we finally see her work come to fruition. In Katharine's lifetime, she saw the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament grow from her original five sisters to 500+. When she passed away at the age of 94, she had survived typhoid fever, multiple heart attacks, bomb threats, riots, prejudices, tornadoes and more. And, through it all, her love for God and His children shined so brightly.
There is no doubt that Katharine used her gifts to further the Kingdom of God and that she truly merits the title of holy donor.
As we hear in Matthew 24:19, “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” Katharine showed that, while it may not be easy to forgo riches in service to God, it truly is worth the sacrifice. ---
Recommended reading: "Saint Katharine" by Cordelia Frances Biddle | “Katharine Drexel: The Riches-to-Rags Story of an American Catholic Saint” by Cheryl Hughes
Specials thanks to Cordelia Frances Biddle for contributing to this season.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Catholic trivia with Mike and Alexandra Foley from the Drinking with the Saints podcast, Matt Bond and Rhen Hoehn from the Holy Donors podcast, Ron Doyon, and Tara Doyon from the Women in Philanthropy podcast. Listen as these podcast hosts duke it out to see who is this episode's champion of Catholic trivia!
In this episode, we learn the radical choice Katharine makes for her future. But, as with most things in Katharine's life, she is not going to simply go with the flow. Instead, she creates her own path and paves a new way. She is a woman on a mission and nothing - not strikes, riots, prejudice, tornadoes, typhoid, or the KKK - will knock her off course.
The Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament will take the world by storm.
Recommended reading: "Saint Katharine" by Cordelia Frances Biddle | “Katharine Drexel: The Riches-to-Rags Story of an American Catholic Saint” by Cheryl Hughes
Specials thanks to Cordelia Frances Biddle for contributing to this season.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
In this episode, we discover that Katharine experienced even more tragedy in her young life. With the death of her father, Katharine lost her North Star, and she struggled to discern God's call for her life.
For six years, Katharine remained indecisive about what to do next. She was torn between life as a nun or life as a wife. The stress of loss and doubt caused her health to decline, and we learn that Katharine eventually made a radical choice.
What choice did she make? Join us next week to find out!
Recommended reading: "Saint Katharine" by Cordelia Frances Biddle | “Katharine Drexel: The Riches-to-Rags Story of an American Catholic Saint” by Cheryl Hughes
Specials thanks to Cordelia Frances Biddle for contributing to this season.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Welcome to this encore season featuring Katharine Drexel, the 2nd American born Catholic saint. We title this season “The Saintly Socialite”, and in the coming episodes, you’ll hear the story of how Katharine makes the intentional choice to go from "riches to rags."
This episode shares details of Katharine’s childhood, and our hosts discuss formative, albeit often tragic, events of Katharine’s youth. Not everything is what it seems, and Katharine is no stranger to death and lies from the very beginning of her life.
How does a young, wealthy, socialite become the saint we know and love?
Recommended reading: "Saint Katharine" by Cordelia Frances Biddle | “Katharine Drexel: The Riches-to-Rags Story of an American Catholic Saint” by Cheryl Hughes
Specials thanks to Cordelia Frances Biddle for contributing to this season.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Welcome to another all-in-one Holy Donors season! As we recently did with our season on George W. Strake, we’re giving you the full season about potential holy donor George Herman “Babe” Ruth, Jr. all at once! Again, we know this makes for a long episode, but it also allows for all of the goodness to arrive at once.
When people think of Babe Ruth, they immediately call to mind his legendary baseball career and his party hard lifestyle off the field. In the coming all-in-one episode, however, our hosts discuss if and how Babe Ruth might deserve the distinction of “holy donor.”
Babe Ruth’s childhood was not an easy one, and our hosts start by sharing stories of Babe Ruth’s youth. We come to understand how, even at a young age, baseball was an important part of his days. Ruth played baseball in high school, and then he made it big as a professional baseball player.
Through the years, Ruth stuns teammates and baseball fans with his unbelievable hitting skills and home run records. His initial years in the major leagues are filled with tremendous success. In 1925, however, Babe Ruth had his worst baseball year yet, and he struggled with almost everything in his life - baseball, teammates, personal life, food, and alcohol, to name a few. Fortunately, Ruth managed to pull himself together in the next year, and he returned to baseball success until his retirement.
Our hosts wrap up the episode by discussing the final years of Babe Ruth’s life, and they share their thoughts on why (or why not!) Ruth merits inclusion in our podcast about holy donors. Long story short, while Babe Ruth’s story is very different from that of our other holy donors (St. Katharine Drexel, for example), those differences don’t discount his potential to have been a great and faithful philanthropist. Take a listen and decide for yourself - is baseball great Babe Ruth also a holy donor?
Recommended reading:
"The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth" by Leigh Montville
“The Babe Ruth Story” by Babe Ruth and Bob Considine
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
_________
Well, friends, we're trying something new this time. Instead of spreading this encore season about George W. Strake out over an entire month, we're giving you the full season at once! This episode is a longer episode that alleviates the impatience of waiting for the following week's episode, and it gives you the entire story of George W. Strake in one place.
What we discover in this all-in-one episode is that George lives a journey that takes him through multiple industries and multiple countries and has him spending all but his last dollar on a chance.
And, at times, this story makes us feel like we’ve stepped into an Indiana Jones movie. The Vatican needed a donor that would give unlimited funds, keep the project a secret, and take the risk that it may fail (as it had already done twice before!), and George W. Strake was the man for the job! George's faith in God and in the project allowed him to be part of not just a great discovery, but it also allowed him to play a pivotal role in saving a large number of Italian Jews from the Nazis.
As the episode conclues, our hosts dig into George’s faith, his generosity, and his care of his family. Will they decide that George Strake merits their title of holy donor? Listen and find out!
Truly, this season was two stories in one, digging for oil and digging for bones. Sometimes you need to be willing to take the big risks to uncover the discoveries that will create a lasting legacy. ---
Recommended reading:
"The Fisherman’s Tomb" by John O’Neill
Special thanks to John O’Neill for contributing to this season.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Hello again! In this week's final episode about St. Francis of Assisi, our hosts discuss Francis's legacy after death. In a show of overwhelming support and rare speed, Pope Gregory IX declared Francis a saint less than two years after his death. Francis's three orders, the ones he started when he was alive, are still thriving today, with members all over the world.
The big question for this week revolves around Francis and his philanthropy. Francis's philanthropic efforts look different than those of previous holy donors. Francis didn't have lots of money that he could give away to help those in need. In fact, when he tried, as a young adult, to give his family's money to the Church, it was rejected. Thus, Francis's philanthropy took the form of in-kind goods and services. He worked to earn money for bricks, paint, and other supplies to repair the Church. He worked to earn the items he needed to make God's Church beautiful, both physically and spiritually.
Our hosts conclude with their verdict: St. Francis is absolutely a holy donor. (Surprising, right?) St. Francis meets and exceeds expectations in all areas of consideration: faithfulness, humility, and radical generosity. Congrats, St. Francis!
Recommended reading:
"Francis of Assisi: A New Biography" by Augustine Thompson
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
In this episode, our hosts return to the story of Francis and the mountain he was gifted, La Verna. At 43 years old, Francis spent 40 days on La Verna in prayer and fasting, contemplating Christ's passion. In response to Francis's fervent prayer to share in Christ's suffering, the stigmata, the wounds of Jesus, appeared on his body and remained there for the rest of his life.
Francis passed away 2 years later, at the age of 45. His last years were full of illness and discomfort, and yet, his faith never wavered. Clare and her sisters cared for Francis, and during this time, he crafted his hymn of praise, Canticle of Brother Sun.
How does Francis's faithful legacy live on after his death? Join us next week to find out!
Recommended reading:
"Francis of Assisi: A New Biography" by Augustine Thompson
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
This week's episode about St. Francis has it all! Our hosts share stories of Francis and family drama, papal visits, world travel, physical violence, and more. Most important, however, is that this episode outlines the bulk of Francis's faithful ministry.
Francis, after hearing God's call to rebuild the Church, turns away from the family business (much to his father's chagrin) and vows to devote his life to service and evangelization. While most of us know the basics of St. Francis and his ministry, this episode draws us deeper into the struggles Francis faced, and it emphasizes how Francis's magnetic personality and his devotion to God changed the Church and the world for the better.
Recommended reading:
"Francis of Assisi: A New Biography" by Augustine Thompson
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Welcome back to Holy Donors! This season we're featuring someone who is likely a crowd favorite, St. Francis of Assisi. While St. Francis is well-known and well-loved, our hosts aim to focus on parts of St. Francis's life that listeners might not know as much about.
In this episode, we hear stories about Francis's childhood, his family, and his fun-loving friends. St. Francis grew up with immense wealth, and it wasn't until he had two conversion experiences in his youth that he considered a life different from that of his family, different from his father's expectations. Instead, St. Francis heard God's call to repair and rebuild the Church.
How does St. Francis repair and rebuild? Join us next week to find out!
Recommended reading:
"Francis of Assisi: A New Biography" by Augustine Thompson
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Journey with Andrew, Matt, Thaddeus and Rhen as they walk through the creation of this season of Holy Donors - The Capitalist: John Raskob. Our hosts share a behind the scenes look at the research involved in the podcast creation and the process of recording the show.
As they share, our hosts remain in awe of John Raskob and all he accomplished, both in the business world and in the Catholic church. They refer back to John's quote, "Go ahead and do things, the bigger, the better..." and marvel at the force of good that John Raskob was for the world.
Recommended reading: "Everybody Ought to be Rich" by David Farber.
Specials thanks to David Farber and Kerry Robinson for contributing to the season.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
In this episode, we come to a turning point in John’s life. It’s during the mid-1920s when he realizes that he has become someone important in the business world. From there, John understands that he can use his business skills to make a notable difference for the Church he loves so much.
Our hosts also share how John establishes a family foundation as the culmination of his philanthropy. The foundation allows John to combine the impact of his wealth and his wisdom to to create a legacy that impacts the Catholic community for decades to come.
Recommended reading: "Everybody Ought to be Rich" by David Farber.
Specials thanks to David Farber and Kerry Robinson for contributing to the season.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
God’s plan is the best plan. We all think we know what is best until something comes along to change our course.
As we become more acquainted with John Raskob, we discover the depth of his faith. Out of defeat and failure, he leans into his faith and comes out even stronger. When his dreams of politics fail, he pivots and asks “What’s next?”
And, what comes next looks a lot like the tallest building in the world.
Recommended reading: "Everybody Ought to be Rich" by David Farber.
