Catholic Diocese of Saginaw Podcast

How can Mary’s example help us grow closer to the Holy Spirit and trust God more completely?

On Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, Dr. Mary Healy, Catholic theologian, international speaker and dean of the School of Theology at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, spoke in Saginaw as part of the Diocese of Saginaw’s Year of the Holy Spirit speaker series.

In her presentation, “The Holy Spirit in the Life of Mary,” Dr. Healy explores how the Holy Spirit worked in Mary’s life, from the Annunciation through the events that followed Jesus’ Resurrection. Mary’s openness to God, her willingness to trust Him through uncertainty and her reliance on the Holy Spirit offer a powerful example for Christians today.

Dr. Healy challenges us to deepen our own relationship with the Holy Spirit, to call upon Him in our daily lives and to allow Him to guide our decisions, strengthen our faith and transform our hearts.

Her message invites each of us to consider a fundamental question: Are we willing to give God our wholehearted yes, as Mary did?

This presentation is part of the Diocese of Saginaw’s Year of the Holy Spirit, a speaker series running from June 2026 through May 2027 to help renew the hearts and minds of the people of the diocese.

Learn more about the Year of the Holy Spirit and upcoming presentations:
https://saginaw.org/

In this talk from First Friday on Sept. 4, Bishop Gruss challenges Catholics to reflect on their relationship with the Holy Spirit — the often-overlooked third Person of the Trinity.

Most of us were confirmed but can't name the gifts we received. This session breaks open the Rite of Confirmation prayer to reveal what those gifts actually are, and explains why they can go dormant if we don't ask the Holy Spirit to stir them up.

Learn why the gifts of the Spirit are compared to a forgotten gift on the top shelf of a closet, how they differ from natural human traits like wisdom or courage, and why engaging them is essential to living as a true disciple.

This is Part 1 of an ongoing series — join us next month as we dig deeper into each individual gift.

Bishop Robert Gruss reminds us that the first place a vocation is nurtured is in the home. Watch his message on how every family can help create a culture of vocations and encourage the next generation to follow God's call.

In our latest podcast, "United in Mission: One Heart and Mind," Fr. Stephen Blaxton of Saint Brigid Catholic Church in Midland, shares how the lives of saints reflect the Spirit’s work in America’s story, from before 1776 to today.

He reminds us that amidst the crises and disagreements, the Holy Spirit is still active, guiding us toward future holiness.

Check out the podcast here: https://saginaw.org/Podcasts

Also, Fr. Blaxton is a guest speaker in our monthly talks as part of our Diocesan Year of the Holy Spirit. He speaks at 6:30 p.m. Aug, 12 on "Saints of America's Founding and the Holy Spirit." More info: https://saginaw.org/holy-spirit-year

In his Homily on the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (June 12, 2026), Bishop Robert Gruss said the sacred heart of Jesus isn’t just a symbol — it’s a window into God’s boundless love and mercy for you. But in a world filled with division, fear, and chaos, how can you truly experience this divine compassion? 

He said the feast day is a call not only to reflection but to deep, personal transformation.God's love actively pursues us, he said. It transforms us, and calls us to respond. He reveals that the sacred heart is more than an image; it’s a divine invitation to enter into a relationship with a loving God whose mercy knows no limits.

During the Mass, Bishop Gruss also consecrated the Diocese of Saginaw to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Learn more about the Consecration at saginaw.org.

Bishop Gruss explains devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and connects the upcoming consecration of the U.S. and the Diocese of Saginaw to the Sacred Heart with the nation’s need for healing. Bishop Gruss emphasizes how Christ’s love is the antidote for wounds, division and anxiety.

Bishop Gruss announced a major moment for our local Church: a Year of the Holy Spirit beginning on the Solemnity of Pentecost, May 24, 2026, through Pentecost 2027.

Earlier this year, Bishop Robert Gruss shared a talk about purgatory at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Saginaw. He invited those gathered to reflect deeply on God’s mercy, holiness and eternal life promised through Jesus. 

"You never know the day nor the time," Bishop Gruss told those in attendance. "We always have to be prepared." 

The evening began with prayer as Bishop Gruss asked the Holy Spirit to open hearts and minds to receive what God wanted to reveal through the discussion. 

Understanding purgatory 

Throughout the presentation, Bishop Gruss emphasized that purgatory is often misunderstood. While many people think of purgatory as a physical place, he explained that the Church teaches it is better understood as a process of purification. 

"Purgatory is not a place," Bishop Gruss said. "It is a condition of existence." 

Quoting St. John Paul II and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Bishop Gruss explained that purgatory comes from the Latin word purgare, meaning "to make clean" or "to purify." 

He pointed to paragraphs 1030 and 1031 of the Catechism, which describe purgatory as the purification of souls who die in God’s grace and friendship but are still imperfectly purified before entering heaven. 

"Nothing unclean will enter the presence of God in heaven," Bishop Gruss said, referencing the Book of Revelation (Chapter 21, Verse 27). 

Because of this, every soul must be fully purified before experiencing what the Church calls the beatific vision — seeing God face-to-face in His glory. 

