This week, Bishop Ruggieri speaks about our call to live the Gospel in the everyday moments of life. He explores how ordinary things like work, school, and friendship can become pathways to holiness.

His excellency cites the example of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati to show us how we can lift others to holiness without succumbing to despair. He also gives practical advice for supporting teen parents and the elderly.

What is one simple choice you can make today to let the Gospel shape your daily life more deeply?

A full transcript can be found on our website at https://portlanddiocese.org/news/living-gospel-daily-life-auspice-maria-ep-14-bishop-james-ruggieri

Auspice Maria is part of the Maine Catholic Podcast, a production of The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland. All rights reserved.

Bob McDermott is the Director of the Office of Safe Environment for the Diocese of Portland. He joined our Communications Manager, Jake Buttarazzi, to talk through everything our diocese does to make sure children, and vulnerable adults, are safe in our communities. These efforts have made our churches some of the safest places for children, despite what many people think.

A full transcript can be found on our website at https://portlanddiocese.org/news/protecting-gods-children-bob-mcdermott-maine-catholic-podcast

For more information about our Protecting God's Children program, visit https://portlanddiocese.org/protecting-gods-children

The Maine Catholic Podcast is a production the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, Maine. All Rights reserved.

In this week’s episode of the Auspice Maria Podcast, Bishop James Ruggieri reflects on what it means to evangelize culture. He invites us to see how faith meets daily life—in our media, our art, our education, our politics, and even in the small choices we make at home. With the guidance of St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and St. Francis of Assisi, Bishop Ruggieri reminds us that culture is not something to flee from, but something to enter into and transform with the light of Christ.

A full transcript is available on our website here: ⁠https://portlanddiocese.org/news/auspice-maria-ep-13-evangelizing-culture

The Maine Catholic Podcast is a production of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, Maine. All rights reserved.

In this week’s episode of Auspice Maria, Bishop Ruggieri invites us into a powerful reflection on how justice and mercy are not extras in the life of the Church—they’re essential to how we evangelize. He explores the heart of Catholic social teaching and shows how real evangelization happens not just in words, but in action: when we serve the poor, visit the sick, comfort the sorrowful, and advocate for the dignity of every human person. Whether you're new to these themes or looking to go deeper, this episode will challenge and encourage you to live your faith more fully—right where you are.A full transcript is available on our website here: https://portlanddiocese.org/news/auspice-maria-ep-12-justice-mercy-and-evangelization

The Maine Catholic Podcast is a production of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, Maine. All rights reserved.

What does it mean to live a vocational life? How do our unique vocations build the Kingdom of God? In this episode, Bishop James Ruggieri reflects on the power of saying “yes” to God’s invitation, drawing wisdom from Scripture, Church teaching, and the example of the Blessed Mother.

Whether married, single, ordained, or consecrated, your life has a mission. Jesus wants you to live it with purpose, joy, and love.

A Full transcript can be found on our website at https://portlanddiocese.org/news/auspice-maria-ep-11-our-lives-are-not-accident

Auspice Maria is part of The Maine Catholic Podcast, a production of the Diocese of Portland in Maine.

What is the Kingdom of God, and where do we find it? In this episode, Bishop Ruggieri reflects on the heart of Jesus’ message—a kingdom already among us, yet still to come in fullness.

He invites us to consider how the Church is called to live this kingdom now: by building a culture of love, life, and mercy. This is not just a future hope, but a present call—to live as citizens of heaven while still on earth.

A full Transcription can be found on our website at https://portlanddiocese.org/news/podcast-auspice-maria-ep-10-where-kingdom-god

We all struggle to fill our lives with meaning. Some search for satisfaction from success, comfort, or independence, though these things often fail to fill our "existential vacuum."

Bishop James Ruggieri invites listeners to consider a deeper question: Why do we feel so empty? What are we really living for?

This episode explores how the Catholic Church—through its sacraments, community, and tradition—offers not just beliefs, but a transformative relationship with Jesus Christ. Whether you're devout, doubtful, or somewhere in between, this is a thoughtful reflection on meaning, mercy, and the kind of love that doesn’t leave us where we are.

A full transcript can be found on our website at https://portlanddiocese.org/news/podcast-auspice-maria-ep9-existential-vacuum

Bishop James Ruggieri reflects on the deeply biblical and profoundly human call to accompany others in faith. Drawing from the lives of Moses, St. Paul, and most fully Jesus, he explores how walking with, listening to, teaching, and breaking bread with others is central to Christian discipleship. Rich in Scripture and practical wisdom, this episode invites listeners to consider how they can be present to others—just as God is present to us.

Questions for you to reflect on:

• Who accompanied me in my journey of faith?
• What does their presence and example mean to me?
• How is God inviting me to accompany someone in my life right now—through presence, listening, teaching, or sharing life?

A full transcript can be found on our website here: https://portlanddiocese.org/news/podcast-auspice-maria-ep-8-accompanying-others-faith

Auspice Maria is part of the Maine Catholic Podcast, a production of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland in Maine.

In this Episode, Bishop Ruggieri discusses how conversion is a continuous process. Jesus tells us to "repent and believe in the Gospel." Repentance is not just about being sorry or regretful, but about continuously changing the way we live.

Bishop Ruggieri breaks down several obstacles we all face in our daily conversions and offers practical advice to help us continue.

A full transcript can be found on our website at https://portlanddiocese.org/news/podcast-auspice-maria-ep-7-continuing-our-conversion

The Maine Catholic Podcast is a production of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland. All rights reserved.

This past April, Bishop Emeritus Robert Deeley travelled to the Diocese of Kumbo in Cameroon to ordain two priests and celebrate the Catholic faith with the people of Kumbo.

For over eight years, the Diocese of Kumbo, in Cameroon, has sent many of their priests to help us here in Maine. We currently have twelve priests from Kumbo serving in our parishes and we are very thankful for everything they do for us.

Bishop Deeley recently sat down with Molly DiLorenzo, our director of Communications, to discuss the trip and share the history of the wonderful relationship between the Diocese of Portland and the Diocese of Kumbo.

A full transcript can be found on our website here: https://portlanddiocese.org/news/podcast-bishop-deeleys-trip-cameroon

The Maine Catholic podcast is a production of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland. All rights reserved.