Busted Halo Show w/Fr. Dave Dwyer

In this second dispatch from the Jubilee Pilgrimage, led by Father Dave, Brett, Lino Rulli, and Tyler Veghte of “The Catholic Guy Show,” we hear more about their experiences in Rome. They traveled through the holy doors of all four papal basilicas in Rome and Vatican City: Saint Peter, Saint Paul Outside the Walls, Saint John Lateran, and Saint Mary Major.

Father Dave and Brett joined Lino Rulli and Tyler Veghte of “The Catholic Guy Show” on SiriusXM's Catholic Channel for a pilgrimage to Italy for the Jubilee Year. They led 90 pilgrims through holy sites in Siena, Florence, and Rome. 

Father Dave welcomes Tom Corcoran to discuss how small group interactions can help revitalize parishes. Tom is the president of Rebuilt Parish, as well as lay associate to the pastor at Church of the Nativity in Maryland. He is co-author of the new book, “The Transformative Power of Small Groups: A 7-Step Guide for Building Vibrant Catholic Communities.”

Father Dave welcomes back Timothy O'Malley to discuss how we can better relate to Mary as our Blessed Mother. O'Malley is associate director at the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame, and the author of the new book “A Fierce and Tender Love: 7 Meditations on Mary, Mother of God.”

As Pope Leo XIV begins his pontificate, Father Dave welcomes back Dr. Matthew Bunson to discuss his new biography, “LEO XIV: Portrait of the First American Pope.” Dr. Bunson is Vice President and Editorial Director of EWTN News.  

We all feel restless at times, and Father Dave welcomes back Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith to discuss finding our identity in Christ. Dr. Saundra is a board-certified internal medicine physician, the CEO of Restorasis, and the author of “Being Fully Known: The Joyful Satisfaction of Beholding, Becoming, and Belonging.”

A listener named Matt wonders about the timing of priesthood ordinations. Matt asks, “In different states, why is the ordination of the priests different and not all the same?”

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and also a time we honor Mary as our Blessed Mother. Father Dave welcomes back Scott Weeman, founder of Catholic in Recovery, to discuss his new book, “The Recovery Rosary: Meditations for Those Impacted by Addiction, Compulsions, and Unhealthy Attachments.”

Father Dave and Lino Rulli from SiriusXM's The Catholic Channel share the first moments following the election of Pope Leo XIV while broadcasting from Vatican City.

We are called to share our faith joyfully, and Father Dave welcomes Shemaiah Gonzalez to discuss her new book, “Undaunted Joy: The Revolutionary Act of Cultivating Delight.”

Father Dave welcomes back journalist and papal biographer Austen Ivereigh to discuss the legacy of Pope Francis and what's next for the global Church. Austen is the author of two biographies of Pope Francis, and he and the pope co-wrote a book called, “Let Us Dream: The Path to a Better Future.”

Father Dave continues his conversation with John Allen, Jr., as the Holy Spirit will soon guide the College of Cardinals in the papal conclave. John is editor of Crux, an independent Catholic news service that aims to be an objective voice in Catholic media, and has written twelve books on the Vatican and Catholic affairs.

Father Dave welcomes film producer Jim Wahlberg to talk about the new movie “Carlo Acutis: Roadmap to Reality,” which is in theaters until May 1st. The movie's theatrical release was scheduled to coincide with the canonization of Carlo Acutis, though that Mass is now postponed following the passing of Pope Francis.

As we continue to mourn the loss of Pope Francis, Father Dave welcomes back John Allen, Jr. to reflect on the papacy. John is editor of Crux, an independent Catholic news service that aims to be an objective voice in Catholic media. He has written twelve books on the Vatican and Catholic affairs.

Holy Week and Passover coincide in 2025, and Father Dave welcomes back Rabbi Brad Hirschfield to discuss this meaningful time of year.

A listener named Alex asks Father Dave about the Eucharistic Prayer. Alex says, “In the Mass, Eucharistic Prayer I has a lengthy list of saints. How is this list determined, and can the presider add or subtract names to the list?”  

Many feel God's presence while spending time outdoors, and Father Dave welcomes Father John Nepil to discuss his faith connection to hiking the Colorado Trail. Father John is an avid hiker and mountaineer, and he has celebrated Mass atop all 54 of Colorado's highest peaks. His new book is called “To Heights and Unto Depths: Letters from the Colorado Trail.”

