Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Dan Campos, founder of Campos Financial Group, via email in August 2025. Some of the questions/answers have been rearranged, edited, and paraphrased to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.
How has your Catholic faith influenced the way you approach financial planning and advising clients?
My Catholic faith shapes everything I do, including the way I serve my clients. I see financial planning not just as numbers and investments, but as part of a person’s vocation—how they provide for their family, serve their community, and live out their values. I am also blessed with the flexibility of my schedule to attend daily Mass most days, which keeps me grounded and reminds me that all the work I do is ultimately in service of God. Faith reminds me that money is a tool, not an end in itself. My role is to help clients be wise stewards of what has been entrusted to them, while never losing sight of eternal priorities.
Sponsored: This article is made possible by Truthly, supporting quality and engaging Catholic content.
In our family home, we have a running joke about my parents calling me or my siblings whenever they have a technology problem. “The router’s not working!” or “How do I save this document?” We’ve become the default tech support. This experience got me thinking about how we use technology as Catholics in today’s digital environment.
Technology itself—whether it’s smartphones, artificial intelligence, or social media—is morally neutral. Like a hammer, car, or telephone, these tools aren’t inherently good or evil. It’s how we choose to use them that matters. This perspective isn’t new to Catholic thinking. The Church has always recognized that human innovation serves a purpose in God’s plan when used properly.
While seeking digital balance, I discovered we have spiritual guides for this journey too. The communion of saints offers us models for using technology virtuously, even saints who lived long before the internet age.
Saint Isidore of Seville: The Ancient Patron of the Internet
“The 7th century patron saint of the internet seems odd, but Saint Isidore of Seville connects logically to our digital world.
In 1997, Pope John Paul II named him internet patron because his writing structure resembled modern databases. Isidore’s greatest work, the Etymologiae, was essentially an early encyclopedia that attempted to compile all known knowledge. His organizational approach anticipated our digital information systems by over a millennium.
What strikes me most about Isidore wasn’t just his intellectual achievements but his heart for unity. After years of war in Spain, Isidore worked tirelessly to bring peace and unite Christians throughout the region. Pope Benedict XVI noted in his 2008 General Audience that Isidore’s wealth of cultural knowledge allowed him to “constantly compare the Christian newness with the Greco-Roman cultural heritage.”
This mission of unity perfectly parallels the original vision for the internet—connecting people across distances and differences. When I scroll through divisive comment sections or see how technology sometimes drives us apart, I remember Isidore’s example. Technology should be a tool for building bridges, not walls.
Often called the “Schoolmaster of the Middle Ages,” Isidore established schools and seminaries to form newly converted Visigoths in the faith. His reputation was so profound that the 15th Council of Toledo in 688 called him “the extraordinary doctor, the latest ornament of the Catholic Church, the most learned man of the latter ages, always to be named with reverence.”
When I feel overwhelmed by information overload or distracted by endless notifications, I try to ask: How would Isidore approach this digital world? Would he use it to unite or divide? To educate or distract? To lift others up or tear them down?
Blessed Carlo Acutis: A Modern Saint for the Digital Age
Saint Isidore offers a timeless view on technology, while Blessed Carlo Acutis models virtue in our digital age. The Church has recognized Carlo’s extraordinary witness, and I’m overjoyed that he will be canonized on April 27, 2025. Soon we’ll be able to call him “Saint Carlo” — a modern patron for our digital age!
In July 2024, I attended the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. Among 50,000 Catholics celebrating the Eucharist, the Eucharistic Miracles exhibit, inspired by Carlo, drew huge crowds. Some waited over 90 minutes to see it.
While standing in line, I experienced a life-changing encounter with a California gentleman who shared his conversion story. By the time we reached the exhibit, we felt genuine kinship and the beauty and detail of Carlo’s Eucharistic catalog from his short life moved us both.
I first encountered Carlo’s legacy on October 24, 2022, when I prayed before the Blessed Sacrament and heard a presentation about him at my parish. His story resonated deeply with me as a parent trying to guide children through a digital world.
What makes Carlo so remarkable is how he balanced technology with spiritual priorities. Often called “the first millennial saint,” Carlo used his computer programming skills to create websites documenting Eucharistic miracles around the world. Yet despite his technological aptitude, he maintained clear boundaries.
Carlo enforced a strict one-hour gaming limit for himself and friends. His discipline highlights my tendency to check my phone mindlessly and let technology interfere with prayer and family time.
