The BeatiDudes

Fr. Dave Pivonka, President of Franciscan University in Steubenville, joins The BeatiDudes at the National Eucharistic Congress for the first live-audience episode in the show’s history. The episode weaves together many important aspects of college life, the Eucharist, the need for humor, reasons for hope, the harm of smartphones, the root of anxiety, authentic worship, and the breakthroughs that happen when you place the Holy Spirit at the center of all that you do. Fr. Dave tells an incredible story about his visit to a leper colony and the question that played in his head as he prepared for the encounter: “Will you get close to them?” That inner dialogue helped him connect with Jesus’ earthly ministry, where he became man and got close to all of us.Father Dave Pivonka, TOR ’89, became president of Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2019. The prolific Catholic speaker, author, podcaster, and video producer received his bachelor’s from Franciscan University, then earned an MDiv, MA in theology, doctorate in education, and executive juris doctorate. In 1996, he was ordained a priest in the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Province of the Franciscan Third Order Regular. Before being elected University president, he served in leadership at Franciscan University, including as vice president for Mission and Planning, then as director of the TOR’s Post-Novitiate Formation and the TOR’s Franciscan Pathways.On Blessed are the Joke Makers, each Dude takes on a different personality to address the prompt, “_______, the hit Catholic musical.” The show ends with an improv game of text-message roulette that gives everyone a great final laugh.Follow Fr. Dave and Franciscan Universityhttps://franciscan.edu/https://faithandreason.com/Special thanks to MAX Studios https://ustmaxstudios.com/Our Partners:Sock Religious (10% Discount)Solidarity HealthShareAquinas Wealth AdvisorsLucid Private OfficeSpoke Street MediaThe Catholic Card GameDivine ComedyUndivided LifeFollow The BeatiDudes:BeatiDudes WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagramTwitterJeff Schiefelbein on LinkedInBeatiDudes Theme Song and Music ByThe Pencil Bureau

Having just finished his studies at Xavier in New Orleans, Pradeep Thoppil started working at Tulane Medical Center shortly before Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. As a first-year pharmacist, he was eager to help the team and volunteered to join the pre-hurricane team. He had no idea that when he entered the hospital that day, he would not leave until six and a half days later.Pradeep, a self-proclaimed weather nerd, shares when he realized that Katrina had made a turn and headed straight for New Orleans. What happened next is a wild tale of triumphs, trials, and the heroic efforts of the team inside the medical center. Pradeep’s recounting of the race against time includes flooding, the quick decision to move medications to higher floors, praying for people outside the hospital windows after the doors had to be locked for safety, the loss of power, water, and their food supply, creating and protecting a makeshift pharmacy, relocating patients into hallways as the storm’s pressure made the walls breath and windows break, and eventually moving patients up many flights of stairs and out to the parking garage for rooftop evacuation. At one point, Pradeep considered leaving the hospital to meet his parents, which led to an honest conversation with God in which Pradeep realized he was being called to stay for the long haul. Despite the trials that ensued, Pradeep knew he had made the right decision. Sharing this story with The BeatiDudes was not easy for Pradeep, as it brings back many deep and difficult emotions. Please join us in praying for Pradeep and all of those affected by natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina. Our Partners:Sock Religious (10% Discount)Solidarity HealthShareAquinas Wealth AdvisorsLucid Private OfficeSpoke Street MediaThe Catholic Card GameDivine ComedyUndivided LifeFollow The BeatiDudes:BeatiDudes WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagramTwitterJeff Schiefelbein on LinkedInBeatiDudes Theme Song and Music ByThe Pencil Bureau