God’s mercy and purification 

Bishop Gruss explained that after death, every person undergoes what the Church calls a particular judgment, where the soul immediately understands its eternal destiny. 

"There are only two choices," he said. "Heaven and hell." 

However, Bishop Gruss reminded those gathered that purgatory is not separate from salvation. Rather, it is part of God’s mercy for souls destined for heaven. 

"If you’re experiencing purgatory, you’re in [going to Heaven]," he said. "There’s no turning back the other way." 

The bishop emphasized that most people die in what he called an "imperfect state of grace," still carrying attachments to sin, selfishness or worldly desires. 

He encouraged frequent confession and honest examination of conscience, asking participants to reflect on the areas of their lives that still need healing and conversion. 

"People die with unforgiveness in their soul," he said. "People die with attachment to jealousy or envy or lust or hatred." 

Yet the message of the evening was ultimately one of hope. 

"The beautiful thing about purgatory," Bishop Gruss said, "is that it exists as a result of God’s mercy and His love and His desire for you and for me to be with Him for all eternity." 

Created for love 

At several points during the talk, Bishop Gruss reminded listeners that the Christian life is deeply personal because every person was created intentionally by God. 

He encouraged those present to prepare their hearts for eternal life through prayer, repentance and trust in God’s mercy. 

The evening concluded with a renewed invitation to holiness and deeper conversion, reminding the faithful that God’s desire is always to bring His people into the fullness of His presence. 

"Purgatory is meant to purify us so that we can love as completely as God," Bishop Gruss said.

During the First Friday gathering in Saginaw on May 1, Bishop Gruss quoted Pope Francis and reminded listeners that every baptized person is called to be a missionary disciple.

“A missionary disciple is someone who knows Jesus personally, loves Him deeply, follows Him faithfully, and shares Him boldly,” he said in his talk. (View the video below or watch it HERE.)

He stressed that evangelization is not about having all the answers, but about sharing one’s encounter with Christ.

“A witness is someone who says, ‘I have met the Lord and He has changed my life,’” Bishop Gruss said.

Bishop Gruss reflected on the Sacrament of Confirmation and missionary discipleship, and encouraged Catholics to rediscover the power of the Holy Spirit already at work within them through the Sacraments. He emphasized that Confirmation is inseparable from missionary discipleship. “The Spirit was poured upon the Church for one reason,” he said. “To evangelize.”

“Wake Up the Sleeping Giant”

Bishop Gruss encouraged Catholics to develop a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit and rely less on self-sufficiency. “The Holy Spirit is already in you,” he said. “But perhaps He’s dormant. Wake up the sleeping giant in your life. You have everything you need to live as a disciple of Jesus in the world today.”

First Friday attendees were encouraged to pray simple prayers each day asking the Holy Spirit to become more active in their lives.

He also encouraged young people preparing for Confirmation to approach the Sacrament with openness and courage. The Sacrament of Confirmation is meant to be a life-changing moment in one's life and call to discipleship, as it was for the disciples of the early church."

“Don’t be afraid to live an extraordinary life in Christ,” he said. “Christ is calling all of us to be saints.”

Speaking during the Diocese’s confirmation season, Bishop Gruss reflected on visiting parishes across the Diocese to celebrate Confirmation with young people. 

“Confirmation is not an ending. It doesn’t complete anything. It’s a beginning,” Bishop Gruss said.

He explained that Catholics often reduce the Sacraments to events they attend rather than encounters with Jesus Christ himself. “When we look at the Sacramental life merely as events, then we have diminished them by 99.9%,” he said.

Instead of saying, “I’m going to Mass,” Bishop Gruss suggested Catholics think differently: “I’m going for an encounter with the risen Lord Jesus.”

Jesus Is the One Who Confirms

Bishop Gruss reminded attendees that Jesus himself is the minister of every Sacrament. “Jesus baptized you. He confirmed you. He gave himself to you in Holy Communion,” he said. “In the Sacrament of Confirmation, he uses my thumb.”

Reflecting on his own Confirmation and Baptism dates, Bishop Gruss encouraged Catholics to learn and celebrate those dates as important milestones in their lives of faith. “These are two of the most important dates,” he said, “more important than your birthday.”

He urged Catholics to contact the parish where they were baptized to obtain their Sacramental records and reflect more intentionally on those moments of grace.

Confirmation and the Holy Spirit

Drawing from the Acts of the Apostles, Bishop Gruss compared Confirmation to the transformation experienced by the apostles at Pentecost. Before receiving the Holy Spirit, the apostles hid in fear. Afterward, they boldly proclaimed the Gospel.

“Peter went from fear and denial of Jesus to being a strong, faithful witness of the Gospel,” Bishop Gruss said. “Everything changed.”

"That same Holy Spirit is given to the disciples is given to each person in the Sacrament of Confirmation, not diminished in any way. This is why it should be a profound life-changing experience."

Bishop Gruss encouraged Catholics to ask the Lord to “bring alive the grace” of Confirmation again in their lives.

“The Spirit is never dead,” he said. “Ask the Holy Spirit to ignite your faith.”