Stephen Auth, missionary, author, and business executive


Stephen Auth describes with humor and humility how, in the midst of a long career on Wall Street, he has a conversion experience in 2002 that leads to an incredible missionary journey, one that involves taking on what he describes as “mission impossible” projects. Following where he feels God is calling him, Stephen starts a New York City street mission that is all about transforming and bringing Catholics back to the faith. Stephen shares that he has seen how the Lord transforms us and our faith by the experiences we have when we work hand in hand with Him. Stephen’s book, The Missionary of Wall Street, includes riveting and often funny stories of how he and his group of missionaries - ordinary Catholics from the financial sector - work shoulder-to-shoulder with Christ, feeling God’s grace, as they evangelize their wary New York neighbors.

Stephen Auth has had a long career on Wall Street and since 2000 has been with Federated Investors, where he serves as executive vice president and a chief investment officer of Federated Global Equities. Steve is a frequent guest on CNBC, Fox Business News, and Bloomberg TV, and is a long-standing participant in Barron’s annual investment outlook panel. He earned his undergraduate degree at Princeton University, where he graduated summa cum laude, and his graduate degree at Harvard Business School, where he was a Baker Scholar. Steve is a member of the Regnum Christi movement and sits on the national board of the Lumen Institute, which he helped found in New York. He has participated in missions in Mexico, and with his wife, Evelyn, has led the New York City street mission for ten years. Steve and Evelyn have two wonderful sons, Richard and Michael Auth.

Resources

• Stephen Auth’s Missionary of Wall Street website
• Stephen Auth’s book, The Missionary of Wall Street: From Managing Money to Saving Souls on the Streets of New York, published by Sophia Institute Press
• Steve and Evelyn Auth developed a spiritual tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art called “Pilgrimage to the Museum: Man’s Search for God through Art and Time”, published by Sophia Institute Press

 

Guests: Sarah Weikert, Executive Director, and Andre White, Fatherhood Program and Facilities Manager 

Sarah Weikert and Andre White from Pregnancy Aid Clinic (PAC) share the incredible work they are doing to provide help and hope to mothers and fathers. Operating from the Catholic belief in the sanctity of life, PAC compassionately delivers services and programs created to lift up women, men, and families during moments of uncertainty or grief, through a journey designed to reveal their own dignity and claim their own future.

Pregnancy Aid Clinic is a non-profit center that has been providing medical services, patient advocacy, parenting education, and post abortion healing regardless of financial ability, race, age, or religion since 1984. PAC’s care addresses the whole person - mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual - in a compassionate and nonjudgmental way.​ The clinic offers comprehensive programs for mothers and fathers to navigate from pregnancy to parenthood with a focus on parenting and life skills. They strive to protect children by strengthening families.​ PAC has clinics in Roswell, Atlanta, and Forest Park.

PAC’s services are free thanks to donations, grants, and committed volunteers who work together to create a support system that makes it possible for mothers and families to choose life. Operating from a Catholic philosophy, they are blessed to have the endorsement of the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

The Fatherhood Program at Pregnancy Aid Clinic is designed to empower men to embrace their roles as fathers, offering them resources, guidance, and a supportive community to help them succeed. Classes geared toward men cover key areas like spirituality, childcare, parenting, career development, and leadership skills. The program equips men to become engaged, responsible fathers who protect and nurture their families while building essential life skills.

Resources:

• Visit PAC's website to learn more about their services and volunteer opportunities or call 404-763-4357.

 

Guest: George Glezmann, Taliban prisoner

Few people know America recently secured the release of a Delta Airlines mechanic who was held captive by the Taliban for over two years. How could that be?

Born in Mexico and a former member of Mexico’s Air Force, George Glezmann also held a degree in anthropology. Working for a major international airline allowed him to explore more than 130 countries as a tourist. While visiting a sick relative with his wife in her native country of Georgia, she encouraged George to explore Afghanistan in December of 2022. Unfortunately, his route triggered suspicion and led to his surprise capture. For more than six months, Aleksandra didn’t know if her husband was dead or alive.  

Listen as George shares the harrowing experience of isolation alongside physical and psychological torture. For over a year, he couldn’t sleep more than a few minutes at a time. All he could do was pray and exercise. Born and raised Catholic, George recited prayers audibly as a way to reinforce his faith. Knowing this would incite his guards to beat him and shout him down stubbornly increased his faith. Released in March 2025, George’s decision to forgive his captors is a testimony to the graces borne through faith under fire. 

