"I really wanted to create a space that would illustrate and show a diverse range of stories from Catholic women, that would really show the beauty and the diversity of the many different ways in which we as women live out the faith." Corynne Staresinic is a convert to the Catholic faith from a strong Evangelical background. In the past, Corynne disagreed with the ways women were treated by the Catholic Church. But through dating her now husband - who was a Catholic - and diving into her own research, she started to see the beauty and wisdom of Catholicism. Through her faith journey, she came to see the beauty of Catholic femininity and the diversity of ways women live out their vocation, which led her to create The Catholic Woman. In this episode, Corynne and I talk about her journey of conversion to the Catholic Church, how The Catholic Woman came to be, and why it's so important to her to create a place for all women to belong.

Here are the show notes for this week's episode: https://femininegeniuspodcast.substack.com/p/creating-a-place-for-women-to-belong

Learn more about The Catholic Woman by checking out their website, thecatholicwoman.co. They’re also on Instagram @thecatholicwoman and on Facebook @TheCatholicWoman.Co.

If you want to hear more about A Place to Belong, take a listen to season two of The Daughters Project Podcast from the Daughters of St. Paul, who published the book! Over the course of the season, hosts Sr. Tracey Matthia and Sr. Julia Marie Benedicta interview a number of the contributors to the book. You can listen to The Daughters Project wherever you listen to your podcasts!

You can also find Corynne on Instagram @corynnestaresinic.

Our theme music is by Theresa Ambat, and our cover art is by Mariel Pahayahay.

"We've seen and felt first hand how remarkable it is to be serving people. And we're asking ourselves, why not share this feeling with as many people as possible?" Raisa and Renai Jose are two young changemakers living in the Archdiocese of Vancouver. From a young age, the Jose sisters had the values of service and love of neighbour instilled within them, and they wanted to find different ways to serve the community. This inspired them to start The Giving Truck, a non-profit organization which aims to mobilize youth to create change through random acts of kindness. Together with their volunteers, they serve people all over Vancouver, and they hope to empower other young people to be the change they wish to see in their community. In this episode, Raisa and Renai share how The Giving Truck got started, the different ways they serve others, and what sparked their love of service in their own lives.

Here are the show notes for this week's episode: https://femininegeniuspodcast.substack.com/p/the-power-of-now-and-giving-of-ourselves

You can learn more about The Giving Truck and support their work by checking out their website, givingtruck.ca. You can also follow them on Instagram (@thegivingtruckofficial) and on Facebook (@thegivingtruck).

Our theme music is by Theresa Ambat, and our cover art is by Mariel Pahayahay.

"Religion, and the especially the Catholic faith, has been talking about these things - who the human person is, why we're here - for thousands of years! So we should be part of the discussion." Samantha Stephenson has always been curious and drawn to the truth. As a convert to the Catholic faith, her journey consisted of a two-fold conversion: one of the intellect, and then of the heart. Being drawn to the intellectual tradition of the Catholic Church led her to pursue a variety of projects and work in different positions, including teaching theology, hosting a podcast on bioethics, and working as a writer. Now as a mother, Samantha continues to encourage other women to follow the passions God has given them as the founder of the community Spoken Women while also nurturing her own passions and encouraging those of her children.

In this episode, Samantha and I talk about her conversion to the Catholic faith, her love for the intellectual tradition in the Catholic faith, and the power of having women present at the table when important conversations take place.

Here are the show notes for this week's episode: https://femininegeniuspodcast.substack.com/p/a-champion-for-truth-and-community

You can listen to Samantha's podcast "Brave New Us" wherever you listen to your podcasts!

Learn more about Spoken Women by following them on Instagram and Facebook, @spokenwomen. You can find them online at spokenwomen.com.

You can learn all about these projects and more from Samantha by checking out her personal website, snstephenson.com.

Our theme music is by Theresa Ambat, and our cover art is by Mariel Pahayahay.

