Just as the Twelve Apostles went in search of new places to
preach the Gospel, Bishop Michael F. Burbidge has found a new place to reach
his flock — through podcasts.
“I think that as a church we should use every tool possible to
get out the Good News,” said Bishop Burbidge. “ The Good News of the Gospel,
the Good News of all the great ministries occurring here in the diocese, the
Good News of the truth we can bring out into the public arena.”
The new “Walk Humbly” podcast premiered Jan. 30. In it, Bishop
Burbidge looked back on his first year in the Diocese of Arlington. He talked
about his love of Catholic education and how the proximity of the Diocese to Washington
affects his role as a shepherd. He also offered some personal advice for
dealing with anxiety.
Chief Communications Officer Billy Atwell has worked closely with
Bishop Burbidge to develop this new podcast.
“The three main roles of a bishop are to teach, sanctify and to
govern. This is an opportunity to stretch his teaching ministry even farther. We
felt podcasts would be a really good platform for this area because there are a
lot of people who are commuting long distances,” said Atwell. “I know in my own
life I am always looking for something interesting to listen to on my long
commute.”
According to Atwell, the “Walk Humbly” podcast will be an
opportunity for the Bishop to engage the issues of the day in regard to culture,
news, and what is going on in the church and around the world.
“When we see a headline we respond as individuals, but we are
supposed to respond as a child of God, as a Catholic,” said Atwell. “I think it
would be a good opportunity for him to remind people of the way Catholics are
called to view contemporary societal issues.”
“Walk Humbly” listeners will be able to hear new content each
week, a mix of Bishop Burbidge’s messages, WTOP radio spots and homilies.
Another podcast serving the diocese is the Catholic Herald podcast, which launched last summer
with new episodes weekly.
“From what we have heard, people are enjoying the weekly recap of
the print issue and the online offerings we touch on,” said Ann Augherton, managing
editor. “We had an interview with high school chaplains who were a big hit with
their humorous banter. Last week, one of our staff writers shared the story of
an Alexandria couple whose son was seriously injured in a car accident. The
family spoke very frankly about how their faith sustained them in the
aftermath.
“Combined with the weekly newspaper, the website, enewsletter,
videos and various social media platforms, the staff of the Catholic Herald is working to keep local Catholics
informed and inspired.
“For the community at large, our coverage provides a look at all
that the church is involved with from charity to education, refugee assistance
to religious education,” she said. “When we share an inspirational story, we
draw readers into the faith and sometimes back to the faith.”
In addition to the “Walk Humbly” and Catholic
Herald podcasts, the diocese plans to launch a new podcast called “Searching
for More” in the coming months.
The title speaks to the fact that everyone, Catholic or not, is
searching for more in life. The word “more” has a double meaning because the
patron saint of the Diocese is St. Thomas More.
According to Atwell, “Searching for More” will feature interviews
with people whose stories express the inspirational and educational nature of
faith. It will include keynote addresses from diocesan events and conferences,
which are not always accessible to everyone. It also will tap into the abundant
stable of experts living and working in the Diocese.
“You don’t have to be a practicing Catholic to appreciate a
conversion story or someone’s journey through adversity,” said Atwell. “There
are beautiful intersections in our culture where we can introduce the faith and
not be heavy-handed about it. This podcast hopefully will inspire everybody to
grow a little bit more in their relationship with God and their love of the
church.”
Hear the podcasts
For the bishop’s “Walk Humbly” podcast, go to
bit.ly/burbidgepodcast.
For the Catholic Herald’s podcast, go to
bit.ly/achpodcast.
