Trideo Media

Trideo Media is a Catholic media organization based in the Netherlands. We make podcasts and videos. Trideo - Television, Radio and Internet productions.

11/09/2024

Sauron’s transformation into Annatar evokes religious imagery reminiscent of the Transfiguration of Jesus. Fr. Roderick Vonhögen talks about it in his commentary on episode 2 of season 2 of The Rings of Power. (Link in the comments)

10/09/2024

I'm starting a series on YouTube with my commentary on The Rings Of Power adding some insights about the ways in which Tolkien's Catholic faith influenced his views on evil, virtue and pride.

In my first video, I discuss the recurring nature of evil and why this shouldn't discourage us. Check out the video via the link in the comments!

20/08/2024

Who Wants To Live Forever?

Last Sunday, I had a conversation with a parishioner in her nineties that deeply resonated with me. She shared the profound loneliness that comes from outliving all her family members. Her words were a powerful reminder that living a long life is both a blessing and a challenge.

The conversation brought to mind a powerful question posed in the 1986 movie 'Highlander'. The film follows Connor MacLeod, a Scottish Highlander born in the 16th century who discovers he’s immortal after surviving what should have been a fatal wound. As he lives through the centuries, he watches everyone he loves grow old and die, grappling with the weight of eternal life.

When Queen’s guitarist, Brian May, was asked to write the title song for the original movie, he created "Who Wants to Live Forever?" The song beautifully captures the heartache of eternal life, asking whether living forever on this earth is truly a gift if it means enduring the loss of everyone you hold dear.

This theme of immortality versus the value of a finite life is also explored in J.R.R. Tolkien’s tales of Beren and Lúthien, and Arwen and Aragorn. Both Lúthien and Arwen, who are immortal, choose to give up their eternal life out of love for their mortal partners. They’d rather live a brief life with the ones they love than face an eternity without them.

Gandalf tells Frodo in 'The Lord of the Rings': “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” In our fast-paced world, many of us feel the relentless pressure to be productive every moment, often leading to burnout. But are we really making the most of our time? Are we investing it in what truly matters, or are we merely ticking off tasks on someone else’s agenda?

In my latest podcast episode of 'The Walk', I share how thinking about my own mortality—though a bit scary—actually pushes me to live more intentionally and really appreciate the friendships I have. It's helped me let go of the stuff that doesn’t matter, so I can focus on what truly lasts. If you’re interested, you can listen to the episode via the link in the comments.

Thanks for reading! Let’s make the most of the time we have been given.

— Fr. Roderick Vonhögen

06/08/2024

The little boy waved his wand in my direction and solemnly declared, "Petrificus Totalus!" I knew exactly what to do: stand perfectly still. Through his plastic Harry Potter glasses, he looked triumphantly at his mother. "It works, Mom!"

His mother, dressed in a green dress with a black pointed hat, laughed and said, "You can't just enchant everyone here, that gentleman wanted to take a picture of us." She twirled her own wand apologetically and said, "You can move again."

Meanwhile, the boy's father was busy adjusting his brown fake beard and wig for the photo. "Bad hair day, Hagrid!" he muttered.

Mama McGonagall, Papa Hagrid, and little Harry Potter were part of the thousands of costumed participants at Castlefest, a delightful fantasy festival in the gardens of Keukenhof Castle in Lisse.

I've been attending these kinds of festivals for years. Just dressed as myself, with a priest's collar. "Are you really a priest, or are you cosplaying?" I'm often asked.

I've loved stories since my earliest childhood. I spent entire afternoons in the library, reading everything I could get my hands on. I dreamed of a life as an author, but heaven had other plans.

The love for stories has remained. I read an average of 100 to 150 books a year (you can find my reading list on Goodreads.com - look for 'fatherroderick'), and everything I do as a media priest revolves around stories.

How do I keep my listeners awake during the sermon on Sunday? By telling stories. Why do I enjoy working for Dutch television so much? Because I can share my stories and those of others in the programs I create. My podcasts, blogs, TikTok, and YouTube videos give me the opportunity to tell new stories all the time.

In recent weeks, I've been working hard on a project dear to me in England. I filmed a video course in London for people who want to learn how to best package their message in a story.

Because in the daily flood of information, advertisements, and entertainment that passes by on our screens every day, your message will only stand out if you can captivate people within a few seconds and then keep them engaged. And that can be learned.

How? That's what I teach my students in my course. Not as boring theory from behind my we**am, but as stories I've recorded in the streets of London, in front of the pub where Charles Dickens gathered ideas, in the gallery where Harry Potter discovers the entrance to Diagon Alley, and by the Thames where James Bond began one of his adventures in a speedboat.

If you want to help me improve the course and financially support filming more courses, I invite you to join my focus group. As a thank you for your donation, I give you access to the lessons and to my online focus group community. Follow the link in the comments to see how you can join!

Adres

Heelsumseweg 3
Bennekom
6721GP

Telefoon

+31651775283

Website

https://www.fatherroderick.com/stichting-trideo/

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Trideo - Stories of Faith, Hope and Friendship

Trideo Media is an initiative of Stichting Trideo, a Catholic media organization that creates television, radio and internet productions for an international audience of young people and for partners like KRO-NCRV, Kansfonds and BVA.

Trideo Media tells stories of faith, hope and love to build bridges between the world of popular culture and the world of faith.