Podcasts about john the baptist parish

Emily from St. John the Baptist Parish spells out the difficult that families in her community have managing rogue kids when the legal system is little help

Jaclyn Hotard, the president of St. John the Baptist Parish, joined Tommy. Hotard discussed the road closures in St. John the Baptist Parish, advising residents to stay inside during the winter storm.

Tommy spoke to Danny Griffin, the owner of "Pipes R Us Plumbing," Jaclyn Hotard, the president of St. John the Baptist Parish, WWL TV meteorologist Payton Malone, and Keith Hinkley, the president of Plaquemines Parish.

10/24/24 - Have you ever had a question about annulments, but didn't know who to ask? Today's show is for you! Fr. Michael Duesterhaus was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Arlington in 1991. He spent 27 years, Active and Reserves, as a Naval Chaplain, mostly serving with units of the U.S. Marine Corps. Father has presented over 125 formal cases before Tribunals of seven dioceses of the United States. He is the Parochial Vicar at St. John the Baptist Parish, Front Royal, Virginia.

Tommy gets an update with Jaclyn Hotard, St. John the Baptist Parish President

With St. John the Baptist as their patron saint, Fr. John Marshall shares how the ministries at their parish reflects the ministry of St. John. He joins Brenda along with their school principal Sr. Sella Maris Namae, SMK, to tell us about how this Eucharist centered parish and school are growing in faith together.St. John the Baptist Catholic Church and School.Subscribe to the Morning Blend on your favorite podcast platform.Find this show on the free Hail Mary Media App, along with a radio live-stream, prayers, news, and more.Look through past episodes or support this podcast.The Morning Blend is a production of Mater Dei Radio in Portland, Oregon.

It feels like everyone knows someone who has come down with COVID this summer. And according to health officials, we're experiencing a summer surge. Louisiana infectious disease epidemiologist and associate professor emerita at Tulane University Dr. Susan Hassig tells us why time spent indoors avoiding the heat has led to an uptick in cases. She also explains why doctors and researchers are now looking at the virus' activity in wastewater – rather than relying on reported tests – to track the disease. The nonpartisan, public policy organization Council for A Better Louisiana recently released its latest Louisiana Fact Book.  It's a list of 35 indicators over five key areas, used to measure the state's overall well-being. CABL CEO and President Barry Erwin joins us for more on these findings, and explains why areas like education look promising, while infrastructure health, and the environment are trending downward.Much of the 85-mile stretch of the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge to New Orleans has grown heavily industrialized over the past century. But in the west bank of St. John the Baptist Parish has remained largely untouched. Over the past year, the National Park Service has been studying the area to see if it could become the country's next National Historic Landmark District. The Coastal Desk's Halle Parker tells us about the federal agency's recently released draft study on the area's potential.___Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. Our managing producer is Alana Schrieber. Matt Bloom and Aubry Procell are assistant producers. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. 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!

Delaney Dryfoos on St. John the Baptist Parish's voted to allow heavy industrial uses on the parish's rural West Bank after years of contentious debate. Nick Chrastil on Gov. Jeff Landry's seismic changes to the criminal justice system. The post Behind The Lens episode 233: ‘A Black hamlet' appeared first on The Lens.

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Today is a Holy Day of Obligation. Make sure to go to Mass today to celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints. Pope Francis' prayer intention of the month of November is for himself — the pope. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255877/this-is-pope-francis-prayer-intention-for-the-month-of-november The US bishops recently renewed their call for peace in the Holy Land as the Israel-Hamas war moves toward its second month and the casualties of the conflict continue to grow. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255874/us-bishops-renew-call-for-peace-in-the-holy-land The Vatican's Dicastery for the Clergy has agreed to review the mergers of two Archdiocese of Saint Louis parishes, which Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski had decreed in May as part of a major pastoral planning initiative affecting parishes and priests in the archdiocese. Rozanski received correspondence this week informing him that the dicastery has accepted petitions for recourse against decrees related to two parishes: Saint Elizabeth, Mother of John the Baptist Parish in Saint Louis, and Saints Philip and James Parish in River aux Vases, Missouri. Saint Elizabeth and Saints Philip and James were just two of several parishes with parishioners who sought recourse from the Vatican against Rozanski's decrees, beginning this summer. There is no specific timeline for the Vatican's review of the decrees, but a decision could take several months, the archdiocese said. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255876/vatican-agrees-to-review-the-closures-of-two-st-louis-parishes-amid-archdiocesan-restructuring A judge in Kansas this week blocked several state-level pro-life laws there, claiming the measures are prohibited by the state's constitution. District Judge K Christopher Jayaram said in his Monday ruling that portions of the “Woman's Right to Know” Act and the state Medication Abortion “Reversal” Amendment would be subject to temporary injunctions pending a trial in June 2024 on the merits of a lawsuit against the state filed by Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers. The group Kansans for Life said the judge's ruling left Kansas women “even more vulnerable to a predatory abortion industry.” The state suffered a pro-life defeat last year when a pro-life ballot initiative to reverse the 2019 court ruling by amending the state's constitution was defeated by a wide margin. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255879/kansas-judge-blocks-several-state-pro-life-laws-ahead-of-2024-trial Today, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of All Saints. It was instituted to honor all of the saints, both known and unknown, and, according to Pope Urban IV, to supply any deficiencies in the faithful's celebration of saints' feasts during the year. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/all-saints-day-40

St. John the Baptist Parish residents fight the proposed construction of a large industrial size grain terminal, but they may now have some powerful allies. The post Behind The Lens episode 215: ‘A striking shock contrast' appeared first on The Lens.

Efforts to achieve “environmental justice” have been a top priority of the Biden Administration and its Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As stated in the EPA's FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan, “EPA will center its mission on the integration of justice, equity, and civil rights across the nation's environmental protection enterprise,” (27). Accordingly, the EPA has invoked Title VI of the Civil Rights Act in some of its environmental emissions investigations even where the situation appears compliant with applicable environmental laws. One such investigation recently occurred in Louisiana where the EPA found “significant evidence” of disparate adverse impacts on Black residents of St. John the Baptist Parish, St. James Parish, and an Industrial Corridor in the area. These disparate impacts were alleged to be the result of poor air quality despite the fact that the EPA had deemed the relevant emissions compliant with applicable laws shortly before opening their civil rights investigation. In May 2023, the Louisiana Attorney General filed suit against the EPA, arguing that EPA lacked authority to impose disparate-impact based mandates under Title VI and that the agency had unconstitutionally delegated power to special interest groups to direct how EPA conducted investigations. Shortly after the State sought a preliminary injunction, the EPA abruptly abandoned its pending investigations, although it continues to adhere to its Title VI disparate-impact regulations generally. Briefing is ongoing and a hearing has been set for January 9, 2024. Click here to view the complaint.Drew Ensign served as Special Assistant Solicitor General and Counsel to the State of Louisiana during this matter. Please join us as he delivers a Litigation Update on the case.

In this second installment of Ken's special series, TRUTH QUEST - Exploring the History of Race in America, we launch the Civil Rights tour of the South in New Orleans.  The Whitney Plantation in St. John the Baptist Parish is a non-profit dedicated to preserving the history and legacy of slavery in Louisiana. You'll hear an in-depth description of the exhibits, displays, and elegant plantation house and how those displays impacted our team of pilgrims. In this episode, we are invited to a team "debrief," in which several share their personal responses to a history that has been hidden until now. Then Ken takes us to the French Quarter on a bustling Saturday evening in the heart of the New Orleans. Under the tutelage of master-guide, Leon A. Waters, the team wanders down the Mississippi River and Washington Artillery Park, to Jackson Square, by the St. Louis Cathedral, the Federal Courthouse, and the Slave Exchange, along the narrow streets filled with iconic architecture, surrounded by eager crowds, street vendors and musicians, lively multitudes lined up for the annual Pride Month Parade - New Orleans style.  SHOW NOTESMeet our contributors.Listen to the entire series - TRUTH QUEST: Exploring the History of Race in America - in their own words.Support the show

