Living Saints, Modern Day Heroes of the Catholic Church-Patrick Madrid

Living Saints, Modern Day Heroes of the Catholic Church

Patrick Madrid

Hello, all my wonderful readers. This article will be the first of a new series of articles I have entitled as Living Saints, Modern Day Heroes of the Catholic Church. I’ve had many ideas of whom to start with for my first article. I figured my first article can be about my personal spiritual hero whom I believe to be a living saint…Patrick Madrid of Relevant Radio. I consider Patrick a saint because, at least to me, he is very wise, very knowledgeable about the Catholic Church, and has helped so many people throughout his career. He even has the patience of a saint. If you would like to see how he looks, you can view a picture of him on Relevantradio.com.

Relevant Radio, for those of you whom have not heard of this program, is a Catholic Radio network with 220 AM and FM stations across the US, reaching out to over 260 million people, as well as globally with their free Relevant Radio app that you can download on your phone, computer, or tablet…with many shows that cover all the things happening in the world today from a Catholic view, the whole time teaching the truth in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Holy Trinity, and spreading the Gospel. I listen to it every day. I can never start my day off without listening to Patrick Madrid. If you go into their website, relevantradio.com, you can find the closest station to your area, or you can listen to them live through their website or their free Relevant Radio App.

For this article, I did a lot of research first, then I reached out to Patrick to ask him for the opportunity to ask him some interview questions. I wanted to know more about the man I look up to as my “Radio Catholic Guru.” I have even emailed him once before and told him that he is like the Catholic father figure everyone needs. I’ve also told him that his co-radio star, Cyrus, is like a brother, in a “radio-listening” sort of way.

Patrick Madrid, born on November 8, 1960 in Lynwood, California, is an American Catholic, author, and radio host. His many books include Why Be Catholic? (Penguin Random House), Life Lessons: 50 Things I Learned in My First 50 Years (Ignatius Press), and How to Do Apologetics (Our Sunday Visitor). His books have sold over one million copies, in three different foreign-language editions (quite impressive). He hosts the “Patrick Madrid Show” radio program on Relevant Radio every morning at 8 AM Central Time (6 AM West Coast, 9 AM East Coast). Aside from his radio presence, Madrid is best known for his work in Catholic apologetics. He worked for eight years at Catholic Answers, serving as vice president. He has published numerous articles on Scripture, Church history, patristics, apologetics, and evangelization in various Catholic and Protestant periodicals and has contributed scholarly articles on apologetics in the New Catholic Encyclopedia.

A strong supporter for life (as we all should be), He and his wife, Nancy, were blessed by God with 11 children and 28 grandchildren. Just as he was blessed with a big family, Patrick also came from a large family. He is the oldest of eight children. Growing up in Southern California, Madrid was baptized at Saint Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church in Whittier and was raised primarily in Orange County, attending the Mission San Juan Capistrano Grammar School for several years.

As briefly stated, Patrick has a strong background in apologetics. He has conducted thousands of apologetics seminars in English and Spanish at parishes, conferences, and universities across the United States, Europe, Canada, Latin America, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and Israel. Since 1990, he has been a regular presenter at the Franciscan University of Steubenville's "Defending the Faith" summer apologetics conferences and has been a guest lecturer in theology at Christendom College in their "Major Speakers" program. Patrick has engaged in at least a dozen formal public debates with Protestants, Mormons, and other non-Catholic spokesmen.

Patrick Madrid earned a bachelor of science degree in business management from the University of Phoenix as well as a B.A. in philosophy and an M.A. in dogmatic theology from the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. He also graduated with studies in theology at the University of Dallas. He has taught undergraduate courses on apologetics and the sacraments as an adjunct professor on the theology faculty at Franciscan University of Steubenville. He has also served as an adjunct professor of apologetics at Holy Apostles College and Seminary and at Saint Patrick's Seminary and University in Menlo Park, California.

Here's a fun fact about Patrick for you, he’s a major Beatles fan, as am I. He also used to play the trumpet in school and can rock out on a bass guitar. He also used to be in a garage band.

Throughout his career, Patrick has written many books, a few of which I own myself and am constantly on the lookout for the rest. Here is a list of books he has written:

· Surprised by Truth (Saint Benedict Press)

· Any Friend of God’s Is a Friend of Mine (Saint Benedict Press)

· Pope Fiction: Answers to 30 Myths and Misconceptions about the Papacy (Saint Benedict Press)

· Surprised by Truth 2 (Sophia Institute Press)

· Search and Rescue (Sophia Institute Press)

· Where Is That in the Bible? (Our Sunday Visitor)

· Surprised by Truth 3 (Sophia Institute Press)

· Why Is That in Tradition? (Our Sunday Visitor)

· Answer Me This (Our Sunday Visitor)

· More Catholic than the Pope (Our Sunday Visitor)

· Does the Bible Really Say That? (Servant Books)

· A Pocket Guide to Apologetics (Our Sunday Visitor)

· A Pocket Guide to Purgatory (Our Sunday Visitor)

· 150 Bible Verses Every Catholic Should Know (Servant Books)

· The Godless Delusion: A Catholic Challenge to Modern Atheism (Our Sunday Visitor)

· Envoy for Christ: 25 Years as a Catholic Apologist (Servant Books)

