Catholic Techie Ian Rutherford

I have met today's Catholic Techie, and I was even interviewed by him, after we guffawed and teased each other for a good five minutes. He's the kind of guy who you can picture with 12 kids (I'm only slightly exaggerating), because he's the kind of guy who just is. not. fazed.

Or that's how he seemed to me. Maybe that's how he stays all techie, too.

You probably know Ian Rutherford because of the amazing online Catholic goods retailer he runs, Aquinas & More Catholic Goods. Yes, he's the brains behind that, and near as I can tell, he's involved in every single aspect, from coding to color schemes to price points. He runs a blog for Aquinas and More, too.

But wait, there's more! Ian has a blog and podcast to help Catholic store owners, as well as a personal pilgrimage podcast.

Oh, and did I mention Tiber River? Because if you're a blogger, this is a great opportunity for getting free samples of Catholic products in exchange for writing an honest review.

So that's how I got to know Ian, through this amazing work he does. But let's find out more about him...because there's always more!

Tell us about yourself in five words or less.

Husband, father, techie, book lover.

Of your pursuits, what's your favorite?

The podcast I do with my wife over at Catholic Travel Journal is my favorite thing to do. We both loving hearing about where other people have gone and researching sites to talk about. It also is wonderful just having that time with my wife.

When you think of the New Evangelization from your approach as a "Catholic Techie," what excites you? What makes you want to continue?

I love new technology like podcasting that has become relatively simple for anyone to get into. For people who like to talk about the Faith but may not be comfortable walking up to someone to share, it's a comfortable medium for spreading the Gospel.

I also think it's great that there are so many Catholic bloggers and podcasters talking about living the Faith in the "real world" from so many different angles. My sister-in-law Dwija has a huge audience following how she and her family live their real family circus, you have more serious discussions over at Brandon Vogt's Strange Notions, and then podcasts like The Catholics Next Door and Catholic Underground.

It seems that there is something for everyone and if there isn't, blogging and podcasting software is so easy now, that you - yes I'm talking to you out there who wishes there was a site that focused on ____ - can start it yourself with little initial investment.

I'm motivated by the mission. I've been running aquinasandmore.com for twelve years because of the evangelization that the store provides. My wife and I are doing a pilgrimage podcast to motivate ourselves and others to go on pilgrimages.

What's the most rewarding aspect of your work?

Having a customer or a listener say that he was inspired to do something or that he learned something new because of our efforts.

In your spare time, what are we likely to find you doing? Do you have a gadget in hand or do you go native and screenless?

Since we just moved, I spend a lot of time getting our new home fixed up because it was in pretty rough shape when we moved in. We also like to go fishing and exploring our new town. If I'm able to just sit back, I like to read.

I own a first generation Galaxy phone that locks up a lot and a Nook which is great for trips.

Want more Catholic Techie interviews? Here you go.

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Copyright 2014 Sarah Reinhard