Editor’s Note: The Simple Catholic Sunday Funnies This new weekly feature of wholesome and funny Catholic comics strips is presented by The Simple Catholic. Current contributors include Father Alvaro Comics, The Catholic Cartoonist, and Sam Estrada. Special shout-out to Fr. Michael DeBlanc for being our newest Catholic comic contributor!
Follow on Instagram: @the_catholic_cartoonist
About Father Michael DeBlanc:
I am a priest of the Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana. I was ordained on June 21, 2014 (the feast of St. Aloysius Gonzaga), and I currently serve as pastor of Sacred Heart in Baldwin and Immaculate Conception in Charenton. I loved to draw cartoons ever since I was a kid, and I try to incorporate that style to help spread the beauty and truth of Christ and of the Catholic Faith. I’m also studying Japanese on the side, so if you’d like to talk or pray with me, 行きましょう！ You can follow me on Instagram: @patermichaeldeblanc I also have a Facebook page: Fr. Michael DeBlanc – でブランマイケル神父 (Fr. Michael DeBlanc).
Editor’s Note: The Simple Catholic Sunday Funnies This new weekly feature of wholesome and funny Catholic comics strips is presented by The Simple Catholic. Current contributors include Father Alvaro Comics, The Catholic Cartoonist, and Sam Estrada. Special shout-out to Fr. Michael DeBlanc for being our newest Catholic comic contributor!
I am a priest of the Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana. I was ordained on June 21, 2014 (the feast of St. Aloysius Gonzaga), and I currently serve as pastor of Sacred Heart in Baldwin and Immaculate Conception in Charenton. I loved to draw cartoons ever since I was a kid, and I try to incorporate that style to help spread the beauty and truth of Christ and of the Catholic Faith. I’m also studying Japanese on the side, so if you’d like to talk or pray with me, 行きましょう！ You can follow me on Instagram: @patermichaeldeblanc I also have a Facebook page: Fr. Michael DeBlanc – でブランマイケル神父 (Fr. Michael DeBlanc).
Editor’s Note: The Simple Catholic Sunday Funnies This new weekly feature of wholesome and funny Catholic comics strips is presented by The Simple Catholic. Current contributors include Father Alvaro Comics, The Catholic Cartoonist, and Sam Estrada.
About Father Alvaro
Father Alvaro is a comic focusing on the humor, beauty and challenges of parish life in the Midwest. The characters, though fictional, are based on various Priests, Nuns and Deacons from my parish in Madison, Wisconsin. Father Alvaro combines my passion for brief storytelling with sharing the Catholic Faith. I hope these comics bring moments of joy to readers.
Sam Estrada is a Seattle-based graphic designer, illustrator, and animator. As the eldest of a large Catholic family, he has witnessed the importance of good Faith formation, from womb…to tomb. His goal is to use art and digital media to not only educate his audience, but to inspire them to imitate the Origin of Art, God Himself. Find more of his work at prostrada.com!
Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Greg Perea via phone call on March 5th, 2025. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.
Your Instagram focuses on making Catholic content “sharable” and relatable. What inspired you to use social media as a platform for sharing your faith, and how do you balance humor with serious theological messages?
When I first started Instagram it was mainly family, just posting about my life. When I got into the content game, I started out with health and fitness. Everything just seemed to click once I focused my content to the most important aspect of my life: my Catholic faith.
There’s already a lot of good Catechesis content out there, so I wanted to be more relatable to the average Joe who wants to share his faith and love his family.
Can you tell us about the mission behind His Glory Co?
His Glory started in 2018. I was looking for a way to make some extra money and stumbled across the print on demand process. I came across this brand “Not of this World” a few years ago and wanted to create something like this for the youth that appeals to Catholics.
Clothing is a way we communicate without saying anything. It’s definitely a way to evangelize. The founder of Not of this World had all these statistics on how what we wear can spread the Gospel. Around 2020 I shortened the brand to His Glory Co (originally called All for His Glory).
You were at the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. What were some of the most powerful moments or insights you gained from that experience?
