Podcast popularity cannot be ignored. Neither can our faith. In fact, podcasts are an effective way of communicating today. Have you ever considered Catholic podcasts for catechesis?
Podcasts have risen in popularity since their formal inception in the early 2000’s. According to recent statistics, there are over 1,950,000 million podcasts with 47 million episodes as of March 2021. That’s a LOT of listening available!
Podcast listener demographics are impressive. 50% of homes in the U.S. listen to podcasts with 37% listening within the last month. There is roughly an even amount of male to female listeners (about 51% male).
Light listeners listen from home where heavy podcast listeners listen at work, in transit or at the gym, or somewhere else.
What is a Podcast?
It is a lot like talk radio. Maybe you have listened to talk radio shows that capture a specific type of information that you enjoy. You can easily find them and listen, but talk radio is usually broadcast at a specific time and day. Podcasts capture the essence of talk radio but are easily accessible 24 hours a day!
The term Podcast is actually a blend of two terms: iPod and Broadcast. iPods are portable media players designed for listening. Broadcasts are a means of transmitting information, either by radio or television.
A Podcast is a free, on-demand, audio show (similar to talk radio) that typically focuses on a niche topic. Podcasts bring individual or sponsored messages to people with similar interests through a series of episodes.
Podcasters distribute their podcast episodes as a collection through a variety of platforms available on apps. Podcast hosting platforms make it easy to find, listen to, and subscribe to podcasts.
Why are Podcasts helpful?
Podcasts are helpful because they bring information that you are interested in to you in a very easy way. If you have ever searched for something on a web browser, you can also probably find a podcast about it!
The other helpful aspect of podcasts is their convenience. You may listen to a podcast on a variety of devices making them extremely convenient. Podcasts are available wherever you are, and whenever you would like. From your waking moment to your bedtime, podcasts are a few clicks away!
How to Subscribe to a Podcast
Pick a Listening App
Some websites that offer podcasts will offer listening from their webpage. To start from scratch, you’ll first need to pick a listening app to find and listen to podcasts. You may already use an app that hosts podcasts. A good starting place is to go to an app where you already listen to music or audio books. Common apps include Spotify and Audible (an Amazon Company).
There are many apps that you may explore that are designed specifically for podcasts. If you end up loving podcasts and want to avoid searching through a music or audio book app, you may want to download one of these apps: Apple Podcasts, Castro, Google Podcasts (for Android phones), or Overcast. Some are entirely free to use but may offer affordable subscriptions to eliminate advertisements.
Find a Favorite Catholic Podcast
Next, you will need to use the search function to find podcasts that have topics related to your interests. Search the term podcasts to locate the podcast page. Then, search the term you are looking for, such as catechesis or catholic podcasts. You may want to use the See All tab to see more from that category. If you are searching for a specific podcast, such as Transforming Catechesis, use that keyword. The point is, by using keywords in the search function it is easy to locate podcasts that match your interests!
Save a Podcast to Your Library
Now that you have found an app and a podcast that you like, be sure to save it to your library. There are hearts to click or select the ellipsis (three dots) that give more options to save, favorite, download or share.
Catholic Podcasts for Catechesis
I had considered making a few suggestions for you to review but using the search function is so easy! You may be better served to explore what is available and select what “speaks” to you. You may subscribe to many podcasts so consider selecting a few to get started. By subscribing or adding to your library, you will be notified when new episodes are available. Give them a try and if you find a certain podcast is not something that you want to continue listening to then unsubscribe. I have found that similar to subscribing to blogs or YouTube channels, podcasts are very fluent. As your interests change it is just as easy to stop following them. You can always go back and subscribe again at a later time!
Introducing the Transforming Catechesis Podcast
Since you are here, I would recommend that you locate the Transforming Catechesis Podcast here. It is also available on your favorite listening app!
The Transforming Catechesis Podcast is devoted to helping catechetical leaders by hearing from practitioners in the field who provide information, inspiration, and the motivation needed to transform catechesis in your parish or school.
https://anchor.fm/steve-botsford
Each episode runs around 30 minutes and highlights parish or school catechetical leaders and their journeys in faith formation. Throughout the interview, it uncovers the motivation behind their vocation, challenges and successes. Leaders share their efforts to remain viable as leaders who tirelessly promote the Good News of Jesus Christ. They share their experience of navigating the ever-changing cultural, societal and attitudinal shifts towards learning and living as Catholics in the world.
Why don’t you give a listen to the Transforming Catechesis Podcast and see if you would like to add it to your favorite Catholic podcasts for catechesis?
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