Pradeep Thoppil is very aware of his “Yes” to the calling Jesus put on his heart as a husband, a father, and a son of God. He has been intentional about building authentic fraternity with his brothers in Christ, and this episode highlights his commitment to others as he shows his love, support, and prayers for Jeff and his son, Benny Pro, who is currently battling brain cancer.The conversation sparks Paul to share Psalm 18:17-20He reached down from on high and seized me, drew me out of the deep waters.He rescued me from my mighty enemy, from foes too powerful for me.They attacked me on my day of distress, but the LORD was my support.He set me free in the open; he rescued me because he loves me.Pradeep points out that through Benny Pro’s battle, others are being brought to know Jesus. Pradeep finishes the episode by asking each of us to make a resolution for the week ahead. He suggests that we all find a specific way to take the higher Christ road when someone else takes the low blow. Our Partners:Sock Religious (10% Discount)Solidarity HealthShareAquinas Wealth AdvisorsLucid Private OfficeSpoke Street MediaThe Catholic Card GameDivine ComedyUndivided LifeFollow The BeatiDudes:BeatiDudes WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagramTwitterJeff Schiefelbein on LinkedInBeatiDudes Theme Song and Music ByThe Pencil Bureau

Mitch Boersma and his wife Rosie have a gaggle of kids, with number 6 due towards the end of 2024. Their daily intention is to Catechize the children and grow a faithful Catholic family together. Mitch reflects on the ups and downs of raising kids and the unique ways that each of his kid’s namesake saints seems to be a perfect match for their personalities. Mitch is the Chief Operating Officer of the Catholic Information Center and co-founder of The Leonine Forum – a year-long program dedicated to giving young professionals in Washington a renewed understanding and love for Catholic Social Teaching. Follow the Catholic Information CenterFollow the Leonine ForumOur Partners:Sock Religious (10% Discount)Solidarity HealthShareAquinas Wealth AdvisorsLucid Private OfficeSpoke Street MediaThe Catholic Card GameDivine ComedyUndivided LifeFollow The BeatiDudes:BeatiDudes WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagramTwitterJeff Schiefelbein on LinkedInBeatiDudes Theme Song and Music ByThe Pencil Bureau

Mitch Boersma’s visit to the BeatiDudes was a bit of a homecoming after he graduated from the nearby University of Dallas in 2008, where he switched his majors from Theology to Business. Mitch is the Chief Operating Officer of the Catholic Information Center and co-founder of The Leonine Forum – a year-long program dedicated to giving young professionals in Washington a renewed understanding and love for the Social Teachings of the Church. Originally from Colorado, Mitch holds a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Dallas and a Master’s in Moral Theology and Ethics from the Catholic University of America. Before joining the CIC, Mitch held research positions at the American Enterprise Institute and worked as an independent writer and researcher on several book-length projects.In 2013, Mitch was named one of FOCUS’ 30 under 30 young Catholics and is a member of their DC Advancement Advisory Council. He is a member of Catholic Voices (2013), a Washington Fellow of the National Review Institute (2012), a Tertio Millenio Seminar Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center (2011), and a graduate of the Summer Seminar on Catholic Social Teaching from the Society of Catholic Social Scientists (2010). Mitch’s writing has appeared in Legatus Magazine, Verily Magazine, National Review Online, and other religious and secular news outlets. He and his wife, Rosie, live in Fairfax, VA.On Blessed are the Joke Makers, the Dudes must take on the persona of the ultimate foodie to address the prompt, “Catechism 2866 talks about ______.”The TBD question of the day is to share some insight into the current book you are reading.The show ends with a wild and unpredictable form of text message improv that you won’t want to miss. Follow the Catholic Information CenterFollow the Leonine ForumOur Partners:Sock Religious (10% Discount)Solidarity HealthShareAquinas Wealth AdvisorsLucid Private OfficeSpoke Street MediaThe Catholic Card GameDivine ComedyUndivided LifeFollow The BeatiDudes:BeatiDudes WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagramTwitterJeff Schiefelbein on LinkedInBeatiDudes Theme Song and Music ByThe Pencil Bureau