Resources: 

• Video and article, "Atlanta man freed after 2 years in Taliban custody thanks Delta, Trump" on Fox5 Atlanta
• "Atlanta man held captive by Taliban talks of being beaten for not renouncing Catholic faith" on WSB-TV Atlanta
• "George Glezmann returns home" video (1 min., 30 seconds) on FOX 5 News/YouTube
• "American George Glezmann released by Taliban 2 years after arrest in Afghanistan" video (2 min., 10 seconds) on CBS News/YouTube
• U.S. Department of State - Release of George Glezmann Press Statement

Those outside Catholicism, and even some within her fold, misunderstand the role of the Pope. Thinking him either a dictator or super-human, they question why he’s needed. As former Protestant pastor Dr. Bergsma said in a recent Family Room podcast, it was Sola Scriptura’s lack of hierarchical authority which rattled him. Everyone could interpret the Bible as they saw fit, resulting in chaos. Listen as co-hosts Mari, John, and Craig tackle some of Catholicism’s most confusing doctrines. They stress the humanity of these men, reminding us every Pope brings his own brokenness to the role. Yet the Holy Spirit gives us the Pope we need for that particular time.  Fr. Mitch Pacwa marveled that each successive Pope seems to compensate for a weakness in his predecessor. This swing of the pendulum, compensating for the weakness of each Pope, is evidence of God’s omniscient hand over His beloved Church.   Hosts tell favorite stories of recent popes, and John closes the podcast after sharing he was a classmate of Pope Leo XIV in high school and college. Honoring this man who helped shape him in those formative years, John said, “If a Shepherd has to be gentle enough to care for the flock and keep them close, but fierce enough to keep the wolves off, Bob Prevost is the Holy Spirit’s choice.”   Resources:

• Papal infallibility in the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs 891-892 
• Papal infallibility from Wikipedia 
• Subsidiarity topic discussed in episode of The Family Room
• St. Michael Prayer
• Pope Leo XIV biography
• Article: “Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, known as the 'saint of the north' in Peru for his closeness to poor"
• Pope Saint John Paul II biography
• Movie: Liberating a Continent:  John Paul II and the Fall of Communism.” (Trailer) - movie available on FORMED  (check your parish for subscription/access)

Guest: Dr. John Bergsma, theology professor, VP at St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, author

Jubilee means “joy” – a lasting joy.  A Year of Jubilee is a year set aside to re-establish a right relationship with God and neighbor, focusing on forgiveness, healing and restoration. John Bergsma was raised a staunch Calvinist who’d never heard of a Jubilee Year.

As a young father, he studied to become a pastor to support his growing family. After preaching for four years, John began to see cracks in the pillars of Protestantism and ended up stalling his ordination by going to graduate school at Notre Dame. It was in 1999 that he heard the excitement around the Jubilee Year of 2000 and was persuaded to write his dissertation on the Jubilee. That process propelled him into Catholicism, which he entered in 2001.

Today, the Jubilee is celebrated every 25 years, and Dr. Bergsma has written a book called Jesus and the Jubilee: The Biblical Roots of the Year of God’s Favor in honor of this Jubilee year. In it, Dr. Bergsma shows how the Israelites’ release from slavery in Egypt became the first Jubilee, and Jesus is the fulfillment of the Jubilee. These points showcase the Catholic Church as the perpetual Jubilee, offering redemption, release from spiritual bondage, return to our true home, and rest in God’s fullness.  

Biography: Dr. John Bergsma is a Full Professor of Theology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, in Steubenville, Ohio, and Vice President for Biblical Theology and Mission Effectiveness at the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology. He specializes in the Old Testament and the Dead Sea Scrolls. He graduated from Notre Dame with high honors in 2004. Married to Dawn, they have eight children and three grandchildren and live in Steubenville.  

Resources:

• Dr. John Bergsma’s website 
• St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology
• Jesus and the Jubilee: The Biblical Roots of the Year of God’s Favor by Dr. John Bergsma
• Free Jubilee Companion:  Practical Tips for Living Out the Jubilee Year
• Stunned by Scripture podcast
  
  

Guest: Mary Beth Bracy, consecrated virgin, writer, and researcher

It’s rare to have parents spiritually schooled by their child and even rarer they’d live to see that child declared a saint. Yet, this is the legacy Carlo Acutis bestowed on his parents, Antonia Salzano and Andrea Acutis. Nominally Catholic, Antonia had only been to Mass three times in her life before Carlo drew her back. Both parents led successful lives as cultural Catholics in the city of Rome, never dreaming their only child would become the Church’s first millennial saint. 

