Catholic Espresso

We start this episode with some exciting news; we have a new co-host who will be joining Fr. Pawel on the podcast going forward! Christina is back once again with News of the Church but we are also blessed to have her join our hosts as they discuss how Lent has been going for them. With Holy Week quickly approaching, the team then gets into a deep discussion on what the events of this important week means to them. It's a deeply spiritual conversation with everyone reflecting on different personal experiences during the various events of Holy Week and engaging with our audience to discover the underlying beauty during this incredibly special time of year.

Thank you devoted listeners of Catholic Espresso; it has now been over one year since we launched this podcast. Thank you for your continued support! This episode is all about preparing ourselves for Lent. Fr. Pawel shares why this is such a beautiful time to come back to the church and come back to the scripture to grow closer with our Lord. He stresses the importance of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving during the Lenten season. Christina is back with another edition of News of the Church and shares how the Catholic Church is trying to bring peace and compassion to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

It's our first episode of 2022 and Fr. Pawel discusses some New Years resolutions inspired by Pope Francis. We also reflect on the importance of the third Sunday in ordinary time, the Sunday of The Word of God. Instituted by Pope Francis in 2019, this important Sunday in the liturgical year calls on us to go deeper into the scripture and go deeper to reflect on the the Word of God. Fr. Pawel also welcomes the program director for two new programs at St. Mary Immaculate to help people deal with grief and those facing challenges in their marriage.

Materials mentioned in this episode:

The Bible in a Year Podcast with Fr. Mike Schmitz

Little Manual for Spiritual Growth by Fr. John Portavella

Walk Humbly With Your God: Simple Steps to a Virtuous Life by Fr. Andrew Apostoli

Happy Second Sunday of Advent to our listeners! Fr. Pawel is back with a special episode dedicated to help you continue to get the most out of this Advent season. On this episode we check in with a parishioner from St. Mary Immaculate on what Advent means to them. Our special guest is Deacon Robert Kinghorn of The Church on the Street in downtown Toronto. Originally from Scotland, Deacon Robert is now making a difference bringing the message of the church and enriching the lives of those on the streets of Toronto. We also learn about a fun Christmas initiative from Catholic Women's League, Taste and See The Goodness of The Lord, a cookbook featuring recipes from parishioners of St. Mary Immaculate!

As we mark this first Sunday of Advent, Father Pawel shares the beauty he sees in the season of Advent and ways we can all embrace the season to bring us closer to our Lord. We are also joined by Fr. Peter of St. Mary Immaculate who shares what Advent means to him. Christina is back with the News of the Church and shares a special Gospel reading from St. Luke.

After a busy summer around the parish, we're back with another episode of Catholic Espresso! Fr. Pawel reflects on these past few months with many people coming through the church to receive various sacraments. We speak to one couple who will be getting married very soon and what it's been like to prepare for the sacrament of marriage during the pandemic. He also goes through some of his favourite books he read over the summer. Christina is back with another edition of News of the Church, highlighted by the recent announcement of Holy Father coming to Canada in the near future.

Books mentioned in this episode:

A Pope and President by Paul Kengo

Matteo Ricci and the Catholic Mission to China by R. Po-chia Hsia

Humility Rules: Saint Benedict's Twelve-Step Guide to Genuine Self-Esteem by J. Augustine Wetta

As we head into summer, Fr. Pawel discusses how he uses this beautiful time of year to enhance his meditation and prayer life.

Books discussed in this episode:

Lord of the World by Robert Hugh Benson

The Garden of Forking Paths by Jorge Luis Borges

Cardinal Collins' Book List for Catholics Who Want to Defend the Faith (https://www.archtoronto.org/en/outreach/news/archdiocesan/cardinal-collins-book-list-for-catholics-who-want-to-defend-the-faith/)

As mentioned on the show, we will be taking a little break for the summer and coming back in September with all new episodes. If you have any feedback or suggestions on how we can improve the podcast, feel free to email the parish office at [email protected] and be sure to include Podcast in the subject line.

Welcome to episode 10 of Catholic Espresso! As the podcast celebrates this exciting milestone we welcome three women from an organization celebrating an even bigger milestone; 2021 marks the 100 year anniversary of Catholic Women's League. To mark the occasion we welcome Boots, Beatrice, and Patricia from the chapter at St. Mary Immaculate to discuss the organization's history and all of the important work they do around the parish community. Fr. Pawel also reflects on celebrating the Solemnity of Sacred Heart of Jesus mass in front parishioners at the church again as public health restrictions in Ontario begin to lift. We also ask parishioners who attended the mass about their relationship with the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

We've talked a lot this month about May being a month devoted to our Mother Mary; but in addition to that the Catholic Church recently celebrated the Global Week of Prayer for the Church in China. Fr. Pawel reflects on the importance of this week and his own experiences travelling to China as a priest. We also look ahead to the month of June; a month traditionally dedicated to the devotion of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. To help us prepare for this we are truly blessed to have Father James Kubicki join us this week for a fantastic and enlightening conversation. Fr. James is a Jesuit priest and author of "A Heart on Fire: Rediscovering Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus." His book was recently recommended in Cardinal Thomas Collins' pastoral letter on the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

As we continue in the month of May - the month of our Mother, Mary - Fr. Pawel recaps a busy few weeks in the life of the St. Mary Immaculate. We hear from a few parishioners about how they have gone deeper in their relationship with Mary during this month's marathon of prayer for the end of the pandemic. Then we welcome the very talented Carissa Douglas to the podcast. Carissa is an accomplished singer, children's author, devoted Catholic, and mother of 14 kids! She shares with us her motivations behind her writing and also how her and her husband manage to make faith a big part of their family life.

For more information about Carissa's work and for a link to the children's Rosary video mentioned on the podcast visit www.littledouglings.com