Catholic Heritage with Dr. Italy

In this 13 minute podcast, Catholic Connection show host Teresa Tomeo interviews Dr. Italy about the election of Pope Leo XIV. Providentially, Dr. Italy was leading a pilgrimage in Rome and was in St. Peter's square on May 8, 2025, when the white smoke rose from the chimney.

Pick up your mat and Go Home -What the healing of the paralytic as recounted in the Gospel of Mark teaches us about the faith of the community and even infant baptism.  A reflection on the readings for the seventh (7th) Sunday in Ordinary Time, liturgical cycle B.

So what is meant by "fortresses" of faith? Much like the castles of medieval times, the saints serve as very visible guideposts, help us orient ourselves, and can even offer refuge in times of trouble. In this 7 minute podcast from the Sonrise Morning Show with host Anna Mitchell, Dr. Italy discusses the essential place of Mary and the saints in the Church and in our lives. He details how this pilgrimage down the Rhine river and the unique places that will be visited can bring bring us a deeper understanding and connection to some of our amazing brothers and sisters in heaven.

What is the Catholic Church all about? Do you know what it means to be Catholic? What do Catholics actually believe? The Catholic Church is extraordinary. Founded by Christ himself, the Catholic Church is where we encounter God in his Word, his sacraments, and his saints. The Church faithfully proclaims the fullness of faith, leaving no truth out. It proclaims the fullness of life, leaving no person out. It calls all to repent and to believe in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the source of all life and salvation.

In this 5 minute interview on the Sonrise Morning show, Dr. Italy discusses the amazing life and talents of St. Hildegard of Bingen, the medieval Benedictine abbess renowned for her visions, compositions, and prolific body of written work.  Pilgrims on Dr. Italy's 2023 Rhine Cruise will be visiting her relics and some of her monasteries.

You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, proclaims Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.  This seems to indicate that there is an essential role for passion, excitement and fire in the Christian life.

The Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes challenge us all. When Jesus calls blessed the poor in spirit and those hungry for righteousness, he is also condemning the self-satisfaction that leads to sloth, a deadly disease that's risen to epidemic proportions in the Western world.

February 2 is the feast of the Presentation of the Lord Jesus in the Temple.  It  commemorates Simeon's famous prophecy that Jesus would be a "light of revelation to the Gentiles."  It is also known as Candlemas since it is the day that candles are blessed for use throughout the Church year.

In this 14 minute podcast, Dr. Italy shares some insights into our predicament - we tend to be lulled to sleep spiritually through the constant motion of modern life.  This is especially true in Advent, which is perhaps the busiest time of the year due to how our society prepares for Christmas.  Yet the Lord calls us in Advent to wake up to his presence and to move aside the obstacles that block his path into our lives.  Pride is the chief obstacle, followed by the noise that makes it impossible to hear the still, small voice of the Lord.  The mountains of pride and distractions needs to be made low.

Dr. Italy continues his "virtual tour" of sites on his upcoming Rhine pilgrimage, exploring the city of Speyer, Germany, in this 7 min. radio interview.  Speyer has its beginnings in a Roman settlement, but in the early Middle Ages, it became an important center and imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire.  Speyer's cathedral is one of the earliest and most magnificent examples of the architectural style know as Romanesque.

Our Rhine pilgrimage has been nicknamed "the pilgrimage of the hidden gems.” Many of the sites and saints we'll be considering are not necessarily household words in the USA of the 21st century. But what precious discoveries await those who will be coming!

Our Rhine Cruise Pilgrimage in 2023 takes off from the breath-takingly beautiful city of Zurich, Switzerland. In this 6 minute radio interview with Anna Mitchell, host of the Son Rise Morning Show, Dr. Italy discusses the ancient history of this city and some of the incredible churches there that will be stops on the pilgrimage.

In this 7 minute radio interview on the Sonrise Morning Show, Dr. Italy highlights a destination on his upcoming 2023 Rhine pilgrimage that is known for it's spectacular beauty - the city of Lucerne, Switzerland. But more than just the majestic setting of Alpine mountains and lakes, the city offers a long and rich Catholic history to explore. What many today don't realize is that the city has its roots in a monastery of the early Middle Ages, and unlike most of its neighbors, Lucerne stood firm in its Catholic faith during the tumultuous years of the Protestant Reformation.

The ancient city of Strasbourg, sitting on the border of France and Germany, is a blend of cultures influences, with roots that go back to the Celts and Romans.  In this 8 min. interview from Catholic radio, Dr. Italy discusses the fascinating history of this town known today as the "Capital of Christmas".  But the heart of the town is its stunning cathedral, Notre Dame de Strasbourg, which took four centuries to complete.  This will be one of the first sites visited on the 2023 Rhine Cruise pilgrimage.

