Catholic Momcast

Maria Morera Johnson and Heidi Hess Saxton talk about their special prayer devotions and pray for Catholic Momcast and Prayercast listeners.

Heidi Saxton is co-host of the CatholicMom.com Prayercast, and author of Stories of the Eucharist (OSV) and The Ave Prayer Book for Catholic Mothers (Ave). She is also senior acquisitions editor for Ave Maria Press. She and her husband Craig divide their time between northern Michigan and West Palm Beach, Florida. You can read about her adventures on Life on the Road Less Traveled.

Maria Morera Johnson, author of A Beautiful Second Act: My Badass Book of Saints, Super Girls and Halo, and Our Lady of Charity: How a Cuban Devotion to Mary Helped Me Grow in Faith and Love writes about all the things that she loves. A cradle Catholic, she struggles with living in the world but not being of it, and blogs about those successes and failures, too.

Read all articles by Heidi Hess Saxton

Read all articles by Maria Morera Johnson

David and Mercedes write and speak from a faith perspective as parents of a child with autism. They are available to speak, and have appeared on radio and other media. Visit DavidAndMercedesRizzo.com to learn more. Follow them on Facebook at Autism With The Rizzos. Authors of Praying For Your Special Needs Child, (Word Among Us Press) and Spiritually Able and The Adaptive First Eucharist Preparation Kit (Loyola Press).

• DavidAndMercedesRizzo.com
• Autism With The Rizzos
• Praying For Your Special Needs Child, (Word Among Us Press)
• Spiritually Able and The Adaptive First Eucharist Preparation Kit (Loyola Press)
• Read all articles by David and Mercedes Rizzo

Maria Morera Johnson interviews CatholicMom.com contributor, Jennifer Thomas.

As a Catholic wife and mom to three children, Jennifer earned her masters degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and recently reverted back to her Catholic faith. Jennifer is an avid stationery enthusiast who enjoys finding unique and beautiful stationery to send to her friends and family. She also enjoys researching ways to instill Catholic traditions within her family while finishing her first book.

• Read all articles by Jennifer Thomas
• Mourning Glory Podcast

Listen to the podcast playback or watch the video from Week 3 of the Catholic Mom Book Club featuring A Beautiful Second Act by Maria Morera Johnson.

Maria and host Allison Gingras discuss Chapters 9 and 10 of our Book Club selection, chatting about the fascinating women profiled in this book and what we can learn from their successes and their difficulties. You have plenty of time to catch up on the reading if you're just getting started with this beautiful book.

In A Beautiful Second Act, bestselling author Maria Morera Johnson explores the adventure of life's second half, drawing inspiration from twenty saints and "soul sisters" who faced these challenges with courage.

As advancements in health and medicine extend our lifespan, women of the sandwich generation — those balancing the needs of both children and parents — are experiencing a multitude of challenges as they transition out of the workforce and into the promise of retirement. A Beautiful Second Act: Saints and Soul Sisters Who Taught Me to Be a Badass Age with Grace contains encouragement and wisdom from saints and contemporary soul sisters who experienced similar challenges during their transition to midlife and beyond and offers insight into the aging process.

Chapter after chapter, these inspiring saints and contemporary changemakers from all over the world will help you, too, embrace your second half and the changes it brings to our health, our personal relationships, our responsibilities, our work, and our faith.

Maria Morera Johnson interviews Cheryl Hughes, mom, convert, and author of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen: Convert Maker.

Cheryl C. D. Hughes holds a Ph.D. in historical theology from Durham University in England. Her books include Katharine Drexel: The Riches-to-Rags Story of an American Catholic Saint (2014) and Crossing Boundaries and Confounding Identity: Chinese Women in Literature, Art, and Film (2023). She and her husband live in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Links in Show:

Listen to the podcast playback or watch the video from Week 3 of the Catholic Mom Book Club featuring A Beautiful Second Act by Maria Morera Johnson.

Maria and host Allison Gingras discuss Chapters 7 and 8 of our Book Club selection, chatting about the fascinating women profiled in this book and what we can learn from their successes and their difficulties. You have plenty of time to catch up on the reading if you're just getting started with this beautiful book.

