Have you heard of the Saints Alive podcast?
This is not a sponsored or affiliate article. I recently ran across their podcast on social media—thank you targeted ads!—and decided to tune in for their St. Juan Diego episodes (they split his story into two episodes) in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe’s feast day. Knowing I have no children within the ideal demographic, I thought it would simply be an interesting podcast to listen to. I did not expect my 4-year-old to dive in and ask to re-listen to St. Juan Diego’s story. I did not expect her to remember the details and recall them over a month later, likening St. Juan Diego to St. Bernadette.
Forming children in the faith is not an easy task and it seems that there are not many quality tools out there to help us as parents, however, the quality of this production easily grasps a child’s imagination and allows them to be in the story with the saint, and further cements in their mind that God is always with us and each of us has a specific mission to fulfill.
My daughter’s story is one of many, if the comments on their social media is any indication of the rising popularity of this podcast. There’s no question that their following enjoys the enticing-yet-true storylines and incredible voicing. The details all flow in an easy to follow format, and it sounds just like a very well read audio book but with sound effects! I couldn’t help but enter in to the story; I was on the hill with Juan Diego as Mary spoke to him. I could almost smell the roses as he opened his tilma before the Bishop. I know I’m sharing specifically about this particular episode, but the other episodes we have listened to have not disappointed!
This radio theater style show has been publishing the stories of the saints for a few years now, and recently partnered with Hallow app as a place to host and share their library of shows. Ran by a husband and wife team, along with their friend, each podcast highlights the struggles and victories each saint faced on their road to Heaven.
This is not your run of the mill podcast; each character is portrayed by a different voice, there is music and sound effects so the listener can imagine exactly the scene that is unfolding. The website states that the audience is specifically 2nd through 5th graders, but my younger children and myself all enjoy listening to these stories. Each episode is about 30-40 minutes long and some saints have a few episodes (such as St. John Paul II—how could you fit his life into just 30 minutes?!), so they’re great to listen to while running errands or on a road trip. My children even listen to it while doing a coloring page at the dining room table.
What’s better is that their website also offers resources, such as discussion questions and further reading for each saint. Melissa Dee, co-creator of Saints Alive, says their mission “has been to inspire the next generation through truth and beauty.” With this new partnership with Hallow App, Saints Alive will produce a Lent for Kids track and a Eucharistic Miracles episode in 2024, along with maintaining their monthly saint episodes. Currently, you can find episodes on saints like John Paul II, Mother Teresa, Maximilian Kolbe, Bernadette and Jose Maria Escriva.
Saints Alive can be found on the Hallow App or Apple Podcasts. Coloring pages and further resources can be found on their website and more information about their partnership with Hallow can be found here.
Featured Image: Saints Alive website.