Juan Diego Network (JDN), a leader in the creation, production, distribution, and promotion of Catholic podcasts, is excited to share that two of its most innovative podcasts will be published in 2023: “The Fantastic Society of Curious Children” and “Secrets of Tepeyac: the truth of Juan Diego and the Virgin of Guadalupe”, have been selected as finalists in the prestigious Gabriel Awards 2024.
These awards, established in 1965, recognize excellence in the production of media that entertains and enriches with a true vision of humanity and a true vision of life. This is why many consider them the Catholic “Oscars.”
On the night of June 20, in Atlanta, United States, Jim Wahlberg, brother of actor Mark Wahlberg and who, in addition to presiding over “The Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation,” is founder and CEO of Wahl St. Productions, will host the awards ceremony of the 58th edition of the Gabriel Awards.
Taking the message of Christ to the existential peripheries of the internet
JDN has been a pioneer in bringing the message of Christ to the vast digital space through innovative podcasts that evangelize attractively and educate in the truths of the faith.
“Our mission is to evangelize, form and entertain Spanish speakers spread throughout the world. In the post-Christian world in which we live, our way of evangelizing is by innovating in the creation and production of podcasts. Not only creating content for practicing Catholics , but taking risks with large productions focused on speaking the language of those who spend a good part of their days on the existential peripheries of the internet,” says José Manuel De Urquidi, founder of JDN.
From beginning by creating content focused on practicing Catholics, JDN’s focus has expanded to those who are far away. There are already many initiatives on the internet focused on those who frequent the sacraments and are involved in the Church. Today there are already a good number of well-produced podcasts with devotional content or that speak the language of those who practice faith. That is why De Urquidi has felt that the mission is to respond to the call to be an outgoing Church and evangelize those who no longer go to church, but who do spend a good part of their days in different spaces on the internet.
“Every person has the desire in their heart to seek what is beautiful, what is true, what is good. That is why we seek to reach those who do not practice the faith (the distant non-practitioners and the unbaptized) but who spend a good part of their days on the internet and who feel attracted to the Love of Christ. As? Through attractive podcasts that are produced with the highest quality,” shares José Manuel De Urquidi. “That is why we create little paths that begin by touching those fibers in their hearts, that they long for something more. “It all starts with a podcast and the content that is created around it.”
There are multiple ways and platforms in which you can be in the mission of Christ in digital environments, JDN’s mission is not to be an influential account on social networks, offer great courses or evangelize with music, like that of others in the digital mission. JDN fulfills its mission of evangelizing on the internet, mainly through podcasts. Yes, some internet tools are used, and you are on other platforms, but everything is done with the podcast at the center of your evangelization initiatives.
Studies show that podcasts exert more influence compared to social media influencers, the impact is greater and more lasting on those who listen to them in relation to videos and the call to action made in podcasts is stronger (76% convert according to National Public Media) than that of advertisements on social networks or in videos by brands or influencers. JDN’s mission since 2018, when their first podcast was launched in this very specific space within the vast digital continent, is where God has called them to bring His Love and reach the deep core of those who listen to a podcast and take them to him.
The reasons for starting to listen to a podcast are diverse. Sometimes it is out of curiosity, because the content is attractive, because of the high quality of the production, to learn, etc. For various reasons, those who are on the peripheries of the internet begin to listen to content that nourishes their minds, their hearts and their souls. Little by little, Love and Truth in and of Christ are taking their toll. Sometimes the journey can be quick, but sometimes the journey of going from the confines of the internet and walking towards Christ, towards her Church and with her, can be long. JDN productions accompany and introduce each soul little by little to the Love of Christ. And, after a few or many “steps”, they approach the Sacramental reality in the Church.
Secrets of Tepeyac: the truth of Juan Diego and the Virgin of Guadalupe
This JDN production was launched within the framework of the Intercontinental Guadalupana Novena convened by the Holy Father towards the 500 years of the apparitions in Tepeyac. The podcast unravels the intrigues and conspiracies that still surround the life of Saint Juan Diego and the apparitions of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
Narrated by Angie Romo and based on the research of Monsignor Eduardo Chávez and his team from the Higher Institute of Guadalupano Studies, the podcast addresses the myths, theories, conspiracies and the impact of the Guadalupano event on the cultural and spiritual development of New Spain as well as within the Church. Today many non-practitioners and unbaptized people still doubt the apparitions, but there is something supernatural that calls them and attracts them to the little brunette of Tepeyac and everything that has been around her for almost five centuries. That is what this production appeals to so that they start with the first step, listening.
