The Catholic Guy
Encyclopedia
The Catholic Guy is a radio talk show currently aired on The Catholic Channel
on Sirius XM Satellite Radio, debuting on December 4, 2006. It is hosted by Emmy Award
winning Catholic personality Lino Rulli
, and since 2011 has been co-hosted by Father Rob Keighron. The Catholic Guy show discusses life, religion, and theology through the eyes of an average Catholic
guy (Lino Rulli).
(Former segment titles: The World Beyond Lino, What's Up With That)
, the Sun, food, good health), but rather the strange things in our daily lives (e.g. bad commercials, falling trees, warm beer).
, this game is played in three rounds. Lino selects a letter of the alphabet, then gives playing crewmembers (sometimes including himself) 60 seconds to write down words/phrases starting with that letter that describe eight Catholic categories (e.g., a place in the New Testament that begins with the letter 'C'). The answers are then hotly debated amongst the contestants, with one point awarded for each answer deemed acceptable by the majority of players. Extra points are given for alliterative answers, and points are not awarded if a contestant begins their answer with the same word as another contestant's.
s in the Catholic Church or number of seasons of Walker, Texas Ranger
.
, callers are asked a question about Catholicism or the Bible. If they get the answer correct, they win a semi-valuable prize. The caller can take the prize or forfeit it to possibly win a better prize behind doors 1, 2, or 3. One door will contain a premium prize, such as a Pope bottle opener or rosary
. The remaining doors may contain prizes ranging from postcards to random sound effects, being hung up on, or various junk lying around the studio.
, tried to answer the callers' questions, some of which could be quite challenging.
(almost always an obscure one). Lino and Lou discussed said Saint, completely making up the Saint's history for humorous effect. When they were finished making up facts about the Saint, the producer revealed the real history of the Saint.
The Catholic Guy Show also broadcast from these locations:
Lino has also occasionally hosted the show from other special events, such as Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United States
in 2008, and the New York City Columbus Day
Parades in 2009-2011.
The Catholic Channel
The Catholic Channel is a Catholic lifestyle radio station on Sirius XM Satellite Radio and is operated by the Archdiocese of New York. It carries daily and Sunday Mass live from St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York, as well as talk shows, educational programming and a little bit of music. Timothy...
on Sirius XM Satellite Radio, debuting on December 4, 2006. It is hosted by Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
winning Catholic personality Lino Rulli
Lino Rulli
Angelo Rulli is an American radio host, author, producer, and former television host. He is currently the host of The Catholic Guy radio show, which is aired on The Catholic Channel on Sirius XM Radio. He was also the Executive Producer and host for the Emmy Award winning television show...
, and since 2011 has been co-hosted by Father Rob Keighron. The Catholic Guy show discusses life, religion, and theology through the eyes of an average Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
guy (Lino Rulli).
Current crew members
- Lino RulliLino RulliAngelo Rulli is an American radio host, author, producer, and former television host. He is currently the host of The Catholic Guy radio show, which is aired on The Catholic Channel on Sirius XM Radio. He was also the Executive Producer and host for the Emmy Award winning television show...
– Host (2006-present) - Father Rob Keighron – Co-Producer and co-host (2011-present)
- Note: Father Rob was a weekly guest from August 2008 until his transition to permanent crew member in September 2011. He is still serving as parochial vicar of St. Helen Catholic Church in Howard Beach, QueensHoward Beach, QueensHoward Beach is a suburban neighborhood in the southwestern portion of the borough of Queens in New York City. It is bordered in the north by the Belt Parkway and South Conduit Avenue in Ozone Park, the south by Jamaica Bay in Broad Channel, the east by 102nd-104th streets, and the west by 78th...
in the Diocese of Brooklyn.)
- Note: Father Rob was a weekly guest from August 2008 until his transition to permanent crew member in September 2011. He is still serving as parochial vicar of St. Helen Catholic Church in Howard Beach, Queens
- Ryan Grant – Co-Producer (2011-present)
Weekly and periodic guests
- Father Jim Chern (Catholic chaplain at Montclair State UniversityMontclair State UniversityMontclair State University is a public research university located in the Upper Montclair section of Montclair, the Great Notch area of Little Falls, and Clifton, New Jersey. As of October 2009, there were 18,171 total enrolled students: 14,139 undergraduate students and 4,032 graduate students...
in New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
) - Periodic guest - Mark Hart (Catholic author and Executive Vice President of Life TeenLIFE TEENLife Teen, Inc. is a Catholic youth ministry organization and movement originating in the United States. It was established in 1985 at St. Timothy's Parish in Mesa, Arizona to "lead teens closer to Christ." Life Teen believes that "Eucharist-based ministry has the power to transform teens,...
