Transcript of CS#51: Mary Deturris Poust Idiot’s Guide to Catholic Catechism
April 21, 2008 by Chris Cash
Filed under Show Transcripts
Transcript of Interview with Mary Deturris Poust about Saints at the Dinner Table. This interview and others like it can be found at http://www.catholicspotlight.com
Listen Now to the audio version of the show.
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Catholic Catechism is available at The Catholic Company.
http://www.catholiccompany.com/catholic-books/1001473/Complete-Idiots-Guide-to-Catholic-Catechism/?category=40
———————————
Chris Cash: Welcome to the Catholic Spotlight. This is the Catholic Spotlight, the Podcast and we talk about what’s new, cool and exciting in the Catholic marketplace. I’m your host Chris Cash, Director of e-Commerce from CatholicCompany.com, your source for all your Catholic needs.
And today in the Spotlight, we have Mary Deturris Poust who is the author of the Idiots Guide to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Welcome Mary.
Mary Deturris Poust: Hi, Chris. Thanks for having me on the show.
Chris Cash: Well, it is a pleasure to have somebody who is very knowledgeable about the Catechism. You know that is one of the most misunderstood books I think within the church. And I think you had some comments on where people get their misunderstandings on this.
Mary Deturris Poust: Well, it’s true. When I started this project, I started hearing some people who were asking you know what is that you are writing about. And everyone’s from people who weren’t catholic at all. These people who were sitting in news every Sunday had misconceptions about the catechism. Those people on the Thursday’s immediately assume that it’s like Baltimore, catechism, because that’s they remember from their youth. And then, people at the other end just think either its something we used to teach kids. Religious or its – a – were in a *** [1:32], what can and can’t do.
So, a lot of what I tried to talk about is in the book. It is introduction to everything with that, this is so much more than that. It’s like an operating manual for Catholics. It goes through every belief that – you know that we have taking the creed and breaking down by my mind such as sacraments. Yes, we do get into the rules and we talk about the commandments, a section on prayer. It’s just – it’s a beautiful book that puts all of our beliefs into contents. And I think a lot of people don’t really know that you say Catechism in your eyes when it plays over. So, I’m hoping that this book get the Catechism out there to people who might in their other lives see it.
Chris Cash: Now, you want to share a little bit about your background and what brought to you to write this book?
Mary Deturris Poust: Sure. I’ve been in the Catholic Press for 24 years in counseling. I started in early days after college at Catholic New York which is the newspaper of the *** [2:29] in, New York. As interim, later I returned to the *** [2:32] that paper as a reporter, then again as managing editor. And I am currently a columnist for them, I write Life Lines to my monthly column on family life and faith. And then been in the interim, I worked for the Diocese of Metuchen and the Diocese of Austin, and I’ve written for the national Catholic newspapers and magazines for about 18 years. So, I’ve done all of that, I have another book called Parenting a Grieving Child through Loyola Press. It was *** [2:56] how children cope with it from a faith perspective. And most recently, I have a blog up that I do. Just about everyday, it’s called Not Strictly Spiritual. So, I have been in this Catholic writing now for almost 25 years, and this book which is the last you know the last years, so I’ve got *** [3:14]. So, that’s my background.
Chris Cash: And how did you get the idea to start working on this book in particular?
Mary Deturris Poust: Well, I wish I could take credit for the idea, but another Catholic writer gave it to me only a little more than a year ago and said, that she knew the Penguin Press our first book, which is my publisher for the Complete Idiot’s Guide for the Catholic Catechism. That they were looking for someone to write this book and she thought I was the first to do it, and she connected me with *** [3:40]. And literally, the matter of a week, it went from me saying all right, I’ll give it thought as to okay, you have a contract and now we need that in three months. So, it was very sudden and quick so.
Chris Cash: That’s a lot of material to be able to get through and condense in three months. I mean, she was – I don’t think there is many people out there who’ve read the Catechism in less than 3 months.
Mary Deturris Poust: Well, for me and that’s exactly kind of it was for me. So, I had only used the Catechism and the reference to, up until that point. You know as a journalist – Catholic journalist, I would often refer to it when I was doing other stories about church teaching or seniors to refer back to it. I never sat down and wrote from cover to cover. So when it came time for this there really wasn’t a chance to say okay, now I’m going to read it from cover to cover, then I’m going to go back and write. So, what I did was I was take it a section and try to read, say the first section on these topic creator of the mighty *** [4:39], and then write that section. Then the next section on the sacraments, write that section. So, this for me was the first time I sat down and write the catechism cover to cover.
