CEO, Host

Dom Bettinelli

Dom is heard on many SQPN podcasts and is the chief executive officer of the network. He has worked with SQPN in a volunteer capacity since 2010, then came onboard in 2015 as executive director, and became CEO in 2018. He has experience in many varieties of Catholic media, including print magazines, online news, parish and diocesan new media, and radio where he produced and hosted.

Board Member, Host, Panelist

Jimmy Akin

Jimmy Akin is a board member of SQPN and host and co-host on several StarQuest shows, including Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World. Jimmy was born in Texas and now makes his home in southern California. He works as Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers.

Board Member, Panelist

Fr. Chip Hines

Fr. Chip is a member of the SQPN Board of Directors and a contributor to Secrets of Movies and TV Shows. He is a pastor of two parishes in the Archdiocese of Boston.

Board Member, Panelist

Steve Nelson

Steve Nelson is former executive director of SQPN and currently a board member. He frequently appears on Secrets of Movies and TV Shows.

Board Member emeritus, Panelist

Fr. Cory Sticha

Fr. Cory is a priest of the Diocese of Great Falls-Billins, Montana who is now on assignment the US military as a chaplain to the armed forces. He is the emeritus spiritual chaplain for the Board of SQPN and former host of Let’s Talk and co-host on Secrets of Star Trek, Secrets of Doctor Who, Secrets of Stargate, and Secrets of Technology.

Chief Financial Officer

Linda Little

Linda Little has been with SQPN as CFO since 2008. She holds a degree in Business Administration from Auburn University. She has extensive experience in public relations as a former Georgia Junior Miss and her work in radio and television commercials on both local and national levels. As an RCIA participant, Linda entered into the Catholic Church in the Jubilee Year 2000. From there, she went on to obtain her Advanced Catechist Certification. Linda is the proud mom of three adult children. In her free time, she enjoys costume-designing, sewing, and rosary-making.

Panelist

Fr. Andrew Kinstetter

Fr. Andrew Kinstetter is a native of Wyoming and is a priest of the Diocese of Cheyenne, Wyoming. He grew up on a cattle ranch with his two brothers. After studying computer science in college for 3 years, he felt the Lord calling him into ministry as a Catholic priest and was ordained for the Diocese of Cheyenne in May of 2016. He enjoys keeping up on all things technology, considers himself a geek, particularly enjoying Star Wars and Doctor Who and attending Comic-Cons, loves to travel, and is a triathlete as well, having participated in one triathlon and run over 5 half-marathons. He has completed a degree in canon law at the Catholic University of America and is serving as a parish priest in his home diocese.

Host and Panelist, Secrets of Stargate, Secrets of Technology

Jack Baruzzini

Jack Baruzzini has a background in I.T. He is interested in the intersection of faith, technology, and science. He lives in the southern U.S. with his wife and son.

Host, Catholics of Oz

Lindsay Sant

Lindsay is the host of Catholics of Oz. He is married, has two boys and is also a high school teacher of English and Religious Education. After 11 years of part-time study, he completed a Bachelor of Theology at Catholic Theological College Melbourne in 2017 which helped him to explore and appreciate the beauty of his Catholic faith. Until the birth of his second son, he was involved in youth ministry at his local parish which included three youth group trips to the Australian Catholic Youth Festival in different parts of Australia over the last six years. His interests include TV series such as Star Trek, Doctor Who, Arrow, The Flash and The Expanse and he is a huge Star Wars fan. Lindsay also does karate with his older son and their goal is to one day reach black belt level together. He lives in Melbourne, Australia.

Host, American Catholic History

Tom Crowe

Though he grew up Catholic, went to Catholic schools, and was even in seminary for three years, Tom Crowe didn’t discover just how amazing the history of Catholicism in this country is until he was hired to find the stories and do the research for the The American Catholic Almanac, a story-a-day reader authored by Emily Stimpson and Brian Burch. Since he already had a penchant for storytelling, he was only too happy to begin incorporating the amazing, humorous, inspiring, and heartwarming stories he had learned in that project into his rotation. After he and Noëlle got married in 2017, and Noëlle became the privileged recipient of so many stories (or was fortunate to be present when Tom was sharing the gems with someone else), Noëlle floated the idea of sharing them with the world via a podcast. So now they host American Catholic History together.

