Catholic interview

An 1141 Word Interview with Matthew Estrade from Catholic Aging

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Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Matthew Estrade via phone call on September 20th, 2024. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.

What inspired you to start Catholic Aging, and how does your faith inform your approach to dementia care?

Before I started Catholic Aging, it was really my family that got me into gerontology. My grandfather on my mom’s side had dementia and that started my journey on the dementia side. Since 2015, seeds were planted on what the Catholic Church says about dementia. I came across Saint Dympha and I found a couple books on Dementia and Catholicism. But they didn’t contain practical advice and tips from a Catholic lens on how to deal with Dementia. While I am a cradle Catholic and attended Catholic school through college, I didn’t really understand redemptive suffering.

Since I wasn’t finding what I was looking for on the subject of dementia and Catholicism. In early 2018, I started a draft which eventually became my book Peace with Dementia Rosary. It was published in 2019.

How does “The Peace with Dementia Rosary” book uniquely address the spiritual needs of caregivers?

The first thing I think of is that it points someone to the Holy Rosary. It’s a way to point people towards the Blessed Virgin Mary and not to focus on the crisis they are going through. I tried to blend what was going on with the Mysteries of the Rosary and the dementia journey. For example, the First Joyful Mystery (The Annunciation) I connected with the initial diagnosis of your loved one having dementia. Just like a diagnosis is a revealing of a medical condition, the Annunciation is a revelation and this news/diagnosis could be fraught with fear and uncertainty.

How can young Catholics better support older members of their parish who might be living with dementia or caring for someone with dementia?

One of the biggest things is treating them like anybody else. It’s similar to how we would treat anyone else with a disability by including them in activities and evening being proactive in reaching out to them. These individuals are still a treasure to your parish and we want to keep them involved. Dementia is really a family disease. You see the caregiver being impacted by not wanting to socialize or going to Mass due to the stress of care-giving.

What are some practical ways that young adults can prepare now for potential care-giving responsibilities in the future?

I’d say to be open to conversations with our parents and grandparents about how they see themselves aging. It’s key to have a plan in place for when your loved ones age and how to adapt. For example, all of us will have to cease driving due to various reasons at some point. And that could be one of the toughest conversations to have, as driving represents independence. In a similar way, you will have to have a conversation with your parents and grandparents before that day arrives. Make sure you have a plan of how to get to Mass and go on errands.

What are the three common myths about aging or dementia that you frequently encounter in your work?

One of the biggest myths is that dementia is a normal part of aging. That it’s going to happen to everybody. A lot of people think that cognitive decline is immediately a sign of dementia. If the memory or thinking challenges are disrupting life, that’s when it’s not normal aging and it would be time to consult a medical professional.

A second major myth is that dementia only impacts the memory. Dementia is really a cognitive or thinking impairment. Symptoms could involve a decline in sound judgment or having trouble following a sequence (ex: brushing your teeth or using the washing machine.) Frontal temporal dementia impacts language more so than memory.

The third myth is to say that palliative care is the same as hospice care. Palliative medicine is symptom management and is broad. It aims to alleviate pain and seek a cure. It is really about an extra layer of support besides your primary care physician. On the other hand, hospice care is only at the end of life. Hospice is comfort care, but it’s not curative. Hospice is typically provided in the last six months of life and is prescribed by a doctor.

How can parishes better integrate and support individuals with dementia and their caregivers in church life?

I think something that is impactful is the outreach that a parish provides to its aging population and dementia by having a caregiver support group. It’s rare to have a specific group for caregivers of those loved ones with dementia. It would be great to have it once a month or a quarter.

Another thing would be to have a parish bring in a speaker to educate on dementia. Awareness. Education. Support. That’s what parishes can do.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to a young adult who has just learned that a loved one has been diagnosed with dementia?

To know that whatever symptoms they are experiencing that your loved one is still the same person (ex: they are still your grandfather or parent). It’s important to stay involved and visit. It is a challenge and something you have to learn to adapt. Care-giving is a different type of cross but you will receive the grace from Jesus to carry it.

