The Manly Catholic: Training Soldiers for Christ

By James CaldwellReligion & Spirituality Christianity

The Manly Catholic: Training Soldiers for Christ episodes

July 15 Ep 187 Revisited: Tolkien Was Warning Us: AI, Vice, and the War for Men’s Souls (Paul List)
In this revisit of one of our episodes of The Manly Catholic, James sits down with self-educated philosopher, entrepreneur, and author Paul List to discuss his fascinating book, Mount Doom: The Prophecy of Tolkien Revealed (co-authored with Ali Ghafari). Paul shares how his own background in Aristotelian and Thomistic philosophy unlocked a hidden layer of Tolkien's mythology—one that standard academia completely misses.
James and Paul pull back the curtain on a little-known piece of history: Tolkien’s recruitment to Bletchley Park alongside Alan Turing, the father of modern artificial intelligence. Paul argues that Tolkien foresaw the rise of the "machine" and the ultimate devaluation of the human soul. Together, they break down the profound scholastic allegories hidden within Middle-earth, revealing how characters like Tom Bombadil, Goldberry, and the Hobbits represent the human will, intellect, and the four cardinal virtues fighting against the binary grip of Mordor.
Grab your coffee, settle in, and get ready for a heavy dose of metaphysics, philosophy, and Catholic theology.

More information on our July 18th retreat: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/be-not-afraid-tickets-1990722085346?utm_experiment=test_share_listing&aff=ebdsshios&sg=971f65d335cc9833bf189251f7767799fa6cacd230acbd302d443b330259422f51146961ef2616ab3ef4b161e3d7dba5070d12f53ad8efb154cb339fce0a9f707edfb84be6b6cc2d4a209600b0

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1 hr 16 min
July 08 Ep 43 Revisited : The Power of Patriarchy & Defeating the Diabolical (Jesse Romero)
In this revisit of one of our episodes of The Manly Catholic, James and Father Dom sit down with Catholic author, speaker, and former LA County Sheriff's deputy Jesse Romero. Jesse brings his signature "power preaching with devil-destroying theology" to expose the realities of spiritual warfare in the modern world.
Jesse shares incredible, spine-chilling stories from his time working as a rookie cop in the mentally ill offenders unit at the LA County Jail, where he encountered notorious occult serial killers like Richard Ramirez. He details his own "Matrix red pill moment" when he witnessed firsthand the literal, physical inability of satanic killers to utter the words "Jesus is Lord".

More information on our July 18th retreat:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/be-not-afraid-tickets-1990722085346?utm_experiment=test_share_listing&aff=ebdsshios&sg=971f65d335cc9833bf189251f7767799fa6cacd230acbd302d443b330259422f51146961ef2616ab3ef4b161e3d7dba5070d12f53ad8efb154cb339fce0a9f707edfb84be6b6cc2d4a209600b0

Subscribe to our Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxrRLZNk4WqPdgcac5vuWEQ
Check out our website (themanlycatholic.riverside.com/)
Shop our https://the-manly-catholic-store.checkoutstores.com/
Get delicious coffee from https://www.mysticmonkcoffee.com/
Download https://tanbooks.com/tan-digital-app/ to access the incredible TAN Library! Use code 'MANLYCATHOLIC' to get 50% OFF your subscription!
Contact us at mailto:[email protected]
1 hr 7 min
July 01 Ep 215 - Discipleship Quads and Food as Medicine (Dcn. Greg Beasley)
In this episode of The Manly Catholic, James sits down in the backyard of Deacon Greg Beasley, to discuss what it truly means to live a life of disciplined faith. Deacon Greg shares his fascinating backstory—from operating nuclear submarines in the Navy, to his powerful conversion to Catholicism through the Eucharist.
The conversation dives deep into practical tools for spiritual and physical growth, exploring the impact of Discipleship Quads for building deep brotherhood and accountability, and the Daniel Plan, a holistic approach to treating food as medicine and honoring the body as a temple of the Holy Spirit. Tune in for a candid look at personal responsibility, daily prayer discipline, and the call to step out of the shadows and into the fight.

Thank you for your prayers and support! Consider supporting the podcast on our https://buymeacoffee.com/tmc page to help grow the show to reach as many men as possible!