And I think that you know Penguin had a great idea when they decided to do this, because there isn’t this in the catechism yet, so many of us don’t have time to sit down with it and really study it unless we’re in a *** [5:01] class or some other program, a little bit, a little difficult for the average person who has so much else go on in their lives. Sit down and read the full catechism. So, I’m hoping this will help people get through.
Chris Cash: Now, basically what you’ve done is you’ve taken the catechism and you have condensed it down to about the third of the length, correct?
Mary Deturris Poust: That’s right.
Chris Cash: And you have – I am going to assume here, I haven’t been able to get a hold of a review copy unfortunately, but I’m assuming that you have taken it and try to put it into some language that’s a little easier for the lay person to understand as well?
Mary Deturris Poust: Yes, its not only shorter, but it is – the language is much more in a popular level with still hitting all of the key points, all of the key theology, which is doing in a way that is more of the way for people will here think either in a newspaper or a magazine as opposed to from theologian. So, it is written in a very popular kind of language. There is some lightheartedness where it’s appropriate. There are also thing called little side bards, where I give definitions of specific words that we sometimes hear and we don’t really know that that means. And also tried to debunk some of the myths people – you know misconceptions people have about those teachings that we hear a lot in the secular media or it’s taken as a context, try to talk a little bit about those in the side bar. So, that’s the only – those are the only places where I kind of kind of step away from the catechism *already* [6:35]. Small size bars, where you get little list of information that sort of expands a little bit on various things whether its definition or those teachings. But it’s written in a very easy to understand language, and very – even the layout on it is very easy to sort information, and I think that people will find it to be a really nice study guide to the catechism even they want to read the full catechism it will be helpful side-by-side with that.
Chris Cash: Now, what was the most difficult part of trying to condense all of this down into a more readable, understandable format?
Mary Deturris Poust: For me a lot of it had to do with trying to make decisions as to where I was going to set *** [7:19] and say, you don’t have to go into this. You need to leave this subject out because it’s actually too far beyond what someone needs for a very basic understanding of catechism. So, I would have to take decisions like that then go back to my theologian. I worked with *** [7:35] who is a theologian and a professor at Saint Mary’s seminary, Baltimore. And then, go back what I was going to say, can I leave this peace out? I was still covering everything that needs to be covered. And that was part of it, and also some of it is very heavy theological language, so I would have to interpret that and then it’s my theological picture that when I was taking that theological language, putting in everyday language. I was not listening anything, where as you know people who have contained a meaning and especially in our faith and that, we have to be very careful with that. And I had to make sure Penguin understood that type of press, but they understood that editing process, even if single word change, it could affect theological meanings that we had to be very careful about every single word that we change in the editing stage.
Chris Cash: Now, when you were going back and forth with your theological advisor, what kind of advice did you typically get from him?
Mary Deturris Poust: Usually, the advisor can include a lot more information, which we couldn’t do, because we are trying to bring the catechism down and not expand on it. But being a theologian approach, he likes to get a very long discussions on sometimes *** [8:50] of topics. But he was brilliant to the fact that he was able to take my chapters, sometimes overnight because of the quick schedule and turn it around for me very quickly. It took I would say probably half book – half of the book before we got into a rhythm, where in the beginning I was getting so many notes back that it was difficult, because of course he wanted to get into various things. He was suggesting I go read *** [9:16] and not for any mistakes or anything, but just too sort of a like myself further. And I believe…
Chris Cash: After the deadline, right?
Mary Deturris Poust: Yes, exactly that’s what I said to him. Maybe I’ll go for the theology degree when I’ll finish the *** [9:30]. And so, we had a great time doing it, but it was – sometimes we come back you know it was very in-depth discussions on the small points that I have to call and say, all right I don’t understand about 95 percent of what he just said, tell me now he could, he needed to needed to explain for me. So, it was very easy to work so closely with the theologian. And a theologian I never met, so we had never met each other you know who has done everything by telephone and e-mail. I met him briefly after the book was written, so that was very interesting to the process.
Chris Cash: Now you also went so far as to get an imprimatur on this book, correct?