Serial Killer Daniel Blank Documentary - Mechanic Held in Series of KillingsMechanic Held in Series of KillingsPolice in Louisiana Say Gambling Habit Motivated SuspectBy Christopher Cooper - The New York TimesNovember 17, 1997LaPLACE, La.— At the Airline Motors lunch counter in sugar-cane country, a rifle-shot away from the muddy churn of the Mississippi River, the talk about Daniel J. Blank is as straightforward as the food served here: he was a gifted mechanic, a quiet customer with deep blue eyes, a family man who drank his coffee black.But last week Mr. Blank was jailed, arrested on three charges of first-degree murder. The local authorities said he had confessed to six murders, including a double bludgeoning of an elderly couple just across the street from the diner.His arrest, a big event in a town that often goes a year without a killing, stirred the memory of a waitress, Gloria Vicknair. Only a few months ago, Mr. Blank, the son of a sugar-refinery worker, emerged from the video poker stall in the back of the restaurant and asked her to change two crisp $100 bills, a lot of money for a man who usually ordered only black coffee.Ms. Vicknair said she made the change but thought nothing of it. ''They say it's always the quiet ones that'll surprise you -- he was extra quiet,'' she said after the arrest was announced. ''Of course, I was lucky. He went after wealthy people. I work for a living, thank God.''A quest for the big win and lust for a piece of the American dream, the police said, was what drove Mr. Blank to kill six elderly residents within 20 miles of his family's home in the River Parishes, a water-bound stretch of chemical plants and sugar cane between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Most of the dead were elderly; most were found in their homes with their pockets turned inside out. Nearly all had at least a nodding acquaintance with Mr. Blank. One couple survived being beaten and shot, Leonce Millet Jr. and his wife, Joyce, both 66, of Gonzales.The authorities said Mr. Blank had killed to feed a gambling habit. He favored slot machines and video poker, acquaintances said, and visited many different gambling parlors.Toward the end of his suspected string of killings, Sheriff Wayne Jones of St. John the Baptist Parish said, it became apparent that Mr. Blank was either on an extraordinarily lucky streak or was up to no good. The authorities estimate that he had stolen as much as $200,000, much of which he was believed to have squandered at the casinos.''He was without question a gambling addict,'' Sheriff Jones said. ''I guess you could say his income didn't quite correspond with his life style.''He has confessed to these murders, the authorities said, which occurred between October 1996 and June 1997: Victor Rossi, 41, of St. Amant; Barbara Bourgeois, 58, of Paulina; Lillian Philippe, 71, of Gonzales; Sam Arcuri, 76, and his wife, Louella, 69, of LaPlace, and Joan Brock, 55, of LaPlace. Mr. Blank is to be arraigned in LaPlace on Monday.The police have given little information about the case, saying only that a tip had led to the arrest. But their relief is obvious.''It was the first homicide we had experienced since 1986,'' Chief Bill Landry of Gonzales said. ''We weren't prepared. We had to retrain ourselves.'' His office handled three of the cases -- one murder in April and a double murder attempt in July.Acquaintances and family members said that since the killings began late last year, Mr. Blank had lived at a notch or two above transient status, making three moves in the River Parishes and then moving in the summer to a small resort town in eastern Texas. Mr. Blank was taken into custody in Onalaska, Tex., on Friday, about four months after he reportedly tried to buy a four-bay automobile repair shop there for $65,000 in cash.During this time, Mr. Blank periodically appeared at his boyhood home, a jumble of trailers and frame structures in Paulina, west of LaPlace, to report on his new fortune.Once, Mr. Blank, known as Bone to his family, wheeled into the dusty yard on a shiny red Suzuki motorcycle.On two other occasions, he arrived with huge cardboard copies of checks from casinos in nearby Kenner and Baton Rouge. The checks, payable to Daniel Blank, totaled $33,000. ''Daniel went to casinos pretty often,'' said Mr. Blank's sister, Sally Blank, a 34-year-old cosmetology student and one of eight siblings. ''He said he won big, and he showed us the papers to prove it. He told us they took his picture at the casino.''Sally Blank said the family had taken her brother at his word and had been shocked by his arrest. Her brother had been in trouble before, Ms. Blank said, but not since he was a teen-ager.''He burned down a building when he was a teen-ager and had to go to reform school,'' Ms. Blank said. 'But a lot of teen-agers get in trouble. I don't think he did it. At least not all alone, not all by himself.''Mr. Blank had apparently been living quietly in Onalaska, a small town a few hours from Houston, in a double-wide trailer with his wife, Cindy, and their four children. He was working as a mechanic out of a former muffler shop he leased from Don Evans, a retiree in Onalaska.''What happened was the mayor referred him to me, said he was looking to buy a piece of property,'' Mr. Evans said. ''I leased him the shop, although he did offer to buy it. Said he'd pay me $65,000 in cash.''That kind of scared me,'' Mr. Evans said. ''I refused.''Mr. Evans said he was later told by his 12-year-old daughter, a friend of Mr. Blank's 12-year-old daughter, that Mr. Blank had made a fortune playing video poker machines.To Mr. Evans, Mr. Blank was an expert mechanic. ''I've been at this for 35 years,'' Mr. Evans said, ''and just from talking to him I knew he must have been born and raised a mechanic. That boy knew transmissions inside and out.''I don't know about all that gambling nonsense. It seemed to me he was interested in being successful in business and living in a way he'd never been able to as a kid.''The problem was, Mr. Evans said, Mr. Blank was nearly broke when the Louisiana and Texas authorities surrounded his trailer on Friday.Among the items recovered, according to news accounts from Texas, was a cane-cutting knife, apparently smeared with blood and hair.Mr. Evans locked the repair shop after Mr. Blank's arrest. As he went through the jumbled contents of the office, he said, he came across the latest bank statement for Daniel's Automotive.''He had $123 in it, and 11 cars in the lot waiting to be repaired,'' Mr. Evans said.''Thank God they arrested him,'' Mr. Evans said. ''I'll tell you what, I think he was just about ready to do it again.''

