Catholic Tech Table

About Catholic Tech Table

The Catholic Tech Table looks into how we can use AI in Catholic organizations to make our administrative processes more efficient and free up resources to do more of the actual ministry work.

Publisher

Petrus Development

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

19 Feb 2026

Latest episode

9 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

13 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   9 Oct 2026

   AI Fundraising Build Pt. 6: What Is RAG, and Why Does It Matter?

   Why does Pete give different answers from a general-purpose AI tool, and how does it know what information to use?In this episode, we explain RAG, or retrieval-augmented generation, in practical language. We discuss why this matters for accuracy, consistency, organizational voice, and Catholic guardrails. You’ll also learn how organizations can use their own case for support, appeals, reports, and other documents as reference material.Most importantly, we explain why RAG does not make AI a replacement for a fundraiser. The goal is simple: let AI handle more of the work that keeps fundraisers at their desks so you can spend more time doing the human work of fundraising.

2. 

   6 Oct 2026

   AI Fundraising Build Pt. 5: Building a Case for Support with AI

   How do you turn scattered facts, program details, and personal stories into a compelling case for support? In this episode, we use Pete AI to begin creating a case for support for St. Jude Catholic Leadership Center. You’ll see how AI can help identify gaps, structure information, surface stronger language, and create a useful first draft. You’ll also see why the fundraiser still needs to provide accurate information, edit for voice, verify details, and make final decisions. A case for support is the source document behind nearly every effective fundraising communication. This episode shows how AI can help you build one faster and more thoughtfully.

3. 

   2 Oct 2026

   AI Fundraising Build Pt. 4: AI with Catholic Guardrails

   What is Pete AI, and why should Catholic fundraisers trust it to support their work?In this discussion episode, we explain how Pete was created and what makes it different from a general-purpose AI tool. Pete combines the capabilities of a large language model with Catholic guardrails and more than 20 years of Petrus fundraising experience.We discuss how Pete uses the knowledge and experience built into it, how it is designed to remain grounded in Catholic teaching, and how it can learn about an individual organization’s mission, history, and fundraising needs.We also address what Pete is not. It is not a fundraiser, a decision-maker, or a replacement for human relationships. Its purpose is to help Catholic fundraisers work more efficiently so they can spend more time with donors, leaders, and the people their ministries serve.Understanding the tool’s strengths and limitations is essential before relying on it.

4. 

   29 Sept 2026

   AI Fundraising Build Pt. 3: Assessing Your Fundraising Program

   Before you build a fundraising program, do you know what you already have and what is missing?In this episode, we begin building St. Jude Catholic Leadership Center’s annual giving program by using Pete AI to assess its current development infrastructure. We provide Pete with background information about the organization and ask it to identify existing assets, missing components, and the most logical order for moving forward.The assessment helps distinguish between what St. Jude already has, such as a strong mission, effective programs, and community goodwill, and what it lacks, including a formal case for support, consistent donor communications, reliable data systems, planning, stewardship, and clear fundraising goals.You’ll see how AI can serve as a diagnostic tool that helps a fundraiser understand the current landscape, identify priorities, and determine where to begin.A strong fundraising program starts with an honest assessment.

5. 

   25 Sept 2026

   AI Fundraising Build Pt. 2: Using AI Without Losing the Human Touch

   Can Catholic fundraisers use AI responsibly, or does relying on technology compromise the human work of fundraising?In this discussion episode, we explore what responsible AI use can look like for Catholic fundraisers. We consider the difference between “robot work” and human work, including how AI can help with research, planning, administration, and communication while giving fundraisers more time for donor relationships.We also discuss what should remain firmly in human hands: discernment, judgment, accountability, personal connection, and the work of inviting someone into generosity.Using examples from fundraising practice and Catholic teaching, we examine the question of where AI belongs in a development program and where it should never take over.The fundraiser is the architect. AI is the contractor. Join us as we establish the principles that will guide the rest of St. Jude’s fundraising build.

6. 

   22 Sept 2026

   AI Fundraising Build Pt. 1: Teaching AI to Think Like a Fundraiser

   What difference does a good prompt make when you use AI for fundraising? In this first episode of the Catholic Tech Table’s fundraising build series, we introduce St. Jude Catholic Leadership Center, a fictional Catholic nonprofit with strong programs, a decade of goodwill, and no formal development program. Over the course of the series, we’ll use AI to help build St. Jude’s annual giving program from the ground up. We begin with a simple demonstration: using a thin prompt and a detailed prompt to turn the same information into newsletter copy. The results show why context, audience, tone, purpose, and constraints matter. You’ll learn how to move beyond generic AI output and begin collaborating with AI to create clearer, more donor-centered, impact-driven fundraising communication. Follow along as we build St. Jude’s fundraising program one step at a time.

7. 