In the book, God’s Influencer:  Holy Advice from Carlo Acutis, Antonia and Andrea share their spiritual journey with Father Giorgio Maria Carbone, a Dominican friar and priest. This interview candidly discloses the ways Carlo amazed his parents with a mature understanding of God. He also loved playing sports and video games, befriending everyone while also challenging them to live holy lives. Even as a young teen Carlo became a gifted catechist, teaching others a simple path to sainthood.  

This saint in blue jeans died in 2006, just weeks after finding out he had leukemia. He was only 15 years old. Beatified in October 2020, his canonization was postponed in April due to the death of Pope Francis and has been rescheduled for September 7, 2025.   

Biography: Mary Beth Bracy is a consecrated virgin of the Diocese of Ogdensburg, New York. She is a writer who is blessed to research, publish, and speak extensively on various aspects of Catholic spirituality. Mary Beth has written articles for numerous Catholic publications and recorded some Catholic talks.  

Resources: 

• God’s Influencer: Holy Advice from St. Carlo Acutis published by Sophia Institute Press
• Carlo Acutis' official website 
• Carlo Acutis' official list of Eucharistic Miracles
• Mary Beth Bracy's blog, “The Little Way”, and books. 
  
  

Guest: Dr. Gilbert R. Lavoie, medical doctor, author

Dr. Gilbert Lavoie was a pre-med student at Boston College when he stumbled upon an old book, A Doctor at Calvary by Pierre Barbet.  Thinking it was simply about Jesus’ crucifixion, he became fascinated by the story of the burial cloth that surrounded Jesus in the tomb. A Catholic from birth, he never doubted the death and resurrection of Jesus but was skeptical about the possibility of there being physical evidence left behind.  As a physician, Lavoie felt called to investigate the possibility for fraud, which then began his 40+ year forensic study of this mysterious cloth. 

His discoveries became  his book, The Shroud of Jesus: And the Sign John Ingeniously Concealed, where Dr. Lavoie invites you on a fascinating adventure to examine the Shroud of Turin, juxtaposing his scientific findings with John’s Gospel account of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Dr. Lavoie conducts his own studies to determine how blood transferred from a crucified body to cloth. He applies his experience in treating trauma patients and observing corpses in autopsy rooms to unveil intriguing insights about the image and blood on the shroud. By comparing his findings with the Gospel written by John, his discovery literally gives us a snapshot of the moment Jesus rose from the dead.

Biography: Dr. Lavoie is a medical doctor, a specialist in internal medicine, occupational medicine, and public health. He has pursued a forensic and scriptural study of the Shroud of Turin for more than 40 years. He has published books, a video, and articles all related to scriptural and medical forensic studies of the blood marks and image of the man of the shroud. He’s worked with the internationally-known sculptor, Pablo Eduardo, who completed a bronze sculpture that is a three-dimensional replica of the image of the man of the Shroud of Turin. Gilbert Lavoie has been married to his wife, Bonnie, for 43 years, and they have three grown children and ten grandchildren.  

Resources:

• The Shroud of Jesus: And the Sign John Ingeniously Concealed
• EWTN Bookmark - video interview about The Shroud of Jesus: And the Sign John Ingeniously Concealed
• EWTN Live with Fr. Mitch Pacwa – video interview in 2023 with Dr. Lavoie
• Vernon D. Miller’s 1978 photographs of the Shroud of Turin

Guest: Patrick O’Hearn, author, literary consultant, speaker, freelance editor

The past few years have caused many people to question the meaning of life, seriously taking stock of their past and questioning their legacy. Decades of poor catechesis gave the impression Hell was a crutch for the weak. Without a belief in Hell, we can focus on pleasing ourselves. Yet, death brings about a sobering gut check of reality. Is it real? Is it empty? What’s the truth about Hell?

Dan Burke and Patrick O’Hearn have done the heavy lifting necessary in their book, The Truth About Hell: Through the Wisdom of Jesus, Mary, and the Magisterium, giving their readers practical insights on how to understand and avoid Hell. Using Jesus’ own words in Scripture as well as Mary’s teachings given at Marian apparitions, you begin to comprehend God’s unfathomable love and His desire to share eternity with us.  

Dan and Patrick tackle the hard questions with candor, outlining the Church’s teachings on Hell through the understanding of several Doctors of the Church. They give practical guidance on how to avoid Satan’s snares, sharing resources at the back of the book to help you focus on building your treasures in heaven.  Come, hear the real truth about Hell.  

Biography: Patrick O'Hearn is an author, content writer, speaker, and literary consultant who served as TAN Books' acquisitions editor for two years.  He graduated with a master's in education from Franciscan University of Steubenville and a bachelor's in marketing from St. Ambrose University.  Patrick is a cradle Catholic who didn’t pay much attention to God until his college roommate sparked his interest. That journey caused him to spend close to three years in a Benedictine Monastery before discerning the call to marriage. A devout Catholic and husband, Patrick and his wife, Amanda, have four children, two of whom are in heaven.  

