Podcasts about American Catholic Church

Christina Bagaglio Slentz is Associate Director for Creation Care for the Catholic Diocese of San Diego. Learn about how her diocese prioritizes climate action here.In this episode, we often refer to Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato si' and the ways that faith communities are living out its stated goals. We also discuss the theme “seeds of peace and hope,” the official theme for the 2025 ecumenical Season of Creation.Many thanks to Christina for sharing her wisdom in this conversation!Christina SlentzTRANSCRIPTChristina Slentz I think this really can help us understand the way that the cry of the Earth, these environmental climate extremes, or the variability that we're experiencing, leads to greater exposure—but how one community can face that exposure and adapt or bounce back fairly quickly and another may not really have that capacity.Debra Rienstra Welcome to the Refugia Podcast. I'm your host, Professor Debra Rienstra. Refugia are habitats in nature where life endures in times of crisis. We're exploring the concept of refugia as a metaphor, discovering how people of faith can become people of refugia: nurturing life-giving spaces in the earth, in our human cultural systems, and in our spiritual communities, even in this time of severe disturbance. This season, we're paying special attention to churches and Christian communities who have figured out how to address the climate crisis together as an essential aspect of their discipleship.Today, I'm talking with Dr. Christina Bagaglio Slentz, Associate Director for Creation Care at the Catholic Diocese of San Diego. Christina has a background in sociology, with a PhD in international studies and global affairs. She's also a Navy veteran. Today, she serves a diocese of 97 parishes, helping to guide and empower people in their creation care work. The Diocese of San Diego is a microcosm of diverse biomes and diverse people, and it's a fascinating example of refugia, because as a diocese, they are doing all the things. Christina and I talk about Laudato si', solar energy, economics, eco spirituality, environmental justice advocacy, the centrality of the Eucharist, and the mutuality between caring for neighbor and caring for the Earth. Let's get to it.Debra Rienstra Christina, thank you so much for being with me today. I really appreciate talking to you.Christina Slentz Thank you, Debra, for having me. I'm really excited to be here.Debra Rienstra So I am eager to hear more about the Diocese of San Diego, because it seems that you have been very intentional and thoughtful and ambitious about your creation care agenda, and we're going to get into the details of that in just a minute, but I want to start with you. So tell us your hero origin story. How did you get into faith-based environmental work and into your current position?Christina Slentz Well, to be honest, I never saw it coming in many ways. I was working in the global affairs area, looking at sources of conflict and cooperation and how political economy intersects with those dynamics, and that was my academic area of focus. And at the same time, I've always been a catechist in the Catholic church since the 90s, and my church life was pretty comfortable, I would say, and active. But I didn't really see those two things coming together until Laudato si', the encyclical written by Pope Francis on the care of our common home, was released in 2015, and this really started to bring more overlap between these two areas in my life. And I would say, increasingly, then there was a lot of interplay between those focus areas for me. And eventually this position became available in the Diocese of San Diego, and a friend mentioned it to me, and I thought that is actually the perfect vocation for me. And I really feel like I understood it to be a vocation, not just a job.Debra Rienstra Yeah, I think I can relate to everything you just said. I think we came to this work from different areas of specialty, but yeah, like you, I feel like we've had these mid-career shifts where suddenly our area of specialty—in my case, literature and creative writing—has become energized by—in your case, Laudato si', in my case, other documents as well as Laudato si',—and we've sort of taken this fascinating and yeah, I would agree, vocational, turn. So let's talk a little bit more about Laudato si'. I imagine our listeners know at least a little bit about it. It's been so enormously influential. It's such an amazing landmark document. Could you talk a little bit about how you've seen Laudato si' diffuse through the Catholic Church, especially the American Catholic Church?Christina Slentz Yes, I think, to be honest, it has had a complicated journey with the Catholic community here in the United States. Very much like the issue of climate change in the global community, the United States has struggled with these dynamics—I think the way that they involve our economics and some of our very strong ideology about economic freedom and what that means to people. And so I think it's fair to say that while Laudato si' was very warmly received around the world, it has struggled in the United States as a whole, and that includes the American Catholic community. That said, there have been—like your description of refugia suggests——there have been these pockets, though, where I think that particular dynamics existed, and there was fertile ground for seeds to be planted. And the Diocese of San Diego is one of them. The Diocese of—the Archdiocese of Atlanta was another. There are a couple around the country, and I do think some footholds were created. In addition, one of the things that is particularly interesting about the encyclical Laudato si'—and an encyclical is just a document that a pope writes and then circulates, right, this is where the word encyclical comes from—circulates around until everyone's had a chance to read it. We can imagine in medieval times, you know, how this must have been a challenge. And I think that, you know, this challenge exists, but Father Emmett Farrell is the founder of this ministry in my diocese, and Father Emmett just celebrated his 60th anniversary of his ordination, and Father Emmett will say he has never seen an encyclical translate to action the way that Laudato si' has. And in particular, there is a Vatican online platform called the Laudato si' Action Platform, where Catholics—either parishes, schools, orders of sisters or religious—can get on this platform and learn about the dynamics that we face. They can see how our values are distilled into seven goals, and then they can reflect on their behavior, using this tool to sort of measure where they are, and then write a plan of action and upload it and share it with each other. And Father Emmett really celebrates how amazing it is that, you know, that we're going to lean into technology and use it for the good.Debra Rienstra Oh, awesome. There's so many things I want to follow up on in that answer. And I want to begin by just thanking you for being honest about pushback to Laudato si' in the US. And I want to go back to that in just a second, if it's okay. And then I want to thank you for the way you've thought about, you know, some of these dioceses like the mighty San Diego and the mighty Atlanta as sort of refugia spaces. And we'll come back to that again too, I really hope, and I want to hear some more details about your particular diocese. Why do you think there has been pushback in the American Catholic Church? You mentioned economic reasons, and you know, Pope Francis and Pope Leo now have both been very pointed in their critique of climate denial, of greed, of exploitation, injustice, war, economic systems that many Americans have sort of held as almost sacrosanct. So what are you noticing in Catholic conversations about that critique? Why are people resisting the critique and why are people saying, “No, that's right”—what are the motivations behind each of those responses?Christina Slentz So, you know, we could probably talk about this all day.Debra Rienstra Probably, yeah.Christina Slentz Because economic peace, I think, is really difficult to think about. You know, if we take the United Kingdom, for example, it's a country very much like the United States. So many of our you know, American culture and tradition and customs come out of that early launching that we experienced from, you know, Great Britain. And yet, as the topic of climate change came forward, Margaret Thatcher, who was, you know, a real compatriot of President Ronald Reagan at the time, she really took the scientific approach in thinking about climate change, and this set them on a path that's really different from the path that we experienced. And certainly, oil is a big factor in our economy. And I think it can be a real challenge for people to weigh the goods, you know, because we have to be honest, there are goods in both sides of these dynamics. When we understand the gravity, though, of climate change, if we're allowed to really get into those dynamics without the noise that has been kind of confronting that potential, then I think we can see that the good outweighs, you know, those alternative goods associated with continuing in the fossil fuel realm. But this is why we talk about a just transition, right? I think that many people who are hearing this noise, right, they don't understand that Pope Francis and others, you know, is really arguing for a just transition, and that would seek to care for the people that are going to be affected by whatever change in economic policy might make.Debra Rienstra Yeah, and more and more, those economic changes are actually positive in favor of transition in ways that they weren't even 5-10 years ago.Christina Slentz Yeah, I think it's amazing. We actually had some good momentum going until recently.Debra Rienstra Yeah, you know, I would love to get us all talking about a just and joyful transition, because it's more and more possible. And maybe we'll come back to that a little bit later too, when we talk about ecological spirituality. But let's go back to these places within the American Catholic Church, even, that are saying, “Oh yes, Laudato si', yes, let's go.” And San Diego diocese is one of those places. You had an action plan already in 2019. I think it's impressive that a diocese could get a plan together in four years. So good job. Knowing how long everything takes in church settings. So just give us a list of your accomplishments. What have you been up to since 2019? What are the kinds of things you've dipped your toes into?Christina Slentz Sure, and to be fair, I want to give some good credit to some others. You know, the Archdiocese of Atlanta had created their creation care action plan. This gave us some really good kind of framework to think about when we created ours. And there was a team that preceded me. They were all volunteers, very multidisciplinary in their backgrounds, everything from theologians to medical doctors who had worked with indigenous communities, you know, theologians, missionaries, energy engineers, and they really pulled this together early on. And this plan I now recognize as what climate action planners might refer to as an aspirational plan. It's all the things you could do in our area, and it serves as a really good resource for our parishes and schools as they think about what they might do in their Laudato si' action platform plans, and those are yearly plans that are really targeted on what we're going to do. So, you know, one of the things that they did early on was really push to solarize. And you know, we do have the great fortune of, one: climate here in San Diego, right? You know, we're sort of famous for that. And then you know, two: the other thing is that, you know, it was very normative to be shifting to solar, and continues to be an economic choice that is not really as politicized here as much as it might be elsewhere. And then the third thing was this is, you know, the magic number three is to have a bishop that is supportive. And so Cardinal McElroy—now Cardinal McElroy, then Bishop McElroy—really promoted this solarization. And at this point we have about 54% of our parishes solarized. And when I think now, you know, the Paris Climate Agreement says we want to have about half of our carbon emissions reduced by 2030 then you know, we're sitting at about half. Our building where I'm located is called our pastoral center. Some Catholic communities call it their chancery. And our solar array here provides over 80% of our electricity to the building. Our local utility is about half renewable energy, a little bit more. So with that in mind, you know, our electricity here to our building is a little over 90% coming from renewable energy, and this lets us have seven electric vehicle charging stations in the parking lot so I can go to work and charge my car at the same time.Debra Rienstra Lovely.Christina Slentz So that was one big thing. I would say our other really big kind of landmark action that also was largely driven by Cardinal McElroy, was to divest of fossil fuels. And, you know, this is a real challenging thing to accomplish. We set a goal of no more than 5% of, you know, the earnings of both direct and indirect investment to be coming from fossil fuel. And after a year, we evaluated how we were doing, and we were actually hitting—not we, you know, the financial folks doing this—were hitting less than 3%. So, you know, we said, “Okay, I think we can say that this was successful, and we're still here.” So that was really exciting, and we didn't do it to be virtue signaling. Just, you know, for some of your listeners may not know, but the USCCB, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has a document that directs socially responsible investment for all areas. And so this is just one more area of socially responsible investment that the Diocese of San Diego has embraced.Debra Rienstra Yeah, yeah. So we've got money, we've got energy. How many parishes would you say are on board with this, doing yearly goals, selecting from the menu of fun ideas—what percentage of your parishes would you say are involved?Christina Slentz So I gotta, Debra, that's a little bit of a good question. I think, you know, we did just describe two very top-down approaches. And one of the things that our group, you know, when I came on board in 2022, we decided is, you know, we really wanted to push that grassroots. And so we see parishes demonstrating a range of behaviors, and I was initially surprised, but they actually behave a lot like countries around the world. And so, you know, you think, oh, that's going to be different. But, you know, you can also have three children, and they all behave differently, and you know, sometimes that's surprising as well, when they have the same parents. And so one of the things that I have really tried to do was offer more events that are here at the diocesan level. We have 97 parishes, and then we have—so sometimes we'll see individuals that are really on board, and they come from a parish where, at the parish level, not a lot is happening. Sometimes we have individuals that are participating, and they are doing a ton at their parish and succeeding. And then we have parishes where the pastor is leading the charge. And then on top of that, I would say there are parishes where they have solar and they have drought-resistant landscaping, and they have LEED silver certified buildings that, you know, are very environmentally friendly. And yet, you know, at the parishioner level, you know, not as much activity happening. So it is an array of activities. I would say probably half have had some kind of interaction with us, or have had parishioners or students participate in our programs. But you know, we reflect the American Catholic community, which reflects the broader American society as well. So there are places where we struggle, and then there are places where we see a lot of action and shining.Debra Rienstra Yeah, sure. And I really appreciate that. And I think listeners can relate to that range of involvement too. Maybe they are in any one of those categories or some other category themselves. And you know, as you say, it's the modeling of— even if it's a minority, it's the modeling and the enthusiasm and the even implicit sort of educating of others that can make this work spread too. So I want to list the seven goals of the Laudato si' action platform, because I think they're really, really great and helpful to people who are not in the Catholic Church, but in other aspects of the church, you might find these goals useful too. So here are the goals: response to the cry of the Earth, response to the cry of the poor, ecological economics, adoption of sustainable lifestyles, ecological education, ecological spirituality, community resilience and empowerment. So I want to start with the first three. We've talked a little bit about economics and how dicey that can be, but I wonder if you could describe how you see the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor as basically the same cry, as Pope Francis said in Laudato si'. How do you see that, especially in your region?Christina Slentz Yeah, so thank you. I think these two are kind of the crown jewels, right? And they sum up what we see happening very well. I think that the other goals are valuable because they sort of pull out the dynamics that we really understand as informing those two big—response to the cry of the Earth and cry of the poor. So as someone who was looking at this through the lens of being a social scientist, I found these two goals to really sum it up well, because it is not just the exposure to the environment that causes our concern for these dynamics. It's the exposure as well as the sensitivity of that population. And then this helps us understand also, maybe some vulnerability that that population might have. So for example, we had significant flooding about a year and a half ago in January, the month of January, and the same rain fell on a parish in the southern part of the Diocese, close to our Mexican border, in an area that is, you know, less wealthy, probably demonstrates some socio economic features that we would associate with marginalized communities. And then it also fell on a parish in Coronado, California. And some people might recognize the Hotel Del Coronado as an iconic location. It's a beautiful community. There's a lot of wealth. There's a lot of human capital as well. You know, very highly educated group, and so the buildings at two of two parishes in each of these locations were completely flooded. But, you know, the parish in Coronado was up on its feet within a week. And of course, they had repairs that had to be done, but they were able to get a hold of those folks, get them in, pay the bills, get it all done. And the parish on the south side had catastrophic flooding to its school, and the school was a total loss.Debra Rienstra Oh, wow.Christina Slentz So I think this really can help us understand the way that the cry of the Earth, these environmental climate extremes, or the variability that we're experiencing, leads to greater exposure, but how one community can face that exposure and adapt or bounce back fairly quickly, and another may not really have that capacity. And so you can't really pull them apart, because just measuring precipitation doesn't always give you the whole story.Debra Rienstra That's a very, very helpful answer to that. And I sometimes hear in religious circles, you know, “Well, we have to worry about other people, why should we worry about owls or whatever?” And the answer is: well, because what happens in nature affects people. So this is about loving your neighbor. Even if you're not convinced by the idea that we love the Earth for its own sake because it's beloved of God, we still have to love our neighbor. And this is a neighbor issue as well. So thank you. That was very helpful as an explanation.Christina Slentz One of my favorite kind of messages is, you know, having been a student of globalization, you know, I think that we live in a globalized world. You can't put that toothpaste back in the tube, right? Maybe there are some things we can do and that can be helpful, but the bottom line is, our actions have ripple effects, and so no matter what we do, we are going to have these impacts on people far beyond those we know and love on a day to day basis. And when we care for the Earth, we mitigate those effects on people all around the world, and so our caring for creation really is just love of neighbor at global scale.Debra Rienstra Ah, lovely. Yeah, so it works both ways. If you love neighbor, you love the Earth. If you love the Earth, you love your neighbor.Christina Slentz That's right.Debra RienstraHi, it's me, Debra. If you are enjoying this podcast episode, go ahead and subscribe on your preferred podcast platform. If you have a minute, leave a review. Good reviews help more listeners discover this podcast. To keep up with all the Refugia news, I invite you to subscribe to the Refugia newsletter on Substack. This is my fortnightly newsletter for people of faith who care about the climate crisis and want to go deeper. Every two weeks, I feature climate news, deeper dives, refugia sightings and much more. Join our community at refugianewsletter.substack.com. For even more goodies, including transcripts and show notes for this podcast, check out my website at debrarienstra.com. D-E-B-R-A-R-I-E-N-S-T-R-A dot com. Thanks so much for listening. We're glad you're part of this community. And now back to the interview.Debra Rienstra Let's think about some of those more personal goals. I don't know, maybe they're not just personal, because everything is systemic too. But I want to talk about that sustainable lifestyle goal, adoption of sustainable lifestyle. So what does that mean, and how are people doing that in San Diego?Christina Slentz So I have a really amazing parish, St. Thomas More, and they have created a community garden that not only functions as a place for their parish to gather and work together, it also is open to the public, so it has an evangelical capacity as well. And they also collect recyclable cans and bottles and then take those to a facility where they can be paid for that recycling work, and then they take the money, and then they put it into this garden that allows them to gather and have a mission and have evangelical outreach. So I think of this as such a wonderful circular kind of example that is, you know, feeding them in many ways. You know, they have this sense of community. They have this sense of common, shared mission. They have a good relationship with the neighborhood around them, people that may be of different faiths or of no faith at all. And then they're also in good relationship with Mother Earth, and doing what they can to, you know, practice this sort of sustainability, or also a little bit like circular economics, I guess I would say as well. And I think one of the things that the Catholic Church is emphasizing is synodality, and our synodality really calls us to be community, to have a shared mission and really inviting participatory action. So in my building here, where we sort of have the headquarters, you know, we also have gone to compostables for all of our events, and we try to minimize any kind of single use plastics. But, you know, there's that dreaded moment at the end where everybody has to go to the three, you know, receptacles. Everyone panics, especially if I'm near them, and I feel terribly, you know, like, should I step away? Should I give them a moment to give them help? Is that overreach? And so, you know, but we all fumble through together, and that's where I've kind of said, like, “Look, it's not easy for me either. Like, God forbid I put the wrong thing in the wrong can, right?” So I think that there's this way where we all are coming together to sort of take on this work. And, you know, we're not going to be perfect, but, you know, I think that it does foster community when we take this on, and then also recognizing how, you know, now we are living with greater simplicity, and we are impacting the Earth, you know, to a lesser extent.Debra Rienstra Yeah, nothing bonds people like pulling weeds together, or standing over the recycle bins going, “Hmm.” It's okay. We don't have to indulge in recycling guilt, you know, just do your best. So I want to move on to ecological spirituality. I love that phrase. It's not one you hear everywhere. And I wanted to remind listeners that San Diego Diocese is the most biodiverse diocese in the US. Maybe we wouldn't have expected that, but you've kind of got everything there. So I want to talk about ecological spirituality in the context of that actual place. I love the sentiment you quoted from Laudato si' in an article you wrote recently. It was an idea from Pope Francis that in the beauties and wonders of the Earth, we experience God's friendship with us. And so I wanted to ask you how you're helping people in your parishes reconnect to the Earth where you are, and thus, and this is how you put it, “revive something of our true selves.”Christina Slentz Yeah, one of my favorite pieces in Laudato si': Pope Francis alludes to having a place in childhood where we felt a sense of awe and wonder. And I think that that awe and wonder allows us to get back to childhood in some ways, before there was a lot of noise before there was all the different distractions. And I think that that true self is also a little freer to connect to God. I think sometimes about little children and baby Jesus, you know, and that sort of immediate connection that's not really complicated, you know, it's just comfortable. Or feeling the love of God like being a child sitting on the lap of your mom or your dad. And so encouraging people, or providing opportunities for this return to that place of awe and wonder, I think is really important. I think that at the heart of our inability to care for creation is this estrangement from our Creator. So we won't care for something if we don't love it. And in this way, ecological spirituality may be step one in all of this, right? So I think we are really lucky, being here. As I mentioned, our climate is beautiful. It is a beautiful place. We have everything from the ocean to mountains to desert, and many people who live here do really connect with the geography and the beauty of where we are, and so inviting them to take a moment to just pause and think about those places. Think about their senses as they move through the memory of that space, I think is really important before we start any of the other conversations. And so I try to do that, and then we share about it. And I have yet to find somebody that says, “Oh, I just didn't have a place.” Everybody has a place. And many people will say, “I really struggled, because I love this place, and I love that place,” you know. And so it is really great to hear. And I think people really come out of an exercise like that with this new sense of common ground as well. And I think that is so important, right? Because if you ask people like, “Raise your hand, who hates trees?” No one's gonna do it, right? Don't even think anyone does. Or “Raise your hand if you like to litter.” No one's going to say, like, “Oh yeah, I really love throwing things out my window.” And so there is a lot more common ground. And I think that eco spirituality invites us to find out how much we have in common, and actually how much we all yearn for that place of connectedness.Debra Rienstra Oh, yeah. I've noticed, you know, people have so many different feelings that motivate what they might do in a faith and climate space, and there's anger, there's fear, a lot of anxiety. But the trick, I think, is to get to the center, which is love. And the quickest way to do that, maybe, is to find that early love, or a love that's developed over many, even generations, in a particular place, if you're lucky, and you're rooted in some way. I feel like we also, as people of faith, haven't made enough of a case that being closer to the creation is, in fact, a pathway to God. And I see that in a lot of the writings that you have too. It's a way of understanding God better. It's a way of allowing God to speak to us that we sometimes underestimate, I think. There's other ways, of course, but it's one that we tend to underestimate. It is a way to deeper spirituality. So getting people to be in touch with that, it sounds like you've you've worked on that a little bit.Christina Slentz We're very lucky. The Franciscan tradition is pretty rich and present here. The Franciscan School of Theology is located here at the University of San Diego.Debra Rienstra There we go.Christina Slentz I have several secular Franciscans on my team, and a few Franciscan friars. And you know, that's very much at the heart of St. Francis and St. Claire's tradition. St. Bonaventure, who is a Franciscan, actually calls nature, or the environment, the created world, like another book. It's another gospel that tells us something about God's plan.Debra Rienstra Yeah, yeah. So I wanted to quote from Pope Leo's message for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, which was September one. And I found his message so encouraging, and especially this particular paragraph, it's along the line of seeds here. He writes, “In Christ, we too are seeds, and indeed seeds of peace and hope. The prophet Isaiah tells us that the Spirit of God can make an arid and parched desert into a garden, a place of rest and serenity. In his words, a spirit from on high will be poured out on us, and the wilderness will become a fruitful field, and the fruitful field a forest. Then justice will dwell in the wilderness and righteousness abide in the fruitful field. The work of righteousness will be peace, and the work of righteousness quietness and trust forever. My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings and in quiet resting places.” So we have this beautiful vision and the sense of vocation of who we are and who our communities are as seeds of peace and hope. So it seems like you experience that in the San Diego Diocese. Are there some particular examples that have been really meaningful and important to you, where you see that “seeds of hope” metaphor being played out?Christina Slentz Yeah, I would point to two areas that I would offer up as good examples. One is a parish that is located in what's called Barrio Logan. It is an ecologically marginalized community. The highways literally forced the school to be moved when they put the highway in right down the middle of the community. And that's the I-5. So it runs all the way from Canada to Mexico. Big highway. In addition, the Coronado Bridge connects to the highway right there. The Navy base is there, and the Port of San Diego all intersects there. So their air quality is really degraded, and it's a socio-economically poor area. It is also a predominantly Hispanic community there. But the Jesuit pastor there, Father Scott Santa Rosa, is a very good community organizer. He led the parish when they were confronted by another warehouse that was going to be added at the port. And the proposal by the company violated the Port Authority's standards, but they were seeking a waiver, and Father Scott brought in the Environmental Health Coalition. He brought in a theologian from University of San Diego. He invited the youth to present on Laudato si' to the adults and really empowered the community, which is that seventh goal of Laudato si', it's very connected to environmental justice. And then they learned, they grew, they came to an understanding that this was not acceptable, and that they wanted to be a voice for their community. They—we traveled. I was very fortunate to kind of engage with them in this process.And we traveled to the Port Authority building the night before the Port Authority was going to make their decision on this, whether or not to grant this waiver. And we said a rosary, which consists of five sets of 10 Hail Marys, roughly. And between each set, somebody spoke and gave their witness. And one of the women stood up and said, “I never thought I would speak publicly in my whole life. I can't believe I'm here. I can't believe I'm speaking, but I found my voice because of this issue.” And I thought, even if we lose, that's such an amazing win that people felt connected to their environment. They understood that they have a voice. They understood their own dignity and the dignity of their community, and felt that it was worth standing up for. And the next day we went, there was demonstration and public witnessing and praying, and then they went in and spoke at the actual hearing. And the first thing that the chairman of the board said, in response to everyone's comments was, “Well, I'm a Catholic, and we have three priests that were here today.” And you know, how many times does a public official make a statement of faith? You know, I thought, “Okay, win number two!” And you know, I'll just go ahead and cut to the chase. And they turned down the company that wanted to put the warehouse in and said, “You know, we just don't think that you've convinced the local community that the benefits of this would be worth it.” And it was amazing.And so that place, they continue to also tend to the care of migrants. They have begun the work of accompanying migrants that are going for their court appointed hearings for their asylum process. And you know, those are not outcomes that are generally favorable, but they are just going and being present with them and, you know, we are on the border. We understand how some of these environmental impacts do entangle with human mobility. And so, you know, there's a lot that this community, that is really one of our poorest communities in San Diego, has brought to the wider San Diego Diocese as more parishes and local Catholics are now mimicking what they have done and joining in this mission, and so they've been an incredible source—this tiny little parish in a poor part of the Diocese with terrible environmental impacts, has actually been a place where things have blossomed and grown, and they actually do have an amazing garden as well.Debra Rienstra Wow, that's an incredible story, and exactly a story of empowerment and resilience, as you suggested, and a story of how low-resource people are not necessarily low-resource people. They have other kinds of resources that may not be visible to the outside, but that can be very powerful, and especially when one of those is faith. It was such a great example of people motivated not only by their, you know, sort of survival, but their faith to do this work. Yeah, wonderful.Christina Slentz I think they understand the impact, right? So if you can shut your windows and turn on your air conditioning, maybe you don't get it.Debra Rienstra Yeah, right. So what would you say are your biggest obstacles and your biggest joys in your work right now?Christina Slentz I think the biggest obstacle is coming up against Catholics and/or Christians, or really any person of faith. But I think this may be especially true to Catholics and Christians who think that our social actions have to be an “either/or” choice, and they resist a “yes/and” mentality, and so they put different issues in competition with each other, right? And, you know, sometimes they think about Cain and Abel, right? This sort of jealousy or comparison can be a real problem. Instead of saying, “Okay, maybe we don't fit in a neat box, but as Catholics, you know, we have to do all the things.” And that kind of privileging one issue or another issue makes us vulnerable to those who would seek division and competition. And I think that when we look at God, you know, God loves all of it, right? God is love, and so there isn't that discrimination in the example of our Creator, and I would, of course, we aren't perfect, you know, but we should aspire to that same kind of comprehensive love.Debra Rienstra Yeah, and we do it together. We don't all have to do every last one of the things. We do it together. What about joys? What are your greatest joys right now in your work?Christina Slentz I think that coming together is really a joy. When I first started this work, I felt like a unicorn. I could either be the only person of faith in an environmental group, or I could be the only environmentalist in a faith group. And so it just was a feeling of being awkward all the time. And I do think that just in the three years that I've been in this position, I am seeing momentum build. I think ecumenicalism is super helpful in this regard. And I think that increasingly people are finding each other, and they are starting to get a little bit of a wake up call. I think it is unfortunate that people in the United States have had to experience some significant catastrophes and human loss and impact before they start to awaken to the issue of climate change or environmental degradation. I think plastics are really a pretty significant issue as well, but I think that more and more, people seem to be coming around to it, and whenever we celebrate together, that gives me joy.Debra Rienstra Yeah, I agree. I'm seeing it happening too, and it keeps me going. It keeps me going to connect with people like you, and every door I open, there's more people of faith doing amazing work, and we are building that mycelial network. And it's pretty great. So what is your favorite gift of the Catholic Church, a gift of wisdom on creation care that you wish everyone would receive?Christina Slentz I am not sure I would say that this is my favorite. But maybe I think that it is very important, is that, you know, in the Catholic community, communion, Eucharist, is really, you know, the summit for Catholics, that each week, at a minimum, we are going to celebrate this liturgy. We break open the Word, and then we celebrate the Eucharist. And one of the things I, you know, find very compelling is the fact that Jesus celebrates at the Last Supper with bread and wine. Jesus didn't get grapes and, you know, a piece of meat, to celebrate that these were both chosen items that were not just created by God, but they involved, as we say, in our celebration, the work of human hands. And so this really represents this call to co-creation, I think. And if that is something that you know, is really at the heart of Catholicism, this, you know, summit of our faith to celebrate the Eucharist—in that, we are called to co-create. And so this tells us something about how we are meant to exist in relationship with the Creator. You know, God reveals God's self to us in the beauty of this creation or in the gift of the Eucharist, and then, in turn, we are called to respond to that love. Otherwise the revelation isn't complete, so our response is to care for creation or to receive the Eucharist, and then go and serve as God has called us to serve. So maybe, maybe this is something that we can offer up.Debra Rienstra So beautifully said, and the intimacy of eating, you know, taking the material, the fruit of the earth and the work of human hands, into ourselves, responding by the Spirit, that intimacy, that physicality, there's a reason that that is the central ritual.Christina Slentz And you know, if I could give you one last image connected to that—because then we become the tabernacle, right? And we think about Noah and the ark, right? And how, you know, creation is destroyed, but the ark holds this refugia right and until it's time for this moment of reconciliation and forgiveness and then renewed flourishing. And you may or may not have heard this story, but when the LA fires raged in Pacific Palisades in January of 2025 the fires swept across the parish and school called Corpus Christi Parish, and it is the home parish of brother James Lockman, one of my dear, dear volunteers. And there was a firefighter who went back to look at the ruins that evening, and he was Catholic, and he came across the tabernacle from the church, and it was the only thing that survived. And when they opened it up, it was pristine on the inside and undamaged. And that Sunday, they took it to St. Monica's Parish, which is one of the very animated creation care parishes in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and they celebrated Mass there because Corpus Christi did not have a parish right to celebrate in that weekend. And I think about that tabernacle as being, you know—it's to reflect that Ark of the Covenant, right, Ark of Noah, the Ark of the Covenant. And then we have the tabernacle now, and that space of refuge that was preserved, you know. And then, of course, when we take the Eucharist into ourselves, we become that tabernacle. We're walking tabernacles, right? So we are also, then, places of refuge and where we know that God is with us and we can go and serve.Debra Rienstra Christina, it has been such a joy to talk to you. Thank you for your wisdom, for your inspiration, for the way that you deploy your expertise in such compassionate and far reaching ways. It's just been a pleasure. Thank you.Christina Slentz Oh, thank you so much for having me. I really enjoyed talking today with you, Debra.Debra Rienstra Thanks for joining us. For show notes and full transcripts, please visit debrarienstra.com and click on the Refugia Podcast tab. This season of the Refugia Podcast is produced with generous funding from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. Colin Hoogerwerf is our awesome audio producer. Thanks to Ron Rienstra for content consultation as well as technical and travel support. Till next time, be well. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit refugianewsletter.substack.com

