Catholic Momcast

Maria Morera Johnson and Heidi Hess Saxton talk about using prayer apps as spiritual aids.

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.

Link in Show:·

Read all articles by Heidi Hess Saxton

Read all articles by Maria Morera Johnson

Maria and Allison take a mid-year check0in for the Jubilee Year of Hope, and introduce the new series on Catholic Mom: A Reason for Our Hope

Links for this Episode:

• A Reason for Our Hope
• 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 Johnson interviews Liz Lantigua, founder of Good News! Book Fair, and Leslea Wahl, author of A Summer to Treasure.

Good News! Book Fair for an Agenda-Free Alternative

Good News! Book Fair started in 2014. They are headquartered in Florida with a second distribution center in Ohio and are now a program of Literacy Advocates USA, a nonprofit organization. Good News! Boof Fair emphasizes how important it is for parents and educators to instill the joy of reading in children and provide fun, wholesome, inspiring books, promoting good entertainment collaborating with Family Theatre Productions and Angel Studios. Good News! Book Fair (GNBF) believes that if we can change the media, we can change the culture. They help parents and educators by curating titles, offering author presentations/book signings, literary programs that make reading fun, fundraising for libraries, and providing a place where anyone can purchase clean reads in an agenda-free environment.

Leslea Wahl

Leslea Wahl is an award-winning author of Catholic teen adventurous mysteries. She lives in beautiful Colorado with her family. Leslea believes one way to encourage teens in their faith is through positive messages and Catholic values, embedded in great stories. She is excited to share her reviews of some incredible Catholic books, all of which have received the Catholic Writer's Guild Seal of Approval. Find her online at LesleaWahl.com.

Read all articles by Leslea Wahl.

Show Notes Links:

• www.goodnewsbookfair.com
• A Summer to Treasure
• Leslea Wahl Books

Maria Morera Johnson is joined by Inés Huber Mersch for a conversation about the Fruits of the Spirit, and how we can cultivate the virtues in our family.

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.

Links in Show:

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

Maria Morera Johnson and Heidi Hess Saxton talk about the Blessed Mother as a model for our motherhood.

Maria Morera Johnson and Heidi Hess Saxton talk about the Blessed Mother as a model for our motherhood.

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.

Link in Show:·

Read all articles by Heidi Hess Saxton

Read all articles by Maria Morera Johnson

Maria Morera Johnson interviews musician Cristina Bernal in an intimate conversation about faith, sacrifice, values, and surrendering her gifts to God.

CONTENT WARNING: In this episode, Cristina Bernal shares briefly about exposure to immoral practices in the music industry that led to her awakening in the faith. Caution is recommended, especially when young listeners may be present.

from CristinaBernalMusic.com:

Growing up in the music industry Cristina always knew she wanted to do something big with her gifts and talents. After leaving what would have been her second record deal in 2011, Cristina got involved in leading worship for her young adult community. From there she knew she had a calling to serve the Lord with her gifts and talents. Along with writing and releasing pop music she has served in the worship community since. She has traveled around the United States leading worship for conferences, retreats, parish missions, as well as locally at her home parish.

Cristina signed with Catholic Christian Record label NOVUM RECORDS in July of 2022. She has released a Mass Setting Album and is working on another Album of Worship Music for Mass.

Links for this Show:

Novum Records' new song: Back to Your Heart featuring Cristina Bernal

Seeking Pop Stardom, Cristina Bernal Found God Instead

Cristina Bernal Music

Maria and Allison catch up with each other. Life sometimes comes at us in seasons of heavy activity and having strategies for focus and grounding in the faith are essential.

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

Our May 2025 Book Club selection is a book honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary! Kelsey Gillespy, in her new book, Real Life with Mary: Growing in Virtue to Magnify the Lord, encourages moms to grow in friendship with Mary and learn from her how to walk the daily path to holiness.

This book is written for all of us! Kelsey observed during this session that the book is a call to discipleship, a call to fellowship, and a call to sainthood. She acknowledged that when we look at the saints we see all the glamor, and it can seem like sainthood is distant — but over time, God can bring us to sainthood too.

Kelsey and Allison discuss how Mary is close to us because of the grace of God, and that grace can bring us closer to God. Learn more about Mary as a powerful example and mentor as well as someone who's going to nurture us, love us, and want the best for us in our Week 3 Book Club episode.

Maria Morera Johnson and Barb Szyszkiewicz have a lively conversation about cooking with the family, offering some Mom hacks for encouraging young chefs.

Barb Szyszkiewicz, senior editor at CatholicMom.com, is a wife, mom of 3 young adults, and a Secular Franciscan. Barb enjoys writing, cooking, and reading, and is a music minister at her parish. Find her blog at FranciscanMom and her family's favorite recipes with nutrition information at Cook and Count. Barb is the author of The Handy Little Guide to Prayer and The Handy Little Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours, available from Our Sunday Visitor.

Maria Morera Johnson, author of A Beautiful Second Act: Saints and Soul Sisters who Taught Me to Age with Grace and My Badass Book of Saints. She 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.

Links for Show:

• Read all articles by Barb Szyszkiewicz.
• Read all articles by Maria Morera Johnson.
• Meatless Friday Recipes

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.

Link in Show:·

Read all articles by Heidi Hess Saxton

Read all articles by Maria Morera Johnson