   12 Aug 2026

   Pete AI live demonstration

   Meet Pete, the new AI assistant for Catholic fundraisers from Petrus Development. This demo shows the capabilities and the Catholic guardrails built into Pete.#catholic #fundraising #ai

8. 

   5 Aug 2026

   Live Q&A: Virtual Summit on AI in Catholic Fundraising

   The closing session of the Virtual Summit on AI in Fundraising, where Andrew Robison, Sarah Rose, Matt Bond, and Rhen Hoehn answered live questions from attendees, including:→ How do you respond to employees who refuse to use AI?→ Are data centers and AI harmful to the environment?→ Will offloading tedious tasks to AI cause burnout by leaving staff only with emotionally taxing work?→ Is there a way to encourage AI adoption without undermining the dignity of workers doing replaceable tasks?

9. 

   29 Jul 2026

   Live Demos: Collaborating with AI for Fundraising

   session This live from Petrus Development's Virtual Summit on AI In Fundraising demonstrates practical uses of AI tools for common fundraising tasks.Annual Fund demonstrations included efforts like planning a communications calendar, searching through testimonials, drafting a newsletter article, and repurposing newsletter content for social media channels.Major Gifts demonstrations included developing a meeting prep brief for a donor visit, determining an ask amount for a donor, and organization donor notes after a visit.Project management demonstrations included developing a gala plan, drafting event communications, and creating committee agendas.

10. 

    22 Jul 2026

    The Catholic Response to AI - Panel Discussion

    This panel discussion from Petrus Development's Virtual Summit on AI In Fundraising unpacks how Catholic fundraisers can approach AI responsibly in light of Pope Leo XIV's encyclical Magnifica Humanitas.Panelists discuss:-Their own journey of learning and using AI-Their biggest takeaway is from Magnifica Humanitas-Whether the Catholic church is ready to embrace AI-Looking at where AI is heading in coming months and years

11. 

    10 Mar 2026

    LLMs Unveiled: Understanding AI Training

    Andrew explains in plain language how large language models like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are ACtrained and why that matters for ministry and fundraising. He notes what training doesn’t provide: human-like reasoning or your parish’s specific context. He ends with three weekly challenges: a pattern test, a context test, and checking the model’s cutoff limits.00:00 Welcome And Goal01:03 How LLMs Learn Patterns02:17 Ministry Fundraising Analogy03:05 Three Training Stages03:08 Pre Training Basics03:50 Fine Tuning For Helpfulness04:26 Alignment And RLHF05:07 Why Training Stages Matter05:49 What Training Does Not Teach06:53 Three Practice Challenges08:31 Wrap Up And Next Episode

12. 

    3 Mar 2026

    AI or Search Engines? Choosing Between Google and LLMs

    Andrew Robinson, president and owner of Petrus Development, explains the differences between Google search and large language models (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Grok) for Catholic Church and nonprofit fundraising work. He frames Google as a “librarian” for finding current, source-based information (news, rules, reviews, verifiable facts) and LLMs as “conversation/research partners” for brainstorming, drafting content, and simplifying complex topics.Andrew outlines key LLM limitations, including training cutoff dates, hallucinations/confident inaccuracies, and lack of knowledge about an organization’s specific documents unless provided. The episode ends with three practical challenges. Andrew invites feedback via andrew@petrusdevelopment.com and previews the next episode on how LLMs are trained.00:00 Welcome to the Catholic Tech Table (and what this show covers)01:10 Google vs. LLMs: The Librarian vs. Conversation Partner Analogy03:01 When to Use Google: Current Info, Fact-Checking, Reviews (Fundraising Examples)03:56 When to Use an LLM: Brainstorming, Drafting, Explaining Complex Topics05:11 Best of Both Worlds: Combining Google Research + LLM Writing Help05:36 LLM Limitations: Cutoff Dates, Hallucinations, and a Real-World Example08:05 Another LLM Weakness: It Doesn’t Know Your Organization’s Internal Info08:55 3 Practical Challenges to Try This Week (Google, LLM, Then Both Together)10:29 Wrap-Up, Key Takeaways, and Next Episode Preview

13. 

    19 Feb 2026

    Navigating AI in the Church: A New Era for Catholic Organizations

    Join Andrew Robison and Rhen Hoehn from Petrus Development as they explore the transformative role of AI in the Church and in faith-based fundraising. In this episode, they discuss the necessity for Catholic organizations to be involved in AI development to create meaningful, efficient tools tailored to their needs. Key topics include the history and current landscape of AI, its applications, potential risks, and how Petrus Development is taking steps to develop AI tools specifically for Catholic fundraisers. Stay tuned for more educational content about AI, upcoming tools, and how they can serve your mission.00:00 Welcome and Introduction00:29 Why AI Matters to Petrus Development01:01 The Current Landscape of AI02:50 AI's Role in Catholic Organizations04:53 Historical Parallels: Technology Adoption08:19 Practical Applications of AI Today10:08 Petrus Development's AI Initiatives12:12 Join the Conversation

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