The BeatiDudes

A mission-trip porch in Porto Gorgio, waves breaking in the distance, and a priest listening like a dad - that’s the heart of this Friday episode. Fr. Mark Garrett returns to share how a lifelong attraction to service, prayer, and spiritual fatherhood led him through nine years of seminary and into a vocation that still fills his “father” cup daily. Along the way, the Dudes riff on VHS baptisms, “formators,” the propaedeutic (aka “propaDudes”), and why the Church is very much alive through a new generation of priests. Hosted by Paul Kolker, Nick Bezner, and Jeff Schiefelbein - with banter, gratitude, and a sincere invitation to come (back) to the sacraments. Highlights • Spiritual fatherhood on a porch: Fr. Mark’s nightly mission-trip conversations with teens—listening, loving, and walking with them—felt unmistakably “fatherly.” • Seeds of a call: From well-worn First Communion booklets to altar serving and imagining preaching as a teen, grace kept nudging him forward. • Dating & desire: The honest tension—real desire for marriage and family, yet a deeper pull toward giving his life to the Church. • Nine years, one “yes” at a time: Seminary wasn’t easy; a pivotal cathedral moment re-centered everything on the People of God. • When the Church hurts: Fr. Mark names real wounds yet witnesses a young, faithful, others-focused priesthood rising to serve. • Vocations in motion: St. Andrew’s Dinners, mentors, and the surprise clarity that sometimes comes on a simple morning walk. Try This • Come & see: If you’ve been away, slip into the back pew this Sunday. Let the sacraments do the talking, then introduce yourself to a priest after Mass. • Discernment nudge: Curious about priesthood or consecrated life? Ask your parish about a St. Andrew’s Dinner or reach out to your diocesan vocations office. • Fatherly presence: Take a teen (your child, godchild, student) for a simple walk and just listen. It counts more than you think. Our Partners:   ⁠⁠Tiny Saints Show Kickstarter⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Verso Jobs ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Dave and Lauren Moore Concert⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sock Religious (10% Discount)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Solidarity HealthShare⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Aquinas Wealth Advisors⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lucid Private Office⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Divine Comedy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Undivided Life⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   Follow The BeatiDudes:   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BeatiDudes Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jeff Schiefelbein on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   BeatiDudes Theme Song and Music By   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Pencil Bureau⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dave Moore Music⁠⁠

Fr. Mark Garrett joins BeatiDudes Paul Kolker, Nick Bezner, and Jeff Schiefelbein for a moving, funny, and deeply Catholic conversation about hearing God’s call and answering it with courage. Fr. Mark shares life on the road as a nomadic vocation director, offering Mass across the Diocese of Dallas, inviting young men to discern with the Church, and showing up when people suffer. The episode centers on the power of the sacraments: anointing the sick during COVID, blessing workplaces on short notice, and the heart-stopping beauty of fully initiating a newborn into the Church before her short life returned to the Father. Sorrow and joy coexist, and grace is real. Highlights • “Five inches of whoosh” and the Tiny Table full of Tiny Saints. • Fr. Mark’s mileage: More than 20k miles in under a year, visiting 50+ parishes. This is ministry on the move. • Dallas Catholic boom: youth rooms full, weeknight faith formation, and communities on fire. • Vocations 101: The Church discerns with you. You start with your story, not a guarantee. • COVID-anointing in real time: when they call, a priest answers, and you prioritize presence over protocols. • A newborn fully initiated (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist) and a funeral filled with real joy. • Confession etiquette: help Father help you. Timing matters, mercy does too. • Quasi-parishes explained (and why canonical details actually serve people). • Why sacraments matter: not wishful thinking. God truly acts, and grace is given. • Blessings in the wild: offices, hallways, and holy water at the ready. Our Partners:   ⁠Tiny Saints Show Kickstarter⁠ ⁠Verso Jobs ⁠ ⁠Dave and Lauren Moore Concert⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Sock Religious (10% Discount)⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠Solidarity HealthShare⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠Aquinas Wealth Advisors⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠Lucid Private Office⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠Divine Comedy⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠Undivided Life⁠⁠⁠⁠   Follow The BeatiDudes:   ⁠⁠⁠⁠BeatiDudes Website⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠Jeff Schiefelbein on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠   BeatiDudes Theme Song and Music By   ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Pencil Bureau⁠⁠⁠⁠    ⁠⁠⁠⁠Dave Moore Music⁠

