The Catholic Sportsman Show Podcast

Garrett Bernardo is our guest on this episode. He is the CEO of NOVUS (pronounced Novice), a purpose driven athletic clothing apparel company. Garrett talks about his early life being raised in a devout Catholic home. He recalls sharing a bedroom with his brother where his mom put a football poster in their room with the headline “Never, Never Quit with the bible verse: “Blessed are those who persevere under trial, for having withstood the test, they will receive the crown of life for those who love Him”, James 1:12, a verse that follows the brothers throughout their lives. Garrett went to Maine University his sophomore year and then transferred to Anderson College in South Carolina with his brother, Nick. Garrett and Nick started NOVUS in college as what Garrett describes as a “side-hustle”. Garrett played college baseball and wanted to play in the pros, but God had other plans for him. Garrett was introduced to a Catholic ministry called FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) which became very important in his life. He became a missionary with FOCUS and talks about how being a FOCUS missionary changed his life. NOVUS sports apparel is different from competitors because the company not only offers customers customized sports apparel, but with faith, builds meaningful, lasting relationships. NOVUS in Latin means “new” or “new beginnings”. Garrett, his brother Nick, and their friend Scott (who played lacrosse at Rutgers) run the company. NOVUS offers purpose-driven design and team-focused apparel. The company’s logo and mantra “Claim Your Crown” are derived from the poster in their childhood bedroom. Garrett also explains the three pillars of NOVUS: 1. Pursuing their passion through their God-given abilities 2. Being convicted and committed to their work 3. Never giving up on their dreams. Garrett explains the “1:12 Project” NOVUS created along with their partner, Encounter Travel, that goes to the Dominican Republic and offers employees and customers the experience Garrett had in FOCUS. The 1:12 Project derives its name from the bible, James 1:12, the same bible quote that was in Garrett’s childhood bedroom. They bring a chaplain, celebrate Mass, have Holy Hour, then they hit the field with the kids. Although great, customized sports apparel with unique customer service is the goal of NOVUS, it is easy to see that there is a supernatural foundation that this company is built on! NOVUS CUSTOM | Purpose-Driven Team Uniforms & Apparel NOVUS 1:12 Project - Dominican Republic - Baseball & Volleyball in Banica, Dominican Republic What We Do Overview - FOCUS #catholicsports, #catholicsportsapparel, #novussportsapparel, #novuspurposedrivencompany

Josh Brooks is a seminarian in the Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia and is our guest on this episode. Throughout his life, Josh has had a huge passion for basketball. He tried out for his high school team but didn’t make it, God had other plans for Josh. He was raised in the Baptist faith, and his parents sent him to Catholic school. While in a relationship with his girlfriend, Josh felt a call to the priesthood. He explains that being a priest is being set apart, and he feels called to that life. Josh became Catholic and is now going into his fourth year of the seminary’s college program, then he will have four more years of theological studies prior to being ordained a priest. Along the way, Josh will continually be discerning his vocation… is God really calling him to the priesthood? Josh is blessed to have the support of his parents. Josh talks about what he likes most about being in the seminary and what he likes least. He explains the difference between the Ordinary Form of the Mass and the Extraordinary Form. Josh hopes to use sports, especially basketball, as a tool in his ministry if God wills that he be ordained a priest. Josh ends the podcast with wonderful encouragement for both young men and women as they discern their vocations… married, priesthood, religious life, or a single consecrated life. As you listen to Josh humbly present his story, please offer a prayer for his vocation and all vocations, that we will all follow our Lord wherever He leads. Pray also that we follow the admonition of Jesus’s mother Mary to “do whatever He tells you” (John 2:5). #catholicsports #catholicseminary #priesthood #catholicvocations #philly