When not researching and writing the scripts for American Catholic History, Tom works with his wife runs Hilltop Children’s House, a not-for-profit Montessori school they founded to help the kids in their inner city neighborhood in Steubenville, Ohio, and cooks delicious food.

Host, American Catholic History

Noëlle Crowe

Originally from Massachusetts, Noëlle Hiester Crowe now lives in Steubenville, Ohio with her husband, Tom, where she is a Montessori teacher at Hilltop Children’s House, a school they founded in their neighborhood, and coordinator of Pilgrimages at Franciscan University of Steubenville. Before moving to Steubenville she served in a variety of positions in the field of catechesis, including as a high school religion teacher, as both parish and diocesan director of religious education, and in curriculum development. She has also taught catechesis for Christendom College Graduate School and is trained in all three levels of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. She received a BA in Humanities and Catholic Culture and an MBA from Franciscan University and an MA in Theological Studies with a concentration in Systematic Theology from Christendom College Graduate School.

Host, Raising the Betts

Melanie Bettinelli

Melanie Bettinelli is a stay-at-home mother of 5 homeschooled children who lives outside of Boston. Born and raised in Austin, Texas, she attended the University of Dallas, studying English. She later received at Master of Arts in Irish literature at Boston College and has taught at BC, Salem State University, and Montserrat College of Art. She is married to Starquest CEO Dom Bettinelli and blogs at The Wine-Dark Sea.

Panelist, Secrets of Star Wars

Mike Creavey

A teacher, youth minister, and radio/podcast/YouTube video evangelizer by background, Mike Creavey holds a master’s degree in theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville, and he currently teaches 9th grade theology at Trinity High School in Camp Hill, PA. Through his personal site, thegraciousguest.org, Mike focuses on exploring truth, goodness, and beauty at the intersection of faith and culture. First and foremost, Mike is the blessed husband of Kristine and father of Noelle and Renata.

Panelist, Secrets of Movies and TV Shows

Mike Denz

Born in 1971, Mike Denz is a native of Western NY (Buffalo area). He grew up Catholic, the youngest of 6 and a huge Star Wars fan; having seen episodes IV, V & VI all in theaters).

A 1998 graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville, with an MA in theology and Catechesis, Mike has been teaching the Catholic Faith ever since.

A big fan of movies and TV, Mike’s favorite genres are mystery & action thrillers, science fiction and comedy. When not watching movies with his wife Sue and daughter Maria, Mike works as the Director of Adult Faith Formation at St. Catharine Parish in Columbus, Ohio and plans pilgrimages for Catholic groups to Italy through his website: www.TakeaPilgrimage.com.

You can read Mike’s blog at www.sacredthinking.net.

Panelist, Secrets of Movies and TV Shows

Lyn Francisco

Lyn Francisco is an organist and chemist by training and education. When she is not at the lab bench, she occupies an organ bench in churches around Durham, NC. She also serves as cantor at Immaculate Conception Church in Durham.

Panelist, Secrets of Movies and TV Shows

David Handlos

David Handlos is a husband, father of three, and works as software engineer in the Midwest.

A fan of podcasting almost since they were created, he’s been fortunate enough to be on the panels of several SQPN shows: Secrets of Tintin, Secrets of Once Upon a Time, Secrets of Disney, and Secrets of Movies & TV Shows. He’s also been a panelist on Psych Rewind dedicated to the “Psych” TV show.

Panelist, Secrets of Star Wars

Andrew Hermiz

Andrew is a lifelong lover of film, comics, and pop culture and works professionally as a video producer.