Kyle Washut, president of Wyoming Catholic College, joins the bonus show to discuss the trials and triumphs of family life. He and his wife Erin are happily raising their six kids, ranging from high school to one year old. Kyle attributes all family triumphs to the work of our Lord and recognizes that we are not the responsible party for all the goodness that comes from our kids.He recounts the harrowing tale of their fifth baby, Macrina, and the scare that occurred when his wife went into labor at 19 weeks pregnant. Needing a higher order of medical care to stop the hemorrhaging, Erin and Kyle had to be transported to a major hospital in Denver by plane. When they left the kids behind, they feared that Erin might not survive, and they were told that the baby would certainly not make it. The doctors encouraged the couple to perform a “procedure,” which was a euphemism for an abortion. Kyle knew at this moment they were facing a medical community that was not on the same page as the family, and the couple would need to rearrange their entire lives to prevent the ongoing pressure to abort.Kyle couldn’t return to Wyoming Catholic College, where he was serving as a dean and a professor, while his wife and unborn baby needed him in Denver. As Erin remained pregnant for ten more weeks in the hospital, the entire college met and decided to reorganize the schedules and plans of EVERYONE—all staff, students, and faculty—to accommodate the family's needs in supporting this birth. Baby Macrina is now a thriving five-year-old girl. This story is the greatest commercial anyone could ever imagine for how community is formed in special places like Wyoming Catholic College. Learn more about Wyoming Catholic College Our Partners:Sock Religious (10% Discount)Solidarity HealthShareAquinas Wealth AdvisorsLucid Private OfficeSpoke Street MediaThe Catholic Card GameDivine ComedyUndivided LifeFollow The BeatiDudes:BeatiDudes WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagramTwitterJeff Schiefelbein on LinkedInBeatiDudes Theme Song and Music ByThe Pencil Bureau

Kyle Washut is the youngest Catholic president at the youngest Catholic college in America. Kyle, President at Wyoming Catholic College (WCC), joins The BeatiDudes for an adventurous episode full of surprises, including the unique approach that WCC takes to educating and forming its students. WCC is a “great books school” where every student starts their freshmen year by spending several weeks in the wilderness. They all receive the same degree, a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts. In addition to spending a semester on horseback, the entire student body memorizes a repertoire of poems and songs that unite them in the classroom and around the campfire. Kyle, a Wyoming native, has been with WCC since its inception. Growing up in Casper, Wyoming, he worked in nuclear missile silos and coal mines during his teenage years, receiving an AA in Political Science and a second in Spanish from Casper College in 2003. While in Casper, he studied under two of WCC’s eventual founders, Dr. Robert Carlson and Fr. Robert Cook. He began his journey toward Wyoming Catholic by serving as a dishwasher at the annual Wyoming School for Catholic Thought, where the idea for the College was first proposed.He graduated from Thomas Aquinas College in 2007 with a B.A. in Liberal Arts and returned to Wyoming (and Wyoming Catholic) as the inaugural Assistant Dean for Student Life—a position he held until departing in the Fall of 2009 to pursue a graduate degree in Sacred Theology from Austria’s International Theological Institute (ITI). While in Austria, he continued to work for the College, coordinating its inaugural high-school (PEAK) and adult education (WSCT) summer programs, before returning as a full-time professor in early 2012. Washut has taught across the College’s curriculum since his return—theology and philosophy, as well as her distinctive Trivium and Humanities courses. In addition to serving as Visiting Associate Professor of Patristics and Ecclesiastical History at St. Cyril and Methodius Byzantine Catholic Seminary in Pittsburgh, he has worked closely with a number of the College’s Administrative offices, including Admissions, Advancement, and the Outdoor Leadership Program (OLP). In the Fall of 2019, he was named Academic Dean and served in that capacity for four years before being named President in August 2023.On Blessed are the Joke Makers, the Dudes must take on the persona of a shop-a-holic to address the prompt, “I would be the patron saint of _______.” The TBD question of the day – share a story or memory about your grandfather. For this episode of Reverse Simpsons, Kyle and the hosts enjoy various strange drinks and finish the show by promoting the surprise drink they consumed. Learn more about Wyoming Catholic College Our Partners:Sock Religious (10% Discount)Solidarity HealthShareAquinas Wealth AdvisorsLucid Private OfficeSpoke Street MediaThe Catholic Card GameDivine ComedyUndivided LifeFollow The BeatiDudes:BeatiDudes WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagramTwitterJeff Schiefelbein on LinkedInBeatiDudes Theme Song and Music ByThe Pencil Bureau

