Local podcast to present live event next week
Dec. 8—Since its inception this summer, the Fighting Catholic Jetlag podcast has been played 5,824 times in 15 countries.
The podcast just wrapped up its first season, but there are plans for a few special recordings during the holiday season, the first of which will be a live broadcast of the show, titled "Religion on the Rocks," that will be at 6:15 p.m. Dec. 14 at The Pub on Second.
For this in-person event, co-hosts Jasey Hartz and The Rev. Larry Hostetter will hold a discussion about Catholic traditions around advent and Christmas, as well as a Q&A with the audience.
The Fighting Catholic Jetlag podcast was born from a group of local individuals who were meeting weekly with Hostetter to discuss themes in Catholicism. That group, who call themselves Common Thread, decided the conversations could be valuable to a wider audience, and thus the podcast was developed.
Hartz, a flight attendant, is a member of the Common Thread group. She describes herself as "on a journey to find her place" within the Catholic church.
She discovered a need for Catholics who have either left the church or are struggling to find their way back to the church and want a place to land their questions. There are others who want to strengthen their knowledge of the faith.
Hostetter, president of Brescia University, said the intended audience for the podcast is Catholics who might feel disconnected from the church, or any individuals who just have questions about the faith. He said the podcast has been successful.
"Of course, for me, success is measured by the outreach we hope to establish and helping people to see their Catholic faith in a different light," he said.
The podcast is designed to provide a safe space to have open and frank discussions about the faith, without judgements, and is an effort to put to rest some misconceptions, he said.
Hostetter said people are invited to attend the event Dec. 14 to observe the recording of the podcast and stay and ask questions.
Rebecka Sapp is the podcast's co-producer, along with Lauren McCrary, Brescia's vice president for executive affairs and chief of staff. Sapp is also the podcast's audio engineer.
According to stats she compiled following the conclusion of the podcast's first season, the most popular episodes were the first and second, with both of them averaging about 500 listens each. Those episodes are largely introductory, but also delve into discussions on evolution. Episodes three, six, and 10 were next in line, with a little under 400 listens each. Topics in those episodes range from the vaccine controversy to the afterlife.
Across 20 episodes, the podcast recorded 838 minutes, according to Sapp's data.
Hostetter said the podcast will release a Christmas special in the coming weeks.
Those who are interested in learning more about the Fighting Catholic Jetlag podcast can do so by visiting its social media pages. The podcast can be listened to on all major platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
For more information about the upcoming live event, or for others planned in the future, visit fightingcatholicjetlag.com.
Bobbie Hayse, bhayse@messenger-inquirer.com, 270-691-7315