Serial Killer Daniel Blank Documentary - Mechanic Held in Series of KillingsMechanic Held in Series of KillingsPolice in Louisiana Say Gambling Habit Motivated SuspectBy Christopher Cooper - The New York TimesNovember 17, 1997LaPLACE, La.— At the Airline Motors lunch counter in sugar-cane country, a rifle-shot away from the muddy churn of the Mississippi River, the talk about Daniel J. Blank is as straightforward as the food served here: he was a gifted mechanic, a quiet customer with deep blue eyes, a family man who drank his coffee black.But last week Mr. Blank was jailed, arrested on three charges of first-degree murder. The local authorities said he had confessed to six murders, including a double bludgeoning of an elderly couple just across the street from the diner.His arrest, a big event in a town that often goes a year without a killing, stirred the memory of a waitress, Gloria Vicknair. Only a few months ago, Mr. Blank, the son of a sugar-refinery worker, emerged from the video poker stall in the back of the restaurant and asked her to change two crisp $100 bills, a lot of money for a man who usually ordered only black coffee.Ms. Vicknair said she made the change but thought nothing of it. ''They say it's always the quiet ones that'll surprise you -- he was extra quiet,'' she said after the arrest was announced. ''Of course, I was lucky. He went after wealthy people. I work for a living, thank God.''A quest for the big win and lust for a piece of the American dream, the police said, was what drove Mr. Blank to kill six elderly residents within 20 miles of his family's home in the River Parishes, a water-bound stretch of chemical plants and sugar cane between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Most of the dead were elderly; most were found in their homes with their pockets turned inside out. Nearly all had at least a nodding acquaintance with Mr. Blank. One couple survived being beaten and shot, Leonce Millet Jr. and his wife, Joyce, both 66, of Gonzales.The authorities said Mr. Blank had killed to feed a gambling habit. He favored slot machines and video poker, acquaintances said, and visited many different gambling parlors.Toward the end of his suspected string of killings, Sheriff Wayne Jones of St. John the Baptist Parish said, it became apparent that Mr. Blank was either on an extraordinarily lucky streak or was up to no good. The authorities estimate that he had stolen as much as $200,000, much of which he was believed to have squandered at the casinos.''He was without question a gambling addict,'' Sheriff Jones said. ''I guess you could say his income didn't quite correspond with his life style.''He has confessed to these murders, the authorities said, which occurred between October 1996 and June 1997: Victor Rossi, 41, of St. Amant; Barbara Bourgeois, 58, of Paulina; Lillian Philippe, 71, of Gonzales; Sam Arcuri, 76, and his wife, Louella, 69, of LaPlace, and Joan Brock, 55, of LaPlace. Mr. Blank is to be arraigned in LaPlace on Monday.The police have given little information about the case, saying only that a tip had led to the arrest. But their relief is obvious.''It was the first homicide we had experienced since 1986,'' Chief Bill Landry of Gonzales said. ''We weren't prepared. We had to retrain ourselves.'' His office handled three of the cases -- one murder in April and a double murder attempt in July.Acquaintances and family members said that since the killings began late last year, Mr. Blank had lived at a notch or two above transient status, making three moves in the River Parishes and then moving in the summer to a small resort town in eastern Texas. Mr. Blank was taken into custody in Onalaska, Tex., on Friday, about four months after he reportedly tried to buy a four-bay automobile repair shop there for $65,000 in cash.During this time, Mr. Blank periodically appeared at his boyhood home, a jumble of trailers and frame structures in Paulina, west of LaPlace, to report on his new fortune.Once, Mr. Blank, known as Bone to his family, wheeled into the dusty yard on a shiny red Suzuki motorcycle.On two other occasions, he arrived with huge cardboard copies of checks from casinos in nearby Kenner and Baton Rouge. The checks, payable to Daniel Blank, totaled $33,000. ''Daniel went to casinos pretty often,'' said Mr. Blank's sister, Sally Blank, a 34-year-old cosmetology student and one of eight siblings. ''He said he won big, and he showed us the papers to prove it. He told us they took his picture at the casino.''Sally Blank said the family had taken her brother at his word and had been shocked by his arrest. Her brother had been in trouble before, Ms. Blank said, but not since he was a teen-ager.''He burned down a building when he was a teen-ager and had to go to reform school,'' Ms. Blank said. 'But a lot of teen-agers get in trouble. I don't think he did it. At least not all alone, not all by himself.''Mr. Blank had apparently been living quietly in Onalaska, a small town a few hours from Houston, in a double-wide trailer with his wife, Cindy, and their four children. He was working as a mechanic out of a former muffler shop he leased from Don Evans, a retiree in Onalaska.''What happened was the mayor referred him to me, said he was looking to buy a piece of property,'' Mr. Evans said. ''I leased him the shop, although he did offer to buy it. Said he'd pay me $65,000 in cash.''That kind of scared me,'' Mr. Evans said. ''I refused.''Mr. Evans said he was later told by his 12-year-old daughter, a friend of Mr. Blank's 12-year-old daughter, that Mr. Blank had made a fortune playing video poker machines.To Mr. Evans, Mr. Blank was an expert mechanic. ''I've been at this for 35 years,'' Mr. Evans said, ''and just from talking to him I knew he must have been born and raised a mechanic. That boy knew transmissions inside and out.''I don't know about all that gambling nonsense. It seemed to me he was interested in being successful in business and living in a way he'd never been able to as a kid.''The problem was, Mr. Evans said, Mr. Blank was nearly broke when the Louisiana and Texas authorities surrounded his trailer on Friday.Among the items recovered, according to news accounts from Texas, was a cane-cutting knife, apparently smeared with blood and hair.Mr. Evans locked the repair shop after Mr. Blank's arrest. As he went through the jumbled contents of the office, he said, he came across the latest bank statement for Daniel's Automotive.''He had $123 in it, and 11 cars in the lot waiting to be repaired,'' Mr. Evans said.''Thank God they arrested him,'' Mr. Evans said. ''I'll tell you what, I think he was just about ready to do it again.''

Jaclyn Hotard joins Tommy to talk about how St John The Baptist Parish is preparing for hurricane season this year. 

Reporter Joshua Rosenberg talks about a lawsuit in St. John the Baptist Parish seeking to force the company proposing a new grain elevator in the area to pay $200 million in taxes on the project. Reporter Nick Chrastil speaks about the controversy over what records the Orleans Parish Sheriff is and isn't turning over related to use of force at the jail The post Behind The Lens episode 107 appeared first on The Lens.

Imagine three great cooking styles served in one place, or written about with recipes in one book. The place is Wayne Jacob's Smokehouse in LaPlace (St. John the Baptist Parish); the book is "Southern and Smoked: Cajun Cooking through the Seasons." Jarred Zeringue, the chef and owner of the smokehouse and the author of the book, joins Louisiana Life Executive Editor Errol Laborde, along with podcast producer Kelly Massicot to talk about the joys of smoked foods including meats common to the LaPlace area – like andouille and tasso. The book contains stories from his family, lots of recipes, a list of techniques for Cajun cooking and food photography that is a visual feast in itself. Also, he reveals some of the kitchen's most only-in-Louisiana creations: smoked boudin and, yes, hogshead cheese, too.

Bishop Michael Curry might be best known for delivering the sermon at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. He is currently the presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church, and is the first African American to serve as in that role. Diana Akiyama is currently the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon. She is the first Japanese-American woman to become an Episcopal priest and the first Asian-American woman to become an Episcopal bishop. Geoff Norcross sits down with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and Bishop Diana Akiyama at St. John the Baptist Parish on the campus of Oregon Episcopal School for a conversation about faith, diversity within the Episcopal Church, and the role of justice in the church.

Jaclyn Hotard joins Tommy to talk about how St John The Baptist Parish is recovering from Hurricane Ida. 

In this second installment of Ken's special series, TRUTH QUEST - Exploring the History of Race in America, we launch the Civil Rights tour of the South in New Orleans.  The Whitney Plantation in St. John the Baptist Parish is a non-profit dedicated to preserving the history and legacy of slavery in Louisiana. You'll hear an in-depth description of the exhibits, displays, and elegant plantation house and how those displays impacted our team of pilgrims. In this episode, we are invited to a team "debrief," in which several share their personal responses to a history that has been hidden until now. Then Ken takes us to the French Quarter on a bustling Saturday evening in the heart of the French Quarter. Under the tutelage of master-guide, Leon A. Waters, the team wanders down the Mississippi River and Washington Artillery Park, to Jackson Square, by the St. Louis Cathedral, the Federal Courthouse, and the Slave Exchange, along the narrow streets filled with iconic architecture, surrounded by eager crowds, street vendors and musicians, lively multitudes lined up for the annual Pride Month Parade - New Orleans style.  SHOW NOTESSupport the show

 Father Francisco is pastor at St. John the Baptist Parish in Chico Jennifer is the Director of Camp Pendola 

What happens to a predominantly Black community when its government officials prioritize profit over health and legacy? On the 49th episode of “The Activist Files", legal worker Sadé Evans speaks with Dr. Joy Banner and Jo Banner of “The Descendants project”, a non-profit organization that advocates for descendants of people who were enslaved in Louisiana's River Parishes. In honor of Earth Day, this discussion centers the founders of the Descendants Project as they speak out against corporate greed and environmental racism in Wallace, Louisiana, largely known as Cancer Alley.  This episode will highlight the formation of the Descendant's project; how the founders' community is being affected by petrochemical companies; and their current lawsuit against St. John the Baptist Parish which challenges an old corrupt zoning ordinance that would allow the construction of a massive grain terminal on their land. Resources:CCR Website - Case PageDescendant's Project Press ReleaseFollow the Descendant's Project work here:Website:http://thedescendantsproject.org/Instagram: @thedecendantsprojectFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/descendantsproject/

