The Follow to Lead Podcast

#91: “Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Box of Joy” with Michele Sagarino, President, Cross Catholic Outreach

Michele Sagarino, of Cross Catholic Outreach, is back with us on Follow to Lead to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Box of Joy, a ministry that sends small tokens of love and hope to some of the world’s poorest children. Each year, parishes and schools nationwide host Box of Joy events, packing shoebox-sized boxes with small gifts such as toys, coloring books and school supplies, as well as treats like hard candy. The ministry adds a rosary and The Story of Jesus to every box to remind children why Christmas is so special, and participants donate $9 per box to cover international shipment. Join us this week for a very inspiring edition of Follow to Lead!

#90: “Artificial Intelligence and Catholic Education” with Matthew Sanders, Founder and CEO of Longbeard

This week on “Follow to Lead” we will be talking with Matthew Sanders, Founder and CEO of Longboard, whose focus is developing Artificial Intelligence products for the mission of the Church. This is, perhaps, one of the most fascinating interviews we have ever had on our podcast.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here to stay. It can be daunting, challenging and can sometimes even bring fear as we see AI more and more involved in our daily lives. In this interview, Matthew takes some of the mystery out of the world of AI, shows how it can be harnessed powerfully for the work of the Church and, in particular, how will continue to impact Catholic Education. You won’t want to miss this program!

#89: “Catholic Education in Places Not Like Home” with Jonathan Doyle, International speaker

Jonathan Doyle is from Australia and travels the world talking to Catholic educators and organizations. His global view of Catholic Education will be the focus of our discussion, as we look at what is happening in our area of the world as well as other nations. Join us for this episode of “Follow to Lead” learn more about the work of Catholic Education in places not like home.

#88: “The Catholic Talent Project” with Tom Carroll, Founder and President

Up until this summer, Tom Carroll was serving as the Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese of Boston and created what the National Catholic Register has called a “renaissance of Catholic education.” He has taken one of the facets of his work there - in the recruiting and training of new Catholic educators and offering it on a greater scale to participating dioceses. Join us on this edition of “Follow to Lead” to learn more about the Catholic Talent Project.

#87: "DIA Update" with Kyle Pietrantonio, Excecutive Director of Duc In Altum Schools Collaborative

On this episode of "Follow to Lead" we will be talking with Kyle Pietrantio, Executive Director, about current happenings and developments in the DIA Schools Collaborative. He will be sharing more details about the upcoming Fall Summit as well as highlighting some of the other benefits, offerings and resources available.

#86: “An Unplanned Dialog” with Kyle Pietrantonio, Executive Director of DIA

A surprise episode of “Follow to Lead!” We were planning on talking to the Duc In Altum Schools Collaborative Executive Director Kyle Pietrantonio about upcoming events. What happened instead was an unplanned and interesting discussion about current trends and values in Catholic Education.

#85: “Introducing Word of Life: A New K-8 Curriculum for Catholic Schools” with Mark Brumley, President of Ignatius Press

Our guest on Follow to Lead is Mark Brumley, President of Catholic publisher Ignatius Press. Ignatius united with the Augustine Institute to complete the Word of Life K–8 curriculum. These two apostolates combined their expertise to craft a curriculum in which students, parents, and teachers learn the truths of the faith alongside each other while deepening their relationships with Christ. Emphasizing dialogue between teachers and students, Word of Life creates a shared experience rather than a download of information.

#84: “The Rescue Project: Being Formed by the Gospel” with Fr. John Riccardo, Mary Guilfoyle of ACTS XXIX

On this episode of Follow to Lead we’ll be talking with Fr. John Riccardo and Mary Guilfoyle of ACTS XXIX about their video series “The Rescue Project.” The Rescue Project seeks to proclaim the gospel clearly in a compelling and attractive way over eight weeks in a small group format. This experience is imbued with beauty, authentic humanity, and accompaniment. We will also explore ways in which this series might be used in Catholic Schools.

#83: “The New Symbolon” with Taylor Kemp, Vice-President of Content, The Augustine Institute

For the past ten years, “Symbolon,” a video series on essential Catholic teachings, was an important resource for RCIA, general faith formation and even spiritual direction. In Catholic schools it was a great source of information for religion classes as well as Faculty Faith Formation.

On today’s “Follow to Lead,” we’ll be talking with Taylor Kemp, of the Augustine Institute, about the new edition of Symbolon that will launch on the “Formed” streaming platform on July 17. Together we will explore the new programs and ways that they can enhance spiritual growth and formation personally, in the parish and in our Catholic Schools.

#82 - “The Hallow App in Catholic Schools” with Alessandro DiSanto, Co-founder of Hallow

It is rare for a Catholic with a smartphone to be unaware of the devotional app “Hallow.” Hallow is a simple, easy-to-use mobile app that helps us foster a relationship with God and the peace of prayer through guided prayer and meditation. You can pray with millions around the world alongside Mark Wahlberg, Jonathan Roumie, Sr. Miriam, Fr. Mike Schmitz, and more on Hallow.

Recently, their Super Bowl ad plus the Lenten prayer challenge pushed Hallow to No 1 spot on Apple App Store among all applications. On This episode of Follow to Lead we will be talking with Alessandro DiSanto, one of Hallow’s Co-founders, especially focusing on its use by Catholic Schools.