In this 7 minute podcast from the Sonrise Morning show on Catholic radio, Dr. Italy continues his discussion of the amazing saints and shrines of the Rhine River area - this time focusing on St. Meinrad and the beautiful Abbey of Our Lady of Einsiedeln, located near Zurich, Switzerland. During the time of Charlemagne, Meinrad, a Benedictine monk, journeyed to the hinterlands of Switzerland and Germany, seeking the solitude of the wilderness to live as a hermit. He carried with him a miraculous statue of Mary, which would later become known as the Black Madonna. St. Meinrad, a martyr of hospitality, has been the inspiration for the founding of many other monasteries, including the Archabbey of St. Meinrad in Indiana.

In this 7 minute radio interview on the Sonrise Morning Show, Dr. Italy continues a discussion on our Catholic heritage inspired by his upcoming pilgrimage cruise along the Rhine River.  The featured site explored in this interview is the amazing Cologne (or Köln, in German) Cathedral and its fascinating history and significance.

In this 6 minute radio interview with Anna Mitchell of the Sonrise Morning Show, Dr. Italy begins a discussion on the vast topic of how the Catholic Church built Western civilization.  Starting with the indomitable missionary monks of Ireland, he illustrates how they not only saved but helped build Western civilization by preserving and spreading literacy and literature across Europe.  He also discusses how his upcoming Rhine pilgrimage will focus on this theme, and how many of the sites to be visited are crucial examples of it.

In this 8 minute radio interview with Anna Mitchell from the Sonrise Morning Show, Dr. Italy discusses his new study series, What We Believe: The Beauty of the Catholic Faith, published by Ascension Press. This study aims to help people come to a greater insight and understanding of all aspects of the Catholic faith, but also to help them live the faith and follow Jesus in a more exuberant way. Our faith is not just a belief system or code of ethics, it's a dynamic relationship with God, and this study focuses on both head and heart.

In this 7 minute excerpt from a national radio interview, Dr. Italy describes his recent journey to Poland, Austria and Bavaria.  He then goes on to describe his upcoming Rhine pilgrimage Cruise focusing on the River of the Catholic Tradition and the extraordinary saints whose stories will be told along the way.

In this brief excerpt from the Sonrise Morning Show, Dr. Italy introduces listeners to the fascinating story of Edith Stein, born into an observant German Jewish family who abandoned religion as a young girl only to end her life as a Carmelite nun and a Christian martyr at Auschwitz.

The adulterous woman to whom Jesus said "neither do I condemn you" was the recipient of the free gift of a grace that was costly, not cheap.  She was called to leave behind the sin of adultery.  And the pardon of the adulteress cost Jesus his life.  For the 5th Sunday of Lent, cycle C.

7 minute interview of Dr. Italy by Anna Mitchell of the Sonrise Morning Show, on St. Polycarp, one of the most fascinating of the Apostolic Fathers, those who pass on to us what they heard from the apostles of Jesus.

The parable of the Prodigal or wasteful Son is more about the loving Father.  God is not a raging tyrant who must be appeased through the suffering of his Son.  Rather it's the extravagant love of Jesus, son of the extravagant Father, that makes atonement for our sins - the sacrifice of a spotless Passover Lamb.  For the 4th Sunday of Lent, cycle C.

The Solemnity or Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord is celebrated on March 25.  Here, in his typically lyrical language, Leo the Great ponders the unfathomable mystery of God becoming man in the womb of a Virgin, at the moment of conception. Through the Father's love and Mary's faith, the divine Word became flesh and dwelt among us, assuming a full human nature.

Is Lent about fasting or feasting? Maybe the two are related, says this commentary on the story of the barren fig tree from the gospel of Luke chapter 13. Prayer. Fasting. Almsgiving. Three inter-related fertilizers which help barren fig trees bear fruit. For the 3rd Sunday of Lent, cycle C.

This Sunday reading examines the relationship between the transfiguration and the passion of Christ, between Mount Tabor and Calvary.  It examines the question of whether God ever abandoned Jesus and makes for helpful reading either for the Feast of the Transfiguration on August 6 or during Lent and Holy Week. For the 2nd Sunday of Lent, cycle C.

The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew's gospel includes such tough commands as love your enemies, turn the other cheek, and judge not.  How are we to understand such things and put them into practice?  The examples of Jesus & St. Thomas More provide us with insight here.

Podcast excerpted from radio interview in which Dr. Italy offers some reflections on the apparitions of Mary to lowly shepherd girls in Lourdes in 1858.

The Beatitudes appear in the gospels of Matthew and Luke as part of the Sermon on the Mount. But what actually is the nature of true happiness?  Must we be miserable in this world to be happy in the next?  Faith and hope bring the lasting joy that is the essence of true blessedness.  For the 6th Sunday in Ordinary time, Cycle C.

