The Catholic Feminist

Follow: Logging Out and Leaning In, a serial non-fiction book available only to Letters subscribers. You're probably reading this on your cell phone. And just before you read this, you probably saw something else that made you mad. A controversial hot take. A perfectly-primped-and-primed mom influencer with her five children in identical rust-toned overalls. A “Christian” influencer holding not-so-Christian opinions. Follow is an 9-part serialized book that's equal parts hope-filled invitation and steadfast anthem to find freedom from social media practices that are hurting our souls and crushing our spiritual lives. Because following Jesus doesn't take place on a cell phone. You don't have to give in to the cultural captivity of social media. Follow will help Catholics everywhere step forward into faith by logging out of the echo chamber and leaning in to the world around us—the kingdom gift we've been given. Follow will be available to all subscribers to our Substack newsletter, Letters from a Catholic Feminist, and released in serial form. I'm living out my lifelong dream of publishing how Charles Dickens and Louisa May Alcott did—piece by piece. From April to December, Letters subscribers will receive a chapter of Follow, as well as a worksheet to help themselves narrow in on how they want to use (or not use) social media to bring about the kingdom of God. Get signed up today by subscribing to Letters From a Catholic Feminist at the catholicfeministpodcast.com/letters. 

Oh, my sisters—it has been the absolute joy of a lifetime. May we continue to believe in Christ, in the church, and in ourselves. I just wanted to chat with you today about how to walk forward as a Catholic feminist, and how to celebrate the Gospel goodness + your fellow sisters. Please, please, please stay connected with the Catholic Feminist! I'll still be on Instagram. You can check out my books. I hope you consider joining us on pilgrimage. Maybe you'll even hop on our subscriber list for Letters from a Catholic Feminist! It has been an honor to learn from YOU, sister. May we keep learning. This episode was brought to you by Awaken My Heart, a new book by Emily Wilson Hussem. Check it out at AveMariaPress.com! This episode was also brought to you by Hallow, the meditation app for Catholics. Go to Hallow.com/catholicfeminist for a free 30-day trial.

This spring, when many of us were unable to attend Mass, we felt the ache for normalcy and the sacraments. Personally, it reminded me that all around the world, millions of Christians are being persecuted for their faith--that the ability to safely attend mass is a privilege I have that so many others don't. Today's guest is Gia Chacon, founder of For The Martyrs. Gia's passion for speaking up for persecuted Christians is truly inspiring and I learned SO much from her about things going on in Iran, Nigeria, and other places around the globe. I hope our episode reminds you of the gift of a persecution-free faith and emboldens you to continue speaking up for your own religious rights.  This episode was brought to you by Gather Together, a new book out from Ave Maria Press. Check it out at avemariapress.com! This episode was also brought to you by Hallow, the meditation app for Catholics. Go to Hallow.com/catholicfeminist for a free 30-day trial.

Juggling motherhood + business as an artist isn't easy for anyone, and today's guest is no exception. Ann Vaeth of Paper Monestary is helping us understand how motherhood can HELP our art, not hinder it, and how she thrives as a Catholic artist when the artistic world is so secular. So often these days, motherhood is shown as a hinderance to artistic endeavors and I love this truly feminist perspective from Ann. We also discuss her conversion to the faith, if Ann struggles with comparison on Instagram, and how she balances the business side of her art. Enjoy! This episode was brought to you by Ave Explores, an initiative of Ave Maria Press. Sign up for all of the free content at avemariapress.com and learn what the holy witness of the saints means for us. This episode was also brought to you by Hallow, the meditation app for Catholics. Go to Hallow.com/catholicfeminist for a free 30-day trial.

You've heard it constantly: the “nones” are the fastest growing religion in the world. Why are we hemorrhaging Catholics? Author, wife, and mama Mallory Smyth breaks down why she spent time away from the Catholic faith and what brought her back. In her story, we can find lessons learned about keeping, spreading, and living the faith. This isn't a board meeting of parish workers talking about How to Attract the Millennials, it's just 2 friends sharing their own stories of finding Jesus in the Catholic Church and working to rekindle a love for him in others. This episode was brought to you by Ave Explores, an initiative of Ave Maria Press. Sign up for all of the free content at avemariapress.com and learn what the holy witness of the saints means for us. This episode was also brought to you by Hallow, the meditation app for Catholics. Go to Hallow.com/catholicfeminist for a free 30-day trial.  

It's one of the joys of the podcast that I get to sometimes sit with my besties and do deep dives over their life decisions--ha! On today's show, we're chatting with Emily Linn, a young adult minister within the Diocese of Milwaukee. Emily is a wife, mom, and passionate ministry worker who has some great insight into burnout. What does burnout feel like? How do you know if you should step away from your ministry job? How do you know if you're truly 'called' to ministry? These are the questions Emily and I tackle together, and it was a gift to have her on the show. If you're currently experiencing burnout within your ministry job, know this: Jesus sees you. He does. Even--especially--when others don't.  This episode was brought to you by Ave Explores, an initiative of Ave Maria Press. Sign up for all of the free content at avemariapress.com and learn what the holy witness of the saints means for us. This episode was also brought to you by Sock Religious. For 10% off a pair of Catholic socks, enter FEM10 at checkout.

