Ave Explores

When Grady Connolly set out to visit all 94 basilicas in the United States, he didn’t expect the adventure to become a test of both personal faith and endurance. Along the way, he discovered that each church tells a unique story about the growth and history of the Catholic Church in America. He captured these stories in his new book, Basilicas: A Pilgrim’s Guide to America’s Most Remarkable Churches. Grady joins the show to reflect on how this pilgrimage became much more than a vacation or sightseeing trip. It was an opportunity to encounter the beauty and goodness of God in the sacred spaces of his own homeland—and to discover how the places close by can open our hearts to something greater.

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Pope St. John Paul II created World Youth Day because of his own profound experiences as a youth at large gatherings while on pilgrimage with his peers. Hoping to bring that joy to the masses, World Youth Day was born. Now with the 17th World Youth Day set to be held in Seoul, South Korea in August of 2027, Katie sits down with Paul Jarzembowski to learn how the unique pilgrim’s experience at a World Youth Day is unlike anything else in the Church or world today.

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St. Augustine coined the term peregrini to describe what it means to be a traveler through this life, making our pilgrimage toward our final home: heaven. This spirit of journeying, with a heart open to what God will do, is essential to pilgrimage. Joan Watson, pilgrimage formation manager for Verso Ministries, explores how a pilgrim’s heart is developed before, during, and after a journey to a specific place—and how we can carry that spirit with us every day.

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Katie joins Oscar Rivera on Ave Spotlight for a conversation about the legacy of Blessed Fulton Sheen and the power of media to proclaim the Gospel. Fresh off receiving the inaugural Sheen Award for Impact in Radio and Podcasting, she reflects on the importance of using our platforms for something greater than recognition. Together, they explore Sheen’s groundbreaking television ministry and his remarkable gift for communicating timeless truths with clarity, boldness, humor, and a profound understanding of the Church’s mission. From the missionary creativity of the 1950s to today’s world of podcasts, social media, and algorithms, this episode asks a challenging question: If we have more ways than ever to share Jesus with the world, what are we doing with that gift?

Three Takeaways:

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When John Hale became CEO of Corporate Travel, it opened up a world of opportunities to explore new places, both on his own and alongside pilgrims. He and his wife, Kristen, also made it a priority to bring their children along on adventures around the world. In their first joint interview, John sits down with his eldest daughter, Elizabeth, to reflect on the impact of traveling as a family and the difference between taking a vacation and going on pilgrimage. Together, they share how these shared experiences have shaped their family’s faith and brought them closer to God.

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Edmundo Reyes was bitten by the travel bug at a young age, always seeking adventure and hoping to discover something beautiful along the way. Years later, it was only fitting that he became the showrunner and executive producer of a Catholic travel series hosted by David Henrie, taking curious Catholics on a journey through Italy (Season 1) and Spain (Season 2), with many more destinations to come. But you don’t have to produce a travel show to have a pilgrim’s heart. Edmundo shares how we can all remain open to the movement of the Holy Spirit by embracing our desire to go and see what the Lord has in store for us.

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At the beginning of this season, Pope Leo told the Vatican Publishing House that books are bridges of encounter. By the season's end, he told writers that books help us more deeply explore what it means to be human.

In this concluding episode, Katie reflects on how reading has shaped her own life and faith, and why great literature has the power to transform us. She also shares a curated list of the books recommended by each of this season's guests, offering listeners a reading guide to continue the conversation long after the season ends.

Check out these documents:

https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/speeches/2026/giugno/documents/20260624-scrittori-lev.html

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When Hallow CEO Alex Jones told Ashley Lenz he wanted to feature The Brothers Karamazov in the app’s annual Pray40 Lenten challenge, she had one condition: a weeklong retreat at Notre Dame. The retreat became the foundation for what would become Hallow’s most successful Pray40 campaign ever. More importantly, it confirmed a conviction at the heart of her work—that a truly good and beautiful book can open hearts to Jesus Christ.

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In this episode, Katie talks with Marcie Stokman and Colleen Hutt, co-founders of Well-Read Mom, a nationwide book club for women seeking deeper friendships and meaningful conversations through great literature. Marcie and Colleen share how reading good books transformed their own lives, making them a better person, wife, and mother. In a culture increasingly shaped by constant screens and distractions, they argue that literature helps us recover the lost arts of thinking, reading, and speaking well.

For many women, finding time to read can feel impossible. Marcie offers a simple answer: read together. Through book clubs and shared conversations, women discover a space to wrestle with the questions that matter most—the joys and sorrows, hopes and fears, and challenges of everyday life. These friendships provide the connection, encouragement, and sense of belonging that every person longs for.

Marcie and Colleen also explain the Well-Read Mom four-step process:

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In this episode of Ave Explores: Catholicism in Literature, Katie sits down with Kaitlyn Facista and Andrew Swafford to discuss the enduring legacy of two of Christianity’s greatest storytellers, C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien.

Facista, author of _Into the Heart of Middle-earth and founder of Tea with Tolkien, shares how Tolkien’s works played a significant role in her conversion to Catholicism. Drawn into Middle-earth by its unforgettable heroes and villains, she discovered profound lessons about virtue, vice, courage, and sacrifice. In a culture hungry for authentic examples of goodness and bravery, Tolkien’s stories continue to awaken the heart and point readers toward truth.

Swafford reflects on encountering Tolkien later in life while reading The Lord of the Rings with his children. Those family readings sparked rich conversations, nurtured their spiritual imaginations, and created opportunities for catechesis. He also discusses introducing students at Benedictine College to Lewis’s Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, and The Great Divorce, marveling at Lewis’s ability to reach students of every background and faith. Through imagination and story, Lewis demonstrates how art and literature can communicate truths that might otherwise remain hidden.

Journey through the wardrobe and wander into the Shire for an inspiring conversation about faith, imagination, and the transformative power of great stories.

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