Have you turned on the news lately? It may seem like the whole world is against the True, Good, and Beautiful. But look a little closer. There's a rich, immersive, Catholic world thriving and growing. Culture, community, art, and more are experiencing a renaissance as they discover each other, mostly thanks to the internet. Catholics everywhere have become more and more confident in simply being Catholic in a post-Christian world.
This includes people who are not afraid to found businesses and organizations that embrace Catholic values. I want to share with you some of my favorite companies proudly proclaiming the faith and paving the way for others. I hope this serves as an inspiration for you to move on what the Holy Spirit may have planted in your heart.
Cana Family Institute
What are they and what problem are they solving?
If you pay any attention to our culture, you know the family is under attack. The family is the foundation of society. Destroy the family, destroy a society. The Church continues to strive to be a rampart in the raging current of toxic culture. One of those leaders in building Catholic family culture is Cana Family Institute.
Cana Family Institute offers programs and resources to parishes and individuals to help build up families in knowledge and virtue of the faith.
Why this business is evidence Catholic Culture is alive and well
Like I mentioned, destroy the family, destroy society. Cana Family Institute is doing the opposite. Building strong Catholic families will produce strong future laity. You think young priests today are great? Just wait until we get some Cana Family priests!
They continue to build their staff and programming every year. That tends to be a good sign for businesses!
Business product highlight
Their Next Sunday Ideas book is a super fun way to help make the Mass a bit more meaningful for kids. It's a journal to help moms create activities based on each Sunday's Gospel. It's complete with interactive checklists and ample space to journal. A great tool for the modern mom.
Where to find them
Wallet Win
What are they and what problem are they solving?
In a world that serves mammon, it's easy to adopt a secular perspective on money. Think about it. When money is preached about, it's usually for a capitol campaign, not how to practically manage it! The team at Wallet Win are financial advisors offering an abundance of resources to help you navigate finances incorporating Catholic values.
Why this business is evidence Catholic Culture is alive and well
This business is a great example that anyone who is passionate enough about their craft and has the permission of the Holy Spirit can combine their career and their Catholic faith. It's also another opportunity to trust Christ with another aspect of our lives.
Business product highlights
Where to find them
Francis and Louis
What are they and what problem are they solving?
Francis and Louis are a talented creative agency that supports Catholic missions like the Archdiocese of Detroit. They're making Catholicism look cool again.
The Church used to be the leaders in culture, art, science, philosophy, and more. With the rise of modernism, it seems the Church has taken a back seat in advances in society. The work Francis and Louis are doing is evidence that parts of the Church value modern communication styles that are imperative to reach specific demographics. Gorgeous graphic design attracts. Gorgeous Catholic graphic design attracts souls to Christ.
Why this business is evidence Catholic Culture is alive and well
A sure way to tell something is valued is if someone spends money on it (duh!). Take a look at their portfolio and see how many different companies and people they feature. These are (most likely) paying customers!
Business product highlights
Where to find them
Spirit Juice Studios
What are they and what problem are they solving?
Have you seen snappy video ads on YouTube? The next generation of videographers truly have talent. Some of those videographers happen to be Catholic and are creating some beautiful videos for Catholic business too.
Spirit Juice a talented videography agency that supports Catholic organizations. They've done work for big names like Word on Fire and FOCUS.
Why this business is evidence Catholic Culture is alive and well
I echo what I said above with Francis and Louise. Look at the variety of paying clients on their website!
Business product highlight
They produced one of my favorite videos ever. Absolutely gorgeous.
In an age when parents are wary of parking their kids in front of the TV with full reign of the remote, Spirit Juice is producing kids content!
Where to find them
Catholic Lofi
What are they and what problem are they solving?
I’m one of those people who needs some sort of music while I work or study. Apparently that’s a thing for others too. That’s why Lofi has become so popular. It’s calming tunes to help with focus better than complex classical or noisy rock. For those who want to inject more Christ into their workflow, Catholic Lofi is an excellent choice. Listen carefully and you can hear chanting and the voice of Fulton Sheen to uplift your soul to higher things while you work or study.
Why this business is evidence Catholic Culture is alive and well
Lofi is very niche and very trendy. The fact that Catholic Lofi has been created and is popular is evidence that the youths are alive and well in the Church.
