Practicing Catholic Show

Discernment. It’s a word we use a lot in the Catholic Church, don’t we? If we use it a lot, then we know that it’s important. But what does it mean? We’re getting some help from our shepherd, Archbishop Bernard Hebda, who joins producer Kayla Mayer for his monthly conversation.

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Raise your hand if you are married, were married, or want to be married. Ok, keep them up. Now, for those who remain hands-down, raise your hand if you have close relatives or friends who are married or if you want to encourage those who are married. Did we get everyone? If your hand is up, you’ll love this guest. Catholic author and speaker, licensed marriage and family therapist, as well as wife, mother, and grandmother, Dr. Kate Walsh-Soucheray is back with us to talk about practical ways to build stronger marriages.

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Whether you realize it or not, we've just come through NFP Awareness week! Those who are familiar with and utilize Natural Family Planning are typically huge fans. And those who are unfamiliar with it often become intrigued just by hearing a little bit about it. Joining host Patrick Conley to nurture the fans and intrigue those unfamiliar with NFP is Alice Schwantes, a FertilityCare practitioner at Twin Cities Fertility Care Center.

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No matter your age, you probably use social media – to keep up with your kids, grandchildren and friends. It can be a great tool. But as you know – just look at Twitter – it can be a dark and negative place. At the same time, there are opportunities to evangelize, right? Joining host Patrick Conley to talk about being Practicing Catholics on social media is Mackenzie Hunter, a Catholic blogger on Instagram where you can find her @acaffeinatedcatholic.

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Do you go on retreat? A lot of Practicing Catholics do regularly, but many of us do not. Being that it’s summertime and a retreat is like a spiritual vacation, it's a good time to talk about “getting away with God.” Bob Beck – director of marketing and operations at Franciscan Retreats in Prior Lake – joined host Patrick Conley to talk about the benefits of a spiritual getaway.

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The 2023 National Kateri Tekakwitha Conference was in the Twin Cities this weekend bringing much-needed attention to our Native sisters and brothers, focusing on things like the harm from boarding schools, spiritual care for Native Catholics and more. It also focused on the prevalence of our Indigenous sisters who are missing and murdered. Father David Bailey, a priest of the Diocese of Tyler in Texas and a member of the USCCB’s Native American Advisory Board, sat down with host Patrick Conley to talk about this important issue.

**CONTENT WARNING** This episode contains mentions of violence and sexual assault that may be alarming to some listeners.

Recently, the film "Sound of Freedom" has drawn public attention to the issue of child trafficking as a real and potent issue in our society that we cannot afford to ignore. Human trafficking occurs around the world, in every segment of society—and even locally. Felicitas Brugo Onetti, who works for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops as their Anti-Trafficking Education and Outreach Coordinator, joined host Patrick Conley to talk more about human trafficking specifically in our Native American communities.

**CONTENT WARNING** This episode contains mentions of violence and sexual assault that may be alarming to some listeners.

Resources mentioned:

https://www.cctwincities.org/education-advocacy/catholic-social-teaching/notable-quotations/human-trafficking/

https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign

https://www.318project.org/

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Change, they say, is the only constant. In our Catholic parishes, we are familiar with change, especially big changes, like when our pastors are re-assigned. Such times can vary from ones of peaceful, smooth transition to tumultuous upheaval...usually somewhere in-between. Fr. Michael Van Sloun sat down with host Patrick Conley to discuss how these assignments work.

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If you’re a regular listener to the show and a practicing Catholic yourself, you probably strive to live ethically. Still, there are times when doing the unethical thing, especially if it’s something we deem as not overly important, tempts us—it may save time, money, and even face! Dr. Heidi Giebel, author and philosophy professor from the University of St. Thomas, joined host Patrick Conley to talk about why living the ethical life is living the best life.

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Grief. We’ve all been there, and often it involves a significant loss in our lives. In the midst of grief, you may find yourself questioning God’s presence—maybe even his existence. In trying to console someone walking through grief, you may struggle to find the words to say. Father Jon Vander Ploeg, director of spiritual formation at the Saint Paul Seminary, joins host Patrick Conley for a discussion on navigating the grieving process.