June 25, 2025

Pillow Fight!

32 minutes

There’s nothing like the NBA and NHL Finals… unless you count professional pillow fighting.

In this episode, Father Dave and Deacon Bob celebrate the end of the sports season with a rundown of the Stanley Cup, the NBA Finals, and the rise of summer’s strangest athletic events, including the Pillow Fighting Championship (yes, it’s real).

But the heart of the episode is hope—the kind that doesn’t come from scores or summer plans, but from Christ. They reflect on the Eucharist, the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts, and the graces poured out at recent conferences at Franciscan and Notre Dame. From youth ministry to marriage milestones, they explore what it means to trust God with both our spiritual and everyday needs.

Naturally, they go off on tangents, from hotel bathrobes and awkward airline announcements to anniversary shoutouts and the idea of launching a Franciscan pillow-fighting team (tentative name: the Franciscan Feathers).

Highlighted Sections

(00:00) Bathrobes, Notre Dame, and the $175 Upcharge

Deacon Bob checks in from the Morris Inn at the University of Notre Dame, complimentary robe included. He’s there for Notre Dame Vision, a youth program inviting high schoolers into deeper faith.

(03:30) Sports Wrap and the Rise of Pillow Fighting

From there, they pivot to sports: the Florida Panthers clinch the Stanley Cup, Oklahoma City Thunder top the Pacers in Game 7, and Canada’s Stanley Cup drought continues. And just when you think sports can’t get weirder—enter the Pillow Fighting Championship, now with corporate sponsorships and, apparently, rules.

(10:31) Augustine and Airport Public Shaming

Fr. Dave highlights a recent In Focus episode featuring Dr. Shane Owens, where they unpack the enduring relevance of St. Augustine’s Confessions in a world increasingly shaped by AI and secular culture. The conversation quickly pivots, though, as Deacon Bob shares a less lofty moment: a painfully awkward moment from his flight to South Bend, where a bathroom break turned into a public shaming over the intercom.

(19:29) Hope as Grace: Conferences and Franciscan Honeymoon

Father Dave shares stories from the Power and Purpose Conference, themed around hope. He reflects on hope as a grace—not just good vibes or optimism—and mentions a couple who spent their 50th wedding anniversary and a couple on their honeymoon at the same event.

(23:01) Corpus Christi and the God Who Satisfies

Jesus didn’t just meet spiritual needs. He fed the crowds too. Father Dave and Deacon Bob explore how our trust in God is often strong in the abstract, but wavers in daily stresses. They tie it back to Corpus Christi, Romans 5, and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

(28:34) Sacred Hearts, Summer Kickoffs, and Marriage Milestones

Deacon Bob celebrates 28 years of marriage on the same day as the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He also gives a shoutout to the kickoff of Franciscan’s high school youth conferences and the ongoing Priests, Deacons, and Seminarians Retreat.

(31:10) Praying for Peace in a Complicated World

The hosts close with a prayer for peace amid global tensions, especially in the Middle East and Ukraine. They close with a reflection on Pope Leo’s Angelus invitation to prayer and remind listeners that lasting peace only comes from the Heart of Christ.

Resources & Mentions

Power and Purpose Conference – A weekend of renewal, prayer, and worship through Steubenville Conferences.

Notre Dame Vision – A summer youth program helping teens hear God’s call.

Romans 15:13 and Romans 5:5 – Scriptures that anchor this episode’s theme of hope

Pope Leo XIV: Son of St. Augustine– Watch the latest In Focus episode with guest Dr. Shane Owens on Faith & Reason.

Pillow Fighting Championship– Yes, it’s real. Yes, it has rules. Yes, you’re going to Google it.

Listen to more They That Hope episodes and discover other Catholic podcasts, videos, and resources at Faith and Reason.

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