Panelist, Secrets of Stargate

Lisa Jones

Lisa Henley Jones is a wife, mom, native Texan, and parish communications director. She enjoys reading, walking, going on date nights, and cheering on her teens in their activities. As a social media consultant, Lisa teaches Catholic parishes to engage, inspire, and evangelize on social media. Find her blog, with her sister Shelly Kelly, at Of Sound Mind & Spirit and her social media course at Parish Social Media. Lisa has also appeared on the SQPN podcast The Secrets of Once Upon a Time

Panelist, Secrets of Movies and TV Shows

Shelly Kelley

Shelly Henley Kelly became a fan girl of SQPN in 2009 while listening to the “Secrets of Battlestar Galactica”, never imagining that she’d be invited one day to participate as a regular on the “Secrets of Once Upon A Time”. A former Catholic Mom blogger, Shelly and her sister, Lisa, started their blog, “Of Sound Mind and Spirit” in 2009 where Shelly writes about being a working mom and catechist to her three children.

Co-Host, Catholics of Oz and Let's Science!

Caroline Knight

Caroline is a co-host on Catholics of Oz and Let’s Science! and is married and a mother of two boys. She has a Bachelor of Science majoring in Microbiology and Biochemistry, a Graduate Diploma of Biotechnology, and Diploma of Environmental Science. She currently works part-time writing environmental emission reports. Her interests include drawing and painting, following the world of space science and star gazing with her telescope, as well as hiking and being with her family. Caroline is also an author under her brand of Frankie and Harry’s Bookshelf and has published two books “Topsy the Cat” and “What’s that Twinkle in the Sky?” with other titles in the pipeline. She lives in Melbourne, Australia.

Panelist, Secrets of Stargate and Secrets of Technology; Editor

Victor Lams

Corporate governance and fountain pen aficionado by day, and musician, maker and Little Mac man by slightly later in the day, Victor Lams has been editing select StarQuest podcasts for years, but now steps in front of and a little to the side of the microphone as a panelist on The Secrets of Stargate, and, in so doing, tries his best to not embarrass himself too badly in the eyes of the most hardcore Stargate fans he knows: his wife and four sons.

Panelist, Secrets of Technology

Joanne Mercier

Panelist, Secrets of Middle Earth, Secrets of Star Wars

Thomas J. Salerno

Thomas Salerno has an abiding enthusiasm for dinosaurs, science, and natural history museums. He holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Stony Brook University. Thomas is also a freelance writer whose recent work explores the Christian themes found in superhero comics and in fantasy/sci-fi literature and film. His articles have appeared on sites such as Word on Fire, Voyage Comics, and Busted Halo. You can follow Thomas and his writing through his website thomasjsalernowrites.com and his online newsletter thomasjsalerno.substack.com.

Panelist, Secrets of Technology

Thomas Sanjurjo

Thomas Sanjurjo is a maker, an educator, and a constant learner. When not focused on technology integration at his parochial school in Florida, he’s tinkering with some electronic component or piece of code with one of his seven children at home. He brings his enthusiasm for tech and geekiness to all new projects, along with a love for simplifying ideas by understanding them better.

Co-Host, Catholics of Oz, Let's Science!

Lino Saubolle

Lino Saubolle lives in Melbourne, Australia, with his beautiful wife and two fur baby cats. He likes pop culture, technology, sport, and movies. Lino has been a Catholic all of his life and has had an interesting journey with his faith.

Panelist, Secrets of Technology

Pat Scott

Pat Scott, otherwise known as “The Mama Nerd” is a computer tech in Austin Texas. Her after-retirement career is focused on helping seniors and other clients in their homes as a bridge between individuals and technology and as a translator of technology and its language in to real life examples that are easily understandable. In 1966 Pat started working with computers as a programmer/ analyst and spent nearly 30 years with the State of Texas Health Department. She knows Apple (Mac OS) as well as Windows PCs, Apple iPhones, iPads, and Android phones and tablets. She is interested in practical approaches to Internet safety and security as well as enabling non-technical folks to be able to use current technology. She helps teach classes to senior citizens on Internet safety/security and on “Digital legacy” (passing on important digital information to family and heirs and suggestions for wrapping up social media accounts after you’re gone).

