Co-founded by Kennedy Hall, Timothy Flanders, Edward Schaefer, Nicholas Cavazos, Dan Sevigny, and me (Peter Kwasniewski), and now involving Brian McCall, Murray Rundus, Michael Haynes, Angela Erickson, and a whole team of creatives, Pelican+ entirely changes the digital landscape. Think of it as "Daily Wire + Hallow + YouTube + Substack" — except built BY Catholics, FOR Catholics. In scope and ambition there has never been anything like it before. You can visit the app here.
Since our launch on October 7, momentum has grown. People are discovering a genuine alternative to the secular noise, dubious commitments, and mixed messaging of other apps.
Pelican+ is completely owned and operated by Catholics—indeed, by Catholics who know and love tradition, just as you do. Because it’s our platform, we can’t be deplatformed or shut down. Because it’s ours, we don’t have to have (and will never have) evil or stupid advertising, and we won’t give our money—your money—to liberal causes.
Pelican+ is completely owned and operated by Catholics—indeed, by Catholics who know and love tradition, just as you do. Because it’s our platform, we can’t be deplatformed or shut down. Because it’s ours, we don’t have to have (and will never have) evil or stupid advertising, and we won’t give our money—your money—to liberal causes.
What exactly is Pelican+?
Pelican+ an app for use on phone or desktop that brings its users a wealth of traditional Catholic content:
• writing, in the Forum section (that’s where my "Tradition & Sanity," which began as a Substack, will permanently reside);
• podcasts and videos, in the Stream section, covering topics from theology, liturgy, and spirituality to culture and politics, to home life, parenting, and education;
• classic prayers, recited by the collaborators themselves: the rosary in English or in Latin, spoken or chanted, the Divine Office, the Martyrology, litanies and chaplets — plus the full text of Mass propers according to the ’62 or pre-’55 Roman missal;
• audio dramas on the saints for younger listeners, with plenty more family-friendly programming on the way;
• audiobooks on a wide variety of topics, including the Gospels and eventually the entire Douay-Rheims;
• a growing library of ebooks;
• a copious library of Gregorian chant — we have, so far, all the albums of the Benedictines of Mary in Gower, Missouri, with more sacred music to come.
Each of these areas will grow organically. Every day we are adding outstanding content. Over time, you’ll be able to find just what you’re looking for — whether it’s a certain hour of the Divine Office, a certain vein of sacred music, or a good story for a long drive. We are adding content daily.
Of course, no user is expected to view or listen to everything. Rather, you’ll discover favorite writers and programs, favorite prayers, music, and books (incidentally, when you stop listening or reading, the app notes where you left off so you can pick right up next time). Pelican+ was built as a powerful tool for its users’ intellectual, spiritual, and cultural growth.
Moreover, the layout of the app is intuitive and easy to navigate.
A sampling of recent programs
Celebrating All Saints in style
For the Octave of All Saints, we released a 25-minute video in which Pelican+ contributors share reflections on our favorite saints — how we discovered them (or, often, how they picked us), how they came to our aid, what we learned from them. It’s a thoughtful program, worth watching any time this week.
The Music of the Benedictines of Gower
If you’ve never listened to the angelic singing of the Benedictines of Mary in Gower, Missouri, you’re in for a treat! They have recorded many acclaimed albums over the years, featuring a selection of chant, polyphony, and hymnody sung with exquisite perfection. The entire library is now available at Pelican+, as you can see in this screenshot:
Documentary on education
Pelican+ is proud to be the exclusive distributor of Miles Vosylius’s hard-hitting, eye-opening documentary on the state of modern education and the classical Catholic alternative. It will air on November 15, available to Premium members. Here’s a 4-minute trailer:
Martyrs and Miracle Men
When we launched Pelican+, we promised family-friendly and educational Catholic entertainment, and we’re delivering. We’ve just released the first four episodes of what promises to be a blockbuster series, “Martyrs and Miracle Men.” These half-hour biographical sketches are done in the manner of the 1930s/40s radio dramas: just voices and sound effects. Pull up a chair, gather round, and enjoy!
Available now: Bl. Miguel Pro; St. Damien of Molokai; St. Thomas More; and St. Catherine Labouré. (*** The Bl. Miguel Pro is available for free in order to acquaint you with the series. ***)
More to come on a regular basis. This is superb content you won’t find anywhere else.
News coverage
Another key growth step is the onboarding of a dynamic team for commentary on national and world news: Brian McCall and Murray Rundus, with Michael Haynes as Rome correspondent with accreditation from the Vatican press corps.
Angela Erickson
It brings me great joy to announce another new collaborator, Angela, with whom I worked at LifeSiteNews years ago. I have watched her independent podcast develop into something really marvelous. She has now decided to bring her knowledge and fervor to Pelican+:
Angela has been an activist, a mom, and a Catholic voice unafraid to speak truth in the public square. Now, she brings her insight and fire to Pelican+ with “Life with Angela,” a weekly deep dive into the real-life challenges facing families and faithful Catholics today.
The cofounding collaborators
Needless to say, the six men who started Pelican+ are contributing mightily to this common effort. Here’s just some highlights from two of them:
Kennedy Hall
• “Mere Tradition” podcast — same as it has been on YouTube and Substack, but more regular and with higher quality production
• A new program called “Mere Tradition and Sanity” with me, where Kennedy and I will discuss theological topics, answer live questions from subscribers, and teach seasonal Gregorian chants
• “Terror of Demons” man show with Tim Flanders — a weekly program wherein the Hall and Flanders will discuss topics particularly relevant for Catholic men
• A library of audio recordings of encyclicals and public domain Catholic books, and a lecture series on Modernism following the work of Pius X
Timothy Flanders
• Audio books, such as St. Peter Alcantara’s Finding God through Meditation, St. Alphonsus Liguori’s Meditations for Advent, and the Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent
• “Thank God It’s Monday”: weekly Monday show on saints and liturgy
• Roman Martyrology read aloud daily
• “Meaning of Catholic”: weekly show, taking up sweeping themes such as: “Catholic Empire: Hispanidad & Hispanic Catholicism”; “The Lay Apostolate”; “The St. Joseph Dialogos” (friendly debates between opposing viewpoints); “A Father’s Bookshelf”
Check it out
I hope that I’ve provided you with many good reasons to give Pelican+ a try on your phone or desktop. Access the app here. Read more about why we started it here. And if you're interested in supporting it in a bigger way, read about our Founder's Club.
Thank you for helping us to build something truly great, to the glory of God and the benefit of countless souls.
In Christ the King,
Peter Kwasniewski
NOTE: For those who download the app via Apple and Google:
Pelican+ is committed, as a Catholic entity, to standing against big tech tyranny and their exorbitant fees. Apple and Google demand 30% of all subscription revenue processed through their app stores. We refuse to fund platforms that oppose our values.
Because of this principled stance, you cannot subscribe through the native mobile apps. Instead, you must complete your subscription signup through the web version of Pelican+. Once you’ve subscribed via the website, you can then download and use the mobile apps to freely access all content.
If you download the app before subscribing and try to access premium content, you’ll see an “unavailable” button rather than an “upgrade” prompt. This is intentional. Simply go to the website link above to complete your subscription first. Yes, it’s an inconvenience, but it’s the result of refusing to compromise our principles.