Fr Augustine Puchner is pastor of St. John the Baptist Church in Costa Mesa, California.  He is originally from Wisconsin, and is a member of the Norbertine Fathers.  William “Billy” Fritz is music director at St. John the Baptist Parish.  William grew up in Orange County, California and attended Catholic schools, including St. Michael's Prep School in Silverado. In this episode he shares is days as a seminarian at Saint Michael's AbbeyThank you for listening!Consider Donating and sponsoring our radio and podcast programming at spiritfilledradio.orgListen live at spiritfilledradio.org Monday -Friday.  6:30am and 1:30pm Pacific Time spiritfilledradio.org #spiritfilledhearts #Norbertines  #catholic #saintmichaelsabbey #fraugustinepuchner #fraugustineandfriends #spiritfilledradio #catholic #christmas #norbertines #saintnorbert #vocationsannouncement: 0:02Welcome to Father Augustine and friend's father Augustine partner is a Norbertine priest and is the new host for Spirit filled radio. Each week, Father invites his friends in ministry to sit down and have a discussion about all things Catholic, expect to always feel part of the conversation as we dive in and explore our love of the faith. Here's father Augustine.Fr. Augustine: 0:28Hello again, everyone. Welcome to another episode of father Augustine and friends. Thank you as always, for your support for our ministry. I am continuing my conversation with Mr. William Fritz, who I do call billing, because I've known him for 30 years. And we had a wonderful conversation last time in regard to Billy's childhood and his first coming to the abbey as a summer camper. And thank you for sharing those beautiful stories. I was there for you in crisis. Yes, I like that I was there for you in crisis. And then the prep school years, Philly attended St. Michael's prep for his high school years. And today after we pray, we're going to continue on his beautiful story, the work of God's grace in this young man's life and our friendship and our collaboration and ministry. Because as I mentioned before, he is now an employee of mine, as well as a friend. He works here at St. John the Baptist Parish as our music Minister, the director of our music ministry, which is just amazing. And in multi languages. Let us pray in the name of the Father to the Son of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of this ministry. We thank you for the gift of the opportunity to spread the good word through our words and actions, the word of life, the word of truth, the word of salvation, and Jesus Christ. Bless our time together today. Bless Billy and his family and all those who are listening, may all that we do and continue to be inspired by our love for the truth, our love for everything that is good and beautiful, our love for our Catholic faith. And we ask all this through Christ our Lord. Amen. In the name of the Father to the Son of the Holy Spirit. Amen. All right, Billy, welcome back. Thank you for all right. So we Yes, we had so much fun talking about, well, the early years. And now, for our listeners, we're going to continue on in our conversation because as I said, I've known Billy a long time. And we we've got 1000s of stories to tell, and all very spiritual and very beautiful. Alright, so we got through the summer camp experience, elementary school at the mission. Yes. And then it was wonderful high school years at St. Michael's crap. And you do have yet some amazing stories. And we talked about the relationship with Norbert teens, obviously, very close, your dear parents in their great support for the community, and the friendships I have with the whole family. I mean, that's what we'll get to that part part of the story as we continue on. So Billy, welcome back and tell our listeners tell us entering St. Michael's as a seminary entering St. Michael's Abbey, to study for the

Fr Augustine Puchner is pastor of St. John the Baptist Church in Costa Mesa, California.  He is originally from Wisconsin, and is a member of the Norbertine Fathers.  William “Billy” Fritz is music director at St. John the Baptist Parish.  William grew up in Orange County, California and attended Catholic schools, including St. Michael's Prep School in Silverado. Don't miss out on this extraordinary story of faith and miracles. Thank you for listening.Consider Donating and sponsoring our radio and podcast programming at spiritfilledradio.orgListen live at spiritfilledradio.org Monday -Friday.  6:30am and 1:30pm Pacific Time spiritfilledradio.org #spiritfilledhearts #Norbertines  #catholic #saintmichaelsabbey #fraugustinepuchner #fraugustineandfriends #spiritfilledradio #catholic #norbertines #saintnorbertTranscript:announcement: 0:31Welcome to Father Augustine and friend's father Augustine partner is a Norbertine priest and is the new host for Spirit filled radio. Each week, Father invites his friends in ministry to sit down and have a discussion about all things Catholic, expect to always feel part of the conversation as we dive in and explore our love of the faith. Here's father Augustine.Fr. Augustine: 0:58Hello again, everyone, and welcome to another episode of father Augustine and friends. As always, thank you for your support for my little show. And for spiritual cards, radio, spirit filled hearts ministry, we hope that you have been enjoying my conversations with friends, collaborators in ministry, as we talked about the Word of God's grace in the lives of the many people that I am blessed to know. And I am so happy and thrilled today to have with me, I guess that I've known since he was like seven years old. And that's been a while. My guest today is Mr. William Fritz, who is the music director here at St. John the Baptist Parish. William, welcome so much. Thank you, Father. Thanks for having me. I have to confess I haven't actually listened to the show yet. Start practice. How many episodes? Well, I don't think a lot. Sure. Yeah, yeah, sure. Yeah. Well, listen to all that's fine. i We know you're very busy. And that is part of our conversation. When you tell us about your story. You are a very busy man. All right. Well, let's begin with the prayer in the name of the Father and of the center of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the grace of our faith, the grace of this ministry, we thank you for the opportunity that you have given to us to evangelize and to preach the gospel through our words and actions. I asked you to send a special blessing upon William and his family, and upon all those who are listening and supporting spirits with hearts radio, we all do we do continue to be inspired by your grace, and the manifestation of your great love. And we ask this through Christ our Lord, in the name of the Father to the Son of the Holy Spirit. Amen. All right. So to our listeners, as I mentioned, I've known Billy a long time since he was a child. And we're going to go into sort of like the beginnings of our relationship with Him and I and all the fun we've had in the many beautiful spiritual experiences. And let's begin, William, tell us a little bit about yourself as we begin our conversation. Yeah, sure. So like father said, I'm the music director here at St. John Baptist, but I've been a local Orange County boy, my whole life was born Mission Viejo hospital, town. You know, South County, lived in Mission Viejo went to Catholic school, my whole life. Mission San Juan Capistrano go swallows. We went. Then after that I kind of made a big jump to the St. Michael's prep school St. Michael's prep school of the former St. Michael's Abbey right. It's a we're Yeah, we're like vintage now. You are vintage. I still have my tie. Well, good for you. Yeah. Well, I wear it sometimes. Yes, indeed. I

James Baxter, co-founder and CEO of Exodus joins us to discuss the success of this ministry helping men find freedom in Christ and fraternity. Sign up for the next Exodus 90 beginning Monday, January 17 at https://exodus90.com. James attended St. John Vianney Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota and St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in St. Meinrad, Indiana before discerning God was calling him to marriage and secular life. In 2015, James assumed responsibility for scaling Exodus 90 from a seminary formation program into a spiritual exercise to bring the freedom of Jesus Christ to His men. James lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana with his wife Colleen, son Joseph and baby girl Genevieve. They attend St. John the Baptist Parish. Video version of episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/OVpYpA_qnqE

What is #exodus90 and how does it assist men in growing in #faith. Exodus 90 is a 90-day Catholic #spiritualexercise for men that offers a challenging journey through the book of Exodus based on three pillars: prayer, asceticism, and fraternity. The men's movement continues to expand — reaching more than 50,000 men of all generations and stages of their faith journey. Exodus 90 summons men back to the foundations of their faith in order for them to experience freedom from worldly addictions to better love those entrusted to their care.Learn more on their website at www.exodus90.com. About Nathaniel Binversie: Nathaniel Binversie serves as the Director of Content for Exodus. Nathaniel graduated from the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul, Minnesota where he spent two years in formation at St. John Vianney Seminary. Nathaniel began his career serving one year as Campus Minister at the University of Utah. Leading up to his time with Exodus 90, he has spent the past three years serving as a missionary with FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students. Nathaniel joins Exodus with a master's degree in Theology from the Augustine Institute. Nathaniel lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana with his wife Sherry, their daughters Lucia and Annie. They attend St. John the Baptist Parish.

What is #exodus90 and how does it assist men in growing in #faith. Exodus 90 is a 90-day Catholic #spiritualexercise for men that offers a challenging journey through the book of Exodus based on three pillars: prayer, asceticism, and fraternity. The men's movement continues to expand — reaching more than 50,000 men of all generations and stages of their faith journey. Exodus 90 summons men back to the foundations of their faith in order for them to experience freedom from worldly addictions to better love those entrusted to their care. Learn more on their website at www.exodus90.com. About Nathaniel Binversie: Nathaniel Binversie serves as the Director of Content for Exodus. Nathaniel graduated from the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul, Minnesota where he spent two years in formation at St. John Vianney Seminary. Nathaniel began his career serving one year as Campus Minister at the University of Utah. Leading up to his time with Exodus 90, he has spent the past three years serving as a missionary with FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students. Nathaniel joins Exodus with a master's degree in Theology from the Augustine Institute. Nathaniel lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana with his wife Sherry, their daughters Lucia and Annie. They attend St. John the Baptist Parish.