How can young Catholics use social media to raise awareness about dementia and support caregivers in their community?

I think it’s powerful to share experiences. If someone is open to sharing what they are learning it is helpful. Share their personal journey and the resources they found helpful (articles and/or support groups in their local communities).

Could you share a brief success story of how your ministry has positively impacted a family dealing with dementia?

This is an ongoing situation. I continued to talk with a care-giver whose parent has dementia. This care-giver doesn’t have any family help as her siblings don’t want to help and are out of town. The care-giver has chronic conditions herself and is trying to take care of her mom by herself. She is having trouble navigating the medical system (ex: getting the right medication). What I’m able to do in my ministry is keep in communication, to pray, and bounce ideas off each other. We look for blessings and lessons in this situation. We use both coaching and have an opportunity to see these blessings/challenges interpreted in light of our Catholic faith.

Where can my audience learn more about your ministry?

By visiting CatholicAging.com.

Any last words of advice or encouragement to my readers who might be going through the trials of aging or being caregiver?

It can’t be overstated the power of redemptive suffering. Doing what we can (medically and adaptation) and conforming our will to God especially as it pertains to aging and seeing this cross from a Catholic lens.

Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.

—Saint Augustine

About Matthew:

Matthew Estrade is the founder of Catholic Aging and author of “The Peace with Dementia Rosary: Education, Intentions, Community” in both English and Spanish. He helps Parish and Diocesan ministries include and serve aging Parishioners and their caregivers more effectively. Matthew does this through improving awareness and education through speaking, training, and consulting. As a gerontologist with MyCatholicDoctor.com, Matthew conducts family and caregiver meetings to help make sense of the challenging journey.


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An 811 Word Interview with The Catholic Cartoonist

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Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Joshua Masterson via phone call on August 5th, 2024. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.

How did you get into drawing cartoons?

I have been drawing my since I was little. Mainly drawing cartoons. My dad and my grandma are both artists. My dad specifically, taught me how to draw cartoons when I was around six years old.

Which artists/cartoonists do you model your style after?

Yes, definitely! It’s multiple people I drew inspiration from. One of the big ones is Norman Rockwell. His artwork was day-to-day life and there was so much detail in his work. For cartoon-work, I am specifically inspired by Bil Keane (The Family Circus), Charles M. Schulz (Peanuts), and Dean Young (Blondie).

My grandma was always telling me: “you can do cartoons! You would be a great cartoonist!” So she was that inspiration for me to pursue cartoons beyond a mere hobby. She also enjoyed reading the Family Circus cartoon and her love of that cartoon led me to being drawn to Keane’s work.

Who are your patrons saints you look to for inspiration?

The number one is Saint Therese of Lisieux. She’s been my favorite saint since I was 8 years old. I read her biography (children’s version). What stuck out to me in her story was that it was the first time I was able to relate to a saint. She was an ordinary person. There were details about her life that shared her struggles and it just seemed like she was a normal person. From that moment on, I wanted to be a saint like her.

Describe your cartoon creation process.

A lot of it is looking at my day-to-day life. Artists paint or draw what they see around them. I’m looking at life around me. I’m involved enough at my parish (altar serving, volunteering). I’ll obviously exaggerate some goofy situations but the cartoons are ultimately rooted in my experiences and my parish life.

How do you balance humor and reverence when creating cartoons about religious themes?

This comic strip and comics are typically funny. While this comic has a premise of being funny (i.e. Sunday funnies). I want this comic to show “Catholic life”. Just like in a regular life there’s times we spend in prayer (more serious) and other times we have fun and enjoy time with others. Sometimes I feel the need to bring a more serious and prayerful element to the comics. So I made up a character (Cordelia) who helps to bring that seriousness to the comic. She was an inspiration from God and came from my heart.

The nice thing about developing characters is readers can associate with them and know what to expect. Cordelia was that character who I created to help bring my readers to gaze upon the glory of God.