October 31st, 2025 We cover the news live today! Joe McClane interviews Anthony Stine from Return to Tradition about a new document on titles for the Virgin Mary, and also interviews Chris Manion, asking the question, "Has the American Catholic Church become just another NGO?" https://thestationofthecross.com/ACT

In this episode of the Watchung Booksellers Podcast, Kate Zernike and Rachel Swarns talk about their professions as journalists and authors, and how they developed their long-form articles into books. Rachel L. Swarns is a journalism professor at New York University and a contributing writer for The New York Times. She is the author of The 272: The Families Who Were Enslaved and Sold to Build the American Catholic Church and American TapestryThe Story of the Black, White, and Multiracial Ancestors of Michelle Obama, and a co-author of Unseen. Her work has been recognized and supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Ford Foundation, the Biographers International Organization, the Leon Levy Center for Biography, the MacDowell artist residency program, and others.Kate Zernike has been a reporter for The New York Times since 2000. She was a member of the team that won the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting for stories about al-Qaeda before and after the 9/11 terror attacks. She was previously a reporter for The Boston Globe, where she broke the story of MIT's admission that it had discriminated against women on its faculty, on which The Exceptions: Nancy Hopkins and the Fight for Women in Science is based. The daughter and granddaughter of scientists, she is a graduate of Trinity College at the University of Toronto and the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University. Resources:Isabel Wilkerson interviewing to look for ‘the onion'Michelle Obama Genealogy NY Times PieceThe Washington Post Georgetown's History with SlaveryBooks:A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here. Register for Upcoming Events.The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, NJ. The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell. Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica. Art & design and social media by Evelyn Moulton. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff. Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids' Room! If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share! Stay in touch!Email: wbpodcast@watchungbooksellers.comSocial: @watchungbooksellersSign up for our newsletter to get the latest on our shows, events, and book recommendations!

Check out this podcast form April 17, 2024 Bible Study: (2:20) Acts 8:1b-8 It matters who we know How did the early Christians spread the faith? Jn 6:35-40 What does it mean to see Jesus? Letters (23:17) – Jim asks about Passover calendars (24:42) – How do I trust God more? (27:52) – I went to a mass where the priest skipped the consecration Word of the Day: Good News! (34:05) Callers (35:55) – How do we reconcile the evil of Abortion but the children still going to heaven? (39:16) – Children w/severe disabilities and receiving communion still? (41:33) – Could you comment on the ‘American Catholic Church’, and apparently priests could marry there. Could you comment on that? (43:50) – Where is hell, is it in the world? (46:08) – What is the proper way to say the Our Father? (48:08) – I’m taking an acting class, am I using God’s name in vain? Original Air Date: April 26, 2023

Pew Research recently released a very worrying report for Catholics in America, showing a drastic decline since 2014. Many people, including Trent Horn, made videos sounding the alarms to try and raise awareness. Joe shows that the data may not be as bleak as we think… Transcript: Joe: Welcome back to Shameless Popery. I’m Joe Heschmeyer and I want to explore the question of whether an American Catholic revival is underway, whether the American Catholic Church is dying. Because if you do something like Google Catholic Church droves, at least in my experience, the top two results ar...

In this candid and emotional conversation, hosts reflect on the breaking news of Pope Francis's death, examining both the human loss and the deeply divisive legacy he leaves behind. They discuss his declining influence on the American Catholic Church, the political undertones of his papacy, financial mismanagement within the Vatican, and the growing divide among Catholics. With speculation about the future direction of the Church and concerns over an even more radical successor, this segment offers a raw, unfiltered look at one of the most polarizing papacies in modern history.

How can someone be appointed Archbishop of Washington, DC, after expressing views contrary to the Catholic faith? This is the question being raised by many within the American Catholic Church after Cardinal Robert McElroy's recent appointment as Archbishop of Washington, DC. Appointments like this are causing many Catholics to wonder what is going on that bishops who hold objectively heretical or at least ambiguous views on basic Catholic truths are receiving these appointments. However, it is heartening to see the very direct and truthful comments that Archbishop Aquila from Denver, CO, and Bishop Paprocki from Springfield, IL, have made on the seriousness of appointing people to high positions who hold views like this. Let's pray that the Lord have mercy on our holy Catholic Church which is going through a time of trial right now.Get your copy of Peter Herbeck's new booklet, Does God Judge? Your first copy is FREE!Articles in this episode:On ‘Radical Inclusion' for LGBT People, Women and Others in the Catholic Church by Robert W. McElroyRadical Inclusion Requires Radical Love by Samuel J. AquilaImagining a Heretical Cardinal by Thomas J. PaprockiI Apologize to LGBTQ Catholics by Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory: For the Church to Live In Eucharistic Coherence, We Must Be Willing to Challenge Catholics Persisting in Grave Sin by Samuel J. Aquila USCCB Must Discuss Eucharistic Coherence at June Meeting by Bishop PaprockiPaprocki: We've ‘Passed Beyond the Point of Private Conversations' by The Pillar

Fr. Dave Heney joins Patrick to discuss Marriage (3:23) What is Marriage defined by the Church? What is the matter and form of marriage? (18:12) Shana - My husband and I married 33 years. Married in American Catholic Church not Roman. I just wanted to share what we've been through now as we pursue to get the sacrament in the Roman Catholic Church. (22:01) Break 1 (23:50) John - My wife and I are Catholic. 3 kids. Want Father's perspective on the whole idea on holding off and practicing NFP. Having the 3rd was challenging...wife had postpartum depression. Barbara - We have to work to fortify our marriage and strength in the Lord as time goes on. Worked in the Diocese of Phoenix in marriage prep for over 13 years. (30:51) Maria - I was baptized in the church and married in the church. Husband died last year. I am now single. I have a suitor who is Maronite Catholic. As a Roman Catholic, I can get married in an Eastern Church. How does that work between Roman and Maronite Catholic church? Is it possible for a couple to married sacramentally? John - Married 45 years. We're called to suffer. Could marriage be source of suffering? Not trying to be disrespectful. (37:46) Break 2 (39:41) James - Wife is in process of divorcing me. How do I maintain the marital relationship, the love for her, when she keeps pushing me away and says she doesn't want to be with me? In a sacramental marriage? Maria - Question regarding children who are living together. How should I advise them. Should I tell them to get married or tell them they shouldn't live together? They have a 2.5 year old child.