I think the most powerful was Eucharistic Adoration every night. I loved how the event organizers stayed true to our faith and tradition. The first night was contemporary music, the second was Gregorian chant, the third was silence, and the final night was provided by Matt Maher. It displayed the universality of the Catholic Church.
How do you see it impacting Catholic engagement today?
I think there’s more of a yearning for the Eucharist, particularly in Adoration. In my own diocese of Los Angeles and Diocese of Orange we are seeing more opportunities for the laity to visit Jesus in Adoration. The revival has sparked more interest in the Blessed Sacrament and the realization that we all need Jesus.
Many people find Catholic doctrine complex or intimidating. How do you approach making the faith more accessible and understandable, especially through your memes, reels and content?
That’s a good question! I dove into the Catechism after my Confirmation. I don’t know if it’s a charism, God grants us these various gifts and unless we try them out we never know. I’m an educator at heart. I taught 9 years at a Catholic school. So I have a natural knack for teaching, making it fun and relatable while staying true to the Catholic teaching.
As a Catholic influencer, you likely encounter both supporters and critics. What’s the most challenging misconception about Catholicism that you find yourself constantly addressing?
Obviously, the one about Catholics “worshipping” Mary. A second misconception is the idea of the Church exclusively as the Body of Christ but not while being the official institution. It’s both!
Why do you believe humor can be an effective tool for spiritual communication?
It’s a light way to introduce heavy topics because a lot of Catholic teachings are misunderstood. If you can meet people where they are at, it can help teach people about the faith.
For someone who might be curious about Catholicism but feels overwhelmed or unsure where to start, what would be your advice?
I would say a starting point would be Catechism in a Year because it’s not invasive. Fr. Mike breaks it down in easy to digest sessions. Listening to a good Catholic podcast is a good starting point.
Who are your favorite Catholic saints?
Saint John Paul II, Saints Joseph, and Saint Michael the Archangel.
Any last words of encouragement for my readers?
In the first paragraph of the Catechism, Be attentive to where God is calling you.
Where can my audience find more of your work?
Check out my Instagram at @gregperea and for good Catholic clothing at His Glory Co.
About Greg:
Greg Perea is a Catholic influencer, entrepreneur, and evangelist dedicated to helping families grow in faith. Through his Instagram platform, he shares inspirational content, Catholic parenting tips, and faith-filled resources designed to help busy parents teach and live the faith with their children.
As the founder of His Glory Co., Greg creates Catholic apparel and resources that make evangelization simple and accessible for families. His mission is to equip parents with practical tools to incorporate their faith into daily life, especially during Mass and family prayer time.
With years of experience in faith formation and catechesis, Greg blends theological depth with real-life parenting wisdom. His content is relatable, encouraging, and rooted in Church teaching, making him a trusted voice for Catholic families looking to strengthen their faith. Whether through motivational reels, faith-based discussions, or Catholic product recommendations, Greg’s online presence is a beacon of encouragement for those seeking to grow closer to Christ while raising their children in the faith.
Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Jose Pulido via phone call on March 7th and 14th, 2025. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.
Your personal journey from being a “staunch, articulate atheist” to Catholic evangelist is fascinating. Could you share more about that mystical encounter with the Holy Family that changed your life?
Absolutely, it was December 24, 2011. Christmas Eve The Gothic Cathedral in Barcelona, Spain. In my Colombian tradition, it was tough to celebrate together with my family. My sister and mother were back home. My brother and father were with me in Spain but decided not to come to Mass. I was wandering the city and was talking to the poor and offered them prayers since I didn’t have money on me. I heard the Mass bells ringing and I entered the church and started making my way to the front. Looking back on this experience, it was an exercise of spiritual poverty and grace. I thought I was going to be with my family during Christmas Eve Mass. The Spanish used at Mass was a different dialect (Cataline) that I wasn’t used to speaking so I only understood every tenth word. This wasn’t what I wanted at that moment because I felt down and like I failed.
