Dramatic Catholics

Are your dreams trying to tell you something? Is that coincidence a sign from God? Hosts Delila Baca and Esme Gonzalez welcome Maria Kangapadan, Delila's new coworker and Outreach Coordinator for the Holy Cross Mission Center, as well as a Notre Dame theology graduate, for a conversation about spiritual experiences, astrology, divination, and Catholic discernment on all things spooky.

Through personal stories and cultural perspectives, they explore how to recognize the Holy Spirit's guidance without falling into superstition or over-interpreting signs. From horoscopes to dreams, discover what the Catholic Church teaches about seeking answers and discerning God's voice.

What do baking, hospitality, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit have in common? Join us for a conversation with Br. Ben Sasin, C.S.C., about discovering and cultivating our gifts, talents, and charisms. Through personal stories and reflections on faith, creativity, and community, we explore how our everyday work can become an expression of love and a way to draw closer to God. Together, we discuss how charisms build up the Church, how community helps us recognize our gifts, and how offering those gifts in service to others allows God to work through us.

Not sure where to begin discovering your charisms? Take the spiritual gifts test to start exploring your gifts and how you can use them to serve others and build up the Church.

Is God calling you to religious life? If you are a man discerning a vocation, visit Holy Cross Vocations to learn more about religious life with the Congregation of Holy Cross.

What does it really mean to be a woman today? In this episode, we dive into femininity, independence, relationships, and what it means to embrace the unique gifts and vocation God has given women.

We’re joined by Megan Boyington, youth minister at St. Joseph Catholic Church in South Bend and a Franciscan University graduate with a degree and master’s in Theology. Together, we have a fun and honest conversation about being a Catholic woman in today’s world.

And men, don’t skip this one! Understanding femininity can help us all better understand and appreciate the women in our lives.

Check out FemCatholic, referenced in the episode: femcatholic.com

Dust off your Bibles! This week, we’re learning about Lectio Divina, an ancient form of prayer that helps us slow down and meditate on Scripture. We’ll walk through its four movements: lectio (reading), meditatio (meditation), oratio (prayer), and contemplatio (contemplation).

We will also practice Lectio together using the story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10.

Come join us as we explore this beautiful way of praying with Scripture and discover what God has to speak to you through the love letter He gives us in Sacred Scripture.

What happens when we realize we’ve become comfortable in our faith?

In this episode, we talk about spiritual complacency, persistent prayer, trust in God, and the courage to go deeper. We reflect on Matthew 15:21–28 and the Canaanite woman’s persistent faith, asking what God might be inviting us to do when He seems silent.

Whether you are new to the faith, or have been a long time practicing Catholic, this one is for you! :)

Welcome to Season 4 of the Dramatic Catholics Podcast!

We're joined by one of our guest hosts, David Portugal, for a conversation on hearing God's voice, discernment, and how we can better prepare our hearts to grow in prayer. We kick off this new season on the feast day of St. John Vianney, and it's also our golden birthday!

A huge thank you to everyone who has generously supported the podcast. Your prayers and donations have made this ministry possible.

Finally, we're officially on video! It's a new adventure for us, so thank you for your patience as we learn and grow in this new format.

Like & Subscribe:

Instagram: @dramatic_catholics

⚠️ Fair warning: this episode’s audio quality is rough lol. We recorded this final episode without equipment, and honestly… it shows 😭

But we still wanted to sit down and reflect on this season with you all rather than skip the episode completely.

If you’ve supported the podcast, listened consistently, shared episodes, or believed in what we’re building, thank you. If you’d like to help us improve the quality of future episodes for Season 4, please consider donating. Your contributions would directly help us upgrade our audio setup and continue creating better content consistently.

DONATE HERE: https://tinyurl.com/ycywj2de

In this episode, we recap this past season of the podcast, share personal life updates, reflect on where we were spiritually at the beginning of the year and where we are now, and have an honest conversation about suffering, growth, and what it means to still live in victory through difficult seasons.

This week on Dramatic Catholics, we welcome Helena Heffernan, Western Region Ministry Coach for Life Teen International, for a fun, honest, and dramatic conversation on singleness, dating, identity, and why your life is not on pause while waiting for marriage. 👀💍

We talk about putting yourself out there, being real with God in seasons of waiting, and why the right relationship should bring peace—not chaos.

If you’re single, know someone single, dated someone single, or avoided texting someone back this week… this episode is for you. 😂

Share this episode with the single man or woman in your life!

This is the final episode of our 3-part dating series! Be sure to go back and listen to S2 Ep. 14: A Catholic Guide to Dating and S3 Ep. 14: Dating vs. Dating.

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If Dramatic Catholics has impacted your faith, we invite you to be part of keeping this mission alive. As the show enters a new season, your support will help us secure the equipment needed to continue creating and reaching more souls. If you’re able, consider offering one week of your tithe to support this work of evangelization. Thank you for walking with us and helping the mission grow. If you love our show, consider donating ⁠here⁠!

https://gofund.me/82dd06298

This week on Dramatic Catholics, we’re joined by Mary Bakke and Cecilia Fritz—two of six COR members serving at Andre House of Hospitality.

COR is a “re-imagined” team living a year of service in community, serving the poor and diving deeper into the faith.

In this episode, we talk COR life, pushing through struggles in prayer, choosing God’s will, and walking alongside the sorrows of the guest they serve. We also challenge misconceptions about homelessness, reflect on true community, and what it means to step into the uncomfortable.

Plus, a slightly chaotic hot take to wrap it up (listen at your own risk lol).

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If Dramatic Catholics has impacted your faith, we invite you to be part of keeping this mission alive. As the show enters a new season, your support will help us secure the equipment needed to continue creating and reaching more souls. If you’re able, consider offering one week of your tithe to support this work of evangelization. Thank you for walking with us and helping the mission grow. If you love our show, consider donating here!

https://gofund.me/82dd06298

Tune in this week with our SJV Lifeteen Core Team to get a behind-the-scenes look at life in youth ministry. From glory stories to meaningful moments, we’re talking about what it’s like to serve teens—and why we’re still doing it after all these years. Through laughter, honesty, and faith, we explore what it means to keep showing up for the next generation. Inspired by our mission at St. John Vianney, everything we do points back to one goal: to know Jesus and to make Him known.

Shout out to the fam that came through on this podcast: Bryan Toribio, Christ Moran, Erin Fish, Paola Diaz, Aleyka Hernandez, Miguel Serrano, & Eliana Navarro

Interested in seeing our Lifehouse Skit? We HIGHLY reccomend watching here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9OJNU4yUyK/?igsh=d214M2Fya2x0YnV1

Follow SJV’s Youth Ministry @sjvym

Follow our Band @seedsoffaith_

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If Dramatic Catholics has impacted your faith, we invite you to be part of keeping this mission alive. As we prepare for season four, your support will help us continue sharing meaningful conversations and bringing the hope of the Gospel to more hearts. As of April 20, 2026, we are working to secure the equipment needed to move forward. If you’re able, consider offering one week of your tithe to support this work of evangelization. Thank you for walking with us and being part of this mission—if you love the show, consider donating here: https://gofund.me/82dd06298