Full Text of ReadingsMemorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious Lectionary: 207The Saint of the day is Saint Elizabeth Ann SetonSaint Elizabeth Ann Seton's Story Mother Seton is one of the keystones of the American Catholic Church. She founded the first American religious community for women, the Sisters of Charity. She opened the first American parish school and established the first American Catholic orphanage. All this she did in the span of 46 years while raising her five children. Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton is a true daughter of the American Revolution, born August 28, 1774, just two years before the Declaration of Independence. By birth and marriage, she was linked to the first families of New York and enjoyed the fruits of high society. Reared a staunch Episcopalian, she learned the value of prayer, Scripture and a nightly examination of conscience. Her father, Dr. Richard Bayley, did not have much use for churches but was a great humanitarian, teaching his daughter to love and serve others. The early deaths of her mother in 1777 and her baby sister in 1778 gave Elizabeth a feel for eternity and the temporariness of the pilgrim life on earth. Far from being brooding and sullen, she faced each new “holocaust,” as she put it, with hopeful cheerfulness. At 19, Elizabeth was the belle of New York and married a handsome, wealthy businessman, William Magee Seton. They had five children before his business failed and he died of tuberculosis. At 30, Elizabeth was widowed and penniless, with five small children to support. While in Italy with her dying husband, Elizabeth witnessed Catholicity in action through family friends. Three basic points led her to become a Catholic: belief in the Real Presence, devotion to the Blessed Mother and conviction that the Catholic Church led back to the apostles and to Christ. Many of her family and friends rejected her when she became a Catholic in March 1805. To support her children, she opened a school in Baltimore. From the beginning, her group followed the lines of a religious community, which was officially founded in 1809. The thousand or more letters of Mother Seton reveal the development of her spiritual life from ordinary goodness to heroic sanctity. She suffered great trials of sickness, misunderstanding, the death of loved ones (her husband and two young daughters) and the heartache of a wayward son. She died January 4, 1821, and became the first American-born citizen to be beatified (1963) and then canonized (1975). She is buried in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Reflection Elizabeth Ann Seton had no extraordinary gifts. She was not a mystic or stigmatic. She did not prophesy or speak in tongues. She had two great devotions: abandonment to the will of God and an ardent love for the Blessed Sacrament. She wrote to a friend, Julia Scott, that she would prefer to exchange the world for a “cave or a desert.” “But God has given me a great deal to do, and I have always and hope always to prefer his will to every wish of my own.” Her brand of sanctity is open to everyone if we love God and do his will. Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton is a Patron Saint of: Catholic SchoolsEducators/TeachersLoss of ParentsWidows Enjoy this meditation on St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Beyond Damascus: The show where encounter meets mission. On this podcast, Dan, Brad, and Aaron will give you practical tips on how to live out your faith every day. We'll get into actionable steps of what it means to have an abundant Christian life and share things that we've learned through our personal journey's about overcoming obstacles, pursuing joy, and living a meaningful life. Tune in each week! Check out Beyond Damascus on Spotify and Apple Podcasts at: https://open.spotify.com/show/3MMe7sJcCTSZwyYu4D8EF3?si=1e9fe39919bb43e9 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-damascus/id1587181752 Learn more about Damascus at https://damascus.net Special thanks to St. Gabriel Catholic Radio for their support in the production of Beyond Damascus. Learn more about St. Gabriel at https://stgabrielradio.com

A few weeks ago, our guest was the sociologist of religion Tricia Bruce, who talked about what we know about the state of the American Catholic Church today. On this episode, host Mike Jordan Laskey is pursuing the same questions but from a different angle. Our guest is Scott Moringiello, and he's an associate professor of religious studies at DePaul University in Chicago. In that role, he teaches a rather large course called Introduction to Catholicism, which he has taught multiple times. Over the years, he has taught hundreds of Gen Z kids from all sorts of religious backgrounds about the foundational basics of the Catholic faith. He's gotten to learn about the students' own experiences with faith and what energizes them or keeps them distant. Scott was also an academic mentor of Mike's almost 20 years ago. He was a graduate assistant in a phenomenal liberal arts seminar Mike took, which he still considers the greatest intellectual experience of his life. One way you can tell the power of that class is the fact Scott and Mike are still friends all this time later. So they talked a bit about what made that class so incredible and how it informed Scott's own approach to education. They also discussed some of his Scott's mentors from Regis High School in New York City, his Jesuit alma mater that's still near and dear to his heart. Finally, Mike also asked Scott the role of the liberal arts and college education in the world of ChatGPT. They had a wide-ranging conversation that feels a bit like old friends getting together over a meal or a libation. Scott Moringiello: https://las.depaul.edu/academics/catholic-studies/faculty/Pages/Scott-Moringiello.aspx AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

[CLICK HERE to complete the 2024 Jesuitical listener survey] This week on “Jesuitical,” Zac and Ashley are joined by journalist Rachel Swarns to discuss her latest book, The 272: The Families Who Were Enslaved and Sold to Build the American Catholic Church. Rachel shares her wisdom about this important issue for U.S. Catholics and her experience as a Black Catholic, opening up a wide-ranging conversation about the work being done to repair such a grave injustice and promote racial justice in the church. They discuss: The history of Catholic slaveholding and the Jesuits' involvement in the slave trade The sale of enslaved people by the Jesuits in 1838, its impact on families and the reunion of the descendants  The efforts of Georgetown University and the church to repair this injustice In Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley cover Pope Francis' recent meeting with comedians from around the world (and America's editor at large, James Martin, S.J.). They then discuss the pope's trip to the G7 in Italy and the concerns he raised in his speech about artificial intelligence. Lastly, they talk about recent polling from the Vinia Research Group that found that Catholics' belief in the real presence in the Eucharist is higher than a 2019 report from the Pew Research Group would suggest. What's on tap? Prosecco Links from the show: Pope Francis jokes with Colbert, Fallon, Conan, Whoopi, Chris Rock, Gaffigan and others at the Vatican Pope Francis has private meeting with Joe Biden at G7 summit New Study Suggests More Than Two-Thirds of Catholics Believe the Eucharist is Truly Jesus Do most Catholics think the Eucharist is ‘just a symbol'? It's complicated. The 272: The Families Who Were Enslaved and Sold to Build the American Catholic Church by Rachel L. Swarns Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AP correspondent Walter Ratliff has the AP Religion Minute - with policies in the Catholic and Methodist churches.

AP correspondent Walter Ratliff has this week's Religion Roundup.

Bible Study: (2:20) Acts 8:1b-8 It matters who we know  How did the early Christians spread the faith?  Jn 6:35-40 What does it mean to see Jesus?  Letters (23:17) – Jim asks about Passover calendars  (24:42) – How do I trust God more?  (27:52) – I went to a mass where the priest skipped the consecration Word of the Day: Good News! (34:05) Callers  (35:55) – How do we reconcile the evil of Abortion but the children still going to heaven? (39:16) – Children w/severe disabilities and receiving communion still? (41:33) – Could you comment on the ‘American Catholic Church', and apparently priests could marry there.  Could you comment on that? (43:50) – Where is hell, is it in the world? (46:08) – What is the proper way to say the Our Father?  (48:08) – I'm taking an acting class, am I using God's name in vain? Original Air Date: April 26, 2023

On this episode of Book Stew, our host Eileen MacDougall talks with Rachel Swarns, the author of The 272: The Families Who Were Enslaved and Sold to Build the American Catholic Church.

GO REBUILD MY CHURCH: A Call to Intercession-Part III   In this last three-part series, Peter and Leslie discuss the call to rebuild and renew the ministry of intercession here in our American Catholic Church. Citing the High Priestly prayer of Jesus in John 17, examples from the Acts of the Apostles, and finally in the life of a famous saint, the Doanes believe that joining our Lord in heaven as committed intercessors, the Catholic faith can begin to address the issues of poor leadership, disunity, and persecution from the world system. Throughout salvation history, there have never been unique strategies or human willpower that have brought lasting results. Instead, it has been through intercession, both in heaven and on earth, that releases what Jesus told us to pray: "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."

Full Text of ReadingsMemorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious Lectionary: 207The Saint of the day is Saint Elizabeth Ann SetonSaint Elizabeth Ann Seton's Story Mother Seton is one of the keystones of the American Catholic Church. She founded the first American religious community for women, the Sisters of Charity. She opened the first American parish school and established the first American Catholic orphanage. All this she did in the span of 46 years while raising her five children. Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton is a true daughter of the American Revolution, born August 28, 1774, just two years before the Declaration of Independence. By birth and marriage, she was linked to the first families of New York and enjoyed the fruits of high society. Reared a staunch Episcopalian, she learned the value of prayer, Scripture and a nightly examination of conscience. Her father, Dr. Richard Bayley, did not have much use for churches but was a great humanitarian, teaching his daughter to love and serve others. The early deaths of her mother in 1777 and her baby sister in 1778 gave Elizabeth a feel for eternity and the temporariness of the pilgrim life on earth. Far from being brooding and sullen, she faced each new “holocaust,” as she put it, with hopeful cheerfulness. At 19, Elizabeth was the belle of New York and married a handsome, wealthy businessman, William Magee Seton. They had five children before his business failed and he died of tuberculosis. At 30, Elizabeth was widowed and penniless, with five small children to support. While in Italy with her dying husband, Elizabeth witnessed Catholicity in action through family friends. Three basic points led her to become a Catholic: belief in the Real Presence, devotion to the Blessed Mother and conviction that the Catholic Church led back to the apostles and to Christ. Many of her family and friends rejected her when she became a Catholic in March 1805. To support her children, she opened a school in Baltimore. From the beginning, her group followed the lines of a religious community, which was officially founded in 1809. The thousand or more letters of Mother Seton reveal the development of her spiritual life from ordinary goodness to heroic sanctity. She suffered great trials of sickness, misunderstanding, the death of loved ones (her husband and two young daughters) and the heartache of a wayward son. She died January 4, 1821, and became the first American-born citizen to be beatified (1963) and then canonized (1975). She is buried in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Reflection Elizabeth Ann Seton had no extraordinary gifts. She was not a mystic or stigmatic. She did not prophesy or speak in tongues. She had two great devotions: abandonment to the will of God and an ardent love for the Blessed Sacrament. She wrote to a friend, Julia Scott, that she would prefer to exchange the world for a “cave or a desert.” “But God has given me a great deal to do, and I have always and hope always to prefer his will to every wish of my own.” Her brand of sanctity is open to everyone if we love God and do his will. Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton is a Patron Saint of: Catholic SchoolsEducators/TeachersLoss of ParentsWidows Enjoy this meditation on St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

This week, Liberty and Vanessa discuss Better Living Through Birding, Liliana's Invincible Summer, In the Form of a Question, and more! Subscribe to All the Books! using RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify and never miss a book. Sign up for the weekly New Books! newsletter for even more new book news. It's happening, readers — we're bringing paperbacks! Whether you (or a reader you know and love) hate carrying around bulky hardcovers, you're on a budget, you want a wider range of recommendations, or all of the above, you can now get a paperback subscription from TBR, curated just for you by one of our Bibliologists. The holidays are here, and we've got three different levels for gifting to suit every budget. Get all the details at mytbr.co. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Books Discussed On the Show: Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World by Christian Cooper Liliana's Invincible Summer: A Sister's Search for Justice by Cristina Rivera Garza In the Form of a Question: The Joys and Rewards of a Curious Life by Amy Schneider  Eyeliner: A Cultural History by Zahra Hankir We Were Once a Family: A Story of Love, Death, and Child Removal in America by Roxanna Asgarian You Just Need to Lose Weight: and 19 Other Myths About Fat People by Aubrey Gordon The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel  Creep: Accusations and Confessions by Myriam Gurba Black Ball: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Spencer Haywood, and the Generation that Saved the Soul of the NBA by Theresa Runstedtler Poverty by America by Matthew Desmond The Theory of Everything Else: A Voyage Into the World of the Weird by Dan Schreiber  Moby Dyke: An Obsessive Quest to Track Down the Last Remaining Lesbian Bars in America by Krista Burton How to Say Babylon: A Memoir by Safiya Sinclair The 272: The Families Who Were Enslaved and Sold to Build the American Catholic Church by Rachel L. Swarns Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World by John Vaillant  The Great White Bard: How to Love Shakespeare While Talking About Race by Farah Karim-Cooper  The Woman in Me by Britney Spears Queen B by Juno Dawson Celestial Monsters by Aiden Thomas  The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark Confounding Oaths by Alexis Hall  A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna For a complete list of books discussed in this episode, visit our website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our news wrap Saturday, Ukraine says their air defenses intercepted a Russian missile strike that threatened Kyiv as residents scrambled for shelter, Pope Francis removed a bishop in Texas who was one of the American Catholic Church's loudest critics of the pope's liberalization attempts, and President Biden marked Veterans Day at Arlington National Cemetery. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In our news wrap Saturday, Ukraine says their air defenses intercepted a Russian missile strike that threatened Kyiv as residents scrambled for shelter, Pope Francis removed a bishop in Texas who was one of the American Catholic Church's loudest critics of the pope's liberalization attempts, and President Biden marked Veterans Day at Arlington National Cemetery. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Rachel L. Swarns discusses her latest book, "The 272: The Families Who Were Enslaved and Sold to Build the American Church". A story of the American Catholic Church and one family's will to survive.

Author Rachel L. Swarns shares her book "The 272: The Families Who Were Enslaved and Sold to Build the American Catholic Church." (0:51)Then, Director of Communication and Marketing for the Salt Lake International Airport, Nancy Volmer highlights phase 2 of construction. (23:33)Plus, Midway's Ameyalli Resort updates with managing partner, Chuck Heath. (42:11)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana are joined by special guest Warren Smith III from the Contemporary Commentary YouTube show, and they react to recent comments by former church official Russell Moore about the crisis in the American Evangelical Church and comments from the Pope about the American Catholic Church and discuss whether politics and political ideology have become too centered in Christian churches (01:31).  The guys also consider the legacy of the March on Washington with the recent passing of its 60th anniversary (48:46). The American Evangelical Church Is in Crisis. There's Only One Way Out. (The Atlantic)Evangelicals Are Now Rejecting 'Liberal' Teachings of Jesus (Newsweek)Pope says some ‘backward' conservatives in US Catholic Church have replaced faith with ideology (AP News)Thousands convene for March on Washington's 60th anniversary demonstration (Politico)The March on Washington's core ideas resonate 60 years later (NBC News)When Martin Luther King Jr. was killed, he was less popular than Donald Trump is today (USA Today)

Fr. Darryl, Alex, Josh, and Adam welcome special guest Fr. Brandon LeTourneau. Fr. LeTourneau shares his paper The American Catholic Church and more on American Anglican History. For more information on Fr. Brandon LeTourneau's work, check out his Substack here, his North American Anglican Essays here, and his Nashotah House Press Works here. A second edition of No Other Foundation: Essays on Women's Ordination in the Anglican Church will be coming out this year from Prolego Press.

An Interview with Sherry Weddell, Author of Forming Intentional Disciples and Executive Director of the Catherine of Siena Institute - This week, Peter and Leslie interview one of the key thought leaders in the American Catholic Church, Sherry Weddell. Since her groundbreaking book in 2012, Forming Intentional Disciples, Sherry has been a key spokesperson in the Church whose wisdom has been sought after by Cardinals, Bishops, clergy, religious, and lay leadership. Ms. Weddell shares how we have entered into a new epoch, one where Catholics no longer live within a culture that is affected by faith. The Church must now realize that the call to be on "mission" is not optional but necessary if we are to be faithful to the Gospel. Listeners will be encouraged and challenged to "grow up in all aspects unto Jesus Christ."

Father Dave welcomes New York University Professor and contributing writer for the New York Times, Rachel Swarns, to discuss her book, “The 272: The Families Who Were Enslaved and Sold to Build the American Catholic Church.”

This Saturday, the East Baton Rouge Parish Library will hold a day-long symposium examining the efforts of genealogists to uncover the untold stories of families enslaved in Louisiana. Much of the symposium will be based on research by Rachel Swarns, a professor at New York University, a contributing writer for The New York Times and the author of The 272: The Families Who Were Enslaved and Sold to Build the American Catholic Church. Swarns, who will deliver Saturday's keynote address, joins us to discuss how she uncovered stories many thought were lost to history. She is joined by David Laatsch, genealogy librarian in the special collections department at the East Baton Rouge Parish Library. This weekend, the Manship Theatre in Baton Rouge will present a dance performance that explores mothering while Black. The storytelling takes the lens of mothers of youth who have been victims of violence, and addresses the social issues of racial violence and discrimination. Roxi Victorian, artistic director with Nyama Contemporary Dance Company, and choreographer for this performance joins us for more.  But first, last week, we spoke to Greg Rigamer who conducted a poll published by the conservative group, Citizens for a New Louisiana, that showed state voters have an especially negative view of the legislature. Today, poll analyst Bernie Pinsonat tells us what the poll revealed about Louisianans' opinions in the upcoming governor's race.  Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Adam Vos. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber and our digital editor is Katelyn Umholtz. Our engineers are Garrett Pittman and Aubry Procell.  You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:30 pm. It's available on Spotify, Google Play, and wherever you get your podcasts.  Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to. Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rachel Swarns She is a journalism professor at New York University and a contributing writer for The New York Times. Swarns has been a foreign correspondent for the Times while reporting from Cuba, Russia and southern Africa (where she was the Johannesburg bureau chief). Swarns wrote the book American Tapestry (2012) about the history of Michelle Obama's ancestors. Her new book is titled The 272: The Families Who Were Enslaved and Sold to Build the American Catholic Church. 

Patrick reads and responds to an email from Roberto who says he will never listen to the show again because sin is not black and white and divorce is not a mortal sin Jeff - Regarding the Dodgers boycott, I recently attended an Angels game, and it was a completely opposite experience. They were playing Christian music in between plays! Cyrus shares an email from a listener angry at Patrick for suggesting Dodger fans change teams, even suggesting that doing so is blasphemy Jeff – Would you ever consider the Deaconate? Rae - She wants to compliment how you handle emails and how you distinguish facts from opinions. Antifa and Armenian Parents Clash at California School Board Meeting Over Required LGBTQ+ Activities Joe - I also looked at being a priest and saw it wasn't my calling. A priest later told me that I can have greater impact in people's lives by being a layman. Thomas (email) – Is knowingly rejecting the Church's teaching the road to hell? Elbita - She just learned that there is an American Catholic Church other than the Catholic Roman Apostolic Church. What is this all about? Emily - A friend says that people are not doing anything about the Dodgers situation. She told her to stop listening to secular media and listen to RR. What do you want the church to do? What else should the church be doing?

