Modern Catholic Family

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Changing diapers, fielding the third snack request of the morning, and wrangling little ones at Mass can feel a world away from the sunsets and mountain peaks where God seems so near. Jim and Meghan sit down with Stephen Schneider to explore how families can encounter God’s beauty in the ordinary moments of home. Drawing from his Minnesota upbringing, his marriage to his wife, Hannah, and life with four young children, Stephen shares how they brought faith, family, and work together into one cohesive life. With warmth and honesty, he invites parents to slow down, care for the gifts God has given, and let Him teach them who they truly are. 

What’s in this episode:

• Seeing God’s hand in the small, mundane moments of parenting young children
• The seeds of faith planted by Stephen and Hannah’s parents and how they took root
• Starting Schneider Goods Co. with Hannah, his wife and co-founder, in early 2024
• Bringing faith, marriage, family, and work together into one cohesive life
• A six-year-old’s first lesson in earning money, giving to God, and saving
• Leading a family business with virtue and celebrating the infinite gifts of God’s love
• Tallow skincare, regenerative farming, and stewarding God’s creation well
• The artisan’s mark in handmade goods as a reflection of how God creates us
• Rediscovering a love of reading and seeing his children in a new light
• Why relationship and family-to-family community matter most for his children
• How a holy hour before the Blessed Sacrament teaches us who we really are
• One resource every Catholic family should know: Gather and Grow by Rory Groves
• Book he is currently reading: The Harvester by Gene Stratton-Porter
• Advice to his younger self: Practice handcraft and learn to care for the things in your life
• Final wisdom for listeners: Pick up a holy hour and be okay being humble before the Lord

Resources Mentioned:

Schneider Goods Co. – Tallow skincare, cherry wood utensils, beeswax candles, and natural goods for the home

Schneider Goods Co. on Instagram – Updates and inspiration for finding beauty in God’s creation

Gather and Grow – Resources on the family economy and celebrating the beauty of family life

The Harvester by Gene Stratton-Porter – A novel about a man who harvests medicinal herbs in the woods

The Family Economy by Rory Groves & Allan C. Carlson –  A book on bringing economy back into the family instead of farming it out

Our friends at the Catholic Foundation of North Georgia are hosting a charitable Giving Lunch and Learn on Wednesday, November 4th from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Chancery of the Archdiocese of Atlanta in Smyrna. Featured speaker Chris Gabriel of Wise Generosity will guide you in helping clients answer why they give, how they give, and what God wants to accomplish through their generosity. Register today at cfnga.org/events.

Looking for meaningful ways to deepen your family’s connection with God outside of Sunday Mass? Download our free guide to discover 10 practical and fun faith-based activities that will bring your family closer to Christ—no matter how busy life gets. From sharing gratitude at the dinner table to watching faith-filled media together, these ideas make living your faith easy and enjoyable.

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What if laughter is one of the truest ways to bring people back to Christ? Jim and Meghan sit down with Ashley Strand, founder of Holy Smoke Comedy, to talk about building a ministry that uses improv and comedy to evangelize without losing reverence. Ashley shares her own winding path through grief, new age wandering, and a return to the Catholic faith, along with what it looks like to create art that is edgy, virtuous, and honest about both suffering and joy. It is a conversation about finding God in the unexpected places of life, including through humor.

What’s in this episode:

• Ashley's path from theater and depression to founding Holy Smoke Comedy
• Her journey from Protestant faith into new age searching before Catholicism
• How grief and a serious health scare reshaped her calling to comedy
• The mission behind Holy Smoke Comedy: edgy, yet virtuous, never scandalous
• Why good art embraces the ugly to reveal what is true and beautiful
• Weekly improv jams and upcoming events like the Saint Philip Neri Festival
• The healing power of humor, including Jim's story of losing his father
• Encouragement for parents whose kids feel called to performing arts
• One resource every Catholic family should know: "On the Nature of Comedy in American Catholic Culture," an essay by Holy Smoke Comedy's writing partner Tony on comedy and Catholic art, available by emailing [email protected]
• Book she is currently reading: The Bible, the resource Ashley returns to for stories and wisdom that ground her, especially in hard times
• Advice to her younger self: Keep being the wild, funny, Jesus loving self she was as a teen, and keep loving people even when they do not love back
• Final wisdom for listeners: Find the laughter in daily life, even in stress or sadness, since humor can be deeply healing

Resources Mentioned:

Holy Smoke Comedy – Catholic improv and sketch comedy shows, workshops, and events blending faith and humor

"On the Nature of Comedy in American Catholic Culture" – An essay on comedy and Catholic art by Holy Smoke Comedy's writing partner Tony, available by emailing [email protected]

A Letter to Artists by Pope John Paul II – Referenced for its reflection on mystery and beauty in art

Our friends at the Catholic Foundation of North Georgia are hosting a charitable Giving Lunch and Learn on Wednesday, November 4th from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Chancery of the Archdiocese of Atlanta in Smyrna. Featured speaker Chris Gabriel of Wise Generosity will guide you in helping clients answer why they give, how they give, and what God wants to accomplish through their generosity. Register today at cfnga.org/events.

