Kresta in the Afternoon

Last Saturday was the 400th anniversary of the canonization of four saints – Teresa of Avila, Ignatius Loyola, Francis Xavier, and Philip Neri. We could easily spend two full hours talking about their lives and the roles they played in the counter-reformation. We get a quick recap from Meg Hunter-Kilmer.

Tomorrow we celebrate the feat of one of our great saints: St. Joseph. We look at how he is a role model for husbands and fathers with Fr. Ed Broom.

The bishop of Essen, Germany has appointed 18 lay pastoral workers to serve as extraordinary baptismal ministers. It's in response to a "pastorally difficult situation" caused by a local shortage of priests - but is it allowed? Matthew Bunson joins us with a look and also discusses the Pope’s recent comments on Just War.

St. Patrick is among the best-known saints and has one of the most iconic feast days. What do we know about his life, especially his early years? How did he come to be a missionary and why did he choose to go to Ireland? We'll look at his life with Philip Freeman.

John Quinn’s son, Tyler Jacob, has been teaching in Ukraine and has a family there. Last week, he was on a bus leaving the country with other foreigners when the bus was stopped at a Russian checkpoint. Tyler, the only American on the bus, was the only one to be detained. John lets us know what he’s been hearing.

Man of God, written and directed by Yelena Popovic, focuses on the unjust persecutions and humiliations that follow Bishop Nektarios, venerated as Saint Nektarios of Aegina in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The film will be in select theaters for two nights only - Yelena joins us.

Leaders in the Democratic party and in the mainstream press have been up in arms recently over a Florida law they have dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill. The legislation never mentions the word gay, and is actually meant to limit teachers from discussing issues of sexual orientation or gender identity with very young children. Fr. Paul Sullins has more.

Al looks at some recent stories involving bishops, including a Mexican bishop who will deny communion to pro-abortion politicians.

Even in the worst situations, we can find Catholics and other Christians working to bring a light to the darkness. And that's what's happening in Ukraine. Szymon Czyszek and the Knights of Columbus have been providing relief in Ukraine and in Poland, where more than a million Ukrainians are seeking refuge. Szymon joins us.

Art – whether it be great paintings, sculptures, statues, or something else, is often a casualty of war. There’s no reason to believe Ukraine will be an exception. It may seem frivolous to talk about art during such a grave humanitarian crisis, but art is an essential part of the humanity of a culture, exploited by invaders and destroyed by barbarians to strike at the heart of a people’s identity. We look at the legacy of Ukraine’s art with Elizabeth Lev.