Eric (The Ambassador of Common Sense) and Dan (The Ambassador of Nonsense) discuss modern liturgical music (church music) in the American Catholic Church. Let's face it--today's music is hokey, fluffy, and intellectually shallow. Why? And why is it this way practically across the board, in every Catholic church in the US? In Current events, we talk about a recent asteroid collision, Democrat 2020 presidential hopefuls, and THE 2019 GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN… we also mention the Kinder Surprise Egg racial blunder and a woman banned from Walmart.VIEW ON APPLE PODCASTS VIEW ON GOOGLE PODCASTS VIEW ON AMAZON VIEW ON AUDIBLE VIEW ON CASTBOX VIEW ON PODCASTADDICT VIEW ON STITCHER VIEW ON BITCHUTE VIEW ON RUMBLE VIEW ON TUNE-IN VISIT US ON FACEBOOK

Patrick tackles the question of Jesus' divine and human nature, ways to help wickens back into the Catholic Church, whether or not demons can take physical form and answers the question why women can not be ordained priests. Paul - Did Jesus have to separate his humanity and divinity? David - unclean food- what was Jesus talking about here? was it about food or dirty hands? Jack - Can you recommend a book for wicken that can lead him away from that? Marie - What is the American Catholic Church? Andrew - Can demons take physical form? What is the power of mystical objects? Alex - Why aren't women allowed to be in the priesthood? Malgorzata - Looking for English book for kids preparing for first communion? Gabriella 13-year-old - does Sunday count in lent? Joe - What does it take to desecrate a Catholic Church? does making out count? John - How to network for Catholic scripts/stories?

It's no secret that the demographics of the American Catholic Church are changing rapidly and radically. The future of Catholic parishes depends on their ability to welcome and adapt. On this episode, we speak with Candler School of Theology professor Susan Bigelow Reynolds, also a regular Commonweal contributor.  Her new book People Get Ready: Ritual, Solidarity, and Lived Ecclesiology in Catholic Roxbury offers an ethnographic and theological deep-dive into how one small Boston parish has managed to revel in difference, rather than eradicate it.  For further reading: Susan Bigelow Reynolds on the parish's changing landscape Brett Hoover on the ethics of shared parishes  James Chappell on how the Church became modern

The Seven Churches of Revelation Part XV - The Seventh Church of Revelation: Laodicea - Peter and Leslie introduce the seventh and final Church in the Apocalypse, the Church at Laodicea. Jesus revealed Himself as the Amen, the faithful and true witness, and the Origin of God's creation. We see this church received the most serious rebuke and warning from Jesus Christ. And yet, if they repent, they received the greatest rewards! Of all the seven churches, the Doane's believe this church most represents the state of the American Catholic Church today. Jesus began by calling them out for being in total unreality concerning their spiritual condition. They thought they were rich, prosperous, and in need of nothing. Little did they know how the Lord, with perfect knowledge and insight, thought of them. This final, three-part series on the church at Laodicea, will cause conviction, repentance, and hope to fill all those who heed what the Spirit is saying to the churches!

Full Text of ReadingsMemorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious Lectionary: 207The Saint of the day is Saint Elizabeth Ann SetonSaint Elizabeth Ann Seton's Story Mother Seton is one of the keystones of the American Catholic Church. She founded the first American religious community for women, the Sisters of Charity. She opened the first American parish school and established the first American Catholic orphanage. All this she did in the span of 46 years while raising her five children. Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton is a true daughter of the American Revolution, born August 28, 1774, just two years before the Declaration of Independence. By birth and marriage, she was linked to the first families of New York and enjoyed the fruits of high society. Reared a staunch Episcopalian, she learned the value of prayer, Scripture and a nightly examination of conscience. Her father, Dr. Richard Bayley, did not have much use for churches but was a great humanitarian, teaching his daughter to love and serve others. The early deaths of her mother in 1777 and her baby sister in 1778 gave Elizabeth a feel for eternity and the temporariness of the pilgrim life on earth. Far from being brooding and sullen, she faced each new “holocaust,” as she put it, with hopeful cheerfulness. At 19, Elizabeth was the belle of New York and married a handsome, wealthy businessman, William Magee Seton. They had five children before his business failed and he died of tuberculosis. At 30, Elizabeth was widowed and penniless, with five small children to support. While in Italy with her dying husband, Elizabeth witnessed Catholicity in action through family friends. Three basic points led her to become a Catholic: belief in the Real Presence, devotion to the Blessed Mother and conviction that the Catholic Church led back to the apostles and to Christ. Many of her family and friends rejected her when she became a Catholic in March 1805. To support her children, she opened a school in Baltimore. From the beginning, her group followed the lines of a religious community, which was officially founded in 1809. The thousand or more letters of Mother Seton reveal the development of her spiritual life from ordinary goodness to heroic sanctity. She suffered great trials of sickness, misunderstanding, the death of loved ones (her husband and two young daughters) and the heartache of a wayward son. She died January 4, 1821, and became the first American-born citizen to be beatified (1963) and then canonized (1975). She is buried in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Reflection Elizabeth Ann Seton had no extraordinary gifts. She was not a mystic or stigmatic. She did not prophesy or speak in tongues. She had two great devotions: abandonment to the will of God and an ardent love for the Blessed Sacrament. She wrote to a friend, Julia Scott, that she would prefer to exchange the world for a “cave or a desert.” “But God has given me a great deal to do, and I have always and hope always to prefer his will to every wish of my own.” Her brand of sanctity is open to everyone if we love God and do his will. Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton is a Patron Saint of: Catholic SchoolsEducators/TeachersLoss of ParentsWidows Enjoy this meditation on St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Emily and Eric continue their conversation with composer Ken Canedo by asking a tough question about whether Fr. Rivers got co-opted and left behind by the White folk movement in the American Catholic Church. Ken provides a thoughtful response that involves (of all things) Catholic missalettes and lack of accompaniment, and discussion turns to the ways Fr. Rivers may have unintentionally hindered access to his own works. We pose Ken our standard question about Fr. Rivers' obscurity, and Ken's answer is perhaps the most practical we've received: it's because his music has long been unavailable. There's more: enjoy this second part of our interview with composer Ken Canedo. For Episode 19 Show Notes, click here.

Today's Topics:  1) Gospel - Lk 15:3-7 - Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep. Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus – Make my heart like unto thine  Bishop Sheen quote of the day  2) Father Thomas G. Weinandy, OFM: The American Catholic Church: A Defense  https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2022/06/10/the-american-catholic-church-a-defense/  3) The National Catholic Reporter is a liberation theology, marxist, communist rag. I've said it all...  https://catholicvote.org/national-catholic-reporter-silent-on-attacks-against-pro-life-groups%ef%bf%bc/ 4) Practical remedies for sadness  https://catholicexchange.com/practical-remedies-for-sadness/

Full Text of ReadingsMemorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious Lectionary: 213All podcast readings are produced by the USCCB and are from the Catholic Lectionary, based on the New American Bible and approved for use in the United States _______________________________________The Saint of the day is Saint Elizabeth Ann SetonMother Seton is one of the keystones of the American Catholic Church. She founded the first American religious community for women, the Sisters of Charity. She opened the first American parish school and established the first American Catholic orphanage. All this she did in the span of 46 years while raising her five children. Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton is a true daughter of the American Revolution, born August 28, 1774, just two years before the Declaration of Independence. By birth and marriage, she was linked to the first families of New York and enjoyed the fruits of high society. Reared a staunch Episcopalian, she learned the value of prayer, Scripture and a nightly examination of conscience. Her father, Dr. Richard Bayley, did not have much use for churches but was a great humanitarian, teaching his daughter to love and serve others. The early deaths of her mother in 1777 and her baby sister in 1778 gave Elizabeth a feel for eternity and the temporariness of the pilgrim life on earth. Far from being brooding and sullen, she faced each new “holocaust,” as she put it, with hopeful cheerfulness. At 19, Elizabeth was the belle of New York and married a handsome, wealthy businessman, William Magee Seton. They had five children before his business failed and he died of tuberculosis. At 30, Elizabeth was widowed and penniless, with five small children to support. While in Italy with her dying husband, Elizabeth witnessed Catholicity in action through family friends. Three basic points led her to become a Catholic: belief in the Real Presence, devotion to the Blessed Mother and conviction that the Catholic Church led back to the apostles and to Christ. Many of her family and friends rejected her when she became a Catholic in March 1805. To support her children, she opened a school in Baltimore. From the beginning, her group followed the lines of a religious community, which was officially founded in 1809. The thousand or more letters of Mother Seton reveal the development of her spiritual life from ordinary goodness to heroic sanctity. She suffered great trials of sickness, misunderstanding, the death of loved ones (her husband and two young daughters) and the heartache of a wayward son. She died January 4, 1821, and became the first American-born citizen to be beatified (1963) and then canonized (1975). She is buried in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Reflection Elizabeth Ann Seton had no extraordinary gifts. She was not a mystic or stigmatic. She did not prophesy or speak in tongues. She had two great devotions: abandonment to the will of God and an ardent love for the Blessed Sacrament. She wrote to a friend, Julia Scott, that she would prefer to exchange the world for a “cave or a desert.” “But God has given me a great deal to do, and I have always and hope always to prefer his will to every wish of my own.” Her brand of sanctity is open to everyone if we love God and do his will. Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton is a Patron Saint of: Catholic Schools Educators/Teachers Loss of Parents Widows Click here for a meditation on St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. Saint of the DayCopyright Franciscan Media

Philp Fabian Flynn led a remarkable life, bearing witness to some of the most pivotal events of the twentieth century. Flynn took part in the invasions of Sicily and Normandy, the Battle of Aachen, and the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest. He acted as confessor to Nazi War Criminals during the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, assisted Hungarian Revolutionaries on the streets of Budapest, and assisted the waves of refugees arriving in Austria feeling the effects of ethnic and political persecution during the Cold War. The Priest Who Put Europe Back Together: The Life of Rev. Fabian Flynn, CP (Catholic U of America Press, 2018) tells the story of this fascinating life. From solidly middle-class beginnings in Dorchester, Massachusetts, Flynn interacted with and occasionally advised some of the major political, military, and religious leaders of his era. His legacy as a Passionist priest, a chaplain in the US Army, and an official in the Catholic Relief Services was both vast and enormously beneficial. His life and career symbolized the "coming of age" of the United States as a global superpower, and the corresponding growth of the American Catholic Church as an international institution. Both helped liberate half of Europe from Fascist rule, and then helped to rebuild its political, economic, and social foundations, which led to an unprecedented period of peace and prosperity. His efforts on behalf of both his country and his Church to contain Communist influence, and to assist the refugees of its tyranny, contributed to its collapse. Flynn was one of the hundreds of Americans who put Europe back together after a period of horrendous self-destruction. In a twentieth century filled with villains and despots, Flynn played a heroic and vital role in extraordinary times. Carlos Ruiz Martinez is a PhD student in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Iowa. He is also the Communications Assistant for the American Catholic Historical Association (ACHA). His general interest is in American religious history, especially American Catholicism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Philp Fabian Flynn led a remarkable life, bearing witness to some of the most pivotal events of the twentieth century. Flynn took part in the invasions of Sicily and Normandy, the Battle of Aachen, and the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest. He acted as confessor to Nazi War Criminals during the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, assisted Hungarian Revolutionaries on the streets of Budapest, and assisted the waves of refugees arriving in Austria feeling the effects of ethnic and political persecution during the Cold War. The Priest Who Put Europe Back Together: The Life of Rev. Fabian Flynn, CP (Catholic U of America Press, 2018) tells the story of this fascinating life. From solidly middle-class beginnings in Dorchester, Massachusetts, Flynn interacted with and occasionally advised some of the major political, military, and religious leaders of his era. His legacy as a Passionist priest, a chaplain in the US Army, and an official in the Catholic Relief Services was both vast and enormously beneficial. His life and career symbolized the "coming of age" of the United States as a global superpower, and the corresponding growth of the American Catholic Church as an international institution. Both helped liberate half of Europe from Fascist rule, and then helped to rebuild its political, economic, and social foundations, which led to an unprecedented period of peace and prosperity. His efforts on behalf of both his country and his Church to contain Communist influence, and to assist the refugees of its tyranny, contributed to its collapse. Flynn was one of the hundreds of Americans who put Europe back together after a period of horrendous self-destruction. In a twentieth century filled with villains and despots, Flynn played a heroic and vital role in extraordinary times. Carlos Ruiz Martinez is a PhD student in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Iowa. He is also the Communications Assistant for the American Catholic Historical Association (ACHA). His general interest is in American religious history, especially American Catholicism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Philp Fabian Flynn led a remarkable life, bearing witness to some of the most pivotal events of the twentieth century. Flynn took part in the invasions of Sicily and Normandy, the Battle of Aachen, and the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest. He acted as confessor to Nazi War Criminals during the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, assisted Hungarian Revolutionaries on the streets of Budapest, and assisted the waves of refugees arriving in Austria feeling the effects of ethnic and political persecution during the Cold War. The Priest Who Put Europe Back Together: The Life of Rev. Fabian Flynn, CP (Catholic U of America Press, 2018) tells the story of this fascinating life. From solidly middle-class beginnings in Dorchester, Massachusetts, Flynn interacted with and occasionally advised some of the major political, military, and religious leaders of his era. His legacy as a Passionist priest, a chaplain in the US Army, and an official in the Catholic Relief Services was both vast and enormously beneficial. His life and career symbolized the "coming of age" of the United States as a global superpower, and the corresponding growth of the American Catholic Church as an international institution. Both helped liberate half of Europe from Fascist rule, and then helped to rebuild its political, economic, and social foundations, which led to an unprecedented period of peace and prosperity. His efforts on behalf of both his country and his Church to contain Communist influence, and to assist the refugees of its tyranny, contributed to its collapse. Flynn was one of the hundreds of Americans who put Europe back together after a period of horrendous self-destruction. In a twentieth century filled with villains and despots, Flynn played a heroic and vital role in extraordinary times. Carlos Ruiz Martinez is a PhD student in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Iowa. He is also the Communications Assistant for the American Catholic Historical Association (ACHA). His general interest is in American religious history, especially American Catholicism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/christian-studies

Philp Fabian Flynn led a remarkable life, bearing witness to some of the most pivotal events of the twentieth century. Flynn took part in the invasions of Sicily and Normandy, the Battle of Aachen, and the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest. He acted as confessor to Nazi War Criminals during the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, assisted Hungarian Revolutionaries on the streets of Budapest, and assisted the waves of refugees arriving in Austria feeling the effects of ethnic and political persecution during the Cold War. The Priest Who Put Europe Back Together: The Life of Rev. Fabian Flynn, CP (Catholic U of America Press, 2018) tells the story of this fascinating life. From solidly middle-class beginnings in Dorchester, Massachusetts, Flynn interacted with and occasionally advised some of the major political, military, and religious leaders of his era. His legacy as a Passionist priest, a chaplain in the US Army, and an official in the Catholic Relief Services was both vast and enormously beneficial. His life and career symbolized the "coming of age" of the United States as a global superpower, and the corresponding growth of the American Catholic Church as an international institution. Both helped liberate half of Europe from Fascist rule, and then helped to rebuild its political, economic, and social foundations, which led to an unprecedented period of peace and prosperity. His efforts on behalf of both his country and his Church to contain Communist influence, and to assist the refugees of its tyranny, contributed to its collapse. Flynn was one of the hundreds of Americans who put Europe back together after a period of horrendous self-destruction. In a twentieth century filled with villains and despots, Flynn played a heroic and vital role in extraordinary times. Carlos Ruiz Martinez is a PhD student in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Iowa. He is also the Communications Assistant for the American Catholic Historical Association (ACHA). His general interest is in American religious history, especially American Catholicism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

Philp Fabian Flynn led a remarkable life, bearing witness to some of the most pivotal events of the twentieth century. Flynn took part in the invasions of Sicily and Normandy, the Battle of Aachen, and the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest. He acted as confessor to Nazi War Criminals during the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, assisted Hungarian Revolutionaries on the streets of Budapest, and assisted the waves of refugees arriving in Austria feeling the effects of ethnic and political persecution during the Cold War. The Priest Who Put Europe Back Together: The Life of Rev. Fabian Flynn, CP (Catholic U of America Press, 2018) tells the story of this fascinating life. From solidly middle-class beginnings in Dorchester, Massachusetts, Flynn interacted with and occasionally advised some of the major political, military, and religious leaders of his era. His legacy as a Passionist priest, a chaplain in the US Army, and an official in the Catholic Relief Services was both vast and enormously beneficial. His life and career symbolized the "coming of age" of the United States as a global superpower, and the corresponding growth of the American Catholic Church as an international institution. Both helped liberate half of Europe from Fascist rule, and then helped to rebuild its political, economic, and social foundations, which led to an unprecedented period of peace and prosperity. His efforts on behalf of both his country and his Church to contain Communist influence, and to assist the refugees of its tyranny, contributed to its collapse. Flynn was one of the hundreds of Americans who put Europe back together after a period of horrendous self-destruction. In a twentieth century filled with villains and despots, Flynn played a heroic and vital role in extraordinary times. Carlos Ruiz Martinez is a PhD student in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Iowa. He is also the Communications Assistant for the American Catholic Historical Association (ACHA). His general interest is in American religious history, especially American Catholicism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biography