Did you know that 1 in 5 women use the Internet for sexual activity every single week?! My mind was blown when I learned that statistic. When you know it's THAT large a number, you know it has to be an awful lot of Catholics engaging in practices that dehumanize our brothers and sisters and shred God's design for healthy sex. Today's guest, Bella Bryant, knows exactly what it's like to suffer from pornography addiction. She's here to share her story of healing, how her sexual abuse as a child impacted her addiction, and why she's so focused on helping others know their true worth and break the bonds of porn. Enjoy! This episode was brought to you by Ave Explores, an initiative of Ave Maria Press. Sign up for all of the free content at avemariapress.com and learn what the holy witness of the saints means for us. This episode was also brought to you by Sock Religious. For 10% off a pair of Catholic socks, enter FEM10 at checkout.

Here's the tricky part about being a feminist: I want every woman to feel confident and empowered…and I also want every woman to be healthy. And I know that right now, especially in America, we're not. So how can we treat our bodies like temples while also avoiding fat shaming or pride? Today's guest, Rebecca Dussault, is an Olympic cross-country skier and a mom of six with a passion for the intersection of fitness and faith. We dive into allllll of it: why she thinks the Olympics committees dislike motherhood, why she's so passionate about fitness, and why she thinks treating our bodies well is a way of loving God. I loved talking to Rebecca and I hope your chat resonates with you today! This episode was brought to you by Ave Explores, an initiative of Ave Maria Press. Sign up for all of the free content at avemariapress.com and learn what the holy witness of the saints means for us. This episode was also brought to you by Sock Religious. For 10% off a pair of Catholic socks, enter FEM10 at checkout.

Danielle Noonan is a singer, songwriter, speaker, and mama with a passion for following God's call—even when it meant moving her family out to a farm! I loved chatting with Danielle today all about the beauty of art within the Catholic Church, what COVID has been like as a musician, and what her songwriting process entails. We also dive in to why she decided to join us on our 2021 pilgrimage to France. Enjoy! This episode was brought to you by Ave Explores, an initiative of Ave Maria Press. Sign up for all of the free content at avemariapress.com and learn what the holy witness of the saints means for us. This episode was also brought to you by Sock Religious. For 10% off a pair of Catholic socks, enter FEM10 at checkout.

In today's episode, we're talking with writer and podcaster Samantha Stephenson all about egg donation, surrogacy, and other troubling bioethics developments that the world accepts and the church refuses. Why is that? Isn't egg donation just #womenhelpingwomen? Isn't surrogacy just helping women who want to have kids have them?! Not so, says Samantha--in fact, her insight as to why these procedures are harmful for women is incredibly interesting and she provides tons of resources for those interested in learning more. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by Select to Give, a charitable giving program that helps persecuted Christians in the Holy Land. 

Today, I'm bringing YOUR questions to Danielle Brown, the Associate Director of the USCCB's Committee Against Racism. We're talking everything from Black Lives Matter to talking to your specific priest about racial justice to how to have conversations about race in a way that honors God. It's easy, sisters, to be angry and allow our anger to divide us from our fellow sisters. To paint them as caricatures and dehumanize. It's harder to have conversations in a way that views each person as Imago Dei, searches for real solutions, and relies on grace. Enjoy!

A few months ago I heard one of my favorite podcasters mention that she went to marriage counseling sometimes with her husband, and I'm embarrassed to admit that I was a bit…scandalized. I know! I stink. But in my mind, marriage therapy was for people who were, like, borderline divorce. It seemed awkward and shameful. And even though we'd had plenty of episodes on therapy, I realized I still had barriers built up around the idea of marriage counseling. Thankfully, marriage and family therapist Jessica Barboza could join me for a chat all about what marriage therapy is (and isn't!) She's also very passionate about the pre-cana experience and how our marriage prep classes often fail to truly prepare couples for the sacrament of marriage. This episode is perfect for any engaged women or women who have been struggling to communicate well with their husband and have been considering marriage therapy. I loved talking to Jessica and I'm honored to feature our conversation today—enjoy!

In today's episode, we're chatting with Karna Lozoya, a veteran Catholic reporter with a nose for news and a passion for the truth. We talk all about her new podcast, Crisis, which explores the origins and reforms of the sexual abuse crisis within our church. I especially enjoyed hearing about Karna's experience interviewing victims and how it impacted her views as a Catholic. This is a heavy topic handled with grace and compassion, and while it may frustrate you as it did me, I hope that it also empowers you to constantly speak the truth, no matter what the consequences may be. Today's episode is brought to you by Letters From a Catholic Feminist, our new biweekly newsletter. When the CFP finale airs in November, you can still get your Catholic feminism fix by reading Catholic essays, book roundups, guest articles, and more twice a month.

