Then & Now

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2013
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2008
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2006
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around 2004-2005

Old WeVlog logos (2007-2013)

How It All Started

Kate and Mike have been faith sharing online since YouTube was still in its infancy. In the beginning of it all, YouTube was just a mere social media site where people used to post videos of themselves talking either about their own life or about general topics that interested various groups of people (aka "video blogging"). There were no ads running on peoples videos during this time, no celebrities being promoted everywhere by movie and music companies, and no "copyright infringement" police blocking everybody's videos. Things were a lot different back then. Before the big sell out to Google, which destroyed a wonderful online community, video bloggers were the lifeline that kept the website going (and growing). It was easy for a "nobody" to be seen and heard in the online world. And it was during these early years that we were able to lay down the foundation of what you see us doing online today.

Here's a timeline showing the history of the Kate & Mike Catholic Crusade.


Timeline

Winter 2006 - Mike began videoblogging on the YouTube channel TheCatholicGuy.  

June 21, 2007 - Kate & Mike create the YouTube channel WeVlog. For the next two years, both would go to make group and individual videos on a weekly (and sometimes more) basis. Over the next two years, they would manage to build a YouTube following of over 200 subscribers. 

May 2009 - Unbeknownst at the time to either Kate or Mike, the last video recorded during this month will be the last WeVlog video for next three years. Two years of making videos, on top of personal matters (travel, work, college, recession, etc.) left the two needing a much deserved break. YouTube, during this hiatus, will sell out to Google and no longer remain a site for video bloggers but rather a place for Hollywood record and movie companies to promote their products and talent.

Summer 2012 - Mike unsuccessfully attempts to revive WeVlog by creating The WeVlog Weekly show, in which he not only present headline news on camera but also plays a sidekick female character by the name of Gretta. The WeVlog Weekly dies after its second episode. 

Fall 2012 - Mike begins creating YouTube video blogs (in the pre-2009 format) on the WeVlog channel. 

Fall 2012 - Kate agrees to make a return to WeVlog.

Fall 2012 - Upon planning a comeback on YouTube, the idea develops to create a Catholic puppet-based internet show. The show will first be named The Pew; then changed to Gretta's World.

December 27, 2012 - The first 3 episodes of Gretta's World are filmed. 16 more episodes for Season 1 will be go on to be filmed between January-April. 

January 14, 2013 - The very first episode of Gretta's World debuts. 

January 26, 2013 - WeVlog.net goes online.

March 22,2013 - The first "official" episode of The Catholic Cocktail Hour is recorded and debuted.

May 28, 2013 - The season finale of Gretta's World is uploaded onto YouTube- a behind-the-scenes/blooper special.

June 20, 2013 - The first of four The Catholic Cocktail Hour live shows are recorded while broadcasted over the Internet.

September 14, 2013 - The final episode of "The Catholic Cocktail Hour" is recorded and uploaded.

September 17, 2013 - Facebook page created.

September 21, 2013 - WeVlog joins Instagram.

September 22, 2013 - The future live shows that were scheduled for The Catholic Cocktail Hour are canceled.

September 23, 2013 - After six years of usage, the WeVlog name is retired. The new name Kate-N-Mike is adopted.

October 7, 2013 - Kate-N-Mike.com web site is officially launched. 

October 15, 2013 - The Kate-N-Mike Show, a 5-minute table-conversation show about current events in the Church, debuts on YouTube.

October 20, 2013 - YouTube channel reaches 500 subscribers.

December 23, 2013 - Kate and Mike perform two live Christmas shows on the Internet entitled "Slice Up The Fruitcake".

February 22, 2014 - Mike posted a video of his letter to the Diocese of Camden to bring attention to the wasteful spending on the purchase of a mansion for the bishop.
 
