In this special episode of Deacons Pod, the Paulist Deacon Affiliates celebrate the life and legacy of Pope Francis, who entered eternal life on April 21, 2025.

The Paulist Deacon Affiliates recorded this episode of Deacons Pod on Holy Saturday to discuss their consolations and desolations in Lent, 2025, and about how to continue nurturing hope in the Easter season.

The deacons also chat about the past two prior Deacons Pod episodes in August, 2022, and October, 2023, featuring Judge Ester Salas, a U.S. District Court judge in New Jersey who has publicly forgiven the man who murdered her son and shot her husband in 2020.

Judge Salas was recently interviewed on television about new menacing actions directed toward judges and their families.

"I don't have optimism, I have hope – which is a theological virtue. They can't touch my hope but my optimism is in short supply," says Deacon Dennis Dolan in this episode of Deacons Pod.

Deacon Dennis and Deacon Drew Dickson, two of the Paulist Deacon Affiliates, host this episode that looks at both a memorable Gospel reading of Lent and troubling issues raised by recent actions of the U.S. federal government.

This episode also includes Deacons Pod's first podcast crossover: The inclusion of a powerful interview from a recent episode of "The Francis Effect" podcast between Heidi Schlumpf and Meghan Clark, a professor of moral theology at St John’s University in New York City.

In the interview, Professor Clark outlines the devastating impact of the recent federal funding cuts for USAID and Catholic Relief Services.

Could we just skip Thanksgiving dinner when we don't want to talk to our relatives about politics?

Do we really need to have that hard conversation with our boss or a coworker?

How do we talk to grandpa when the time comes to take away his car keys?

These are some of the examples mentioned in this special episode of Deacons Pod in which the Paulist Deacon Affiliates interview Bob Bordone, co-author of the new book "Conflict Resilience: Negotiating Disagreement Without Giving Up or Giving In."

A longtime professor of law, Bob is founder of the Harvard Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program and founder of the Cambridge Negotiation Institute.

He also is a member of the Paulist Center in Boston and a member of the advisory board for the Paulist Initiative on Polarization.

ABOUT THE SHOW:

Deacons Pod is a podcast for everyone. But, it’s especially created to inspire and give hope to people on the “threshold of faith”: Those who are thinking about going to Church and those who are thinking about leaving Church.

Deacons Pod is hosted by the Paulist Deacon affiliates. The podcast is a production of the Paulist Fathers.

More at deaconspod.com

In this episode of Deacons Pod, the Paulist Deacon Affiliates speak with Fr. Robin Ryan, CP, author of the new Paulist Press book "Life is Changed, Not Ended: An Introduction to Christian Eschatology."

Christian eschatology is the study of the "last things" including death, immortality of the soul, resurrection, and the end of time.

Fr. Ryan's book ends with a reflection on Julian of Norwich's teaching about hope grounded in the love of God as exemplified by the passion of Christ, and considering the mystery of suffering.

A member of the Passionists, Fr. Ryan is professor of systematic theology and director of the Master of Arts in the theology program at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.

He also is author of the Paulist Press books "God and the Mystery of Human Suffering" and "Gazing on the Face of Christ: A Christ-Centered Spirituality."

ABOUT THE SHOW:

Deacons Pod is a podcast for everyone. But, it’s especially created to inspire and give hope to people on the “threshold of faith”: Those who are thinking about going to Church and those who are thinking about leaving Church.

Deacons Pod is hosted by the Paulist Deacon affiliates. The podcast is a production of the Paulist Fathers.

More at deaconspod.com

Three of the Paulist Deacon Affiliates (Deacon Drew, Deacon Dennis, and Deacon Mark) discuss the Gospel readings for the Sundays of Lent 2025 in this episode of Deacons Pod.

ABOUT THE SHOW:

Deacons Pod is a podcast for everyone. But, it’s especially created to inspire and give hope to people on the “threshold of faith”: Those who are thinking about going to Church and those who are thinking about leaving Church.

Deacons Pod is hosted by the Paulist Deacon affiliates. The podcast is a production of the Paulist Fathers.

More at deaconspod.com

Paulist Fr. Bruce Nieli is the guest on this episode of Deacons Pod about how threshold Catholics are dealing with issues ignited by the new presidential administration in Washington, D.C.

Fr. Bruce discusses the status of refugees and migrants in the United States; the abrupt federal funding cuts for Catholic Relief Services; and how believers in non-violence should react when faced with political violence.

He also considers how families might respond when some family members stop going to Church in the wake of the presidential election.

Fr. Bruce is a Paulist missionary based in Austin, TX, who leads parish missions and retreats in both English and Spanish. Ordained a priest in 1973, he also is a Papal Missionary of Mercy.

ABOUT THE SHOW:

Deacons Pod is a podcast for everyone. But, it’s especially created to inspire and give hope to people on the “threshold of faith”: Those who are thinking about going to Church and those who are thinking about leaving Church.

Deacons Pod is hosted by the Paulist Deacon affiliates. The podcast is a production of the Paulist Fathers.

More at deaconspod.com

Paulist Press' new graphic biography "Dorothy Day: Radical Devotion" is the subject of this special episode of Deacons Pod.

This colorful, visual narrative tells the story of Servant of God Dorothy Day (1897 - 1980), founder of the Catholic Worker movement.

The Paulist Deacon Affiliates are joined by author Jeffry Odell Korgen and illustrator Christopher Cardinale to discuss their book.

The deacons are assisted in the interview by Professor Kevin Ahern, director of the Dorothy Day Center at Manhattan University and co-chair of the Dorothy Day Guild, which is promoting her cause for canonization.

ABOUT THE SHOW:

Deacons Pod is a podcast for everyone. But, it’s especially created to inspire and give hope to people on the “threshold of faith”: Those who are thinking about going to Church and those who are thinking about leaving Church.

Deacons Pod is hosted by the Paulist Deacon affiliates. The podcast is a production of the Paulist Fathers.

More at deaconspod.com

Centering prayer is the topic of this special episode of Deacons Pod.

The Paulist Deacon Affiliates' guest is Colleen Thomas, a spiritual director trained in the monastic arts of discernment, spiritual companionship, and retreat leadership, and a long-time practitioner of centering prayer.

Colleen is Associate Program Director at Stillpoint: A Center for Christian Spirituality in Los Angeles.

She also is Diversity Outreach Coordinator for Contemplative Outreach and host of the "Opening Minds, Opening Hearts" podcast.

Colleen holds a Master of Arts degree in Theology and Art from Fuller Theological Seminary.

ABOUT THE SHOW:

Deacons Pod is a podcast for everyone. But, it’s especially created to inspire and give hope to people on the “threshold of faith”: Those who are thinking about going to Church and those who are thinking about leaving Church.

Deacons Pod is hosted by the Paulist Deacon affiliates. The podcast is a production of the Paulist Fathers.

More at deaconspod.com

In this special "Year In Review" episode of Deacons Pod, the Paulist Deacon Affiliates take a look back at how 2024 went for them personally, for their parish ministries, and for our podcast.

The deacons chat about which of our episodes and guests over the past year resonated with them the most.

They also consider the common themes that emerged from guests in 2024 as they answered our "threshold question": "What words of hope would you give to a person thinking about no longer going to Church or to a person thinking about returning after a time away?"

ABOUT THE SHOW:

Deacons Pod is a podcast for everyone. But, it’s especially created to inspire and give hope to people on the “threshold of faith”: Those who are thinking about going to Church and those who are thinking about leaving Church.

Deacons Pod is hosted by the Paulist Deacon affiliates. The podcast is a production of the Paulist Fathers.

More at deaconspod.com