Amanda Vernon grew up singing hymns passed down from generations before her since her father told her if she was singing, she might as well be praying. And she never stopped doing either! Today, Amanda is an accomplished musician with four kids who spreads the Gospel through the gift of music. She's also a writer, and her book discusses the tumultuous time in her life when she dated a man who eventually discerned the priesthood. I absolutely loved her insight on intimacy: why do we all need it? Why is it so vital? How can we find it if we're NOT currently married? Amanda is a true gift to our church and I hope our conversation resonates with you! This episode has been brought to you by Audible. For a free audio book and a free 30-day trial, head to audibletrial.com/catholic. This episode has also been brought to you by the CLT exam. Check out cltexam.com to learn more about this SAT/ACT alternative. 

This ones for my book nerds: where you at?

When I first read Sister Desiré's public letter on being the only black Felician sister, I was struck by one line in particular: that she felt invisible. As Catholic feminists, we know that we don't want a single one of our sisters to not feel seen, known, encouraged, and loved. So I invited Sr. on the show to walk us through why she feels that way, how we can be better listeners to one another, and how we can acknowledge pain while searching for solutions within the racial justice movement. We also discuss her love for dance and how she uses this hobby as a beautiful, awe-inspiring prayer. This episode is perfect for you if you've been struggling to understand why some of our sisters who identify as black are upset, and want to have a conversation about it in a way that points towards Christ. Enjoy! This episode has been brought to you by Audible. For a free audio book and a free 30-day trial, head to audibletrial.com/catholic. This episode has also been brought to you by the CLT exam. Check out cltexam.com to learn more about this SAT/ACT alternative. 

Are you a cradle Catholic or a loud & proud convert? Today's guest, Claudine Noel, shares her story of falling in love with the Catholic faith and being baptized with zero family present. Her vulnerability and strength were so inspiring to me, and are part of what makes her a phenomenal life coach! Claudine is here to share with us how she embodies the feminine genius in her life coaching business, what the difference is between life coaching, therapy, and spiritual direction, and the importance of finding leaders who are *Catholic* and not going to try and convince you to meditate with your crystals or something.

Jesus hung out with the poor. But you know who funds Catholic Relief Services, builds the churches, donates the food, influences the culture? The rich, friend. If you have greater than $4,000 in property or your bank account, congratulations—you're in the top 50% of wealth owners in the world. Today's guest is Elena Nunez Murdock, a passionate Latina and entrepreneur whose new company, Mission 2 Launch, helps Catholics transform their careers. Elena and I are talking all about wealth: is it bad? Can we have it? Can we strive for it? Can we be capitalists? I absolutely love Elena's insight on the importance of being bold, chasing your dreams, and viewing money as a tool for either good or evil. I also really appreciate her passion for diversity and her focus on having a company that represents the universality of the church. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by Select International Tours. Plan a pilgrimage for 2021 and beyond by heading to selectinternationaltours.com/feminist. Today's episode is also brought to you by the CLT exam. Bring classics into your standardized testing by visiting cltexam.com and learning about this SAT/ACT alternative. 

During COVID, are you spending a lot more time online than usual? If so...who are you paying attention to? Your IRL friends? Popular Catholic speakers? Are they diverse in thought and culture? Are they intelligent? Are they funny? Do they speak to people with charity? Today's guest is Sam Povlock, an online-turned-real friend and the founder of FemCatholic. Sam was on the show before a million years ago but I'm thrilled to have her back to talk about her new online community, FIAT. We also discuss how listening has been bringing her closer to God lately and why she thinks women utilizing their own unique gifts is what will truly change the world. I also enjoyed chatting with her about the word feminist: why is it so inflammatory? Should it be? If you still have hesitations about calling yourself a feminist or if people you know to be perfectly pleasant turn into...less-than-charitable-children-of-God online, this is the perfect episode for you! Today's episode is brought to you by Select International Tours. Plan a pilgrimage for 2021 and beyond by heading to selectinternationaltours.com/feminist. Today's episode is also brought to you by the CLT exam. Bring classics into your standardized testing by visiting cltexam.com and learning about this SAT/ACT alternative. 

We're told that we can't look away from problems of the world: we must be knee-deep in activism at all times, constantly aware...but is it okay to step back? To let things sink in before responding in a flash? Heck yes says today's podcast guest. Maribel Rodriguez Laguna is a therapist on the board of the Catholic Psychotherapy Association. We chat about why burnout occurs, why so many "wounded healers" enter ministry and mission work, and why there's *still* so much stigma around mental health issues in Catholicism. Her insight on the history of the field of psychology is so interesting, and I love what she has to say about knowing when it's time to seek counseling. This episode is perfect for anyone who feels they may want to take the leap and try therapy, as well as anyone who feels a little "ehhh" about the field of psychology. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by Select International Tours. Plan a pilgrimage for 2021 and beyond by heading to selectinternationaltours.com/feminist. Today's episode is also brought to you by the CLT exam. Bring classics into your standardized testing by visiting cltexam.com and learning about this SAT/ACT alternative. 