March 30, 2014 - The last episode of "The Kate & Mike Show" is uploaded. The following explanation was provided on social media accounts:  
"Happy to announce that we are changing the format of our "Kate & Mike Show" videos. Tonight's episode is the last of its kind. We want to do more exciting things than sit around a table and discuss topics. But a sincere thank you to everyone who has been actively participating in the discussions on Google+ and YouTube. That's not to say that an occasional "table talk" video won't show up in the future. lol." 
The following month and a half will be spent rethinking our evangelizing strategies and reinventing our style of video.

 May 28, 2014 - Our new "style" for videos, incorporating humor with Catholic evangelization, debuts with the video "Corn Gone Wild (Porn Is Poison)".

July 28, 2014 - Season 2 of "Gretta's World" debuts under a new format and a new character named Candy Girl.

July 31, 2014 - Kate & Mike hosts a live online prayer service "Prayer Service for Peace in Israel & Gaza" in regards to serious, Middle East tensions.  Within hours, a 72-hour truce was reached between both sides. Unfortunately, the truce last an hour instead.

August 31, 2014 - New logo and motto ("On a Mission to Save the Souls of the World") is unveiled on our social media sites. 

September 10, 2014 - "Gretta's World" is officially retired after just 2 episodes into Season 2.

October 28, 2014 - The release of our very first short-film video, "The 3 Days of Darkness Prophecy."

January 5, 2015 - Kate & Mike's first music single "Think About Your Soul" is released on Soundclick. The song peaked at #10 on SoundClick's Contemporary Christian charts and #48 on SoundClick's Pop charts.

Februrary 11, 2015 - Kate & Mike release their debut prayer CD "Then Sings My Soul" on iTunes and other digital download stores.

April 10, 2015 - YouTube channel reaches 1,000 subscribers.

September 8, 2015 - Season 2 of "Kate & Mike Catholic Crusade" begins with the debut of the "Eternity Insurance: The Surest Way To Heaven" video.

October 18, 2015 - YouTube channel reaches 1,500 subscribers.

February 4, 2017 - The release of the digital prayer album "Divine Mercy Novena with Chaplet" on iTunes.
June 21, 2017 - Kate & Mike celebrate the 10 Year Anniversary with a live internet show.
August 10, 2017 - The Kate & Mike Catholic Crusade YouTube channel reaches 5,000 subscribers.
January 13, 2018 - The premiere of The Catholic Crusade channel on YouTube, a channel devoted to prayer videos.
April 12, 2018 - The new "Virtual Rosary" series is released on The Catholic Crusade channel.
June 08, 2018 - The Catholic Novelties online store opens.
October 1, 2018 - The Kate & Mike Catholic Crusade YouTube channel reaches 10,000 subscribers.
November 20, 2018 - The release of the "12 Days of Catholic Christmas" video and digital download.
December 20, 2018 - The Catholic Novelties online store closes.
February 06, 2019 - The release of the "Divine Mercy Novena with Chaplet" CD.
February 25, 2019 - The Kate & Mike Catholic Crusade email list is established.
March 02, 2019 - The first quarterly newsletter is emailed out to mailing list subscribers.
June 15, 2019 - TeeSpring store opens; the first Catholic-themed t-shirt is released.
June 24, 2019 - Kate & Mike are interviewed on the Spirit Mornings show on Spirit Catholic Radio.
May 08, 2020 - The first weekly Kate & Mike's Catholic Live Chat Show live stream on the YouTube Kate & Mike Catholic Crusade channel using Zoom.
August 02, 2020 - The quarterly Kate & Mike Catholic Crusade newsletters are now monthly newsletters.
August 17, 2020 - The 100,000th subscriber subscribes to The Catholic Crusade channel on YouTube
August 18, 2020 - The debut of Kate & Mike's online Catholic Bible Study on the Kate & Mike channel.
September 11, 2020 - The launch of the Kate & Mike Catholic Crusade podcast. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean App, Pandora, TuneIn+Alexa and Amazon Music/audible/
September 1, 2021 -  Kate & Mike Catholic Crusade renamed to Catholic Crusade Ministries

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