Epiphany

Today is Thursday within the Octave of Easter. Vanessa previews today’s guests/topics and reflects on the Gospel reading of the day from Luke.

You are invited to join us for a night out with dinner and drinks in support of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School! Buy tickets here!

Proceeds raised will go to the St. Thomas Scholarship fund. This fund helps to ensure that all children can attend our school, regardless of financial circumstances. This year, the funds raised will also help support our excellent, faithful, and committed teachers.

📍Weber’s Hotel, Grand Ballroom, 3050 Jackson Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan

⌚ Doors open at 5:30 PM

🍴 Dinner is served at 6:30 PM

🌴 Live Auction starts at 7:00 PM

🎟️ Paddle Raise at 7:30PM

💃 Live Band starts after the auction!

Michael Sauter is the Headmaster of St. Thomas the Apostle School in Ann Arbor.

National Catholic Register: ‘Something’s Happening’: Catholic Converts Surge in Many U.S. Dioceses

DetroitCatholic: At Catholic Central, a trend emerges: More students are choosing to become Catholic

Rebecca Joseph is the co-leader of the OCIT program (Order of Christian Initiation of Teens) and a theology teacher at the school.

Kevin Walters is Campus Minister and Theology Department Head. Kevin began his work within Catholic high school education within the Archdiocese of Detroit in August of 1982 and began working at Catholic Central in August of 1996. He has described his educational ministry as being transformative and key to understanding the dignity and worth of all human beings.

Today is Wednesday within the Octave of Easter. Vanessa previews today’s guests/topics and reflects on the Gospel reading of the day from Luke.

Dr. Silva is a wife, mom, Certified Metanoia Catholic Mindset Coach, podcaster, and speaker.

Dr. Carron Silva - “My mission is simply to help people find peace through forgiveness and transformation through resilience. I serve individuals who have experienced trauma, betrayal, or emotional pain, helping them move beyond survival into thriving. I envision a world where forgiveness breaks the cycle of pain, where individuals are no longer held hostage by their past, and where every person can reclaim their life with dignity and strength. Healing is not only personal it ripples outward, touching families, communities, and future generations.”

The Apostle Paul asks rhetorically in Romans 10:14, “How are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard?” Preaching has been central to the Christian faith since Christ himself, who preached the good news of the Kingdom of God. In an age of disaffiliation, St. Paul’s question remains relevant. But preaching is not merely relaying facts about the Christian religion. It is, rather, an appeal to the heart, an offer of love. Hence our title is “savoring” the mystery and not simply “knowing” it.

Savoring the Mystery understands the crisis of disaffiliation as a crisis of love and seeks to remedy this specifically in preaching by helping our participants and the people they serve grow in their love of Scripture and their love of the One to whom Scripture attests.

Joshua McManaway is a Professor at the University of Notre Dame. He is the program director for Savoring the Mystery: Renewing Catholic Preaching in an Age of Disaffiliation funded by Lilly Endowment Inc, and the Academic Director of the Take a Second Look initiative. He regularly teaches courses in the Theology department on Scripture, languages, and the history of the Church.

Today is the feast of St. John Baptist de La Salle! Vanessa previews today’s guests/topics and talks about the large numbers of people entering the Catholic Church this Easter. We listen to Bishop Barron address the topic on Fox & Friends.

Sheri Wohlfert stresses the importance of the entire Easter Season, especially Easter Monday. Karen Rutherford shares her story of trusting in God during loss and understanding His will for her life.

The post Epiphany – April 21, 2025 appeared first on Ave Maria Radio.

As Lent continues, a first-of-its-kind national study finds that most Catholics who have stepped away from Confession haven’t given up on it. Among 1,500 U.S. Catholics surveyed in 2026, 67% of those who haven’t been to Confession in the past year say they are open to returning, with roughly half expressing a desire to go more often.

Findings from The Catholic Pulse Report: The Confession Study, conducted by Vinea Research Group, challenge the conventional narrative of a sacrament in irreversible decline. Distance from Confession, the research shows, is shaped more by hesitation, uncertainty, and the absence of habit than by disbelief or rejection.

The study goes beyond prior surveys that measured participation alone, exploring what draws Catholics to Confession, what keeps them away, and how the sacrament shapes their spiritual and personal lives.

Hans Plate is the Founder and President of Vinea Research. With more than 25 years of experience providing professional market research to industry-leading companies such as Pfizer and Medtronic, Hans felt compelled to apply proven business-based research methods in service to the Church. Combining his market research expertise with his devout Catholic beliefs, Hans leads a team at Vinea Research to provide high-caliber, action-oriented market research to parishes, Church leadership, apostolates, and advocacy groups.

We then revisit Steve Ray’s interview from March 31st about the Easter Triduum.

Listen again here!