Looking for meaningful ways to deepen your family’s connection with God outside of Sunday Mass? Download our free guide to discover 10 practical and fun faith-based activities that will bring your family closer to Christ—no matter how busy life gets. From sharing gratitude at the dinner table to watching faith-filled media together, these ideas make living your faith easy and enjoyable.

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Sometimes faith is tested most in the moments we least expect. Jim and Meghan open up about the sudden, recent loss of Jim's father, sharing an honest look at what it means to grieve as a Catholic family. From last rites at his bedside to the outpouring of support from their parish, they walk through how their faith carried them through this loss. This episode is a tender reminder that faith shows up most powerfully in our lowest moments.

What’s in this episode:

• Why grief can look different within the same family
• How their parish responded in the hours after a sudden loss
• The comfort of receiving last rites within hours of deathA father's eulogy built around two simple words: be there
• Father Collin's continued care for their daughter in the weeks after
• A parish ministry that provided a free reception for 100 guests
• Watching three kids each grieve in a different way
• Leaning on the Hail Mary and the surrender prayer in the hardest moments

Our friends at the Catholic Foundation of North Georgia are hosting a charitable Giving Lunch and Learn on Wednesday, November 4th from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Chancery of the Archdiocese of Atlanta in Smyrna. Featured speaker Chris Gabriel of Wise Generosity will guide you in helping clients answer why they give, how they give, and what God wants to accomplish through their generosity. Register today at cfnga.org/events.

Looking for meaningful ways to deepen your family’s connection with God outside of Sunday Mass? Download our free guide to discover 10 practical and fun faith-based activities that will bring your family closer to Christ—no matter how busy life gets. From sharing gratitude at the dinner table to watching faith-filled media together, these ideas make living your faith easy and enjoyable.

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What if 90% of the intensity we feel in a marital argument has almost nothing to do with what just happened? Jim and Meghan sit down with Dr. Peter Malinoski, clinical psychologist and co-founder of Souls and Hearts, for something completely different: a live, guided exercise into the unconscious patterns that shape how we react to the people we love most. Using Internal Family Systems therapy, Dr. Peter walks Jim and Meghan through a real conflict from their own week, uncovering how childhood wounds still echo in their marriage today. With honesty, humor, and real vulnerability, this episode reveals how understanding our internal world can transform our external relationships.

What’s in this episode:

• Dr. Peter's background in Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy
• Why so much of our present conflict is rooted in unresolved past pain
• A live, in-the-moment exercise walking Jim and Meghan through real conflict
• The backstory behind a tense night over dishes and a sick cat
• How childhood wounds around "not being enough" resurfaced for both hosts
• Saint Thomas Aquinas on grace, nature, and the good we're really seeking
• The connection between unresolved patterns and purgatory
• A simple, priest-taught practice for apology and forgiveness

Resources Mentioned:

Souls and Hearts – Hundreds of resources including courses, podcasts, and Catholic human formation communities

Resilient Catholics Community – A community for individuals, couples, and families doing deep human formation work

Formation for Formators – A community supporting the human formation of priests, therapists, coaches, spiritual directors, and seminary formators

Interior Integration for Catholics podcast – Dr. Peter's podcast; episodes 157-159 explore Internal Family Systems in depth

Our friends at the Catholic Foundation of North Georgia are hosting a charitable Giving Lunch and Learn on Wednesday, November 4th from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Chancery of the Archdiocese of Atlanta in Smyrna. Featured speaker Chris Gabriel of Wise Generosity will guide you in helping clients answer why they give, how they give, and what God wants to accomplish through their generosity. Register today at cfnga.org/events.

Looking for meaningful ways to deepen your family’s connection with God outside of Sunday Mass? Download our free guide to discover 10 practical and fun faith-based activities that will bring your family closer to Christ—no matter how busy life gets. From sharing gratitude at the dinner table to watching faith-filled media together, these ideas make living your faith easy and enjoyable.

