Segment 1: Florida’s Catholic School Vaccine Fight Doesn’t Need a Winner and a Loser

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier’s clash with the state’s Catholic bishops over vaccine policy in Catholic schools threatens the eligibility of Catholic schools to participate in Florida’s universal school choice program. Andrea Picciotit-Bayer believes this case does not need a winner or a loser - Florida can respect the bishops’ authority over Catholic schools while preserving a workable path for parents with vaccine objections. She joins us.

Segment 2: The Passion of the Christ returns to theaters

It’s been more than 20 years since the Passion of the Christ swept across theaters worldwide, and the film continues to impact people all across the globe. Joe Condit is bringing the film back to theaters for one week only, starting tomorrow September 10. He joins us with the details.

Segment 3: Your Unique Call to Holiness

Adam Wright has been battling cancer for several years. After “ringing the bell” following a successful surgery in late 2025, doctors found new evidence of disease in February. He joins us talking about the value of suffering and how we are all called to holiness.

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Segment 1: “Blessed are They...” - The Promises of the Beatitudes

In today’s Gospel, we hear from the Beatitudes. Blessed are those who suffer, for they will be comforted. When we suffer for Jesus, He sees that suffering and will reward us in the next life. The Father in Heaven wants you to consecrate every fiber of your being to Him. So ask yourself right now, what is the 10%, the 20% that you’re holding back from Him? What is that part of your life that is hard for you to let go, that you’re grappling with giving Him full control and authority? Marcus has more.

Segment 2: “The King is Dead - Long Live the Christ!”

Church bells tolled across Norway last week following the death of King Harald V, a gesture church leaders say signaled “the presence of God on earth and the hope of life after death.” Regardless of what happens in this life, Christ’s kingship is eternal. Marcus has more.

Segment 3: The Cost of becoming Catholic (2 segments)

Gavin Ashenden is a former Anglican bishop whose life was turned upside-down when he decided to convert to Catholicism. He shares his story and gives us a special insight into what he has learned about Marian devotion.

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Segment 1: A Catholic Guide to Postpartum Depression (2 segments)

Postpartum depression affects about one in seven new moms. The good news is that, with proper treatment, research shows that the vast majority of mothers make a full recovery. Dr. Greg Popcak joins us with a look at some things that Catholic moms (and the people who love them) need to know about postpartum illness.

Segment 2: National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children (2 segments)

On the National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children we visit the burial places of the unborn victims of abortion and other memorial sites dedicated to them. Join us at a prayer vigil near you. Monica Miller has the details.

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Segment 1: The “most boring passage in the Bible” - isn’t

Today’s Gospel for the Nativity of Mary traces the Genealogy of Jesus all the way back to Abraham. At first glance, it may seem to be one of the more boring passages in the Gospels. But this meticulously detailed list is key to understanding Jesus’ identity as Messiah. Marcus has more.

Segment 2: Happy Birthday, Blessed Mother!

Today we celebrate the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, nine months after the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Marcus reflects on the celebration.

Segment 3: Unboxing the Catholic Faith (2 segments)

What is the Church? If you ask a liberal secularist, they’ll say it’s an archaic dictatorship. The “nones” will tell you it’s some sort of club and just not for them. And even faithful Catholics might explain that it’s a religion. But the Church doesn’t fall into these convenient “boxes.” Andrew Petiprin helps us free the Church from the containers we try to put it in.

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Segment 1: A Family-Focused Approach to Consumption (2 segments)

Our consumption decisions should be focused on the needs of our family members. This requires attention to unglamorous factors such as budgets and nutritional requirements, instead of being up-to-date with the brands and campaigns that purport to solve the world’s problems by selling us products. Clara Piano discusses what this means.

Segment 2: Thinking Theologically about Work (2 segments)

We devote hours and hours each week to our work – often spending more waking hours there than anywhere else. What if we approached our work as a vocation, regardless of what that work might be? We explore a theological vision of work and vocation with Scott Rae.