) - Weekly guest - Kayla Riley (Host on Sirius XM's Octane, Boneyard & The Message Amped) - Periodic guest
Past crew members
- Tom "the Bird" Falcone - "Professional Phone Answerer" (2006-2008)
- Maureen McMurray - Producer (2006-2008, 2009-2011)
- Rob AstorinoRob AstorinoRob Astorino is the Westchester County Executive and an American media personality and politician who is a radio host and program director for the Catholic Channel on SIRIUS Satelitte Radio. He was one of the founders of 1050 AM ESPN Radio in New York City, and worked as the station's Executive...
- Program Director (2006-2008) - Jared Rizzi - Producer (2008-2009)
- Lou Ruggieri - Assistant Producer (2009-2011), Technical Director (2006-2009)
- Christine Stern (aka Christine Lloyd) - Phone Screener (2008-2009)
- Ryan Stewart - Producer (2008)
- "Emily" - Intern (Summer 2008)
- "Krista" - Intern (Summer 2010)
Tell Me Something I Didn't Know
The latest incarnation of the show's news segment. Ryan reads summaries of a number of interesting news stories, and Lino and Father Rob comment on them.(Former segment titles: The World Beyond Lino, What's Up With That)
Mail Time
Lino reads email sent in by listeners, usually either compliments or questions directed at he and Father Rob.Catholic Guy Advice
Listeners email Lino about difficult situations that they have found themselves in, and Lino and Father Rob advise them on how to deal with the situation. Lino then opens up the phone lines for listeners to give their take.Lino's General Audience
A takeoff of the General Audience the Pope holds every Wednesday, Lino pontificates on a specific theme of his choosing.The Eleventh Commandment
Not satisfied with just ten Commandments, Lino adds one of his own for real-life situations and explains his rationale.I Grant You That
Lino gives Ryan roughly five minutes of show time to talk about whatever he wants to talk about.Things That Drive You Crazy At Mass
Listeners call in and describe things they've seen happen at Mass that just drive them up a wall.Hot, Rich, or Pious
Ryan reads scenarios involving one of the crewmembers and an unnamed person, and Lino and Father Rob must decide if they prefer the unnamed person to be hot, rich, or pious. Example: Ryan might propose a scenario that if a crew member found a lost wallet and were to return it, would they want to owner of the wallet to be hot, rich, or pious.Random Thankfulness
Listeners call in and describe the things for which they are randomly thankful. Lino encourages folks to not describe "obvious" things to be thankful for (e.g. GodGod
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
, the Sun, food, good health), but rather the strange things in our daily lives (e.g. bad commercials, falling trees, warm beer).
Minor Confessions
Listeners call in with things that they have done that aren't truly sins and can't be brought to the Confessional, but are still things that they're not exactly proud of having done.Lino's Music Makeover
Kayla Riley, host on Sirius XM's Octane, Boneyard & The Message Amped, stops by the studio to help the crew rate Christian/Catholic music. Each week Ryan chooses four or five songs that fit a certain theme or genre (e.g., Catholic songs to listen to while commuting to work), and after listening to a clip from each song Kayla and the crew rate it on a scale of 0-5 "noses" (with 0 being the worst and 5 being the best).Catholic Password
Based on the TV game show Password, two crewmembers (usually Lou and Maureen) were given a Catholic-themed password, then took turns giving one-word clues to either Father Rob or Father Jim in an attempt to have him guess the password. If he guessed it on the first clue, the person whose clue it was would receive ten points... the second clue, nine points, and so on until the password was guessed or ten clues were given out. Played in seven rounds, the winner would get bragging rights until the next installment of the game. More recently a listener has substituted for one of the crewmembers since there haven't been enough people in studio to play the traditional way.Scathergories
Based (loosely) on the party game ScattergoriesScattergories
Scattergories is a creative-thinking category-based party game produced by Hasbro through the Milton Bradley Company and published in 1988...