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"Fulfillment only comes from living for God." This week on Modern Catholic Family, Jim and Meghan sit down with Father Avery Daniel, a priest of the Archdiocese of Atlanta and pastor at St. Benedict in Johns Creek, to hear his journey from a Naval Academy hopeful to a joyful shepherd of souls. Father Avery shares how a shocking military disqualification became the turning point that led him to discover God's calling, and offers hard won wisdom for young men discerning the priesthood and the families who love them.

What’s in this episode:

• The Naval Academy dream disqualified by a condition he never had
• A midnight encounter with the Lord that changed everything
• Why the Lord asked rather than ordered him into the priesthood
• His mother's unforgettable response to his call from God
• The hardest and most joyful parts of priestly life
• How parents can process fear when a son discerns the priesthood
• Wisdom for grandparents and parents supporting that calling
• A resource for building a family prayer life at home
• Book recommendations on priesthood, leadership, and literature
• One resource every Catholic family should know: The Home Oratory 
• Book he is currently reading: The Priest Is Not His Own by Fulton Sheen &  Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink & Leif Babin 
• Advice to his younger self: "Just do the thing... The Lord is giving you what you need. You don't have to worry about it."
• Final wisdom for listeners: "God is always there... the only thing he needs is your permission to come in."

Resources Mentioned:

@thehomeoratory – Daily inspiration for bringing prayer and worship into the home

The Priest Is Not His Own by Fulton Sheen – A reflection on priestly identity and the heart of Christ

Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink & Leif Babin – A leadership book on personal responsibility and accountability

Our friends at the Catholic Foundation of North Georgia are hosting a charitable Giving Lunch and Learn on Wednesday, November 4th from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Chancery of the Archdiocese of Atlanta in Smyrna. Featured speaker Chris Gabriel of Wise Generosity will guide you in helping clients answer why they give, how they give, and what God wants to accomplish through their generosity. Register today at cfnga.org/events.

Looking for meaningful ways to deepen your family’s connection with God outside of Sunday Mass? Download our free guide to discover 10 practical and fun faith-based activities that will bring your family closer to Christ—no matter how busy life gets. From sharing gratitude at the dinner table to watching faith-filled media together, these ideas make living your faith easy and enjoyable.

Send us Fan Mail

What if the deepest ache in the human heart, the craving to be seen, heard, and truly known, can only be satisfied by God? Jim and Meghan sit down with Daniel, who now leads marriage and family ministry with Family Honor, to explore why every human heart longs to be seen, heard, and known, and how that longing ultimately points back to God. Drawing on nearly two decades in ministry and his own conversion story at Georgia Tech, Daniel unpacks the counterfeits our culture offers in place of real intimacy and why lasting love starts with the love of God. He also opens up about parenting six teenagers, walking through a son's wandering faith, and the daily battle every family faces in choosing what leans toward the Lord.

What’s in this episode:

• Why intimacy is the deepest longing behind our addictions and struggles
• Daniel's conversion moment sparked by a crude joke at Georgia Tech
• Family Honor's in-person workshops for parents and children
• Programs built for different ages, from puberty through dating
• The foundation of virtue and why God's rules protect, not restrict
• Navigating a teenage son's struggle with faith and confirmation
• Why the battle for our souls plays out in daily small decisions
• One resource every Catholic family should know: The Catechism of the Catholic Church
• Book he is currently reading: Lay Siege to Heaven by Louis De Wohl
• Advice to his younger self: Start a prayer life and keep adding to it
• Final wisdom for listeners: Remember the constant, eternal battle for your soul in every choice

Resources Mentioned:

Family Honor Inc – Workshops helping parents talk to kids about God, love, life, and sexuality

Lay Siege to Heaven by Louis De Wohl – A novel on the life of St. Catherine of Siena

Our friends at the Catholic Foundation of North Georgia are hosting a charitable Giving Lunch and Learn on Wednesday, November 4th from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Chancery of the Archdiocese of Atlanta in Smyrna. Featured speaker Chris Gabriel of Wise Generosity will guide you in helping clients answer why they give, how they give, and what God wants to accomplish through their generosity. Register today at cfnga.org/events.

Looking for meaningful ways to deepen your family’s connection with God outside of Sunday Mass? Download our free guide to discover 10 practical and fun faith-based activities that will bring your family closer to Christ—no matter how busy life gets. From sharing gratitude at the dinner table to watching faith-filled media together, these ideas make living your faith easy and enjoyable.