Scott Carter is our guest on this episode. He is the coordinator of the office for the Beatification of Venerable Fr. Emil Kapaun. Fr. Kapaun is one of the newest deceased persons to be declared Venerable by the late Pope Francis in February 2025, which is a step closer to being declared a saint in the Catholic Church. Fr. Kapaun is best known for his faith-filled and heroic participation in the Korean war. Scott tells us about the young Emil’s penchant for being an outdoorsman at a young age and his love for sports while he was in the seminary. Fr. Kapaun was ordained on June 9, 1949, and was assigned to a parish in Kansas. Fr. Kapaun’s real calling was to minister to and serve soldiers in the war. He served as a chaplain in World War II and returned to the States when the war ended. In 1949 the Army put out a letter requesting chaplains for the Korean War and Fr. Kapaun told his bishop that he wanted to go. Scott says that Fr. Kapaun had a missionary spirit. There is an iconic picture of Fr. Kapaun celebrating Mass on the hood of a jeep. While in the Korean War, Fr. Kapaun was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor and the Medal of Honor for saving a soldier about to be shot. Eventually Fr. Kapaun was captured and sent to a prison camp. While in the prison camp, Fr. Kapaun did everything he could to help his fellow prisoners maintain their dignity while encouraging those that wanted to give up. While his captors took Fr. Kapaun to his death, he asked forgiveness for any wrong he might have done to any one of them. Throughout his life and at the hour of his death, Fr. Kapaun put his faith into action. Miraculously, Fr. Kapaun’s remains were found many years after his death in Korea and were returned to Kansas where he is buried at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Wichita. Scott ends the podcast by recalling a reflection given by Fr. Kapaun on the radio in Tokyo in April of 1950 on the Beatitude found in Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers…” Scott asks anyone who is praying for the intercession of Fr. Kapaun to contact him at the website listed below. For more information about Fr. Kapaun and/or to contact Scott: Venerable Emil J. Kapaun | Official Home Page For information about the process of sainthood in the Catholic Church: Saints | USCCB #catholicsports, #frkaupaun, #frkapaunkoreanwar

Rich Gannon is our guest on this episode. He is a devoted husband and father. Rich’s career includes playing for the NFL as a quarterback for 17 seasons, most notably for the Oakland Raiders. He led the Raiders to the Superbowl for the 2002 season. Rich went to the Pro-Bowl four times and was the Most Valuable Player in 2002. Following his playing days, Rich moved to the booth and excelled as a broadcaster for “NFL on CBS” for 17 seasons. He is happily still around football, broadcasting on SiriusXM NFL Radio. Since football and broadcasting has dominated Rich’s life, he was asked how he finds time for God and family. Rich quickly replied, “If something is important to you, you’ll find time for it.” Rich attributes his success to his Catholic upbringing in a large, devoted family. Rich talks about how his faith had a positive impact in his personal and professional life. In the NFL, Rich was happy to find faith throughout the organization. With his success and accolades, Rich’s faith keeps him grounded. He is excited about the recent election of Pope Leo XIV and hopes this event invigorates the Church, especially young people. Rich talks about the importance of parents as role models in the faith of their children. He challenges us all to pray for young people to return to the Church. Rich also challenges men to take their responsibility as head of the family seriously, with passion and dedication. Rich can be contacted through the Catholic Speakers Organization: Rich Gannon - Business, Corporate Speaker, Faith & Fitness, Fatherhood, Men's Issues, Motivational, Professional Athlete, Radio / TV, Sports & Faith Catholic Speaker #catholicsports, #raidersfootball, #nflbroadcaster, #catholicprofootball, #catholicspeakersorganization

Christopher McLaughlin joins us from Glasgow, Scotland and is one of the people heading up the Cause for Tommy Burns, hoping that Tommy will eventually be declared a saint in the Catholic Church. Christopher is our guest on this episode and shares his experiences and knowledge about the quest for Tommy’s sainthood that many are praying for. Tommy was a professional soccer player, which in Scotland and most of the world, is called football. Tommy was a footballer for the famous, and beloved, Celtic team in Glasgow from 1975 to 1989 and later coached and managed the team. Tommy died in May of 2008 at the young age of 51 of melanoma, a form of skin cancer. He left behind his wife and four children. Christopher has a wealth of knowledge about Tommy, his life, and his humble and deep devotion to God and the Catholic faith. Christopher shares some history of Catholicism in Scotland and how it is intertwined with Celtic football. Tommy was very pious and humbly practiced corporal works of mercy throughout his life. According to Christopher, the love for Tommy was very apparent at his funeral, which included 40 priests and an estimated 20,000+ people. Christopher describes the process of opening a Cause for Sainthood according to the Church’s Canon Law. The first step involves the bishop of the diocese where Tommy passed away. The final step, which could be a few years to hundreds of years away, culminates in the Pope declaring the person a saint. There are many steps and an enormous amount of prayer, research, and verification prior to a Pope declaring someone a saint. Opening a Cause for Sainthood does not guarantee Canonization, it often does not. Christopher, and his fellow researcher Philip Church, are the “petitioners” in this process (see sainthood link below). They are asking for anyone who knew Tommy or is praying for an intercession from Tommy to contact them at contact@tommyburns.org Information about the process of sainthood in the Catholic Church: Saints | USCCB #catholicsports, #tommyburns, #celticfootball