That is why the trailer for “Secrets of Tepeyac” begins by appealing to the curiosity of unbelievers: “Among the whispers of the wind, on the hill of Tepeyac, an ancestral shadow rises. We contemplate the meeting between Tonatzin, the mother of the gods, and Mary, the Mother of God. Intertwined between myths and conspiracies that defy time itself, creating an enigma that has endured throughout the centuries…”.
The podcast has become a tool of evangelization due to the way in which it was conceived, created and produced. “Catholics are using this podcast to evangelize their friends and family who do not practice the faith or are full of doubts. Through curiosity about myths and conspiracies, unbelievers are discovering the truth about the Patroness of the Americas, “shares José Manuel De Urquidi. This is why relevant secular publications around the world in Spanish, which do not normally publish content about the Catholic faith, did so in the first weeks of the podcast.
The founder of Find.com, chaplain of IPADE and advisor of JDN, Father Pablo Arce Gargoyo, shares: “We have to take advantage of this opportunity because Our Lady is going to help many people to get closer to the fundamental values of our faith, unity among us, stability in families, serenity to handle problems, complicated issues that all people have. And the truth is that we know, how many people turn to Mary, especially her devotion to Guadalupe, they receive a lot of peace, a lot of serenity. A mother who tells us: I am here, don’t worry about anything. And that is what we have to look for throughout these years of preparation for the 500 years of the appearance of the Virgin of Guadalupe.”
The Fantastic Society of Curious Children
Designed to speak to the curiosity of children ages 8 and up, this fictional podcast is distributed by Primo Media, Juan Diego’s brand that seeks to go to the existential peripheries of the internet.The series follows the adventures of five friends who investigate the complexity of human emotions, but above all the different types of love. The Catholic Church has always taught that the search for truth is essential to cultivate from childhood, and that it is best to do so supported by Christian anthropology, speaking very openly about things that happen today and the confusions in ways of seeing, feeling and living. life in today’s world. This is how at JDN they believe you can reach today’s children.
“We decided to create ‘The Fantastic Society of Curious Children’ to generate alternatives that respect and dignify the intelligence of children, and to talk about topics that, many times, not even adults understand well,” says Bernardo De Urquidi, writer and director of the podcast. “With ‘The Fantastic Society of Curious Children’ we are generating food for the brain and the soul.”
The production process for this podcast was challenging as the children recorded during the pandemic from their homes with different circumstances and sound qualities. However, the JDN team managed to overcome these difficulties and create an innovative and valuable proposal for parents looking for healthy but attractive entertainment that can be a fascinating experience for their little ones.
The way in which the research was carried out, in which the scripts were created, in which the design of each episode was made, the casting, the selection of the five child actors, the post-production, as well as the high quality of the design sound resulted in an attractive podcast for children, both Catholics and families who do not practice the faith and what episode by episode they discover about the different types of love to end the first season I understand what Christian love is.
The Importance of innovating and taking risks in digital evangelization
Breaking technical and creative barriers is important to fulfill JDN’s mission in today’s world. Its productions seek to innovate in the ways of evangelizing online, always being based on Christian anthropology and in accordance with sound doctrine, Tradition and the Magisterium.
“We feel that we are finalists for the Gabriel Awards as a smile and a wink from the Lord. We will continue to innovate in digital evangelization, always taking risks hand in hand with Our Lady of Guadalupe, without playing it safe, doing the same thing that worked before and It works less and less. That is why we will always look for new ways to reach those who are far away with fully Catholic productions that do not innovate in the depths of what we are and believe, but in the ways of bringing the Good News to the world today,” adds De. Urquidi. “We want to continue with that courage that being in the mission of Christ gives us without fear of leaving our comfort zone, of innovating, which means the risk of accidents, injury or staining ourselves when responding to the call of being that Church on the way out where “many spend most of their days: on the digital continent.”
Both podcasts are available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts and all podcast and audio-on-demand platforms and can be listened to by clicking on the following links:
