From Cassette Tapes to 10 Million CDs: How Three Catholic Businessmen Built America's Largest Parish Media Apostolate
What happens when a corporate sales executive starts sharing Catholic cassette tapes with family and friends—and can't stop?
Meet Lighthouse Catholic Media—the nonprofit powerhouse that has placed over 10 million CDs in the hands of Catholics across 7,500+ parishes throughout the United States and Canada. What started as one man sharing his faith through audio recordings has become one of the most successful grassroots evangelization efforts in modern Church history.
But this isn't just a story of scale. It's a story of three Catholic businessmen who believed that the Faith, properly presented, could transform lives—one CD at a time.
A Cassette Tape Changed Everything
In the early 2000s, Mark Middendorf—a successful corporate executive with an MBA from DePaul University and stints at Westinghouse, Wiremold, and Compuware—discovered something that would change his life: Catholic audio recordings.
After listening to talks by theologian Dr. Scott Hahn and other Catholic speakers, Middendorf couldn't keep them to himself. He started sharing cassette tapes with family and friends. Then friends of friends. Then his parish.
The response was overwhelming.
People were hungry for solid Catholic teaching. They wanted to learn about their Faith during their commutes, while doing chores, in moments that would otherwise be lost to silence.
Middendorf saw an opportunity—not to make money, but to serve the Church.
On August 15, 2005—the Solemnity of the Assumption—he joined forces with Terry Barber and Dave Durand to found Lighthouse Catholic Media.
The Kiosk Revolution
The genius of Lighthouse wasn't just the content—it was the distribution model.
Rather than selling CDs through bookstores or websites (though they do that too), Lighthouse pioneered the Parish Kiosk Program. They placed beautifully designed display cases in church lobbies and vestibules, stocked with professionally recorded talks on every aspect of Catholic life.
The CDs are available for free—though donations are encouraged—making them accessible to every parishioner regardless of income.
The approach worked spectacularly:
- 7,500+ parishes now host Lighthouse kiosks
- 10+ million CDs have been distributed
- Topics range from apologetics to marriage to raising Catholic children
- Speakers include Dr. Scott Hahn, Matthew Kelly, Bishop Robert Barron, Fr. Mike Schmitz, and dozens of other faithful voices
The Next Generation Kiosk continues this tradition, with parishes reporting that more evangelization materials are being taken and used than ever before.
World-Class Catholic Speakers
Part of what makes Lighthouse special is its roster of speakers. These aren't generic self-help talks—they're rigorous, faithful, and deeply Catholic presentations from some of the Church's most compelling voices:
Dr. Scott Hahn — The former Presbyterian minister whose conversion story has inspired millions, and whose biblical theology has helped countless Catholics understand their Faith more deeply.
Matthew Kelly — Founder of Dynamic Catholic and author of "Rediscover Catholicism," bringing practical spirituality to everyday Catholics.
Bishop Robert Barron — The auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles and founder of Word on Fire, whose media ministry has reached millions worldwide.
Fr. Mike Schmitz — The popular priest known for "The Bible in a Year" podcast and his ability to explain the Faith to younger generations.
Fr. Larry Richards — Known for his direct, no-nonsense preaching style that resonates especially with men.
The Augustine Institute Merger & FORMED
In 2015, Lighthouse Catholic Media took a major step forward by merging with the Augustine Institute in a strategic alliance that would expand their reach even further.
Mark Middendorf became Executive Vice President for Mission Expansion and helped launch FORMED.org—often called "the Catholic Netflix." This digital streaming platform provides:
- Award-winning Catholic films and documentaries
- Bible studies and faith formation programs
- Children's programming and family content
- Audio talks and e-books
- Daily reflections and prayer resources
FORMED has become an essential resource for parishes, families, and individuals seeking to grow in their Catholic faith. The platform is available through parish subscriptions, making quality Catholic content accessible to entire communities.
Why This Matters
Before Lighthouse Catholic Media, there was no scalable way to get solid Catholic teaching into the hands of ordinary parishioners. Bookstores were too far away, conferences were too expensive, and most people weren't going to seek out a theology lecture on their own. Mark Middendorf, Terry Barber, and Dave Durand solved this by putting professional-quality Catholic content exactly where the people already were: the church lobby. Over 10 million CDs distributed across 7,500 parishes later, the model has proven something that the Church desperately needed to learn -- that Catholics are hungry for substance when you meet them where they are. The merger with the Augustine Institute and the launch of FORMED extended this reach into the digital age, but the original insight remains: make it excellent, make it accessible, and people will take it home.
The Founders' Continued Impact
The three founders have gone on to continue serving the Church in remarkable ways:
Mark Middendorf was named the fourth president of Ave Maria University in 2022, bringing his vision for Catholic formation to higher education.
Terry Barber continues his work in Catholic media and evangelization.
Dave Durand remains active in Catholic business and leadership development.
Their original vision—that quality Catholic content, freely distributed, could transform the Church—has proven prophetic.
How You Can Support
- Check your parish: Does your church have a Lighthouse kiosk? If not, suggest it to your pastor
- Browse the catalog: Visit LighthouseCatholicMedia.org to explore talks and resources
- Subscribe to FORMED: Ask your parish about FORMED.org access, or subscribe individually
- Share what moves you: When you find a talk that impacts you, share it with others
- Donate: Your contributions help stock parish kiosks with free resources
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Lighthouse Catholic Media is part of a growing ecosystem of Catholic content creators, publishers, and media apostolates transforming how the faith is shared. Paid subscribers get our complete guide to Catholic media companies, streaming platforms, and parish resources.
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Has a Lighthouse CD or FORMED program impacted your faith journey? Drop a comment below—we'd love to hear your story!
Find Lighthouse Catholic Media:
- Website: lighthousecatholicmedia.org
- FORMED: formed.org
- Phone: 1-866-767-3155
- Augustine Institute: augustineinstitute.org
- DCB Listing: Find Lighthouse Catholic Media on Discover Catholic Business
Sources: Wikipedia - Lighthouse Catholic Media, Catholic World Report Interview with Mark Middendorf, Augustine Institute, FORMED.org