Real healing is not a passive process. It's active. It requires bravery. It requires leaning in. It requires vulnerability. These are things we know but fail to act on. We'd rather drown our sorrows in #hustling, in alcohol, in social media pseudo justice. Especially when the hurt came from the church or its members, how do we find true healing in Christ? Heather Khym is a wife, mom, podcaster, and speaker with a passion for helping women find true healing in their lives. Today on the show she talks about how her husband's pornography addiction introduced her to the importance of spiritual healing, how people who have been hurt by the church can start to lean into healing, why healing takes bravery, and why she started her popular podcast Abiding Together. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by Select International Tours. Plan a pilgrimage for 2021 and beyond by heading to selectinternationaltours.com/feminist. Today's episode is also brought to you by the CLT exam. Bring classics into your standardized testing by visiting cltexam.com and learning about this SAT/ACT alternative. 

Let's talk about sex, baby

Can I be honest for a sec? Sometimes, when I hear about people leading entire marches or writing important policies or starting non-profits, I start to wonder if what I do is insignificant. I know that's not a very feminist thought—how often on here do we talk about different women having different callings?! But that doesn't mean the thought doesn't bop through my head now and then. All I do is write children's books and potty train toddlers and talk about Jesus, I think. How am I contributing to the world? So I had to ask today's guest, folk singer Marie Miller, if she's ever felt that way. I loved the way she broke down why beauty is so important even in extremely difficult times. We also talked about why she decided to ditch her large record label, what it's like to change your tune literally and figuratively, and why “little dreams” are sometimes the most important things we can chase. Enjoy! (And then go download her new album because I can NOT stop listening to it!) Today's episode is brought to you by Select International Tours. Plan a pilgrimage for 2021 and beyond by heading to selectinternationaltours.com/feminist. Today's episode is also brought to you by the CLT exam. Bring classics into your standardized testing by visiting cltexam.com and learning about this SAT/ACT alternative. 

If you're a feminist, you're probably familiar with Betty Friedan's “Problem That Has No Name.” This was the idea that “housewives” of the 50s and 60s and widespread unhappiness that stemmed from their oppression. While some of that is certainly factual—being a woman in the 60s had plenty of very real burdens, some of which Betty Friedan correctly identified—today's guest, Sue Ellen Browder, believes that problem DOES have a name: a God-sized hole in our hearts. Sue Ellen is a former writer for Cosmopolitan who witnessed firsthand as the media created the sexual revolution and tried to push women towards a freedom that actually wasn't free at all. She breaks down what the “false feminism” of the second wave feminist movement was, why she continues to identify as a feminist, and why we as modern women can't opt-out when it comes to fighting against lies from the pages of magazines. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by Select International Tours. Plan a pilgrimage for 2021 and beyond by heading to selectinternationaltours.com/feminist. Today's episode is also brought to you by the CLT exam. Bring classics into your standardized testing by visiting cltexam.com and learning about this SAT/ACT alternative. 

The past couple of weeks have taught us more than ever that the media plays a fundamental role in our screwed-up society. Love 'em or hate 'em or somewhere-in-between-'em-because-they-are-varied-humans, reporters are still very much a gatekeeper in between the public and what's going on in the world. Sure, anyone can take a video on their phone and throw it up on Twitter, but journalists are the people who help us contextualize and verify truth.  Or at least...they should be. But some outlets have very much broken the American people's trust. I wanted to talk to an actual journalist about the ups and downs of trying to find the truth in a world that likes to play hard and loose with the facts.  In today's episode, journalist Kara Dixon breaks down where to look for news if you're concerned about bias, the hardest parts of being a journalist in a world where #fakenews is a hashtag, what it's been like to be reporting COVID-19.  Today's episode is brought to you by Select International Tours. Plan a pilgrimage for 2021 and beyond by heading to selectinternationaltours.com/feminist. Today's episode is also brought to you by the CLT exam. Bring classics into your standardized testing by visiting cltexam.com and learning about this SAT/ACT alternative. 