· A Year with the Bible: Scriptural Wisdom for Daily Living (St. Benedict Press)

· Why Be Catholic? 10 Answers to a Very Important Question (Penguin Random House)

· On a Mission: Lessons from Saint Francis de Sales (Servant Books)

· Scripture and Tradition in the Church (Sophia Institute Press)

· Now What? A Guide for New (and Not So New) Catholics (Servant Books)

· How to Do Apologetics (Our Sunday Visitor)

· Life Lessons: 50 Things I Learned in My First 50 Years (Ignatius Press)

· Surprised by Life (Sophia Institute Press)

· InQUIZition: Rack Your Brain & Stretch Your Knowledge (Sophia Institute Press)

· What Am I Doing Here? Questions for Skeptical Young Catholics

Like I mentioned, I had the chance to email Patrick about interviewing him for this. Thankfully, he said yes if I mention Relevant Radio and the free app. I told him, of course, can’t talk about Patrick without talking about Relevant Radio. Below is the complete Q&A that I had with Patrick. Some questions are serious, so I had to throw in some unserious questions to keep it fun. If you have any questions or concerns about your faith, or just need help trying to figure something out and need advice, you can reach Patrick with the number to Relevant Radio during his showtime, be mindful you will be heard on air, at 1 (888) 914-9149 or you can email him at patrick@relevantradio.com. If you do call him, please be considerate as many people call, so you may want to keep your questions brief as possible.

As promised, here are the questions I asked him:

Are you comfortable talking to people of the radio without seeing them?

Yes, very comfortable. I’ve had nearly 40 years of experience speaking to and answering questions from large live audiences, which was really great preparation for my radio work.

What are some of your favorite radio shows and why?

I was a big fan of the Phil Hendrie Show because of his genius knack for simultaneously fooling and entertaining his audience by acting as his own “guest” during “interviews” in which he would argue with himself over outrageous claims he would make as his “guest.”

How would you react if you were scheduled to host a live event and the guest didn’t show up?

I suppose I would feel disappointed, but it would depend on the circumstances and who the guest was.

What is your experience with public speaking? Do you enjoy it?

Yes, I absolutely loved my years of public speaking, whether in front of an audience of 50 or one of 5,000. It was always fulfilling, and I learned a lot from those interactions.

Can you describe a time when you had to handle a difficult guest on-air?

I don’t have guests or do guest interviews on my radio show, so, no. I never had to handle a difficult guest. But sometimes when I would fill in as a guest host for other radio shows, such as the Catholic Answers Live Show, I did interview some people who were headaches, sometimes due to a guest being irritating or, at times, espousing erroneous ideas.

How have you previously used social media to engage listeners and boost ratings?

Yes — mainly on Twitter — primarily to engage listeners.

What is your strategy for dealing with technical difficulties during a live broadcast?

I learned long ago how important it is to have a quick, ready to implement back-up plan when technical glitches arise, like losing phone lines or the ability to see my show screen. The ability to improvise on the fly is crucial. For example, if for some reason I can’t access my call screen, my producer knows to start texting my phone the info I need, and I just say it into the mic as if I were reading it myself. The main thing is to work through technical glitches in a way that the audience has no idea anything is amiss.

Are your family and friends supportive of your Catholic faith and radio life? Have they always been supportive?

Yes, they are, and yes, they always have been—most especially my wife. Which is great!

Who was your childhood hero?

I had several, including Saint Dominic Savio, Blessed Miguel Pro, S.J., NASA astronauts in the 1960s, and musically, Paul McCartney.

What is your favorite childhood memory?

When I was three, standing in the doorway of the bathroom in our home watching my dad shave and talking with him about something (I don’t remember, but it is an iconic memory).

What was your first job?

Short order cook and dishwasher at the coffee shop in the local Sears department store.

Do you enjoy being on radio and why?

Yes. I love interacting with such a wide variety of interesting people who call in every day, whether to ask me questions, or to get advice for a predicament they face, or to challenge my personal views, or to discuss/debate issues.

Are you planning on any special projects, a book maybe?

Yes. With 26 books so far, I think I still have a few more left in me. Details to follow!

What is your favorite color?

Ha ha. I don’t have a favorite color. I like ’em all.

What’s your favorite type of food?

I enjoy just about any type of food, with Mexican and Italian at the top, but as I tell people, my love language is a charbroiled steak and a bottle of good red wine.

Is Taco Tuesday your favorite day?

Sunday is my favorite day, for obvious reasons, but I am a fan of Taco Tuesdays, even though I can appreciate a good taco any day of the week (shrimp tacos on Friday, of course).

What do you do in your spare time?

My best time is always spent with Nancy, my lovely wife of 43 years. And whether I’m with her or alone, I greatly enjoy time with our children and grandchildren, as well as long walks, long bike rides, paintball, reading, listening to music, and going in pilgrimages.

Of all the prayers we have, which is your favorite?

Rosarium Virginis Mariae.

Are you a convert or a cradle Catholic? If you’re a convert, what drew you to the Church?

Cradle Catholic. Baptized Catholic at 3 weeks old and never looked back!

What is it like working with Cyrus?

It’s the best. He’s the best. I couldn’t ask for a better, funnier, savvier, easier, more sympatico person to work with creatively than Cyrus. He totally gets me. I’m talking Lennon and McCartney level collaboration.