Very clearly I heard the voice of Satan. He was gloating about how he separated my family and that I lost and that I would never have a whole family.
I oriented my heart toward the Lord during this time to help from not having a breakdown. During this time, the Blessed Virgin Mary spoke to me telling me that I have always been part of the Holy Family and that I alway had the perfect family. This experience happened to me while I was still in Mass. During the collection, I had two coins and Satan came back telling me that I didn’t have the right offering and was a sinner. How could I be a member of the perfect family if I was imperfect? I felt this weight again and went back to the Lord. I felt consolation from Mary and Joseph.
They again encouraged me that I have an inheritance and have the right to ask for the graces.
This was a pretty emotional experience, I had tears and snot, I was not attractive at the moment. Again, Satan tempted me telling me that while the Holy Family might accept me that the Church wouldn’t. I felt crushed again.
I again felt Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in my heart encourage me to give this Church a chance. During the sign of Peace, there was a lady who still gave me the sign of peace despite my appearance. So Satan went away.
The next message I was sent was that Jesus was present in the Eucharist. On the way back to the hotel, I received the fifth message, I was coming down with traveler’s sickness. The person who was taking care of me was my dad. I came to this realization that in order for me to experience the love of Saint Joseph and Mary that you need to go to your parents. Some people think the Holy Family is a replacement for your family and parents. And maybe that is in extraordinary circumstances like Saint John Paul II, but in most ordinary cases you need to love your parents to find the love of the Holy Family.
In your book, you mention combining Sacred Tradition with modern behavioral science. How do these two seemingly different approaches work together to create effective evangelization methods?
Many Catholics feel intimidated or unprepared when it comes to sharing their faith.
What’s one common misconception about evangelization that you’d like to dispel?
That evangelization has to be awful or a fight. Evangelization can be joyful and loving! There’s no contradiction between joyfulness and truth.
You’ve taught thousands of people through workshops across North America. What’s the most surprising transformation you’ve witnessed in someone applying your evangelization techniques?
The most surprising thing is the upside up transformation. Adult children go from not wanting to go to Mass to now volunteering with their mom with local religious orders.
I was coaching this mom and she and her daughter were yelling at each other about the faith. After one coaching session and three weeks later, they were going to Mass and hugging each other.
When you approach it with a craftsmanship of love. For example, grandma’s cookies aren’t great because she is perfect, it is because she has developed her craft of baking over decades. And that is how my work has been effective, not because I’m perfect but because I took the time to learn this craft with love.
And we have this language used by the Holy Family, found in Scripture. It feels good to evangelize, it’s kind of controversial to say, but it should feel good to evangelize our faith. It is the work of the Holy Spirit!
We always talk about the evangelizee, but never the evangelizer. This book is about how parties thrive. We have to love ourselves (not just the person we are evangelizing or just ourselves). It is both/and.
Your background includes Ivy League education and corporate experience. How has your secular professional background influenced your approach to Catholic evangelization?
Mass is unboring…bring your coworker to daily Mass this month!
Immensely! In two ways. The first way it really opened my eyes to ways of what was possible with evangelization. Routinely, I would bring my colleagues to daily Mass.
The second ways was uncovering the means to accomplish this good. I had various companies talking about religion during the lunch hour. It wasn’t because I was unique, it was because I really wanted to evangelize and I developed this craft. Anybody can learn this. The craft is to dream like Joseph, talk like Mary, and to make all things new like Jesus. We all have an inheritance to claim those things. We must be our shoulder to the wheel. The doctor must read the Scripture to found how faith and reason interact. The accountant must read Scripture and attend Mass to see how faith and reason interact. Like one of the core principles for the Marines which is “Every Marine, a rifleman”, in the Catholic space it should be similar: “Every Catholic, an evangelist.” Just like how the Marines are successful with great training, so too Catholics in order to be successful need great training.
In developing the craft in my classes it is always about how to apply this to sharing the faith.
You mention teaching people to “dream like Saint Joseph” and “speak like Our Lady.” Could you explain what these spiritual practices look like in everyday conversations with non-believers?