What has been the most challenging aspect of maintaining a consistent output of Catholic-themed cartoons?

The main challenge I’d say would be more practical things like writer’s block. On a more spiritual level this comic I like to consider it as God’s cartoon, but sometimes I can get my pride mixed in when looking at the metrics/numbers of views. My own ego can be a challenge sometimes. I know that God can still make good come from this.

Have you ever received pushback or criticism for your work, and if so, how do you handle it?

Actually one of the many blessings, the general audience is wholesome. So it’s rare to see negative comments. In the rare cases I have made a joke that didn’t go over well, my audience let me know and I’ve looked at the feedback I get and that steered my content to mirror that family/parish life focus.

Are there any particular Bible stories or Catholic teachings that you find especially inspiring or conducive to cartoon representation?

Saint Therese is a huge inspiration to me, again with the character of Cordelia I implement a lot of her philosophy and childlike faith. I have a tough time comprehending the writings of Saint Thomas Aquinas, but I can easily understand the Little Flower’s teachings.

For the Bible, I do try to incorporate various Bible verses and the psalms into the comics.

What is your favorite comic strip you drew?

This one was special to me as I grew up praying the Rosary together with my family.

What place does art have in passing on the Gospel in the 21st century?

I’d say it has a huge importance. Growing up in the 21st century, I have grown up with comics and I think that with social media it’s much easier to share art. Art is really powerful, a picture is worth a thousand words. All these ways of sharing art make it important to put good, beautiful art out to inspire people and draw them closer to God.

Thank you for taking time to chat about the faith and your cartoons.

Absolutely, it was a pleasure! God bless.

About The Catholic Cartoonist (Joshua Masterson):

My name is Josh Masterson and I’m the fifth of ten kids and was homeschooled. At my parish, I altar serve as often as I can at the Mass and also help train the new servers. Serving at Mass, helping out at the parish, and interacting with our priests have all served as my inspiration for making comics that show the beauty of daily Catholic life at a small parish. I have been drawing cartoons my whole life and so decided that this was a great opportunity to share the beauty and truth of the Faith through this obscure medium. I hope to continue drawing Catholic comics to bring joy and truth to the world.

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A 978 Word Interview with Deacon Andy Weiss

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Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Dcn Andy Weiss, Deacon in the Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico, via phone call on February 10th, 2024. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.

Tell me a bit about your faith journey.

I was born and raised Catholic. I was in the Air Force and had a temporary stay in Spain, but those I listened to had anti-Catholic sentiment and this caused me to leave the Church when I was 20. For three and a half years, I was an anti-Catholic Protestant. I bought the King-James Bible and got to a point of crisis. At his point, I told God to explain to me or I will leave organized religion. I opened the Bible to the book of Romans and this was what helped keep me in organized religion.

Coming back to the Catholic Church was a long journey, but because of my experience with reading the Bible and listening to various arguments from Protestants. I would study the arguments using a bible dictionary, concordance, Bible, notepad. I would do a word study to look up all the references to better understand what that meant.

In the 1990s, I met my wife in a “chat-room” on Catholicity. And after we got married, my wife and another Catholic we also met online “ganged up” on me and said that I should be a deacon. In 2009 the formal process started, I had a desire to preach and bless things. I got ordained in 2015.

How has the sacrament of Holy Orders impacted your marriage?

It’s a balancing act. We must make time for one another. You can get sucked into the ministry. We were taught in our studies that my primary vocation is marriage and to my family. The diaconate is my secondary vocation.

I have to be conscious of my schedule. In addition to the diaconate, I also design websites. We have a Shroud Museum in our city, and I made the website. I must organize my time and ensure I make time for my wife and daughter. The permanent diaconate has made me more conscious of my time and how I spend it.

Describe the fruits of the permanent diaconate in your life.

It started in the program itself, I could have taught a lot of the classes but I was there to learn. The diaconate is about forming you into a person.

