Ever Ancient, Ever New

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!

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, “The Sacrament of Matrimony”.

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

On today’s episode, we will be featuring a talk from our 2013 National Meeting by Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv. of the the Conventual Franciscan Friars. 

2013 national meeting with you, from Fr. James McCurry, OFM.

Reverend James McCurry, OFM Conv., was born in Ireland and has lectured, conducted retreats and spiritual days, and preached in all 50 of the United States, as well as in over 60 countries on all seven continents. He authored Maximilian Kolbe: Martyr of Charity, has published several articles, and appeared on numerous radio, television and video programs. His Mariology series on EWTN was syndicated for several years, and he has frequently been a guest on the network. He is the Minister Provincial Emeritus of the Franciscan Friars Conventual, Our Lady of Angels Province, and Vice President of the Mariological Society of America.

Fr. James McCurry’s topic is “Blessed Is She: Mary, Model of Faith”. Thank you for listening!  May God bless you and enjoy! 

On this week's episode, we're listening to a Facebook Live interview featuring Brother Dominic Michael Heart of the Franciscan Brothers of Peace in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

The Franciscan Brothers of Peach are a community of Franciscan Brothers consecrated freely to Christ by the vows of poverty, celibacy, and obedience. They live an active life of prayer, brotherhood, and service, rebuilding the Dignity of Human Life through the works of mercy. They are a public association of the faithful, following the TOR Franciscan Rule and their Community Statutes, under the gracious care of their Archbishop Bernard Hebda of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

Brother Dominic Michael’s topic today is “The Holy Spirit's Role in Evangelization” and he is interviewed by IRL Board member, Jesse Weiler.

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

Started in 1986, the Pro Fidelitate et Virtue Award is conferred each year at the Institute on Religious Life’s National Meeting to someone who has been outstanding in the support and promotion of authentic religious life.

Today's episode is honoring our 2008 Pro Fidelitate et Virtute Award recipients, Mr. Jerome and Mrs. Gwen Coniker.

Desiring to live the message of Our Lady of Fatima, Jerry and Gwen Coniker consecrated themselves to Jesus, through Mary, in truth and grace. Closely collaborating with others—bishops, priests, religious and laity, the Conikers gradually developed a library of informative and inspiring multimedia resources, designed effective apostolic techniques and training, and launched innovative programs and publications of evangelization and catechesis.

The Conikers, with the prayerful and material support of countless apostles, have developed a wide variety of support ministries to accomplish the AFC’s purpose and mission. These ministries include week-long family fests, weekend conferences, various retreats and a 950-acre evangelization and catechetical training institute, all dedicated to the Holy Family and aimed at producing lasting spiritual fruits.

Today, we will be listening to by Jerome Coniker from our 2008 National Meeting titled, "Being Instruments of God's Mercy". Thank you for listening and we hope you enjoy!

On today’s episode, we will be featuring a talk from our 2013 National Meeting by Mr. Mike Sullivan. 

Mike Sullivan is the president of Catholics United for the Faith and publisher of Lay Witness and Emmaus Road Publishing. He contributed to the most recent volume of the best-selling Catholic for a Reason series: The Mystery of Marriage and Family Life. He has also written for Our Sunday Visitor, This Rock, and National Catholic Register. Sullivan has appeared as a commentator on current issues in the Catholic Church on several television and radio programs.

Sullivan has written and given talks on such topics as Christian marriage and family life, the teachings of Vatican II, Pope John Paul II’s “theology of the body,” the role of the laity in the Church, and devotion to Mary. Sullivan resides in Toronto, Ohio, with his wife, Gwen, and their eight children.

Mike Sullivan’s talk today is titled, "Catholic for a Reason: Having Your Answers Ready". Thank you for listening! May God bless you and enjoy! 

On this week's episode, we're listening to a Facebook Live interview on “The Seasons of the Glorious Birth of Our Lord” with IRL board member, Jesse Weiler, and Mother Marla Marie Lucas, MSCL, who is the Superior of the Maronite Servants of Christ the Light.

The Maronite Servants of Christ the Light are a congregation of consecrated religious serving the Church in the parish as spiritual mothers in imitation of Mary, radiating the Light of Christ in their life of contemplative prayer, asceticism, and apostolic mission to children, youth, young adults, families, the sick, dying, and grieving… They also serve alongside the priest in pastoral ministry reaching out with a maternal touch to the many needs of the parish family.

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

Started in 1986, the Pro Fidelitate et Virtue Award is conferred each year at the Institute on Religious Life’s National Meeting to someone who has been outstanding in the support and promotion of authentic religious life.

Today's episode is honoring our 2011 Pro Fidelitate et Virtute Award recipient, Fr. Kenneth Baker, S.J.

Fr. Kenneth Baker, S.J., is editor emeritus of the Homiletic & Pastoral Review, having served as editor from 1971 to 2010.  He graduated from Gonzaga University, studied Theology at the University of Innsbruck, Austria, and translated Karl Rahner’s Primacy and Episcopate into English.  After teaching for two years at Gonzaga University, he published his translation of Rahner’s Spiritual Exercises and received his Ph.D. from Marquette University. 

Returning to Gonzaga he became head of the Department of Theology in 1968, leading it faithfully through the turmoil surrounding Humanae Vitae.  He then served as president of Seattle University.  Fr. Baker has built and run three community television stations and was president of Catholic Views Broadcasting, Inc., which produced a weekly 15-minute radio program airing on 50 stations across the U.S.  He is the author of a three-volume explanation of the Faith called Fundamentals of Catholicism.

Today, we will be listening to Fr. Kenneth Baker's award acceptance speech at the 2011 National Meeting. Thank you for listening! May God bless you and enjoy!