My name is Claire + I'm a control-aholic. It's true! I love control like the Julia Child loved butter. And although parenting is basically one long exercise in letting go of control, the truth is, I do have some control over my little ones. I decide we're going to Mass on Sundays, and we go. I decide we're having broccoli for dinner, and we do (although whether or not they eat is a whole ‘nother issue.) I decide we don't watch movies that don't align with our values, and we don't. But there will come a day when I lose even that small, semblance of control. On today's show, writer Danielle Bean is talking about parenting older kids, and the grief that comes with letting older kids make their own decisions. We talk about the importance of realizing that our kids are their own people, and not letting your motherhood role become your entire identity. I love what Danielle has to say about the importance of letting yourself feel your feelings, as well her wisdom on raising teenagers. I hope this episode reminds all of the mamas out there that one day, our kids will grow up—and if they already have, that we are still mothers, even as we let that last inch of control slip from our fingers. Today's episode is brought to you by Select International Tours. Plan a pilgrimage for 2021 and beyond by heading to selectinternationaltours.com/feminist. Today's episode is also brought to you by the CLT exam. Bring classics into your standardized testing by visiting cltexam.com and learning about this SAT/ACT alternative.   

After 150 episodes, it is a true joy to sit + chat with you all 1-on-1 today. I would say “I can't believe we're here!” but to be honest…I knew how phenomenal Catholic women were when I started this. I'm not surprised that you're on fire for the topics we discuss on this show. I'm not shocked that you love tuning into our guests, whether they're well-known speakers or just everyday women. I'm not stunned that when it's time to turn on a podcast, you're the type of woman who wants to hear about immigration, body image, and the real complexities of motherhood. In today's episode, I'm answering YOUR questions. I gathered questions over email and Instagram and while I obviously couldn't tackle all of them, I chose a few that seemed oft-repeated or that simply seemed intriguing to me. I'm talking about things like white privilege, raising my son as a feminist, and which elements of my own feminism have morphed and shifted over the past 3 and a half years. Today's episode is brought to you by Select International Tours. Plan a pilgrimage for 2021 and beyond by heading to selectinternationaltours.com/feminist. Today's episode is also brought to you by the CLT exam. Bring classics into your standardized testing by visiting cltexam.com and learning about this SAT/ACT alternative. 

If you're a busy Catholic feminist, you probably feel like you're juggling 19 balls in the air. Maybe you have kids, or a career, or both, or a graduate degree, or you're trying to get in shape, or you're volunteering in your neighborhood, or your leading an action council at your parish, or-or-or… Finding time to read? Impossible. Not so, says today's podcast guest. Marcie Stockman is the founder of Well-Read Mom, a set of resources for busy women looking to fit more great books into their lives. As a life-long reader, I loved chatting with Marcie about why books are so essential in our lives, how she finds time to read, and how to decide what to read if you're feeling like you can barely keep your head above water. Get your library card ready—you're going to be pumped to add to your bookshelf after today's chat! Today's episode is brought to you by Select International Tours. Plan a pilgrimage for 2021 and beyond by heading to selectinternationaltours.com/feminist. Today's episode is also brought to you by the CLT exam. Bring classics into your standardized testing by visiting cltexam.com and learning about this SAT/ACT alternative. 

When someone states their skin color or culture--"I'm a Black Catholic." "I'm a Polish Catholic." "I'm a Hispanic Catholic." It can be tempting to want to wave it off. We're all *one family*, right? Why do these differences matter? But today's guest is here to talk to us about how our church is bigger than our culture, and therefore, all of our cultures must be allowed to be present. Shannon Schmidt is a mom, podcaster, and biracial Catholic with a passion for theology and our church. We discuss how her race plays into her faith and why she thinks it's important for her to embrace her Black Catholic label. Shannon and I also chat about how to fight against using orthodoxy as a shield, the importance of de-centering any one particular culture to instead become a beautifully diverse family, and what's been bringing her closer to God lately. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by Select International Tours. Plan a pilgrimage for 2021 and beyond by heading to selectinternationaltours.com/feminist. Today's episode is also brought to you by the CLT exam. Bring classics into your standardized testing by visiting cltexam.com and learning about this SAT/ACT alternative. 

What's it like to go to a Catholic college and find yourself unexpectedly...expecting? Today's guest, Monica Aberle, knows all about it. Monica is joining us to talk about how we can find hope in unexpected seasons: when times of chaos or complexity threaten to rob us of our joy, how can we lean into God and trust him in all things? As the founder of Everyday Mamas, Monica knows what it's like to find the beauty in the everyday, even when the everyday isn't exactly lining up with your picture-perfect goals. I'm honored to share Monica's story and I know you'll get just as much out of it as I did! Today's episode is brought to you by Select International Tours. Head to selectinternationaltours.com/feminist to see their trips in 2021 and beyond!   Today's episode is also brought to you by the Classic Learning Test. Head to cltexam.com to learn about this classical alternative to the SAT and ACT.