Specials thanks to David Farber and Kerry Robinson for contributing to the season.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
"The man, the myth, the legend." Perhaps this phrase could have been coined after the life of John Raskob. Our hosts begin this episode by answering the question, “can John save his relationship with Pierre DuPont?” Fortunately for everyone involved, he does save that relationship, and he and Pierre move on to bigger and better things.
In this episode we follow John through his early career, the beginning of WWI, finding love in an unusual way and creating a family. With 13 children born within 15 years, how do John and Helena raise their children with a strong faith and business sense? And, how will John recieve unique recognition from the Pope?
Recommended reading: "Everybody Ought to be Rich" by David Farber.
Specials thanks to David Farber and Kerry Robinson for contributing to the season.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
For those of you who are just joining us for our Holy Donors podcast, we share an encore of the show's second season featuring John Raskob.
What do GM, the Empire State Building, DuPont Chemical Company, Al Smith, and the DNC have in common? A single man named John Raskob.
Born in Lockport, New York in 1879, to a hard-working family, he demonstrated levels of drive, moxie and gumption that most didn’t understand. He had a drive that just wanted to “do.”
This drive would take him thousands of miles from home, doubling his family’s income, all the way back to New York making deals he wasn’t, strictly speaking, allowed to make for Pierre DuPont in the early 1900s.
How does he go from a small town boy to shaping the business world of the United States, standing on his faith as he goes? “Go ahead and do things. The bigger the better.” – John Raskob
Recommended reading: "Everybody Ought to be Rich" by David Farber.
Specials thanks to David Farber and Kerry Robinson for contributing to the season.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
We’re glad you’re here for our Vince Lombardi wrap party! In typical wrap party fashion, our hosts share their takeaways from the season. In this case, they also note how they really enjoyed discussing a relatively well-known individual after many seasons of learning about obscure Catholic philanthropists.
Andrew, Thaddeus, Matt, and Rhen have a thoughtful discussion about their many takeaways from this season. As they’ve discussed repeatedly, Vince Lombardi was a man of contradictions. He loved football, and he was devoted to his players. Yet, it was his love of the game that caused Vince to be an absent husband. Vince was a devout Catholic who attended daily mass, and yet, his children questioned his love for them. Our hosts ask hard questions. How much of Vince’s flaws can be attributed to the social norms of his time, and how much do we blame him for his shortcomings? How do we invest in the gifts God has given us without sacrificing our spiritual and familial responsibilities?
If you have answers to these questions, or if you have anything to share about this season, leave us a comment on our Instagram (@holydonors) or email us at podcast@petrusdevelopment.com. We’d love to hear from you!
Recommended reading:
"When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi" by David Maraniss
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Once the team finishes telling Vince’s story, they have a spirited discussion about whether or not Vince Lombardi, a man of many contradictions, can join the ranks of their holy donors. Our hosts each take a turn judging Vince on his faithfulness, humility, and radical generosity. Vince was not a wealthy man with lots of money to give, and the team is split as to whether or not Vince’s investment in his players counts as radical generosity. The debate ends in a 2-2 tie.
Given the split, we look to our listeners to break the tie. Do you think Vince Lobmardi was a holy donor? Drop us a line on Instagram (@holydonors) or by emailing us at podcast@petrusdevelopment.com. We’d love to hear from you!
Recommended reading:
"When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi" by David Maraniss
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
It all comes down to this! In this episode, our hosts discuss the end of Vince Lombardi’s life, and they prepare to reflect on whether or not Vince merits the title of holy donor.
We discussed Vince’s retirement at the end of the last episode, and we start this episode with Andrew highlighting the reasons Vince chose to retire when his team was on top. The stress of perfection finally became too much, and Vince retired to ease his mental and physical pain. After a while, he questioned his decision to retire, and he returned to coach the Washington Redskins for a year before ultimately succumbing to cancer in 1970.
The episode closes as our hosts reflect on Vince’s life and legacy. Vince was certainly a man of contradictions on and off the football field. Yet, the most pressing question remains - was Vince Lombardi a holy donor? What do you think? Join us next week to find out what our hosts decided!
Recommended reading:
"When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi" by David Maraniss
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
And, we’re back! Our hosts reconvene to continue their discussion on Vince Lombardi’s career as a football coach. We left off last week with Vince taking over as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers. Vince arrived in Green Bay to coach a terrible football team, and he felt tremendous pressure to be successful. In good news, Vince certainly found professional success in Green Bay. By placing an emphasis on discipline, passion, and training, Vince turned the Packers into a championship team.
Vince’s professional success, however, came at a cost. Vince prioritized football over family, and he was an absent husband and father. Marie and the children struggled to feel Vince’s love given his inattentive and argumentative nature. Vince, however, remained devout to his Catholic faith throughout his coaching career, attending daily mass and praying the rosary regularly. Vince befriended priests and nuns, and often invited them to be with him at football games and at after parties at his home.
After coaching the Packers for a decade, Vince retired. He created a championship football team by demanding discipline and excellence from his players, and he retired when his team was still on top. Why did Vince retire at the height of his success? Join us next week to find out!
Recommended reading:
"When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi" by David Maraniss
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Join us as we return to our discussion about our latest potential holy donor, Vince Lombardi. After college, Vince bounced around a little bit before kicking off his coaching career as assistant football coach at St. Cecilia, a Catholic high school in New Jersey. Our hosts discuss Vince’s early days as a football (and basketball!) coach and explore how his family’s values and his Jesuit education influence his coaching style at St. Cecilia, and later at Fordham and West Point.
In this episode, we also learn a lot about Vince’s marriage to his wife, Marie. The pair married in 1940, and the early years of their marriage were filled with the tragedy of pregnancy loss, followed by Marie’s depression and drinking. Vince and Maria eventually had two children, yet their homelife was not ideal. Vince was largely an absent father, spending most of his time coaching football, and Marie turned to alcohol for comfort.
In 1954, Vince got his chance to move past high school and college football to become assistant coach for a pro football team, the New York Giants. The transition was tough as professional players had much less patience for Vince’s aggressive approach to coaching. With help, Vince adapted and learned to connect with his new team. After 5 years in New York, Vince accepted a head coaching position with the Green Bay Packers.
At this point, Green Bay is not a good team, and Vince is under pressure to turn them around. Will he be successful in creating a winning team in Green Bay? Listen next week to find out!
Recommended reading:
"When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi" by David Maraniss
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Welcome back! We’re glad you’re here for Holy Donors Season 15 featuring Vince Lombardi. Unlike our most recent holy donors, Vince Lombardi is a well-known sportsman. While Vince is most famous for his football legacy and motivational quotes, his devout Catholicism is less well-known. Our hosts spend this season exploring his football, his faith, and his philanthropic legacy.
Born in 1913, Vince grew up in Brooklyn in a large Italian Catholic family. As a child, Vince loved football and Catholicism. Early in life, Vince felt called to the priesthood, but he discerned otherwise in high school, and soon after, his football career took off. Vince moved from a pre-seminary school to a high school with a football team, and he was recruited to Fordham University to study under the Jesuits and to play football.
At Fordham, Vince learned the four pillars of the Jesuit practice of faith: duty, obedience, responsibility, and exercise of free will. Vince thrived on discipline and teamwork, and he found success on and off the football field.
Where does Vince’s football career lead after his college days? Join us next week to find out!
Recommended reading:
"When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi" by David Maraniss
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
That’s a wrap! In this episode, our hosts close out their season on Margaret Haughery. Last week, they voted to include Margaret in their list of holy donors, and this week, our hosts talk about their takeaways from the season. Andrew, Matt, and Thaddeus use several adjectives to describe Margaret: determined, fearless, entrepreneurial, and saintly, among others. They also further discuss Margaret’s relationship to slavery and if and how that negates her holiness in any way.
Andrew introduces next season by sharing the beginning of one of our next philanthropist’s well-known quotes: “Show me a good loser, and I’ll show you a loser.” Can you guess who’s coming next? Join us in a few weeks for Season 16, featuring Vince Lombardi
Recommended reading:
"Margaret, Friend of Orphans" by Mary Lou Widmer
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
We’re glad you’re back! We return to our story about Margaret Haughery, and our hosts spend this episode discussing Margaret’s philanthropic legacy and making their determination as to if Margaret will be added to their list of holy donors.
Margaret’s charitable legacy is extensive. She helped found many orphanages, she gave away a substantial portion of her personal wealth, and much, much more. Though none of the orphanages Margaret helped to found exist today, thousands and thousands of children were fed and housed in those buildings. Without Margaret’s passion for service, the lives of those children would have been even more challenging.
Our hosts share their verdict about Margaret’s merit as a holy donor, and we invite you to judge Margaret’s humility, faithfulness, and radical generosity for yourself. Would you call Margaret Haughery a holy donor?
Recommended reading:
"Margaret, Friend of Orphans" by Mary Lou Widmer
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Welcome back to episode 4 of our season featuring Margaret Haughery! When we ended the last episode, the Civil War was just beginning, and New Orleans was on the cusp of falling to Union command. Despite supply shortages, Margaret persists in running her bakery and ministering to the orphans, the poor and the hungry throughout the war. Margaret boldly served people on both sides of the fight.
Even after the war ended, life in New Orleans was not easy. The war forced more families into poverty and created more widows and orphans who needed care. Margaret continued in her ministry of feeding the hungry until she passed away in 1882. Crowds of mourners showed up for Margaret’s funeral as a testament to the love and generosity she poured on New Orleans.
The episode ends with Margaret’s death, and our next episode will discuss Margaret’s philanthropic legacy. Our hosts, in a burst of fun in this episode, challenge themselves to make comparisons between Margaret’s life and the lives of our many holy donors from seasons prior. Let's see if they get them all!
Recommended reading:
"Margaret, Friend of Orphans" by Mary Lou Widmer
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Thanks for joining us for episode 3 in our Holy Donors season on Margaret Haughery! We ended the previous episode with questions about the future of Margaret’s dairy, and we now learn about the tremendous changes heading Margaret’s way.
Margaret’s dairy had been very successful, yet in this episode, our hosts share about how Margaret sold the dairy in order to take on a new business venture, a bakery. Margaret’s interest in the bakery began when she offered low-interest loans to its owner. Unfortunately, the baker was unable to make his business profitable, and Margaret decided to buy him out and run the bakery herself.
The bakery allowed Margaret to run a second successful business while also feeding the orphans, elderly, and poor of New Orleans with her baked goods. At this point, Margaret also moved out of the orphanage and into an apartment above the bakery, marking the first time she’d lived on her own in nearly 25 years!
