Holy Donors

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 HughesSpecials 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.