The BeatiDudes and Kyle Hatfield are at the tiny table, and this time, Kyle is unpacking the full roller coaster of faith, foolishness, and Divine Providence. From a Lutheran kid who once called Catholics “cannibals” to a man discipled into joy by Fr. Eric Shield, Kyle’s story proves God’s grace has a wild sense of humor. He went from writing a handwritten list of 20 reasons to become Catholic to completely falling away in college, only to find his way home through a Life Teen summer, daily holy hours, and an unexpected transfer to Franciscan University (where he met his future wife Angela) Kyle shares two lines that changed his life: “If you’re humble and submissive to Christ, you’ll find peace in all you do,” and “Abandonment to the Father frees you from anxiety about tomorrow.” Paul Kolker, Nick Bezner, and Jeff Schiefelbein mix in wisdom, laughter, and a few “ball-and-chain” lessons of their own as they remind us that holiness doesn’t start with perfection; it starts with surrender, a smile, and sometimes, a breakfast gone wrong. Our Partners:   Tiny Saints Show Kickstarter Verso Jobs Dave and Lauren Moore Concert ⁠⁠⁠Sock Religious (10% Discount)⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Solidarity HealthShare⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Aquinas Wealth Advisors⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Lucid Private Office⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Divine Comedy⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Undivided Life⁠⁠⁠   Follow The BeatiDudes:   ⁠⁠⁠BeatiDudes Website⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Jeff Schiefelbein on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠   BeatiDudes Theme Song and Music By   ⁠⁠⁠The Pencil Bureau⁠⁠⁠    ⁠⁠⁠Dave Moore Music⁠

This week the BeatiDudes welcome Kyle Hatfield. He’s a husband, girl-dad of five, former Pines Catholic Camp director, and the Director of Engagement at the Catholic Leadership Institute (CLI). Between insane stories at the Tiny Table, Kyle shares a joy-filled journey from conversion and camp ministry to coaching pastors and bishops. Kyle breaks down how CLI helps parishes move from vision to implementation. The "Tuesday-afternoon" stuff like prioritizing mission, delegating well, and caring for clergy with ongoing formation and wellness. Highlights • From The Pines to CLI: camp director during the pandemic to accompanying dioceses, pastors, and bishops • Vision → Action: practical coaching so parishes actually live their mission • Parish as “all souls within your boundaries”: an apostolic lens for leadership • Marriage & family: 10 years, five daughters, and vocation > occupation • The legendary 16-count slow clap and a rapid-fire joke round If you care about parish life that truly evangelizes, this episode delivers practical wisdom wrapped in fraternity and fun. Kyle’s story shows how saying “yes” to God at camp, at home, and in leadership, turns big church dreams into real, local renewal. Our Partners:   Tiny Saints Show Kickstarter Verso Jobs Dave and Lauren Moore Concert ⁠⁠⁠Sock Religious ⁠⁠⁠Solidarity HealthShare⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Aquinas Wealth Advisors⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Lucid Private Office⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Divine Comedy⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Undivided Life⁠⁠⁠      Follow The BeatiDudes:   ⁠⁠⁠BeatiDudes Website⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Jeff Schiefelbein on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠      BeatiDudes Theme Song and Music By   ⁠⁠⁠The Pencil Bureau⁠⁠⁠    ⁠⁠⁠Dave Moore Music⁠

The BeatiDudes are at the studio with our brother Joseph “JB” Bionat, who just might be the most prepared (and unprepared) soon-to-be dad in Texas. JB is at the Tiny Table to share what it’s like standing on the threshold of fatherhood, with a baby due any minute. Paul Kolker, Nick Bezner, and Jeff Schiefelbein delve into JB’s first-ever diaper-changing adventure, the shock of discovering he and his wife, Caroline, were expecting just four months after their marriage, and the sacred blend of fear, joy, and awe that comes with preparing for life as a parent. Between “pregnant pauses,” discussions about Push Presents, and dreams of announcing “Habemus Baby” from the Vatican balcony, this conversation is equal parts comedy and holy anticipation. To top it off, JB takes on the BeatiDudes’ New Dad Quiz, where snack diplomacy,car seat meltdowns, and romantic recovery scenarios test his readiness for fatherhood. Will he pass the test? Let’s just say smoothies and charcuterie boards might be his secret weapons. Whether you’re a dad, a soon-to-be dad, or just love walking with brothers in Christ through life’s big transitions, this episode brings laughter, honesty, and encouragement. JB reminds us that fatherhood is both a gift and a calling, one that requires faith, humor, and fraternity. Our Partners:   Tiny Saints Show Kickstarter Verso Jobs Dave and Lauren Moore Concert ⁠⁠⁠Sock Religious (10% Discount)⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Solidarity HealthShare⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Aquinas Wealth Advisors⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Lucid Private Office⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Divine Comedy⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Undivided Life⁠⁠⁠   Follow The BeatiDudes:   ⁠⁠⁠BeatiDudes Website⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Jeff Schiefelbein on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠   BeatiDudes Theme Song and Music By   ⁠⁠⁠The Pencil Bureau⁠⁠⁠    ⁠⁠⁠Dave Moore Music⁠