Our hosts also include a discussion on slavery in New Orleans at the time. Margaret and the sisters employed slaves, and the national tension over slavery is growing. The Civil War is imminent, and the war will have a profound effect on the people of New Orleans. Join us next time to learn if and how Margaret and her orphans survive the Civil War!
Recommended reading:
"Margaret, Friend of Orphans" by Mary Lou Widmer
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Welcome back! Last week’s episode left us on quite a cliffhanger. The orphans were about to be evicted from their home, and Margaret had made it her mission to find them a new place to live.
Margaret was determined to find someone to donate a house for them, and in true Margaret fashion, she made it happen. In October 1836, the sisters and the orphans moved into their new and improved home.
In a surprising turn of events, a few years later, the diocese received a land donation for an orphanage, and Margaret was again tasked with fundraising for another new orphanage. She was (again!) quite successful, and in 1840, the sisters and orphans moved to a second new home.
Margaret was a genius fundraiser and generous caretaker, and she ran a successful business empire. This period in Margaret’s life, however, was not without challenges. As a port city, New Orleans experienced lacking infrastructure and much disease. In the early 1950s, New Orleans faced a large yellow fever epidemic, and the Sisters of Charity, including Margaret, were called to serve the sick.
Our hosts close this episode by touting Margaret’s financial success with the dairy, her finances, and her investments. Unfortunately, it seems like her success with the dairy is about to take a hit. Join us next time to see what happens!
Recommended reading:
"Margaret, Friend of Orphans" by Mary Lou Widmer
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Thanks for joining us for our 14th season of Holy Donors, featuring another little-known Catholic philanthropist named Margaret Haughery. Margaret was an astute businesswoman who responded to God’s call to serve children in need. Books and online sources have nicknamed Margaret “the mother of orphans”,“friend of orphans”, and more; yet we turn to our hosts to decide if Margaret meets their holy donor criteria of generosity, humility, and faithfulness.
Like many of our other holy donors, Margaret was an Irish Catholic immigrant who came to the U.S. as a child, yet her first years in her new country were marked by tragedy. She lost most of her immediate family to yellow fever, and in a Cinderella style story, Margaret was orphaned and sent to live life as a young servant. Margaret never learned to read or write, yet as will be seen in her later years, Margaret was proactive and wise far beyond her formal education.
When she was 21 years old, Margaret married Charles Haughery and, together, they had a child named Frances. Unfortunately, Margaret’s string of tragedy continued, and both Charles and Frances passed away within a few years. With all of her immediate family gone again, Margaret turned to volunteering at a Sisters of Charity orphanage in New Orleans.
In her efforts to serve and care for the children at the orphanage, Margaret showed her skills in fundraising and business. She saw problems and found solutions. Her passion to serve led her to do whatever it took to make sure the orphans in her charge were well cared for. At the end of this episode, however, Margaret and the orphans are facing eviction. What will happen next? How will Margaret solve this seemingly insurmountable problem?
Recommended reading:
"Margaret, Friend of Orphans" by Mary Lou Widmer
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Hello, again! We return to our season on John Mullanphy just as John is moving his wife and five children further into the frontier to St. Louis. Fortunately, because of his business and language skills, John finds success in St. Louis, and from there, John also extends his business dealings further down the Mississippi to Natchez, Mississippi.
The War of 1812 interrupts some of John’s business dealings, and yet, it also gives him opportunity to get rich quickly. After the war, John starts investing in real estate in St. Louis, and by the time of his death in 1833, John leaves behind a large amount of wealth. During his years in St. Louis, John made his mark as a Catholic philanthropist. He invited orders of sisters to come serve in the city’s hospitals and schools. John built churches and convents, and he was known for his generosity to those in need.
Rhen, Andrew, and Thaddeus close this season on John Mullanphy by discussing whether or not John deserves a place on their list of holy donors. What do you think? Was John Mullapny a holy donor? Listen now to find out what our hosts decided!
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Welcome back to Holy Donors! This 13th season of Holy Donors features a little-known (well, little-known to our team!) entrepreneur and adventurer named John Mullanphy. Rhen ran across John Mullanphy’s name in a footnote in a Catholic philanthropy text, and he was intrigued. After doing some initial research, our team of hosts decided Mullanphy deserved recognition as a potential holy donor.
John Mullanphy was born in Northern Ireland in the mid-1700s, and because of the persecution of Catholics in Ireland, he immigrated to the United States with his wife and child just before the turn of the century. John first took his family to Philadelphia and Baltimore, and they eventually settled on the American frontier in Frankfort, Kentucky. An entrepreneur at heart, John opened several stores in Frankfort, and he worked to improve the town’s transportation infrastructure.
After the War of 1812, John met a friend, Charles, who encouraged him to adventure further into the frontier to St. Louis. John accepts the challenge and moves his family to St. Louis. What will the Mullanphy family find in St. Louis? Join us next time to find out!
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
The guys crown the Holy Donors March Madness 2023 champion!
Today we work our way through rounds three and four of the bracket.
Follow us on Instagram, @holydonors, to follow along as the bracket progresses.
Round 3
West
Katharine Drexel (#1 seed) vs. Pierre Toussaint (#1 seed)
East
Sarita Kenedy East (#1 seed)* vs. Catherine Doherty (#1 seed)
*We realized too late that this should have been George Strake, based on Roudn 2 results, but a mistake was made while recording it live. Oops!
The guys continue with the Holy Donors March Madness bracket contest to determine the "holiest donor!"
Today we work our way through round two of the bracket, watch for the final two rounds tomorrow!
Follow us on Instagram, @holydonors, to follow along as the bracket progresses.
Round 2
NW Region
Katharine Drexel (#1 seed) vs. Danny Thomas (#2 seed)
SW Region
Pierre Toussaint (#1 seed) vs. John Raskob (#2 seed)
NE Region
Sarita Kenedy East (#1 seed) vs. George Strake (#2 seed)
SE Region
Catherine Doherty (#1 seed) vs. King Canute IV (#3 seed)
Join the guys as they pit each of the Holy Donors subjects from the first 12 seasons against each other in a bracket-style showdown! Who will be the "Holiest Donor?" Who will be eliminated quickly?
Today we work our way through round one of the bracket, watch for round two tomorrow!
Follow us on Instagram, @holydonors, to follow along as the bracket progresses.
NW Region
1. Katharine Drexel
2. Danny Thomas
3. Babe Ruth
SW Region
1. Pierre Toussaint
2. John Raskob
3. Tim Scanlan
NE Region
1. Sarita Kenedy East
2. George Strake
3. JFK
SE Region
1. Catherine Doherty
2. Margaret Brown
3. King Canute IV
Welcome back! We’re glad you’re here for our Season 12 wrap party! As with previous wrap parties, our hosts spend the episode discussing what they knew about Sarita Kenedy East prior to recording (almost nothing!) and what they most enjoyed about the season.
In addition to sharing their enjoyment of seasons set in the Wild West, our hosts discuss how impressed they are with Sarita’s loyalty and courage. They also (again!) share their dismay at how many wealthy philanthropists die without having their affairs in order. These holy donors clearly want to improve the world with their wealth, yet their lack of ONE legal almost destroys their legacy. Long story short, if you’re listening to this podcast and you don’t yet have a will, get working on it!
We close by announcing the featured donor for our next season - John Mullanphy. We hope you’ll join us for Season 13!
Recommended reading:
"If You Love Me, You Will Do My Will" by Stephen Michaud and Hugh Aynesworth
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
In 1981, twenty years after Sarita’s death, we finally get resolution to Sarita Kenedy East's will drama. Brother Leo’s final appeal is rejected, and Sarita’s estate can finally be settled. This 1981 court decision confirms the 1964 settlement, and it seems to uphold Sarita’s wishes. The Oblate fathers receive the ranch headquarters, and Sarita’s estate is finally able to fund the foundation that she started the year before she passed, the John G and Stella Marie Kenedy Memorial Foundation.
The Kenedy Memorial Foundation still exists today, and it continues to honor Sarita’s legacy by funding primarily Catholic organizations and dioceses.
To close this episode, our hosts share their thoughts on whether or not Sarita Kenedy East meets their standards for the title of holy donor. As is always the case, our hosts judge Sarita on her humility, faithfulness, and radical generosity; and after having tuned in for all the episodes of this season, it’s unlikely that any listener will be surprised by their verdict!
Recommended reading:
"If You Love Me, You Will Do My Will" by Stephen Michaud and Hugh Aynesworth
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
This episode is quite the adventure! We return to our telling of Sarita Kenedy East’s philanthropic legacy just after her death, and we learn that Sarita’s problem is not the lack of a will. Instead, it’s the opposite. Sarita has 2 wills, and the presence of multiple wills leads to nearly 20 years of court battles and frozen assets.
Written in 1948, Sarita’s first will leaves the bulk of her inheritance to the Diocese of Corpus Christi and the Oblate Fathers, but it also gives some small portions of wealth to family members. In the last decade of Sarita’s life, however, she meets and befriends a Trappist monk named Brother Leo. Sarita and Brother Leo forge a close friendship, and they travel the Americas and make plans to use Sarita’s wealth to fund Brother Leo’s missions. Sarita writes a new will in 1960, less than a year before her death, and she leaves all of her money to a foundation started by her, Brother Leo, and another friend, Peter Grace.
Needless to say, the beneficiaries of the 1948 will are displeased with the 1960 will, and they try to find ways to invalidate the later will. For nearly 2 decades, potential beneficiaries of both of Sarita’s wills try to stake their claims to the inheritance through court cases and appeals. Which side will prevail?
Recommended reading:
"If You Love Me, You Will Do My Will" by Stephen Michaud and Hugh Aynesworth
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
We return to our journey through Sarita Kenedy East’s life just as her grandfather, Mifflin Kenedy, passes away, in true Holy Donors fashion, without a will. Sarita’s father manages to buy out his siblings and become owner of the family ranch, La Parra. Sarita grows up on La Parra, and this episode focuses on her life on the ranch and her philanthropic efforts both on and off the ranch.
As an adult, Sarita is a proud Texas rancher. She successfully manages La Parra and its community of employees. Sarita is a very generous leader, and she cares for her employees and their families well by offering housing, medical care, food, and supplies, etc.
Off the ranch, Sarita offers financial support to Catholic organizations around Texas. Sarita helps to fund churches, hospitals, and schools, and she remains humble in her giving. She often refuses recognition and praise for her philanthropy.
