Holy Donors

Petrus Development

Sharing inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world! Holy Donors examines Catholic philanthropists through the lens of their time in history. We ask the questions: Were they faithful? Were they humble? Were they radically generous? You will learn about some inspiring givers you had never heard of, some famous figures that you didn't know were Catholic, and even some well known Catholic figures that may or may not have been what they seemed. Were they faithful, humble, and generous? Were they holy donors? www.holydonors.com

  1. 03/01/2024

    Encore: The Saintly Socialite Pt. 4 | Happy Challenges (Katharine Drexel)

    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.

    20 min
  2. 01/19/2024

    All in One: "The Comeback Kid" Babe Ruth Full Season

    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.  _________

    1h 29m
  3. 12/15/2023

    All in One: "The Wildcatter" George W. Strake Full Season

    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.

    2h 4m
5
out of 5
25 Ratings

About

Sharing inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world! Holy Donors examines Catholic philanthropists through the lens of their time in history. We ask the questions: Were they faithful? Were they humble? Were they radically generous? You will learn about some inspiring givers you had never heard of, some famous figures that you didn't know were Catholic, and even some well known Catholic figures that may or may not have been what they seemed. Were they faithful, humble, and generous? Were they holy donors? www.holydonors.com