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Segment 1: “Too many non-working holidays?”

A 2025 Truth Social post from President Trump resurfaced in the lead up to Labor Day this year. In the post, he writes that America has “too many non-working holidays.” He’s not the first to express such a sentiment – some people, even well-meaning Catholics, can fall into the trap of thinking that a work-rest balance is a sign of sloth. Marcus looks at the Biblical understanding of work and rest.

Segment 2: The Story of the Declaration of Independence (2 segments)

Thomas Jefferson called the Declaration of Independence “an expression of the American mind.” Not merely a document, the Declaration is the common creed of our civic life, and it inspires the shared poetry of our political soul. Matthew Spalding joins us.

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Segment 1: “If your brother sins against you” (2 segments)

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus lays out the steps for how we should respond when someone does us wrong. We unpack the readings with Rob Corzine.

Segment 2: The Real Legacy Of Gloria Steinem (2 segments)

Glowing obituaries are pouring in after the death of feminist icon Gloria Steinem, It is hard to overstate her influence upon Western women. Gloria Steinem wasn’t just one among many feminists; she was the “it” girl who normalized feminism and made it broadly attractive. We talk more about her legacy with Carrie Gress.

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Segment 1: What it means to be “Poor in Spirit”

In today’s Office of the Readings, Pope St. Leo the Great reflects on the Beatitudes. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” The word poor, from the Greek word patokos, describes someone who has been reduced to depending upon another for his sustenance. What Jesus is effectively trying to say here is blessed are those who have chosen to trust and depend on God. Marcus has more.

Segment 2: The English Martyrs and Tyburn’s Hidden Waters

In London, on the corner near the Marble Arch, there’s a noteworthy medallion on a traffic island commemorating Tyburn Tree. When English Catholics think of Tyburn, they think of the martyrs who died there – dragged through the streets after torture in the Tower of London, hanged, racked, and disemboweled, denied mercy unless they were prepared to deny loyalty to the Catholic Church and Peter’s successor in Rome. We talk about their legacy with Joanna Bogle.

Segment 3: Clancy hearing declared a mistrial

Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother charged with murdering her three young children, had become a rallying point for thousands of women who believed she was the true victim. As Walker Percy understood decades ago, when institutions fail to form us and when culture no longer provides purpose, people begin to crave the intensity of rupture. As her hearing was declared a mistrial today, we look at the environment that led to her support with Anne Hendershott.

Segment 4: England’s cathedrals are becoming nightclubs

As Church of England cathedrals face deep financial strain, venues once central to Britain’s Christian history are hosting tribute acts, ‘raves in the nave’ and becoming nightclubs — prompting charges of desecration. Marcus looks at the story.

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Segment 1: Catholic Church Weighs Legal Challenge to New Anti-Conversion Law in India (2 segments)

Indiaʼs Maharashtra state enacted a sweeping anti-conversion law on Aug. 28, prompting Catholic leaders to call for prayer and a legal challenge. Matthew Bunson has more on this and other Church news.

Segment 2: The Sacred Heart: Our Light in the Darkness (2 segments)

More than 350 years ago, Jesus unveiled to St Margaret Mary Alacoque the secrets and desires of His Sacred Heart. This summer, the USCCB consecrated the USA to the Sacred Heart. Dr Robert Stackpole reflects on this devotion.

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Segment 1: What a Tornado taught me about St. Gregory (2 segments)

Just before we went on the air today, a tornado warning was issued for our county. On this Feast of Gregory the Great, Marcus reflects on our duty to share the Gospel and some lessons he learned from today’s storm.

Segment 2: The ecological and human concerns of AI (2 segments)

Pope Leo has offered the most serious look to date at AI and a lot of issues relating to technology. Importantly, he emphasize that human beings need to be at the center of these debates and we must always be mindful of how new technologies will affect everyday people’s lives. Tom Doran has more.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit avemariapm.substack.com