Finding Balance in Our Digital Lives
These saints—one ancient, one modern—show us that technology should serve us, not vice versa. When my son fixates on screens or I scroll through social media instead of praying, I recall Carlo’s example of moderation.
When my oldest son gets fixated on screen time or I catch myself scrolling through social media instead of saying evening prayers, I try to remember Carlo’s example of moderation. Technology should enhance our humanity and our faith, not diminish it.
As parents, we often worry about how screens affect our children. Saint Isidore and Blessed Carlo teach us to focus on proper formation in technology use, not rejection. Like Isidore creating schools for new Christians, we must actively develop digital virtue in ourselves and our families.
Here are some practical ways I’ve tried to follow these saints’ examples:
Set clear boundaries: Like Carlo’s one-hour rule, establish specific times for technology use and times for disconnect.
Pursue unity: Following Isidore’s example, use social media to build up the Body of Christ rather than participate in divisive arguments.
Create digital sabbaths: Our family tries to have screen-free Sundays (or at least Sunday evenings) to prioritize worship and family time.
Pray before logging on: Consider this prayer inspired by Saint Isidore: Almighty and eternal God, who created us in Thy image and called us to seek after all that is good, true and beautiful, especially in your Son Jesus Christ, grant through the intercession of Saint Isidore that during our time online, we direct our attention only to that which pleases You and treat with charity all those we encounter. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Use technology for evangelization: Both Isidore and Carlo used the tools of their time to spread knowledge of the faith. How might we do the same?
Technology for the Greater Glory of God
The emergence of artificial intelligence has raised new questions about technology’s role in our lives. When I first experimented with AI tools, I found myself both amazed and concerned. As with any technology, AI itself isn’t inherently good or evil—it’s how we use it that matters.
The Church, in its wisdom, has been reflecting deeply on these questions. In the recent Vatican document Antiqua et Nova, we find important guidance:
“The Church’s moral and social teaching provides resources to help ensure that AI is used in a way that preserves human agency. Considerations about justice, for example, should also address issues such as fostering just social dynamics, upholding international security, and promoting peace. By exercising prudence, individuals and communities can discern ways to use AI to benefit humanity while avoiding applications that could degrade human dignity or harm the environment.
Church Guidance on Digital Responsibility
In this context, the concept of responsibility should be understood not only in its most limited sense but as a ‘responsibility for the care for others, which is more than simply accounting for results achieved.'” (Paragraph 47)
This emphasis on responsibility and care for others resonates deeply with me. It’s not enough to simply avoid the harmful applications of technology—we’re called to actively use these tools for the good of humanity.
The document further reminds us that in navigating these complex questions: “In a world marked by AI, we need the grace of the Holy Spirit, who ‘enables us to look at things with God’s eyes, to see connections, situations, events and to uncover their real meaning.'” (Paragraph 115)
How profound! Beyond human wisdom, we need divine guidance to use technology rightly and grasp its deeper meanings.
Will we use AI to serve the common good and the greater glory of God? Or will we allow it to replace human connection and creativity? These are questions we must wrestle with as faithful Catholics in a digital age.
What comforts me is knowing that the same principles apply: moderation, intentionality, and keeping our eyes fixed on Christ. Whether it’s social media, video games, or artificial intelligence, technology must remain our servant, not our master.
Saint Isidore of Seville and Blessed Carlo Acutis—separated by nearly 1,400 years but united in their faith—show us that we can embrace innovation while staying rooted in eternal truths. Their examples remind us that even our digital lives can be offered up for the glory of God and the building of His kingdom. Just as Isidore and Carlo used their tools for evangelization, Truthly helps Catholics do the same today.
As I close my laptop each night and set my phone aside, I try to remember Carlo’s wisdom: “Not me, but God.” Technology, like everything else in creation, finds its proper place when it leads us closer to Him.
Thanks again to today’s article sponsor! Visit truthly.ai to learn more about the world’s first Catholic action app.
Are you struggling to relaunch your business after a challenging year? Here’s the proven strategy I used to reconnect with my customers and successfully get my business thriving again.
Use this strategy ⤵️
The What:
📬 Send them personalized postcards— in a digital world, paper will stand out
💬 Send personalized DMs to check in with them (don’t sell anything off the bat…that’s spammy/salesy)
Post consistently on social media about your products/services:
🔶 Be valuable (educational/entertaining depending on your brand voice) about it at least 80%.
