Watch

Listen

Good and Decent S2|E5: Going to the Margins

Creator:
Published:
December 5, 2023
March 10, 2022
Watch hosts Javi and Tara discuss marginalized groups with Michael and showcase one of Grotto's mini-docs.|Watch hosts Javi and Tara discuss marginalized groups with Michael and showcase one of Grotto's mini-docs.

In this episode, Good and Decent is going to the margins — to two very different places and moments in history — to find the power in embracing the most neglected in our society. 

Grotto host Javi Zubizarreta speaks with reporter and author Michael O’Loughlin about the history of the AIDS crisis and the Catholic Church. Michael is the host of the podcast Plague: Untold Stories of AIDS and the Catholic Church and the author of Hidden Mercy: AIDS, Catholics, and the Untold Stories of Compassion in the Face of Fear. A gay Catholic himself, O’Loughlin’s powerful work brings together unimaginable stories of empathy, heartbreak, and grace from the LGBT+ community and the Church. He and Javi discuss the power of these stories, their impact on Michael’s own life, and how Pope Francis himself reached out to recognize this work. 

From Michael’s apartment on the north side of Chicago, Grotto then goes to downtown Cincinnati to meet Gary Short of Foot Care for the Souls, an organization reaching out to people experiencing homelessness. Every day, Gary takes the feet of countless unhoused people into his lap and makes sure they are clean, healthy, and cared for. It’s a powerful witness of serving and loving the most marginalized.

Listen to Michael’s podcast here.

Watch more of Gary's work here:

Creators:
Grotto
Published:
December 5, 2023
March 10, 2022
On a related note...
Sister Jean and the Loyola-Chicago Men's Basketball Team

Sister Jean and the Loyola-Chicago Men's Basketball Team

Grotto Shares

Improv Taught Me to Embrace the Fail

Improv Taught Me to Embrace the Fail

Jennon Bell Hoffmann

Why You Should Cultivate Body Diversity in Your Feed

Why You Should Cultivate Body Diversity in Your Feed

Jessica Ping-Wild

Artist Uses Work to Spark Healing Conversations

Artist Uses Work to Spark Healing Conversations

Grotto

Heart of Mary Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Heart of Mary Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Grotto

St. Edith Stein Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

St. Edith Stein Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Grotto

Jail Tattoo Removal Ministry Gives Inmates a Fresh Start

Jail Tattoo Removal Ministry Gives Inmates a Fresh Start

Grotto

Losing Your Job Could Actually Ignite Your Career

Losing Your Job Could Actually Ignite Your Career

Emily Mae Mentock

5 Ways to Pray When Loneliness Hits

5 Ways to Pray When Loneliness Hits

Molly C. Sheahan

5 Hashtags to Cultivate Beauty in Your Feed

5 Hashtags to Cultivate Beauty in Your Feed

Gabriella Patti

Coffee and Community at a Volunteer-Run Café

Coffee and Community at a Volunteer-Run Café

Grotto

Opening Up the STEM World to Girls of Color

Opening Up the STEM World to Girls of Color

Grotto

Mother’s Day Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Mother’s Day Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Grotto

Tiny House Community Shelters Homeless

Tiny House Community Shelters Homeless

Grotto

Holding Onto God’s Unfailing Love — Even Through Terminal Illness

Holding Onto God’s Unfailing Love — Even Through Terminal Illness

Catherine Griffin

After Collapsing on the Ice, This Hockey Player Found a New Passion

After Collapsing on the Ice, This Hockey Player Found a New Passion

Grotto Shares

What’s the Point of Abstract Art? Maybe It’s How it Works on our Hearts

What’s the Point of Abstract Art? Maybe It’s How it Works on our Hearts

Grace Spiewak

These DIY Food Pantries are Feeding the Community

These DIY Food Pantries are Feeding the Community

Grotto

Down Syndrome Won't Stop This Young Entrepreneur

Down Syndrome Won't Stop This Young Entrepreneur

Grotto

St. Pope John Paul II Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

St. Pope John Paul II Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Grotto

newsletter

We’d love to be pals.

Sign up for our newsletter, and we’ll meet you in your inbox each week.