EP 232: Keeping Families Safe Online with Software Engineer Michael DiStefano
The internet – both in its wide open spaces and its darkest corners – is a weird and wild place. And the world we’re living
EP 231: The Importance of Pelvic Floor Health with Exercise Physiologist Jenn Lormand
When I recorded this podcast with Jenn Lormand of TightenYourTinkler.com, a few months ago, I was just starting my second trimester with pregnancy number seven
EP 230: Fertility and Morally Licit Reproductive Technologies with Marie Hanson
I’ll be honest, prior to my own miscarriage and feelings of barrenness last year, I didn’t give much thought to fertility. I have been blessed
EP 225: A Return to Ancient Awe of the Divine through Illuminated Texts with Joel Trumbo
The last time I was out of the country was way back in 2008. On a whim, I booked a trip to Ireland, wanting to
EP 220: What It’s Like Having Morals in Hollywood with Robert Zappia
Catholic husband, father, screenwriter, and director Robert Zappia joins me on Episode 220 of The Catholic Mama podcast to discuss what it’s like being a
EP 217: Creating a Family Foundation with Storytelling with Celeste Behe
Some of my earliest memories are of my parents’ stories – how they met, their wedding day, the vacations they went on, the comically disastrous
EP 215: Tackling the Problems of Suffering and Evil
Take a look in our own lives and at the world at large and it is obvious how much suffering and evil abounds. Is the
EP 214: Healing Broken Body Images with Jeannie Ewing
Women have their body stories – the memories of a hurtful something a family member said to them about their appearance, how the cover of
EP 211: The Rich Tradition of Biblical Typology with Author Maura McKeegan
Several months back, my son was reading through his children’s Bible and came to me, saying, “Mom! There are so many things in the story
EP 209: A Holistic Approach to Modern Womanhood with Dr. Cait
From the years spent in the spiritual woo-woo land of New Age, I had come to associate almost anything dubbed “natural” or “holistic” as belonging
EP 208: The Catholic Parents’ Guide to Philosophy 101 with Dr. Gaven Kerr
I am not a natural philosopher. That is my husband. Me? Not so much. Philosophical matters, like higher math, gets my brain to shut down
EP 207: The Crossroads of Interior Design and the Interior Life with Paige Rien
What is a home for? This was one of the first questions Paige Rien, Catholic convert and interior designer, posed during our time together on
EP 205: Where Faith and Art Collide with Sacred Artist Kate Capato
In the constant scrolling on social media, sacred artist Kate Capato’s artwork caught my attention immediately. Among the cacophony of online voices, the beauty and
EP 204: Catholic Storytelling and the Legend of St. Anthony with Christine Henderson
I was excited to have my four year old daughter, Isla, join me on The Catholic Mama podcast recently as we sat down with Catholic
EP 202: How to Talk to Your Kids about Evolution with Dr. Michael Behe
My children’s understanding about evolution is almost entirely linked up to what stages a Pokemon can change into, but recently, they’ve been asking meatier questions
EP 200: The Theology of Homemaking with Kimberly Hahn
I’ve been in a rut. I mean…who hasn’t? After the past year and a half, which has been both wild and uncomfortable on a global
EP 201: Bringing the Faith to the Youngest Catholics with Angela Smyth
We never turn down an opportunity to evangelize the faith so at a recent baptism, I knew I needed to choose an intentional gift to
EP 197: Personal Style and Feminine Genius Meet in the Worthy of Wearing Movement with Nicole Caruso
As Catholics, we know that vanity is a sin, modesty a virtue. We also know that we evangelize through the three transcendentals of truth, goodness,
EP 195: Through the Year with Jesus for Kids with Katherine Bogner
Follow a few Catholic bloggers for a minute and you’ll realize that there are so many great resources out there to help parents catechize their