Sarita passes away in 1961, over a decade after her husband and closest family members pass, and though she dies with a will, it’s not without its challenges. Our hosts close this episode by teasing the drama that is to come for Sarita’s estate and philanthropic legacy after her death, and they promise a wild ride for the 3rd episode in Sarita’s season. Join us next week to find out what happens next!
Recommended reading:
"If You Love Me, You Will Do My Will" by Stephen Michaud and Hugh Aynesworth
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Welcome to the 12th season of Holy Donors! We just finished up our season on JFK, and we return with another Kenedy, a Kenedy with one N and with no relation to the Kennedy family from last season. We spend this season learning about the life and philanthropy of Sarita Kenedy East.
Our hosts open by sharing that Sarita Kenedy was “the granddaughter of one of the authentic giants in southwestern history,” Captain Mifflin Kenedy. Captain Mifflin is a steamboat captain, an astute businessman, and an empire builder; and he is the focus of this episode as our hosts set the stage for the times in which Sarita Kenedy lived and the family that surrounded her.
As we will see throughout this season, Sarita Kenedy grew up on the South Texas frontier, surrounded by a large, chaotic family, with sometimes threatening circumstances. Despite the turmoil around her, Sarita remains calm, steady, and faithful. We hope you’ll join us as we share the story of how Sarita maintains her faith in the face of adversity and discover the magnitude of her philanthropic work.
Recommended reading:
"If You Love Me, You Will Do My Will" by Stephen Michaud and Hugh Aynesworth
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Welcome to our wrap party for our recent season featuring John F. Kennedy! During wrap parties, our hosts take turns sharing their takeaways and overall impression of the season. At this wrap party, our hosts highlight the uniqueness of this season. First, unlike many previous holy donors, JFK is a known entity. All of our hosts (and most of our listeners!) already knew about JFK, his life, and his politics. Thus, our hosts worked hard to narrow their focus of the season to JFK’s life as a Catholic man. Second, this is the only season in 11 seasons that ends without the conclusion that the featured individual is a holy donor. While all of the hosts respect JFK’s leadership and courage, they do not think that JFK demonstrated sufficient levels of faithfulness and philanthropy to elevate him to the level of a holy donor.
That said, our hosts also spend some time pondering what JFK might have become if his life hadn’t been cut short by assassination. So many of our previous holy donors did the bulk of their philanthropy in their 50s, 60s, and 70s. Perhaps, if given the opportunity of a few more decades of living, JFK would have also become a holy donor!
With that, we conclude our adventures through the life and legacy of JFK. We hope you’ll join us next season when we delve into the philanthropic works of Sarita Kenedy East!
Recommended reading:
"Jack: A Life Like No Other" by Geoffrey Perret
"An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy" by Robert Dallek
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
We’re glad you’re back for our final episode of our Holy Donors season featuring John F. Kennedy. In this episode, our hosts discuss whether or not JFK meets their criteria to be named as one of their holy donor . As usual, the hosts judge JFK on his faithfulness, his humility, and his radical generosity.
SPOILER ALERT:
In a rare turn of events, our hosts conclude that John F. Kennedy is not a holy donor. In 11 seasons of the Holy Donors podcast, this is the first season in which our hosts have failed to call the season’s subject a holy donor. Our hosts agree that JFK has admirable courage, strength, and leadership skills, but they all conclude that he falls short in the show’s metrics of faithfulness, humility, and generosity.
That said, our hosts all agree that this season, even with its lack of a holy donor, is a worthwhile season. We hope you’ll have learned something new about JFK, and while JFK was not exceptional in his faithfulness, humility, and generosity, he did show instances of all of those qualities. This season reminds us that all of us can be faithful, humble, and generous, even if we don’t do it to the magnitude of the saints or even our other holy donors.
Recommended reading:
"Jack: A Life Like No Other" by Geoffrey Perret
"An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy" by Robert Dallek
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
We rejoin our hosts as they begin to outline JFK’s political career. We remember from the previous episode that Jack’s father, Joe Sr., has great ambition for Jack’s political future, and he uses his money and his influence to help Jack to political victory. In this episode, we follow Jack through his days in the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and finally, the presidency.
Throughout these years, Jack still struggles with his health. He has another back surgery, and he’s the recipient of experimental treatment for Addison’s disease. Jack’s physical suffering is significant, but he remains bold and focused despite his illnesses.
Our hosts spend some time discussing what we know about Jack’s philanthropy during his political years. We learn of Jack’s gifts to Catholic Charities and to Boston churches, and we discover that Jack never took a salary while in political office. He, instead, donated it to charity. That said, is this philanthropy and faithfulness evidence enough to name JFK as a holy donor? Listen next week to hear what our hosts decide!
Recommended reading:
"Jack: A Life Like No Other" by Geoffrey Perret
"An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy" by Robert Dallek
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Welcome back as we continue our story about our next potential holy donor, John F. Kennedy. We return to JFK’s story as he (Jack) is getting ready to go to college and as his father, Joe Sr., is entering politics with the help of President Roosevelt. Joe Sr. still very much believes power is found in government leadership, and he continues to encourage a political future for his children, especially Joe Jr.
Jack follows in his father’s and older brother’s footsteps and goes to Harvard, still physically unwell, and trying unsuccessfully to be a college athlete. When Joe Sr. becomes US ambassador to Great Britain, JFK heads to London with him for a summer, and he travels Europe, observing pre-WW2 conditions. When World War II begins, Joe Sr. pulls some strings to allow Jack to enlist in the Navy despite his physical ailments. Jack successfully leads his patrol torpedo boat crew to survival after their boat is destroyed at sea, yet his naval service worsens his health, and he returns home to pain and surgery.
As Jack settles in back home, the family gets news of Joe Jr.’s death in a plane explosion. Upon losing his oldest son, Joe Sr. turns his dreams of political leadership to Jack, and he clearly finds success. Join us next week as we learn how Jack becomes our nation’s first Catholic president!
Recommended reading:
"Jack: A Life Like No Other" by Geoffrey Perret
"An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy" by Robert Dallek
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Hello and happy new year! We’re so glad you’re back with us for our newest season of Holy Donors. This season, we’re taking a look at the life and philanthropy of our former president, John Fitzgerald Kennedy. JFK’s fame makes this season unique. Because most everyone already knows JFK and has opinions on his political legacy, our hosts are only going to talk about Kennedy’s military and political history as it pertains to his philanthropy. Instead, our hosts have made a conscious decision to focus on Kennedy’s life, not as a president, but as a Catholic man in America.
Born in May 1917 to an Irish Catholic family in Boston, John Fitzgerald Kennedy (Jack) was the second child to Rose and Joe Kennedy. Rose was a quiet woman, very devout and pious. JFK’s father, Joe, on the other hand, was quite an opportunist. He found (or created!) opportunities to acquire power and money, and he wasn’t afraid to use connections (and sometimes coercion!) to get what he wanted.
All told, JFK’s childhood wasn’t brimming with love and happiness. He went to a boarding school where he was picked on by other students, he was seriously ill multiple times as a child, his mother wasn’t openly affectionate, and his father had a clear favorite child (and it wasn’t him!). JFK’s father, Joe Sr., created an atmosphere of competition in his family. He had big dreams for his children, and he insisted that they do something important with their lives. When Joe Sr. heard from a friend about the potential power of government leaders, he started pushing his children, especially Jack, to enter politics. How will Joe Sr.’s dreams affect JFK’s future? Join us next week to find out!
Recommended reading:
"Jack: A Life Like No Other" by Geoffrey Perret
"An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy" by Robert Dallek
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Welcome Back! When our last episode ended, it was 1086, and King Canute IV was in a church, surrounded by angry aristocrats and their armies. Unfortunately, King Canute does not make it out of the church alive. After he offers his final confession and receives Holy Communion, King Canute the Saint dies when a spear is thrown through a window and kills him. King Canute is buried in the church where he died, and he was canonized at the turn of the century by Pope Paschal II.
We knew going in that this would be a very short season, and with this episode, we wrap it all up. Before closing, however, our hosts all share their opinions on Canute’s designation as a holy donor. Is King Canute the Saint a holy donor? Yes, he is. Each of our hosts conclude that he is a holy donor, and they share their reasons for this decision based on the metrics of faithfulness, humility, and radical generosity. Join us to hear the details of their conclusion and learn why Andrew, Matt, Thaddeaus, and Rhen agree that the story of King Canute the Saint is a great story just waiting to be told.
Side note: This final episode also includes some fun with our friends Mike and Alexandra Foley, hosts of the Drinking With the Saints podcast. Knowing what they do about King Canute the Saint, Mike and Alexandra suggest a drink called the Great Dane (the country, not the dog!) would make a great pairing for anyone who is interested in a cocktail while learning about King Canute the Saint.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
We are excited to introduce our new season of Holy Donors featuring King Canute the Saint. This season is different from our others in that it’s a shorter season, and it takes us much, much further back in time (over 1000 years ago!) to the time of the Vikings. Canute was born in Denmark in 1042 to Sweyn II, King of Denmark and father to more than 20 children, 5 of which followed him as king.
Sweyn II died in 1076, and although it is rumored that Canute was his favorite child, Canute’s brother Harald, at the pleasure of the country’s aristocrats, was the first to take the throne. Canute became King of Denmark in 1080, and he was known as King Canute the Saint. Canute was married to Adele of Flanders and, together, they had three children.
As king, Canute was a bold and faithful leader. He did whatever he thought was right, even if he upset Denmark's elite. He was a devout and disciplined Catholic, faithful to his wife (unlike his father!) and eager to spread the Gospel. He, in part, used his role as leader to build churches and support missionaries, using taxes paid by the aristocracy.
Upset with Canute’s actions as King of Denmark, the aristocrats rebel, and they and their armies trap Canute, his brother, and a small number of loyal soldiers in St. Alban’s in Odense. They plan to kill Canute and take control of the country. Will King Canute survive? Join us next time to find out!
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
That’s a wrap! Thank you for joining us for the wrap party and final episode of our Holy Donors’ season on Catherine Doherty. Our hosts all unanimously agree that this season was a joy to research and produce.
A listener suggested that the team look into Catherine Doherty as a potential holy donor, and our hosts admit they all knew next to nothing about Catherine going into this season’s research. That said, in this episode, our hosts ponder together the questions of her relative obscurity. Why haven’t more of us heard of Catherine Doherty and her radical generosity?