One of the important aspects of the diaconate is our devotion to Mary. The last part of Church teaching was Mariology, and I didn’t understand at this time. We wrote an article about our relationship to Mary. It was then that I realized that I couldn’t be a good diaconate without Her help. I formally gave myself to the Blessed Virgin Mary in January 2018 using the book “33 Days to Morning Glory.” I scheduled to have the book end on January 1st, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. During my homily, I said, “It’s like I’m looking at my Mother for the first time.” This was a deep experience for me.

What do you see as the fruits of the permanent diaconate for the Catholic Church?

What happened to me was a transformation. The Church ordaining men who have one foot in the secular world and one foot in the faith world, leads to transformation. I noticed when I wore my clerics while doing ministry people would assume I was a pastor. It gave me an opportunity to explain I was a Catholic deacon.

The deacon models to the laity what it means to be a servant for the Church. While the priest stands In persona Christi (in the Person of Christ), the deacon represents Christ the Servant. Paragraph #1570 of the Catholic of the Catholic Church says: 

“Deacons share in Christ’s mission and grace in a special way. The sacrament of Holy Orders marks them with an imprint (“character”) which cannot be removed, and which configures them to Christ, who made himself the “deacon” or servant of all.”

Well said, the diaconate is like a bridge to God. What’s the most misunderstood aspect of the diaconate?

I don’t think Catholics are catechized well. One day I had my alb on and a fellow parishioner said, “Hello Father.” I clarified I wasn’t a priest. It’s interesting to see the laity’s relationship with deacons.

The diaconate opens opportunities to ask questions about the faith. People feel more comfortable reaching out to us when we are out in public (i.e. the store, etc). The permanent diaconate opens a channel to extend the ministry of the priest. We are there to assist the priest. Even while at the store, we are extending his pastoral mission.

Who’s your favorite saint-deacon?

Probably Saint Ephraim. He likely saw the Shroud of Turin. He was a great preacher and a Doctor of the Church. Of course, I can’t leave out Saint Francis of Assisi, he would be my number two.

What advice would you give men discerning the permanent diaconate as a vocation?

Have a regular prayer life. Once ordained, deacons have to pray as a minimum Morning and Evening Prayer. Then they should talk to their priest.

The laity are known for their devotional life: praying the Rosary, the Chaplet, etc. But I think if the clergy kept a better devotional life we would have a better clergy. We have to use our own personalities in our faith and work.

Could you tell me about your Facebook profile picture?

That’s an interesting one. I’ve been working for the Air Force for 43 years. There’s an organization within the Air Force, the 49th Materiel Maintenance Group, Base Expedition.

I’ll leave you with a few last thoughts. In my honest opinion, the greatest fruits of Vatican II are the permanent diaconate and the Mass of Paul VI. The New Mass has the more active participation in the liturgy with the vernacular and the role of the deacon.

About Deacon Andy Weiss:

Dcn. Andy Weiss is a Deacon in the Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico, assigned to St. Jude’s parish. He is a husband and father, an IT professional, and volunteer speaker and webmaster, creating http://ShroudNM.com, a non-profit New Mexico Corporation dedicated to the study and popularization of the Shroud of Turin.

Weiss has a Masters in Religious Education from Loyola University, New Orleans through their LIMEX program. He has been interviewed several times by the hosts of the podcast StrangeCatholics.

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A 584 Word Interview with the Founder of the Lego Church Project

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Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed J.M. Kraemer, founder of The Lego Church Project via phone call on January 29th, 2024. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.

It’s great to have you back J.M.! Refresh my audience how did the Lego Church Project begin?

Growing up I was always into Legos. My friends were building spaceships and I wasn’t good at that. I started building buildings and it slowly developed into me building churches and a ministry.

I’ve had a mild form of cerebral palsy, in this ministry I’m showing others that God can still use your talents.

How many blocks do you use on a project (on average)?

Between 25,000 and 30,000. There’s a lot of interior details. I have one feature at the altar that has over 150 pieces.

Do you ever keep a build constructed?

