On this week's episode, we're listening to a Facebook Live interview featuring Dr. John Olesnavage.  A lifelong devout Catholic, John Olesnavage spent twenty-five years as a case worker in the human service field, working with criminal offenders, addicts, and the mentally ill. At forty-seven, he returned to school to pursue his dream of becoming a psychologist. John is a clinical psychologist, teacher, guide and activator who can inspire you to discover your Powerful Questions and create your legacy. John formed the My Powerful Question Institute in 2014.

Dr. Olesnavage’s topic today is “Your most Powerful Question” and he is interviewed by IRL Board member, Jesse Weiler.

Thank you for listening! May God bless you and enjoy! 

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of Fr. John A. Hardon's death, December 30th, 2025, the Institute on Religious Life will be launching a series of Fr. Hardon talks from our own archives!

Father Hardon entered the Society of Jesus in 1936. He authored over 200 books, including The Catholic Catechism (1975) and was a consultant for the drafting of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. He wrote countless articles, conducted numerous catechetical classes for religious and lay people, developed a series of full-semester courses and was a popular speaker and retreat master as well as a spiritual director and confessor to many. He also founded the Institute on Religious Life, Marian Catechists and Eternal Life.

Father Hardon died on December 30, 2000. His cause for canonization has been opened. 

Today, we will be listening to part two of a talk he gave titled, “Introduction To Principles and Practice of Prayer”.

Thank you and we hope you enjoy! May God bless you!

On today’s episode, we will be featuring a talk from our 2007 National Meeting by Sr. M. Stephania Newell of the Sisters of the St. Francis of the Martyr St. George in Alton, IL.

The Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George have been called by God to take an active part in rebuilding the Church, which was born from the heart of the crucified Christ. Flowing out of His open side, the charism entrusted to their community is to make the merciful love of Christ visible in our service. They do this through a variety of apostolic activities throughout the United States.

Sr. M. Stephania Newell’s talk is titled, What is my Vocation - Prayer of Discernment. Thank you for listening and we hope you enjoy! May God bless you! 

On this week's episode, we're listening to a Facebook Live interview featuring Sister Rita Marie, SsEW with the Sister Servants of the Eternal Word in Irondale, Alabama.  

The Sister Servants of the Eternal Word is a public association of the faithful begun by Mother Mary Gabriel Long in 1987. The community is contemplative-active, committed to evangelization through catechesis and retreats, according to the ideals of St. Francis and St. Dominic who rebuilt the Church in truth and charity. The Sister Servants run Casa Maria Retreat House and also participate in family catechesis, Sacramental preparation, and other catechetical missions throughout the diocese and beyond. They teach “spiritual things spiritually” (1 Cor 2:13) by witnessing to the Truth and Love of God, in imitation of St. Dominic and St. Francis.

Sister Rita Marie’s topic today is “The Pilgrimage to Lourdes and the Immaculate Conception” and she is interviewed by IRL Board member, Jesse Weiler.

Thank you for listening! May God bless you and enjoy! 

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of Fr. John A. Hardon's death, December 30th, 2025, the Institute on Religious Life will be launching a series of Fr. Hardon talks from our own archives!

Father Hardon entered the Society of Jesus in 1936. He authored over 200 books, including The Catholic Catechism (1975) and was a consultant for the drafting of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. He wrote countless articles, conducted numerous catechetical classes for religious and lay people, developed a series of full-semester courses and was a popular speaker and retreat master as well as a spiritual director and confessor to many. He also founded the Institute on Religious Life, Marian Catechists and Eternal Life.

Father Hardon died on December 30, 2000. His cause for canonization has been opened. 

Today, we will be listening to part one of a talk he gave titled, “Introduction To Principles and Practice of Prayer”.

Thank you and we hope you enjoy! May God bless you!

On today’s episode, we will be featuring a talk from our 2007 National Meeting by Msgr. Charles Mangan.

Msgr. Mangan is from the Diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is a faculty member at Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, MD. Ordained a priest in 1989, he has served as an official in the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life in Rome and director of his diocese's Office of the Marian Apostolate.

Msgr. Mangan’s talk is titled, Sacred Liturgy as Foretaste of Heavenly Prayer. Thank you for listening! May God bless you and enjoy! 

On this week's episode, we're listening to a Facebook Live interview featuringFr. Matthias of the Immaculate Heart, OCD of the Discalced Carmelite Friars of the California-Arizona Province.

The Discalced Carmelite Friars seek to respond to Christ's call by combining the contemplative spirit with the active apostolate. As Carmelite brothers and priests, they serve the Church in various ministries. They staff three parishes, a retreat house, a house of prayer, an Institute of Spirituality, and a mission in Uganda, Africa. They are also involved in spiritual direction, hospital chaplaincy, prison ministry, and spiritual assistance to Carmelite Nuns and Carmelite Seculars.

Fr. Matthias’ topic today is “Your Prayer Life: Navigating Meditation into Contemplation” and he is interviewed by IRL Board member, Jesse Weiler.

Thank you for listening! May God bless you and enjoy! 

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of Fr. John A. Hardon's death, December 30th, 2025, the Institute on Religious Life will be launching a series of Fr. Hardon talks from our own archives!

Father Hardon entered the Society of Jesus in 1936. He authored over 200 books, including The Catholic Catechism (1975) and was a consultant for the drafting of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. He wrote countless articles, conducted numerous catechetical classes for religious and lay people, developed a series of full-semester courses and was a popular speaker and retreat master as well as a spiritual director and confessor to many. He also founded the Institute on Religious Life, Marian Catechists and Eternal Life.

Father Hardon died on December 30, 2000. His cause for canonization has been opened. 

Today, we will be listening to part two of a talk he gave titled, “The Sacrament of Matrimony”.

Thank you and we hope you enjoy! May God bless you!

Today, we will be listening to a talk from our 2010 National Meeting from Mother Mary Assumpta Long, O.P. titled, In Pursuit of Perfect Charity.

Mother Mary Assumpta Long, OP is the former Prioress General of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  Mother Assumpta holds a S.T.L. in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, and has taught at the elementary, secondary and junior college levels. Mother Assumpta is the former Superior General of the St. Cecilia Congregation of the Nashville Dominican Sisters. In the early 1990s she was invited by John Cardinal O’Connor to assist with the initial formation of the Sisters of Life in New York. In 1997 she, along with three other Sisters, founded the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist. The Sisters currently teach in elementary and secondary schools in Michigan and six other states across the country.

Mother Assumpta was not only an IRL board member who served on the board for many years. She was also the Pro Fidelitate et Virtue Award recipient in 1993.

Thank you for listening and we hope you enjoy. May God bless you!

On this week's episode, we're listening to a Facebook Live interview featuring Sr. Sister Clare Key of the Daughters of St. Francis of Assisi, a religious congregation of women founded in Budapest, Hungary in 1894. Today their motherhouse is located in Lacon, Illinois.

Their Apostolate in the Church is service to our neighbor for the love of Christ. They want to bring the good tidings of God’s goodness and to engage our whole personality. Every work in the service of God is truly great and apostolic. Our Lord Jesus Christ has embraced all men in his love and has offered himself for all. They live their religious vocation as to convince all that through their consecration to God we do not become estranged from their fellow men, but that their union with them grows deeper in Christ’s love. They render services of Christian charity to all without exception and helping thereby to promote the welfare of the earthly human common wealth.

We are overjoyed to be able to share these talks and interviews with you, from these religious men and women who truly are some of the greatest treasures of the church.

Thank you for listening and we hope you enjoy. May God bless you!