, this game is played in three rounds. Lino selects a letter of the alphabet, then gives playing crewmembers (sometimes including himself) 60 seconds to write down words/phrases starting with that letter that describe eight Catholic categories (e.g., a place in the New Testament that begins with the letter 'C'). The answers are then hotly debated amongst the contestants, with one point awarded for each answer deemed acceptable by the majority of players. Extra points are given for alliterative answers, and points are not awarded if a contestant begins their answer with the same word as another contestant's.
Father Rob's Righteous Anger
Father Rob tells us of recent happenings in his life and interactions with people that have really gotten him steamed. This segment was formally known as "Father Rob Runs Hot" and "Priests Are Human Too".Lino Is Sorry
Usually done on a Friday, Lino apologizes for things he's done and stuff he's said on the air that he wishes he really hadn't.This Or That
Ryan reads hypothetical situations to Lino and Father Rob and gives them two courses of action that they can take. They then rationalize and argue about their choices.Lino's Casting Couch
Lino takes a story from the Bible, and then asks listeners to cast modern-day actors and actresses in the roles of the main characters from that story, based on who they think would be the best fit.Do You Watch More TV Than A Parish Priest?
Lucky listeners go against Father Rob in this game featuring TV theme songs. The listener is played clips from five theme songs while Father Rob waits outside the studio, and must identify as many as possible. Then Father Rob comes back and is played the same five themes. If a listener identifies more (or the same number of) TV themes than Father Rob, they win a prize of their choosing. If Father Rob identifies more, he gets to spend a minute or so mocking the listener in whatever way he sees fit.Answer The Question!
Callers answer Lino's questions relating to both the Church and pop culture. For example, are there more sacramentSacrament
A sacrament is a sacred rite recognized as of particular importance and significance. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites.-General definitions and terms:...
s in the Catholic Church or number of seasons of Walker, Texas Ranger
Walker, Texas Ranger
Walker, Texas Ranger is an American television action crime drama series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis, and starring Chuck Norris as a member of the Texas Ranger Division. The show aired on CBS in the spring of 1993, with the first season consisting of three pilot episodes. Eight full...
.
Let's Make a Catholic Deal
Inspired by the show Let's Make a DealLet's Make a Deal
Let's Make a Deal is a television game show which originated in the United States and has since been produced in many countries throughout the world. The show is based around deals offered to members of the audience by the host. The traders usually have to weigh the possibility of an offer being...
, callers are asked a question about Catholicism or the Bible. If they get the answer correct, they win a semi-valuable prize. The caller can take the prize or forfeit it to possibly win a better prize behind doors 1, 2, or 3. One door will contain a premium prize, such as a Pope bottle opener or rosary
Rosary
The rosary or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion. The term denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary...
. The remaining doors may contain prizes ranging from postcards to random sound effects, being hung up on, or various junk lying around the studio.
Seven Deadly Questions
Ryan asks Lino seven personal questions about himself sent in by the listeners, which he must answer.Previous show segments
These segments no longer air on The Catholic Guy Show (or haven't aired in a very long time):Free Therapy Tuesday
Lino discusses his latest counseling sessions with his therapist, Dr. Potzo. He brings up his questions and challenges in the hopes that listeners learn something. (This segment ended in 2010 when Dr. Potzo left the therapist profession.)Are You Smarter Than A Bad Catholic?
Former producer Maureen McMurray had a reputation of not knowing as much about Catholicism as she should, and attempted to prove it by going against listeners. With Maureen out of the studio, each listener was given a category (e.g., pilgrimage sites, books in the New Testament) and had to name as many items as they could that fell into that category. Maureen was then brought in to do the same. If a listener won, they would get a prize based on the level of difficulty assigned to that category by Lino and Lou/Ryan. If Maureen won, she'd get a temporary reprieve from being labeled a "bad Catholic". (This segment ended when Maureen left the show in 2011.)Win Lou's Money!