I tear down the Lego Church every year. It takes about 3 days to deconstruct.

How do you organize the Legos?

Normally, by color.

Did you ever imagine the Lego Church Project would reach the 25th year mark?

Honestly, no. To realize where I’ve been and where I’m going has been a surprise. Our society is not geared towards those with disabilities. This project has helped bring awareness and led to conversations that people with disabilities have a place in the Church.

How often do you think about the future of this project?

I think about the future all the time. I trust in the Lord’s wisdom and timing. As long as I’m doing this ministry for the right reasons, I trust the Lord will guide me. I’m open to the fact that God may shift plans.

Where do you get your supplies?

Bricklink.com

Do you put figurines inside the church?

Yes, and this season I’ll have close to 300.

Do you grow your collection of mini-figures?

I have an Amazon wishlist. People also gift me various Lego sets, and I use those min-figures.

Has Spider-Man attended Mass?

Not yet, but I do have a mini-figure of Optimus Prime. I have an R2D2 (he’s in an easy to find place for kids to notice). I like to show that if these interesting figures can be at church then there’s a place for them (the kids) at Mass too.

You mentioned last time your favorite saint was Blessed Solanus Casey. How has his intercession helped your faith life the past few years?

He has given me wisdom in ways I could not have anticipated. His intercession is more subtle. Not like a trumpet blast but like a whisper.

What’s your favorite quote of his?

I’ve found this quote impactful: “Do not pray for easy lives, pray to be stronger people. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers, pray for powers equal to your tasks.”

Another quote I find insightful is:

“Worry is a weakness from which very few of us are entirely free. We must be on guard against this most insidious enemy of our peace of soul. Instead, let us foster confidence in God, and thank Him ahead of time for whatever He chooses to send us.”

Where can my audience find your work?

https://prayingbricks.substack.com/

https://www.facebook.com/LegoChurchProject

About J.M. Kraemer:

JM Kraemer is the the builder of the annual Lego Church Project. A disability focused ministry that is based in Saginaw Township, Michigan.

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A 524 Word Interview with the Founder of Mission Blueprint

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Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Glen Gauer, founder of Mission Blueprint via phone call on January 19th, 2024. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.

What led up to the creation of Mission Blueprint?

It started in 1988. I was searching for the truth. I went to Mass my whole life. When I joined the army and went to basic training and all those Baltimore catechism questions came up. Two weeks before basic training, my girlfriend’s aunt visited Medjugorje. I was skeptical. “If Mary was really appearing, then God is real.” In the middle of basic training, I went through the five proofs of Thomas Aquinas. I started a relationship with God during my time in the military.

In 1989, I made a SEARCH weekend. All the questions I had about God I understood based on the testimony I heard at the retreat.

I gave my life to Christ as a Catholic in 1990. 93-94 I did NET Ministry. Later, I worked for the Diocese of Rapid City as the Director of Youth Ministry from 1996-1999. Taught at Saint Thomas More High School (2001-2005) and got married in 2005. I was a Campus Team Director for FOCUS from 2008-2017. Started Mission Blueprint in 2017.

What led you to shift your focus from FOCUS to Mission Blueprint?

I was sitting in Eucharistic Adoration: I asked him: Do you want me to start this ministry? It wasn’t an audible word but it was very clear. “GO!” was his message to me about Mission Blueprint.

My back went out when I was in Atlanta. God was clear He wanted me out of FOCUS and to start a new ministry.

Tell me more about the name Mission Blueprint.

We hired a former FOCUS missionary to help us with branding. The word blueprint is related to our Blessed Virgin Mary. “Create a website that comes from Mary’s pen,” I told the brander. On March 25th, 1990 I had three Catholics pray over me. The power of the Holy Spirit fell over me and it was a life-changing event.

My goal is Mission Blueprint is to help people have an experience the power of God.

What are some ways to go about achieving this goal?

