It may be the best kept secret in town: Tiverton is the epicenter of the podcasting world for “all things Catholic, and then some.”

Since 1995, there have been 745,199 downloads to iPadre.net, the brainchild of Father Jay A. Finelli, pastor of Church of the Holy Ghost.

His listeners’ whereabouts sound like a roll call of the United Nations: Zambia, Iraq, Nepal, Tunisia, Korea, the Ivory Coast, the Vatican…They tune in to his weekly podcasts on their computers and ipads or by clicking the App on their Android or iphone.

This past week he recorded his 215^th podcast episode. His largest audience was recorded on April 1, 2007. There were 8,000 downloads.

Father Jay is a parish priest and then some.

Born and raised in Woonsocket, he said he was like every other kid in the ’70s.

"I went to church because I had to,” he admitted. “My parents never missed Mass.”

During his senior year, he attended a Search for Maturity Retreat at the Youth Center in Woonsocket and became a member of a weekly prayer group.

It was then that he experienced the defining moment of his life.

“Something moved me – God moved me,” he said. “I really had an experience of the Lord’s presence in my life.”

He started going to daily Mass on the way to Rhode Island Junior College.

“Originally, I wanted to be a vet. My first semester I took seven science courses, and I bombed,” he said laughing.

He attributed the roadblock to God having other plans for his life.

“That was God’s way,” he said.

Yet, he still did not consider the priesthood. He thought about becoming a deacon.

“I wanted to be married,” he said.

An only child, Father Jay enjoyed the blessings of a loving Italian family. Priests were often guests for dinner.

“My father lived across the street from the church, and my grandfather was best friends with all the priests,” he said. “A friend of the family, a cardinal, lived in the apartment below John Paul.”

While he had many good examples of the vocational life, he was most affected by the Mass.

“That really changed me,” said Father Jay. “When I would see the priest raise the consecration host, I wanted to do that. I would sit before the tabernacle, and I knew He (Jesus) was there. I didn’t need anyone to tell me. I was growing in my faith.”

Finally, he worked up the courage to tell his parents about his calling.

“I eventually told them, and they were kind of teary-eyed but wanted me to do this,” he said. “Instead of grandchildren, I bring priests and sisters to the house.”

Father Jay entered Holy Apostles Seminary in Cromwell, CT. He studied there for one year until he discerned a vocation as a Franciscan.

“I ended up joining the Franciscans in Kennebunkport, Maine,” he said. “I was with them for seven years and was studying for the priesthood.”

However, when the brothers learned that their order was being relocated to Lithuania, all but two of them left – some  to different orders and others left the ministry completely. Pastor Jay was set to make his solemn vows in July. It was February 1991.

“But I heard in my heart a voice, ‘Go back to the diocese.’”

He called the Diocese of Providence, and the next week he met with the vocations director. He was accepted, and within a couple of weeks he was a seminary student at St. John’s in Brighton, MA. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 30, 1992.

Father Jay served one year at St. Matthew’s in Cranston in their diaconate program, and as a parochial vicar for two years at St. Gregory the Great in Warwick, two years at St. Kevin’s in Warwick, and six years at St. Francis Xavier in East Providence, the largest Portuguese parish in the diocese. He became pastor of the Church of the Holy Ghost in 2002.

“I love being a parish priest,” he said.

He lives in the rectory with his golden retriever, Mickey. There are icons, religious art and statues of saints in every room.

Father Jay first heard about the Internet in 1995.

“I had to check it out,” he said. “It sounded cool.”

Consequently, he bought his first Mac.

“I got the computer in August and by September started building websites,” he said.

He would develop websites for the Diocese of Providence, the Rhode Island Catholic newspaper and for his own parish.

“Those sites were one of the first online at that time,” he said. “I was doing all the things I could to evangelize. I saw the door to reach out beyond the parish.”

Although he heard about podcasting in 2005, he hesitated because he thought he would not have time for more tech.

But another priest, a good friend from the Netherlands, changed his mind.

“He was studying communications in Rome, and he took his little portable microphone and went around the city,” said Father Jay. “This was when the pope was dying, and he put it (their comments) online. The first day there were 100 people listening, but within a few days there were hundreds of thousands of downloads. Then I said, ‘If he can do it, I can do it.’”

Since his first podcast on Sept. 1, 2005, Father Jay has covered a multitude of topics with the theme, “All things Catholic, and then some!”

“Last night I did my 215^th episode,” he said. “I usually record on Sunday night.”

Schedule permitting, he tries to produce one episode a week.

“There are people out there who depend on it,” he said.

During the week, he interviews special guests, a segment that is prerecorded. He also chooses music, both religious and secular, that corresponds to the topic of the show.

“Everything we do can connect to the faith,” he said.

Episodes range from “Sound-seeing Tours of Italy,” to “A Day in the Life of a Priest.”

“People say I felt I was there. I could see what you were seeing,” he said. “They get to see the world through the eyes of a priest.”

To listen to an iPadre.net podcast on pets, visit http://www.ipadre.net/2009/01/11/ipadre-137-our-best-friends/

In addition to podcasts, viewers can watch Live Stream iPadre.tv and look in during any Mass at the Church of the Holy Ghost.

“I attached two webcams to the ceiling and one near the choir,” he said.

The first time he conducted a Latin Mass 300 viewers tuned in.

“I think it’s great – another opportunity,” said Father Jay. “We’re not limited. We are everywhere.”

For more information, visit iPadre.net.