To dream like Joseph you have to see everything and everyone (including yourself) as God sees.
To speak like Mary you have to be willing to express yourself regarding the faith. You have to be willing to talk about your personal connection to the faith.
For Catholics who feel they’ve tried everything to reach loved ones who have left the faith, what hope or fresh perspective does your approach offer them?
Great evangelization should be life giving for the evangelist, at least a lot of the time. The Lord says the summary of faith is to love God with all your heart and love others as yourself.
It is necessary to love others as yourself. The gift of love must go both ways. In order to love others as yourself we must first love ourselves. When the Lord looks at the Rich Young Man in the Gospel of Mark, it says that the Lord looked at him and loved him. If the Lord looks at us and loves us, then when we look in the mirror at ourselves should we not also love ourselves?
Where is the best place for my audience to learn more about you?
On Instagram at @share.faith.now
About Jose:
Jose M. Pulido draws from 15+ years of experience evangelizing in various secular settings to inspire and equip others to share Christ.
His experience includes evangelizing at universities, Fortune 500 companies, and various non-profits (in the US, Latin America, and Asia).
He’s also advised numerous organizations and parishes on evangelization and catechesis through staff trainings, public workshops, & retreats. He started evangelizing for the Lord at George Washington University’s Newman Center, where he was the first disciple of FOCUS when they joined the campus. He’s worked with Georgetown University on Young Adult Latino Ministry, having founded Catholic Latino Leadership Initiative, while working as a young adult in Washington, DC. He is a spokesman for The Mary Foundation – A non-profit dedicated to the distribution of sacramentals and evangelization materials (www.catholicity.com). He has appeared on ESNE TV, doing a three-part series on Evangelization for the segment Mujeres De Encuentro. He is also a Senior Advisor at Omnia Catholic, a social media ministry aimed at supporting young adult ministries. Jose Pulido is a member of the Catholic Speakers Organization. This is the leading resource for faith-based speakers. He is a frequent presenter on the University Series in Ventura County, a series aimed at supporting faith formation for adult Catholics. He is also a member of Fruitful Futures Project, a non-profit dedicated to helping others find fruitfulness in their callings. He is part of the leadership team for That Man Is You (TMIY) at his parish.
He has a Masters from Yale University and a Bachelors from George Washington University. He speaks English, Spanish, Japanese, and is hilarious in Korean & Tagalog.
He is most relaxed when reading Sacred Scripture, doing origami, going for a nice walk, or showing others how to engage in life-giving evangelization.
Editor’s Note: The Simple Catholic Sunday Funnies This new weekly feature of wholesome and funny Catholic comics strips is presented by The Simple Catholic. Current contributors include Father Alvaro Comics, The Catholic Cartoonist, and Sam Estrada.
About Father Alvaro
Father Alvaro is a comic focusing on the humor, beauty and challenges of parish life in the Midwest. The characters, though fictional, are based on various Priests, Nuns and Deacons from my parish in Madison, Wisconsin. Father Alvaro combines my passion for brief storytelling with sharing the Catholic Faith. I hope these comics bring moments of joy to readers.
Sam Estrada is a Seattle-based graphic designer, illustrator, and animator. As the eldest of a large Catholic family, he has witnessed the importance of good Faith formation, from womb…to tomb. His goal is to use art and digital media to not only educate his audience, but to inspire them to imitate the Origin of Art, God Himself. Find more of his work at prostrada.com!
Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Dalton, founder of The Salty Catholic Instagram meme account, via phone call on March 8th 2025. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.
What was your path to Byzantine Catholicism, and was there a specific moment when you realized this tradition was home for you?
I am a convert, I grew up as a Southern Baptist in Tennessee. I became Catholic when I joined the Army in 2019. Less than a year ago I became a Byzantine Catholic. The only Rite the Archdiocese of the Military Services have is the Roman Rite. So I joined the Roman Rite and later became an Eastern Catholic.