Father Dave answers a question from a listener named Steven about how the Church elects a new pope. Steven asks, “I'm praying for Pope Francis' health every day, but if he passes away, what are the next steps for electing a new pope?”

Many grew up watching the Christian animated series “VeggieTales,” and Father Dave welcomes the show's co-creator Mike Nawrocki to discuss sharing faith with kids. Mike wrote and directed episodes of the hit show as well as both theatrical-release films, and he served as the voice of Larry the Cucumber. Mike's latest project is a new kids show called, “The Dead Sea Squirrels,” based on his own book series.   

A listener named Jim asks Father Dave about Sunday Mass readings during Lent. Jim says, “At Mass [on the Third Sunday of Lent], I was expecting the Gospel to be from Luke about the fig tree, but the actual Gospel that was read was from John about [the woman at the well.] Why would that change?”  

A listener named Marty asks Father Dave about the presence of Holy Water in churches during Lent. “I was a parishioner at a church that took Holy Water out of the church for Lent and replaced it in the fonts with sand,” Marty says. “I strongly questioned it, and they relented and returned it. It's not right to take Holy Water out of a Catholic church for Lent, correct?”

Fasting is a pillar of Lent, and Father Dave welcomes Sister Nancy Usselmann to discuss how fasting from the digital world can impact our faith. Sister Nancy is a Daughter of Saint Paul, the Director of Pauline Media Studies, and the author of “Media Fasting: Six Weeks to Recharge in Christ.”

A listener named Dan asks Father Dave for advice on current struggles in his spiritual life due to politics. Dan says, “I am at a point where my faith is barely hanging by a thread, because so many people I know support political policies that fly in the face of the teachings of Jesus and are based in hate and fear.”  

March celebrates Women's History Month, and Father Dave welcomes Taryn DeLong and Elise Crawford Gallagher to examine work-life balance from the viewpoint of Catholic women. Taryn and Elise are the co-presidents of the online community Catholic Women in Business and the authors of “Holy Ambition: Thriving as a Catholic Woman at Work and at Home.”  

As division and polarization continue to plague our world, Father Dave welcomes Bob Bordone to discuss how conflict can be an opportunity to forge stronger relationships. Bob is Senior Fellow at Harvard Law School as well as the founder and former director of the Harvard Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program. His latest book, co-authored with neurologist Dr. Joel Salinas, is called, “Conflict Resilience: Negotiating Disagreement Without Giving Up or Giving In.”  

A caller named Samuel asks Father Dave about the wording in the Our Father. “I don't know if maybe I'm overthinking this, but in the Lord's Prayer, there's that part we say, ‘lead us not into temptation.' Why do we say that?” Samuel asks. “I just took it as a given that there's no circumstance in which God would deliberately tempt us to sin, and I was just wondering what the significance was of asking God to not lead us into temptation.”

Team Busted Halo recently traveled across the country to broadcast from the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, but one of our guests traveled all the way from Australia to speak at the event! Father Dave welcomes Father Richard Leonard, a Jesuit priest and pastor of Our Lady of the Way in North Sydney. He is the author of numerous books including, “Why God? Stories to Inspire Faith” and “Hatch, Match and Dispatch: A Catholic Guide to Sacraments” from Paulist Press.

Lent is almost here, and Father Dave welcomes Colleen Reiss Vermeulen to discuss her new book, “Simply Scripture for Lent and Easter: A Daily Guide to Reading the Bible.” Colleen is the co-founder of CatholicBiblicalSchool.org and a teacher and director with the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan.

While broadcasting from the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, Father Dave welcomes Vatican Observatory Director Brother Guy Consolmagno to discuss two of his latest books, “When Science Goes Wrong: The Desire and Search for Truth” and “A Jesuit's Guide to the Stars: Exploring Wonder, Beauty, and Science.”

As we approach Lent, Father Dave welcomes Josh Noem, editorial director of Ave Maria Press, to discuss his new devotional, “Lord Show Me the Way.”

We are all called to share the Gospel with the world, and Father Dave welcomes Father David Michael Moses, who seeks to evangelize through social media. In addition to his service as a diocesan priest in Texas, Father David Michael has a popular presence online where he shares stories of his priestly life.

Pope Francis' prayer intention for the month of February is for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, and Father Dave welcomes Rhonda Gruenewald to discuss how we can better foster those callings. Rhonda is the president and founder of Vocation Ministry, which works internationally with parishes and schools to establish or revive their own vocation ministries on the local level.