Catholic for life, married for more than half a century, blessed with 2 sons, 2 daughters, a son-in-law and a daughter in-law and 5 beautiful grandchildren.

Co-Host, Secrets of Star Wars

Angela Sealana

Angela applies her passion for purpose as a full-time media coordinator for a Catholic evangelization ministry, deep in the heart of Texas. An SQPN friend since its inception, she has served as a conference speaker and podcast personality for SQPN, and even met her husband in-person for the first time at an SQPN event. Topping the list of her favorite things are Star Wars, stories, and design.

Panelist, Secrets of Technology

Fr. Joseph Sund

Fr. Joseph Sund is a native of Omaha, Nebraska and currently serves as an Associate Pastor of five parishes in rural Nebraska for the Archdiocese of Omaha. He was first taught to program a computer by his father at age six. He enjoys working with high school youth and proclaiming Christ’s love and is a sports fanatic.

Panelist, Secrets of Star Wars

Josh Beeghley

Joshua Beeghley is a college electrical engineering student who spends his free time nerding over star wars and trying to create his own astromech.

Panelist, Secrets of Star Wars

Jason Eugea

Jason Eugea (pronounced U-Gee) lives in Groom, TX in the panhandle. Originally from Wichita, KS, Jason transferred to the Amarillo area for work in aircraft manufacturing. After moving to Groom, Jason became acquainted with the builders of Cross Ministries where he now works full time as “right hand man” doing maintenance and running the day to day operations. But most importantly he gets to talk to folks about his faith all day, and sometimes throw in some Star Wars conversations into the mix. Jason is married to Vanessa. They have twins – Saffron and Phineas – and their youngest is Kacie.

Co-Host, Secrets of Sacred Art

Alix Murrary

Alix grew up in Southern Mississippi and spent nearly five years in Norway with her family before moving to the United Kingdom. She took her vows as a lay Dominican at Blackfriars in Oxford where she continues her life long formation. She is currently pursuing her Masters of Sacred Art degree at Pontifex University.

She is an avid knitter, embroider, runner, hiker, and tries to keep up with her Norwegian through reading, listening to podcasts and conversing with unsuspecting Norwegians on holiday in England.

A Star Trek, Star Wars, and Middle Earth devotee, her life long dream is to actually live in The Shire, but rural England is a nice second choice.

Alix is married to a wonderful man and recently finished home-schooling her lovely daughters.

Panelist, Secrets of Middle Earth

Mike Schramm

Mike Schramm teaches theology at the high school and college level in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He earned his MA in theology from St. Joseph’s College in Maine and is working toward an MA in philosophy from Holy Apostles College. He co-hosts the Voyage Podcast on a weekly basis.

Panelist, Secrets of Star Wars

Jonathan Koral

Jon Koral is an IT Programmer/Analyst who lives in Ohio with his wife and daughter. He has been a Star Wars fan ever since he saw Episode IV in the movie theatre at the age of three. In addition to his interest in stories from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, Jon is an avid sports fan, a Civil War enthusiast, and he volunteers as a treasurer for a local non-profit. He also likes traveling with his family and making new culinary creations in the kitchen with his daughter.

Panelist, Secrets of Star Wars, Secrets of Middle Earth, Secrets of Technology

Patrick Mason

Patrick Mason is a husband to Dr. Janel Mason and father of two wonderful children, Maria and Micah. That’s most of it, but other stuff he does includes being a Knight of Columbus, a street evangelist, a production manager at a combined cycle gas power plant, a licensed nuclear and aerospace engineer in the state of Texas, a catechist for RCIA and confirmation, a manager on the Micah Mason Foundation charity board, and a host on the podcasts Pat and the Fat Man and The Long Drive Home in the Dark. Patrick would say the most impressive thing he’s ever done was manage the largest commercial nuclear reactor in the Western Hemisphere, but his greatest accomplishment has definitely been surviving parenthood…so far.