Mary Deturris Poust: Yes, and that was something I really pushed wished for, I asked thing with press they would let me pursue that, because I knew that if people want to use it as a teaching tool they had to be able to trust that everything inside it was according to our true teachings. And they were a 100 percent behind that; they said we will do whatever we can to make sure this is the most accurate, faithful book that we put out. And so, I pursue that through the diocese, which is where my theologian today. That’s how we went through that diocese. And from this, you know I tell people that the Imprimatur is supposed to *** [10:41] by one, others you know that this is a faithful book, but if it good for me as individual and as a writer, because I wanted to know that everything I can bring it and everything I can interpreted it was a 100 percent accurate. I did not want to have my name associated with anything that wasn’t going to be completely faithful to the church. So, it was as much for me as it was for just general Catholics out there. But I am hoping that people will see that and know that this book that they trust.
Chris Cash: And was there anything interesting that the Nihil Obstat came back with when you were applying for the Imprimatur?
Mary Deturris Poust: There were fortunately nothing dramatic, it hasn’t got anything from that over on. So, that was a good thing, but there were some smaller points that I found it really fascinating. This is probably for me the most surprising was my definitely assumptions where I talk about *** [11:33] heaven and he wants to be very careful about *** [11:37] the language there, so that we’re covering that only our only catholic beliefs in Mary dying and the *** [11:44] in the heaven, but also be *** [11:46] belief of her being in a sort of a sleep as opposed to death. And that to me was something I could never have dealt with any of my writing before or really in anyway. So, that was kind of a surprise and an interesting kind of thing that came up.
And then, another thing and this is something that is repeated throughout with different language of – it talks about Trinity. As Trinity plays so heavily and this is so much on Trinity in the catechism. And not just in the section on the *** [12:13]. It must do everything support to our beliefs. But when I had chalked it out Jesus as the spirit as father having existed since the beginning of time, he came back and said we got treat that just a little bit, because we have to say it had to *** [12:32]. And I really love that once he said it was short, we have to say this it was before time began, because God doesn’t exist since the beginning of time. He *** [12:44] before every time. And so, that’s the kind of – those are the kind of changes that happened in some of the stages. And I found fascinating and really enlightening. I really love that stage of process.
Chris Cash: Okay, well, we’re going to take a short break here to hear from our sponsor. But in just a moment, we will be back with Mary Deturris Poust and the Idiots Guide to the catechism and the Catholic Church. This is the Catholic Spotlight.
Advertisement
Chris Cash: And we’re back on the Catholic Spotlight wit Mary Deturris Proust – excuse me that’s Poust, right?
Mary Deturris Poust: That’s right Poust.
Chris Cash: I want to make sure I’m saying *** [14:39].
Mary Deturris Poust: It’s a tricky one, its gets people confused all the time and stuff. P-O-U-S-T and it’s a – it is often mistaken for that.
Chris Cash: And every time I say that I want to say Proust for some reason and I don’t know why I mean.
Mary Deturris Poust: Well, you know…
Chris Cash: I know so many other Proust’s that’s out there. Anyway…
Mary Deturris Poust: Its my – my own – my name too, Deturris is not exactly – doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. So, it’s a tricky name. In fact, I have a Website which is Marydeturrispoust.com and it’s a tricky one to get people to remember.
Chris Cash: I’m sure people are typing that in all the time, right?
Mary Deturris Poust: Yes. But thank you for correcting this, so.
Chris Cash: Now, do you – now, you do have as you mentioned – I can’t remember, if you mentioned it in the show or not, but you’ll have a blog not strictly spiritual. Is that notstictlyspirutal.com?
Mary Deturris Poust: No, it goes through my name Website, I wished it was that simple. It goes through name site right now. I’m not a blogger, but it’s called not strictly spiritual. I have stated – this is about everyday, sometimes on the weekends I’m not there on the weekends. But it’s just what it says, it’s sometimes about spiritual things, sometimes about family life, it might be something that are in the news. But it’s on my Website, again its Marydeturrispoust.com M-A-R-Y D-E-T-U-R-R-I-S P-O-U-S-T. And there’s a lot of times I enjoy bloging, because of the *** [16:09] write the way I speak a lot, get kind of more of more informal content. So, I enjoy doing that.
