Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P., and Fr. Jacob Bertrand Janczyk, O.P., to host 43 daily episodes reading and explaining St. Francis de Sales’ spiritual classic beginning on October 24, 2022
Ascension, the team behind the #1 religion podcast in the world, The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)™, has announced a new podcast series: Catholic Classics.
Launching on October 24, 2022, with its first 43-episode season covering St. Francis de Sales’ perennially-inspiring Introduction to the Devout Life, the Catholic Classics podcast will allow Catholics to learn from the Church’s most revered saints and teachers—in this case, the beloved 17th-century spiritual director and Doctor of the Church, St. Francis de Sales.
“St. Francis de Sales preached and wrote with a simple clarity,” explain podcast hosts Fr. Gregory and Fr. Jacob Bertrand. “At the heart of his message is the conviction that God has made us for himself and that our Lord offers himself in prayer and sacrament as we grow in virtue and heal from vice… May St. Francis de Sales and his Introduction to the Devout Life encourage our listeners in their pursuit of Christ.”
Catholic Classics will closely follow the design of Ascension’s popular podcast The Bible in a Year, which is the most successful Catholic podcast of all time. Dominican friar hosts Fr. Gregory Pine and Fr. Jacob Bertrand Janczyk will read an excerpt from the text each day following the free podcast reading plan and offer guidance and commentary in the second part of each episode. Listeners who complete all 43 daily episodes will “read” through the entirety of Ascension’s updated and complete translation, including sections of the original French text not always included in other English editions.
Learn more about the podcast or sign up for the free reading plan at www.AscensionPress.com/CatholicClassics
New Ascension Edition of Introduction to the Devout Life to Accompany Podcast
For listeners interested in reading along with the podcast, Ascension has released a new edition of Introduction to the Devout Life which features:
- Expert commentary from podcast hosts Fr. Gregory Pine and Fr. Jacob Bertrand
- Faux leather cover
- Foil stamping
- Ribbon for bookmark use
This “updated and complete” translation of St. Francis’ original work provides more approachable language without losing the richness of the text. It was newly rendered by Catholic scholar and theological translator Dr. Matthew K. Minerd and includes sections of the original French text not often included in other English editions.
About Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P., and Fr. Jacob Bertrand Janczyk, O.P.
Fr. Gregory Pine and Fr. Jacob Bertrand Janczyk are Dominican friars (Order of Friars Preachers) of the Province of St. Joseph, located in the Northeast portion of the United States. Both are ordained priests with Fr. Gregory currently being a doctoral candidate in dogmatic theology at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland, and Fr. Jacob Bertrand currently serving as the provincial director of vocations for their Province as well as the assistant chaplain for Dartmouth College.
Prior to their work with the Catholic Classics podcast, both priests were regularly featured on the popular Godsplaining podcast. See full bios in the Ascension Newsroom.
About Ascension
Ascension is a multimedia network and the leader in Catholic faith formation and digital content. Over the past 24 years, Ascension has helped nurture the faith of over 10 million Catholics through award-winning books, the chart-topping Bible in a Year podcast, more than 50 unique faith formation programs, and Ascension Presents, which hosts the largest Catholic YouTube channel in English.
Media Contact
For author interviews or media inquiries, contact Lauren Joyce at (484) 876-1400 or Newsroom@AscensionPress.com