During my conversion I was discerning between the Orthodox and Catholic Church and that Eastern spirituality appealed to me.
I was formally accepted by the bishop in 2023 shortly after I separated from the army.
How many different Eastern Rites did you look at before your final discernment?
Chaldean, Melkite, Byzantine. I settled on the Byzantine-Ruthenian Church.
How do you use humor in your memes to communicate deeper truths about Eastern Catholicism?
It’s just a matter of helping people discover the relatability of life and helping make that connection with the faith.
Things that come up where I crack a little joke when the circumstances arise.
How long have you had your Instagram account?
Since 2020, my reasoning is very boring. One day I found various meme templates and added Catholic captions to them. People started sharing them.
What’s your favorite meme that you made?
It’s between two of my more recent ones. I made one using the crucifix and the second was about going to the Divine Liturgy vs. going to the club.
Byzantine Catholics have a rich tradition of iconography – how has this visual tradition influenced your approach to creating memes?
In a certain way, memes can be a form of sacred art. If you can find a way to include that spiritual truth to it. In a modern understanding you could make that connection.
What’s your favorite icon?
I think my favorite icon is the one I keep in my classroom. It’s called “Divine Ascent” . It’s related to the doctrine of theosis. The icon was originally found in Saint Catherine’s Monastery, located on Mount Sinai.
What’s one Byzantine Catholic practice or tradition you wish more Roman Catholics would discover and appreciate?
I have a couple that jump to mind. The first one is pretty standard, I wish more Roman Catholics would embrace the Jesus Prayer. It’s pretty much constant for me. As much as I can I devote my time to that prayer.
And the second practice is to embrace specifically Eastern iconography. This type of iconography takes you deeper into the spiritual life.
Where are good places for Eastern iconography?
A lot of Eastern monasteries will create these types of icons. It’s always good to support them.
Who are your favorite Eastern saints, and how have they shaped your spiritual life?
There are some that are culturally and traditionally to Eastern Catholicism. One I recommend is Saint Gabriel the Fool for Christ. He is an amazing guy, he was an Orthodox Christian, his life was centered around humility and looking foolish for Christ.
Similar, but different, Saint Paisios of the Holy Mountain is another favorite of mine. Everyone sought his advice. He was popular and his quotes are widely circulated. Any devoted Apostolic Christian should adapt his advice.
What’s the most surprising or unexpected reaction you’ve received from your meme content?
All of it. The fact that anyone appreciated what I created. I didn’t have any expectation of this recognition when I started the account.
The Salty Catholic’s second favorite meme.
How do you navigate explaining the distinctions of Byzantine Catholicism to those who assume all Catholics practice the same way?
The explanation I give to my students is that it’s the same belief with different perspectives and practice.
In what ways do you see your meme page building bridges between Eastern and Western Catholic traditions?
I do see that happening but it is an unintentional byproduct of my account. I am seeing an uptick of Eastern Orthodox following me (I notice in the comments section and the occasional DM).
What aspects of Byzantine liturgy and prayer life have been most transformative in your personal relationship with Christ?
I’ll have to think about that for a second, there is something in particular about the liturgy that calls the individual just profoundly as it calls the collective. The perspective I noticed in the Roman Rite was that the individualistic spirituality was set aside. During the Divine Liturgy, individuals are called while the collective is also drawn deeper into the life of God during the liturgy.
If Roman Catholics could take one thing from the Byzantine tradition to enrich their faith, what would you recommend?
Other than the Jesus prayer and iconography, I think probably the asceticism. I think there’s a temptation in Western spirituality to be afraid of living the faith in such a radical way. Eastern spirituality calls all to live this ascetical life.
About The Salty Catholic:
Hello! I am the Salty Catholic! I am a Byzantine-Ruthenian Catholic. I’m also a part-time mememaker, a full-time husband, and a full-time high school theology teacher. I have two degrees in theology, and I’m pursuing doctoral studies in theology as well. While seeking my own theosis in this life, my hope is to also bring orthodox knowledge of the faith to others through humor and goodwill.