EP 194: Protecting Your Family’s Medical Sovereignty with Carolyn Svellinger
Let’s first start off by saying that making medical decisions for ourselves and our children, discerning what is best for our families can be extremely
EP 192: Motherhood through the Mysteries with Cait Winters
If you’ve ever wondered how to bring the mysteries of the rosary into your daily life, the work that Cait Winters is doing with MotherhoodThroughTheMysteries.com
EP 190: Healing from Abortion
In this episode of The Catholic Mama podcast, Moira from Modern Catholic Mom takes over the show and interviews me on my journey healing from
EP 188: Teaching Teenagers the Faith with John De Rosa
A little while ago, I received a heartbreaking note from a father who is at a loss of how to connect with his teenaged son
EP 186: Expressing Femininity with Megan Madden
“That skirt’s a little short, isn’t it?” My mom eyed me as I readied to leave the house. “What are you talking about?“ “You’re going
EP 185: Giving St. John of the Cross a Seat at the Dinner Table with Fr. Ignatius
I’ve been taking graduate courses at the Avila Institute in Spiritual Theology (which I’ve really been enjoying and have been learning a lot from! With
EP 184: The Apostolate of Holy Motherhood with Emily Fossier
Through this episode’s guest, Emily Fossier, I became acquainted with the book The Apostolate of Holy Motherhood, and in the early months of nursing my
EP 183: Liturgical Living for Adults with Lauren De Witt
So much of the advice on liturgical living – that is, living the Catholic liturgical calendar in our hearts and homes – focuses, appropriately, on
EP 181: How Radical Feminism Betrayed Maternal Love with Kimberly Cook
Motherhood Redeemed: How Radical Feminism Betrayed Maternal Love. Out of all the emails in my inbox, this subject line caught my attention immediately. I opened
EP 179: Claire Dwyer on St. Elizabeth of the Trinity and This Present Paradise
Happily, Claire Dwyer is a guest once more on The Catholic Mama podcast , and in this episode, she’s joining me to chat about her
EP 174: A Catholic Response to Current Events with Katherine Ocello
No matter what side of the political aisle you sit – or if you refuse to take a side! – it’s impossible to not notice
EP 172: Finding Peace in Your Vocation with Lauren De Witt
If you’ve ever found yourself saying “I’ll be happy if…” or “I’ll be happy when…” and then found that when those if’s and when’s finally
EP 169: A Scripture-Based Way of Disciplining Children with Sally Follett
When I was a kid, my parents’ go-to punishment was to have me set up with several fresh pieces of paper and a sharpened pencil
EP 167: The Busy Parent’s Guide to a Life of Prayer
If anyone knows how difficult it can be to cultivate a life of prayer amid the busiest season of parenthood, it’s Moira of ModernCatholicMom.com. A
EP 165: Struggling with Fertility as a Catholic Woman
Catholic grief author Jeannie Ewing has experienced infertility and hyperfertility in the past couple of decades. Each have had their blessings and their sacrifices. And
EP 164: Secrets of the Sacred Heart with Emily Jaminet
In my time as a podcast host, I’ve gotten the opportunity to have conversations with many Catholics, and the diversity of experience, interests, and expertise
EP 162: Ideas for Liturgical Living in Advent with Genie Shaw
Anyone else kind of in shock at how soon Advent is coming upon us? But thanks to Genie Shaw of BarefootAbbey.com, this absolutely doesn’t have
EP 161: Keeping an Eternal Perspective When Times Get Tough with Fr. Gregory Pine
Show of hands! Who has felt overwhelmed, crushing anxiety, disappointment, fatigue, and/or saddened by the events of 2020 and how 2021 is shaping up? Yeah…
EP 160: Strengthening Your Marital Sexuality
I recently stumbled across some questions from Catholic mothers asking how their peers were handling their obligations and duties as a wife when they are
EP 159: Why Purgatory Is Very Good News with Karlo Broussard
When I’ve explained Purgatory to my children, it’s been along the lines of how C.S. Lewis explained it – that it’s a kind of spiritual