In A Beautiful Second Act, bestselling author Maria Morera Johnson explores the adventure of life's second half, drawing inspiration from twenty saints and "soul sisters" who faced these challenges with courage.

As advancements in health and medicine extend our lifespan, women of the sandwich generation — those balancing the needs of both children and parents — are experiencing a multitude of challenges as they transition out of the workforce and into the promise of retirement. A Beautiful Second Act: Saints and Soul Sisters Who Taught Me to Be a Badass Age with Grace contains encouragement and wisdom from saints and contemporary soul sisters who experienced similar challenges during their transition to midlife and beyond and offers insight into the aging process.

Chapter after chapter, these inspiring saints and contemporary changemakers from all over the world will help you, too, embrace your second half and the changes it brings to our health, our personal relationships, our responsibilities, our work, and our faith.

Maria Johnson interviews Nancy Smith, O.F.S., Director of Holy Cross Retreat House in North Easton, Massachusetts.

from the Holy Cross Retreat House intro:

Launched in 1964 in a converted cow barn, the Retreat House has been a spiritual haven for thousands who have passed through its welcoming doors. It is located in Easton, Massachusetts, adjacent to Stonehill College, also founded by the Congregation of Holy Cross. The Retreat House is operated solely on private donations and retreat fees, and receives no state or federal funding. Among retreat houses in the Boston area and south of Boston, our retreat house has established its "market niche" by emphasizing Cursillo and Matt Talbot programs.

• Holy Cross Retreat House: A Ministry of Congregation of Holy Cross
• Nancy Smith, Director

The March 2025 Book Club features Catholic Mom media editor Maria Morera Johnson and her new book, A Beautiful Second Act: Saints and Soul Sisters who Taught Me to Be a Badass Age with Grace, published by Ave Maria Press.

In A Beautiful Second Act, bestselling author Maria Morera Johnson explores the adventure of life's second half, drawing inspiration from twenty saints and "soul sisters" who faced these challenges with courage.

As advancements in health and medicine extend our lifespan, women of the sandwich generation — those balancing the needs of both children and parents — are experiencing a multitude of challenges as they transition out of the workforce and into the promise of retirement. A Beautiful Second Act: Saints and Soul Sisters Who Taught Me to Be a Badass Age with Grace contains encouragement and wisdom from saints and contemporary soul sisters who experienced similar challenges during their transition to midlife and beyond and offers insight into the aging process.

Ave Maria Press, the publisher, is offering a generous discount on A Beautiful Second Act: use code CATHOLICMOM to save 10% off the purchase price of the book. This offer expires April 27, 2025.

Maria Morera Johnson interviews Catholicmom.com contributor Meg Herriot at the Catholic Mom Contributor retreat.

Meg Herriot is a veterinarian and Third Order Dominican. She enjoys spending time with family, friends, and pets and blogging at All Creatures Great and Crazy about being a veterinarian, mother, wife and most of all a Catholic trying to grow closer to God in a chaotic world.

• Read all articles by Meg Herriot
• All Creatures Great and Crazy

The March 2025 Book Club features Catholic Mom media editor Maria Morera Johnson and her new book, A Beautiful Second Act: Saints and Soul Sisters who Taught Me to Be a Badass Age with Grace, published by Ave Maria Press.

In A Beautiful Second Act, bestselling author Maria Morera Johnson explores the adventure of life's second half, drawing inspiration from twenty saints and "soul sisters" who faced these challenges with courage.

As advancements in health and medicine extend our lifespan, women of the sandwich generation — those balancing the needs of both children and parents — are experiencing a multitude of challenges as they transition out of the workforce and into the promise of retirement. A Beautiful Second Act: Saints and Soul Sisters Who Taught Me to Be a Badass Age with Grace contains encouragement and wisdom from saints and contemporary soul sisters who experienced similar challenges during their transition to midlife and beyond and offers insight into the aging process.

Ave Maria Press, the publisher, is offering a generous discount on A Beautiful Second Act: use code CATHOLICMOM to save 10% off the purchase price of the book. This offer expires April 27, 2025.