Breaking In The Habit
Breaking In The Habit is a YouTube channel (handle @BreakingInTheHabit) run by Fr. Casey Cole, OFM, a Franciscan friar and Catholic priest. It is dedicated to evangelization, catechesis, and offering personal reflections and explanations from a Catholic and Franciscan perspective to help Christians become better disciples of Jesus Christ and discern their vocation.
According to the channel's public description (as of June 2026): "Offering personal reflections and explanations from a Catholic and Franciscan perspective for Christians who want to become better disciples of Jesus Christ and discern their vocation." The channel was started in 2015 and is based in the United States. As of June 2026, it has approximately 476K–477K subscribers and 725 uploaded videos. It has accumulated tens of millions of views overall.
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The episodes are regularly captured in Digital media collection (assuming integration into the wiki's practices for similar channels).
Add new episode
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDvr6IMjxl4&list=PLIEHvf1_M4UvSCvGS5eS0oiDQWumha554
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQYnvrlK-J8
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVCdoFzel6Q
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8x65DvjydyE
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hw_adCGj1WI
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNFpcUp5nBw
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2r_qciuJPw
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XFCqXf80nE
Existing episodes
| Name | Type | Saint | SubscriptionRequired | Length | Language | TargetAudience | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Type | Saint | SubscriptionRequired | Length | Language | TargetAudience | Tags |
| Breaking In The Habit/Who is the REAL St. Francis? | Video | Saint Francis | Free | 5–15 minutes | English | Everyone |
Content and style
Based on publicly visible video titles, descriptions, and long-running series (as of June 2026), the channel focuses on accessible Catholic teaching, Franciscan spirituality, personal vocation stories, and responses to contemporary questions in the Church. Fr. Casey Cole presents content in an engaging, relatable, and often light-hearted style that combines personal Franciscan life experiences with clear theological explanations.
Key topics and recurring elements include:
- Franciscan life, religious vocation, and daily friar experiences
- Catechesis on the Mass, sacraments, prayer, and Church teachings
- Responses to common questions, myths, and cultural issues facing Catholics
- Evangelization, discipleship, and practical faith formation
- Discussions on saints, Scripture, moral theology, and current events in the Church
Popular formats include short explanatory videos, Q&A sessions, series on specific doctrines (e.g., Marian dogmas), reflections on traditions and habits, and occasional longer talks or documentaries. Production quality is professional yet approachable — featuring Fr. Casey speaking directly to camera, often with simple visuals, humor, and a warm, conversational tone grounded in Franciscan joy and orthodoxy. The channel also maintains an associated blog (breakinginthehabit.org) and has inspired related projects and collaborations.
Reception
Breaking In The Habit is one of the more influential and long-standing Catholic YouTube channels, widely appreciated for making Franciscan spirituality and Catholic teaching accessible to a broad audience. With nearly 500K subscribers and millions of views, it has helped many viewers deepen their faith, discern vocations, or better understand the Church. Reception is generally positive in Catholic circles, though, like many online Catholic creators, it occasionally sparks discussion on specific emphases or phrasing. Fr. Casey’s work is frequently recommended alongside other major Catholic media apostolates.