EP 154: Why You Should Consecrate Yourself to St. Joseph Right Now with Fr. Don Calloway
Don’t be fooled by the feeble old man that Saint Joseph is often portrayed as. Don’t think this is a saint, that while absent in
EP 152: From Muslim to Catholic and Everything in Between with Jane Manka
As a convert to Catholicism, I love the stories of fellow converts. It brings to life the unique love of our God, how He can
EP 151: Radical Catholic Natural Healing with Melody Lyons
We live in a culture of abundance, everything we need or want is right at our fingertips, making the development of the virtues a difficult
EP 147: Ideas for Liturgical Living throughout the Fall Season
As we enter another school year, it’s important that we don’t leave off celebrating our faith through its many feast days. We are the cultivators
EP 145: Raising Children to Be Strong Catholic Leaders Part II
At the tail end of our last podcast episode together, Alan Migliorato and Darryl Dziedzic, authors of the book Failing Forward: Leadership Lessons for Catholic Teens Today, challenged
EP 144: When You’re Grieving Life as It Once Was with Jeannie Ewing
To paraphrase my podcast guest, Catholic wife, mother, and spirituality writer Jeannie Ewing, “You don’t just grieve for the death of someone. You can grieve
EP 142: Non-Intimidating Ways to Share the Faith Online
For most of us, sharing the faith isn’t an easy thing to do, but Jesus expressly commanded us to do so. “Go, therefore,* and make disciples
EP 141: Spiritual Warfare and Protecting the Family with Catholic Author Kathleen Beckman
Is the devil real? Do demons actually work to thwart our holy attempts? What can we do to protect our children from demonic influence? In
EP 139: Developing Your Catholic Intellectual Side with Simone Rizkallah
I’ve been a part of a couple of women’s studies at church. Parts of them have been quite helpful, actually, in helping me discern certain
EP 135: Marian Consecration for Children with Carrie Gress
I’m a huge fan of Carrie Gress’s work. From the incredibly well-written red pill of The Anti-Mary Exposed to the warming and affirming sense of
EP 133: Meeting the Protestant Challenge with Karlo Broussard
If you’ve ever spoken with a non-Catholic Christian about religion, there’s a good chance that they have challenged Catholic teachings in some way – whether
EP 131: Why and How to Develop Physical and Spiritual Fitness with Brittany Pearson
Have you ever been able to stay super disciplined in one area but then almost entirely neglect another? If you’re spiritually fit – praying regularly
EP 129: Raising Children to Become Strong Catholic Leaders
Alan Migliorato and Darryl Dziedzic, authors of the book Failing Forward: Leadership Lessons for Catholic Teens Today, joined me on The Catholic Mama podcast recently
EP 127: Overcoming Obstacles to Catholic Parenting
I got a chance to be a returning guest on my friend Gary Michuta’s Virgin Most Power radio program “Hands On Apologetics” for a topic
EP 126: What To Do When You’re Attacked Online for Your Catholic Faith
I recently called for a novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus to ask God’s forgiveness for those who are desecrating or calling for the
EP 125: Why and How to Have a Sacred Heart Enthronement at Home
I’m very excited to say that we were recently able to have our home and family enthroned to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Overall, the
EP 124: Why Catholics Should Stand Against Socialism
The Catholic Church has denounced socialism/Marxism/communism for the past 150 years…but why? What is so wrong with socialism that Popes have written encyclicals on it,
EP 123: How to Defend Christianity Against Popular Atheist Slogans with John DeRosa
Popular atheist slogans are just that: Popular. They take 5 seconds to recite, they sound intelligent, but are ultimately lacking. It just take much longer
EP 121: Practical Tips for Life with a Big Family with Rosie Hill
Our modern culture isn’t built for big families. I mean, when has a game show ever given away an all-expenses-paid trip to an island for
