It began on the shores of Galilee – Jesus called a man named Simon, later Peter, to follow him. Peter was far from perfect and he knew it, asking the Lord to depart from him for he was a sinful man. But throughout history God uses broken, sinful man for his plan for the world. Marcus has more.

Is doubt the sign of a lack of faith? Can faith and doubt co-exist? Do people who have faith also have doubts? We know from the events of Holy Week that even the apostles had doubts, but the manner of their deaths also shows their faith. We discuss the nature of faith and doubt with Randall Smith.

Further Reading

Faith, Doubt, and the Dilemma of Being Human

Guest Info

Randall B. Smith is a Professor of Theology at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. His latest book is From Here to Eternity: Reflections on Death, Immortality, and the Resurrection of the Body.

President Trump has invited the Vatican and several other European countries to join a “board of peace” to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza. Matthew Bunson has the details, and also honors the late Vatican journalist John Allen, who passed away this week.

Further Reading

John Allen Jr., author and longtime Vatican reporter, dies at 61

Pope evaluating Trump’s invitation to join Board of Peace, Vatican’s official says

Guest Info

Matthew Bunson is Vice President and Editorial Director of EWTN News and a Senior Fellow at St Paul Center for Biblical Theology. He’s the author or co-author of more than 50 books including the first English-language biography of Pope Francis and The Encyclopedia of Catholic History. Follow him on twitter at MattBunson. Register Radio airs Saturdays at 4 pm and Sundays at 11 am on Ave Maria Radio

Where do the threads that form the Western Tradition originate, and how were they woven together throughout the millennia? What are the sources of our modern ideas about science, freedom, equality, law, and good government? James Hankins has authored a massive volume exploring this history, and he joins us.

Further Reading

Book: The Golden Thread: A History of the Western Tradition

Picking up the Golden Thread of Western Civilization

Guest Info

James Hankins is Professor of History at Harvard University, where he teaches Western intellectual history, the history of the classical tradition, and the Italian Renaissance. His prize-winning book, Virtue Politics: Soulcraft and Statecraft in Renaissance Italy, was published by the Belknap Press of Harvard University in November 2019.

Do you ever find yourself “hopping” from parish to parish in search of the one that will best suit your needs? While it’s important to search for parishes that will support you and your family, we cannot overlook the role the laity have to play in forming strong parishes. Jason Negri has more.

Further Reading

All Hands on Deck

Guest Info

Jason Negri received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Franciscan University and his law degree as a member of the inaugural class of Ave Maria School of Law. He is a practicing attorney and the Supervisor of Hamburg Township in Michigan. He is a member of Holy Spirit Church in Brighton, where he sings in the choir and runs the parish marriage ministry with Samantha, his beloved wife of 30+ years. He is also the founder and executive director of the Daniel Coalition, an organization of laity formed to advocate for victims of clerical sexual abuse in the Diocese of Lansing. He and Samantha have 5 children and a flock of grandchildren.

On Monday the Indiana Hoosiers football team – historically one of the worst programs in the country – completed a dream undefeated season by winning the National Championship. They’re led by quarterback Fernando Mendoza, a devout Catholic who’s never backed down from sharing his faith. Fr. Patrick Hyde, pastor of the Catholic Center at IU, joins us with more.

Further Reading

The Joy of Being a Hoosiers Fan

Guest Info

Fr. Patrick Hyde is a Dominican friar and serves as pastor of St. Paul Catholic Center at Indiana University.

The interruption of Sunday services at a church in Minnesota marks a watershed moment in the moral and religious imagination of the American Republic and the Western world. If even religious worship may be interrupted in service of political expression, then truly nothing is sacred. Marcus has more.

Further Reading

Desecration in Minnesota and the Ecclesiology of Public Worship

Through his work at the Coming Home Network, JonMarc Grodi has talked with hundreds of people about their journeys to the Catholic Church. What has talking with converts taught him about the prospects of Christian unity? He joins us.

Further Reading

Coming Home Network

Guest Info

JonMarc Grodi is the Executive Director of the Coming Home Network and the Host of the Journey Home.

In the summer of 2024, thousands of Catholics flocked to Indianapolis for the National Eucharistic Congress. In the months since, the organizers have conducted research to try to quantify the effects of the Congress and make plans for the next one. Jack Figge has more.

Further Reading

‘Let Jesus do the heavy lifting’ — Lessons of the National Eucharistic Revival report

Guest Info

Jack Figge is a journalist and contributor to The Pillar and the National Catholic Register. Follow him on X @JackFigge

What role should our government play in the life and death choices we all face? Andrea Picciotti-Bayer is featured on an upcoming PBS series that will explore this question. She joins us.

Further Reading

Follow Andrea on X

Watch Breaking the Deadlock

Guest Info

Andrea Picciotti-Bayer is a legal analyst for EWTN News. She also directs the Conscience Project. Follow her on Twitter @bayerpicciotti and visit conscience-project.org.