Scoot talks to St. John the Baptist Parish President Jaclyn Hotard about the latest news in Ida recovery efforts See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scoot talks to St. John the Baptist Parish President Jaclyn Hotard about conditions there on Tuesday afternoon See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scoot talks to St John the Baptist Parish President Jaclyn Hotard about the challenges facing her community today See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scoot talks to St John the Baptist Parish President Jaclyn Hotard about conditions on the ground in her parish 11 days after Ida See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on Sojourner Truth: The California Gubernatorial election. Some say the outcome will determine whether California shifts to Trump-style policies and politics, or maintains the progressive reputation it now has. There is a lot at stake. Our guest is Bill Gallegos, a longtime Chicano Liberation and Environmental Justice activist. The impact of Hurricane Ida on St. John the Baptist Parish in Louisiana. We speak with Robert Taylor, founder of Concerned Citizens of St. John. We update our rural-urban conversation with a focus on the Mojave Desert communities. Our guest is Pat Flanagan, a naturalist educator based in Twentynine Palms, in the high desert of California. We discuss threats to the desert ecological system and how it impacts us all. We pay tribute to actor Michael K. Williams and also our weekly Earth Minute.

Today on Sojourner Truth: The California Gubernatorial election. Some say the outcome will determine whether California shifts to Trump-style policies and politics, or maintains the progressive reputation it now has. There is a lot at stake. Our guest is Bill Gallegos, a longtime Chicano Liberation and Environmental Justice activist. The impact of Hurricane Ida on St. John the Baptist Parish in Louisiana. We speak with Robert Taylor, founder of Concerned Citizens of St. John. We update our rural-urban conversation with a focus on the Mojave Desert communities. Our guest is Pat Flanagan, a naturalist educator based in Twentynine Palms, in the high desert of California. We discuss threats to the desert ecological system and how it impacts us all. We pay tribute to actor Michael K. Williams and also our weekly Earth Minute.

Today on Sojourner Truth: The California Gubernatorial election. Some say the outcome will determine whether California shifts to Trump-style policies and politics, or maintains the progressive reputation it now has. There is a lot at stake. Our guest is Bill Gallegos, a longtime Chicano Liberation and Environmental Justice activist. The impact of Hurricane Ida on St. John the Baptist Parish in Louisiana. We speak with Robert Taylor, founder of Concerned Citizens of St. John. We update our rural-urban conversation with a focus on the Mojave Desert communities. Our guest is Pat Flanagan, a naturalist educator based in Twentynine Palms, in the high desert of California. We discuss threats to the desert ecological system and how it impacts us all. We pay tribute to actor Michael K. Williams and also our weekly Earth Minute.

Today on Sojourner Truth: The California Gubernatorial election. Some say the outcome will determine whether California shifts to Trump-style policies and politics, or maintains the progressive reputation it now has. There is a lot at stake. Our guest is Bill Gallegos, a longtime Chicano Liberation and Environmental Justice activist. The impact of Hurricane Ida on St. John the Baptist Parish in Louisiana. We speak with Robert Taylor, founder of Concerned Citizens of St. John. We update our rural-urban conversation with a focus on the Mojave Desert communities. Our guest is Pat Flanagan, a naturalist educator based in Twentynine Palms, in the high desert of California. We discuss threats to the desert ecological system and how it impacts us all. We pay tribute to actor Michael K. Williams and also our weekly Earth Minute.

Today on Sojourner Truth: The California Gubernatorial election. Some say the outcome will determine whether California shifts to Trump-style policies and politics, or maintains the progressive reputation it now has. There is a lot at stake. Our guest is Bill Gallegos, a longtime Chicano Liberation and Environmental Justice activist. The impact of Hurricane Ida on St. John the Baptist Parish in Louisiana. We speak with Robert Taylor, founder of Concerned Citizens of St. John. We update our rural-urban conversation with a focus on the Mojave Desert communities. Our guest is Pat Flanagan, a naturalist educator based in Twentynine Palms, in the high desert of California. We discuss threats to the desert ecological system and how it impacts us all. We pay tribute to actor Michael K. Williams and also our weekly Earth Minute.

Today on Sojourner Truth: The California Gubernatorial election. Some say the outcome will determine whether California shifts to Trump-style policies and politics, or maintains the progressive reputation it now has. There is a lot at stake. Our guest is Bill Gallegos, a longtime Chicano Liberation and Environmental Justice activist. The impact of Hurricane Ida on St. John the Baptist Parish in Louisiana. We speak with Robert Taylor, founder of Concerned Citizens of St. John. We update our rural-urban conversation with a focus on the Mojave Desert communities. Our guest is Pat Flanagan, a naturalist educator based in Twentynine Palms, in the high desert of California. We discuss threats to the desert ecological system and how it impacts us all. We pay tribute to actor Michael K. Williams and also our weekly Earth Minute.

Today on Sojourner Truth: The California Gubernatorial election. Some say the outcome will determine whether California shifts to Trump-style policies and politics, or maintains the progressive reputation it now has. There is a lot at stake. Our guest is Bill Gallegos, a longtime Chicano Liberation and Environmental Justice activist. The impact of Hurricane Ida on St. John the Baptist Parish in Louisiana. We speak with Robert Taylor, founder of Concerned Citizens of St. John. We update our rural-urban conversation with a focus on the Mojave Desert communities. Our guest is Pat Flanagan, a naturalist educator based in Twentynine Palms, in the high desert of California. We discuss threats to the desert ecological system and how it impacts us all. We pay tribute to actor Michael K. Williams and also our weekly Earth Minute.

Today on Sojourner Truth: The California Gubernatorial election. Some say the outcome will determine whether California shifts to Trump-style policies and politics, or maintains the progressive reputation it now has. There is a lot at stake. Our guest is Bill Gallegos, a longtime Chicano Liberation and Environmental Justice activist. The impact of Hurricane Ida on St. John the Baptist Parish in Louisiana. We speak with Robert Taylor, founder of Concerned Citizens of St. John. We update our rural-urban conversation with a focus on the Mojave Desert communities. Our guest is Pat Flanagan, a naturalist educator based in Twentynine Palms, in the high desert of California. We discuss threats to the desert ecological system and how it impacts us all. We pay tribute to actor Michael K. Williams and also our weekly Earth Minute.

Today on Sojourner Truth: The California Gubernatorial election. Some say the outcome will determine whether California shifts to Trump-style policies and politics, or maintains the progressive reputation it now has. There is a lot at stake. Our guest is Bill Gallegos, a longtime Chicano Liberation and Environmental Justice activist. The impact of Hurricane Ida on St. John the Baptist Parish in Louisiana. We speak with Robert Taylor, founder of Concerned Citizens of St. John. We update our rural-urban conversation with a focus on the Mojave Desert communities. Our guest is Pat Flanagan, a naturalist educator based in Twentynine Palms, in the high desert of California. We discuss threats to the desert ecological system and how it impacts us all. We pay tribute to actor Michael K. Williams and also our weekly Earth Minute.

Today on Sojourner Truth: The California Gubernatorial election. Some say the outcome will determine whether California shifts to Trump-style policies and politics, or maintains the progressive reputation it now has. There is a lot at stake. Our guest is Bill Gallegos, a longtime Chicano Liberation and Environmental Justice activist. The impact of Hurricane Ida on St. John the Baptist Parish in Louisiana. We speak with Robert Taylor, founder of Concerned Citizens of St. John. We update our rural-urban conversation with a focus on the Mojave Desert communities. Our guest is Pat Flanagan, a naturalist educator based in Twentynine Palms, in the high desert of California. We discuss threats to the desert ecological system and how it impacts us all. We pay tribute to actor Michael K. Williams and also our weekly Earth Minute.

Today on Sojourner Truth: The California Gubernatorial election. Some say the outcome will determine whether California shifts to Trump-style policies and politics, or maintains the progressive reputation it now has. There is a lot at stake. Our guest is Bill Gallegos, a longtime Chicano Liberation and Environmental Justice activist. The impact of Hurricane Ida on St. John the Baptist Parish in Louisiana. We speak with Robert Taylor, founder of Concerned Citizens of St. John. We update our rural-urban conversation with a focus on the Mojave Desert communities. Our guest is Pat Flanagan, a naturalist educator based in Twentynine Palms, in the high desert of California. We discuss threats to the desert ecological system and how it impacts us all. We pay tribute to actor Michael K. Williams and also our weekly Earth Minute.

Today on Sojourner Truth: The California Gubernatorial election. Some say the outcome will determine whether California shifts to Trump-style policies and politics, or maintains the progressive reputation it now has. There is a lot at stake. Our guest is Bill Gallegos, a longtime Chicano Liberation and Environmental Justice activist. The impact of Hurricane Ida on St. John the Baptist Parish in Louisiana. We speak with Robert Taylor, founder of Concerned Citizens of St. John. We update our rural-urban conversation with a focus on the Mojave Desert communities. Our guest is Pat Flanagan, a naturalist educator based in Twentynine Palms, in the high desert of California. We discuss threats to the desert ecological system and how it impacts us all. We pay tribute to actor Michael K. Williams and also our weekly Earth Minute.

