Kresta in the Afternoon

As the post-pandemic world moves more and more to a less centralized view of religion and religious affiliation, churches and ministries today are struggling to connect and engage with their own communities. We get some insights into the post-covid religious landscape in America with Terry Poplava.

As the multi-year National Eucharistic Revival prepares to enter into the Year of the Parish on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, a new playbook is set to help Parishes bolster their Eucharistic culture and effectively share the gift of the Eucharist with all Catholics in the pews. Tim Glemkowski joins us with more.

This weekend Pope Francis fulfilled a promise to visit Hungary. Montse Alvarado tells us how it went, and then we discuss what it means to report on the news from a Catholic perspective.

Hundreds of books have been written to vindicate the Gospels by noting that they were written closer to the events they record than any other ancient history. But how do we know that they accurately recorded what Jesus said and did? Gary Michuta joins us.

The greatest loves in history were the saints who sought to love God above all else. And for those saints called to marriage, it was God’s love that led them to pursue their spouse in a more pure and holy courtship. Patrick O’Hearn shares their stories.

Joseph Pearce has spent decades studying both the public and private lives of JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis. So he was surprised recently to discover an old letter by their friend that taught him something new about Tolkien. He joins us.

When most of us think of Marian apparitions, we rightfully think of the incredible events at Lourdes, Fatima and Guadalupe. But those are by no means the only Marian apparitions – they’ve happened all over the world and have had astounding theological, spiritual and geopolitical consequences. As we kick off our celebration of the month of Mary, Dr. Mark Miravalle joins us with an in-depth look at how Mary has appeared to us throughout the centuries.

Today we celebrate the Feast of St Joseph the Worker. There’s a very specific reason this feast is celebrated on May 1, or “May Day.” How does Joseph’s example of the worker contrast with the socialist view of the worker? Dr. Paul Kengor joins us.

We often see in history how completely separate, yet closely-related, events fall within days of eachother. One such example concerns Leo XII and the Communist Manifesto, the anniversaries of which both fall in late February. Leo XIII, our third-longest-serving pope, is well known for his encyclical Rerum novarum, an explicit response to the proper care of workers and questions generated by the Industrial Revolution and Communist movement. Al shares some thoughts.

In many ways the world of St Catherine of Siena mirrors our own. The Church was shaken by scandals of clerical abuse and division and the world had been changed forever by the bubonic plague. But out of this chaos arose a newly inspired and empowered laity. Tomorrow’s her feast day; we’ll celebrate her life with Fr. Thomas McDermott.