Send us Fan Mail

What would it look like if we actually took young people's faith as seriously as they're capable of living it? Jim and Meghan sit down with Eric Gallagher, husband, father of five, and executive director of Lolek Ministries, to talk about his own teenage conversion and the two decades he's spent helping young people build a real, lasting relationship with Jesus. From silent retreats to one-on-one spiritual mentorship, Eric shares why he believes "spiritual health" is a more useful measure than "spiritual life," and how a simple toolbox of prayer and discipleship can carry someone from high school through marriage and parenthood.

What’s in this episode:

• Eric's teenage conversion story at a Steubenville conference
• The priest and father who shaped his early faith formation
• St. Francis de Sales' "Introduction to the Devout Life" as a turning point
• Going Deeper Retreats and the shift to one-on-one spiritual mentorship
• Why "spiritual health" is a more actionable term than "spiritual life"
• The new Spiritual Health Inventory tool from Lolek Ministries
• A powerful story of three sisters transformed by quiet discipleship
• The danger of expecting fruit from young converts too soon
• Friendship and community as an antidote to spiritual isolation
• Eric's toolbox approach to lifelong spiritual growth
• One resource every Catholic family should know: The Hallow App, SOCA, Ignatian discernment resources, and Discerning Hearts
• Book he is currently reading: A study guide on St. Teresa of Ávila's "The Interior Castle"
• Favorite book: "Into Your Hands, Father" by Fr. Wilfrid Stinissen
• Advice to his younger self: Trust silence and trust prayer, and seek out St. Francis de Sales sooner
• Final wisdom for listeners: Take honest stock of the fruits of the Holy Spirit in your life, then make time for a day or weekend retreat

Resources Mentioned:

Lolek Ministries – Nonprofit focused on feeding the spiritually hungry

Spiritual Health Inventory – New beta tool for assessing your spiritual health baseline

Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales – Classic guide Eric credits with transforming his own faith

Into Your Hands, Father by Fr. Wilfrid Stinissen – Eric's top recommendation on trust and abandonment to God

The Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Ávila – The classic Eric is currently working through via a study guide

Hallow App – Popular Catholic prayer and meditation app

Discerning Hearts – Resources on prayer, discernment, and spiritual formation

Our friends at the Catholic Foundation of North Georgia are hosting a charitable Giving Lunch and Learn on Wednesday, November 4th from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Chancery of the Archdiocese of Atlanta in Smyrna. Featured speaker Chris Gabriel of Wise Generosity will guide you in helping clients answer why they give, how they give, and what God wants to accomplish through their generosity. Register today at cfnga.org/events.

Looking for meaningful ways to deepen your family’s connection with God outside of Sunday Mass? Download our free guide to discover 10 practical and fun faith-based activities that will bring your family closer to Christ—no matter how busy life gets. From sharing gratitude at the dinner table to watching faith-filled media together, these ideas make living your faith easy and enjoyable.

Send us Fan Mail

Noelle Garcia  knows what it means to be squeezed from every side. As a homeschool mom of six and full-time caregiver to her mother-in-law, she joins Jim and Meghan to share her family's journey through the sandwich generation, caring for aging parents while still raising children at home. From her father-in-law's cancer battle and unexpected deathbed conversion to the daily challenges of dementia care, Noelle speaks with honesty about grief, exhaustion, and grace. She offers practical wisdom on self-care, marriage, and leaning on community when the weight feels like too much to carry alone.

What’s in this episode:

• Her father-in-law's cancer battle and his powerful deathbed conversion
• Bringing a mother-in-law with dementia to live in their home
• The real difference between self-soothing and lasting self-care
• Protecting marriage while both spouses are stretched thin
• A fasting mishap that turned into an answered prayer
• Why community turns isolating struggles into shared crosses
• One resource every Catholic family should know: Catholic FamilyLand in Ohio, a Catholic family camp with a Marian consecration retreat
• Book she is currently reading: Theo of Golden
• Advice to her younger self: Don't put all your eggs in one basket - trust that God is working even when one thing doesn't work out
• Final wisdom for listeners: Find your community and share your struggles, because others are likely carrying something similar

Resources Mentioned:

Catholic FamilyLand - A Catholic family camp offering a Marian consecration retreat 

Dementia Careblazers - YouTube channel with caregiving tips for redirection and calm 

Gospel of Life Disciples + Dwellings - A Catholic hospice ministry run by religious sisters 

Theo of Golden - Novel about uncovering strangers' stories through portraits

Our friends at the Catholic Foundation of North Georgia are hosting a charitable Giving Lunch and Learn on Wednesday, November 4th from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Chancery of the Archdiocese of Atlanta in Smyrna. Featured speaker Chris Gabriel of Wise Generosity will guide you in helping clients answer why they give, how they give, and what God wants to accomplish through their generosity. Register today at cfnga.org/events.