Philp Fabian Flynn led a remarkable life, bearing witness to some of the most pivotal events of the twentieth century. Flynn took part in the invasions of Sicily and Normandy, the Battle of Aachen, and the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest. He acted as confessor to Nazi War Criminals during the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, assisted Hungarian Revolutionaries on the streets of Budapest, and assisted the waves of refugees arriving in Austria feeling the effects of ethnic and political persecution during the Cold War. The Priest Who Put Europe Back Together: The Life of Rev. Fabian Flynn, CP (Catholic U of America Press, 2018) tells the story of this fascinating life. From solidly middle-class beginnings in Dorchester, Massachusetts, Flynn interacted with and occasionally advised some of the major political, military, and religious leaders of his era. His legacy as a Passionist priest, a chaplain in the US Army, and an official in the Catholic Relief Services was both vast and enormously beneficial. His life and career symbolized the "coming of age" of the United States as a global superpower, and the corresponding growth of the American Catholic Church as an international institution. Both helped liberate half of Europe from Fascist rule, and then helped to rebuild its political, economic, and social foundations, which led to an unprecedented period of peace and prosperity. His efforts on behalf of both his country and his Church to contain Communist influence, and to assist the refugees of its tyranny, contributed to its collapse. Flynn was one of the hundreds of Americans who put Europe back together after a period of horrendous self-destruction. In a twentieth century filled with villains and despots, Flynn played a heroic and vital role in extraordinary times. Carlos Ruiz Martinez is a PhD student in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Iowa. He is also the Communications Assistant for the American Catholic Historical Association (ACHA). His general interest is in American religious history, especially American Catholicism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Philp Fabian Flynn led a remarkable life, bearing witness to some of the most pivotal events of the twentieth century. Flynn took part in the invasions of Sicily and Normandy, the Battle of Aachen, and the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest. He acted as confessor to Nazi War Criminals during the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, assisted Hungarian Revolutionaries on the streets of Budapest, and assisted the waves of refugees arriving in Austria feeling the effects of ethnic and political persecution during the Cold War. The Priest Who Put Europe Back Together: The Life of Rev. Fabian Flynn, CP (Catholic U of America Press, 2018) tells the story of this fascinating life. From solidly middle-class beginnings in Dorchester, Massachusetts, Flynn interacted with and occasionally advised some of the major political, military, and religious leaders of his era. His legacy as a Passionist priest, a chaplain in the US Army, and an official in the Catholic Relief Services was both vast and enormously beneficial. His life and career symbolized the "coming of age" of the United States as a global superpower, and the corresponding growth of the American Catholic Church as an international institution. Both helped liberate half of Europe from Fascist rule, and then helped to rebuild its political, economic, and social foundations, which led to an unprecedented period of peace and prosperity. His efforts on behalf of both his country and his Church to contain Communist influence, and to assist the refugees of its tyranny, contributed to its collapse. Flynn was one of the hundreds of Americans who put Europe back together after a period of horrendous self-destruction. In a twentieth century filled with villains and despots, Flynn played a heroic and vital role in extraordinary times. Carlos Ruiz Martinez is a PhD student in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Iowa. He is also the Communications Assistant for the American Catholic Historical Association (ACHA). His general interest is in American religious history, especially American Catholicism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history

“Interpretation evolves. It changes with the people who are changing.” - Leslieann Hobayan Welcome to another episode of Spiritual Grit Podcast! In today's episode, I talk about my recent Catholic mass experience (thankfully I attended virtually for reasons you'll soon find out). The new priest gave his homily, stating his beliefs plain and simple: marriage which is for only a man and woman only; being gay/homosexual is a sin; divorce is also a sin. He really jammed all the hot button issues into one foaming-at-the-mouth speech. There was no nuance, no room for discussion. Needless to say, it felt abusive and I was activated. This experience raises the question: what is the role of religions like Catholicism in a world that is quickly evolving to show that it doesn't matter what religion you practice, but how you love? What is the role of the old stodgy dogma of Roman Catholicism--which feels very distant from Jesus's message of love-- in this rapidly-changing 21st century ? Are practices like Catholicism useful in spiritual growth? In our overall evolution? Listen along to this full episode to learn more about how I continue to be disappointed (but, unfortunately not surprised) by the American Catholic Church. Original Translation of Homosexuality reference: https://um-insight.net/perspectives/has-“homosexual”-always-been-in-the-bible/ * Follow me on Instagram for Maverick Mondays, Free Verse Fridays, and some real talk about healing, poetry, AND play: @leslieannhobayan or email me at leslieann@suryagian.com * Sign up for Joyful Meditation, a 5-part introductory series to meditation. Each recorded class is just a half hour. Five classes to create self-awareness and inner peace-- for just $11.11! Today's poems/ Books mentioned: “Trying to Wear Pants” by Hafiz “Easter Bonifacio High Street” by Joseph Legaspi Membership(s)/Retreat(s) Mentioned: Joyful Meditation : https://suryagian.com/joyful-meditation

"Then he heard Wei's scream get cut off abruptly and then he heard a quick succession of thumping… like a body falling down the stairs… or being dragged.  And then a moment later..." In story one this week, we go to Beijing! A beautiful and ominous, ivy covered French baroque style mansion sits in a complex with another mansion inside an impressive courtyard in the Dongcheng District of Beijing. Originally built by the American Catholic Church in 1910 and then used from 1930 until 1949 as a Chinese language school to train foreign missionaries, the house then began a long, long period of sitting unoccupied, surrounded by stories of the vengeful ghost of a scorned woman haunting the grounds And now, to Iceland! Hurrá is a popular bar/nightclub in Reykjavik, Iceland. Hurrá doesn't just make the lists of the best pubs in Reykjavik, it also makes the lists of the “most haunted” spots in all of Iceland. Local lore claims that a young sailor was murdered on the shore where the bar now sits, many centuries ago, and his spirit never seems to have moved from the place where he died.  Story three considers the idea that being in touch with the other side might be something passed from one generation to the next when a red bouncing ball appears to multiple in one family. Story four has us encountering a house full of paranormal activity that seems to be coming from a gnome. New Merch: Also, in the store now at badmagicmerch.com! Revelations Tee, coaster, and coffee mug. This design reminds me of stained glass from some medieval church - but a dark church that would have gotten a lot of heretics burned - and it looks incredible. Bad Magic Productions Monthly Patreon Donation: While we don't have the exact numbers in front of us, we here at Bad Magic Productions will be donating at least $15,000 of our Patreon subscriptions this month to the American Nurses Foundation Coronavirus Response Fund for Nurses.Nurses have bore the brunt of the work the past 18 months with the ongoing pandemic. They've been working more hours than ever, getting sick more often, dying more often - they've been on the frontline the whole time. And they continue to risk their lives to help.This response fund provides mental health support, direct financial aid, education and evidence-based information, and overall advocacy for nurses.To find out more, click the link in our episode description or just search for “Coronavirus Response Fund for Nurses” - it comes up first. https://www.nursingworld.org/foundation/programs/coronavirus-response-fund/ Finally, our hearts going out to the 13 US military service members killed in Kabul helping with evacuations. We will honor their sacrifice - and the sacrifice of so many others - by donating to a military charity in November, keeping the tradition going of donating to a military charity every November.  Please rate, review, and subscribe anywhere you listen. Thank you for listening! Follow the show on social media: @scaredtodeathpodcast on Facebook and IG Watch this episode on Youtube: https://youtu.be/X2fLVVF3cu8 Website:https://scaredtodeathpodcast.com/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/scaredtodeathpodcast/  Instagram: https://bit.ly/2miPLf5 Mailing Address: Scared to Death c/o Timesuck Podcast PO Box 3891 Coeur d'Alene, ID 83816 Video/Audio by Bad Magic Productions Additional music production by Jeffrey Montoya Additional music production by Zach Cohen Various free audio provided by http://freesound.org Opening Sumerian protection spell (adapted):  "Whether thou art a ghost that hath come from the earth, or a phantom of night that hath no home… or one that lieth dead in the desert… or a ghost unburied… or a demon or a ghoul… Whatever thou be until thou art removed… thou shalt find here no water to drink… Thou shalt not stretch forth thy hand to our own… Into our house enter thou not. Through our fence, breakthrough thou not… we are protected though we may be frightened.  Our life you may not steal, though we may feel SCARED TO DEATH." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Curious about the Church in China? Fr. Michael Agliardo, SJ, Executive Director of the US-China Catholic Association (USCCA) and Fr. Peter Li from China join us to discuss the state of the church, what Catholics in China hunger for, and how we can support efforts of evangelization within China. Founded in 1989 as the United States Catholic China Bureau (with the acronym USCCB at the time) through the collaborative efforts of Maryknoll, the Jesuits, other religious orders, and concerned US bishops, the USCCA was launched at a time when China's opening to the outside world set in motion a cavalcade of changes domestically as well as internationally. They worked to keep the American public, the American Catholic Church, and the American Catholic bishops informed of the needs and circumstances of the Church in China. Today the USCCA continues its work of building fraternal ties between the Catholic communities on both sides of the Pacific. More info at their website: https://www.uscatholicchina.org. Check out information on their recent conference in August 2021 in Santa Clara, California at https://www.uscatholicchina.org/conference-2021

Join Fr. Roy Lee as he welcome former Roman Catholic Priest and now Bishop of the American Catholic Church (independent), as he shares his journey of faith and testimony.

A rift in the American Catholic Church widened in June, as U.S. bishops voted to draft instructions to the faithful on who should receive Communion, with an eye toward dissuading high-profile Catholics like Joe Biden who support abortion policies and gay rights from presenting themselves for the ritual. Caught in the middle, Biden has no plans to change how he worships.

¡

Kevin invites renowned author, scholar and moral theologian Dr. Janet Smith into the One2One Podcast today to contrast the soaring heroism of Father Al with the many dark clouds that hover over chanceries, rectories, and the American Catholic Church today. Their frank discussion centers around what may be aptly termed “bullying” in the Church today. 

Matt Mazewski and Brendan Moore, both economics doctoral candidates and labor organizers, join “Heart of a Heartless World” to discuss the relationship between labor rights and the American Catholic Church. Matt and Brendan are interviewed by Nicole-Ann Lobo, and their conversation includes a brief history of Catholic social teaching and what papal encyclicals have to say about labor rights, the current state of American bishops and labor, the role of the Catholic Labor Network, and how Catholic higher education instutions are treating graduate student unions. Resources: Fratelli tutti Challenges the Utopia of Neoliberalism — https://christiansocialism.com/pope-francis-fratelli-tutti-socialism-capitalism/ The Catholic Labor Network — catholiclabor.org Gaudium et Spes Labor Report — http://catholiclabor.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GESAnnualReport2020.pdf The NLRB’s Theology of Labor — https://www.thestrikewave.com/original-content/religion-and-the-nlrb U.S. Bishops praise Biden’s actions on immigration — https://www.catholicsentinel.org/Content/Default/Homepage-Rotator/Article/US-bishops-praise-Biden-s-actions-on-immigration-/-3/382/41722 USCCB brief on Janus case — https://www.usccb.org/sites/default/files/about/general-counsel/amicus-briefs/upload/Janus-v-American-Federation-of-State-16-1466-bsac-usccb-amicus.pdf

This week, Kevin and I get together to look back and reflect on this turbulent year, and this fantastic series. With Christmas upon us, we discuss how to remain grounded over the festive period, and creating healthier relationships with the physical aspects of our lives.  Listen to the music that inspires us and our guests on our Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ss3XbJQivOKkIzZfItRUC // We invite you to get involved and send us your questions! Does this episode spark something inside you? Uncle Kevin and I will do our best to bring these questions to the forefront of our podcast. Please feel rest assured that no names will be read out, this is completely confidential. Contact: francesca&kevin@Becomingmorehuman.co.uk A huge thank you to our fantastic Editor and Assistant Producer Emily Booth - emilyboothmedia.wordpress.com // About Francesca:  Francesca was 28 years old when she turned down a dream role, working for one of the biggest drinks companies in the world, to set-up her own business (29 London) and pursue her passion to tell stories for brands, and now people too (Platform). Running her own business fast-tracked Fran's self-development journey. She understood how brands needed to tell their story, but now was forced to look at her own personal story; what were my values and beliefs? It’s through her work with owners, founders, and like-minded individuals that continue to push her to keep learning and help others to do the same; developing a strong mind, body and soul connection. Francesca describes that despite initially feeling empowered and channeling her inner Beyonce circa ‘Run the World (girls)’ her first day as her own boss to in fact be less Independent Women and more Survivor, but she continues to grow and learn on her journey each day. Contact: www.29-london.com  About Uncle Kevin: Since his mid-teens, Kevin had dreamt of becoming a priest. He first explored his religious vocation with the Rominians in the 70s, before leaving to work for The Philharmonia Orchestra in London and then became a teacher.  In 1991 he moved to the USA to study theology and worked in parishes on the West Coast. In 2000 he was ordained a priest with The American Catholic Church - an Independent Catholic Church that ordains men and women, married and single, straight and gay - and started work as a hospice chaplain. In 2005 he and his boyfriend (now husband) bought their current residence in Oregon and opened an event and retreat center. He continues to do a lot of marriage counseling, freelance work for local parishes, some local theater work, and odd bit of writing, retreats, etc. Contact: Kevingyell@gmail.com   https://ainsworthhouse.net/

This week we are joined by actor, rapper, director and producer Ashley Walters, in an honest and enlightening discussion. Ashley shares his insightful learnings from his years growing up in Peckham as the eldest son of a single mother, into the world of film, TV and music.  Follow Ashley on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/henryholland/  Follow Ashley's drama school: https://www.instagram.com/kingdomdramaschool/  Follow Ashley's TV and Film Production Company: https://www.instagram.com/slndauk/  Watch Ashley's choice of film: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089218/  Listen to the music that inspires us and our guests on our Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ss3XbJQivOKkIzZfItRUC // We invite you to get involved and send us your questions! Does this episode spark something inside you? Uncle Kevin and I will do our best to bring these questions to the forefront of our podcast. Please feel rest assured that no names will be read out, this is completely confidential. Contact: francesca&kevin@Becomingmorehuman.co.uk A huge thank you to our fantastic Editor and Assistant Producer Emily Booth - emilyboothmedia.wordpress.com // About Francesca:  Francesca was 28 years old when she turned down a dream role, working for one of the biggest drinks companies in the world, to set-up her own business (29 London) and pursue her passion to tell stories for brands, and now people too (Platform). Running her own business fast-tracked Fran's self-development journey. She understood how brands needed to tell their story, but now was forced to look at her own personal story; what were my values and beliefs? It’s through her work with owners, founders, and like-minded individuals that continue to push her to keep learning and help others to do the same; developing a strong mind, body and soul connection. Francesca describes that despite initially feeling empowered and channeling her inner Beyonce circa ‘Run the World (girls)’ her first day as her own boss to in fact be less Independent Women and more Survivor, but she continues to grow and learn on her journey each day. Contact: www.29-london.com  About Uncle Kevin: Since his mid-teens, Kevin had dreamt of becoming a priest. He first explored his religious vocation with the Rominians in the 70s, before leaving to work for The Philharmonia Orchestra in London and then became a teacher.  In 1991 he moved to the USA to study theology and worked in parishes on the West Coast. In 2000 he was ordained a priest with The American Catholic Church - an Independent Catholic Church that ordains men and women, married and single, straight and gay - and started work as a hospice chaplain. In 2005 he and his boyfriend (now husband) bought their current residence in Oregon and opened an event and retreat center. He continues to do a lot of marriage counseling, freelance work for local parishes, some local theater work, and odd bit of writing, retreats, etc. Contact: Kevingyell@gmail.com   https://ainsworthhouse.net/

In this week's episode we chat with Creative Director and Business Entrepreneur Henry Holland. He talks in depth about his life from Ramsbottom to London, building his fashion empire, and the importance of his personal friendships and relationships.  Follow Henry on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/henryholland/  Listen to Henry's podcast: https://www.instagram.com/whatwereyouthinkingpodcast/  Read the books Henry takes inspiration from... Feel the Fear and do it Anyway: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/653396.Feel_the_Fear_and_Do_It_Anyway  How to Lose Friends and Alienate People: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55876.How_to_Lose_Friends_and_Alienate_People  Listen to the music that inspires us and our guests on our Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ss3XbJQivOKkIzZfItRUC // We invite you to get involved and send us your questions! Does this episode spark something inside you? Uncle Kevin and I will do our best to bring these questions to the forefront of our podcast. Please feel rest assured that no names will be read out, this is completely confidential. Contact: francesca&kevin@Becomingmorehuman.co.uk A huge thank you to our fantastic Editor and Assistant Producer Emily Booth - emilyboothmedia.wordpress.com // About Francesca:  Francesca was 28 years old when she turned down a dream role, working for one of the biggest drinks companies in the world, to set-up her own business (29 London) and pursue her passion to tell stories for brands, and now people too (Platform). Running her own business fast-tracked Fran's self-development journey. She understood how brands needed to tell their story, but now was forced to look at her own personal story; what were my values and beliefs? It’s through her work with owners, founders, and like-minded individuals that continue to push her to keep learning and help others to do the same; developing a strong mind, body and soul connection. Francesca describes that despite initially feeling empowered and channeling her inner Beyonce circa ‘Run the World (girls)’ her first day as her own boss to in fact be less Independent Women and more Survivor, but she continues to grow and learn on her journey each day. Contact: www.29-london.com  About Uncle Kevin: Since his mid-teens, Kevin had dreamt of becoming a priest. He first explored his religious vocation with the Rominians in the 70s, before leaving to work for The Philharmonia Orchestra in London and then became a teacher.  In 1991 he moved to the USA to study theology and worked in parishes on the West Coast. In 2000 he was ordained a priest with The American Catholic Church - an Independent Catholic Church that ordains men and women, married and single, straight and gay - and started work as a hospice chaplain. In 2005 he and his boyfriend (now husband) bought their current residence in Oregon and opened an event and retreat center. He continues to do a lot of marriage counseling, freelance work for local parishes, some local theater work, and odd bit of writing, retreats, etc. Contact: Kevingyell@gmail.com   https://ainsworthhouse.net/

We are joined by Allegra Bambie Haines, who opens up about becoming truly herself, a transfemale. She is a trailblazer, a teacher and most importantly she’s demonstrates the very meaning of this podcast, becoming more human. Taking life into her own hands, she talks eloquently about trusting yourself, and we can’t wait to see her next chapter unfold. **Trigger Warning: suicide mention, transphobia** We hope you enjoy this episode and don’t forget to share, review and subscribe. Follow Allegra on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bambihaines/  Learn about Allegra’s business: https://thebookingproject.com/  Listen to Allegra's music choice on our Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ss3XbJQivOKkIzZfItRUC // We invite you to get involved and send us your questions! Does this episode spark something inside you? Uncle Kevin and I will do our best to bring these questions to the forefront of our podcast. Please feel rest assured that no names will be read out, this is completely confidential. Contact: francesca&kevin@Becomingmorehuman.co.uk A huge thank you to our fantastic Editor and Assistant Producer Emily Booth - emilyboothmedia.wordpress.com // About Francesca:  Francesca was 28 years old when she turned down a dream role, working for one of the biggest drinks companies in the world, to set-up her own business (29 London) and pursue her passion to tell stories for brands, and now people too (Platform). Running her own business fast-tracked Fran's self-development journey. She understood how brands needed to tell their story, but now was forced to look at her own personal story; what were my values and beliefs? It’s through her work with owners, founders, and like-minded individuals that continue to push her to keep learning and help others to do the same; developing a strong mind, body and soul connection. Francesca describes that despite initially feeling empowered and channeling her inner Beyonce circa ‘Run the World (girls)’ her first day as her own boss to in fact be less Independent Women and more Survivor, but she continues to grow and learn on her journey each day. Contact: www.29-london.com  About Uncle Kevin: Since his mid-teens, Kevin had dreamt of becoming a priest. He first explored his religious vocation with the Rominians in the 70s, before leaving to work for The Philharmonia Orchestra in London and then became a teacher.  In 1991 he moved to the USA to study theology and worked in parishes on the West Coast. In 2000 he was ordained a priest with The American Catholic Church - an Independent Catholic Church that ordains men and women, married and single, straight and gay - and started work as a hospice chaplain. In 2005 he and his boyfriend (now husband) bought their current residence in Oregon and opened an event and retreat center. He continues to do a lot of marriage counseling, freelance work for local parishes, some local theater work, and odd bit of writing, retreats, etc. Contact: Kevingyell@gmail.com   https://ainsworthhouse.net/

This week, we'll discuss the rapid growth of Catholic schools, parishes, hospitals, and orphanages, and what that had to do with American Exceptionalism. We'll also see how Pope Leo XIII both was in awe of the American Catholic Church, and gave some grave warnings.

