Can a conversation, a relaxed chat, be a means of evangelization? The answer is simple: of course! Now, if you combine this chat with some technological tools, you can do much more – and you can add a Schoenstatt twist!
That’s what Alexandra Valarezo (Aleca) and Paula Ferretti (Pauli), from Guayaquil (Ecuador), had in mind. With just a microphone and spontaneous conversations, the podcast “It’s good to be here” was born.
Both of them, along with their spouses, are part of the Schoenstatt Family League, a group whose mission is to be “Faithful witnesses of the heart of Mary”. They have been the program’s hosts since October 2021.
“It’s a podcast where we invite people to tell us their life stories, to share with us how God has been part of that journey,” Pauli summarizes.
*English subtitles available
Why a podcast?
Aleca explains how the idea for the program came about: “We were receiving a lot of messages from lots of people. How do you do it? How do you manage to be so connected to God, to Mary, to Jesus? So Pauli and I decided: let’s give it a go. That’s it. We want us all to be connected to heaven.”
For Pauli, it was a natural process: “Why did we decide to start this project? Just like when you decide to start taking tennis lessons, or learning to cook, or doing anything… Because we liked having a forum, we had this desire to talk about God and we were sure that many other people had that same desire. And, well, perfection is the enemy of initiative. We started by recording in our own home, we prepared the room, we bought lights and gradually, with the community’s support, we made the project a bit more professional so that we could reach all of you”.
Organic growth: a program for all walks of life
From a Schoenstatt perspective, Pauli and Aleca discuss various topics on family life, work, spirituality, self-knowledge, etc. The topics in each podcast include entrepreneurship, family routine, excellence at work, being a saint in today’s world, how to talk to God… and much more.
“The content of our podcast and our Instagram account comes largely from the liturgical year and what we experience during the year. From there we draw all the content to be able to provide people with tools to bring them much closer to heaven,” explains Aleca.
Pauli adds: “In a creative way, we also share, based on our life experience, messages that we have received from Jesus and Mary, and we do so in a format that is relevant to the community on a day-to-day basis”.
A program linked to the Shrine
Schoenstatters have participated in several episodes of the program, but people from other charisms have also contributed to the reflections. In essence,” says Pauli, ”it is a Marian project. Mary is the one who leads the way in this project, the one who always surprises us, the one who always shows us which path to take…”
Aleca explains that they always invite listeners to visit the Schoenstatt Shrine: “If we have an activity, we try to link it to the Shrine and to encourage pilgrims to visit it. A couple of months ago we prayed the Rosary with the Sisters of Mary, and it was beautiful”.
Pauli adds: “And many people who may never have been to the Shrine before were drawn to it”.
Don’t be afraid to be bold
One of the effects of this project for Aleca and Pauli was that they deepened their self-education and their intimacy with God and Mary, due to their increased public exposure. Without a doubt, this has borne fruit, they say.
As a final message, Pauli encourages all those who wish to share their messages: “If you too have the desire to talk about God and evangelize digitally, do so without fear. God will take care of showing you the way, of helping you and providing you with the people, the topics and the tools you need to do so”. And Aleca adds: “And providing you with the right words to reach others”.
They are already reaping the rewards of their digital apostolate, and they say: “It’s wonderful when we receive a message saying, ‘thank you very much, that’s exactly the word I needed’, or ‘this was the podcast I needed to listen to in order to feel better’. And you can feel that, that’s what God wants from us and that’s what He’s looking for from us”.
To find out more about this work, visit the official channels:
Translation: Maribel Acaron