Talk about turning your mess into your message. Today's guest, Victoria Ray, is a speaker, a podcaster, a student, and a Certified Addiction Empowerment Specialist. She's also in recovery and a big ole fan of Jesus. Victoria is here on the show today to talk about whether she believes her addiction was part of God's "plan" for her life, how she found truth in her faith during the darkest days of her life, and why she decided to devote her life to serving others with addictions. She also offers helpful tips for people whose friends and family members are currently caught in the clutches of addiction and talks about what she wishes more Catholics understood about the nature of recovery. Victoria is young, well-spoken, and faithful: busting every single "addict" stereotype you may have been carrying around. She serves as an amazing example for just what our good, good God is capable of. I hope you find meaning in our chat today! Today's episode is brought to you by Audible. To snag a free audio version of Boundaries by Henry Cloud (mentioned in this episode!), head to audibletrial.com/catholic. Today's episode is also brought to you by Every Sacred Sunday. Get one of their stunning 2020 Mass journals at everysacredsunday.com. 

OK, time to admit my stress + beef with the modern day education system. I went to public school. Did not have a great experience. Krzys went to public school. Did have a great experience. I don't want to pay thousands for my kids to go to school in a community that looks exactly like them and be encased in a Catholic Bubble, nor do I want them to go to the school where I went, spending most of pre-calc hanging out in the parking lot and taking civics classes where there are actual test questions like “Why is there no right or wrong in today's society?” Y'feel me? Sometimes I struggle with what I even believe education is for. That's why I was so excited to learn about Jeremy Tate and the Classical Learning Test, an alternative to the SAT and ACT. Jeremy is on the show today to talk about the purpose of education, the main problem with our modern day school systems, and why he believes a classical education is essential. The conversation blew my mind and got me thinking about school and education in an entirely different light—I hope it does the same for you! Today's episode is brought to you by Audible. For a free audiobook, head to audibletrial.com/catholic.  Today's episode is also brought to you by Every Sacred Sunday. Snag one of their beautiful Mass journals at everysacredsunday.com.

We all know Mary gave the ultimate fiat. But what about ours? Our “yes” to a new grad school degree. Our “yes” to donating an extra $10 instead of buying that second wine at girls night. Our “yes” to a radical mission across the globe. Our “yes” to the mind-numbingly difficult task of child rearing. Our “yes” to homeschool or private school or public school. Every day, we are faced with an infinite amount of “yes” that we are called to say. In today's episode, speaker Karianna Frey walks us through her own experience with finding her fiat and what we can do to find ours. We also talk about the conference she's a part of, Karianna's conversion to the Catholic faith, and what's been bringing her closer to God lately. We also have an in-depth conversation on the importance of in-person events and why we miss them so much. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by Audible. Want to snag a free audio book and a free 30-day trial? Head to audibletrial.com/catholic. Today's episode is also brought to you by Every Sacred Sunday. To grab one of their beautiful 2020 Mass journals before they're gone, get to everysacredsunday.com.  

Anger. Shame. Boundaries. These are the parts of care taking we *don't* often talk about. But the truth is, these are all too common when imperfect people are trying to attempt perfect love. Today's guest, Katie Pyles, has experience as a caretaker for an adult with special needs, and I'm so grateful she came on the show to share her story. Katie talks about how it isn't our weaknesses that harm relationships, it's the way we deny to acknowledge them or get support for them--that really resonated with me. We discuss what it was like to be a caretaker immediately upon getting married, what Katie wishes she had known before embarking on the journey of care taking, and what's been bringing her closer to God lately. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by Audible. For a free audio book, head on over to audibletrial.com/catholic.  Today's episode is also brought to you by Every Sacred Sunday. Snag one of their beautiful Mass journals at everysacredsunday.com. 

The death penalty is a topic I've been interested in for a long time, and I'm so pleased to be discussing it today with McKenna. McKenna is a grad student who comes to us with a passion for capital punishment and it's place in the pro-life discourse. As Sr. Helen Prejean says, “people are more than the worst thing they have ever done in their lives.” McKenna and I discuss what inspired her to learn more about this area of criminal justice, what resources we should turn to if we're interested in getting involved, and what the church's official position on the death penalty is. When Jesus shows mercy in the gospels, he instructs us to do the same. Not once, but over and over. Is this an easy task? No. But Catholics were not made for ease, for comfort, for popular opinion. We were made for mercy and justice, and in following Christ's lead, I believe we can be a truly pro-life people. Enjoy our conversation! Today's episode is brought to you by Audible. For a free audiobook and a free 30-day-trial, head to audibletrial.com/catholic. Today's episode is also brought to you by Every Sacred Sunday. For one of their beautiful 2020 Mass journals, go to everysacredsunday.com.

Hear from Sr. Thea Bowman's best friend about what she was like, what she was passionate about, and why she deserves to be a canonized saint!