Additionally, this is another great example that faith can be combined with almost anything.
Where to find them
Catholic Lofi can be found anywhere and be produced by anyone. However, the main place to listen to Catholic Lofi is produced by Matt Fradd at Pints with Aquinas.
House of Joppa
What are they and what problem are they solving?
I am a firm believer that your surroundings impact you. What you put in your home can influence your thoughts and mood, like a hot pick wall, a portrait of grandma, or a charming drawing of a deer in the woods. Why not draw the mind and soul toward Christ even more? House of Joppa sells Catholic themed décor goods like wall art, candles, paper goods, apparel, and more. Sure, they sell crucifixes, but they also sell water fonts and framed prayers.
Having Christian themed art might not hurt when hosting guests who are at a variety of places with their relationship with Christ. It find it to be a non invasive way to share Christ with others.
Why this business is evidence Catholic Culture is alive and well
You can interpret the values of a culture by the average painting on an average home wall. Being intentional about what fills our homes impacts our families. Filling homes with Christ is indicative of the desire to fill lives with Christ.
Business product highlight
This crucifix is stunning
Where to find them
Fr. Stu Movie
What are they/their products/problem they’re solving
Raise your hand if you're generally disappointed in Hollywood in 2023. Films feel mass produced. Many studios lack creativity and craftsmanship.
Have you noticed that Christian movies aren’t mass produced in the mainstream? Hollywood isn’t exactly warm to Christians, especially Catholics. Other studios have taken up this genre with the rise of PureFlix and Angel Studios. Actors and directors passionate enough about their faith sometimes pursue their own films, like Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. The recent movie release of Fr. Stu, starring Mel Gibson and Mark Wahlberg is yet another contribution to the Christian/Catholic film genre movie buffs are ravenous for.
Christian movies are notorious for sugar coating or painting unrealistic pictures of reality. Those aren't relatable stories. Many Christian movie goers have become jaded about the Christian movie genre, myself included. Fr. Stu doesn't sugar coat much. It earns its R rating mostly for foul language. But if you can stomach that, the story is so, so worth it. It doesn't shy away from the ugliness, suffering, and loneliness that exists in this world, something that is relatable to everyone. It also doesn't shy away from the beauty and power of the Catholic faith and of Christ's redeeming love for us.
Why this business is evidence Catholic Culture is alive and well
Fr. Stu was produced for $4 million and has grossed $21.8 million worldwide (as of July 2023). People are clearly hungering for these kinds of stories! I think anyone with enough money, excellent storytelling skills, and portrays things reverently and accurately will do very well. If you're an aspiring Catholic director, consider this your encouragement!
Product Highlight
They portray Mass and ordination beautifully an accurately! So refreshing.
Where you can find it
Fr. Stu can be viewed on Netflix or Amazon.
Hallow
What are they/their products/problem they’re solving
It seems the culture that swayed away from the spiritual and has now embraced spirituality as an element for overall health, especially with young people. The rise of apps like Headspace are indicative of this. It's strange non-Christian forms of meditation have exploded while praying to the One True God and reading the Bible continue to be frowned upon in secular culture. There’s clearly still a need for some sort of Christian prayer app. There’s where Hallow comes in. Hallow is a guided prayer app, chalk-full of Catholic devotions, music, and prayers. The team at Hallow has built a immense library that changes lives, and they continue to add content.
Why this business is evidence Catholic Culture is alive and well
Hallow has grown exponentially since their founding in 2018. I just browsed their job openings page and they’re looking for French and Italians to join their team! Clearly they're making a profit to expand!
Business product highlight
The rosary with Scott Hahn is excellent. That man has a voice like butter.
I have also scheduled notifications on my phone to remind me to do the guided journal session in the morning and Daily Examen in the evening. It's helped me build my prayer habit!
Lastly, they're developing stronger features to foster prayer groups!
Where to find them
Any app store
This just scratches the surface. There are plenty more Catholic companies out there that I deeply respect. Being a Catholic businesswoman, I have had the opportunity to connect with people doing amazing things for our world. It's truly an inspiration.
Are you one of these Catholic businesses? Comment with your contact information and let's network!!
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