This week, we'll discuss the rapid growth of Catholic schools, parishes, hospitals, and orphanages, and what that had to do with American Exceptionalism. We'll also see how Pope Leo XIII both was in awe of the American Catholic Church, and gave some grave warnings.

This week we’re joined by a special guest, Former Olympian and business woman Louise Hazel. She talks openly about her life, and the key turning points that took place which have helped her move towards finding her true self. We hope you enjoy this episode and don’t forget to share, review and subscribe. Follow Louise on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/louisehazel/ Learn about Louise’s gym business: https://www.instagram.com/theslaygym/  Educate yourself on diversity with Louie’s Play book: https://www.theslaygym.com/playbook  Forbes interview: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alissafitzgerald/2020/09/09/olympian-athlete-louise-hazel-teaches-us-to-slay-body--soul/  Pride film: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3169706/  Listen to Louise’s music choice on our Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2YJZksL68wYeIPbgDACt6K?si=-MbmXEZUR9adXydzp9hLWw  // We invite you to get involved and send us your questions! Does this episode spark something inside you? Uncle Kevin and I will do our best to bring these questions to the forefront of our podcast. Please feel rest assured that no names will be read out, this is completely confidential. Contact: francesca&kevin@Becomingmorehuman.co.uk A huge thank you to our fantastic Editor and Assistant Producer Emily Booth - emilyboothmedia.wordpress.com // About Francesca:  Francesca was 28 years old when she turned down a dream role, working for one of the biggest drinks companies in the world, to set-up her own business (29 London) and pursue her passion to tell stories for brands, and now people too (Platform). Running her own business fast-tracked Fran's self-development journey. She understood how brands needed to tell their story, but now was forced to look at her own personal story; what were my values and beliefs? It’s through her work with owners, founders, and like-minded individuals that continue to push her to keep learning and help others to do the same; developing a strong mind, body and soul connection. Francesca describes that despite initially feeling empowered and channeling her inner Beyonce circa ‘Run the World (girls)’ her first day as her own boss to in fact be less Independent Women and more Survivor, but she continues to grow and learn on her journey each day. Contact: www.29-london.com  About Uncle Kevin: Since his mid-teens, Kevin had dreamt of becoming a priest. He first explored his religious vocation with the Rominians in the 70s, before leaving to work for The Philharmonia Orchestra in London and then became a teacher.  In 1991 he moved to the USA to study theology and worked in parishes on the West Coast. In 2000 he was ordained a priest with The American Catholic Church - an Independent Catholic Church that ordains men and women, married and single, straight and gay - and started work as a hospice chaplain. In 2005 he and his boyfriend (now husband) bought their current residence in Oregon and opened an event and retreat center. He continues to do a lot of marriage counseling, freelance work for local parishes, some local theater work, and odd bit of writing, retreats, etc. Contact: Kevingyell@gmail.com   https://ainsworthhouse.net/

We're back, and roaring to go for season two! In this introductory episode, Kevin and I discuss the recent US election, facing more lockdowns, and discovering our stories.  Follow our Spotify playlist of all the tunes we take inspiration from: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2YJZksL68wYeIPbgDACt6K?si=-MbmXEZUR9adXydzp9hLWw  // We invite you to get involved and send us your questions! Does this episode spark something inside you? Uncle Kevin and I will do our best to bring these questions to the forefront of our podcast. Please feel rest assured that no names will be read out, this is completely confidential. Contact: francesca&kevin@Becomingmorehuman.co.uk A huge thank you to our fantastic Editor and Assistant Producer Emily Booth - emilyboothmedia.wordpress.com // About Francesca:  Francesca was 28 years old when she turned down a dream role, working for one of the biggest drinks companies in the world, to set-up her own business (29 London) and pursue her passion to tell stories for brands, and now people too (Platform). Running her own business fast-tracked Fran's self-development journey. She understood how brands needed to tell their story, but now was forced to look at her own personal story; what were my values and beliefs? It’s through her work with owners, founders, and like-minded individuals that continue to push her to keep learning and help others to do the same; developing a strong mind, body and soul connection. Francesca describes that despite initially feeling empowered and channeling her inner Beyonce circa ‘Run the World (girls)’ her first day as her own boss to in fact be less Independent Women and more Survivor, but she continues to grow and learn on her journey each day. Contact: www.29-london.com    About Uncle Kevin: Since his mid-teens, Kevin had dreamt of becoming a priest. He first explored his religious vocation with the Rominians in the 70s, before leaving to work for The Philharmonia Orchestra in London and then became a teacher.  In 1991 he moved to the USA to study theology and worked in parishes on the West Coast. In 2000 he was ordained a priest with The American Catholic Church - an Independent Catholic Church that ordains men and women, married and single, straight and gay - and started work as a hospice chaplain. In 2005 he and his boyfriend (now husband) bought their current residence in Oregon and opened an event and retreat center. He continues to do a lot of marriage counseling, freelance work for local parishes, some local theater work, and odd bit of writing, retreats, etc. Contact: Kevingyell@gmail.com   https://ainsworthhouse.net/

It's the final episode of this season (already?!), so Kevin and I delve into my favorite topic - communication. We discuss the importance of listening, cultural differences, and how our individual relationships impact our communication.  Follow our Spotify playlist of all the Broadway tunes we take inspiration from: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2YJZksL68wYeIPbgDACt6K?si=-MbmXEZUR9adXydzp9hLWw  // We invite you to get involved and send us your questions! Does this episode spark something inside you? Uncle Kevin and I will do our best to bring these questions to the forefront of our podcast. Please feel rest assured that no names will be read out, this is completely confidential. Contact: francesca&kevin@Becomingmorehuman.co.uk A huge thank you to our fantastic Editor and Assistant Producer Emily Booth - emilyboothmedia.wordpress.com // About Francesca:  Francesca was 28 years old when she turned down a dream role, working for one of the biggest drinks companies in the world, to set-up her own business (29 London) and pursue her passion to tell stories for brands, and now people too (Platform). Running her own business fast-tracked Fran's self-development journey. She understood how brands needed to tell their story, but now was forced to look at her own personal story; what were my values and beliefs? It’s through her work with owners, founders, and like-minded individuals that continue to push her to keep learning and help others to do the same; developing a strong mind, body and soul connection. Francesca describes that despite initially feeling empowered and channeling her inner Beyonce circa ‘Run the World (girls)’ her first day as her own boss to in fact be less Independent Women and more Survivor, but she continues to grow and learn on her journey each day. Contact: www.29-london.com    About Uncle Kevin: Since his mid-teens, Kevin had dreamt of becoming a priest. He first explored his religious vocation with the Rominians in the 70s, before leaving to work for The Philharmonia Orchestra in London and then became a teacher.  In 1991 he moved to the USA to study theology and worked in parishes on the West Coast. In 2000 he was ordained a priest with The American Catholic Church - an Independent Catholic Church that ordains men and women, married and single, straight and gay - and started work as a hospice chaplain. In 2005 he and his boyfriend (now husband) bought their current residence in Oregon and opened an event and retreat center. He continues to do a lot of marriage counseling, freelance work for local parishes, some local theater work, and odd bit of writing, retreats, etc. Contact: Kevingyell@gmail.com   https://ainsworthhouse.net/

In this episode, we take a look back in time to discuss sibling differences, parenting styles, and the importance of examining our childhoods.  Follow our Spotify playlist of all the Broadway tunes we take inspiration from: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2YJZksL68wYeIPbgDACt6K?si=-MbmXEZUR9adXydzp9hLWw  // We invite you to get involved and send us your questions! Does this episode spark something inside you? Uncle Kevin and I will do our best to bring these questions to the forefront of our podcast. Please feel rest assured that no names will be read out, this is completely confidential. Contact: francesca&kevin@Becomingmorehuman.co.uk A huge thank you to our fantastic Editor and Assistant Producer Emily Booth - emilyboothmedia.wordpress.com // About Francesca:  Francesca was 28 years old when she turned down a dream role, working for one of the biggest drinks companies in the world, to set-up her own business (29 London) and pursue her passion to tell stories for brands, and now people too (Platform). Running her own business fast-tracked Fran's self-development journey. She understood how brands needed to tell their story, but now was forced to look at her own personal story; what were my values and beliefs? It’s through her work with owners, founders, and like-minded individuals that continue to push her to keep learning and help others to do the same; developing a strong mind, body and soul connection. Francesca describes that despite initially feeling empowered and channeling her inner Beyonce circa ‘Run the World (girls)’ her first day as her own boss to in fact be less Independent Women and more Survivor, but she continues to grow and learn on her journey each day. Contact: www.29-london.com    About Uncle Kevin: Since his mid-teens, Kevin had dreamt of becoming a priest. He first explored his religious vocation with the Rominians in the 70s, before leaving to work for The Philharmonia Orchestra in London and then became a teacher.  In 1991 he moved to the USA to study theology and worked in parishes on the West Coast. In 2000 he was ordained a priest with The American Catholic Church - an Independent Catholic Church that ordains men and women, married and single, straight and gay - and started work as a hospice chaplain. In 2005 he and his boyfriend (now husband) bought their current residence in Oregon and opened an event and retreat center. He continues to do a lot of marriage counseling, freelance work for local parishes, some local theater work, and odd bit of writing, retreats, etc. Contact: Kevingyell@gmail.com   https://ainsworthhouse.net/

This weeks showtune is Never Walk alone. Originally from the Broadway musical Carousel, also a well known football song adopted by Liverpool FC.  It is mental health awareness day this week, so Kevin and I discuss how we look after our mental wellbeing, and the importance of community in looking out for one another.  Follow our Spotify playlist of all the Broadway tunes we take inspiration from: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2YJZksL68wYeIPbgDACt6K?si=-MbmXEZUR9adXydzp9hLWw  CAFOD: https://cafod.org.uk/  https://twitter.com/CAFOD  // We invite you to get involved and send us your questions! Does this episode spark something inside you? Uncle Kevin and I will do our best to bring these questions to the forefront of our podcast. Please feel rest assured that no names will be read out, this is completely confidential. Contact: francesca&kevin@Becomingmorehuman.co.uk A huge thank you to our fantastic Editor and Assistant Producer Emily Booth - emilyboothmedia.wordpress.com // About Francesca:  Francesca was 28 years old when she turned down a dream role, working for one of the biggest drinks companies in the world, to set-up her own business (29 London) and pursue her passion to tell stories for brands, and now people too (Platform). Running her own business fast-tracked Fran's self-development journey. She understood how brands needed to tell their story, but now was forced to look at her own personal story; what were my values and beliefs? It’s through her work with owners, founders, and like-minded individuals that continue to push her to keep learning and help others to do the same; developing a strong mind, body and soul connection. Francesca describes that despite initially feeling empowered and channeling her inner Beyonce circa ‘Run the World (girls)’ her first day as her own boss to in fact be less Independent Women and more Survivor, but she continues to grow and learn on her journey each day. Contact: www.29-london.com    About Uncle Kevin: Since his mid-teens, Kevin had dreamt of becoming a priest. He first explored his religious vocation with the Rominians in the 70s, before leaving to work for The Philharmonia Orchestra in London and then became a teacher.  In 1991 he moved to the USA to study theology and worked in parishes on the West Coast. In 2000 he was ordained a priest with The American Catholic Church - an Independent Catholic Church that ordains men and women, married and single, straight and gay - and started work as a hospice chaplain. In 2005 he and his boyfriend (now husband) bought their current residence in Oregon and opened an event and retreat center. He continues to do a lot of marriage counseling, freelance work for local parishes, some local theater work, and odd bit of writing, retreats, etc. Contact: Kevingyell@gmail.com   https://ainsworthhouse.net/

This week, we look at the topic of love, relationships and marriage. Kevin sheds wisdom on his work as a marriage counsellor, and we discuss the steps to achieve a happy, authentic relationship.   Follow our Spotify playlist of all the Broadway tunes we take inspiration from: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2YJZksL68wYeIPbgDACt6K?si=-MbmXEZUR9adXydzp9hLWw  // We invite you to get involved and send us your questions! Does this episode spark something inside you? Uncle Kevin and I will do our best to bring these questions to the forefront of our podcast. Please feel rest assured that no names will be read out, this is completely confidential. Contact: francesca&kevin@Becomingmorehuman.co.uk A huge thank you to our fantastic Editor and Assistant Producer Emily Booth - emilyboothmedia.wordpress.com // About Francesca:  Francesca was 28 years old when she turned down a dream role, working for one of the biggest drinks companies in the world, to set-up her own business (29 London) and pursue her passion to tell stories for brands, and now people too (Platform). Running her own business fast-tracked Fran's self-development journey. She understood how brands needed to tell their story, but now was forced to look at her own personal story; what were my values and beliefs? It’s through her work with owners, founders, and like-minded individuals that continue to push her to keep learning and help others to do the same; developing a strong mind, body and soul connection. Francesca describes that despite initially feeling empowered and channeling her inner Beyonce circa ‘Run the World (girls)’ her first day as her own boss to in fact be less Independent Women and more Survivor, but she continues to grow and learn on her journey each day. Contact: www.29-london.com    About Uncle Kevin: Since his mid-teens, Kevin had dreamt of becoming a priest. He first explored his religious vocation with the Rominians in the 70s, before leaving to work for The Philharmonia Orchestra in London and then became a teacher.  In 1991 he moved to the USA to study theology and worked in parishes on the West Coast. In 2000 he was ordained a priest with The American Catholic Church - an Independent Catholic Church that ordains men and women, married and single, straight and gay - and started work as a hospice chaplain. In 2005 he and his boyfriend (now husband) bought their current residence in Oregon and opened an event and retreat center. He continues to do a lot of marriage counseling, freelance work for local parishes, some local theater work, and odd bit of writing, retreats, etc. Contact: Kevingyell@gmail.com   https://ainsworthhouse.net/

This week's Broadway show tune is so good, the perfect uplifting story to set the scene for deep talk about “HOPE.” We discuss the reality and fantasies of hope, how to put hope into action and how we all need to be a bit more Tracy!  Follow our Spotify playlist of all the Broadway tunes we take inspiration from: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2YJZksL68wYeIPbgDACt6K?si=-MbmXEZUR9adXydzp9hLWw  // We invite you to get involved and send us your questions! Does this episode spark something inside you? Uncle Kevin and I will do our best to bring these questions to the forefront of our podcast. Please feel rest assured that no names will be read out, this is completely confidential. Contact: francesca&kevin@Becomingmorehuman.co.uk A huge thank you to our fantastic Editor and Assistant Producer Emily Booth - emilyboothmedia.wordpress.com // About Francesca:  Francesca was 28 years old when she turned down a dream role, working for one of the biggest drinks companies in the world, to set-up her own business (29 London) and pursue her passion to tell stories for brands, and now people too (Platform). Running her own business fast-tracked Fran's self-development journey. She understood how brands needed to tell their story, but now was forced to look at her own personal story; what were my values and beliefs? It’s through her work with owners, founders, and like-minded individuals that continue to push her to keep learning and help others to do the same; developing a strong mind, body and soul connection. Francesca describes that despite initially feeling empowered and channeling her inner Beyonce circa ‘Run the World (girls)’ her first day as her own boss to in fact be less Independent Women and more Survivor, but she continues to grow and learn on her journey each day. Contact: www.29-london.com    About Uncle Kevin: Since his mid-teens, Kevin had dreamt of becoming a priest. He first explored his religious vocation with the Rominians in the 70s, before leaving to work for The Philharmonia Orchestra in London and then became a teacher.  In 1991 he moved to the USA to study theology and worked in parishes on the West Coast. In 2000 he was ordained a priest with The American Catholic Church - an Independent Catholic Church that ordains men and women, married and single, straight and gay - and started work as a hospice chaplain. In 2005 he and his boyfriend (now husband) bought their current residence in Oregon and opened an event and retreat center. He continues to do a lot of marriage counseling, freelance work for local parishes, some local theater work, and odd bit of writing, retreats, etc. Contact: Kevingyell@gmail.com   https://ainsworthhouse.net/

With Kevin facing the widespread wildfires in Oregon, we discuss our relationship with attachment, facing fear, and how community is essential to humanities survival. Special impromptu Broadway tune mention - Fiddler on the Roof.  Follow our Spotify playlist of all the Broadway tunes we take inspiration from: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2YJZksL68wYeIPbgDACt6K?si=-MbmXEZUR9adXydzp9hLWw  // We invite you to get involved and send us your questions! Does this episode spark something inside you? Uncle Kevin and I will do our best to bring these questions to the forefront of our podcast. Please feel rest assured that no names will be read out, this is completely confidential. Contact: francesca&kevin@Becomingmorehuman.co.uk A huge thank you to our fantastic Editor and Assistant Producer Emily Booth - emilyboothmedia.wordpress.com // About Francesca:  Francesca was 28 years old when she turned down a dream role, working for one of the biggest drinks companies in the world, to set-up her own business (29 London) and pursue her passion to tell stories for brands, and now people too (Platform). Running her own business fast-tracked Fran's self-development journey. She understood how brands needed to tell their story, but now was forced to look at her own personal story; what were my values and beliefs? It’s through her work with owners, founders, and like-minded individuals that continue to push her to keep learning and help others to do the same; developing a strong mind, body and soul connection. Francesca describes that despite initially feeling empowered and channeling her inner Beyonce circa ‘Run the World (girls)’ her first day as her own boss to in fact be less Independent Women and more Survivor, but she continues to grow and learn on her journey each day. Contact: www.29-london.com    About Uncle Kevin: Since his mid-teens, Kevin had dreamt of becoming a priest. He first explored his religious vocation with the Rominians in the 70s, before leaving to work for The Philharmonia Orchestra in London and then became a teacher.  In 1991 he moved to the USA to study theology and worked in parishes on the West Coast. In 2000 he was ordained a priest with The American Catholic Church - an Independent Catholic Church that ordains men and women, married and single, straight and gay - and started work as a hospice chaplain. In 2005 he and his boyfriend (now husband) bought their current residence in Oregon and opened an event and retreat center. He continues to do a lot of marriage counseling, freelance work for local parishes, some local theater work, and odd bit of writing, retreats, etc. Contact: Kevingyell@gmail.com   https://ainsworthhouse.net/