Today on Sojourner Truth: The California Gubernatorial election. Some say the outcome will determine whether California shifts to Trump-style policies and politics, or maintains the progressive reputation it now has. There is a lot at stake. Our guest is Bill Gallegos, a longtime Chicano Liberation and Environmental Justice activist. The impact of Hurricane Ida on St. John the Baptist Parish in Louisiana. We speak with Robert Taylor, founder of Concerned Citizens of St. John. We update our rural-urban conversation with a focus on the Mojave Desert communities. Our guest is Pat Flanagan, a naturalist educator based in Twentynine Palms, in the high desert of California. We discuss threats to the desert ecological system and how it impacts us all. We pay tribute to actor Michael K. Williams and also our weekly Earth Minute.

Today on Sojourner Truth: The California Gubernatorial election. Some say the outcome will determine whether California shifts to Trump-style policies and politics, or maintains the progressive reputation it now has. There is a lot at stake. Our guest is Bill Gallegos, a longtime Chicano Liberation and Environmental Justice activist. The impact of Hurricane Ida on St. John the Baptist Parish in Louisiana. We speak with Robert Taylor, founder of Concerned Citizens of St. John. We update our rural-urban conversation with a focus on the Mojave Desert communities. Our guest is Pat Flanagan, a naturalist educator based in Twentynine Palms, in the high desert of California. We discuss threats to the desert ecological system and how it impacts us all. We pay tribute to actor Michael K. Williams and also our weekly Earth Minute.

Scoot talks to St John the Baptist Parish President Jaclyn Hotard about the challenges on the ground there after Hurricane Ida See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight's guests are Amy Hagstrom Miller, founder and CEO of Whole Woman's Health; Anna Rupani, co-executive director of Fund Texas Choice; and Jaclyn Hotard, president of St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana.

On Thursday, Juneteenth was designated as a federal holiday to commemorate the effective end of slavery in the United States, just days before the June 19 anniversary. This week, to mark the occasion, we revisit our 2016 trip to the Whitney Plantation, the only plantation museum in Louisiana that focuses entirely on the lives of enslaved people. The Whitney Plantation is one of three surviving Civil War-era sugar plantations located in St. John the Baptist Parish along the Mississippi River. There, we join Director of Research at Whitney Dr. Ibrahima Seck, who gives us a personal tour of the property. We make our first stop at a restored nineteenth century Baptist church, where we learn about slavery as viewed through the eyes of children. Not far from the church, Dr. Seck brings us to a large monument engraved with names and information about the enslaved individuals who lived at Whitney. We also step into one of the site's 22 cabins and tour the oldest detached kitchen in Louisiana, making our final stop at the big house where the Haydel family lived. Following our visit to the plantation, we speak with Sybil Haydel Morial—educator, activist and former First Lady of New Orleans—who learned later in life of her family's connection to the Whitney Plantation. Sybil chronicled her breadth of experience during the civil rights era and the years that followed in her memoir, Witness to Change.

On Thursday, Juneteenth was designated as a federal holiday to commemorate the effective end of slavery in the United States, just days before the June 19 anniversary. This week, to mark the occasion, we revisit our 2016 trip to the Whitney Plantation, the only plantation museum in Louisiana that focuses entirely on the lives of enslaved people. The Whitney Plantation is one of three surviving Civil War-era sugar plantations located in St. John the Baptist Parish along the Mississippi River. There, we join Director of Research at Whitney Dr. Ibrahima Seck, who gives us a personal tour of the property. We make our first stop at a restored nineteenth century Baptist church, where we learn about slavery as viewed through the eyes of children. Not far from the church, Dr. Seck brings us to a large monument engraved with names and information about the enslaved individuals who lived at Whitney. We also step into one of the site's 22 cabins and tour the oldest detached kitchen in Louisiana, making our final stop at the big house where the Haydel family lived. Following our visit to the plantation, we speak with Sybil Haydel Morial—educator, activist and former First Lady of New Orleans—who learned later in life of her family's connection to the Whitney Plantation. Sybil chronicled her breadth of experience during the civil rights era and the years that followed in her memoir, Witness to Change.

Hello friend.. and thank you for tuning in to another power-packed episode of the Spirit Filled Media podcast - with host, Deacon Steve Greco.  On this episode, we pick up with part 2 of deacon's conversation with good friend and pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish in Costa Mesa (CA), Fr. Augustine Puchner. Father is a Norbertine priest; and, that's the order known for their long, flowing cassocks (among other things). They are VERY distinctive and easy to spot!As we jump back in to part 2 of “Faith in Today's World,” Fr Augustine shares more about his background and the vocational call on his life.Here's our host, Deacon Steve Greco.. 

While at the Into the Breach Men's Conference, Dave and I had a chance to talk with Hector Molina for about 17 minutes. http://www.hectormolina.com/ (Check out his website) Sorry for the audio quality - we were not using our usual equipment Hector's BIO: Hello there! My name is Hector Molina. Welcome to my website. I am thrilled that you've dropped by. For those of you who are unfamiliar with me, I am a professional lay Catholic speaker and motivangelist. What is a motivangelist, you ask? It's a catchy little moniker that combines two words: motivator + evangelist. You could say that a motivangelist is someone who motivates and inspires others to better know, live, and share their faith. I think this aptly describes my personal charism and ministry. If you were to ask anyone who has ever attended one of my parish missions, retreats, seminars, or conferences, what type of a speaker I am, I think it's safe to say they would describe my style as dynamic, engaging, and motivational. It's no secret that I have a great passion and enthusiasm for leading others to discover Christ and the beauty and splendor of the Catholic faith, as well as for equipping ordinary Catholics to effectively share their faith with others. MY CONTENTWhile this site primarily serves as home base for my speaking ministry, it also intended as a platform for delivering solid and easily consumable digital content to those interested in learning more about their Catholic faith and how to better live and share it with others. If you are interested in learning how to be a more effective evangelizer and witness for Christ and the Catholic faith, then this site is for you. MY BIOGRAPHYI am a professional lay Catholic evangelist and CEO of http://www.castingnetsministries.com/ (Casting Nets Ministries, Inc.) a 501(c)3 non profit lay apostolate which conducts dynamic and highly effective missions, retreats, and evangelization trainings for parishes, schools, and Dioceses and develops resources aimed at leading souls to Christ and forming the laity for missionary discipleship. I began my ministerial career in my home Diocese of Brooklyn (NY), where I served as a lay pastoral associate at St. John the Baptist Parish in Bedford-Stuyvesant. I served in this capacity for over a decade before relocating to the Archdiocese of St. Louis where I served for six years as Director of Hispanic Ministry and later as founding Director of The Office for the New Evangelization. In 2009, I launched my own full-time speaking apostolate through which I ministered to tens of thousands at Catholic events throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. In 2012, I joined the staff of Catholic Answers, Inc., the largest lay-run apostolate of apologetics and evangelization in North America where I served for two years as an apologist and speaker. In 2015, I joined http://www.castingnetsministries.com/ (Casting Nets Ministries, Inc.) where I currently serve as CEO. I specialize in the areas of evangelization and apologetics and have keynoted over one hundred conferences and have conducted scores of parish seminars, workshops, missions, and retreats (in English and Spanish) throughout the U.S. and abroad. MY FAMILYI have been married to my beautiful wife Uki for over 13 years. We have six beautiful children, three boys and three girls. We make our home in what is considered by many to be “The Rome of the West”, St. Louis, Missouri. Support this podcast

Coach John McKenna retired after 16 seasons as Athletic Performance Director and Assistant Football Coach at Notre Dame High School in New Jersey , and was a strength coach and football coach for over 32 years.  A member of St. John the Baptist Parish and Knights of Columbus, he has developed a foundation program for younger athletes that teaches the basics of fottball and also enhances their athletic ability.  This program has been copied and highlighted throughout the country.  Coach John McKenna is a big man with a big message. He challenges men to go on the offensive and grow closer to God. Coach tell us to man up, take the offensive and no longer hide from society behind over-the-top political correctness. God is the rewarder of those who diligently seek him, not the rewarder of those who “kinda sorta” follow him.