When you have money to give, should you give it to your literal neighbors, or the neighbors on the other side of the world? Today we're chatting with Catholic Relief Services' Beth Knobbe to discuss economic justice and what it means to care for the people around us. I was excited to hear about CRS' transitions in their economic justice programs and why they're shifting to a focus on empowering local communities. We talk about staying in your own lane, if you should focus more on policy or charitable giving, properly researching mission trips, and so much more. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by Select International Tours. Learn more about the phenomenal trips they have planned for 2020 at selectinternationaltours.com/feminist.  Today's episode is also brought to you by Every Sacred Sunday. This beautiful Mass journals make the perfect gift for the Catholic woman in your life. Head to everysacredsunday.com.

Learn all about St. Therese's mom, St. Zelie, and why Catholic feminists in particular should care about her!

When it's time to put together a Catholic event, are you putting diversity on your list of goals? In today's episode, speaker Marcia Lane-McGee and I are talking about how to embrace diversity in Catholic speaking circles without falling into the idea of a “diversity hire”. We also talk about her experience as a birth mother of a teenager, her podcast for black Catholics, and how her work at a home for teenage boys in Chicago has helped her see Jesus in all people. Enjoy!  Today's episode is brought to you by Select International Tours. Learn more about the phenomenal trips they have planned for 2020 at selectinternationaltours.com/feminist.  Today's episode is also brought to you by Every Sacred Sunday. This beautiful Mass journals make the perfect gift for the Catholic woman in your life. Head to everysacredsunday.com.

Layna Maher from the St. Kateri Tekakwitha Shrine is here to help us learn about the life and legacy of this inspiring indigenous saint!

#ShoutYourAbortion. That's what we're told, right? That abortion is a powerful, important procedure. It empowers women. It gives them strength. It gives them autonomy.    Today's guest says hell no.    Gracey is a wife, mother, and post-abortive woman. She's here to share her incredibly vulnerable story of getting her abortion, how she sought and received forgiveness from the Lord, and what she thinks could have possibly prevented her abortion in the first place. Gracey says we need a change of HEART to change this issue, and I couldn't agree more. I think the pro-life movement has much to learn from women who have been through the procedure—like how we can best help women in crisis pregnancy situations.   *Note: this episode mentions suicidal thoughts. If you're experiencing these thoughts for any reason, please call 1-800-273-8255 immediately.     Today's episode is brought to you by Select International Tours. Learn more about the phenomenal trips they have planned for 2020 at selectinternationaltours.com/feminist.    Today's episode is also brought to you by Every Sacred Sunday. This beautiful Mass journals make the perfect gift for the Catholic woman in your life. Head to everysacredsunday.com.

Learn about the life and legacy of "almost-saint" Dorothy Day, a Catholic feminist we should all admire, to celebrate Women's History Month.

When we hear “the troops”, we probably all have things pop into our head. From Colin Kapernick to WMD to Dorothy Day's pacifism, how Catholics interact with “the troops” can be fraught with confusion. Today's guest, Brianna Hughes, is a member of our armed forces and it was so interesting to hear why she hates when people refer to “the troops” as one giant monolith. We talk about what it's like to face sexism in the workplace, who “the troops” support politically, how trust in God plays into her ability to serve in the military, and what's been bringing her closer to God lately. I especially loved her passion surrounding the topic of whether or not some positions in the military should be men-only, and I think you will too. Enjoy!   Today's episode is brought to you by Every Sacred Sunday. Head to everysacredsunday.com to snag one of their beautiful Mass journals today.    Today's episode is also brought to you by Select International Tours. Going on pilgrimage this year? Travel with Select at selectinternationaltours.com/feminist.

When we're engaging in pro-life discourse, we often hail adoption as a beautiful, healthy choice—which it is. But it's easy to forget that adoption at its core *begins* with a loss, with grief, and with suffering. Today's podcast guest, Martha Farnsworth, is both an adoptee and a birth mom. We talk about both of those experiences and why we should never use the phrase “just” when speaking of adoption (ie., “Just pursue adoption!!!”) My heart broke when she talked about the church's response to her pregnancy as a teenager and what she wishes they would have done differently. Martha's wisdom and vulnerability were incredibly inspiring to me and I hope our chat resonates with you!    Today's episode is brought to you by Select International Tours. Learn more about the phenomenal trips they have planned for 2020 at selectinternationaltours.com/feminist.    Today's episode is also brought to you by Every Sacred Sunday. This beautiful Mass journals make the perfect gift for the Catholic woman in your life. Head to everysacredsunday.com.

Parenting is hard, no matter who you're parenting. But parenting a child with special needs is a task that some people hold up as the most heroic act of them all. Not so, says today's guest—and she explains why. Vania Deeney is a mom, engineer, and Catholic Latina whose daughter was diagnosed with a genetic condition in her third trimester. Vania and I chat about what it was like to receive her daughter's diagnosis, her advice for mothers of able-bodied kids to make our church more inclusive, and her devotion Our Lady of Guadalupe. We also talk about her work as an engineer and being a woman in a male-dominated field. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by Every Sacred Sunday. Head to EverySacredSunday.com today to snag one of their beautiful 2020 Mass journals.  Today's episode is also brought to you by Select International Tours. Selectinternationaltours.com/feminist is the place to go if you want to go on a life changing pilgrimage in 2020!

