In this 5 minute listen, Dr. Italy describes the wilderness,  the Mount of Temptation on which tradition says Jesus was tempted by Satan, and the town of Jericho, an oasis in the desert.

7 minute podcast discussing Capernaum, the central town in the Galilean ministry of Jesus and the disciples.  Home of Andrew and Peter, Capernaum was the site of some of the most powerful stories in the four gospels.

This podcast takes off from St. Jerome’s famous saying “ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” It discusses the role of the Bible in the Catholic liturgy and, more broadly, in the daily lives of Catholic Christians.  Dr. Italy shows the Catholic Church to be the original Bible Church.

Jesus made a habit of spending time with all the wrong people.  In Jericho, a hot, dusty city near the Dead Sea, Jesus encountered the unsavory Zacchaeus on one occasion.  On another, his ears were assaulted by the cries of an unwashed, blind beggar, yelling out his name, calling him "Son of David."  This figure who struggled to get Jesus' attention actually has a lot to teach us about authentic faith.

Statues of St. Francis of Assisi with a bird perched on his shoulder are found in gardens of people of all faiths and no faith, around the world. He certainly is distinguished for his love of animals and all creatures. But his love was not for “the environment,” but for creation and it’s maker. This distinction, which may sound subtle, is actually critical. This podcast discusses Francis’ inspiring creation spirituality, Pope Francis’ spiritual teaching in Laudato Si, and why they both are quite different in spirit and goals than what we’ve known since the 70’s as environmentalism.

A growing movement among millennial Catholics called "Catholic Creatives" (www.catholiccreatives.org) make clear that many millennials have a hunger for God and a desire to help manifest the beauty of the Kingdom of God to this broken world.  An international summit for the leaders of this movement recently occurred in Dallas.  Dr. Italy, whose sons help to found the movement two years ago, attended the event and share what he experienced and why it is such a sign of hope for the future of the Church.

The crisis caused by the revelations of clerical sexual abuse of minors as well as seminarians has rocked the Catholic Church over the past several months.  It will take quite some time to sort through it all, so the issue is continually before us.  How do we, laypeople and clergy alike, process what has happened?  How do we conduct ourselves amidst this mess?  What can we do to help the situation?  These are the kinds of questions covered in this 14 minute podcast.

The current clerical sexual abuse and cover-up scandal has understandable shocked, sickened, and shaken many Catholics and non-Catholics alike.  For many, it calls into question the legitimacy of a Church itself.  Some have even suggested that this degree of corruption is unprecedented and threatens the very existence of the Church.

On July 17, 2017, a baby was born to Cristina Boshart, the daughter of Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio.  The story of the coming together of Cristina with her husband, Alex, their journey of faith and life, and especially the conception and birth of a healthy child that beat all the odds, is a fascinating and inspiring story that the Sonrise Morning show wanted Dr. Italy to tell on the air.

Just about everyone has ever lived has wondered about the existence of God, what happens after death, right and wrong, the meaning of life.  And those exposed to Judeo-Christian culture have questions about special persons and events of what many religions believe to be salvation history - Abraham, Moses, the Exodus, Jesus, the crucifixion and resurrection.