Jim Hickey leads the BeatiDudes through a unique bonus episode, reflecting on Tara Grinstead's 2005 disappearance and the subsequent investigative podcast featuring her story, “Up and Vanished.” Jim had dated Tara before her disappearance, and thanks to that podcast, the mystery was solved, justice was served, and Jim was also proven innocent. Reflecting on the tragedy of Tara’s story, Jim and The BeatiDudes open up the discussion of demonic attack that leads to suicide, depression, drug use, and the million distractions that keep us from following God in every moment. Jim points out that the antidote is simple—show up. We are called to show up for others.We are called to show up for our Church.We are called to show up for our community. Show up. Our Partners:Sock Religious (10% Discount)Solidarity HealthShareAquinas Wealth AdvisorsLucid Private OfficeSpoke Street MediaThe Catholic Card GameDivine ComedyUndivided LifeFollow The BeatiDudes:BeatiDudes WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagramTwitterJeff Schiefelbein on LinkedInBeatiDudes Theme Song and Music ByThe Pencil Bureau

Jim Hickey brings the spicy to The BeatiDudes by sharing a full-blown meal from his Dallas-based restaurant Charlie’s Creole Kitchen. Instead of finishing the show differently, the entire show takes place over the course of appetizers, main courses, and desserts. Jim was raised by a father who left the church and a mother who practiced her Christian faith across multiple dominions. He was the only one of his siblings to be Baptized in the Catholic Church, and he remembers attending Mass with his Irish grandmother growing up before entering RCIA as a young man. Jim was not a big man heading into high school, but after a major growth spurt—9 inches in two years—he knew he was being called to play football. After one year of junior college, Jim walked on to the University of Georgia football team. After college, Jim went to work for a former Heisman trophy winner at a beer company. His career then took him to sales for an education software company working closely with underprivileged youth. He realized his life was missing Jesus Christ somewhere during this time. Jim shares one of his guiding lights, the Fulton Sheen reflections on the seven last words of Christ. That launches a crazy deep exploration of faith and manhood, including talks of his time at the Christ Renews His Parish retreat and Jim’s calling to the pro-life movement. Visit Charlie's Creole Kitchen Our Partners:Sock Religious (10% Discount)Solidarity HealthShareAquinas Wealth AdvisorsLucid Private OfficeSpoke Street MediaThe Catholic Card GameDivine ComedyUndivided LifeFollow The BeatiDudes:BeatiDudes WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagramTwitterJeff Schiefelbein on LinkedInBeatiDudes Theme Song and Music ByThe Pencil Bureau

Flip Howard is a dynamic entrepreneur and Catholic leader who is a role model for Catholic husbands, fathers, and now grandfathers. He has seven kids and three grandkids, and he shares a wealth of knowledge and wisdom in bite-sized nuggets. Flip shares his family journey, starting with the first time he met his future wife on the campus of Franciscan University in Steubenville. In his classic and practical way, Flip reflects on marriage by pointing out that he knows people who are happy, people who are miserable, people who have little money, and people who have a lot of money and that he cannot find a correlation between these factors. However, he points out that almost no one with a good marriage is unhappy and almost no one with a bad marriage is happy. His advice is to marry well and prioritize marriage over the things that come and go, like jobs and money. Flip goes on to share a set of parenting reflections, including: • You have more control over the things in your kids' life than you think you do.• The issues you are trying to address now should have been dealt with two years ago.• You should live a life that inspires your kids to want to live like you. Be joyful.• He wants his kids to be disciples to all nations… once they begin adulthood. Before that, he encourages close oversight to build up virtue and foundation before releasing them to the world. • People overestimate the parent influence and underestimate the peer influence. Our Partners:Sock Religious (10% Discount)Solidarity HealthShareAquinas Wealth AdvisorsLucid Private OfficeSpoke Street MediaThe Catholic Card GameDivine ComedyUndivided LifeFollow The BeatiDudes:BeatiDudes WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagramTwitterJeff Schiefelbein on LinkedInBeatiDudes Theme Song and Music ByThe Pencil Bureau