As we strive to be saints in the making, Father Dave welcomes Daryl Grigsby to highlight holy men and women from his new book, “Catholics for the Common Good: An Eternal Offering.”   

The Vatican released a new document on the relationship between artificial and human intelligence, and Father Dave highlights sections of the 30-page note. "Antiqua et Nova,” is a joint project between the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Dicastery for Culture and Education.

A listener named Ashley asks Father Dave, “Can you help me appreciate Ordinary Time? It just feels like downtime until the next important season.”

You may have memorized the words to a favorite song or quote, but have you ever tried memorizing Scripture? Father Dave welcomes back friend of the show Jackie Angel to discuss her new book and accompanying podcast is called “Memorize Scripture: Simple Steps to Pray, Ponder, and Practice God's Word.”  

Father Dave answers an anonymous question regarding a prayer often said at Mass. The listener asks, “What is meant by ‘Light from Light' in the Nicene Creed?”

2025 celebrates a Jubilee year in the Catholic Church, and Father Dave welcomes Scripture teacher and veteran tour guide Joan Watson to discuss. She is pilgrim formation manager for Verso Ministries and author of the new book, “Opening the Holy Door: Hope-Filled Scripture Reflections from St. Peter's Basilica.”

New Year's Day is often viewed as a fresh start, but 2025 began in sorrow following an attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Brett shares his emotions about the tragedy as a New Orleans resident, and team Busted Halo discusses finding hope in times of despair.

A listener named Beth asks Father Dave how she can best support her son who is discerning his vocation. “At the age of 12, my son told me that he thinks he wants to be a priest when he grows up. That thought hasn't changed in the past year,” she says. “Just looking for some extra input, because I'm worried about being a bad mom. Don't get me wrong, both my husband and I would be thrilled if he becomes a priest, but we don't want to make any accidental missteps. If Father Dave could [offer] some reassurance, I would greatly appreciate it.”

As the new year approaches, Father Dave welcomes Father Mark-Mary Ames to discuss a new resource to help you grow closer to Christ through the Blessed Mother in 2025. Father Mark-Mary is the Director of Communications and the Director of Priestly Studies of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and the host of the upcoming “The Rosary in a Year” podcast from Ascension.

The holiday season is often a time of joy, but it can also highlight grief in our lives. To help families who are facing loss, Father Dave welcomes back Anthony DeStefano to discuss his new children's book, “Christmas in Heaven.”

Advent is a time to reflect on the incarnation, and Father Dave welcomes Catholic director D.J. Caruso to discuss his new Netflix film “Mary” all about the Blessed Mother. The film stars young Israeli actors as Mary and Joseph, as well as two-time Academy Award Winner Anthony Hopkins as King Herod.

A listener named Matt asks Father Dave about an upcoming Marian solemnity. He says, “Why is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception moved from December 8 to December 9 [this year]?”  

There is a lot to celebrate during the holiday season, and Father Dave welcomes Steffani Aquila to help us better honor Catholic feasts in our homes all year. Steffani is founder of Liturgy Culture and Kitchen by His Girl Sunday, an online space inspiring Catholic culture and liturgical living in the home and parish. Her new book is called “Festive Faith: Catholic Celebrations Through the Year and Around the World.”

Since its Broadway debut 21 years ago, the musical “Wicked” has transported audiences to Oz for a nuanced story about good, evil, and human nature. As part one of the movie adaptation arrives in theaters, Father Dave welcomes acclaimed Hollywood director Jon M. Chu. In addition to “Wicked,” he is known for directing visually ambitious blockbuster event films, such as “Crazy Rich Asians” and “In the Heights.”

A listener named Kay asks Fr. Dave, “How does the Church want one to complete an advanced directive?”

As we look forward to Advent and Christmas, Father Dave welcomes Rebecca and Stephen Grabill to talk about how to live out these seasons in your home. They share ideas for liturgical living in their new book, “The Joy of Advent: Family Celebrations for Advent & the Twelve Days of Christmas.”

An anonymous listener asks Father Dave, “What does the Bible say about reincarnation?

While discussing Father Dave's duties as First Consultor for the Paulist Fathers, Father Dave, Brett, and Krista talk about handling the more mundane moments of one's vocation.

As the United States approaches the 2024 presidential election, Father Dave welcomes back Father Bryan Massingale to discuss voting as a Catholic and overcoming division as we move forward. Father Bryan is professor of theological and social ethics at Fordham University in New York.