🔷 The other 20% you can mention th products/services you offer but frame it from the problem you solve
✍️Publish regularly on your blog to help provide insights about your industry for your audience.
The When:
Reach out to your customers (works for prospects too) at natural checkpoints.
Holidays, weekends, end of the week, liturgical feast days (my clients are Catholic small business owners 🙂).
For example:
“Hi (insert first name)! Hope you are having a blessed Feast of Saints Peter and Paul.”
OR
“Hope you had a blessed Feast of the Most Holy Trinity (insert first name)! Here’s a funny meme I made for the occasion and thought you might like it”
At around 90 days before your relaunch start to be more overt in your messaging about the products/services you provide (thank you Stacked Marketer Holiday Marketing Guide for this tip!.
If you try to promote your work any sooner from a cold hiatus then your customers are going to notice and be turned off by the experience.
Editor’s note: This article is sponsored by CatholicGigs.com.
Saint Josemaria Escriva wrote, “Professional work is also an apostolate, an opportunity to give ourselves to others, to reveal Christ to them and lead them to God the Father.” These words are true yet not always easy to live by during the job search process— it’s a full-time job looking for a full-time job.
Finding employment can be one of the more stressful activities in life. Over the years, I have struggled to find work that both paid the bills and gave me satisfaction. Starting The Simple Catholic blog was something I did out of a need to cope with loss and grief but also as a means to stay connected to the professional Catholic world.
The founder of Catholic Gigs reached out to me a few months ago about helping him create content for their website. I have found my writing can act as a bridge to lead others to Christ. Catholic Gigs also acts as a bridge connecting Catholic jobseekers and Catholic employers. I see this as an apostolate in fostering faith DURING the job process. Below is an interview I had with Paul Massell and Jacob Spence on the origin and journey of Catholic Gigs.
How did you come up with the idea for Catholic Gigs?
After graduating from Catholic universities, we each spent several years struggling to find employment that both aligned with our faith and provided a living wage. We ultimately decided to start our own company which offers marketing content and support primarily for Catholic organizations. One of our early ideas was to build an authentically Catholic job board to help our clients (and ourselves) find and collaborate on meaningful work.
While this project sat on the back burner for a few years, we continued developing professional relationships with a variety of Catholic organizations throughout the U.S. through the marketing work we did for them. Through these experiences, we learned a lot about the needs of Catholic organizations. We eventually met a Catholic investor who provided the seed funding that allowed us to build the Catholic Gigs site and begin sharing it with the Catholic organizations in our network, and beyond.
What makes Catholic Gigs different from other job search sites?
What makes Catholic Gigs unique boils down to our desire to build a Catholic community. Built into the site itself, as well as in all our communications with both job-seekers and employers, are a variety of features that facilitate and encourage more meaningful connections between Catholic organizations and their future employees. Our content-rich employer profiles offer insights about organizations that aren’t otherwise present in a single job description. This content includes photos and videos, background and history about organizations, and information about benefits offered to employees.
We regularly share authentically Catholic content with the goal of inspiring and motivating young Catholics to explore meaningful careers at Catholic organizations. We are also partnering with career centers at Catholic universities across the country to help match recent graduates with entry-level job openings at Catholic organizations. Beyond this, we are always attentive to
the needs of both job seekers and employers to better incorporate their suggestions into the site and the features we offer.
How do you plan to scale your business and what are your growth plans?
Our long-term vision is for every Catholic diocese, nonprofit, and Catholic-owned business to post their job openings on Catholic Gigs, but our first goal is to connect Catholic schools with recent graduates from Catholic universities to fill much-needed teaching roles.
What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced so far and how have you overcome them?
For years we had the idea for Catholic Gigs on the back burner while we worked on other marketing projects for a wide variety of Catholic businesses and non-profit clients. While we had built an early version of Catholic Gigs, most of our attention was focused on completing work for our clients.
Providentially, one of these projects introduced us to a Catholic investor who provided us with the seed funding and mentorship necessary to fully realize our idea for Catholic Gigs. Between his insights and our track record with this market, we feel primed to develop the best solution for Catholic employers and job seekers.
A lot of our past relationships with clients already laid a great foundation for Catholic Gigs. As soon as we launched the site, we reached out to many of our past customers and invited them to this new service.
What are your future plans for Catholic Gigs and what impact do you hope to have in the long-term?
Ultimately, we hope to bridge the gap between Catholic employers and individuals who seek to do meaningful work for the Church and the world, especially those just starting out on their career. For us, that entails sharing all the wisdom and goodness we’ve experienced through our work with Catholic organizations and passing that along to those who are in the midst of discerning their life’s work.