As they discuss their takeaways from this season, our hosts highlight Catherine’s boldness, her dedication, her faithfulness, and especially, her perseverance in her service to God and those He called her to serve. Catherine had an unusually radical approach to her call to service, and our hosts remind us that, while we can absolutely learn from her ministry and mission, we cannot compare her methods to our own. We are all encouraged to find our mission and pursue it as we hear God calling us to do so. .
Recommended reading:
"Fragments of my Life" by Catherine Doherty
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Welcome back to Holy Donors as we continue our story about Catherine Doherty’s life and legacy. In this episode, our hosts, Rhen, Thaddeus, and Matt, share about the later years in Catherine’s life, and they wrap up the episode with Thaddeus sharing that Catherine is one of the most “amazing public Catholics that I’ve never heard of.”
We return to Catherine’s story as she and her new husband Eddie are pushed out of the Harlem Friendship House. Looking for a change in scenery, the couple moved to a small, rural town in Canada called Combermere. As they did in Harlem, Catherine and Eddie lived in relative poverty and begged for their necessities. They wrote letters to friends and acquaintances around the world asking for both funds and goods, for themselves and for their new ministry.
Catherine and Eddie started Madonna House in Combermere, and thus, Catherine established the final of her three main apostolates. Catherine still directly served those in need in her community, and she and Eddie also opened Madonna House as a retreat for people needing a quiet place to pray and listen to God. Catherine served her community with passion and diligence until her death in 1985.
To close the episode, our hosts share their thoughts on whether or not Catherine Doherty deserves to make their list of holy donors. Unsurprisingly, Rhen, Matt, and Thaddeus all agree that Catherine absolutely meets their metrics of holiness as based on faithfulness, humility and radical generosity.
Recommended reading:
"Fragments of my Life" by Catherine Doherty
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
And, our story about Catherine Doherty and the ups and downs of her life continues…
We return to the story just after a scandal forced Catherine to leave her ministry, Friendship House, in Toronto. Left without a ministry home, Catherine left Canada to visit Dorothy Day in New York. From there she began traveling throughout Europe and writing magazine articles about the Catholic influence on society.
After a brief stopover in New York to open a Friendship House in Harlem, Catherine traveled back to Europe, Poland specifically, to see how Catholics fared after the German invasion. True to her ministerial and caretaking nature, Catherine served as a nurse in Warsaw until she was forced to flee and return to Harlem. Back in New York, Catherine served the poor in Harlem, building relationships with those in need, and she was very outspoken about the extensive racial prejudice that existed in the city.
Catherine’s life took an unexpected turn when she met a well-known reporter, Eddie Doherty. Eddie came to Harlem for work, and he met and pursued a relationship with a very hesitant Catherine. To be in a relationship with Catherine, Eddie had to give up his wealth, but because of his love for Catherine, he agreed to do so. The two married in 1943, but their relationship caused a rift in the Harlem Friendship House, and for the second time, Catherine was forced to step down from her ministry.
Once again, it seemed like all was lost, but fortunately, there is more to Catherine’s story! What happens next? Come back next week to find out!
Recommended reading:
"Fragments of my Life" by Catherine Doherty
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
We return, this week, to our adventures through the life and service of Catherine Doherty. Last week’s episode ended with Catherine and her husband, Boris, struggling to survive starvation, illness, and isolation in Finland. In an unexpected turn of events, Finland turned against the Communists, and in doing so, gave Catherine and Boris a chance to survive. The pair eventually returned to Russia to fight in the country’s ongoing civil war, but an injury forced them to leave the country again.
Catherine and Boris spent some time together in both London and Toronto, and they had a son, George. Unfortunately, their marriage struggled, and their poverty forced them to make decisions that split up the family. Catherine ended up in New York alone, and she found professional and financial success as a storyteller for the Chautauqua speakers circuit.
In the United States, however, Catherine also experienced a depth and inequality of poverty unlike the wartime poverty she’d previously known. Her experience of poverty in North America rekindled a childhood dream to live like St. Francis, and over the course of several years, she gave away all of her fortune and decided to live among the poor, serving them in any way she could. Catherine, like those she served, begged for food and fuel, and although she intended to work alone, others soon came to join her ministry. Unfortunately, Catherine’s ministry was not without controversy, and she eventually shut it down.
How does Catherine adapt and continue in her service to the poor? Join us next week to find out!
Recommended reading:
"Fragments of my Life" by Catherine Doherty
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Welcome! We are thrilled to begin our new season of Holy Donors, and this time, our hosts introduce us to the life and service of Catherine Doherty. While Catherine Doherty may be relatively unknown to most of us, she is a brave and faithful servant, and we are excited to share her story with you.
Catherine was born to Russian nobility in the late 1800s, and throughout her childhood, she traveled the worldwith her family. Catherine’s father was a Russian diplomat, and thus, Catherine spoke many languages and learned many cultures. Faith was a strong part of her family life, and Catherine loved and served God from an early age. Catherine married her cousin Boris de Hueck at 15 years, and soon after they married, World War I began.
Both Catherine and Boris served in the Russian military in the war, yet when the Russian army disbanded and the couple returned to St. Petersburg, their upper class status made them an enemy of the incoming communist movement. Starving and weak, Catherine and Boris fled to Finland in hopes of finding food and health, but Finland proved to be just as harsh, and the episode ends as the pair is ill and starving to death. How do they survive? Join us next time to find out!
Recommended reading:
"Fragments of My Life" by Catherine Doherty
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
In today’s wrap party episode, our hosts, Thaddeus, Andrew, Matt, and Rhen, share their thoughts on this season of Holy Donors about Pierre Toussaint. They all agree that, despite knowing almost nothing about the Venerable Pierre Toussaint prior to their research for this season, they are so glad they chose Pierre as one of their holy donors.
Thaddeus shares the challenges he faced in leading this season. Not only was this the furthest back in history our hosts have gone back to find a Holy Donor (e.g. less available documentation to review), but Thaddeus tried to be mindful about how to present difficult, accurate information about the history of slavery and the Catholic church’s stance on slavery. (Thank you, Thaddeus, for accepting this challenge!)
While they joke about the sheer amount of money that women in Pierre’s day spent on their hair, our hosts also agree that this season is more subdued and heavy than some of the other seasons of Holy Donors. That said, thank you for joining us to hear our hosts’ lessons learned during their studies of Pierre’s life and legacy, and we hope you, too, will be inspired by Pierre’s faithful, joyful generosity.
Recommended reading:
Pierre Toussaint: A Biography by Arthur Jones
Ten Christians: By Their Deeds You Shall Know Them by Boniface Hanley
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
We’re glad you’re back! In the first 3 episodes of this season of Holy Donors, Thaddeus, Andrew, Matt, and Rhen discuss the details of Pierre Toussaint's life. In this 4th episode, they focus on Pierre’s philanthropy and his legacy. The episode ends with each of our hosts casting his vote for whether or not Pierre Toussaint deserves to be called a holy donor.
In his lifetime, Pierre proved to be a holy, loving man. He served God, his family, and his community in so many ways, both big and small. Pierre helped beggars in the streets, he treated the poor during the cholera outbreak, he purchased freedom from slavery for his loved ones, and he and Juliette raised their niece Euphemia after Rosalie’s death. On a grander scale, Pierre founded orphanages, funded construction of old St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and offered financial support to an order of nuns in Baltimore. Pierre earned good money as a hairdresser, and he and Juliette prioritized sharing their wealth with people in need. Because of Pierre’s faith and generosity, the Archdiocese of New York submitted Pierre’s application for canonization to the Vatican in 1986.
All that to say, you likely won't be surprised that our hosts declare, without hesitation, that Pierre Toussaint absolutely merits his place on our list of holy donors.
Recommended reading:
Pierre Toussaint: A Biography by Arthur Jones
Ten Christians: By Their Deeds You Shall Know Them by Boniface Hanley
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
And, we’re back! This week’s episode returns us to Pierre’s life in New York after his master, Jean Jacques Bérard, dies on a trip to Haiti. Upon Bérard’s death, Pierre is left to care for Bérard’s widow, Marie, and as the de facto head of household, Pierre supports her well on his hairdresser’s wages. Pierre is a popular hairdresser among New York City’s wealthy socialites, and he works long hours, spending his money responsibly.
Pierre’s life continues as such until 1807 when the widow Marie passes away. Before she dies, however, Marie makes sure that Pierre is freed from slavery. Pierre spent 40 years in selfless service to the Bérard family, and in 1807, he begins his life as a free man in New York City. In the coming years, Pierre marries Juliette, and together they raise Pierre’s niece after sister Rosalie’s death.
Join us this week for a look into Pierre’s daily life. We learn of his selflessness in his relationship to the Bérard family and his own family. We also learn of Pierre’s service to his community. He helps where he can, when he can, in so many ways. We close this episode with a quote about Pierre from his friend General Philip Schuyler, “I have known Christians who are not gentlemen, gentlemen who are not Christians, one man I know who is both - and that man is black.” Come back next week to hear more about Pierre’s philanthropic giving.
Recommended reading:
Pierre Toussaint: A Biography by Arthur Jones
Ten Christians: By Their Deeds You Shall Know Them by Boniface Hanley
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
In today’s episode, we return to our story of Pierre Toussaint’s exodus from Saint Domingue during the Haitian Revolution. The Bérard family and the Toussaint siblings leave an island of fire and ruins, and they sail to New York City When they arrive in New York City, they find the nation's capital, a city of sixty thousand inhabitants, to be a commercial and cultural hub.
Pierre and the Bérard family are popular upon their arrival in NYC as there are plenty of wealthy New Yorkers who thirst for exposure to French culture. Mr. Bérard arranges it so Pierre becomes a hairdresser’s apprentice, and Pierre learns the trade quickly. Being that Pierre is young, intelligent, and speaks fluent French, he is in high demand among wealthy socialites who want him to style their hair.
While Pierre is finding success in NYC, Mr. Bérard heads back to Haiti to check on the family plantation. During his trip, Mr. Bérard becomes ill and dies, leaving no one to manage or claim the family’s property. The Bérard family estate in Haiti disappears.
Back in New York City, Pierre is left to care for the widow Bérard. Pierre, though still a slave to the family, is financially successful and generous in his support for Bérard’s widow. But, with Mr. Bérard’s death, there are major changes to come to the Bérard household in New York. How will Pierre and widow Bérard survive in NYC while learning to navigate their new relationship dynamic? Join us next week to hear how the story continues!