Hosting conferences is the main way we do this. Between 2017-2019 things were trending well. Then 2020 hit and halted a lot of our efforts. We started more praise and worship nights. We have a Men’s Conference, a conference called Revival, a couple’s Conference called Tighten the Knot, and a Women’s Conference.

What is your favorite Marian devotion?

The Rosary. I pray it daily. Sometimes more than once. Our Lady of Good Success is our intercessor for Mission Blueprint.

I’ve never heard of that particular Marian title. I’ll be sure to check it out.

What is your hope for Mission Blueprint in 2024?

“That’s a great question! I want us to explode as a ministry. Like a micro-Pentecost. Because of what’s happened the past few years we have been stuck on idle. It’s time to go AND grow.”

How can my audience contact you?

Go to Mission.blueprint.org

Thank you for your time Glen! It was great chatting with you about your ministry.

Of course! It was great. Remember you are loved and may God strengthen the bars of your gates.

About Glen:

Glen came from a small farm near Ipswich, S.D. After a year with N.E.T. Ministries in 1993 and graduating from Franciscan University in 1996, his career began in the Rapid City Diocese
first as Director of Youth Ministry, then High School Religion teacher.

He married in 2005, joined FOCUS in 2008 and started Mission Blueprint in 2017. He and his wife Jamie have five children: Judah, Gideon, Jakobi, Ezra and Ave Maria.

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A 620 Word Interview with the Founder of Catholic Family Crate

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Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Elissa Tiprigan, founder of Catholic Family Crate via phone call on September 4th, 2023. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any  integrity of the answers given.

Describe your faith journey:

I’m a cradle Catholic and attended Catholic schools through middle school. We went to youth groups and went to a few Steubenville conferences. My husband and I got married and moved to Denver. We were awakened to the richness of the Catholic Church through the witness of large Catholic families. In my adult life, I learned more about our faith. It’s not just a Sunday experience but it’s a joyful and beautiful and a rich history.

When was Catholic Family Crate created?

We started it in 2018.

What led up to the creation of Catholic Family Crate?

My oldest was two at the time and I was learning more about the liturgical feasts (I knew about Advent and Lent). I felt overwhelmed with wanting to share all these rich Catholic traditions. My sister experienced a Catholic community in Steubenville and I was talking with her on the phone about how to learn about the faith. I started to research saint feast days. My sister suggested a monthly Catholic subscription box. For about a year or two I was hoping someone else would develop a company to create a subscription box for Catholics.

Logo provided by Catholic Family Crate.

Enter in Catholic Family Crate. I formulated a team: my parish priest Fr. Luis Granados, DCJM- our theologian, a few writer friends, and a couple friends who were Catholic Montessori teachers.

Eventually we hired our own artist to help us create more of our own content. At the end of every box we provided a survey. The most popular items our customers selected were the items we created.

I was on a date with my husband at Barnes & Noble and remember telling him how we couldn’t find high quality Catholic products that were affordable. I wanted my kids to have good quality Catholic resources.

After the fourth box, it became apparent we needed to switch to include all our own products.

In 2019 we adjusted our mission statement: to provide high quality and affordable Catholic resources.

Do you have a specialized illustrator for your products?

Yes, since 2019 we hired an illustrator, new writer, and a new theologian.

I didn’t have a desire to be a business owner when I began this journey. It started as a need to fill for my family. I said “yes” to the little “yeses” God sent my way.

How did find your illustator?

We found her through Instagram. We also have had various graphic designers helped with colors and backgrounds when it comes to mass production.

What’s your favorite product you have created for Catholic Family Crate?

Our Pray by Sticker Book. It’s 10 different Catholic images. You match up the stickers with the numbers on the page. At the end you have a beautiful Catholic mosaic. It is an opportunity to keep your child busy with screen-free activity.

Image provided via email by Elissa, Founder of Catholic Family Crate.

I’ve played with your Catholic Playing Cards and enjoyed the artwork and the saints you picked. Describe the symbolism and intention beyond the cards.