In this week's podcast we discuss how to step into your true self, how we all battle with identity in our lives, fear of judgment, and not always knowing how to ask for help. Kevin shares instances of having to conceal his own identity, and we unpack my most hated question - 'so what do you do?'.  Follow our Spotify playlist of all the Broadway tunes we take inspiration from: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2YJZksL68wYeIPbgDACt6K?si=-MbmXEZUR9adXydzp9hLWw  // We invite you to get involved and send us your questions! Does this episode spark something inside you? Uncle Kevin and I will do our best to bring these questions to the forefront of our podcast. Please feel rest assured that no names will be read out, this is completely confidential. Contact: francesca&kevin@Becomingmorehuman.co.uk A huge thank you to our fantastic Editor and Assistant Producer Emily Booth - emilyboothmedia.wordpress.com // About Francesca:  Francesca was 28 years old when she turned down a dream role, working for one of the biggest drinks companies in the world, to set-up her own business (29 London) and pursue her passion to tell stories for brands, and now people too (Platform). Running her own business fast-tracked Fran's self-development journey. She understood how brands needed to tell their story, but now was forced to look at her own personal story; what were my values and beliefs? It’s through her work with owners, founders, and like-minded individuals that continue to push her to keep learning and help others to do the same; developing a strong mind, body and soul connection. Francesca describes that despite initially feeling empowered and channeling her inner Beyonce circa ‘Run the World (girls)’ her first day as her own boss to in fact be less Independent Women and more Survivor, but she continues to grow and learn on her journey each day. Contact: www.29-london.com    About Uncle Kevin: Since his mid-teens, Kevin had dreamt of becoming a priest. He first explored his religious vocation with the Rominians in the 70s, before leaving to work for The Philharmonia Orchestra in London and then became a teacher.  In 1991 he moved to the USA to study theology and worked in parishes on the West Coast. In 2000 he was ordained a priest with The American Catholic Church - an Independent Catholic Church that ordains men and women, married and single, straight and gay - and started work as a hospice chaplain. In 2005 he and his boyfriend (now husband) bought their current residence in Oregon and opened an event and retreat center. He continues to do a lot of marriage counseling, freelance work for local parishes, some local theater work, and odd bit of writing, retreats, etc. Contact: Kevingyell@gmail.com   https://ainsworthhouse.net/

In this week's episode, Kevin and I talk about the power of choice, inevitability of change, and importance of having the bad as well as the good.  Follow our Spotify playlist of all the Broadway tunes we take inspiration from: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2YJZksL68wYeIPbgDACt6K?si=-MbmXEZUR9adXydzp9hLWw  // We invite you to get involved and send us your questions! Does this episode spark something inside you? Uncle Kevin and I will do our best to bring these questions to the forefront of our podcast. Please feel rest assured that no names will be read out, this is completely confidential. Contact: francesca&kevin@Becomingmorehuman.co.uk A huge thank you to our fantastic Editor and Assistant Producer Emily Booth - emilyboothmedia.wordpress.com // About Francesca:  Francesca was 28 years old when she turned down a dream role, working for one of the biggest drinks companies in the world, to set-up her own business (29 London) and pursue her passion to tell stories for brands, and now people too (Platform). Running her own business fast-tracked Fran's self-development journey. She understood how brands needed to tell their story, but now was forced to look at her own personal story; what were my values and beliefs? It’s through her work with owners, founders, and like-minded individuals that continue to push her to keep learning and help others to do the same; developing a strong mind, body and soul connection. Francesca describes that despite initially feeling empowered and channeling her inner Beyonce circa ‘Run the World (girls)’ her first day as her own boss to in fact be less Independent Women and more Survivor, but she continues to grow and learn on her journey each day. Contact: www.29-london.com    About Uncle Kevin: Since his mid-teens, Kevin had dreamt of becoming a priest. He first explored his religious vocation with the Rominians in the 70s, before leaving to work for The Philharmonia Orchestra in London and then became a teacher.  In 1991 he moved to the USA to study theology and worked in parishes on the West Coast. In 2000 he was ordained a priest with The American Catholic Church - an Independent Catholic Church that ordains men and women, married and single, straight and gay - and started work as a hospice chaplain. In 2005 he and his boyfriend (now husband) bought their current residence in Oregon and opened an event and retreat center. He continues to do a lot of marriage counseling, freelance work for local parishes, some local theater work, and odd bit of writing, retreats, etc. Contact: Kevingyell@gmail.com   https://ainsworthhouse.net/

For our second episode, Kevin and I ponder the relationship  between the body, the mind and the spirit, and explore the importance of, and links between, movement and stillness. Follow our Spotify playlist of all the Broadway tunes we take inspiration from: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2YJZksL68wYeIPbgDACt6K?si=-MbmXEZUR9adXydzp9hLWw  // We invite you to get involved and send us your questions! Does this episode spark something inside you? Uncle Kevin and I will do our best to bring these questions to the forefront of our podcast. Please feel rest assured that no names will be read out, this is completely confidential. Contact: francesca&kevin@Becomingmorehuman.co.uk A huge thank you to our fantastic Editor and Assistant Producer Emily Booth - emilyboothmedia.wordpress.com // About Francesca:  Francesca was 28 years old when she turned down a dream role, working for one of the biggest drinks companies in the world, to set-up her own business (29 London) and pursue her passion to tell stories for brands, and now people too (Platform). Running her own business fast-tracked Fran's self-development journey. She understood how brands needed to tell their story, but now was forced to look at her own personal story; what were my values and beliefs? It’s through her work with owners, founders, and like-minded individuals that continue to push her to keep learning and help others to do the same; developing a strong mind, body and soul connection. Francesca describes that despite initially feeling empowered and channeling her inner Beyonce circa ‘Run the World (girls)’ her first day as her own boss to in fact be less Independent Women and more Survivor, but she continues to grow and learn on her journey each day. Contact: www.29-london.com    About Uncle Kevin: Since his mid-teens, Kevin had dreamt of becoming a priest. He first explored his religious vocation with the Rominians in the 70s, before leaving to work for The Philharmonia Orchestra in London and then became a teacher.  In 1991 he moved to the USA to study theology and worked in parishes on the West Coast. In 2000 he was ordained a priest with The American Catholic Church - an Independent Catholic Church that ordains men and women, married and single, straight and gay - and started work as a hospice chaplain. In 2005 he and his boyfriend (now husband) bought their current residence in Oregon and opened an event and retreat center. He continues to do a lot of marriage counseling, freelance work for local parishes, some local theater work, and odd bit of writing, retreats, etc. Contact: Kevingyell@gmail.com   https://ainsworthhouse.net/

In this first episode, we discuss the impact of lockdown on our lives and well being, and how we can start balancing the being as well as the doing. Francesca reveals her personal experience with Covid-19, whilst Uncle Kevin helps us navigate these uncertain times. Follow our Spotify playlist of all the Broadway tunes we take inspiration from: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2YJZksL68wYeIPbgDACt6K?si=-MbmXEZUR9adXydzp9hLWw  // We invite you to get involved and send us your questions! Does this episode spark something inside you? Uncle Kevin and I will do our best to bring these questions to the forefront of our podcast. Please feel rest assured that no names will be read out, this is completely confidential. Contact: francesca&kevin@Becomingmorehuman.co.uk A huge thank you to our fantastic Editor and Assistant Producer Emily Booth - emilyboothmedia.wordpress.com // About Francesca:  Francesca was 28 years old when she turned down a dream role, working for one of the biggest drinks companies in the world, to set-up her own business (29 London) and pursue her passion to tell stories for brands, and now people too (Platform). Running her own business fast-tracked Fran's self-development journey. She understood how brands needed to tell their story, but now was forced to look at her own personal story; what were my values and beliefs? It’s through her work with owners, founders, and like-minded individuals that continue to push her to keep learning and help others to do the same; developing a strong mind, body and soul connection. Francesca describes that despite initially feeling empowered and channeling her inner Beyonce circa ‘Run the World (girls)’ her first day as her own boss to in fact be less Independent Women and more Survivor, but she continues to grow and learn on her journey each day. Contact: www.29-london.com    About Uncle Kevin: Since his mid-teens, Kevin had dreamt of becoming a priest. He first explored his religious vocation with the Rominians in the 70s, before leaving to work for The Philharmonia Orchestra in London and then became a teacher.  In 1991 he moved to the USA to study theology and worked in parishes on the West Coast. In 2000 he was ordained a priest with The American Catholic Church - an Independent Catholic Church that ordains men and women, married and single, straight and gay - and started work as a hospice chaplain. In 2005 he and his boyfriend (now husband) bought their current residence in Oregon and opened an event and retreat center. He continues to do a lot of marriage counseling, freelance work for local parishes, some local theater work, and odd bit of writing, retreats, etc. Contact: Kevingyell@gmail.com   https://ainsworthhouse.net/

ABOUT THIS EPISODE Father James Martin is a Jesuit priest and editor-at-large at America, a weekly magazine published by the Jesuits of the United States. Father Martin is widely know for his advocacy for the rights of LGBT people, including his book Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity (https://www.amazon.com/Building-Bridge-Relationship-Compassion-Sensitivity/dp/0062694316). In 2017, Pope Francis appointed him as a consultant to the Vatican's Secretariat for Communications (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dicastery_for_Communication). He's appeared on such outlets as CNN, NPR, and Fox News. He's also been a guest on The Colbert Report, and was informally dubbed the "Colbert Report chaplain." In this episode, Father Martin and I discuss what it means to him to be pro-life, the political implications of that position, and how it relates to Catholic teaching and action. We not only discuss abortion, but also immigration, race, and more. LINKS --Father Martin's Wikipedia page (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Martin_(priest,_born_1960)) --"Racism makes a liar of God: How the American Catholic Church is wrestling with the Black Lives Matter movement" (New York Times opinion piece, by Elizabeth Breunig; 2020, August 6) (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/06/opinion/sunday/gloria-purvis-george-floyd-blm.html) --Sister Thea Bowman's Wikipedia page (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thea_Bowman) --profile on Ralph McCloud, Director of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (https://catholicsmobilizing.org/people/ralph-mccloud) Special Guest: Father James Martin.

Today's Topics: 1) Gospel - MT 10:7-15 - Without cost you have received, without cost you are to give Jim Caviezel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6gcHy7KiUU&feature=emb_logo 2) Do homosexual revolutionaries control the American Catholic Church? http://catholicmonitor.blogspot.com/2020/06/do-homosexual-revolutionaries-control.html 3) U.S. Supreme Court paves the way for parental choice for their children’s education https://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/the-bigotry-of-blaine-no-more 4) The spirit of Hollywood versus the spirit of the cross https://www.returntoorder.org/2018/12/the-spirit-of-hollywood-versus-the-spirit-of-the-cross/?pkg=rtoe0968

Today's guest is Dr. M. Shawn Copeland, professor emerita of theology at Boston College and one of the most distinguished religion scholars of our time. Dr. Copeland has written and spoken widely on a range of topics from theological anthropology to Black Catholicism to political theology. Her most recent book is "Knowing Christ Crucified: The Witness of African American Religious Experience." Dr. Copeland is a former President of the Catholic Theological Society of America, and she was the first Black theologian to hold that role. She is also recipient of the Society's highest honor, the John Courtney Murray Award. Host Mike Jordan Laskey asked her for her take on the rise in anti-racist protests around the country and beyond. They also discussed the ugly legacy of racism within the American Catholic Church, and how we can all work to make the church more just and equitable. Then, after their conversation, stay tuned for a fabulous new spirituality resource titled “An Examen for Racism" (46:30). The examen is one of the signature practices in Jesuit spirituality, and it typically involves reflecting on the events of your day, searching them for God’s presence and asking for the grace to grow in faith, hope and love. This particular examen invites us to search our hearts to reflect on how we participate in systemic racism. It also invites us to look forward to see how we might take a stand against racism in our own lives. Two Jesuits, Patrick Saint-Jean, SJ, and Christopher Alt, SJ, collaborated on this project. More about Dr. Copeland: https://www.bc.edu/content/bc-web/schools/mcas/departments/theology/people/retired-faculty/m-shawn-copeland.html Text version of "An Examen for Racism": https://jesuits.org/news-detail?TN=NEWS-20200617120944 Don’t forget to subscribe to AMDG wherever you listen to podcasts.

What if we abolished sacramental prep the way that the American Catholic Church has does it now? How would we replace it? What is the ideal world of faith formation? dudesthatbabel@gmail.com dudesthatbabel.com

In the seventh of a multi-part series, Sister Geralyn Schmidt, SCC, introduces us to Servant of God Dorothy Day. Dorothy Day was an American journalist, social activist, and Catholic convert. She later became a key figure in the Catholic Worker movement and earned a national reputation as a political radical, perhaps the most famous radical in the American Catholic Church history. Learn more in this episode of "Musings from a Catholic Evangelist."

Tricia Bruce, PHD is a sociologist and affiliate of the University of Notre Dame's Center for the Study of Religion and Society. Her work intersects the sociological and cultural implications of religion, social change, social movements, immigration, race, and culture. Dr. Bruce is a regular television and radio commentator on a wide variety of contemporary sociological and topics including religion, Catholicism, social trends, family, gender, and more. In today's episode, we discuss with Tricia the impact of technological development on social movements as well as social change. Focusing on the development of social media, she explores how the #Metoo movement unfolded and what role Twitter played in it. Finally, she also explores the responsibility of social media and tech industry in engaging with social movement. Tricia's recent work: American Parishes: Remaking Local Catholicism, edited by Gary Adler, Jr., Tricia C. Bruce, and Brian Starks, Forthcoming 2019, Fordham University Press, Catholic Practice in North America Series Parish and Place: Making Room for Diversity in the American Catholic Church, by Tricia Colleen Bruce, Oxford University Press (August 2017) Polarization in the U.S. Catholic Church, edited by Mary Ellen Konieczny, Charles Camosy, and Tricia C. Bruce, Liturgical Press (2016) Social media and other links to Tricia: Website: https://triciabruce.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/triciacbruce?lang=en

What does a typical American Catholic parish look like? Tricia Bruce, an affiliate of the University of Notre Dame's Center for the Study of Religion and Society, argues in her new book that America's largest denomination is held together by the differences it contains. Parish and Place: Making Room for Diversity in the American Catholic Church, published by Oxford University Press (2017), offers an outstanding account of how ecclesiastical structures have changed to take account of the tensions that can exist when “mobile people encounter immobile infrastructure.” Existing alongside the more familiar territorial and national parish structures, personal parishes allow believers with similar ethnic, linguistic, political or liturgical preferences to gather together. But does this represent a concession to the congregational impulse of American Protestantism, or to the market created by religious competition? Are personal parishes a symbol of the success or failure of American Catholicism? Do they represent new forms of segregation, and do they allow the hierarchy to control dissent? Tricia Bruce's Parish and Place offers a distinctive and compelling analysis of the structures that may determine the future of the American Catholic church. Crawford Gribben is a professor of history at Queen's University Belfast. His research interests focus on the history of puritanism and evangelicalism, and he is the author most recently of John Owen and English Puritanism (Oxford University Press, 2016). 

