Catholic Espresso

It is the month of May, a month devoted to our Mother Mary, so what better way to start off this month than with an episode all about our dear Mother Mary and the Holy Rosary. Fr. Pawel shares why the month of May is so special to him and also why in May of 2021 we need our Mother more than ever. We will also welcome three parishioners from St. Mary Immaculate who are involved with the Rosary Apostolate; Laura, Nadia, and Louise. They share with us what this movement is all about and also how Mary and the Holy Rosary has enriched their own personal lives.

Here are some links to material referenced in this episode:

The English-language list of shrines and prayer intentions can be found at https://bit.ly/3gMANYS

Pope calls for monthlong global prayer marathon for end of pandemic https://www.catholicnews.com/update-pope-calls-for-monthlong-global-prayer-marathon-for-end-of-pandemic/

Books referenced in this episode:

Fatima for Today: The Urgent Marian Message of Hope by Fr. Andrew Apostoli

10 Wonders of the Rosary by Fr Donald Calloway

This episode of Catholic Espresso is all about giving back. Not just to our church, but to our community, and neighbours in need. Father Pawel shares how blessed he feels at St. Mary Immaculate to have so many people willing to share their time and talent in so many different ways around the parish. Among them being the parish's ShareLife Committee. ShareLife is an organization based in the Greater Toronto Area whose aim is to live the Gospel by attempting to bring the hands of Christ to those in need. We welcome the head of ShareLife Committee at St. Mary Immaculate, Pauline McLaughlin, as well as the Executive Director of ShareLife at the Archdiocese of Toronto, Arthur Peters, to learn more about the history of the organization and the incredible work they do around the community.

For more information on ShareLife and how you can help the organization fulfill its mission visit the parish website at smirh.com or Sharelife.org.

The Lord is risen! We hope all of our listeners have a beautiful and blessed Easter. As we celebrate this important day in the Catholic Church, we also look ahead to a feast that Fr. Pawel feels so connected to in his priesthood; Divine Mercy Sunday. We are privileged to be joined this week by Sister Inga from The Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Washington DC to learn about the life of St. Faustina and her connection to Divine Mercy. Christina is back with another edition of News of the Church, and Fr. Pawel shares with us how he knows that spring is right around here in Richmond Hill!

To learn more about The Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy visit sisterfaustina.org.

Divine Mercy books discussed in this episode:

Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalski: Divine Mercy in My Soul

Dives in Mesaricordia by St. John Paul II

The Life Faustina Kowalski by Sr. Sophia Michalenko

7 Secrets of Divine Mercy by Vinny Flynn

Understanding Divine Mercy by Fr. Chris Alar

Divine Mercy movies discussed in this episode:

Faustina

The Ocean of Mercy

After 33 days of preparation and spiritual meditation, the feast day of St. Joseph finally arrived. Fr. Pawel reflects on the tremendous impact these past few weeks have had on parishioners who joined him in these daily meditations and weekly readings in preparation for the special consecration mass to St. Joseph. Christina is back with another edition of News of the Church, providing us with a recap of Pope Francis' historic trip to Iraq. Fr. Pawel is then joined by a special guest from the Society of St. Vincent De Paul to learn about the incredible work they do in the community and remind us of Holy Father's message to all of us on the importance to help those in need.

It's not just a cup of espresso that has Fr. Pawel full of energy on this week's episode; parishioners were welcomed back into St. Mary Immaculate as lockdown restrictions eased in Richmond Hill! We talk to a few of them on what it meant to be able to celebrate mass in person during this spiritual season of Lent. It is hard to believe that we are coming up on one year since the pandemic started and changed our lives in a number of different ways including working from home. We welcome three guests to the show to discuss how they've been able to balance their work, family, and spiritual lives while working from home. Christina Doyle is back to bring us up to date with News of the Church, including the latest on Pope Francis' historic visit to Iraq. That's all on this episode of Catholic Espresso!

On this episode we're going to reflect on some major events that took place in the Church during this first week of Lent, Ash Wednesday and Marriage Sunday. Fr. Pawel discusses the importance of Ash Wednesday and spoke with parishioners of St. Mary Immaculate on what it means to them as they embark on their own individual journey during this season of Lent. Christina Doyle will join us with her regular segment called "News of the Church." Fr. Pawel then welcomes Deacon Joseph and his lovely wife Violet to the podcast and learns what's made their marriage so successful after so many years. They also offer advice to other couples who are preparing for marriage as well as those currently going through their own challenges amid the pandemic.

Welcome to the Catholic Espresso Podcast! In our premier episode, Father Pawel discusses how to have a spiritually fulfilling season of Lent in 2021.

Book discussed in this episode:

Give up Worry for Lent: 40 Days to Finding Peace in Christ by Gary Zimak