Recommended reading:
Pierre Toussaint: A Biography by Arthur Jones
Ten Christians: By Their Deeds You Shall Know Them by Boniface Hanley
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Welcome back to the new season of Holy Donors! We are excited to return from our summer vacations and explore the life and generosity of this season’s star, Pierre Toussaint. Pierre Toussaint was born into slavery on the French colony of Saint Domingue (Saint Domingue was what we know today as independent Haiti), and he served as a trusted domestic slave to his master Jean Jacques Bérard. When Bérard and his family fled Saint Domingue in the middle of the Haitian Revolution, he took Pierre Toussaint and his sister Rosalie with them to New York City. In New York City, Pierre made a name for himself as a hairdresser and a philanthropist.
The bulk of this initial episode revolves around a discussion on the history of slavery and on an overview of the Haitian Revolution, a revolution which proved to be a key turning point in Pierre’s life. Thaddeus shares details about the dangerous, unforgiving lives of the slaves on Saint Domingue, and he highlights the slaves’ importance in maintaining Saint Domingue’s distinction as a leading producer of sugar and coffee products.
Thaddeus continues the story of Saint Domingue’s history as France’s thriving slave colony to it’s dissolution into violence and rebellion during the Haitian Revolution. Bérard and his family try to outlast the slave rebellion on Saint Domingue, but after 6 years of waiting for the unrest to settle, the family is forced to flee, taking Pierre with them. Their flight from the island is far from a guaranteed success. Join us next week to hear about Pierre’s journey from the Caribbean to NYC and learn about how a Haitian slave finds success as a hairdresser.
Recommended reading:
"Pierre Toussaint: A Biography" by Arthur Jones
"Ten Christians: By Their Deeds You Shall Know Them" by Boniface Hanley
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
The guys will be taking a short break for the summer, but we'll be back to discuss more holy donors in September!
It’s time for this season’s wrap party! Join Andrew, Matt, Thaddeus, and Rhen as they finish out this season of Holy Donors featuring Texas philanthropist Tim Scanlan. As is typical with Holy Donors’ wrap parties, our hosts share jokes and a behind the scenes look at how the group chose Tim Scanlan as one of its holy donors.
Our hosts also share their takeaways from this season. Each host highlights a few of the lessons about family, faith, and philanthropy that he learned from this journey through Tim Scanlan's life. As an extra bonus, Andrew, Rhen, and Matt emphasize the important tasks of estate planning and planned giving. Though Tim Scanlan’s lack of a will at his death turned out okay because he’d made his wishes clear to his very conscientious daughters, we may not all be so lucky if we don’t specify how our wealth should be spent in the future!
The Holy Donors podcast will be taking a summer break for the next few months. Plan to join us again in September when we’re back with interesting stories about another holy donor!
Recommended reading:
The Story of the Scanlan Foundation. Platek, Julie. Houston: The Scanlan Foundation, 2016. Print.
Can be found here or on the following website: https://scanlanfoundation.org/about-us/#our-history
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
Join our hosts, Andrew, Matt, Thaddeus, and Rhen, as they conclude their journey through Tim Scanlan’s life (and his daughters’ lives) by sharing stories of what happens with Scanlan’s wealth after Scanlan and all of his daughters pass away.
Stella was the final Scanlan sister to pass away, and following her death, nearly two dozen cousins came out of the woodwork to challenge Stella’s will, the will that ultimately gave all of family’s wealth to start a family foundation. Fortunately, after months of legal battles, a judge upheld the validity of Stella’s will and allowed for the establishment of the Scanlan Foundation.
With the lawsuit settled and the foundation established, Tim Scanlan’s wealth put to good use serving the Catholic Church throughout Texas. The Scanlan Foundation is the greatest legacy of Scanlan and his daughters, and to date, the foundation has distributed $150 million to Catholic dioceses and ministries around the state. That said, the Scanlan Foundation is not the only mark the family left on Houston. The Scanlan family’s civic and philanthropic endeavors during their lifetimes touch on so many parts of the city’s growth and community development. The family’s charitable endeavors and activism advanced Houston's infrastructure, housing, cemeteries, education, missionary efforts, and more.
This episode concludes with a discussion between our hosts to determine if Tim Scanlan merits inclusion in our list of holy donors. Listen in to see which of our hosts’ opinions most closely match your own!
Recommended reading:
The Story of the Scanlan Foundation. Platek, Julie. Houston: The Scanlan Foundation, 2016. Print.
Can be found here or on the following website: https://scanlanfoundation.org/about-us/#our-history
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
In this episode of Holy Donors, Andrew, Matt, Thaddeus, and Rhen return to tell the story of what happens to Tim Scanlan’s fortune after he passes away without a will. When Scanlan dies, he is survived by seven daughters. Despite his lack of a formal written will, Scanlan had told his family and his attorney that all of his money should be given equally to his daughters, and upon the deaths of his children, the remaining money should be used to support the Catholic Church.
The Scanlan sisters work to fulfill what they know to be their father’s wishes. They first finish building a tall office building, the Scanlan Building, on family property in downtown Houston. In subsequent years, they work to run the family business, and they start a few small side businesses of their own. None of Scanlan’s daughters, however, share his ambitious nature, and the sisters live a relatively humble, anti-social life.
Every so often, however, unfavorable circumstances would force the sisters into a legal battle in order to protect the wealth of their father’s estate. Our hosts describe these battles and the sisters’ response to adversity. Unfortunately, because of this controversy, the remaining sisters (2!) eventually move out of Houston and cut ties with the city. The sisters continue the family’s charitable endeavors from their new home, supporting many Catholic organizations and families.
In 1950, Stella, the last remaining Scanlan sister passes away, and her will is hotly contested by distant cousins. The future of the Scanlan fortune remains uncertain for many months, and in next week’s episode, we will hear more details about if and how the Scanlan family continues to fulfill Tim Scanlan’s wishes for Catholic philanthropy.
Recommended reading:
The Story of the Scanlan Foundation. Platek, Julie. Houston: The Scanlan Foundation, 2016. Print.
Can be found here or on the following website: https://scanlanfoundation.org/about-us/#our-history
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Episode 2
We return to Tim Scanlan’s story right as the Civil War is beginning. Still living in Houston, Scanlan had started working in the cotton trade, he married, and his wife Sophia was pregnant when Texas started drafting its male residents to join the Confederate army. Scanlan did not support slavery, and he refused to fight for the Confederacy. Thus, Scanlan flees Texas and lives in Mexico, making quite a bit of money, for several years until the Civil War ends.
After the Civil War, Scanlan returns to Texas and he begins his career in politics. During the Reconstruction years, Scanlan serves in both appointed and elected roles, and he eventually serves 3 terms as Houston’s mayor. Houston is growing at a tremendous rate, and his tenure is not without controversy. Our hosts share the successes and challenges of Scanlan’s political leadership and his aspirations to turn Houston into “the Chicago of the south”!
Tim Scanlan passes away in 1906, just after he retires from his career in public service. Scanlan dies a very wealthy man, however, he dies without a will. What will happen to his fortune after his death? If you're curious, join us next week to find out!
Recommended reading:
The Story of the Scanlan Foundation. Platek, Julie. Houston: The Scanlan Foundation, 2016. Print.
Can be found on the following website: https://scanlanfoundation.org/about-us/#our-history
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Join us for this season of Holy Donors as we meet Thomas Howe Scanlan and take a journey through Texas history. Nicknamed Tim and TH, Thomas Scanlan is a little known, albeit quite important, figure in Texas history. In this season, our hosts share stories of Tim Scanlan and discuss how and why they think Tim merits a spot in a podcast about holy donors.
Born in Ireland in 1832, Tim and his family struggled with poverty and religious oppression in Ireland. In 1840, the family took a six week journey across the Atlantic and settled in their new home in New York City. Tim stayed in New York City until he was 21 years old, and then he moved to Houston, TX and started a successful business. Tim married Sophia Ebert, in 1861, yet just as Tim finds personal and professional success, the United States is on the verge of civil war.
At this point in the episode, our hosts, Andrew, Matt, Thaddeus, and Rhen give us a crash course on pre-Civil War Texas history. These details will set the stage for Tim’s choices in adulthood. The episode ends with us wondering how Tim will respond to Texas’s role in the Civil War. Will he choose to support secession and fight for the Confederacy, or will he find a way to support the anti-slavery efforts of the Union? Join us next week to find out!
Recommended reading:
The Story of the Scanlan Foundation. Platek, Julie. Houston: The Scanlan Foundation, 2016. Print.
Can be found on the following website: https://scanlanfoundation.org/about-us/#our-history
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Join us as we wrap up our Holy Donors’ season on Margaret “Molly” Brown. Thaddeus, Andrew, Matt, and Rhen come together to chat about how little they knew about Margaret Brown prior to this podcast, the lessons (especially lessons about boldness and hope!) they learned from their journey through Margaret’s life, and their favorite podcast recording snacks.
The team also reveals that our next season of Holy Donors will feature a “fantastically generous and fantastically holy” Texan named T. H. Scanlon. Our hosts promise a surprising twist at the end of that season. Stay tuned!
Recommended reading:
"Molly Brown: Unraveling the Myth" by Kristen Iversen
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
At the start of this week’s Holy Donors’ episode, we learn that, thankfully, Margaret returns from her overseas adventures to a healthy grandson. Margaret returns to the States after her voyage on the Titanic, and she continues with her life as a socialite and a philanthropist. She runs for public office (and loses!), she takes up acting, and she spends time with her family. Margaret passes away in 1932.
This episode has a fun quiz show section - fact vs. fiction! In this part of the podcast, our hosts remind us that Molly Brown is Margaret’s fictional double who was created to make better song lyrics and a more exciting story. So much of what we think we know about the real Margaret Brown often gets confused with what writers created for Molly Brown. Can you figure out which legends about Margaret Brown are fact and which are fiction?
This episode concludes with our hosts discussing whether or not they think Margaret Brown deserves the title of a holy donor. Listen to our hosts’ debate and come to your own conclusion! Is Margaret “Molly” Brown a holy donor?
Recommended reading:
"Molly Brown: Unraveling the Myth" by Kristen Iversen
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
We ended last week’s Holy Donors’ episode with Margaret’s separation from her husband J.J. In the years following their separation, Margaret continues to fundraise and to travel. In 1912, Margaret is traveling in Europe with her daughter Helen when she receives word that her grandson is sick. Desperate to return home, Margaret purchases the first ticket she can get back to the United States, and unfortunately, first available is not always best. In this episode, we hear all about Margaret’s fateful voyage on the “unsinkable” Titanic.
