Catholic Podcasts

C. listens to my podcast and writes:

I have a question for you. I am a Catholic too and I was wondering if you had any good Catholic themed podcast recommendations? I was browsing the subject in itunes but it was really hard to figure out what was good from bad. It dawned on me to ask you (enthusiastic podcast listener) before I had to suffer through bad to get to good.

It occurred to me that it has been something like three or four years since I've done a faith-y podcast roundup.

There are some fascinating podcasts out there, both Catholic and more generally Christian, that range from Scripture study to movies to science. Here are my favorites, though they do not represent every good podcast out there. I will note if these are not Catholic.

INSPIRATION

• Verbum Domini
  Daily readings of the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar. Good for anyone who wants a daily dose of scripture. I go in and out of listening but generally keep the week's readings on my iPod. I find that listening to the readings gives me a different perspective sometimes, although I also usually am reading them at some time during the day in my Magnificat. I will be an occasional lector for this podcast beginning on January 22. (iTunes link, website link)
• Pray-as-you-go
  Daily prayer. This podcast is usually about 10 minutes. It begins with music (they use quite a variety from Lady Blacksmith Mogambo to French monks to contemporary worship style), then read from the scripture for the day. They give time for contemplation of this scripture with a series of gently asked questions that invite us to think about it in ways we might not otherwise. I go in and out of listening to this one at different times but always have it on my iPod (iTunes link, website link)

FAITH AND THE REAL WORLD

• The Catholic Laboratory
  This is a podcast and website dedicated to helping the world rediscover the rich scientific heritage of the Catholic Church and to understanding the Church’s stance towards modern science. I especially enjoy the series (now doing a Theology of the Body focus) that help link modern scientific discoveries with the Church's teachings. Also very valuable for keeping up with science news.  (iTunes link, website link)
• The Flicks That Church Forgot
  I have been listening to this podcast for some time now. Peter Laws, a Baptist minister in England loves horror movies and loves Jesus Christ also. As he puts it, "If God really does exist everywhere why can't we find his fingerprints in the scary places?" Each episode is usually a look at a horror film which Peter then follows up with a thoughtful look at something about Christianity or living a Christian life. It is really well done and always respectful to both Christians and nonbelievers. This post about his Halloween series will give you a good idea of how Peter handles the subject. (iTunes link, website link)
• Two Edge Talk
  Deacon Tim and Cyndi talk about how to live our faith ... ranging from specific understanding of Catholic teachings to more general questions such as just how do we live an abundant life of faith when we’re so darned busy just surviving? I was alerted to this after seeing several nonCatholics mention how they had learned about Catholic teachings “so they make sense” by listening to this podcast. This is a must listen when it comes in every other week. (iTunes link, website link)
  
  
• Watching Theology
  Host Joe Johnson and a co-host (which may vary) are Christians who explore the religious and ethical implications of the movies they watch. They are careful not to read anything into the movies that isn't there but they do dig deeper to see what worldview and belief system each story reveals in the telling. I do not always agree with their conclusions (most notably Gattaca) but they are always thought provoking. Now being produced on a fairly irregular basis but it is still coming out and there is a large back library to explore. (iTunes link, website link)

INSTRUCTION

• Catholic Stuff You Should Know
  Modeled after the popular podcast Stuff You Should Know, this podcast explains a wide range of topics ... everything from Stylites (standing on pillars in style) to Ethiopian Christianity to Bishop's Wear and beyond. (iTunes link, website link)
  
  
• St. Irenaeus Ministries
  Scripture study that is practical. The teacher is extremely insightful in giving connections between scripture and daily life. He keeps it real and although he has an orthodox Catholic point of view, this is the podcast I recommend to nonCatholics. This is one that I listen to every week and since I tend to be behind on it, sometimes daily. An essential. (iTunes link, website link)

[Note: if the podcasts above don't cover what you're interested in, be sure to check out the SQPN network of podcasts that are all trustworthy and also cover a wide range of topics from Catholic Under the Hood to The Catholic Foodie to Catholic Pilot to Lisa Hendey's Catholic Moments. (iTunes link, website link)]

* Unless otherwise mentioned, any podcasts or audio can be downloaded to your computer (using the right click mouse button) and listened to there or burned to a CD if you don't have a mp3 player. I mention iTunes because that is what I use, however most of these also can be found through other podcatchers (usually mentioned on their sites).