The Anti-Catholic Tract That Launched a 45-Year Apologetics Empire
What happens when a Catholic lawyer finds "Chick tracts" attacking the Faith on the windshields of cars at Sunday Mass—and decides to fight back?
Meet Catholic Answers—the largest Catholic apologetics apostolate in the world. Born in 1979 when founder Karl Keating discovered anti-Catholic propaganda targeting his fellow parishioners, Catholic Answers has spent 45 years equipping Catholics to understand, explain, and defend their Faith.
Today, the organization reaches millions through its daily radio show, podcasts, website, magazine, and team of world-class apologists—all because one man refused to let lies about the Catholic Faith go unanswered.
A Lawyer's Response to Anti-Catholic Bigotry
It started in a San Diego parking lot.
Karl Keating, a practicing attorney and lifelong Catholic, arrived at Mass one Sunday to find "Chick tracts"—crude comic-book-style pamphlets attacking Catholic beliefs—tucked under the windshield wipers of cars in the parish parking lot.
A fundamentalist Protestant church down the road was distributing them.
Most Catholics would have thrown the tract away and moved on. Keating did something different.
He wrote a response—a modest tract titled "Catholic Answers" that addressed each anti-Catholic argument point by point. Then he went to the fundamentalist church's parking lot and distributed it on their windshields.
The response was overwhelming. People wanted more.
Keating wrote 24 more tracts addressing common objections to Catholicism. What started as a parking-lot counter-attack was becoming a movement.
From Hobby to Full-Time Apostolate
For nearly a decade, Keating ran Catholic Answers in his spare time while practicing law. But the demand kept growing.
In 1988, Keating made a bold decision: he quit his law practice and transformed Catholic Answers into a full-time apostolate with an office and paid staff.
That same year, he published "Catholicism and Fundamentalism"—a compilation of his apologetics writing that became one of the most influential Catholic apologetics books of the era. It proved there was an enormous hunger among Catholics for solid answers to challenges against their Faith.
In 1990, the organization launched This Rock magazine (later renamed Catholic Answers Magazine), providing monthly apologetics content to subscribers.
Then came radio.
Catholic Answers Live: 25+ Years on the Air
In January 1998, Catholic Answers launched what would become its most famous outreach: Catholic Answers Live.
The format was simple but revolutionary: a daily call-in radio show where real people could ask real questions about the Catholic Faith—and get answers from trained apologists in real time.
Today, Catholic Answers Live airs:
- Monday through Friday, 6-8 PM Eastern (3-5 PM Pacific)
- On 100+ AM and FM stations across America
- On Sirius satellite radio
- On EWTN Global Catholic Radio (reaching the world via shortwave)
- Live on the internet for anyone, anywhere
The show connects listeners with the organization's team of apologists, including priests, bishops, and cardinals, for discussions covering the full range of Catholic doctrine and practice.
The Apologists
Catholic Answers has assembled a world-class team of apologists—people who have dedicated their lives to understanding and explaining the Catholic Faith:
Jimmy Akin — Senior apologist known for his encyclopedic knowledge and clear explanations. Host of popular podcasts and author of numerous books on Catholic teaching.
Tim Staples — Director of apologetics and evangelization. A former Baptist minister who converted to Catholicism and now helps others understand why.
Trent Horn — Author, speaker, and apologist known for his work on pro-life issues, atheism, and Catholic moral teaching.
Karlo Broussard — Apologist specializing in Catholic philosophy and theology with a gift for making complex topics accessible.
Cy Kellett — Host of Catholic Answers Live and the "Focus" podcast, guiding conversations with warmth and precision.
Each apologist brings unique gifts, but all share the same mission: helping Catholics know their Faith and share it with others.
What Catholic Answers Offers Today
Catholic Answers Live Radio Two hours daily of call-in apologetics, reaching millions of listeners.
Podcasts Multiple shows including Catholic Answers Live (audio), Focus, and more—available wherever you get podcasts.
Catholic.com One of the largest Catholic websites in the world, with thousands of articles, videos, and resources on every Catholic topic imaginable.
Catholic Answers Magazine A print and digital magazine continuing the legacy of This Rock, providing in-depth apologetics content monthly.
Books and Resources Publications from Catholic Answers Press, equipping Catholics with the knowledge they need.
Speakers Bureau Catholic Answers apologists are available to speak at parishes, conferences, and events nationwide.
Why This Matters
Catholic Answers is, quite simply, the institution that proved Catholic apologetics could work at scale in the modern media age. Before Karl Keating's parking-lot tracts, there was no professional organization dedicated to equipping ordinary Catholics with clear, accurate answers to challenges against their Faith. The daily radio show alone reaches millions of listeners, and catholic.com serves as the largest free apologetics library on the internet. Remove Catholic Answers from the landscape and you lose the single resource that RCIA instructors, catechists, and individual Catholics across the English-speaking world turn to first when they need a solid answer — fast.
How You Can Support
- Listen: Tune in to Catholic Answers Live daily
- Visit the website: Explore Catholic.com for thousands of free resources
- Subscribe: Get Catholic Answers Magazine delivered monthly
- Donate: Support the apostolate financially
- Share: When someone asks you a question about Catholicism, send them to Catholic Answers
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Our paid guide covers 20+ Catholic media organizations — radio shows, podcasts, publishers, and apologetics apostolates — with subscriber ratings and links. If Catholic Answers is your gateway, the guide will introduce you to the rest of the ecosystem.
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Has Catholic Answers helped you understand or defend your Faith? Share your story in the comments—we'd love to hear how apologetics has impacted your life!
Find Catholic Answers:
- Website: catholic.com
- Radio: Catholic Answers Live
- Magazine: Catholic Answers Magazine
- Speakers: catholic.com/speakers
- DCB Listing: Find Catholic Answers on Discover Catholic Business
Sources: Catholic Answers, Wikipedia - Karl Keating, Wikipedia - Catholic Answers, Catholic World Report