Following Francis

In episode 11 of Following Francis, we welcome back Fr. Ben Owusu who is joined by Fr. Charlie Smiech, two Franciscan Friars who live here at the Monastery in Washington, DC. Throughout this episode, Fr. Ben and Fr. Charlie discuss their path to the Franciscan brotherhood, and vocations of all kinds – to be called to live a life of faith, to be called to the single life, married life and consecrated life.

In episode 10 of Following Francis, we learn that a pilgrim is more than a tourist, and a pilgrimage can expand a person's spirituality in many ways. Fr. Jim Gardiner and Fr. Ben Owusu join host Christopher Dwyer to discuss the spiritual impact of a pilgrimage, the significance behind the journey, and the importance of making time to take this trip of a lifetime.

Spiritual direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with the divine, or to learn and grow in their own personal spirituality. In episode 9 of Following Francis, Fr. Brian Meldrum provides insight into what spiritual direction is and how he applies it throughout priesthood. Fr. Meldrum is a priest for the Archdiocese of Detroit who is currently attending the Catholic University of America to study Sacred Scripture.

Joining us in Episode 8 of Following Francis is Jim Hunter, broadcaster for the Mid Atlantic Sports Network [MASN] as well as the Baltimore Orioles radio play-by-play announcer. Throughout this episode, we will discuss how this broadcaster continues to stay devoted to his faith amidst a crazy travel schedule, the connection between faith and baseball, and the future of the Baltimore Orioles.

On this week's episode of Following Francis, we continue our conversation about faith and religion in the school setting with Emily, Will, and Madelin, three students attending Catholic universities. All three students also recently completed an internship with Catholic Charities. We will uncover how attending a Catholic university has affected/benefited their religion, details about volunteering, and what faith and spirituality look like on campus.

In this episode of Following Francis, Chris Dwyer is joined by John Goldberg and John Paul Libonatti to discuss life as a campus minister and a student, respectively, at St. Anselm’s Abbey School, an all-boys preparatory school for grades 6-12 in Washington, D.C. Throughout the episode, they will cover campus ministry, finding spirituality, exploring faith, effects of social media on religion, finding your social circle, and much more.

In this episode of Following Francis, Chris Dwyer is joined by three young professionals who provide insight into their generation’s thoughts on faith and spirituality. Among other topics, these millennials will dive into why their generation doesn’t want to be identified with one particular religious order, the effects of social media on faith and spirituality, and why women should be a part of the Catholic Church.

In part two of our discussion with Gino and Mike, two young men on a journey to become Franciscan Friars, we take a deeper dive into the daily life of postulants. Gino and Mike also talk through the importance of community in a person’s spiritual life and tell us how they follow Francis.

In part one of this two-part episode, Chris Dwyer sits down with Gino Grivetti and Mike Specht, two young men on a journey to become Franciscan Friars. Gino and Mike discuss their paths to finding their vocation, how their friends and families reacted to their decision and why the Church is seeing a decline in youth pursuing a religious life.

In this episode of Following Francis, Chris Dwyer sits down with Lou Maroulis, CEO of the Franciscan Monastery Garden Guild, to talk about the Monastery’s century-old gardens and the volunteer group in charge of its preservation and protection. Special guest Amy Bachman, Director of Procurement and Sustainability from DC Central Kitchen, also joins the show to weigh in on the organization’s connection to the Monastery and how their gardens are ultimately helping to feed people in Washington, DC. Later, Fr. Michael Cusato returns to the podcast to discuss how St. Francis’s teachings guide the mission of the Franciscan Monastery Garden Guild.

Welcome to Following Francis – Join host Chris Dwyer and the Friars of the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America as they share stories of support from the Holy Land and engage in discussions with special guests about Franciscan spirituality and the Catholic faith.In the very first episode, Chris sits down with Fr. Larry Dunham to discuss the Franciscan Friars, and their work here in the US and in the Holy Land. Plus, Fr. Michael Cusato joins the show to educate our viewers on St. Francis and how the Franciscan Friars became the guardians of the Holy Land.