"I think the world is so much more beautiful when everybody in different bodies can live and be their full selves." Ogechi Akalegbre is a champion for diversity, equity and inclusion in variety of arenas. Whether she's lifting at the gym, advocating for diversity or providing a space for women to share their stories, Ogechi is committed to honouring the unique nature of each person - both in the Catholic Church and beyond. She desires to be a good trouble maker who wants to shake up the world and bring more awareness to some of the most pressing social justice issues of our time.

In this episode, Ogechi and I talk about her journey into the world of power lifting, how she started her podcast "Tell Me If You Can", and why it's so important for her to advocate for diversity, especially within the Catholic Church.

Show notes for this week's episode: https://femininegeniuspodcast.substack.com/p/shaking-up-society-and-serving-from

Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ogechi's podcast "Tell Me If You Can" wherever you listen to your podcasts! You can follow Ogechi on Instagram @gechmeifyoucan, and check out her website, gechmeifyoucan.com.

Our theme music is by Theresa Ambat, and our cover art is by Mariel Pahayahay.

"If this is not my calling, how can I still take those things that I've learned and the things I still love, and how can I use those things now?" With a background in media studies and theology, Julia Strukely has found a variety of ways to put her degree and faith into action. As she followed the promptings of God in her life, she found herself leading retreats, serving with NET Ministries, working as a youth minister, and even discerned a religious vocation. Even though she ultimately discerned out of religious life, Julia saw that her time discerning was just the beginning to a deepening of her personal mission. Now, she teaches religion, journalism and media literacy to middle schoolers and continues to evangelize with and through the media - all because she continued to say yes. In this episode, Julia and I talk about her love for media, her time discerning a religious vocation and how that formed her, and how she continues to evangelize now as a speaker and podcaster.

Here are the show notes for this week's episode: https://femininegeniuspodcast.substack.com/p/sharing-faith-through-media-with

You can follow Julia on Instagram @sevenmilechats and on Twitter @MsStrukely1.

Please be sure to tune into Julia's podcast, Seven Mile Chats! You can listen to it wherever you listen to your podcasts. Julia was also so kind and invited me to talk scripture with her on Seven Mile Chats! You can listen to that episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7qi8v0kU5tnlIWvx3WxkpV?si=w67zMRt3Q3-HXPTi0WIlAg

Our theme music is by Theresa Ambat, and our cover art is by Mariel Pahayahay.

"If I can help marriages, if I can do one small thing to save one family or rebuild or connect, then that's impacting the culture in a larger way." When she was younger, Regina Boyd noticed that many of her friends would go to her for advice or counsel. This sparked an interest in helping others, which led to pursuing a career in the areas of psychology, counseling and therapy. Regina now is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Licensed Mental Health Counselor, and is the founder of her own private practice, Boyd Counseling Services. Through her work, Regina aims to impact the culture through strengthening relationships and bolstering love. In this episode, Regina and I talk about what drew her to the area of psychology, sharing her message in the digital space, and her desire to impact the culture around her through the work that she does.

Here are the show notes for this week's episode: https://femininegeniuspodcast.substack.com/p/faith-mental-health-and-impacting

You can find Regina Boyd on Instagram @boydcounselingservices and on Facebook. You can also check out her website to learn more about her work and the services she offers at reginaboyd.com.

Be sure to also listen and subscribe to Regina's podcast, Connecting Out Loud, wherever you listen to your podcasts! 

Our theme music is by Theresa Ambat, and our cover art is by Mariel Pahayahay.

"We're all created in the image and likeness of God, who doesn't want us to survive and starve. He wants us to live abundantly." After many years of serving in ministry, Elena Nuñez Murdock pivoted from her time in ministry to become a full-time entrepreneur. It was a process that taught her many lessons about resilience and self-confidence, and best of all, she was able to build on her experiences in ministry and bring them into the workplace. With all this in mind, Elena founded Mission to Launch: an all-in-one platform that equips and mentors those who are ready to transition from ministry into the corporate world, and encourages them to live life to the full. In this episode, Elena and I talk about the experiences she gained while working in ministry, what inspired her to found Mission to Launch, and the fact that we aren't just made for scarcity—we are made to thrive and live abundantly.