Listeners went up against former assistant producer Lou Ruggieri to answer Catholic trivia. With Lou out of the studio, each listener was asked to answer seven Catholic trivia questions as fast as they could within 60 seconds, and then Lou was brought back in to do the same. If there was time left after the last question, Lou and the contestants could stop (hoping that a fast time would earn them victory) or go back and answer skipped questions (hoping that more correct answers would help them). If a listener had more correct answers than Lou, or had the same number of correct answers but finished faster, they won cold hard cash from Lou. (This segment ended when Lou left the show in 2011.)Hopefully not Catholic
People who committed dumb acts that made the news were commented on, with Lino and crew jokingly hoping said person was not Catholic due to Lino's desire that the Church not look bad (the crew did hope that the person repented.) Example: the guy who left the scene of a burglary, only to come back a few hours later to ask the victim out on a date.No Dumb Questions
...only potentially dumb answers. This segment was an open forum for listeners to call in with their questions about the faith and the Catholic Church. Lino, and usually a guest priestPriest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
, tried to answer the callers' questions, some of which could be quite challenging.
Saint Who?!?!
The producer named a SaintSaint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
(almost always an obscure one). Lino and Lou discussed said Saint, completely making up the Saint's history for humorous effect. When they were finished making up facts about the Saint, the producer revealed the real history of the Saint.
What's Lino Whistling?
Per Lino's admission, he cannot whistle. In this segment, Lino attempts to whistle a tune, which is usually less of a whistle and more of the release of air through what sounds like missing teeth. Listeners call in and guess what song Lino is whistling. If they guess correctly, they have the opportunity to win a variety of prizes from the show.Who's More Catholic?
On Fridays, Lino and frequent Friday guest Father Jim Chern played this best-of-seven-rounds game in which a random sound effect was played during each round, and the two then had 30 seconds to write down the best Catholic connection to that sound effect. Callers were chosen to decide who made the better connection, often resulting in allegations by Lino that the audience was biased toward Father Jim because they wanted him to win at Lino's expense. Because of this, later versions of the game had the crew deciding who made a better connection, with the listeners relegated to breaking ties if the crew was split.Special editions of The Catholic Guy Show
Lino and crew broadcast taped shows from Vatican Radio in Rome four times to date:- December 3-7, 2007: celebrating the first anniversary of The Catholic Guy Show
- December 1-5, 2008: celebrating the second anniversary of The Catholic Guy Show
- July 19-23, 2010: week of broadcasts after the first listener pilgrimage to ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
- April 29, 2011: celebrating the beatification of Blessed Pope John Paul II
The Catholic Guy Show also broadcast from these locations:
- December 2-6, 2009: live broadcasts from the "Seven Deadly Sins Suite" at the Bellagio Hotel & CasinoBellagio (hotel and casino)Bellagio is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in the Paradise area of unincorporated Clark County, Nevada, USA and a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. It is owned by MGM Resorts International and was built on the site of the demolished Dunes hotel and casino.Inspired by the...
in Las Vegas to celebrate the show's third anniversary. - February 15-17, 2010: live broadcasts from New Orleans to cover Mardi GrasMardi GrasThe terms "Mardi Gras" , "Mardi Gras season", and "Carnival season", in English, refer to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after Epiphany and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday...
celebrations leading up to Ash WednesdayAsh WednesdayAsh Wednesday, in the calendar of Western Christianity, is the first day of Lent and occurs 46 days before Easter. It is a moveable fast, falling on a different date each year because it is dependent on the date of Easter...
. - September 27-29, 2010: live broadcasts from Lino's parent's house in St. Paul, Minnesota to celebrate the official declaration of "Lino Rulli Day" in both St. Paul and Minneapolis.
- November 30-December 4, 2010: live broadcasts from the "Seven Deadly Sins Suite" at the Bellagio Hotel & CasinoBellagio (hotel and casino)Bellagio is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in the Paradise area of unincorporated Clark County, Nevada, USA and a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. It is owned by MGM Resorts International and was built on the site of the demolished Dunes hotel and casino.Inspired by the...
in Las Vegas to celebrate the show's fourth anniversary. - August 16-19, 2011: taped one-hour shows from World Youth DayWorld Youth DayWorld Youth Day is a youth-oriented Catholic Church event. While the event itself celebrates the Catholic faith, the invitation to attend extends to all youth, regardless of religious convictions....
celebrations in Madrid, SpainMadridMadrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
Lino has also occasionally hosted the show from other special events, such as Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United States
Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United States
Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United States took place from April 15, 2008 to April 20, 2008 and was his first visit to the United States. It was officially titled the "Apostolic Visit to the United States of America and to the Seat of the United Nations"...
in 2008, and the New York City Columbus Day
Columbus Day
Many countries in the New World and elsewhere celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas, which occurred on October 12, 1492, as an official holiday...
Parades in 2009-2011.