Describe the importance of Catholic education and its impact on society.
Catholic education plays an important role in shaping individuals and contributing to society. It instills values such as faith, compassion, empathy, and respect for human dignity, which can inspire people to be active and responsible citizens. Additionally, Catholic education provides a strong academic foundation and encourages critical thinking. This can contribute to individual
success and societal progress. Furthermore, Catholic education can provide a sense of community and belonging, which can foster social cohesion and support the common good.
Explore Catholic job opportunities by visiting Catholic Gigs today!
“But I don’t have anything interesting to say.” “I am tired exhausted from work and household duties.” “I just cannot take time away from my family.” “This is going to add an additional burden on my spouse.” “Honey, there is literally no time. We both have full time and three kids to take of when we get home.”
These were some of the excuses I used in the past whenever I pondered a pursuit in a career in freelance writing. We have a finite amount of time each day. 24 hours. Doctors tell us at least a 1/3 of that should be used for sleeping. That leaves only16 hours a day at our disposal. Add in a full-time job, children and all the various school activities they are in, and meal time. Our time starts disappearing faster than a dozen eggs on sale at the store.
How to write and raise a family?
This article is specifically geared toward parents who want to develop a career in writing. As a father to four children ages 11,9,6, and 4, I completely understand the scheduling struggle. It might be more accurate to call it appointment acrobatics! I am also the husband of an elementary school teacher. Anyone who is married to or has a family member or friend who is an educator knows that profession involves A LOT of time—investing in lesson planning, parent meetings, professional development sessions, and staying up to do on current curriculum. Additionally, two of children have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Autism is a social communication disorder. We have weekly adaptive aquatics lessons for our six year old. We have also had to invest an incalculable amount of hours into research, therapy, and home reinforcement over the past several years.
Bottom line is I understand that life presents you many challenges that take up the vast majority of the day. It is not impossible, nor even merely improbable to start writing and creating content.
Martin Luther King Jr. once declared, “If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t walk run, then walk, if you can’t walk, then , but by all means keep moving.” While you may not be able to soar now you can take action. Move towards your goal of being a writer! The tips in this article come from my experience and have proven to have worked for my impossibly busy schedule. Let’s now jump into these five actionable and simple strategies to help you write now!
Be prepared to sacrifice
“Wait! I thought you said these were actionable and simple steps. Right away you are asking me to give up something,” you might be thinking now. As much as this fact hurts to hear, it is necessary to learn. To love something [and someone] it involves a sacrifice. Foregoing the latest Netflix original series, shopping spree, or having to say “no” to one of your kids activities will be painful. I struggled mightily with watching just one episode of the latest series so I could have time to write daily.
Since my decision to leave my full-time job to pursue writing as a career, I have made several sacrifices: our family gave up eating fast food, limited television time, and I will be working a night job to help the bills until I can write full-time from home. This decision was not made lightly. Writing proved to be healing and therapeutic as reached a low point in my life in 2015. If after some deliberation you realize your gift to the world is to write, realize this tremendous joy does come with a price—sacrifice. But it is well worth it.
Narrow and Nest into a Niche
A second tactic to help you write now is to find a niche topic to write about. Ask yourself the following questions: What topic can I talk about for 30 minutes without needing any preparation? What subjects am I already an expert on? Select your writing niche based on either or both of the answers to those questions. My expertise is Catholic theology. I have also developed an interest in writing about anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. Finding a niche does not always happen overnight. Yet, you can still start the process of discovering your writing niche now!
Find Five Minutes
Finding time in the day to write can be challenging. I get it! Parenting is incredibly tough. Kids require physical, emotional, intellectual supports to grow and thrive. We all want our kids to grow up into mature and productive citizens. Some days all hell breaks loose. The children turn into frenzied creatures—especially during a full moon! Other times, the children coordinate an executed staggered schedule attack to ensure that you and your spouse never get more than 2 hours consecutive that night.
Don’t let that deter you from your dream to write. Find just 5 minutes per day to write. Schedule it at the exact same time and place in your house to journal or type out your thoughts. If your life is a bit more hectic, allow for flexibility of that 5 minutes to occur at various times. Always make sure you write for an absolute minimum of 5 minutes. When your routine is set, up your time to 10, 15, 30 minutes, or to 1 hour. Consistency is absolutely necessary for traction towards your goal. Move towards your goal of writing a bit each every.