Today's topics: Cheverus Awards; US bishops meeting; American cardinals; HHS mandate; Philippines typhoon Summary of today's show: Our Thursday panel of Scot Landry, Susan Abbott, and Gregory Tracy look at the headlines of the week, including the announcement of awardees of the 2013 Cheverus Awards in the Archdiocese of Boston—among whom is our own Susan Abbott; the election of a new leader of the US bishops conference and decisions on a statement on pornography and on the HHS mandate; and the local Catholic response to the typhoon in the Philippines. Listen to the show: Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Susan Abbott Today's guest(s): Gregory Tracy, managing editor of the Pilot, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Boston Links from today's show: 2013 Cheverus Award winners Susan Abbott, St. Theresa of Avila Parish, West Roxbury Laura Albaladejo, St. Patick Parish, Brockton Josephine and Charles Anastasia, St. John Chrysostom Parish, West Roxbury Ruth Andrews, St. Katherine Drexel Parish, Boston Mother Teresa Benedicta, OCD, North Region William Bibeau, St. John the Baptist Parish, Haverhill Madelyn Brown, The Catholic TV Network, Watertown (2012) Judy Burton, St. Mary/St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Charlestown Jacquelyn Butterfield, St. Anne Parish, Littleton James Buxton, Holy Trinity Parish, Lowell John Carter, Sacred Heart Parish, Waltham Everett Casey, Sacred Heart Parish, Middleborough John Cheboryot and Mercy Anampiu, St. Michael Parish, Lowell, Kenyan Apostolate Antonio Jr. and Gracita Chiefe, St. Mary Parish, Randolph, Filipino Apostolate Deacon Charles Clough, West Region William Corrigan, St. Anthony Parish, Allston Marileia Costa, St. Anthony Parish, Everett, Brazilian Apostolate Paul Daly, Sacred Heart Parish, Quincy Joan DeGuglielmo, St. Francis Parish, Cambridge Sister Thomasita Delaney, RMS, Merrimack Region Samuel E. DeMerit, St. Paul Parish, Cambridge Jose DePina, St. Peter Parish, Dorchester Barbara Devita, St. Thomas of Villanova Parish, Wilmington Linda Devoll, St. John the Evangelist Parish, Canton Rose DiMare, Immaculate Conception Parish, Revere Anne Doherty, St. Camillus Parish, Arlington M.J. Doherty, Archdiocese of Boston Kevin Dolan, Sts. Martha and Mary Parish, Lakeville Thomas Dwyer, Esq., Archdiocese of Boston Joanne Eagan, Sacred Heart Parish, Lynn Stephen Fair, St. Mary of the Assumption Parish, Brookline Walter Faria, St. Mary of the Nativity Parish, Scituate George and Linda Furtado, Immaculate Conception Parish, Everett Rosa Garcia, St. James Parish, Haverhill Deacon Alfred Geneus, St. John the Evangelist Parish, Cambridge, Haitian Apostolate Deacon Thomas Hanlon, South Region Anne Hanning, St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Waltham John Hennigan, St. Dennis Parish, Westwood Sister Magdalene Ikeda, PDDM, Regina Cleri, Boston, Japanese Apostolate George Jackson, St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Braintree Marie Jutkiewicz, St. Tarcisius Parish, Framingham Sonete Kammer, St. Tarcisus Parish, Framingham, Brazilian Apostolate Anne B. Kelly, St. Francis de Sales Parish, Charlestown Mary Kiesinger, St. Dorothy Parish, Wilmington Richard Kimball, St. Cecilia Parish, Boston J. Timothy Looney, St. Joseph Parish, Wakefield Dr. Aloysius Lugira, St. Mary Parish, Waltham, Ugandan Community (2012) Eleanor Mackin, St. Mary Parish, Lynn Judie Mahan, St. Gerard Majella Parish, Canton Constance Malloy, Our Lady of Sorrows Parish, Sharon Deacon Leo Martin, St. John the Baptist Parish, Peabody Jeanne Masterman, St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish, Westford Janice Mathias, St. Mary Parish, Billerica Robert Matson, St. Joseph Parish, Holbrook Elinor McFarland, St. Ann by the Sea Parish, Marshfield Darice McIntire, Sacred Heart Parish, Manchester Altagracia Mena, St. Patrick Parish, Lowell Helen Monteiro, St. Patrick Parish, Roxbury Deacon Pablo Morel, North Region Kevin Muldoon, Immaculate Conception Parish, Weymouth Sheila Murphy, St. Andrew Parish, North Billerica Sylvia Murphy, St. Helen Parish, Norwell Joseph R. Nolan, St. Francis Chapel, Boston (Prudential Center) Roberta Oles, St. Mary Parish, Wrentham John Olquist, Holy Family Parish, Dorchester Lawrence and Sally O'Maley, St. John the Baptist Parish, Essex Sister Mary O'Rourke, CSJ, West Region Eduardo Pascua, Holy Trinity Parish, Quincy Mary Peck, St. Margaret Parish, Burlington Michael Pietkiewicz, St. Stanislaus Parish, Chelsea Rita Pizzi, St. Blaise Parish, Bellingham Nancy Pouliot, Holy Family Parish, Amesbury Brother Thomas Puccio, C.F.X., North Region Lucille Ratte, Star of the Sea Parish, Salisbury Pat Riley, St. Michael Parish, North Andover Martha Roberts, St. Malchy Parish, Burlington Sister Florita Rodman, CDP, South Region Ellen Greene Romikitis, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta Parish, Dorchester John Scanlon, Sacred Heart Parish Margaret Scollins, Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, Green Harbor Patricia Shafto, St. Christine Parish, Marshfield Deacon Richard Siebert, Merrimack Region Joan Silta, St. Pius X Parish, Milton Stella Simione, St. John the Evangelist Parish, Winthrop Celia Sirois, Archdiocese of Boston Marguerite Small, St. Mary of the Annunciation Parish, Melrose Jean Soucy, St. Magdalen Parish, Tyngsborough Antonio and Delminda Sousa, Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Peabody Claudia Suarez, Madonna Queen Shrine, East Boston M. Doris Thompson, St. John the Evangelist Parish, East Bridgewater Joseph Tuan Thong, St. Bernadette Parish, Randolph, Vietnamese Apostolate Paule Verdet, Sacred Heart Parish, Newton Judy Vivien, St. Mary of the Assumption/St. Ann Parish, Hull Ann C. White, St. Ann Parish, Quincy Magda E. Zabala, Holy Family Parish, Dorchester

