Are you tired of watching summer TV reruns? Do you ever listen to the radio while in the car or outside? Some of you may have heard stories from days past where a family gathered around the radio to hear the latest news. President Franklin D. Roosevelt began his Fireside Chats during the Great Depression and continued the radio chats through the War Years. Podcasts from Daylesford Abbey can provide you with new, fresh and interesting content.
Today podcasts are gaining in popularity. A podcast is “a digital audio file made available on the internet for downloading to a computer or mobile device, typically available as a series, new installments of which can be received by subscribers automatically.”
Daylesford Abbey has an extensive series of podcasts on Abbey Cast, part of Springhouse Media. “Abbey Cast is the official podcast of Daylesford Abbey and captures informal, free-flowing conversations that spark curiosity and nurture spiritual growth. The podcast often features Andrew Del Rossi, the Director of the Spirituality Center at the Abbey, as the host along with guests from the Norbertine community and beyond.”
Andrew Del Rossi and Father John Zagarella, OPraem. recorded the Abbey’s first podcast and the Abbey has been producing a regular stream of content for several years.
People can access these podcasts, listen to them, and view them too, at their convenience, at a time best for them. There are now twenty-one episodes, with new episodes appearing regularly. In these podcasts, you can meet and learn about members of Daylesford Abbey, hear their stories, and discover what they do.
In the most recent podcast, Fr. Carl Braschoss joins Abbey Cast once again. He is currently serving as chaplain at Immaculata University. In his current ministry as chaplain, he serves the students sacramentally, does faith formation and is the chaplain of the sisters, so he wears many hats.
What Father Carl tries to do is meet the students where they are, such as in the dining hall. Interacting with family members over a meal is a wonderful way to deepen family relationships.
He tries to be a presence to the students and says that “the ministry of presence is a key thing.” This is an awesome “take-away” for us as we connect with our own children, the members of our parish, those in our workplace and even the homeless people we might meet on the streets.
Some of us may spend time going to family sports events. In this podcast we learn how Father Carl practiced karate in college and was also involved in a sports fraternity 
and is now chaplain for the university baseball team.
Father Carl shares that students are often over-scheduled, and this can be a factor in our lives too. He mentions finding time to just “let them be.”
Do we make that sort of time for ourselves or create that time for others in our family? He shares that one of his strengths is his open-ended way of engaging people. Can that be a strength for us too, to develop and utilize?
We also hear of some of the struggles Father Carl was having in the past, especially after the death of his father, and how in consultation with the abbot, he moved into his new position at Immaculata University.
In these podcasts we get to know the Norbertine priests as they really are, human just like us, with joys and struggles. Father Carl shares that with the combination of circumstances, it was a God moment with God providing in a way for everyone.
In this podcast, there is much for each of us, whether young or old, and that is the case in the other 20 podcasts too.
In Podcast # 18, Rev. John Joseph Novielli, O. Praem shares his vocation story and what drew him to the Norbertines and how his journey has evolved through trusting God and listening for God’s voice amidst his discernment.
In Episode 19 we meet Maria Lynch, a trained Spiritual director and co-leader of the Spiritual Direction team at Daylesford Abbey. In Episode 13, Rev. Joe Serano offers a reflection on the trials, tribulations, and blessings of his experience with the SARS-CoV-2 virus beginning in January of 2021. Many people can relate to his experiences of Covid.
In Episode 10, Heather Makowicz is interviewed. She is the founder of Peak Encounter Ministries, which provides opportunities for spiritual seekers to encounter God in nature, such as through hiking, kayaking, bonfires, and more
Curious about what is covered in the other Podcasts? You can see and hear each Podcast episode at your own time and place when it is convenient for you. Just click here.
The podcasts are always available on the website, and you can watch these alone or with other members of your family, friends, and relatives. You can also watch the Abbey Casts in any order, depending on your interests. The experience awaits! All you need to do is click on the link!