Resources: 

• Patrick O'Hearn’s website
• The Truth About Hell: Through the Wisdom of Jesus, Mary, and the Magisterium by Dan Burke and Patrick O’Hearn
• Nursery of Heaven: Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and Infant Loss in the Lives of the Saints and Today's Parents by Cassie Everts and Patrick O'Hearn
• Pilgrimage to Italy, Slovenia, and Austria with Fr. John Retar

Guest: Dr. Matthew Petrusek, author and professor of Catholic ethics

Dr. Matthew Petrusek considered himself an intellectual problem solver even in his teen years. Growing up in a small Catholic community in LeGrande, Oregon, surrounded by Mormons, he never considered any other religion but saw religion as an intellectual puzzle to be solved.

Both his Masters and PhD were in religious ethics, and his latest book, Evangelization and Ideology: How to Understand and Respond to the Political Culture, offers an antidote to ideological thinking by introducing the principles of Catholic social thought. Secular political ideologies attempt to provide a total view of reality without reference to God.  Yet all of them are, at heart, forms of idolatry, leading them to the false gods of pleasure, self, tribe, or fortune. Petrusek shows how Catholic teaching, while respecting the genuine concerns of these worldviews, responds to their errors and deficiencies by providing a more rational and moral alternative.

With a genuinely hopeful view of the future, Dr. Petrusek is co-founder of advantageDES, a pioneering alternative to DEI programs built on the values of dignity, equality, and solidarity that assists companies in creating a workplace where everyone can thrive.   

Biography: Matthew R. Petrusek, PhD is the Senior Director of the Word on Fire Institute and its Professor of Catholic Ethics. In addition to serving as a Word on Fire Professor, he has written and hosted the bilingual show, Reasons to Believe / Razones Para Creer at WordNet TV, co-authored Jordan Peterson, God, and Christianity: The Search for a Meaningful Life (Word on Fire Institute), co-edited Ethics and Advocacy: Bridges and Boundaries (Cascade Books) and Value and Vulnerability: Contemporary Interfaith Dialogue on Human Dignity (University of Notre Dame Press), and is published in numerous academic journals. He received an MA (Yale University) and PhD (University of Chicago) in religious ethics. He specializes in Christian ethics and moral theology, though lectures broadly, in English and Spanish, on philosophy, theology, social issues, the new evangelization, and the Catholic intellectual tradition. Dr. Petrusek is the host of the Word on Fire Show with Bishop Barron. He lives with his wife and children in southern Minnesota.

Resources:

• Evangelization and Idealogy: How to Understand and Respond to the Political Culture  
• Word on Fire Institute
• advantageDES - a pioneering alternative to DEI programs

Guest: Gregg McDonald, corporate recruiter, entrepreneur, visionary

When Gregg McDonald’s father walked out on his young family, the toddler son had no way of knowing the legacy this would begin - not a legacy of abandonment but of empowerment. What could have shattered many mothers became an anchor which would solidify Gregg’s unwavering faith in God and the importance of Godly women who hold the lamp for their men.

Listen as Gregg and his wife, Michelle, speak of how God led them into cross-denominational groups so they could find common ground of the universal church.  Today’s culture offers a watered-down version of masculinity, but men need a strategic plan; they’re wired that way. Gregg realized a battle plan is critical because men are in the midst of a spiritual battle for the very souls of their families. What stuck out became the seed for Gregg’s first book, Muscle Car Faith, and the ensuing ministry, Men As Christ, an international faith group of over 70,000 that helps men embrace their Godly calling to be manly men and spiritual leaders of their homes.  

Men As Christ was never meant to be only for Catholics but is a repository of resources which point to God. Members are Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, atheist, and everything in-between. While diversity is their strength, their common goal of finding truth becomes their magnet.  

Biography: Both Gregg and Michelle are cradle Catholics who were touched in deeply personal ways that cemented their faith. Gregg met Jesus in a sweat-filled dream when he was seven, and Michelle’s mother was miraculously cured of cancer. Both engineers – Gregg industrial and Michelle a packaging engineer - they met while working at Ford Motor Company and married in 1998. They have three children –  two boys in their 20s and a teenage daughter. They live in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia.

Resources:

• Men As Christ website
• Books by Gregg McDonald - Muscle Car Faith; Front Row Faith: Testimonies of Faith; Daily Faith: Faith One Day at a Time
• Maccabeus, LLC – Executive Recruiting Redefined