We planned to have the Jesus as the King, Mary as the Queen, Joseph as the Jack, and the Holy Spirit as the Ace. We did plan to have a diversity of older and modern saints along with having an equal number of male and female saints.

I could see doing other card themes such as boy and girl saint decks or a Marian deck.

What other products do you have in the works?

A Bingo deck for Catholic-themed party, an oversized activity sheet for the Doctors of the Church, and A Card Ring-Doctors of the Church Edition.

Why should you be Catholic?

Because of the Eucharist.

About Elissa:

Elissa Tiprigan is the founder of Catholic Family Crate. Catholic Family Crate makes Catholic educational resources, games, art, stickers, subscription boxes, and more to make growing in the Catholic faith easy and fun. They are on a mission to revolutionize Catholic resources and make them affordable, accessible, high-quality, and engaging. In her mind, she’s an accidental entrepreneur, but she’s grateful for God’s wild plan for her life. She lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband and four children.

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A 568 Word Interview with Allie Kintz— The Board Game Mom

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Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Allie Kintz via phone call on August 21st, 2023. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any  integrity of the answers given.

Tell me a bit about yourself and your family.

I have two boys (5 and 8) and live in Central Oregon. I love teaching board games to family and friends. Our kids are in a local Catholic school. We live in a unique region of Oregon where there are lots of outdoor activities: snowboarding, hiking, and paddleboarding.

How did you develop a passion for playing board games?

When the rise of Settlers of Catan came about, my husband and I dove headfirst into board gaming as a hobby. We bought all the Catan variants. Then we went into more Euro-games, work-placement games and moved to Pandemic. During Covid we moved, and we spent more quality time playing board games. We expanded our collection to campaign style games. The games were fun, but the experience was different.

Our collection has grown exponentially in the past three years. Learning strategy and teaching games to people we found fun too.

How important is an easy to follow and clear rulebook?

Really, important. I have found video tutorials helpful too.

How many board games do you own?

At least 250 🙂

What are your favorite games of all-time?

Quacks of Quedlinburg; Space Base (similar mechanic to Catan); Arkham Horror Card Game; Three Sisters; Castles of Burgundy (Deluxe Version)

Describe your Catholic faith.

Cradle Catholic. Both my husband and I were raised by devout Catholic parents. After my husband and I got married, we were thinking about our value system: I went through several bible studies with other women. I heard God’s call and sensed his presence in the decision making. This experienced nudged me closer to trusting in God. Another mini-conversion – occurred when my mom passed away five years ago. We were present for her last rites. Witnessing the last rites, I felt God’s presence. The room was so spirit-filled that no one was afraid. It was a beautiful thing to be a part of.

Do you have a favorite saint(s)?

I love Saint Joseph (as a model for my boys and husband); Saint Therese of Liseux (her life is fascinating, to know in suffering there is a purpose).

Do you find parallels between playing board games and Catholicism?

I’ve been listening to the Catechism in a Year and learned there is a reason for things we do, and a structure for why we pray or believe what we believe. In board games, at the end of a game you take what you were given and the strategies you were given, and the result is good and beautiful (whether you won or lost). Our Catholic faith can be overwhelming just like a thick rulebook in board games. We are given so many wonderful tools to help us grow in the Lord and raise our children.

How do you pass on the faith to your children?

  1. Helping them grow in appreciation for the Mass and the symbolism in the liturgy. Teaching them the why. Revisiting the importance of each major part of the Mass.
  2. Making it a point to put our children through Catholic schools. Being surrounded by catechesis each day is important to us.
  3. Encouraging our children to participate actively in what our church community provides. Giving back to our community and being actively involved. Our older son is currently altar serves.

Thanks for taking time today to chat with me about board games and our Catholic faith!

You too!

About Allie:

Allie Kintz | Board Game Mom
Devout Catholic and tabletop gamer, Allie has been married to her husband Jason for 12 years. They live in Central Oregon with their two boys, ages 5 and 8. When she’s not gaming with friends and family, you can find her enjoying outdoor activities, cooking, and traveling!

Thank you for sharing!