Our hosts share stories of Margaret’s voyage on the Titanic, her escape on Lifeboat #6, and her subsequent rescue and return to the United States on the Carpathia. In her typical “get things done” mindset, Margaret organizes help for the widows and orphans from the Titanic before the Carpathia even touches land again. She encourages other wealthy Titanic survivors to donate funds, and it is because of her leadership and generosity that survivors and those who lost family members on the Titanic receive financial assistance.
So many questions remain, however. Did Margaret’s grandson survive his illness? What does Margaret do in her post-Titanic years? Join us next week to continue the discussion!
Recommended reading:
"Molly Brown: Unraveling the Myth" by Kristen Iversen
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
We return to our Holy Donors series with Margaret Brown and her husband J.J. at a crossroads. The silver crash has made life in Leadville very tough, but Margaret and J.J. have one amazing opportunity that prevents them from losing everything. J.J. is a smart and innovative miner, and he figures out how to mine previously unreachable gold near Leadville. In doing so, J.J. makes a fortune, and Margaret and family become part of Colorado’s wealthy elite.
Margaret loves being a socialite, but with her newfound fortune, she also loves to give back to her community. She and J.J. feed miners in Leadville, they give gifts to children in the orphanage, and Margaret even helps create the first juvenile justice system in Colorado. Margaret is quite outspoken, and she uses her money and her social status to highlight important social issues and encourages her wealthy friends to donate to necessary causes.
Unfortunately, despite their financial good fortune, Margaret and J.J. are not happy in marriage, and the two officially separate. Margaret retains access to the couple’s fortune, and she continues to be bold in her efforts to change society for the better. Soon after her separation from J.J., however, Margaret experiences a major life event when she takes a boat ride on the legendary Titanic. Join us next week to hear how Margaret’s adventure on the Titanic affects her life and her philanthropy.
Recommended reading:
"Molly Brown: Unraveling the Myth" by Kristen Iversen
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
"Margaret “Molly” Brown: Unsinkable"
This season of Holy Donors features socialite, Titanic survivor, and philanthropist, Margaret “Molly” Brown. Let us be clear from the start, Molly Brown is not so much a nickname as a fictional name, one that worked better in song lyrics in the musical comedy about Margaret Brown’s life. Margaret Brown is the real world subject of this season’s Holy Donors podcast, and we invite you to join us to learn more about Margaret, her life, and her philanthropic endeavors.
Margaret was born in July 1867 in Hannibal, Missouri as Margaret Tobin. She grew up in a large family of poor Irish immigrants in a post-Civil War political climate. The poverty and political struggles of Margaret’s childhood likely greatly influenced her future philanthropy.
The bulk of this initial episode shares stories of Margaret’s young adult years in Leadville, Colorado. Leadville was a popular, prosperous silver mining town when Margaret arrived with dreams of finding and marrying a wealthy man. It was in Leadville that Margaret met her future (not wealthy!) husband, J.J. Brown. Margaret and J.J. had a few happy years as newlyweds in Leadville, but in the early 1890s the price of silver fell dramatically, the silver mines in Leadville closed, and most residents became unemployed.
At this point, Margaret and J.J. are on the verge of losing everything, but a rare and unexpected opportunity comes for J.J. Tune in next week to find out if and how Margaret and J.J. find success after the price of silver crashes.
Recommended reading:
"Molly Brown: Unraveling the Myth" by Kristen Iversen
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
You’re invited to the wrap party for our Holy Donors season on Babe Ruth! Today’s episode concludes our season starring Babe Ruth; and Andrew, Matt, and Rhen close everything out by discussing the group’s process for picking the individuals they feature on the podcast. Our hosts understand that the selection of Babe Ruth was outside the show’s norm to date, and they reflect on how they came to share Ruth’s story and what they learned along the way.
Recommended reading:
"The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth" by Leigh Montville
“The Babe Ruth Story” by Babe Ruth and Bob Considine
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Today’s Holy Donors episode focuses on Babe Ruth after his baseball career. What did Babe Ruth do with his post-baseball days? What was his life like before his death in 1948? Does Babe Ruth deserve to be called a ‘holy donor’?
Andrew, Matt, and Rhen wrap up this season of Holy Donors by discussing the final years of Babe Ruth’s life, and they each share their thoughts on why (or why not!) Ruth merits inclusion in our podcast about holy donors. Long story short, while Babe Ruth’s story is very different from that of our other holy donors (St. Katharine Drexel, for example), those differences don’t discount his potential to have been a great and faithful philanthropist. Take a listen and decide for yourself - is baseball great Babe Ruth also a holy donor?
Recommended reading:
"The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth" by Leigh Montville
“The Babe Ruth Story” by Babe Ruth and Bob Considine
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Today’s episode highlights the majority of Babe Ruth’s professional baseball career. Through the years, Ruth stuns teammates and baseball fans with his unbelievable hitting skills and home run records. Not only does Ruth set many batting records, but with him as part of the team, the Yankees are winning World Series games and setting attendance records.
As the first years of Babe Ruth’s baseball career are super successful, they contrast heavily to the despair of his personal life. In 1925, however, Babe Ruth has his worst baseball year yet, and he struggles with almost everything in his life - baseball, teammates, personal life, food, and alcohol, to name a few. Ruth gets sick, he’s hospitalized for a month, and he’s suspended from the team multiple times that season.
Fortunately for baseball and for the Yankees, Babe Ruth is able to pull himself together and get his life in order. With encouragement from Brother Matthias and training help from Artie McGovern, Ruth gets into shape and returns to the 1926 season ready to return to baseball greatness. Ruth continues to play for the Yankees until 1934, and he joins the Braves for one final season in 1935 before he retires.
We end this episode wondering what Babe Ruth will do during his retirement. Join us next week to find out what he does in his post-baseball days!
Recommended reading:
"The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth" by Leigh Montville
“The Babe Ruth Story” by Babe Ruth and Bob Considine
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
In today’s episode of Holy Donors, we follow the early years of Babe Ruth’s baseball career. We return to the scene of Babe Ruth’s high school baseball game, and we learn that the mystery spectator who changes Ruth’s life is baseball genius and minor league team owner Jack Dunn. Jack Dunn invites Babe Ruth to come play for his team, the Baltimore Orioles, and Ruth’s professional baseball career gets started!
Because he’s playing baseball for a Baltimore team, Ruth is able to stay in touch with his family, friends, and Brother Matthias. Brother Matthias sends letters to encourage Babe Ruth, and Ruth is happy despite being a less than spectacular baseball player. Unfortunately, in a few short years, Jack Dunn and the Baltimore Orioles sell Babe Ruth to the Boston Red Sox.
Ruth fears the move to Boston, but Boston is good to Ruth. In Boston, Babe Ruth meets his wife Helen, and he’s becoming known as a really good pitcher and hitter. Babe Ruth’s Boston baseball career survives World War I, the Spanish Flu, and the tragic death of his father. In 1918, however, much to the chagrin of Boston baseball fans, Babe Ruth is traded once again, and he joins the New York Yankees.
To close, our podcast hosts promise that in next week’s episode, we will be entering the world of unbelief of what Babe Ruth did next. What could it be? Join us next week to find out.
Recommended reading:
"The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth" by Leigh Montville
“The Babe Ruth Story” by Babe Ruth and Bob Considine
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
This series of Holy Donors episodes features baseball legend, George Herman “Babe” Ruth, Jr. When people think of Babe Ruth, they immediately call to mind his legendary baseball career and his party hard lifestyle off the field. In the coming podcast episodes, however, Andrew, Matt, Rhen and Thaddeus discuss if and how Babe Ruth might deserve the distinction of “holy donor.”
Babe Ruth’s childhood was not an easy one, and by the time he was 7 years old, his parents sent him away to reform school. Babe Ruth would spend nearly a decade at St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys, and it was with the help of his mentor, Brother Mattias Boutilier, that Babe Ruth strengthened his Catholic faith and his baseball skills.
In this episode, we hear stories of Babe Ruth’s youth, and we understand how, even at a young age, baseball was an important part of his days. We end this episode with a story of a school baseball game and its mystery spectator who changed 18 year old Babe Ruth’s life dramatically.
Listen to next week’s episode to find out who was watching Babe Ruth play and how that baseball game shaped Ruth’s future.
Recommended reading:
"The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth" by Leigh Montville
“The Babe Ruth Story” by Babe Ruth and Bob Considine
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Thaddeus, Andrew, Matt, and Rhen enjoy an evening cocktail as they walk through and wrap up the creation of Season 4, The Wildcatter: George Strake, Sr. of Holy Donors.
Despite the initial confusion of who they were highlighting, George Strake or George Strait, the guys truly enjoyed learning about a Holy Donor that wasn’t familiar to most of them.
Truly, this season was two stories in one, digging for oil and digging for bones. Sometimes you need to be willing to take the big risks to uncover the discoveries that will create a lasting legacy.
Recommended reading:
"The Fisherman’s Tomb" by John O’Neill
Special thanks to John O’Neill for contributing to this season.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
In part five of our Wildcatter series, we are able to dig into George’s faith, his generosity and his care of his family. With all the evidence, would you consider the Apostle project his greatest legacy? Do you think he was a Holy Donor? We hear the guys’ take and how learning about what George did with the 75 years he was given has impacted them.
And don't forget to stick around to hear who is up next at the bat.
Recommended reading:
"The Fisherman’s Tomb" by John O’Neill
Special thanks to John O’Neill for contributing to this season.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Can you imagine working for years in secret, pouring your time and money into a project only to discover you had the wrong bones?
That’s exactly what happened with our Wildcatter and Team. One might be tempted to throw in the towel, if one wasn’t a driven risk taker. Our Holy Donor hosts take us through the ups and downs of discovering St. Peters remains and the eight ways that proof was confirmed.
Recommended reading:
"The Fisherman’s Tomb" by John O’Neill
Special thanks to John O’Neill for contributing to this season.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Part three makes us feel like we’ve stepped into an Indiana Jones movie. “An archeologist fighting the Nazis to find the Necropolis while being sponsored by a mysterious oil man across the seas.” You just can’t make this stuff up.
George was made for such a time as this. The Vatican needed a donor that would give unlimited funds, keep the project a secret and take the risk that it may fail as it had already done twice before. Enter George W. Strake. His faith in God and in the project allowed him to be part of not just a great discovery, but also play a pivotal role with the 850,000 Italian Jews that would be saved from the Nazis.
What will Indiana George do next?