Summary of today's show: Our usual Thursday panel of Scot Landry, Susan Abbott, Fr. Roger Landry, and Gregory Tracy consider the news headlines of the week, including the latest examples of humility and simplicity from Pope Francis; how he chose his papal name; his decision to celebrate Holy Thursday in a juvenile prison; the appointment of five more pastors for pastoral collaboratives as part of the Disciples in Mission pastoral plan; the obituaries of two senior priests; and remarkable pro-life essays from grade school contest winners. Listen to the show: Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Susan Abbott Today's guest(s): Gregory Tracy, managing editor of the Pilot, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Boston, and Fr. Roger Landry, pastor of St. Bernadette Parish in Fall River Links from today's show: Some of the stories discussed on this show will be available on The Pilot's and The Anchor's websites on Friday morning. Please check those sites for the latest links. Today's topics: Pope Francis' humility; choosing his name; new pastors for pastoral collaboratives 1st segment: Scot Landry caught up with Susan Abbott after not being together on the show for three weeks. Scot asked Susan how she watched the events here at the Pastoral Center. Susan said the days all blur together because every day there's a new story about Pope Francis that captures our attention. She said it was a busy time for everyone in the building on Disciples in Mission and Lent, but when the white smoke came out, there were yells in the halls and everyone stood around a computer watching a webcam of St. Peter's Square. Everyone gathered in the lobby of the Pastoral Center to watch it on TV. Scot said there's been a lot to cover since the election a week ago last Wednesday. The Pilot this week has a lot in a special issue this week. Gregory Tracy said they had a 16-page special edition in the center of the Pilot, which makes it almost two papers this week. The focus of the special edition is giving a perspective on Pope Francis and re-capping his first days. Greg said he learned a lot about Pope Francis because Cardinal Bergoglio wasn't among the most talked-about names. His impression is of his humility and that he is a bit of a free spirit. Scot welcomed Fr. Roger Landry and said his column in the Anchor this week gives his first impressions. Fr. Roger said he's a pastor more than a professor. He's obviously intelligent, but brings his experience of being archbishop of Buenos Aires for so many years. One thing that touched Fr. Roger was seeing a boy in the Vatican choir school singing the responsory psalm during the inauguration Mass, which shows how young the Church is. He also notes how serious Pope Francis is in begging for our prayers. At the end of every talk, he asks for our prayers. He shows us what type of reform he's planning for the Church. When you hear all the talk of reform in the Vatican, people meant administrative and finance and governance issues, but Pope Francis is launching a reform at the root of who he is as a disciple and apostle. He's set an example of the reform of the priesthood to go out and meet the people where they're at. He's going to challenge us by his actions even more than John Paul and Benedict. Scot said he recalled yesterday's show about the book “Rebuilt” about a parish that went looking for the lost sheep. It's been clear to Scot that Pope Francis thinks about going out seeking the lost. Scot said it's clear to him that many people are taking a new look at the Church because of Pope Francis and he's reaching a much broader audience. Greg said it's obvious Pope Francis is one who feels the need to reach out and be with the people. He recalled a story in Argentina where he told his parish priests to go out and find those who weren't coming to church, maybe even opening storefront chapels. His priority is finding souls, not necessarily following all the ways that things have been done. He's much more concerned with practicality. We had this flow from John Paul, with a great media presence, to Benedict, a great theologian, to Francis who isn't as great with media or as great a theologian, but is good with both and with bringing those things to the people. Scot said Pope Francis is about making a Church that prays for one another. Susan said that first moment when the Pope came on the balcony and just stood there. But once he got started, he captivated the entire square of 100,000 people and they fell silent. He reminds us to whom we pray and for whom we pray. Scot asked Fr. Roger what he's learned reading about Pope Francis in Spanish materials. Fr. Roger said he sees how intelligent he is, able to talk about many different issues with deeply Catholic vision. He also struggled with his celibacy in the seminary, falling in love with a girl and deciding to that he loved God more. It's a beautiful and sincere admission and it allows him to relate to a lot of young people. In another interview, he gives a very strong statement on dealing with priests who abuse children, saying that such priests should be removed because they can't be reformed and you can't take chances. As for failures with men or women or alcohol, he is very firm that you can't serve two masters. His embrace of poverty shows how committed he is personally to this vision even when it was inconvenient. He not only wanted to relate to the poor in material poverty, but also show it's not an obstacle to following the Lord. While many are focusing on Pope Francis' tenderness to the overlooked of society, it is a fruit of a lifetime of love for the least, but at the same time he is able to teach with great clarity and firmness. Scot noted in Dwight Duncan's column in the Pilot in which he related that when Cardinal Bergoglio was named a cardinal, he didn't want to pay the usual $6,000 for the complete set of vestments, so he bought cheap cloth and asked a religious sister to sew them. Greg said at the conclave he had been telling other cardinals about how much of a deal he got on his airfare and then told Argentinians not to come to his inauguration, but instead to the give the money to the poor. It's his legitimate way of being, not putting on airs of false humility. People like this, that he's not so attached to the material things of the world. It's not a media strategy, but it has a great effect on people. So much of the western world measures us by what we can buy and what we can consume. We trade our dignity for our consumer goods. But this is a sign that you can be the Supreme Pontiff and yet you can be simple. Scot said he's proven himself to be a pope of gestures. Today it was announced that on Holy Thursday, rather than in St. Peter's, the Mass of the Lord's Supper will be held at a youth prison where he will wash the feet of inmates. It was Cardinal Bergoglio's custom to celebrate Holy Thursday in hospitals and prisons. Susan said she celebrated with Deacon Jim Greer, head of hospital and chaplain ministries, at the symbolism of this act. She said Pope Francis has also called the owner of the newsstand in Buenos Aires where he used to get his daily paper to thank him for his prayers and tell him he won't be coming. But Susan said what disturbs her is when this is used to compare him to what came before. This is not either-or, but both-and. Fr. Roger said yesterday it was said announced he had given out 3,000 tickets for the poor of Rome to come to the Holy Thursday Chrism Mass at St. Peter's Basilica earlier in the day and then going to the prison later. Pope Francis is shining a laser beam on this subset of people of whom Jesus said “I was in prison and you visited me.” There are millions across the globe who will not have Mass on Holy Thursday and this is an extraordinary gesture to them. Scot said on Saturday in the meeting with journalists, Pope Francis revealed how he picked the name Francis. Scot said he had assumed most cardinals went into the conclave with a name in the back of their minds. He was surprised that Pope Francis only picked the name at the last minute. Greg said he had asked Cardinal Seán that very question, comparing it to young couples who marry thinking about names for their children. Cardinal Seán said he's never given it any thought. Greg finds it reassuring that they didn't go with a name picked. Scot said before there was a lot of buzz about Cardinal Seán, he joked with Cardinal Seán that there was a pool about whether he would pick Pope Patrick or Pope Francis. He thinks it unfathomable that it wouldn't come up at all somewhere in the back of your mind. This is a name that will define him for eternity and he picked a momentous one. Susan claims that she had predicted the next pope would be Pope Francis, although she had a different cardinal in mind. Scot said a number of cardinals have talked about their awareness of the Holy Spirit's presence with them as they voted. Fr. Roger said Cardinal O'Brien was on EWTN with him the day after and admitted he'd never really known Cardinal Bergoglio before the conclave and what was remarkable how everyone in the conclave came to know that this was the pope for the Church at this time. Many cardinals said it's very much like a retreat and they're not kibbitzing between votes. 2nd segment: This week's benefactor card raffle winner is Patricia Noone from Stow, MA She wins the booklet “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. 3rd segment: Scot said locally in the archdiocese, five appointments are announced in today's Pilot of priests being appointed pastors of new pastoral collaboratives as part of Disciples in Mission Phase one. Fr. Paul E. Ritt has been appointed Pastor of Our Lady of the Assumption Parish and St. Maria Goretti Parish in Lynnfield, effective June 4. He was Pastor of St. John the Evangelist, Chelmsford. Fr. Thomas A. Mahoney has been appointed Pastor of St. Joseph Parish and St. Luke Parish in Belmont, effective June 4. He was Pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Belmont. Fr. Daniel L. Riley has been appointed as Pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish, St. Anne Parish, St. James Parish, and St. John the Baptist Parish, all in Salem, effective June 4. He was Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Weymouth. Fr. John E. Sheridan has been appointed Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Middleboro-Rochester and Pastor of Sts. Martha and Mary Parish in Lakeville, effective June 4. He was Pastor of St. James Parish in Salem. Fr. Brian L. Flynn has been appointed Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish and St. Mary Parish in Lynn, effective June 4. He was previously Pastor of St. Mary in Lynn. Three more appointments related to Phase 1 are still to be made. Greg said we're in the initial stages and this is exactly what the archdiocese said would happen: In some cases the pastors would come from within the collaborative and others from outside. Scot said one of the patterns is that a priest who's been in the parish only a couple years, they will stay, whereas pastors who've been there a long time will be moved to new assignments. Susan said everyone in the Pastoral Center are working daily to support the new pastors and their collaboratives. Greg said when you're connecting parishes that are near each other, people in recent years have tended to gravitate to the parish they prefer based on how they like the pastor or the music or religious education. When you have someone who's been in the parish for many years, people become used to him and his style. Meanwhile someone who is new to the area is able to adjust himself to the needs of the area and how they do things. Scot said it can be difficult on a human level to say goodbye to parishioners when you don't know what your next assignment will be. Fr. Roger said every priest is supposed to be a missionary at heart. At the same time, canon law gives pastors rights in that they don't have to move except in extreme circumstances, so it shows great obedience and openness to the needs of the Church in offering their resignations. Fr. Roger noted that people wanted to keep Jesus for themselves, but he told them that he needed to go out and preach to others as well. Also in the Pilot are the obituaries of two 90-year-old priests, Fr. Joseph Lukas and Fr. William B. O'Connor. In the Anchor this week were the 2013 Pro-Life Essay Content winners, themed “Faith opens our eyes to human life in all its grandeur and beauty”. The contest is open to all students enrolled in diocesan schools and religious education programs. There are winners in the high school and junior high school categories and they are read aloud at the annual diocesan Pro-Life Mass and printed in the Anchor. Susan said the high school is extraordinary. Scot said a week from today it won't be Lent and so Scot asked everyone how they did on their Lenten resolutions.