Connecting the Diocese

Host Jack Socha welcomes Bishop William Patrick Callahan during Lent to discuss diocesan guidance for Mass capacity, social distancing, sanitation, and continued mask use as Easter approaches. They address confusion about COVID-19 vaccines, noting Pfizer and Moderna were used in early testing with fetal cell lines but not in production, and that Johnson & Johnson raises more uncertainty; the bishop advises vaccination, preferring Pfizer/Moderna when available, but accepting Johnson & Johnson if it is the only option to protect life. They emphasize that vaccinated people may still carry and transmit the virus, so precautions remain necessary, and they reflect on broader moral and social issues affecting family life and priestly loneliness. The bishop highlights the weekend readings on “Christ crucified,” Jesus cleansing the temple with mercy, and closes with prayer and blessing, while the episode also promotes Catholic Charities, notes Ash Wednesday ashes sprinkled on heads, shares Minnesota snowplow names, and quotes Pope Francis on the margins and caregivers from “Daring to Dream.”

00:00 Show Opening

00:51 Lent Updates Ahead

02:25 Church Capacity Rules

04:26 Vaccines and Morality

07:28 Pandemic Toll and Culture

11:10 Manhood and Friendship

13:55 Priests and Loneliness

15:57 After Vaccination Questions

22:39 Car Wheels Analogy

24:38 Sunday Readings Focus

26:18 Christ Crucified Message

28:00 Cleansing the Temple

30:14 Temple Sacrifice Scams

31:35 Why Jesus Cleanses

33:09 Not Beyond Redemption

35:56 Priests Hear Darkness

36:58 Cry With Them

39:23 Take It To Jesus

40:41 Catholic Charities Help

42:46 Ashes In A Pandemic

45:59 Prayer And Blessing

47:12 Lent Updates And Patience

48:21 Snowplow Name Laughs

51:08 Pope Francis On Margins

55:16 Saints Next Door

56:52 Closing Thanks

Host Jack Socha welcomes first-time guest Toni Simonson, executive director of behavioral health for HSHS Sacred Heart and St. Joseph’s Hospitals in Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls, to discuss the local and national rise in substance use disorders, worsened by the pandemic. Simonson explains that addiction affects all ages and backgrounds, with opioids (heroin, fentanyl, prescription painkillers) and methamphetamine most prevalent, and highlights overdose risks from contaminated street drugs and fentanyl’s potency. She describes how addiction changes brain dopamine pathways, why stigma is harmful, and what warning signs families may notice, urging compassionate, informed conversations. Resources include HSHS/Elie Phillips Treatment Center, national and Wisconsin helplines, AA/NA, crisis lines, and access to naloxone. The episode also notes increased anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and overdoses during isolation, and ends with reflections on faith, community support, and hope.

00:00 Show Opens

00:29 Meet Toni Simonson

00:51 Addiction Crisis Snapshot

03:40 Common Drugs Today

05:57 Fentanyl Explained

07:38 Why Drugs Hook You

11:23 Wisconsin Drinking Culture

13:13 Binge Drinking Basics

14:31 How Addiction Takes Hold

15:53 Breaking the Stigma

17:18 Break and Magazine Plug

19:37 Brain Chemistry of Addiction

22:11 Highs Lows and Crime

24:58 Warning Signs at Home

26:08 Talking to Loved Ones

28:12 Finding Help Resources

30:39 Shame Recovery Hope

32:21 Overdose Risks Naloxone

34:00 COVID Update Break

36:02 How Drugs Have Changed

38:00 Understanding Opioids

41:00 Pandemic Mental Health

45:18 Isolation Overdoses

48:29 Host Reflection Faith

53:52 Pope Francis Closing

Host Jack Socha talks with Bishop Callahan of the Diocese of La Crosse about the Texas cold snap, beginning Lent during the ongoing pandemic, and the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations, including their own experiences and the need to continue masking and distancing even after vaccination. The bishop praises the resiliency and leadership of Catholic schools and outlines diocesan Lenten practices, including receiving ashes by sprinkling and following safety directives, with potential updates for Holy Week. They encourage practical ways to live Lent by accepting hardship with patience, reaching out to those who are isolated, and adding good works, inspired by St. Francis. Due to COVID, Catholic Charities Lenten luncheons will not be held, and support is requested for expanded outreach. The episode also highlights diocesan online resources, a new issue of Catholic Life magazine, successful fundraising for the cathedral restoration, and reflections on NASA’s Perseverance landing and Pope Francis’ book Let Us Dream.

00:00 Welcome to the Show

00:55 Cold Snap and Texas

02:25 Catholic Schools Update

05:02 Vaccines and Needles

09:37 Lent Plans in Pandemic

16:15 Lenten Practices and Kindness

20:27 St Francis and Simple Joys

26:40 Break and Magazine Spotlight

28:09 Catholic Life Magazine Update

28:52 Lenten Luncheons Canceled

34:03 Support Catholic Charities

36:23 Lent Culture Fish Fridays

39:06 Diocese Streaming Resources

41:27 Vaccine Reality Check

43:26 Cathedral Restoration Progress

48:23 Farewell and Lenten Blessing

49:44 Mars Landing and Stewardship

53:08 Pope Francis on Crisis

56:06 Closing Music and Signoff

Host Jack Socha welcomes local cuisine expert Cathy Cooper to discuss how people cooking for one or two during the pandemic can break out of a “same old” routine without complicated shopping. Cooper shares practical ideas using pantry and freezer staples, including jambalaya-style meals with sausage, beans and rice; salmon patties with quality canned seafood; quick steamed mussels; simple desserts like blender chocolate mousse, melted-chocolate fruit, and mocktails. They emphasize food safety—washing produce, rinsing rice, using thermometers, and avoiding questionable leftovers—plus tips like zesting citrus (after scrubbing) and using vinegar to brighten dishes. The episode also notes Lent and Catholic Life Magazine highlights, mentions Instant Pots and sheet-pan meals, includes a COVID update about telehealth browser requirements, and encourages patience with vaccines and checking on those who are lonely.

00:00 Show Intro

00:27 Meet Cathy Cooper

01:33 Cooking for One

04:05 Pantry Mardi Gras

05:17 Quick Fancy Treats

10:03 Upgrade Rice Tips

11:09 Food Safety Basics

14:03 Thrift Store Finds

17:59 Biblical Fish Fry

20:23 Catholic Life Magazine

22:21 Instant Pot Cooking

27:18 Sheet Pan Dinners

27:47 Scratch Cooking Joy

28:52 Carrots and Tartar

29:25 What Is Lemon Zest

29:41 Citrus Zest Basics

31:19 Zest Sugar and Safety

32:20 Grapefruit Medication Warning

32:57 Why Apples Stay Crisp

34:20 Baking Apples and Odd Recipes

36:16 Cheap Avocados and Greens

36:54 Collards and Vinegar Pop

40:20 Frying Fish and Perfect Fries

42:49 Telehealth and Vaccine Patience

44:47 Coffee Comfort and Brewing Hacks

51:24 Pandemic Encouragement and Farewell

56:01 Valentines Song Signoff