Recommended reading:
"The Fisherman’s Tomb" by John O’Neill
Special thanks to John O’Neill for contributing to this season.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Would you risk it all for a hunch? That’s exactly what George did when he went after that new well. And he risked not just his current all, but his future all as well with his wife's ultimatum. If you aren’t familiar with the oil business of George’s time, you might not know that not everyone kept their integrity, let alone their faith, when playing a risky game of chance.
Luckily, George was able to do both. Even when given the opportunity, he chose the path of integrity. And when presented with extreme success, he gave his time to God first and foremost.
Recommended reading:
"The Fisherman’s Tomb" by John O’Neill
Special thanks to John O’Neill for contributing to this season.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
"George Strake: The Wildcatter"
Please give a warm welcome to our star, George W. Strake, Sr., not to be confused with the country star, George Strait.
George Strake, born to humble beginnings and raise by his sisters, grows up as a hard-working young man. It’s no surprise that when he meets a young lady who is richer than he is, he’d do just about anything to prove he deserves her. So, in 1919, he runs away to Tampico, Mexico to make his millions and impress a young love. Do you think he knew where that decision would lead?
What we discover in this episode is that it was the beginning of a journey that would take him through multiple industries, multiple countries and have him spending all but his last dollar on a chance.
Find out next week how he risked it all on a single request.
Recommended reading:
"The Fisherman’s Tomb" by John O’Neill
Special thanks to John O’Neill for contributing to this season.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Journey with Andrew, Matt, Thaddeus and Rhen as they walk through the creation of Season 3, The Saintly Socialite: Katharine Drexel of Holy Donors, a behind the scenes look of the research involved and the process of recording.
The sacrifices that Katharine made to serve God had ripple effects through her lineage as well as all those who come to know her. Learning of how bold and brave she was, encourages sacrifice for our faith from all of us.
Recommended reading: "Saint Katharine" by Cordelia Frances Biddle | “Katharine Drexel: The Riches-to-Rags Story of an American Catholic Saint” by Cheryl Hughes
Specials thanks to Cordelia Frances Biddle for contributing to this season.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
In part 4 of Katharine’s story, we finally see her work come to fruition as well as her journey to sainthood. In her lifetime, she saw the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament grow from her original five sisters upwards to 500. When she passed at the age of 94, she had survived typhoid fever, multiple heart attacks, bomb threats, riots, prejudices, tornadoes and more. And through it all, her love for God and for those in need, was able to shine so brightly.
There was no doubt that Katharine used her gifts to further the Kingdom of God and that she truly was a Holy Donor. As is says in Matthew 24:19, “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” Katharine showed that while it may not be easy, it is not impossible and it truly is worth the sacrifice.
In part three, we discover what radical choice Katharine has made for her future. But as with most things in her life, she is not going to simply go with the flow, she is instead creating her own path and paving a new way. She is a woman on a mission and nothing, not strikes, riots, prejudice, tornadoes, typhoid or the KKK will knock her off course.
The Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament will take the world by storm.
Recommended reading: "Saint Katharine" by Cordelia Frances Biddle | “Katharine Drexel: The Riches-to-Rags Story of an American Catholic Saint” by Cheryl Hughes
Specials thanks to Cordelia Frances Biddle for contributing to this season.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
In part two, we discover that more tragedy has befallen Katharine in her young life. She has, in a sense, lost her North Star and is thrust into adulthood and discernment for her future.
For six years, she struggles with where to go next, where she is being led and what course her life should take. With so much riding on her decision, it’s no wonder that as her health declines she makes a radical choice.
Find out in part three, what that choice is.
Recommended reading: "Saint Katharine" by Cordelia Frances Biddle | “Katharine Drexel: The Riches-to-Rags Story of an American Catholic Saint” by Cheryl Hughes
Specials thanks to Cordelia Frances Biddle for contributing to this season.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
"Katharine Drexel: The Saintly Socialite"
As Matt says, the saints live in one of two ways, they either start out bad and turn good or they start out good and get even better. In season three we are introduced to Katharine Drexel, The Saintly Socialite, and are encouraged to remove the rose-colored glasses of her commonly known story.
Not everything is what it seems, and Katharine is no stranger to death and lies from the very beginning of her life.
How does a young, wealthy, socialite become the saint we know and love?
Recommended reading: "Saint Katharine" by Cordelia Frances Biddle | “Katharine Drexel: The Riches-to-Rags Story of an American Catholic Saint” by Cheryl Hughes
Specials thanks to Cordelia Frances Biddle for contributing to this season.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Journey with Andrew, Matt, Thaddeus and Rhen as they walk through the creation of Season 2, The Capitalist: John Raskob of Holy Donors, a behind the scenes look of the research involved and the process of recording.
In the process, we are given even more stories of John and Helena and the differences they made throughout their lives.
Season 3 is coming soon and Matt can’t wait!
Recommended reading: "Everybody Ought to be Rich" by David Farber.
Specials thanks to David Farber and Kerry Robinson for contributing to the season.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
A turning point in John’s life has come. It’s during the mid-1920s when he realizes that he has become someone. With this realization comes knowing that he could make a difference in the church that he loved so much. And the biggest impact which he could have was bringing the secular business knowledge that he had gained to the church.
Throughout his life and through the losses that he experienced, he and his wife were able to create a legacy. An everlasting, family charitable foundation that would make an existential impact 100 years later.
If you’re wondering what kind of legacy you too can have, go ahead and do it.
Recommended reading: "Everybody Ought to be Rich" by David Farber.
Specials thanks to David Farber and Kerry Robinson for contributing to the season.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
God’s plan is the best plan. We all think we know what is best until something comes along to change our course.
As we become more acquainted with John, we discover this deep faith that he carried. Out of defeat and failure, he leans into his faith and comes out even stronger. When the dream of politics fails, he says “what’s next.”
And what came next looked a lot like the tallest building in the world. Perhaps even an Empire.
Recommended reading: "Everybody Ought to be Rich" by David Farber.
Specials thanks to David Farber and Kerry Robinson for contributing to the season.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
The man, the myth, the legend. Perhaps this phrase was originally coined after the life of John Raskob. We thankfully pick up and receive the answer to the question we were left with last episode, “can John save his relationship with the DuPont Company?”
In this episode we follow John through his early career, the beginning of WWI, finding love in an unusual way and creating a family. With 13 children born within 15 years, how do John and Helena raise their children with a strong faith and business sense? And what will the Pope say?
Recommended reading: "Everybody Ought to be Rich" by David Farber.
Specials thanks to David Farber and Kerry Robinson for contributing to the season.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
"John Raskob: The Capitalist"
The man behind the man. What does GM, the Empire State Building, DuPont Chemical Company, Al Smith and the DMC have in common? A single man.
Born in Lockport, New York in 1879, to a hard-working family, he discovered amounts of drive, moxie and gumption that most didn’t understand. He had a drive that just wanted to “do.”
This drive would take him thousands of miles from home, doubling his family’s income, all the way back to New York making deals he wasn’t, strictly speaking, allowed to make for Pierre DuPont in the early 1900s.
How does he go from a small town boy to shaping the business world of the United States, standing on his faith as he goes? “Go ahead and do things. The bigger the better.” – John Raskob
Recommended reading: "Everybody Ought to be Rich" by David Farber.
Specials thanks to David Farber and Kerry Robinson for contributing to the season.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Danny Thomas: The Extraordinary One: A Summary
Journey with Andrew, Matt, Thaddeus and Rhen as they walk through the creation of Season 1 of Holy Donors, a behind the scenes look if you will.
In the process, we are given a wonderful reflection of Danny Thomas and his journey. As well as how learning about what he did and sacrificed and achieved still impacts us today.
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Specials thanks to Nichole Aldape of ALSAC for contributing to this season.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
We are brought back to this image of Danny’s mother in prayer. A woman on her knees begging for her son to be saved, in total devotion to God. And we continue to see how this impacts Danny and how that in turn transformed so much of the world we know today.
We see how it transformed the entertainment industry, the healthcare industry and the future of fundraising.
And while Danny went on to receive numerous honors, he did this work and lived a life of unending devotion to God, not for his own glory but so that the focus would be on the work and the salvation that comes through devotion and through faith and through belief.
“I will beg for pennies door to door.”
Recommended reading: Matthew 25: 34-36
Specials thanks to Nichole Aldape of ALSAC for contributing to this season.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Danny Thomas is “living the dream” in Hollywood with big movie roles co-starring Doris Day as well as his own sitcom, “Make Room for Daddy” in 1953.
But his dream of realizing the St. Jude Children’s Hospital is starting to become a reality as well. We can see a ‘Me, You, We’ approach taking shape with the “gentle” reminder from Abe Lastfogel that he needs to get serious about his pledge to St. Jude.
The work within his own family, the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities and the American public get him one step closer to success.
Recommended reading: Preamble to the constitution of American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities
Specials thanks to Nichole Aldape of ALSAC for contributing to this season.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Danny Thomas is committed to working in showbusiness, but with a fledgling career and a child on the way he is in need of some help.
The "Hollywood" version of the story tells that in one shining moment Danny had a vision and made a pledge to St. Jude that changed the course of his life, but the real story is an escalation of three pledges over a number of years and at different stages in Danny's life and career.
The pledges kept Danny on track to build a shrine to St. Jude, but the vision for that shrine would take finally take form as the result of a vivid, terrifying dream that Danny experienced one night.
Recommended reading: "Make Room for Danny" by Danny Thomas
Specials thanks to Nichole Aldape of ALSAC for contributing to this season.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
"Danny Thomas: The Extraordinary One"
In June 1940 a 28 year old struggling entertainer with a tenth grade education, two young children, no job, and no clear path in life found himself at a 5am daily Mass just looking for a little hope, and a little help.
He said a prayer and asked the little-known St. Jude for help, promising to build a shrine for the saint if he could only find his way in life.
That man was Danny Thomas, who not long after that moment was one of the most famous entertainers in all of America.
This is the story of Danny, and how he discerned his path and came to rally a community around the idea of building a shrine to St. Jude in the form of a hospital for children, St. Jude Children's Hospital, which would save countless thousands of life around the world.
Recommended reading: "Make Room for Danny" by Danny Thomas
Specials thanks to Nichole Aldape of ALSAC for contributing to this season.
Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (petrusdevelopment.com) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (redcradio.org).
For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at holydonors.com or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook.
Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.
Welcome to Holy Donors, where we share inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world!
In this introductory episode we discuss the show's vision and format, meet our hosts, and get a sneak peek at the first several seasons.
Visit holydonors.com to learn more