Catholic Momcast

Maria Morera Johnson interviews Megan Harrington, senior producer at Family Theater Productions and producer and executive producer of Broken Mary: The Kevin Matthews Story.

Producer and Executive Producer Megan Harrington is a senior producer at Family Theater Productions. She serves as producer, co-director, and co-writer of the Emmy® and Christopher Award-winning Playing Like a Girl: The House That Rob Built and the award-winning Native Ball: Legacy of a Trailblazer. She is also the producer and co-writer of the Gabriel and Christopher Award-winning PRAY: The Story of Patrick Peyton and The Dating Project, and a producer on the upcoming documentary Broken Mary: The Kevin Matthews Story. Her passion lies in telling authentic and heroic stories that illuminate what is true, good, and beautiful.

"Broken Mary: The Kevin Matthews Story" shows how the Blessed Mother still reaches out to people today, even in a city alley next to a dumpster. Kevin Matthews' unexpected encounter with a broken statue reveals the timeless power of Mary's maternal care for the forgotten and spiritually wounded. This resonates with Catholic and non-Catholic audiences alike, who are hungry for modern stories of hope.

Links for this Episode:

• Official Broken Mary: The Kevin Matthews Story Website

Maria Morera Johnson and Heidi Hess Saxton interview Sister Betty Ann MacNeill on the anniversary of the canonization of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton and the updated release of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton: A Spiritual Portrait (Ignatius Press).

Sister Betty Ann McNeil, D.C., is a Daughter of Charity and noted scholar of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and the Vincentian tradition. With degrees in social work and an honorary doctorate from Niagara University, she has published extensively on Elizabeth Seton. Widely recognized as an authority on Seton's life and spirituality, Sister Betty Ann lectures internationally and continues to preserve and share the legacy of the first American-born saint.

• Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton: A Spiritual Portrait (Ignatius Press)
• 15 Days of Prayer with Elizabeth Ann Seton
• A Day of Joy: The 50th Anniversary of Cannonization of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

Maria Morera Johnson has an animated conversation with actor, producer Christin Jezak, about her new web series, Neighborhood Watch, and the message of loving your neighbor and loving yourself, too.

Christin Jezak is an actor, writer, and producer passionate about creating stories that inspire empathy and connection. She is the creator and producer of the web series Neighborhood Watch, which blends humor and heart to explore themes of community, faith, and human dignity. With a background in theater and film, Christin brings her creative vision to projects that spark meaningful conversation and reflect her commitment to storytelling rooted in hope.

Links for this Episode:

• Neighborhood Watch (Nominated episode 4): https://youtu.be/BBKWuWp-bAU
• Website: https://p2ptheatre.com/neighborhood-watch

Maria Morera Johnson and CatholicMom.com contributor Samantha Stephenson have a discuss habits that help us be present to our children in the midst of demanding chores and duties.

Samantha Stephenson is a Catholic convert, bioethicist, and author of Reclaiming Motherhood from a Culture Gone Mad, the Mama Prays devotional, and the forthcoming books The Bellbind Letters and Grow Where You're Planted. Samantha homeschools her four children and homesteads with her family on a third of an acre nestled in the heart of Idaho's Snake River Valley. You can find her at www.snstephenson.com.

Links for this Episode:

• Website: www.snstephenson.com
• Podcast: Brave New Us
• Read all articles by Samantha Stephenson

Maria Morera Johnson and Father Chris Alar, MIC, author of Understanding the Sacraments: God's Grace Guaranteed!

Fr. Chris Alar, MIC is a Marian Father of the Immaculate Conception and a familiar face to many Catholics through his talks, books, and EWTN's Living Divine Mercy. Known for his down-to-earth way of breaking down big topics, Fr. Chris has a heart for helping people really understand their faith and experience God's mercy. His latest book, Understanding the Sacraments: God's Grace Guaranteed, takes us deeper into the seven sacraments—showing how they're not just rituals we do, but real encounters with God's grace that can transform our lives.

• Understanding the Sacraments: God's Grace Guaranteed!
• Explaining the Faith with Father Chris Alar (video)
• Explaining the Faith with Father Chris Alar (podcast)

Maria Morera Johnson and Father Charlie McCoy, C.S.C., discuss Bluey, a family-oriented animated series that speaks to the whole family.

Born and raised in the greater Chicago area, Father Charlie McCoy, C.S.C., made his final vows in 2008 and was ordained in 2009. For most of his life in Holy Cross, he has served as a professor and a pastoral resident in a men's hall at the University of Portland in Oregon. Since Father Charlie comes from a lively, close-knit family, and since devotion to the Rosary stretches back generations among his relatives, he feels very blessed to be joining the team at Holy Cross Family Ministries to carry on the legacy of Venerable Patrick Peyton.

Links for this Episode:

• Official Bluey Website
• Read all articles by Maria Morera Johnson

Maria Morera Johnson and Allison Gingras discuss summer serenity and embracing the Rosary.

Maria and Allison discuss the winding down of summer and looking forward to a Fall reset while embracing the beauty of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary,

Links for this Episode:

• Read all articles by Allison Gingras
• Allison's new book, Jesus Heals
• Read all articles by Maria Morera Johnson
• Maria's new book, A Beautiful Second Act

Maria Morera Johnson interviews Tik Tok influencer Sister Lisa Hezmalhalch, author of A Rome for Restless Hearts.

In A Rome for Restless Hearts, Sr. Lisa takes readers through some of the most common questions and concerns about Catholicism, including the veneration of Mary and the role of women in the Church. With her characteristic wit, Sr. Lisa shares with readers her own questions, misunderstandings, and reluctance about Catholicism, and how she discovered that the Catholic faith was already offering her soul what it was seeking: a deeper relationship with Jesus.

• A Rome for Restless Hearts

Maria Morera Johnson and Inés Mersch talk about tending to our spiritual and physical needs.

Inés Huber Mersch is a faithful Catholic wife, mother, and grandmother residing in Mobile, Alabama. Her strong attraction to Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament led to her being invited to participate in the steering committee that brought Perpetual Adoration to the Archdiocese of Mobile and continues as one of the schedulers. She has also been a guest writer at Catholic Mom.

• Broken By Me by Inés Huber Mersch
• Read all articles by Maria Morera Johnson

Maria Morera Johnson and contributor Kristina Talbot discuss the joys and challenges of mothering our children through milestones.

Kristina Talbot is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and native Floridian who loves that her engineer husband enjoys Karaoke, and her four children enjoy carpool line with the music up. Kristina is the owner and founder of ARISE Mental Health Consulting Services and has a ridiculous amount of knowledge about football. You can follow Kristina on Facebook and Instagram @arisemhc.

Links for this Episode:

• Read all articles by Kristina Talbot