Panelist, Secrets of Middle Earth

Kaitlyn Facista

Kaitlyn Facista is a Catholic convert, wife, mother, and hobbit at heart. Kaitlyn is the creator of Tea with Tolkien, an online community inspired by the works and Catholic faith of JRR Tolkien. This free community includes an active online book club, dozens of printables and downloads, and years of podcasts and blog posts to both inspire and equip Tolkien fans. Kaitlyn is the author of The Silmarillion Readers Guide and To Middle-earth and Back Again, both of which can be downloaded for free from her website. She has recently been recognized by Prime Video as a core community leader in the world of Tolkien, and has had the privilege of attending multiple events with the Rings of Power cast and show-runners this year.

Co-Host, Secrets of Star Wars

Robert King

Robert King is a freelance writer and editor. He holds an M.A. from the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, and sits on the Board of Directors for Doxacon Seattle. He is passionate about J.R.R. Tolkien’s idea of “sub-creation” and has spent way too much time comparing the Gifts of the Holy Spirit to The Force. You can reach him at https://robertfrederickking.wordpress.com/.

Co-Host, Secrets of Middle Earth

Jeff Haecker

Jeff Haecker has a degree in history and philosophy and works in benefits consulting. A lifelong fan of fantasy and scifi, he enjoys immersing himself in other worlds through books, tv, and film, especially Tolkien, Star Wars, and Marvel. Jeff lives in the Dallas area with his wife and two kids, waiting for a wizard to send him on an adventure.

Panelist, Secrets of Star Wars

Fr. Geoff Horton

Father Geoff Horton is a priest of the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois currently serving as a pastor in a small town and as a high school chaplain in a nearby not-so-small town.

And he saw Star Wars before it was even Episode IV: A New Hope.

Panelist, Secrets of Star Wars

Ryan Nafziger

Ryan Nafziger is a robotics engineer, liturgical musician, swing dance enthusiast, avid outdoorsman, and tabletop game enjoyer who loves conversations about various fascinating topics! You can find him on The Secrets of Star Wars podcast and on other StarQuest network shows, and in the StarQuest Discord server as TheHigherGround.

Co-Host, Secrets of Sacred Art; Panelist, Secrets of Star Wars

Kathryn Laffrey

Kathryn Laffrey is an artist and high school volleyball coach. She is currently a student in Pontifex University’s Masters of Sacred Art program. Her hand embroidered chalice palls and paintings can be seen on her website: https://kl-artstudio.com/. Kathryn lives in Michigan with her husband and has three daughters.

Panelist, Secrets of Movies and TV Shows

Rob Leonardi

A family man with four kids at home and one with God, Rob holds a Masters Degree from Sacred Heart Major Seminary as well as a business degree from Oakland University. Self-proclaimed Jack of All Trades and Master of None, he loves to know about everything and sharing that knowledge with everyone he knows. When not with family or at his job working at a local Parish, he helps Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World as the Feedback Coordinator and can be heard on Secrets of Movies and TV Shows.

Panelist, Secrets of Star Wars

Christopher Hagen

Chris Hagen lives in Minnesota (aka Hoth) with his wife and many children. He used to own the coldest theological bookstore in the world; he used to catch salmon on the deck of the f/v Clare-Ann in Egegik, AK; he used to be an Evangelical; he now does accounting work for the Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota; he now hikes the trails of the St. Croix Valley with his family; he now is Catholic. He tries to read, listen to, and watch everything in Star Wars canon but fails, like Luke on Dagobah, although he’s happy in doing so.