Here are the show notes for this week's episode: https://femininegeniuspodcast.substack.com/p/launching-well-formed-catholics-into

To learn more about Mission to Launch, be sure to check out their website: mission2launch.com. Follow Mission to Launch on Instagram to stay up to date on course offerings and more news: @mission2launch.

Our theme music is by Theresa Ambat, and our cover art is by Mariel Pahayahay.

"I want to help other people tell their stories. I want to be a part of the process of helping them share what's on their heart." Ava Lalor has always been attracted to listening to and sharing stories. As she worked through her time in college, Ava found her voice not only in the writing that she did but in helping to edit and work with other writers. She took this passion into her job at Our Sunday Visitor, where by chance, she found herself working behind the scenes at Radiant Magazine. Now, Ava is the editor of this online publication, working with women all over the United States to share their stories and perspectives on topics such as God's love, femininity, and beyond. In this episode, Ava and I talk about her love of stories, how she became the editor of Radiant Magazine, and her conviction in the fact that everyone has a story to tell.

Here are the show notes for this week's episode: https://femininegeniuspodcast.substack.com/p/we-are-a-people-of-story-with-ava

You can find Radiant magazine by checking out their website, radiantmagazine.com, and you can find them on Instagram @radiant_mag.

You can follow Ava on Instagram @avalalor.

For more information about Our Sunday Visitor, you can check them out at osv.com.

Our theme music is by Theresa Ambat, and our cover art is by Mariel Pahayahay.

"I'm always trying my best to treat these students as not just a student, but a soul and a body to be nourished." When the pandemic started to sweep across the world in 2020, Monét Souza found herself wanting to share the joy and hope of Christ with other people. As an educator with a passion and talent for public speaking, Monét founded A Message of Hope, an online video series geared towards encouraging high school and college students to live out their Catholic faith. Through this platform and her work as an elementary school teacher, Monét shares this message of hope with as many people as possible through education, resources, and encouragement. In this episode, Monét and I talk about her love for public speaking, her experiences in working with young minds in the classroom, and what pushed her to launch her ministry under such unusual circumstances.

Here are the show notes for this week's episode: https://femininegeniuspodcast.substack.com/p/being-a-message-of-hope-for-others

Be sure to follow A Message of Hope on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube! All of this information and more can be found in their website, amhlifestyles.com.

Our theme music is by Theresa Ambat, and our cover art is by Mariel Pahayahay.

"I wanna see all sorts of cultures achieving holiness. I don't want it to just be one culture that can be holy or that can belong, but all cultures." As a young person Sr. Desiré Anne-Marie Findlay was fascinated by the holiness of saints, and she found herself similarly fascinated by different nuns that she would meet. While on a pilgrimage through New Mexico, she met the Felician Sisters and started to discern religious life. A series of Sr. Desiré's 'yeses' would eventually bring her to where she is today. Not only does she help other women discern their vocations, but as a Black Catholic, she is a champion for representation and the conviction that all are called to holiness, regardless of who they are and what they look like. In this episode, Sr. Desiré and I talk about her vocational discernment journey, how she praises God through her gift of dance, and why representation in the Catholic Church is needed and necessary.

Here are the show notes for this week's episode: https://femininegeniuspodcast.substack.com/p/holiness-for-all-cultures-with-sr

You can follow Sr. Desiré on Instagram @desirefindlay. Learn more about the Felician Sisters by checking out their website: feliciansistersna.org.

As well, in this conversation we made reference to a short film that featured Sr. Desiré and more of her story.

Our theme music is by Theresa Ambat, and our cover art is by Mariel Pahayahay.