Lino Rulli: Offering Faith, Laughter and Hope

CINCINNATI—Lino Rulli’s approach to Catholicism may not be traditional, but through his fusion of the Catholic faith and comedy, he is able to enlighten people while still entertaining them as the radio host of The Catholic Guy, on Sirius Satellite Radio’s The Catholic Channel.

The May issue of St. Anthony Messenger features a cover story about Lino’s life and his radio program aimed at young-adult Catholics in “Lino Rulli: One ‘Sirius’ Catholic,” an article by Assistant Editor Christopher Heffron. After April 21, the article will be posted at: AmericanCatholic.org.

Lino’s show features himself; Maureen McMurray, producer; and Lou Ruggieri, technical advisor. Until recently, Tom Falcone added an agnostic perspective to the show. Each of them offers his or her opinions on different religious and nonreligious topics. The Catholic Guy, which airs Monday through Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. on Channel 159, is different from most other Catholic programs and seeks to provide “infotainment with a simple agenda: everyday life, Catholic issues, theological matters and totally random topics,” Heffron writes.

Some of the more popular show segments on The Catholic Guy include “Free Therapy Tuesdays,” where Lino speaks about his therapy sessions. They also play “Let’s Make a Catholic Deal,” where participants compete for “semi-valuable prizes.”

Lino was offered the job to host a show on The Catholic Channel after Joe Zwilling, general manager, heard Lino’s CDs and was interested in his work. Lino went on the air and shared his ability “to nail a one-liner and, in the same breath, discuss uptight Catholics or meatless Fridays,” writes Heffron.

This program is not Lino’s first opportunity to offer both laughs and Catholic views. Lino is also the host of Lino at Large, another program for Catholic young adults sponsored by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops that airs on Relevant Radio.

He also hosted Generation Cross, a TV show that aired in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, for six years. This show featured Lino and guests, including priests and nuns doing unusual activities such as swing dancing and rocking climbing. The activities may have been light-hearted, but they also offered inspirational messages.

Lino uses his shows to share his long-standing faith. He grew up in a devout Catholic family that frequently visited Rome. He also received a master’s degree in theology.

But Lino also went through a period of spiritual desolation after 9/11. He did not abandon his faith during this time period but believes that “a faith tested means a faith strengthened.…If you don’t have a test of faith, then you must not have a strong faith in the first place.”

As his faith continues to grow, Lino is not afraid to share with listeners. He enjoys offering hope to others. “When you make people laugh, it gives them hope. And when you give somebody hope, it makes the subject of God a lot easier to take in,” says Lino. 

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Permission is granted to reprint this release.

TThe second article posted will be “St. Joan of Arc’s Message for Today,” by Managing Editor Barbara Beckwith.