Consume Content Daily
Another simple strategy to develop your writing skills is to consume content from your writing niche daily. Doctors prescribe patients to eat a and balanced nutrition. That same is true for content creators. Creativity does not occur in isolation. Read books, listen to podcasts, watch videos, connect with experts in your desired field of study on LinkedIn.
Use those short drives dropping the kids off at school, running errands, or returning home to listen to podcast episodes or an audio book about your niche subject. During those rare occasions when the kids actually nap or go to bed on time read a book for a few minutes. I have been starting to take a book to the park—even reading just a page or two daily will help build your knowledge in the long run!
Repeat—Key is Consistency
If you made it to this point of the article without interruption I want to congratulate you! Thank you for taking take out of your busy schedule to further your desire to write. My final strategy to help you write right now is simple—repeat strategies 1-4 daily! If you are running low on energy or motivation please message me on LinkedIn or email me at chicoine.matt@live.com. I would love to help you through any scheduling obstacles and mental roadblocks.
🎵🎶All you need is love 🎶🎵Looks about right. 😆😀🤦😆😆😆😆😆Never too early for a Saint Nick meme. 😆🙂🥊You will never unsee it. 😆🙂🙂😆😆Noah’s ark memes are the best. 🙂⛵🛳️A belated Saint Francis day meme. ♥️🙂Can’t help sharing another pun. 🙂
That’s all I have this week. Stay tuned for next week’s Catholic Meme Monday. Receive updates straight to your email inbox by subscribing to The Simple Catholic blog.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on May 1, 2015.
I will begin today’s post by comparing the structure of the Catholic Church to a somewhat “elementary” thing. Let me give you some word clues. Hopscotch. Foursquare. Kickball. Red Rover. Before I confuse you anymore please let me briefly explain the context to why I am talking about children’s playground games and religion in the same paragraph.
During this past year I worked at a Catholic high school and taught Old and New Testament. On the day we discussed the epic first century saints Peter and Paul, I gave my students a simple analogy. A healthy Catholic Church is likened to a game of tetherball. To better help you understand what I mean precisely with that example please let us first discuss why Peter and Paul are important to Christianity.
Stability of the Rock
Matthew 16:16-19 has Peter clearly stating the identity of Jesus Christ and thereafter he is entrusted with the “keys to the kingdom of Heaven”. Catholics interpret this passage as hard and fast proof for the papacy. To cite Fr. Robert Barron in his book Catholicism [referring to Peter’s special insight], “And this knowledge did not come from Peter’s native intelligence or from an extraordinary education…It came as a gift from God, a special charism of the Holy Spirit.” (p. 121). Thus, God chose a pope from the very beginning to be that stability upon we, as Catholics, can rely on. If the Church had multiple heads its teachings would devolve into something ugly–like the multi-head monster in Greek myth– the hydra. In a similar way, the center-post in a tetherball game provides stability for the game to happen.
Creativity of a Theologian
Now let’s turn our attention to St. Paul. While the popes enjoy the office of St. Peter and provide stability to the Catholic Church, having this Petrine element alone would make Her teachings dry and rocky. Thus, to balance out the papacy there is a need for theology to make the Church healthy.
After Paul’s conversion in Acts 9 until the end of the book, the saint is literally always on the move. As I told my students, “Paul does not have biblical ADD, but rather he was the spark of life that started the early Christian churches”. Citing from Fr. Barron again, “Paul stands for mission, the engagement of the culture and proclamation. Every missionary, teacher, preacher, and theologian, is, in this sense, a son or daughter of Paul.” (p. 141). Paul represents an archetype within the Catholic Church to adapt to different times and cultures. He represents the spunk that enlivens the Church. Going back to the tetherball analogy the rope and ball provide the excitement for the playground game.
Structure + Flexibility= Healthy Church
A healthy Church needs both structure (papacy) and flexibility (theology). So too does a tetherball game needs the center-post= [representing the papacy/Petrine element] and the rope and ball= [representing theology/Pauline element].
The schoolyard game would be pointless if a center-post did not exist to keep the ball close for the players to bat around. At the same time a game consisting of only a metal pole would be stagnant and boring. Similarly, the Catholic Church without the dynamic element St. Paul brought in the first century and whose memory represents today.
Which playground game is God’s favorite? I would imagine that God has all the time in the world to try them all and find them equally enjoyable, but if I had to venture a guess I would pick tetherball! 🙂