What does a typical American Catholic parish look like? Tricia Bruce, an affiliate of the University of Notre Dame’s Center for the Study of Religion and Society, argues in her new book that America’s largest denomination is held together by the differences it contains. Parish and Place: Making Room for Diversity in the American Catholic Church, published by Oxford University Press (2017), offers an outstanding account of how ecclesiastical structures have changed to take account of the tensions that can exist when “mobile people encounter immobile infrastructure.” Existing alongside the more familiar territorial and national parish structures, personal parishes allow believers with similar ethnic, linguistic, political or liturgical preferences to gather together. But does this represent a concession to the congregational impulse of American Protestantism, or to the market created by religious competition? Are personal parishes a symbol of the success or failure of American Catholicism? Do they represent new forms of segregation, and do they allow the hierarchy to control dissent? Tricia Bruce’s Parish and Place offers a distinctive and compelling analysis of the structures that may determine the future of the American Catholic church. Crawford Gribben is a professor of history at Queen’s University Belfast. His research interests focus on the history of puritanism and evangelicalism, and he is the author most recently of John Owen and English Puritanism (Oxford University Press, 2016).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does a typical American Catholic parish look like? Tricia Bruce, an affiliate of the University of Notre Dame’s Center for the Study of Religion and Society, argues in her new book that America’s largest denomination is held together by the differences it contains. Parish and Place: Making Room for Diversity in the American Catholic Church, published by Oxford University Press (2017), offers an outstanding account of how ecclesiastical structures have changed to take account of the tensions that can exist when “mobile people encounter immobile infrastructure.” Existing alongside the more familiar territorial and national parish structures, personal parishes allow believers with similar ethnic, linguistic, political or liturgical preferences to gather together. But does this represent a concession to the congregational impulse of American Protestantism, or to the market created by religious competition? Are personal parishes a symbol of the success or failure of American Catholicism? Do they represent new forms of segregation, and do they allow the hierarchy to control dissent? Tricia Bruce’s Parish and Place offers a distinctive and compelling analysis of the structures that may determine the future of the American Catholic church. Crawford Gribben is a professor of history at Queen’s University Belfast. His research interests focus on the history of puritanism and evangelicalism, and he is the author most recently of John Owen and English Puritanism (Oxford University Press, 2016).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does a typical American Catholic parish look like? Tricia Bruce, an affiliate of the University of Notre Dame’s Center for the Study of Religion and Society, argues in her new book that America’s largest denomination is held together by the differences it contains. Parish and Place: Making Room for Diversity in the American Catholic Church, published by Oxford University Press (2017), offers an outstanding account of how ecclesiastical structures have changed to take account of the tensions that can exist when “mobile people encounter immobile infrastructure.” Existing alongside the more familiar territorial and national parish structures, personal parishes allow believers with similar ethnic, linguistic, political or liturgical preferences to gather together. But does this represent a concession to the congregational impulse of American Protestantism, or to the market created by religious competition? Are personal parishes a symbol of the success or failure of American Catholicism? Do they represent new forms of segregation, and do they allow the hierarchy to control dissent? Tricia Bruce’s Parish and Place offers a distinctive and compelling analysis of the structures that may determine the future of the American Catholic church. Crawford Gribben is a professor of history at Queen’s University Belfast. His research interests focus on the history of puritanism and evangelicalism, and he is the author most recently of John Owen and English Puritanism (Oxford University Press, 2016).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does a typical American Catholic parish look like? Tricia Bruce, an affiliate of the University of Notre Dame’s Center for the Study of Religion and Society, argues in her new book that America’s largest denomination is held together by the differences it contains. Parish and Place: Making Room for Diversity in the American Catholic Church, published by Oxford University Press (2017), offers an outstanding account of how ecclesiastical structures have changed to take account of the tensions that can exist when “mobile people encounter immobile infrastructure.” Existing alongside the more familiar territorial and national parish structures, personal parishes allow believers with similar ethnic, linguistic, political or liturgical preferences to gather together. But does this represent a concession to the congregational impulse of American Protestantism, or to the market created by religious competition? Are personal parishes a symbol of the success or failure of American Catholicism? Do they represent new forms of segregation, and do they allow the hierarchy to control dissent? Tricia Bruce’s Parish and Place offers a distinctive and compelling analysis of the structures that may determine the future of the American Catholic church. Crawford Gribben is a professor of history at Queen’s University Belfast. His research interests focus on the history of puritanism and evangelicalism, and he is the author most recently of John Owen and English Puritanism (Oxford University Press, 2016).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does a typical American Catholic parish look like? Tricia Bruce, an affiliate of the University of Notre Dame's Center for the Study of Religion and Society, argues in her new book that America's largest denomination is held together by the differences it contains. Parish and Place: Making Room for Diversity in the American Catholic Church, published by Oxford University Press (2017), offers an outstanding account of how ecclesiastical structures have changed to take account of the tensions that can exist when “mobile people encounter immobile infrastructure.” Existing alongside the more familiar territorial and national parish structures, personal parishes allow believers with similar ethnic, linguistic, political or liturgical preferences to gather together. But does this represent a concession to the congregational impulse of American Protestantism, or to the market created by religious competition? Are personal parishes a symbol of the success or failure of American Catholicism? Do they represent new forms of segregation, and do they allow the hierarchy to control dissent? Tricia Bruce's Parish and Place offers a distinctive and compelling analysis of the structures that may determine the future of the American Catholic church. Crawford Gribben is a professor of history at Queen's University Belfast. His research interests focus on the history of puritanism and evangelicalism, and he is the author most recently of John Owen and English Puritanism (Oxford University Press, 2016).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does a typical American Catholic parish look like? Tricia Bruce, an affiliate of the University of Notre Dame’s Center for the Study of Religion and Society, argues in her new book that America’s largest denomination is held together by the differences it contains. Parish and Place: Making Room for Diversity in the American Catholic Church, published by Oxford University Press (2017), offers an outstanding account of how ecclesiastical structures have changed to take account of the tensions that can exist when “mobile people encounter immobile infrastructure.” Existing alongside the more familiar territorial and national parish structures, personal parishes allow believers with similar ethnic, linguistic, political or liturgical preferences to gather together. But does this represent a concession to the congregational impulse of American Protestantism, or to the market created by religious competition? Are personal parishes a symbol of the success or failure of American Catholicism? Do they represent new forms of segregation, and do they allow the hierarchy to control dissent? Tricia Bruce’s Parish and Place offers a distinctive and compelling analysis of the structures that may determine the future of the American Catholic church. Crawford Gribben is a professor of history at Queen’s University Belfast. His research interests focus on the history of puritanism and evangelicalism, and he is the author most recently of John Owen and English Puritanism (Oxford University Press, 2016).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does a typical American Catholic parish look like? Tricia Bruce, an affiliate of the University of Notre Dame’s Center for the Study of Religion and Society, argues in her new book that America’s largest denomination is held together by the differences it contains. Parish and Place: Making Room for Diversity in the American Catholic Church, published by Oxford University Press (2017), offers an outstanding account of how ecclesiastical structures have changed to take account of the tensions that can exist when “mobile people encounter immobile infrastructure.” Existing alongside the more familiar territorial and national parish structures, personal parishes allow believers with similar ethnic, linguistic, political or liturgical preferences to gather together. But does this represent a concession to the congregational impulse of American Protestantism, or to the market created by religious competition? Are personal parishes a symbol of the success or failure of American Catholicism? Do they represent new forms of segregation, and do they allow the hierarchy to control dissent? Tricia Bruce’s Parish and Place offers a distinctive and compelling analysis of the structures that may determine the future of the American Catholic church. Crawford Gribben is a professor of history at Queen’s University Belfast. His research interests focus on the history of puritanism and evangelicalism, and he is the author most recently of John Owen and English Puritanism (Oxford University Press, 2016).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eric (The Ambassador of Common Sense) and Dan (The Ambassador of Nonsense) discuss modern liturgical music (church music) in the American Catholic Church. Let's face it--today's music is hokey, fluffy, and intellectually shallow. Why? And why is it this way practically across the board, in every Catholic church in the US? In Current events, we talk about a recent asteroid collision, Democrat 2020 presidential hopefuls, and THE 2019 GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN… we also mention the Kinder Surprise Egg racial blunder and a woman banned from Walmart.

How to Save the American Catholic Church by John Zmirak: https://stream.org/how-to-save-the-american-church-from-itself/ The McCarrick Mess: https://www.wordonfire.org/resources/article/the-mccarrick-mess/5873/

Immigrants built the American Catholic Church.  Check it out!

After 9 staff have been suspended following an edition of Panorama this week on the Immigration Removal Centre, Brook House, William talks to Rev Nathan Ward about his experience of working at this and another detention centre. The American Catholic Church hits back at Steve Bannon after he questioned their motives for defending DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme, which President Trump has announced he is closing. Middle East Correspondent Yolande Knell tells William about her trip to Qaraqosh, the biggest Christian town in Iraq, which has been retaken from so-called Islamic State. Following the publication of the National Social Attitudes Survey which reported only 15% of the population are affiliated to the Church of England, Trevor Barnes asks how much longer can the Church remain the established Church of England. And why are Cathedrals and in particular Choral Evensong increasing in popularity? Producers: Amanda Hancox Rajeev Gupta.

Sharing thoughts from parish priests and Bishop Gerald Barnes, Catholic Extension's vice president of mission Joe Boland offers a reflection on the harsh reality facing immigrant Catholics in the Diocese of San Bernardino, California and the Catholic leaders seeking to minister to them.

Dr. Hosffman Ospino, the well-regarded theology professor from Boston College, shares his insights on Latinos in the United States and their impact on the American Catholic Church.  He joins "Catholic School Matters" with Dr. Tim Uhl.

Dr. Luis Fraga, the thoughtful and insightful professor from Notre Dame, share his thoughts on Latinos in the United States--their impact, trends, and influences.  He joins "Catholic School Matters" with Dr. Tim Uhl to discuss the present and future of Latinos in the American Catholic Church.

Monday, January 4, 2016 St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821) Mother Seton is one of the keystones of the American Catholic Church. She founded the first American religious community for women, the Sisters of Charity. She opened the first American parish sc

Summary of today's show: Due to the successful vote of the conclave and the announcement of the election of Pope Francis, this pre-recorded show from Wednesday, March 13, did not air. Rather than let these great interviews with Scot of Kim Daniels of Catholic Voices USA, Greg Erlandson of Our Sunday Visitor, and James Stella of the Vatican Museums go to waste, we're bringing them to you now in this podcast form. Listen to the show: Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: Today's host(s): Scot Landry Today's guest(s): Kim Daniels of Catholic Voices USA, Greg Erlandson of Our Sunday Visitor, and James Stella Links from today's show: Today's topics: LIVE from Rome: Catholic Voices USA, Our Sunday Visitor, and a Boston Catholic in the Vatican Museums 1st segment: As we taped this show, the cardinals were making their afternoon votes on Wednesday. Scot related what it was like in St. Peter's Square during the vigils of the smoke from the Sistine Chapel. Scot Landry welcomed Kim Daniels of Catholic Voices USA to the show and noted that she participated in the Town Hall forum of the Fortnight for Freedom last June. They also talked about Catholic Voices and what they're doing in Rome. Kim said she's been writing and doing interviews, talking to people from all over the world covering this event that's the biggest thing in the world right now. Scot said back home everybody's talking about the conclave. What should we as Catholics be communicating about our faith when people ask us about what's going on. Kim said it's an important moment for us to talk about our faith. We're excited they're talking about Americans as serious contenders for the papacy. Scot said it wasn't long ago most people would have said an American wouldn't be a pope in our lifetime. Now that's not true, mainly because so many Italians were praying for Cardinal Seán to be made pope and others including Cardinal Dolan among those seriously considered. Kim said when Pope Benedict resigned it didn't cross her mind that there could be an American pope until today. People see the need for a holy man as Pope and Cardinal Seán is an example of that. Scot said American cardinals have a reputation of being good administrators. So many have been known for massive construction of church infrastructure. But today, they're known as communicators and holy men as well as good organizers Kim said people in the US are involved in parishes more so than even in Europe. The American cardinals are known for being able to get things done, for finding efficiency, for working with the New Evangelization. Kim and Scot agreed that the media doesn't get things wrong due to having an axe to grind, but because they haven't been informed. She said the press conferences with the cardinals were great for the amount of evangelization they did. Kim said the most surprising part of her trip was how excited all the Romans are about it. As soon as word comes out that there is white smoke, the people come running from all over the city. Kim said seeing the black smoke coming from the Sistine Chapel chimney the first time was exciting. She said the whole crowd was happy and excited despite the bad weather. There is optimism from the crowd. Kim predicted the white smoke would come Thursday night because there wasn't a clear frontrunner this time. Scot thinks after the 15th vote, there would be 5 to 10 cardinals who had received double digit numbers of votes, showing that the Church has many possible leaders. Scot said Cardinals Dolan and Seán will come home following all the buzz and momentum. Kim said her own cardinal, Cardinal Wuerl of Washington, DC, is also much loved and they're also excited he's being talked about, but also that he's participating in the conclave. 2nd segment: Scot is now in St. Peter's Square, where the black smoke flew again, and welcomed Greg Erlandson, president of Our Sunday Visitor, to the show. They noted the smoke came earlier by about 20 minutes than expected. They had two votes by 11:45 rather than noon. They agreed that the second and third votes would be most telling. The first vote could have double digits in names, but by the second and third, the numbers would be whittled down. They discussed the cardinals' dinners at Casa Santa Martae where Greg had stayed on a visit to the Vatican. He said it's like a well-appointed retreat center. It's austere, but comfortable. Greg tweeted out a photo of the room. Greg predicted the conclave would last three days, until the 10th or 11th ballot, because the cardinals are focused. He said it's clear that there isn't a frontrunner. Greg talked about all that Our Sunday Visitor does as a diverse non-profit organization serving the Church. They just celebrated their hundredth anniversary. Scot asked Greg to talk about OSV's founder, Fr. John Noll, who later became Archbishop John Noll. He was a priest of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend who started a newspaper to help Catholics defend the Church against attack. They said secular media provides good spot coverage of big events with amazing images, but for depth, rely on Catholic media. Greg and Scot discussed how quickly new technology allows media organizations to provide resources in response to breaking events today. OSV can move quickly and get the second-day story after the daily newspapers get the breaking news. That's where they provide a service both online and in print. Scot said Greg is also president of the Catholic Press Association. He said all newspapers are seeing declining numbers of subscribers, because people are reading them more and more online. How do they get people to support the ministry of Catholic newspapers in an online world? Greg said they're still adapting to an online business model to replace advertising and other income streams. People want their information when they want, where they want it, how they want it. The challenge is how to the do it while maintaining the infrastructure and staff for both editions. One of his concerns is that some of these conflicts in society, the bishops need a voice even as they are losing their voice in these newspapers. People still need to get that newspaper delivered to them. However, we're able to do things we'd never been able to do before in terms of new and social media. Scot said it's his experience with the Pilot is that the most engaged Catholics in the Archdiocese are the ones reading the Pilot. They need to find a way to get people to support the Pilot to cover the salary and benefits of the people providing the stories that inspire and educate them. Greg said we have a culture of stewardship in the American Catholic Church and we need to import that into our consumption of Catholic media. Greg talked about some of the beautiful moments he experiences in Rome, like a group of young nuns praying together or another woman standing by herself praying the rosary or people who bring their nations' flags. He also heard about a mother who wrote a note for her son that said if there was white smoke her son should be excused from class. In Rome, they are inherently Catholic. It's in their blood and that comes out during these kinds of events. Scot noted that during Cardinal Seán's Mass at Santa Maria dell Vittoria all the Italian cameramen and reporters all participated in Mass and even went up for Communion. He said you don't see that in the US because American reporters consider themselves to be working, not participating. Greg had the same reaction at the Masses he saw. Rome is a city of contrasts. Sometimes there's an anti-Church thread in Rome because otherwise they would drown in it all, yet they still celebrate their faith and the feasts and the like. 3rd segment: This week's benefactor card raffle winner is Gladys Dyer She wins the booklet The Way of the Cross at the National Shrine of Divine Mercy and the audio CD The Seven Pillars of Catholic Spirituality by Matthew Kelly. If you would like to be eligible to win in an upcoming week, please visit . For a one-time $30 donation, you'll receive the Station of the Cross benefactor card and key tag, making you eligible for WQOM's weekly raffle of books, DVDs, CDs and religious items. We'll be announcing the winner each Wednesday during “The Good Catholic Life” program. 4th segment: Scot welcomed James Stella to the show. He's originally from North Andover and now works for the Vatican. He had left his full-time job at Genzyme in Cambridge started as a volunteer at Caritas Internationalis in 2011 and eventually became a paid consultant. James said he'd never felt his old job in pharmaceutical sales to be all that rewarding. As his faith grew, he wanted to do more that was in line with it. Now he has a new job in the Vatican, working in the Vatican Museums with the Patrons of the Arts office, which does fundraising in the US and Europe for the preservation and restoration of the arts in the Vatican Museums. Ticket sales only cover operating expenses. Right now he's working on a project for the Holy Stairs, brought back by St. Helen in the 400s. He's also working on a project restoring artwork in the Vatican Gardens. Scot asked where the Vatican Museums fits in the world's art museums. He said it's the frontrunner in terms of Christian art collections and may be the greatest art collection overall, when you consider works like Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel. Scot was struck by the TV images of the procession of the cardinals into the Sistine Chapel because it was well lit and how rich and vibrant it is. And those are just two rooms. James said the most rewarding for him is seeing how it inspires visitors, bringing them closer to the faith. James said it's hard to pick a favorite, but Michelangelo's fresco in the Pauline chapel of St. Paul on the road to Damascus. St. Paul appears as an old man in that image. He said observing St. Paul's conversion reminds James of how all Christians need to be converted and to come closer to our faith, if not that dramatically. He feels he's come closer to the faith and had a conversion over the past 15-20 years. Scot asked what the past couple of weeks have been like. He said it's been incredible and an honor and a humbling experience. He'd never imagined he could be living in Rome at this time. He enjoys the people and culture and the food of Rome. Scot asked about Cardinal Seán, who the Italians love and call the cappuccino Cardinal. James said he was in Tuscany a few weeks ago and a man asked him about Cardinal Seán, which surprised him. He's surprised at how Italians have adopted him. James said he's been to Naples and the Abruzzo region, as well as Tuscany. He plans to visit Assisi and travel further afield, including Sicily and Sardinia. Scot asked James when he thinks the white smoke will come. He said he guessed it would be Friday morning. Scot asked about growing up at St. Michael's in Andover, which is the largest parish in the Archdiocese now. James said his family attended Mass every Sunday. At first for him it was a requirement, but over the years, especially with the opening of the new church, he became more involved with the parish as well as St. Leonard's in the North End, where he moved in 2006. Speaking of Rome, James said Catholics should try to come and see it firsthand once in their life as the center of the Church. You can see it on TV or read about it, but there's no way to replace being there in person. He said the best time to come in September. October is the start of the rainy season. People who are interested in getting involved can visit their website and find out about their local chapter, contact them and get involved with the events of the chapters. 5th segment: Scot reminded listeners that the show was recorded about 4pm Rome time and that the smoke was expected to go up about 5pm. As it turned out, the white smoke went up, our new Pope Francis was introduced and the airing of this episode of The Good Catholic Life was pre-empted by live programming on the Station of the Cross network. We hope you enjoyed this special episode.

In today's episode, we profile a Saint known for his works of charity. He shares a common love for living the Gospel and his love for the poor, with another important Saint whose Feast Day we celebrate this week. We'll hear bits of a old time radio drama from the 1940's on M. Vincennes. We learn of an alternative group of Saints for Horse lovers, and answer the last St. Jeopardy. . . Who is the patron Saint of Ravello, Italy? The calendar of Saints for the coming week, and more on this week's SaintCast! Stay tuned for an interview with a pre-eminent voice in the American Catholic Church, Archbishop Charles Chaput, OFM, Cap., in honor of the Feast of St. Francis. . .

Bishop Roberts Barron, head of Word on Fire media and the visionary behind the "Catholicism" series, told FOCUS his hope is that the films will be used "as a tool of evangelization for everybody." "I want the series to go out beyond the walls of the Church." Set in 50 locations in over 16 countries, the series examines major themes within the Church such as the person of Christ, the mystery of God, the Virgin Mary, Saints Peter and Paul, the missionary thrust of the Church, the liturgy and the Eucharist, prayer and spirituality and the saints. Bishop Barron said that the series comes at a time when the U.S. is going through what he believes to be "the darkest period in the history of the American Catholic Church," and that the "wrong" people are telling the story of what the Church actually is. "I think Catholics from the inside have to tell a much richer, broader, fascinating story." He noted that during challenging times in Church history, the saints "tended to come forward in the times of crisis and bring things back to their evangelical basics." The Chicago priest, who also holds the Francis Cardinal George Chair of Faith and Culture at the University of St. Mary of the Lake, said the project has taken close to four years to complete since its inception. "The priest expressed his desire that people who are "not religious at all - maybe they're atheists, agnostics, fallen away Catholics - would see the series and maybe be drawn in by the beauty of it, drawn in by culture, drawn in by history."