Kevin Becker played soccer in college and is our guest on this episode. Kevin was in his senior year of college at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania when he fell off a roof. He was found on the ground by friends, his head fractured, and his body broken. Kevin was in a coma and his devout parents rushed to be by his side. They were told by his doctors to brace for the worst. His family continued to pray and started a novena to Blessed Giorgio Frassati, a young man who died in 1925. While in a coma, Kevin had a supernatural experience which he explains in this podcast. Kevin didn’t know who he encountered while he was in a coma until after his miraculous recovery. Now Kevin is a healthy man who enjoys playing soccer and beach volleyball with friends. He maintains a relationship with his friend Giorgio, is involved with the organization Frassati USA, and talks to groups about his experience. Blessed Giorgio Frassati’s canonization to sainthood will take place during the Jubilee of Youth from July 28–Aug. 3, 2025, in Rome. https://youtu.be/S4JPnDZWQoo Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati | USCCB Brief Biography of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati | FrassatiUSA, Inc. | Nashville, TN Information about the process of sainthood in the Catholic Church: Saints | USCCB Go Fund Me link for Blessed Giorgio Frassati canonization trip to Italy: https://gofund.me/8becefb9 #catholicsports, #blessedgiorgiofrassati, #frassattiusa, #miracle

Curt Tomasevicz is a former Olympic bobsledder and our guest on this episode. He participated in several Winter Olympic games encompassing about ten years and discusses his experiences and lessons learned. Curt is quite humble about the Olympic medals he’s accumulated. Prior to his Olympic days, Curt played football at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). Currently he is a professor of Biological Systems Engineering at UNL and continues to be involved in sports as the Director of Sport Performance for USA Bobsled-Skeleton. Curt also works with the Nebraska Athletic Performance Laboratory and in his spare time he is a motivational speaker at high schools in Nebraska and around the country. Curt talks about how his faith has been woven in his life, even at a young age growing up in a small town in Nebraska. While a student at UNL, Curt was convinced that creation did not occur by chance, from the balance of the human body to the balance of space and the cosmos. It was during this time he came to appreciate the importance that then Pope John Paul II gave to science. While an athlete, Curt did not pray that he (or his team) would win, he prayed that everyone would be safe. Much like in bobsledding, Curt believes that life should be taken one curve at a time. He discusses his view of fear, how he dealt with it as a bobsledder and how his experiences can be useful in everyday life. #bobsledding #cornhuskers #catholic #prayer

Brenda Lorena Garcia is a professional stuntwoman and our guest on this episode. She trains in mixed martial arts, which she compares to the monastic life. Brenda is passionate about her faith and is driven to share it! Brenda eagerly shares her belief that dedication to physical training begins and ends with devout spiritual training. Her rigorous daily physical training for her job can only begin with the rigorous daily training of her spirit. Brenda explains what her participation in Opus Sanctorum Angelorum (Work of the Holy Angels) means to her and how it helps shape her life. She talks about how her early days working in Hollywood were different than they are now. In her experience, Hollywood is changing for the better. Brenda discusses the meaning of her statement that “as Catholics we’re not called to fit in, we’re called to stand out.” Brenda challenges us all to be courageous and bravehearted and not to be afraid to be a saint! She wants everyone to know that God really loves us! Links to Brenda: https://www.facebook.com/brendalgarcia https://www.facebook.com/OfficialBrendaGarcia Instagram.com/BrendaLGarcia twitter.com/BrendaLGarciaX threads.net/@brendalgarcia linkedin.com/in/brendalorenagarcia For information about Opus Sanctorum Angelorum: Opus Sanctorum Angelorum - Work of the Holy Angels