Pornography has been a “men's issue” for as long as I've been involved in ministry. Anti-porn talks are for the men. The accountability apps are aimed at men. The speakers willing to Go There are men. I am so, SO thankful for women like author Kelsey Skoch. Kelsey is boldly sharing her story of overcoming a pornography addiction in order to help other women find a way out. In today's show, we talk about WHY pornography is immoral, if there's any room for porn in a healthy sexual being's life, and what she recommends for women currently struggling with this topic. But my favorite part of the conversation is when Kelsey helped me reframe the very idea of “purity”. That it's NOT being a high school girl wearing a Jesus Is My Homeboy bracelet being told she's a piece of tape that loses its stickiness after too many uses. It truly changed some of my views about the word and I hope it makes you think as well. Enjoy! (Just a note on little ones—this is one of our sensitive topics you probably want headphones for; we drop some words. Also, speaking of little ones, my three year old was losing his MIND that Dad had to play Candy Land instead of Mom so…you hear him for just a minute, ha! Thanks for understanding that #workingmom life!) Today's episode is brought to you by Select International Tours. Learn more about the phenomenal trips they have planned for 2020 at selectinternationaltours.com/feminist. Today's episode is also brought to you by Every Sacred Sunday. This beautiful Mass journals make the perfect gift for the Catholic woman in your life. Head to everysacredsunday.com.

Our first guest of season 4? My own sister! Ellie Courchane is a nurse, a fiancee, and a frequent attender of mission trips to developing nations. Ellie and I are chatting about what makes a GOOD mission trip, why so many mission trips are actually harmful, and why we sometimes use humor to view things through a different lens. I love Ellie's perspective on why mission trips can truly be a good thing when done well and why your impact matters just as much as your intent. We also talk about if it's better to try and do something even though it may potentially be harmful, or if it's better to do nothing at all. If you're considering going on a mission trip this year, make sure to listen in! BTW: want to win an audio copy of Girl, Arise for World Read Aloud Day AND be gifted a cute new phone background by Catholic artist Emily Runyan?! All you have to do is request that your library carry What Happens Next, my new middle grade novel coming May 19. Shoot proof of your request to hello@thecatholicfeministpodcast.com and I'll send you the background + make sure you're entered to win. Today's episode is brought to you by Select International Tours. Learn more about the phenomenal trips they have planned for 2020 at selectinternationaltours.com/feminist. Today's episode is also brought to you by Every Sacred Sunday. This beautiful Mass journals make the perfect gift for the Catholic woman in your life. Head to everysacredsunday.com.

Things I learned during this episode: most people do kegals wrong, having issues with peeing yourself at ALL is not considered normal postpartum, and what a pelvic floor even is. Dr. Chelsea Harkins is a physical therapist here to walk us through what our body is supposed to do after childbirth, how she helps women who have never properly healed, and how Theology of the Body plays into her work. Listen, y'all: even if you've never birthed a child, this episode IS for you. Because women straight up are not taught enough about their body parts or how they work. (PS: we say hymen and anus and all kinds of words in this episode. They're just body parts but if you have a 2-year-old who repeats everything loudly + in public maaaaaybe put some headphones in!) It's our season 3 finale, y'all, and I'm so glad Chelsea was able to join us. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by Select International Tours. Learn more about the phenomenal trips they have planned for 2020 at selectinternationaltours.com/feminist.  Today's episode is also brought to you by Every Sacred Sunday. This beautiful Mass journals make the perfect gift for the Catholic woman in your life. Head to everysacredsunday.com. 

There are only 2️⃣ episodes left in season 3 of the Catholic Feminist Podcast!

Honestly, just a fun mini episode on the books I'm reading, my prayer routine, and how I'm trying to impart the feeling of "joyful anticipation" onto my kids! 

Every single one of us has a story. A story of learning and relearning God, a story of breaking down barriers and building up good, healthy walls, a story of walking along a path to what we believe. Sharing these stories to help spread the faith is what Julianne Miles does on her podcast, Mystery Through Manners, and on her NEW daily podcast, Ruah Storytellers, which will air during Advent. Jules and I are chatting today about the importance of stories, the impact the stories of others have had in our own lives, aaaaand we also nerd out on what podcasts we've been listening to lately because get two podcasters in a virtual room and you KNOW that's going to come up. This season, let's look past the statistics and see the stories of the people behind them to help identify the true dignity God has given each and every one of us. Amen?   Today's episode is brought to you by Every Sacred Sunday. Jump on their email list today at everysacredsunday.com to snag one of their stunning Mass journals today.   Today's episode is also brought to you by Select International. If one of your 2020 goals is to go on a pilgrimage, the time to sign up is now! Head to selectinternationaltours.com/feminist to learn more.