EP 120: Teaching Children about Theology of the Body with Moira from Modern Catholic Mom
Growing up, I didn’t have a really good understanding of sex, except for what I learned in fifth grade sex ed and whatever I saw
EP 119: From Wearing a Veil to Breastfeeding – An Episode for the Catholic Mamas
I’ve gotten some really interesting questions lately, across a wide variety of topics, like why I wear a veil, my thoughts on disciplining children, and
Setting the Stage for Catholic Morality and Sexual Ethics – Parts I, II, and III
One of the most misunderstood teachings of the Catholic Church in modern times is the standards she holds on sexual ethics, from the ban on
EP 117: How to Get Your Children Engaged – Not Just Behaved – in Mass
As the churches begin to reopen after Coronavirus quarantine, we’ll be heading back to Mass soon. After months away, I bet a lot of us
EP 116: How to Overcome Spiritual Doubt
What do you do when you want to believe in God, Jesus, and the Catholic faith but feel that you don’t have the appropriate amount
EP 115: Embracing Catholic Femininity with Adele Collins
It is thus my hope, dear sisters, that you will reflect carefully on what it means to speak of the “genius of women”, not only in order
EP 114: Practical Ways to Increase Your Spiritual Life – Quarantine and Beyond
When I found out that we’d be quarantined for at least a month (and wow – now it’s been over two!), I set goals for
EP 113: Untangling the Catholic Teaching on Faith and Works
The Catholic teaching on the concept of faith and works, otherwise known as justification, is one of more misunderstood of our religion. Do we earn
EP 112: How to Embrace the Catholic Saints in Everyday Life with Claire Dwyer
Author Claire Dwyer joined me on The Catholic Mama recently to talk about the Catholic saints, our brothers and sisters in faith who each uniquely
EP 111: Surviving Abortion and Learning to Forgive with Dr. Cynthia Toolin-Wilson
Memorist and Holy Apostles College professor Dr. Cynthia Toolin-Wilson’s life started in a way most of us cannot imagine – her mother attempted to chemically
EP 110: How – and Why – to Keep Celebrating Easter for the Entire Season with Genie Shaw
Looking at the secular world, it would be easy to think that, come Easter Monday, the most important holiday in the Christian religion is over.
EP 108: Why the New Age Movement Poses a Threat to Christians
I had the opportunity to once again go on my friend Gary Michuta’s radio show, Hands on Apologetics, this week. This time, we chatted about
EP 106: The Sacrament of Marriage in a Modern World with Dr. Perry Cahall
The definition of marriage in a contemporary popular context is quite different than what the Catholic Church teaches about it. And even then, many practicing
EP 104: Developing a Domestic Monastery with Genie Shaw
Genie Shaw of BarefootAbbey.com joined me recently on The Catholic Mama podcast to talk about ways to add sacred music, quiet, and liturgical living into
EP 103 of The Catholic Mama Podcast: How to Pray 101
In Episode 103 of The Catholic Mama podcast, I sat down with my husband Pat to discuss the purpose of prayer and types of prayer
EP 100: Chelsea Movilla-Diago on How Her Son’s Down Syndrome Diagnosis Deepened Her Faith
Hearing from the OB that your child may have Down syndrome would throw anyone’s world upside down. The grieving process for what your child’s life
EP 99: A Catholic Response to the Coronavirus Plus 27 Catholic Things To Do during Quarantine
Well, here we all are, distancing socially so that we can keep both ourselves and others well, not tax the healthcare system, and hopefully –
EP 98: Why Catholic Bibles Are Bigger with Catholic Apologist Gary Michuta
Compare the Bible you might find tucked in a hotel room dresser drawer versus a Catholic study Bible and you’re bound to notice a few
EP 96: How to Transition from Full-Time Office Worker to Full-Time Mom
Coming from a family with a stay-at-home mom, I always knew that if I wound up having kids, I’d want to be home with them.