Looking for meaningful ways to deepen your family’s connection with God outside of Sunday Mass? Download our free guide to discover 10 practical and fun faith-based activities that will bring your family closer to Christ—no matter how busy life gets. From sharing gratitude at the dinner table to watching faith-filled media together, these ideas make living your faith easy and enjoyable.

Send us Fan Mail

"Your family has a mission." That's what Julie Liotta's priest told her in confession one ordinary Wednesday morning, and the words changed everything. Jim and Meghan sit down with Julie, a former Marine Corps company commander now serving as coordinator for adult faith formation and evangelization at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, to talk about what it means to live as a family on mission. Drawing from her years in the Marine Corps, her work walking converts through OCIA, and story after story of God pursuing hearts in unexpected ways, Julie shows how ordinary moments, from chicken tenders to confession, become the mission field.

What’s in this episode:

• The moment a priest told Julie her family has a mission
• Lessons from the Marine Corps on leadership and mission
• The atheist midshipman who asked, "Am I invited?"
• A stranger's 40-year journey away from the Church and back
• Encouraging a man wrestling with frustration in his conversion
• Why pausing before speaking opens space for the Holy Spirit
• The surprising origin story behind Teams of Our Lady
• Julie's work leading OCIA at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament
• Why being fully yourself is key to sharing your faith
• A call to be brave in living out your Catholic identity
• One resource every Catholic family should know: Teams of Our Lady
• Book she is currently reading: 60 Days to Becoming a Missionary Disciple by Fr. John Bartunek
• Favorite book: Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
• Advice to her younger self: Be present exactly where you are, because that's where God is pursuing you
• Final wisdom for listeners: Be brave. The world needs brave people who aren't afraid to be who they're called to be.

Resources Mentioned:

Teams of Our Lady – A lay apostolate that helps married couples grow closer in faith and community

60 Days to Becoming a Missionary Disciple by Fr. John Bartunek – A 60 day guide to living as a missionary disciple

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell – A classic novel that ignited Julie's love of reading as a child

Camp Wojtyla – A Catholic summer camp for kids in Colorado

Mustard Seed Communities – A Catholic community in Jamaica serving people with disabilities

Our friends at the Catholic Foundation of North Georgia are hosting a charitable Giving Lunch and Learn on Wednesday, November 4th from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Chancery of the Archdiocese of Atlanta in Smyrna. Featured speaker Chris Gabriel of Wise Generosity will guide you in helping clients answer why they give, how they give, and what God wants to accomplish through their generosity. Register today at cfnga.org/events.

Looking for meaningful ways to deepen your family’s connection with God outside of Sunday Mass? Download our free guide to discover 10 practical and fun faith-based activities that will bring your family closer to Christ—no matter how busy life gets. From sharing gratitude at the dinner table to watching faith-filled media together, these ideas make living your faith easy and enjoyable.

Send us Fan Mail

Why does one family return to the same small island every summer, and what do they find there? Jim and Meghan step away from their usual guest format to reflect together on nearly two decades of summers in Jamestown, Rhode Island, the place where Meghan grew up and where their family has built a second, deeply rooted community. From an unexpected turn on the altar to conversations that stretch late into the night in a favorite corner of the house they call the cupola, they explore how leaving routine behind draws them closer to each other and to God. It is a conversation about slowing down, showing up in a small parish, and discovering that a place, like a person, can become an unexpected gift.

What’s in this episode:

• The origin story of summering in Rhode Island as a family tradition
• Community as an extension of what it means to be Catholic
• Encountering God's beauty in nature, from sunsets to ocean waves
• Jim's unexpected turn as lector the day the bishop visited
• Getting out of routine to slow down and rediscover morning prayer
• Multigenerational memories with great-grandparents, cousins, and family
• How their daughter's first Communion came together at the island parish
• Evening conversations in "the cupola" as a nightly family ritual
• Why family rules and priorities shift when routine is left behind

Our friends at the Catholic Foundation of North Georgia are hosting a charitable Giving Lunch and Learn on Wednesday, November 4th from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Chancery of the Archdiocese of Atlanta in Smyrna. Featured speaker Chris Gabriel of Wise Generosity will guide you in helping clients answer why they give, how they give, and what God wants to accomplish through their generosity. Register today at cfnga.org/events.

Looking for meaningful ways to deepen your family’s connection with God outside of Sunday Mass? Download our free guide to discover 10 practical and fun faith-based activities that will bring your family closer to Christ—no matter how busy life gets. From sharing gratitude at the dinner table to watching faith-filled media together, these ideas make living your faith easy and enjoyable.