Panelist, Secrets of Movies and TV Shows

Mac Barron

Mac Barron is a High School Librarian by trade. When not making trouble as a book-jockey, he and his wife Katherine host the Catholic in a Small Town podcast. He’s the author of Clueless in Galilee: a Fresh Take on the Gospels; and is trying not permanently damage his four sons.

He has not yet been elected pontiff

Panelist, Secrets of Movies and TV Shows

Lisa Hendey

Lisa M. Hendey is the founder of CatholicMom.com, a bestselling author and international speaker. Her recent work includes The Grace of Yes: Eight Virtues for Generous Living, The Catholic Mom’s Prayer Companion, I Am God’s Storyteller and the “Chime Travelers” children’s fiction series that dynamically combines time travel and the lives of the saints. Lisa hosts the “Lisa Hendey & Friends” podcast. Visit her at www.LisaHendey.com or on social media @lisahendey.

Panelist, Secrets of Technology, Secrets of Movies and TV Shows

Fr. Michael Gossett

Fr. Michael Gossett is a priest of the Diocese of Steubenville, Ohio, where he serves as Vocations Director, high school chaplain, and parochial vicar. He loves reading and watching science fiction, playing music, and kayaking.

Co-Host, Catholics of Oz

Gerard Trapnell

Gerard (Gerry) is a husband and father of two children. Born and raised in a Catholic family, he is the eldest of four. After a business degree opened the doors for him into the accounting profession, he has further pursued education in financial planning and auditing. Outside of working as a Chartered Accountant, Gerry can usually be found involved in various activities with his young family, and spending time with friends. A casual sports fan, Gerry regularly plays table tennis at a social level, and is looking forward to being involved in his children’s sports in the future. Gerry likes to look at the lighter side of life and believes everyone’s lives would be improved by smiling and laughing more. He lives in Melbourne, Australia.

Board Member (emeritus)

Danielle Bean

Danielle Bean is a writer and speaker who helps struggling moms to know their dignity and worth so they can find peace, balance, and joy in family living. She’s a wife and mother to 9 children, helps lead CatholicMom.com, co-hosts the TV talk show The Gist on CatholicTV, and hosts the podcast Girlfriends.

She has been a board member for SQPN since January 2021.

Panelist, Secrets of Movies and TV Shows

Maria Johnson

Maria Morera Johnson is the award-winning and best-selling author of Super Girls and Halos and My Badass Book of Saints. She also contributed to The Catholic Mom’s Prayer Companion and Word by Word: Slowing Down with the Hail Mary. Her latest book, Our Lady of Charity: How a Cuban Devotion to Mary Helped Me Grow in Faith and Love, is a spiritual memoir honoring the Blessed Mother under this title.

Co-Host, The Pilgrim Life, Secrets of Disney

Deborah Schaben

Deborah Schaben is the host of the The Pilgrim Life podcast along with Sandy Garayzar and The Secrets of Disney with Shari Tamamoto. She started the ipilgrimpodcast after she completed her first trip on the Camino de Santiago in 2009. Since that first pilgrimage, she has walked the Camino three times, but also has walked several other pilgrim routes in North America. She has also appeared on other SQPN podcasts including The Secrets of Once Upon a Time, The Secrets of Farmville, and others. Her expertise is in sacred travel. She currently works for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and also previously worked at Walt Disney World. She also helps people plan both pilgrimages and Disney trips on the side.

Board Chaplain; Panelist, Secrets of Star Trek

Fr. Jason Tyler

Fr. Jason Tyler is a priest of the Diocese of Little Rock, Arkansas, and was ordained in 2005. He currently serves as pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Our Lady of the Ozarks Shrine in Winslow, Arkansas.

Fr. Tyler received a License of Sacred Theology (S.T.L.) degree in moral theology from the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in 2006. In addition to his parish assignments, he also serves as the diocesan bioethicist and as diocesan director of Continuing Education of the Clergy.

And of course, while driving around northwest Arkansas to visit parishioners, he enjoys listening to Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World and Secrets of Star Trek every week and has also begun sampling StarQuest’s other shows.