The American Catholic Spirt

Every Wednesday night during harvest season, 16 Masses are celebrated in migrant farmworker camps across the Yakima Valley in Central Washington. This "Mass in Camps" initiative, supported by Catholic Extension Society, offers not only the Eucharist to seasonal migrant farmworkers, but also fellowship, food and music. In this episode, Bishop Joseph Tyson of Yakima discusses how reaching out to the margins benefits the Church as a whole. In fact, all seminarians in the diocese spend summers working alongside the laborers in the fields to understand those they will one day serve as priests. Father Jesús Mariscal recounts how earning "calluses before chalices" influenced his pastoral perspective when he was a seminarian. Experience faith blooming and the Church growing amid Yakima's bountiful harvest.

Puerto Rico's string of natural disasters has left an indelible mark on the people. Yet, their faith endures. In this episode, we visit Guayanilla, a small town at the epicenter of devastating earthquakes in 2020. Immaculate Conception, a 180-year-old landmark church, sustained major damage. Parishioners sadly watched their beloved worship space and pre-K–8th grade school reduced to rubble. We meet Father Melvin Diaz and principal Carmen Alicia Rodriguez Echeverria, who walk with the community each day. Beneath the church's wreckage is an unwavering foundation of faith proving stronger than any brick or mortar. Catholic Extension Society is helping to rebuild and fortify over 600 Catholic churches and schools on the island.

Music in the Black Catholic Church in America dates back to 17th century African rhythms fused with the Christian faith. This style of music is a cherished mode of prayer in the Deep South, and it carries a legacy of resilience and devotion. This episode features voices including the late Francis Leblanc, a gifted and beloved music minister and teacher in Louisiana. Additionally, Carol Smoke, a music director in Alabama, shares how songs can transport people from a downtrodden place to the heights of God's grace. Celebrate the vibrant spirituality behind the Black Catholic Church's soul-stirring songs that bring communities closer to their roots, to each other and to God.

Little Flower Parish on Blackfeet Nation works to help this Native American community rediscover and reclaim the beauty that has been endowed in them by their creator. Mass is offered at the annual four-day Indian Days celebration, wherein people of Blackfeet descent celebrate their heritage with traditional dancing, drumming and games. The parish was involved in the founding of a school that now boasts a high graduation rate and thriving athletics program. Catholic Extension Society has supported Little Flower Parish for 50 years.

In this episode we explore how the Catholic Church is good for societal health throughout the vast reaches of the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings in eastern Montana. Scattered throughout this territory, which is nearly the size of New Zealand, are small town parishes that are catalysts of compassion. When economies falter, Catholic churches are places of convening, assistance and hope. Catholic Extension Society works in solidarity with the Catholic leaders who are committed to building a brighter future in these far-flung communities.

In southwest Michigan, Catholic leaders go outside the "four walls" of the Church to share God's love among migrant farmworkers and their children. In this episode we hear from Veronica Rodriguez, the program director for Hispanic ministry in the Diocese of Kalamazoo. She grew up working in the fields alongside her mother. She remembers priests and religious sisters visiting the migrant camps to encourage children to believe in themselves. Today she is a vital part of the Catholic Church's outreach to 18,000 migrant workers—bringing music, joy and confidence into the hearts of these overlooked families.

Catholic Extension Society has supported Puerto Rico since its first days as a U.S. territory. In this episode, narrated by our president, Father Jack Wall, we visit the sacred treasures inside the Cathedral Basilica of San Juan Bautista, the oldest cathedral church under the American flag. The cathedral represents not only the 500+ years of Catholic faith on this island, but the extraordinary resilience of the people, who are still recovering from the massive destruction wrought by Hurricane Maria and several earthquakes. Now, Catholic Extension Society is helping the Church in Puerto Rico to rebuild 600 Catholic churches and schools.

A Nun Takes on Mobile Medical Care for the Uninsured | Knoxville, Tennessee

Our first episode takes us to East Tennessee. You will meet Sister Mary Lisa Renfer, our 2024-2025 Lumen Christi Award recipient. In addition to being a Religious Sister of Mercy from Alma, Michigan, she is also a physician. She leads St. Mary's Legacy Clinic, a mobile medical clinic that serves the uninsured. Listen below to hear directly from Sister Mary Lisa, her staff and her patients. You will be inspired by her complete devotion to God and His children.

How do you find peace and confidence in today’s age of anxiety? Sister Marie-Paule Willem, Catholic Extension's 2018-19 Lumen Christi Award recipient, has spent a lifetime sharing the love of God in the most dire places, from living through Nazi occupation as a child to her current work serving women in detention in Las Cruces, New Mexico. 

Joe Boland, Catholic Extension's vice president of mission, sat down with Sister Willem to collect some of her hard-won wisdom and fascinating stories. 

Find our article on Sister Willem at catholicextension.org/sisterwillem.

Catholic Extension's vice president of mission Joe Boland recently appeared on Relevant Radio to discuss what he saw at the U.S.-Mexico border on a recent trip to El Paso, Texas.

The Catholic Church is providing essential ministries to families--especially children--in need. You can learn more about these efforts by supporting our Family Reunification fund. Click here to learn more.