Chris Cash: And if you do search notstrictlyspirititual, on Google you will find the blog coming up right at the top of the listings, so that makes you really easy if you can’t remember how to spell.
Mary Deturris Poust: Yes, that’s right. That’s great. Thank you for telling people that, because it’s true, it will come up right at the top of the Google search. So, notstrictlyspiritual. And its currently I am also blogging *** [16:42] visitor and talks about you know.
Chris Cash: Now, tell us for just a second here, you’re getting ready to go see the Pope to blog and report on the papal visit, correct?
Mary Deturris Poust: Yes, it’s true. I will be in New York City for that portion of the Pope visit. I’m covering the news rally, I think there is a *** [17:03] seminary *** [17:05], which I’m really excited about because the last time I saw Pope with youth rally in 1979 at Madison Square Garden Pope John Paul. And so, I’m excited that I got to this rally in my assignment. And then, in addition to that I’ll be down in New York Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the visit blogging for us to our Sunday visitor, which *** [17:26] see in my editor *** [17:27] in Washington and myself for you to blogging for and those things. So, that’s a lot of fun you know, that’s something in for me. The whole blogging thing really has taken off; it’s kind of an interesting way of covering the news so.
Chris Cash: How long have you been doing your blog?
Mary Deturris Poust: I started back in January, so it’s been – it’s a fairly new blog. And I found it to be a really interesting way to create it a community. I went on a retreat at one point and hosted about it, and before I knew that I had you know have any responses from various people who were on by retreat, talking about their experiences. And it is – it is really fascinating to see how this little community is happening online and people are just talking to each other and share their experiences. This is an online forum, but it’s almost like an intimate relationship with people that are again, so *** [18:22]. So, it’s a – I find it to be a really kind of best things to write and so.
Chris Cash: Let’s get back to the book now. This book was in many senses a journey for you in writing. You want to talk to our listeners a little about the journey that you went through in creating this book?
Mary Deturris Poust: Sure. Its absolutely was a journey for me. It started out when I first got the offer for writing as *** [18:46] professional *** [18:48]. I figured you know I’ll regret it, if I say no this. And how crazy the deadline is I have to do this. And I figured out – figure out how to do it as we go along, and try to fit it all in is very quickly as I started to read the catechism, it very quickly became a spiritual journey for me. The first you know – there are seven chapters. In the beginning of my book, I am just talking general about what catechism is, little bit about history of catechism and how to use that in my book. Then I sent from there on and I follow the catechism absolutely, you know directly and right now to those number references. And everything I *** [19:25] to find the number references, it takes right back to catechism.
For me there’s 7chapters on the topic of *** [19:32]. For me that was really an eye-opening kind of experience to take we believe that I have professed my whole life. I am a life long catholic. Like I said I worked for the church for so long and yet this book is going to you believe that I profess every Sunday through a completely different level. To really visit them, to really think about the theology, the – put them into the context of everything we believe, scripture, tradition, all of it and see it as a whole. And it has really changed the way I’m saying the prayers, changed the way I was experiencing the mass, I found myself going to the churches, feeling like I was in the *** [20:06] sometimes *** [20:08] first time right after I started writing it. There’s a kind of a homely meeting, its similar with the young fathers raised *** [20:13] young father line by line was as well with the end of the catechism. So, for me those experiences of living and really, focusing on the beliefs that I’ve talked about, I’ve believed in my whole life taking them to the equal level, really it was like the transforming experience for me.
Chris Cash: What was the most surprising or profound thing that you learned about the faith as putting this book together?
Mary Deturris Poust: I think for me probably the one of the most difficult things to write about and yes to me the most profound things to write about is Trinity. I mean, you know you’re talking about something that is very difficult to explain people. Some of the greatest theologians, you know we have listed them to try and figure out how to explain it, because its – it is a mystery and sufficed a more human ability to try and figure out what that all means and put into regular words. So, for me that was just that – and this and once at the same time it’s really difficult and yet really propound, because it was really going back to this core, core belief that really thinking about it. And like I was saying before about talking about before time began, its very unified, holistic kind of approach to everything that we believe bringing from that. And to me, I will have to say Trinity and that portion on the *** [21:31] was my favorite part of the book.
Chris Cash: Now, a lot of things in the catechism are often taken out of context in different situations. What kind of things did you learn about those issues and how did you try to put them back in the context in the right way?