This week the BeatiDudes - Paul Kolker, Nick Bezner, and Jeff Schiefelbein -welcome JB Bionat, Marketing & Communications Director at St. Ann. JB shares a winsome conversion arc: cradle Catholic to questioning student, then a reasoned return to the Church through scripture study, history, and a lived encounter with Jesus. Along the way: Aggie hospitality, ministry in the workplace, late-night adoration, grad studies at UD, a stint at Word on Fire, and the joyful story of meeting his wife at St. Ann. We also “prep” JB for new-dad life with a hilariously helpful quiz and a round of Blessed Are the Joke Makers. Humor + holiness = home base. Highlights • Aggie roots - Hospitality that feels like home; why a random campus tour sealed the deal for Texas A&M. • From rules to relationship - Bible study (Ephesians), Breakaway invites, and asking better questions about Jesus. • Thinking it through - JB’s route from monotheism vs. polytheism to the historicity of the Church (“one true church founded by Christ”). • Undivided life - Consulting career, witnessing with charity at work, and mid-week adoration near a client site. • Formation season - Pandemic discernment → Master’s in Pastoral Ministry (UD) → Word on Fire Institute marketing → St. Ann. • Love - Women’s Night of Worship, a camera, one providential photo, and a two-year courtship to marriage. • New-Dad Readiness Quiz - Midnight snacks, diaper math in the Target parking lot, and the proper lullaby (hint: “Bohemian Rhapsody”). • Game time - Blessed Are the Joke Makers - sour school-teacher edition. Our Partners:   ⁠Verso Jobs⁠ ⁠Tiny Saints Show Kickstarter⁠ Dave and Lauren Moore Concert ⁠⁠⁠⁠Sock Religious (10% Discount)⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠Solidarity HealthShare⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠Aquinas Wealth Advisors⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠Lucid Private Office⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠Divine Comedy⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠Undivided Life⁠⁠⁠⁠   Follow The BeatiDudes:   ⁠⁠⁠⁠BeatiDudes Website⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠Jeff Schiefelbein on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠   BeatiDudes Theme Song and Music By   ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Pencil Bureau⁠⁠⁠⁠    ⁠⁠⁠⁠Dave Moore Music⁠

Nico Cabrera joins Paul Kolker, Nick Bezner, and Jeff Schiefelbein as he delves into the healing power of family, the beauty of choosing to grow, and why quality time together is what truly matters. From Colombian traditions (yes, cheese in hot chocolate and bananas with soup) to the sacred “movie moments” with nieces, to the case for showing up in person instead of living on Zoom, Nico threads humor, heritage, and holiness into a warm reflection on belonging. Along the way, we detour through pork-chop poetry, airport theme songs, and the working rule of family life: when you’re together, don’t look at the bill, look at the people. Highlights • “Choose to be better.” Nico shares how his parents’ decision to grow and heal reshaped the family’s trajectory, proof that humility and conversion change generational outcomes. • Presence > platforms. Trust and creativity accelerate when we’re physically together; Zoom can maintain momentum, but real relationships are built across a table (or next to each other at 6 a.m. work sessions). • Time turns holy. As parents age and siblings get married, mundane moments (sharing ice cream, chasing toddlers) become sacred snapshots. • Colombian comfort: Try it before you knock it, melty mozzarella in thick hot chocolate, and sweet banana alongside hot soup • Family finance rule: When you’re with your people, stop itemizing the joy. Our Partners:   Verso Jobs Tiny Saints Show Kickstarter ⁠⁠⁠Sock Religious (10% Discount)⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Solidarity HealthShare⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Aquinas Wealth Advisors⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Lucid Private Office⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Divine Comedy⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Undivided Life⁠⁠⁠   Follow The BeatiDudes:   ⁠⁠⁠BeatiDudes Website⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Jeff Schiefelbein on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠   BeatiDudes Theme Song and Music By   ⁠⁠⁠The Pencil Bureau⁠⁠⁠    ⁠⁠⁠Dave Moore Music⁠