EP 94: Being Open to Life through Adoption with Catholic Author Emily Stimpson Chapman
Way back when (like a year and a half ago), I first got to chat with Catholic author Emily Stimpson Chapman. After seeing an interview
EP 93: What Catholics Should (and Should Not) Read
In this episode of The Catholic Mama podcast, my husband and I sat down to talk about what’s worth reading as Catholics and what kind
EP 92: How to Get Started with Liturgical Living with Jenna Hines of Lazy Liturgical
Anyone else ever look at the Church’s immense calendar of saints and feast days and wonder how in the world you’re supposed to celebrate these
EP 91: How to Convert Your Spouse
After years as a skeptic, my husband was secretly becoming Catholic. He knew how against religion I was (generally and Catholicism specifically) that rather than
EP 89: A Call to Modesty – It’s Not Just for Teenage Girls
Based on listener feedback after this year’s Super Bowl halftime show, in this episode of The Catholic Mama podcast, my hubby joins me to tackle
EP 88: Why “Crunchy” Motherhood and Catholicism Are Totally Compatible with Mariette Rintoul
Go into any health food store and the chances of being presented reiki, chakras, and new age living next to the organic broccoli and natural
Ep 86: Blessed Is She’s Nell O’Leary on Finding a Catholic Community
As our world becomes increasingly anti-religious and in particular anti-Catholic, finding a good community as a Catholic women can be a real challenge. And while
Ep 85: Theology of Fasting
Several years ago, my husband Pat literally wrote the book on fasting, the For Dummies book to be specific. At the time, we adhered to
EP 84: Setting Up a Catholic Homeschool 101
I had toyed with the idea of homeschooling for a few years, had done a ton of research, and tried implementing various curriculums in a
EP 82: The Fundamental Theory of Happiness with Author Dominick Albano
Catholics are called to be joyful, content…happy. But happiness is something we modern folk are getting worse at. In fact, according to the 2019 World
EP 80: Catholic Books for Children with Author Erin Broestl
I got a chance recently to sit down for a chat with Catholic author Erin Broestl about her new children’s book God Made the Moonlight,
EP 78: Discernment and Living Out Your Vocation with Stacey Sumereau
Catholic or not, everyone goes through the process of discernment, whether we’re trying to decide what to do with our lives on the big scale
EP 75: From Anti-Religious to the Traditional Latin Mass
My husband Pat encouraged me to start a podcast a year and a half ago. He has his own podcast and had been hosting it
Memorizing the Faith with Dr. Kevin Vost PLUS a Giveaway!
Despite the Mass being almost completely comprised of Scripture and hearing it at least weekly (friendly thought: go to Mass more than once a week
EP 72: When It Comes to Faith, Is Curiosity a Good Thing?
A friend of my husband’s is in the process of converting to Catholicism (how great is that??). His journey has led him to a lot
EP 70: Why Catholic Guilt Is a Good Thing
Guilt is a much maligned concept. It’s something that we should avoid, a feeling we should rid ourselves of as quickly as possible. It’s uncomfortable.
EP 69: Approaching Motherhood with Authenticity with Jeannie Ewing
Let me start off by saying I love the online Catholic community. Everyone who I’ve encountered since starting The Catholic Mama have been so open
EP 68: The Truth about Toxic Femininity with Author Carrie Gress
I first came across Carrie Gress when I was watching an episode of EWTN’s “Life on the Rock” on YouTube. I watched all of three
How to Be Better at (Almost) Everything: Why This Isn’t Your Typical Self-Help Book
Not long after our second child was born (she’s three and a half now which she makes sure everyone knows), my husband Pat Flynn, or
EP 34: Can You Be Catholic and a Feminist? with Leah Moler
Say the word “feminist” these days, and I bet a very clear mental image pops up. One of pink crocheted hats, a shirt with “Feminist
EP 30: Made for This with Catholic Doula Mary Haseltine
Openness to Life: Fertility, Natural Family Planning, and Childbirth in the Catholic Faith My fertility has always been perfectly timed. It is a gift to
Hollywood Getting It Right: 2018 Movies Actually Worth Seeing as a Catholic Christian
If someone were to tell me earlier this year that Mission Impossible: Fallout was going to be one of my favorite movies that I’d see
How to Celebrate Christmas like a Catholic
Have you ever read the children’s book Mooseltoe? In it, Protagonist Moose is determined to provide his family with the perfect Christmas experience. He bakes, he
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