Mary Deturris Poust: Well, I think you’re absolutely right. You know we – our culture today is so much of our information we get is through this secular media, which takes it like *** [22:00]. They don’t want to go into like you know because of your tradition, so wherever it goes.
Chris Cash: They now their audience has a 10 second attention span, so they have to get the entire need of what they want to say in 10 seconds, whatever they might be.
Mary Deturris Poust: Right and so often they are just taking a little tiny snippet at one of our teachings, whether it is about all of those hot button topics, whether its abortion, *** [22:28] research, homosexuality, divorce all of those topics that get people *** [22:33] they tend to take us a little snippet and they don’t – they know they can’t put it into the whole context. We don’t you want to put it in the whole context to whatever they said. So, for me what I tell people a lot when I talk about books that I hope that people who read it will begin to see the real beauty of our teaching in terms of the fact that it is, everything is interwoven, it is not like these teachings were just drop – you know popped down, because it was the fad of the day or you know just *** [23:02] somebody wanted to do. *** [23:04] they have a, a history they come out of, it is the catechism brings everything back the church traditions and all of the context *** [23:12] shows that how everything is interconnected and why we believe what we believe is *** [23:17]. And then, I tried to picture people see that by again, the catechism does that. I’m just trying to bring that out to the way I’m writing and to the sidebars I said.
Again like, plays like a *** [23:29] were homosexuality whereas the catechism I might get into a lot details about the specific things I choose those things as sidebars, so that I can do a little bit extra focus on them to try and say, okay this why we’re here in the world today about what the church says. This is really what the teachings says, if you put into the context of everything else that the church says about chastity or marriage, relationships, it make sense. Because this no longer stands out as something that doesn’t seem logical, it seemed perfectly logical if you put it in the context of everything else that you need. So, I’m hoping that that’s what people see as they start reading this book, especially for people who may not be familiar with the catechism or maybe aren’t even catholic, they are looking at this as introduction to faith. I’m hoping that this is a good way for them to see where those beliefs fit in, and if they are not just sort of you know like I said fad or a reaction to something that they are doing *** [24:29].
Chris Cash: So, do you think this is going to become the reference book for some of those news media people who are looking to get some sound bytes real quick?
Mary Deturris Poust: Oh, I would love *** [24:40] we reference work. Let’s see I have got some good feedback from people who have read it already, some priest from my parish *** [24:49]. But also non-catholic who’ve read it and say now they have a lot of questions for me, so I guess I’m going to have to sit down with them at some point and start answer questions. But I’m hoping that it does become a reference tool you know like a quick way that people can get information, but then I’m also hoping that they use it as a way to a larger catechism, because I have to say that it’s difficult for the catechism to see in places. I often say that it is also poetic in places. If you read some portions of the catechism, especially in places like about marriage and things like that, it’s just – it really is poetic, written in such a beautiful way that is really worth going to the original too. And then having this one to break it down, then what does some of that mean.
I think that for me there is a chapter, its kind of funny to say it I guess when you hear it this way with the chapter on *** [25:45] adultery, was such a – in a way a beautiful chapter, because you get this marriage and this get this to chastity and right relationships and leaving out your sexuality and this in the right way. And according to your vocation, and its you now – people probably hear *** [26:01] adultery and think okay, well that’s going to be pretty quick and easy chapter to figure out, but its not. It’s not something about catechism, it’s never just that one line thing that here. It’s so much more behind all of those things that, it’s not just that *commandment* [26:16], all of the teachings that go behind it that grow out achieving that. So, it’s a very complex and beautiful book, its not Bible, it’s the original catechism.
Chris Cash: Well, and I am quite sure that now *** [26:30] committed adultery that chapter is also one of the most often misunderstood areas of church teaching as well.
Mary Deturris Poust: It is and in fact when I had to write a sample chapter for my publisher that was the chapter I choose, because I thought – I’ve not thought Trinity because that’s just to me – we can’t go there yet. We need to *** [26:51] into this. So, I started with *** [26:54] adultery, because I knew these will issues that they’ve heard about. These would be things, because I didn’t have – I just have *** [27:02] Catholics, perhaps any Catholics on my original *** [27:07] book, and said yes to this book. So, I did do a chapter that they would be familiar, some of the arguments, some of the things and be able to start laying out how this book was going to look, when it’s going to finish. And then I thought that was a good place to start, because if you think so many the things that you misunderstood, they are in our culture today about the church are just same in that chapter. So, it was to me…
Chris Cash: And all of these non-catholic advisors still wanted to do the book after they’ve read all that huh?