At the tiny table, Paul Kolker, Nick Bezner, and Jeff Schiefelbein welcome Nico Cabrera - a Colombian‑American Catholic whose path runs from teaching high school students, to leading worship on massive international stages, to building partnerships inside a fast‑paced cybersecurity startup. This episode mixes humor (Zara cologne, “fat lips,” and the quest for a decent USA chant), culture (Spanish nicknames, rich family traditions, and Latin musical energy), and faith (music that exalts God, business that genuinely adds value, and choosing joy in each circumstance). Nico recalls playing right after the Pope at World Youth Day for 200,000+ people, reflects on being “rich and wild” in Spanish culture, and shares how Viktor Frankl’s insight - our freedom to choose a response - guides his work and prayer. The Dudes also attempt a color‑coded parody of I Will Survive… Highlights & Takeaways • From Colombia to the U.S.: early years, deep family bonds, and how American experiences shaped his worldview. • Faith, family, and country: the three loves Nico says define his life. • Music with a mission: forming EPIC the Band and leading Spanish worship at the National Eucharistic Congress (~50,000). • World Youth Day story: playing on the main stage immediately after the Pope for 200,000–250,000 people in Panama. • Business as service: a redeemed Catholic vision • Choosing joy daily: channeling Viktor Frankl. We can’t always choose circumstances but can choose our response. • Cultural laughter: affectionate Spanish nicknames, and why the USA chant needs work. Our Partners:   ⁠⁠⁠⁠Sock Religious (10% Discount)⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠Solidarity HealthShare⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠Aquinas Wealth Advisors⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠Lucid Private Office⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠Divine Comedy⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠Undivided Life⁠⁠⁠⁠   Follow The BeatiDudes:   ⁠⁠⁠⁠BeatiDudes Website⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠Jeff Schiefelbein on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠   BeatiDudes Theme Song and Music By   ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Pencil Bureau⁠⁠⁠⁠    ⁠⁠⁠⁠Dave Moore Music⁠

In this fun-filled episode, Paul Kolker, Nick Bezner, and Jeff Schiefelbein welcome back Michael Greene, the “grandpa” from Grandma and Grandpa Camp and now officially dubbed the James Bond of Grandparents. Today’s conversation flows around powerful “God moments”, those surprising, providential times when the Lord shows up in unexpected ways. Michael shares stories of houses that fell through (thankfully, thanks to termites and a title dispute), and how God sometimes needs to hit us with a 2x4 to get our attention. Michael unpacks how prayer and forgiveness have shaped his family through decades of life and marriage with his wife, Rosemary. Together, the BeatiDudes and Michael explore when they feel closest to God, whether in early morning prayer, praying over a child during nightmares, or writing prayers directly into emails instead of just promising them. Order Grandma and Grandpa Camp: Inspiring Stories to Strengthen Generational Bonds https://a.co/d/9UeDaqO Our Partners:   ⁠⁠⁠Sock Religious (10% Discount)⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Solidarity HealthShare⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Aquinas Wealth Advisors⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Lucid Private Office⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Divine Comedy⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Undivided Life⁠⁠⁠   Follow The BeatiDudes:   ⁠⁠⁠BeatiDudes Website⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Jeff Schiefelbein on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠   BeatiDudes Theme Song and Music By   ⁠⁠⁠The Pencil Bureau⁠⁠⁠    ⁠⁠⁠Dave Moore Music⁠

What happens when two intentional grandparents turn a simple idea into a decades-long family tradition? Meet Michael Green, 80 years young, who, with his bride Rosemary, built “Grandma & Grandpa Camp,” a week of fun, formation, and cousin-to-cousin friendship that’s changed their entire family culture. From “I Wear Pink for Grandma” (a breast-cancer-survivor moment that will hit you right in the heart) to “non-negotiables” like high tea in a tux, outdoor movie night, and murder-mystery dinners, Michael shows the BeatiDudes how ordinary time, shared faithfully, becomes extraordinary grace. Along the way, we talk faith, Eucharistic reverence, Fulton Sheen, and why the rule “No Parents Allowed” might be the secret sauce to stronger generational bonds. Paul Kolker, Nick Bezner, and Jeff Schiefelbein learn all about how to run a successful Grandma & Grandpa Camp. Order Grandma and Grandpa Camp: Inspiring Stories to Strengthen Generational Bonds https://a.co/d/9UeDaqO Our Partners:   ⁠⁠⁠Sock Religious (10% Discount)⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Solidarity HealthShare⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Aquinas Wealth Advisors⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Lucid Private Office⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Divine Comedy⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Undivided Life⁠⁠⁠   Follow The BeatiDudes:   ⁠⁠⁠BeatiDudes Website⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Jeff Schiefelbein on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠   BeatiDudes Theme Song and Music By   ⁠⁠⁠The Pencil Bureau⁠⁠⁠    ⁠⁠⁠Dave Moore Music⁠