Meet your hosts
Rob Schade, Gina Marquez & Selene Rojas
Three ordinary Catholics with an extraordinary love for the stories sitting in the pews beside us.
Rob
Founder
Stories matter more than we can imagine.
So much of God's revelation has been handed down to us through stories—the stories of Scripture, the stories of the saints, and the stories of ordinary people whose lives have been transformed by encountering Christ. My own story was shaped by those stories. But I've also come to believe that there is something uniquely powerful about hearing each other's stories: it allows us to recognize the ways God is still moving and working in people's lives today.
That is why I created People in the Pews.
This podcast is a new way of sharing those stories—the real, personal, and often unexpected experiences of people sitting in our pews. My hope is that by listening to one another, we can see the Church not simply as a collection of teachings or institutions, but as a living community made up of people whose lives are being shaped by God.
I was also deeply struck by Pope Leo's reflection on artificial intelligence and the digital age in Magnifica Humanitas and the call to think about the digital world as a "new continent to be evangelized." So much of human life now happens online. The internet is where people search for meaning, ask questions, wrestle with loneliness, form relationships, and encounter ideas about God and the world.
If that is where people are, then that is where we should be willing to meet them.
People in the Pews is my small attempt to do exactly that: to bring the stories of real people into a digital space and create opportunities for others to encounter faith, hope, struggle, and ultimately Christ through the lives of others.
Because sometimes, a story is what opens the door to a deeper encounter with God.
Gina
Co-host
Gina is a lifelong Catholic whose faith journey has taken her through seasons of deep connection, questioning, distance, grief, and ultimately, a renewed relationship with God and the Church.
Born and raised on the island of Guam, Gina grew up with a strong Catholic foundation and a deep reverence for faith. After stepping away from the Church for nearly two decades, she found her way back in 2023 while caring for her mother in hospice. An unexpected invitation from a priest—"Whenever you're ready"—became a powerful reminder that faith can begin again without pressure, judgment, or guilt.
Since returning to the Church, Gina has embraced prayer, spiritual direction, and the healing power of community. Her experience in grief ministry helped her open her heart in new ways and discover that prayer doesn't have to be complicated: when we speak from the heart, we are praying.
Today, Gina is passionate about connecting with people where they are, listening to their stories, and helping others feel seen, welcomed, and valued. She believes that we never really know what someone is carrying beneath the surface, and that something as simple as a smile, a conversation, or an invitation can make a profound difference.
With a naturally outgoing personality, a gift for connecting people, and a heart shaped by her own journey back to faith, Gina hopes to help create communities where everyone knows the door is open—and where everyone has a story worth hearing.
Selene
Contributing Host
Selene Rojas brings warmth, curiosity, and a deep love for community to every conversation she is part of.
As a contributing host, Selene helps draw out the stories that often go untold — the quiet moments of grace, the struggles that shaped someone's faith, and the encounters with God that happen in the most ordinary places.
Her gift for listening and her genuine interest in people make her a natural fit for a podcast built on the belief that every person in the pews has something worth sharing.
Why we do this
We believe the Church is not just a building or an institution — it's a living community of people whose stories reflect the ongoing work of grace in the world. Every episode is an act of witness.
Our hope is simple: that listeners will hear themselves in these stories, feel less alone in their faith, and be inspired to share their own.
Have a story to share?
We'd love to hear from you. Every pew holds a story — maybe yours is next.