Mary Deturris Poust: Yes, yes. They…
Chris Cash: Sometimes you have to wonder, right?
Mary Deturris Poust: Yes, they – I have to say they were amazing. They were very positive about the book. As we went through the process you know I wrote the first half of the book and turned it in and they began editing. Well, I started the second half of the book, and the feedback I got so positive. And I have to say the editing process, which just seemed so much as I did my first book and it’s a big giant binder was delivered to me by *** [28:06] press with the changes they wanted. Now, everything is digitized, so I received my files and with a note from all the various editors showing you know – showing me what they had questions about, where they didn’t – still didn’t understand the teachings. And I think it’s great that I had non-catholic advisors – non-catholic editors, because if it’s true with the book that was truly then explaining things to someone, some people for the first time. And you know when you are raised Catholic your whole life and it’s because of Trinity that’s you know, its there, it’s sort of in your DNA. And some people ask that, you now it was good to have someone in fact to me say, I needed to explain this point a little bit differently because I am still not getting that. And I think that was a really positive thing to have people who were not coming out of our faith and traditions, being the one editing the book to be raised it’s really a great question. And its really you know put me through some deep thought about how I was going to go ahead and explain some of our teachings stuff. And again in a popular way and yet in-depth, so.
Chris Cash: Now, did you get any push back from any of the editor saying no, we really can’t put that in this book?
Mary Deturris Poust: No, it was I think one time in my sample chapter where they – where I was going on and on about, how beautiful the church teaching was, he was okay. And that’s all right; we know how beautiful the church teaching is. Lets just stick to the teaching itself. But other than that that was the only time and that was because I was just going on and on about it in my own, in my own way. But they were very positive about the book…
Chris Cash: You started *** [29:42].
Mary Deturris Poust: What was that?
Chris Cash: Then you started *** [29:44] just little too much.
Mary Deturris Poust: Yes, I was just – we had poetic business, so all right, we got you. So, well, they were great and in fact again, when it came back for editing rather than saying we want to cut this thing out, they’re – you need to go 20 pages about, 20 pages longer and you wanted here, here, here, here. So, if anything it was to – they had done some of the things that I had already taken out myself that maybe something that’s outside of the faith traditions would maybe need a little bit more of an explanation to understand. So, I found it really basic process the way the whole thing worked, the editing process happened all within 7 days. So, that was also a very high speed and again it worked, it really is a diligent work so.
Chris Cash: Now, did you feel like your editors were really learning something in getting in touch with the catholic faith as they went through this?
Mary Deturris Poust: I think especially my one, the main editor that I had *** [30:40] who was my – the main editor who did all the first, initial editing. She came back to me many times throughout the process saying that she really likes the way I was writing it. Then she said I was explaining things to her and she was you know understanding you know what the lot of these teachings were more about, because nobody had ever explained before or not this way. So, I’m hoping that the book does introduce people to the faith and to lay the ideas that they had considered or again, it only comes about little and this is giving them an opportunity to see it at and lives.
Chris Cash: Well, we’re about out of time today. Was there anything else you wanted to share with our listeners before we take off?
Mary Deturris Poust: No, I think this has been great. I’ve enjoyed talking about the book, I am – this has really moved by people who want to study more about the catechism and to all picking up this book as a way to try and learn the teachings and our church in deeper way. And I’ve heard the people – again, people who are confused who are reading it and saying, this is – you’re explaining things that I haven’t thought about or never really understood, and so I’m hoping goes about getting the teaching out there. So, I’m hoping that the *** people to the catechism.
Chris Cash: Well, Mary I am very thankful that you came on and spoke with us today. And we hope to hear from you again sometime in the future.
Mary Deturris Poust: Thanks a lot.
Chris Cash: God bless.
———————————
Transcript of Interview with Mary Deturris Poust about Saints at the Dinner Table. This interview and others like it can be found at http://www.catholicspotlight.com
Listen Now to the audio version of the show.
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Catholic Catechism is available at The Catholic Company.
http://www.catholiccompany.com/catholic-books/1001473/Complete-Idiots-Guide-to-Catholic-Catechism/?category=40