Discipleship is about a call to embark upon an epic adventure, not about preserving the safe, comfortable and predictable mediocrity of business as usual.  The disciples left behind everything to follow Jesus, embarking upon a road that would lead them through danger to glory.  For the 5th Sunday in Ordinary time, cycle C.

In this 7 minute podcast, Dr. Italy discusses St. Thomas Aquinas and what he teaches us about the roles of faith and reason.  For his feast day on January 28.

7 minute Podcast on why the Church celebrates the Conversion of Saul of Tarsus, aka St. Paul, with a special feast.  Dr. Italy on the Sonrise Morning Show of EWTN.

The prophets of the Old and New Testaments show us that sometimes love demand that we speak truth that people don't want to hear.  Jeremiah was thrown into a cistern; Jesus was run out of Nazareth. This shows us that God's messengers shouldn't expect honor, respect, and popularity.  For the 4th Sunday in Ordinary time, cycle C.

Bible study and prayer with Scripture is absolutely necessary for Catholics.  As St. Jerome said, ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.  For the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary time, cycle C.

Everyone knows the story of the first of the Lord's "signs" -- how Jesus changed water into wine at the wedding feast of Cana at the request of Mary, his mother. But there is more to the story than at first meets the eye.

Before thanksgiving was an American holiday, it was a hallmark of the Judeo-Christian tradition.  All ancient peoples gave thanks for creation; only Jews and Christians believe that God acted decisively in history to secure our liberation from slavery.  Eucharist simply means thanksgiving -- and it is the supreme act of worship and thanks for the sacrifice that won our ultimate liberation.

Hear O Israel!  Most have heard of the Great Commandment - to love God with your whole heart and your neighbor as yourself.  But if God is just and salvation depends upon perfect obedience to this command, who can be saved?  For the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle B.

The story of Bartimaeus, the blind beggar who met Jesus on the road to Jericho, is a dramatic event from the Gospel of Mark that illustrates something very important about the true nature of Christian faith.  For the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle B.

Belief that God exists is not quite what Scripture means by faith.  The faith spoken of by Jesus, Paul, and John is a gift that is like a spiritual muscle - to be strong, it must be exercised.

Brothers John and James, the sons of Zebedee, had ambition. When they make their famous request for places of honor & privilege in Mark's gospel, Jesus takes the opportunity to teach them that leadership & true greatness consists in loving and serving, even to the point of sharing with Christ the cup of suffering.

In this podcast Dr. Italy describes the great Carmelite mystic, Teresa of Avila, pointing out how she combined practical wisdom, mysticism and a sense of  humor in an extraordinary way.

Some do the minimum in order to survive.  But we are called to seize every opportunity so we can truly thrive.  Proverbs says Wisdom has set a table for us.  Christ, Divine Wisdom incarnate, actually feeds us with two abundant tables - the feast of the Word and the Sacrament.  For the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle B.

Both the Rich Young Man in Mark's Gospel and King Solomon had a very difficult choice to make. In a similar moment of decision, what would be the desire of your heart? Wisdom and adventure, or comfort and convenience? Where do true riches...and security...lie?  For the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle B.

Is annulment just a Catholic Divorce?  This article explains the controversial Roman Catholic position on love, marriage, marital intimacy, divorce, remarriage and celibacy.

Dr. Italy discusses the Capuchin friar Padre Pio who in his lifetime was first famous in Italy and then the whole world for his stigmata and miracles worked through his intercession.

We so often condemn the Pharisees that we totally miss a sneaky way that we are often like them.  The hard saying of Jesus "if you hand causes you to sin, cut it off" is a kind of shock therapy to wake us up to the way we are hard on other's faults yet quite soft on our own.  It's time to take aggressive action against evil and say "no thanks" to the near occasion of sin!  For the 26th Sunday in Ordinary time, cycle B.

Envy, one of the seven deadly sins, is different from mere jealousy - it is darker and much more dangerous.  Yet its cunning can be - and has been - defeated.  For the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle B.

The word amen is familiar to all.  But few know its origins and its true meaning, which actually strikes at the very essence of what it means to believe and have rock-solid faith.

"Ephphatha!" The miracles of Jesus, particularly the story of Jesus' healing of the deaf - mute in the Gospel of Mark, raise a big questions -- did Jesus Christ truly work miracles and if so, was his motivation compassion or glory? For the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle B.

What does the term Tradition really mean? Is it opposed to the Bible? The sola scriptura principle of the Protestant Reformation assumed it was -- here we examine this assumption in the light of a few key scriptures.  For the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle B.

Christians are called to be not just believers, but intentional disciples who make a conscious decision to follow Jesus and him alone.  But discipleship can't be a one-time decision.  As in a marriage, the commitment must be renewed daily.  For the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle B.