Discipleship Quads:
https://dquads.com/

The Daniel Plan: 40 Days to a Healthier Life
https://www.amazon.com/Daniel-Plan-Days-Healthier-Life/dp/0310344298

Eternize:
https://myeternize.com/

Subscribe to our Youtube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxrRLZNk4WqPdgcac5vuWEQ Check out our website https://www.themanlycatholic.com/

Shop our https://the-manly-catholic-store.checkoutstores.com/
Get delicious coffee from https://www.mysticmonkcoffee.com/ Download https://tanbooks.com/tan-digital-app/ to access the incredible TAN Library! Use code 'MANLYCATHOLIC' to get 50% OFF your subscription!

Contact us at mailto:[email protected]
1 hr 32 min
June 24Ep 214 - Building Real Catholic Men’s Brotherhood (Mike DiCosola)
Are you looking to go deeper in your Catholic faith and find a real band of brothers?
In this in-person episode of The Manly Catholic, host James Caldwell sits down with Mike Dicasola from Paradisius Dei (creators of "That Man Is You!" and "Missionaries to the Family").
Mike shares his powerful testimony of receiving a second chance in his faith journey, the reality of spiritual isolation, and how authentic men's small groups and family-focused apostolates are transforming Catholic homes across the country.
In this episode, we cover:
- Mike's personal journey from a secular life back to the Catholic Church
- The origins and 20-year impact of "That Man Is You!" (TMIY)
- The Spirit of Nazareth: Building a domestic church centered on holiness and joy
- Why the "lone soldier" is an easy target for the enemy (and how small groups save lives)
- How the Missionaries to the Family program forms couples to build a "family of families"
SUPPORT & CONNECT WITH THE MANLY CATHOLIC:
- Website: https://themanlycatholic.com
- Share this episode with a brother or friend who needs encouragement today!
#Catholic #CatholicMen #ThatManIsYou #TMIY #TheManlyCatholic #CatholicFaith #ChristianBrotherhood #ParadisiusDei #CatholicPodcast #Fatherhood
📚 References & Resources Mentioned:
Paradisus Dei — https://paradisusdei.org/
That Man Is You — https://paradisusdei.org/that-man-is-you/
She Shall Be Called Woman — https://paradisusdei.org/she/
Missionaries to the Family — https://paradisusdei.org/missionaries-to-the-family/
Mysteries of the Rosary series — free at https://paradisusdei.org/mysteries-of-the-rosary/
Thank you for your prayers and support!
Consider supporting the podcast on our Buy Me a Coffee page to help grow the show to reach as many men as possible!
Subscribe to our YouTube page
Check out our website
Shop our merch store
Get delicious coffee from Mystic Monk Coffee
Download TAN Digital to access the incredible TAN Library! Use code 'MANLYCATHOLIC' to get 50% OFF your subscription!
Contact us at [email protected]
1 hr 3 min
June 19Ep 213 - Good News Friday: The World's Tallest Church Is Finally Completed and USA is Consecrated
Pope Leo XIV stood inside the Sagrada Família in Barcelona on the 100th anniversary of Antoni Gaudí's death and blessed the Tower of Jesus Christ — making it the tallest Catholic church in the world at 566 feet. A church that took 144 years to build and was born from the vision of a man who died in 1926 looking like a beggar on the street after being hit by a tram on his way to daily Mass.
The next day, the Pope traveled to the Canary Islands and stood at the port known as the Dock of Shame — where thousands of migrants from West Africa have died trying to cross the Atlantic. He threw a bouquet of flowers into the sea in silence for the dead and said what every human heart already knows: human dignity has no passport.
On June 11th, 250 bishops of the United States knelt in Orlando and formally consecrated this nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The relics of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, the French nun to whom Jesus first revealed devotion to his Sacred Heart, were flown from Paris specifically to be in that room.
Corpus Christi Sunday sent Catholics into the streets around the world carrying Jesus through neighborhoods, past flower-draped balconies, continuing a tradition that is now 800 years old.
And June 13th was the feast of Saint Anthony of Padua; the patron of lost things, yes, but more importantly, the patron of lost souls. He has been finding them for 800 years. He is not done. If you know someone who has walked away from the faith, pray to Saint Anthony for them today.
📚 Further Reading:
Sagrada Família blessing — Pope Leo XIV, June 10th, 2026 | Vatican News https://www.vaticannews.va
Pope at the Dock of Shame, Canary Islands | Vatican News https://www.vaticannews.va
U.S. Bishops Consecration to the Sacred Heart, June 11th, 2026 | USCCB https://www.usccb.org
National Eucharistic Pilgrimage 2026 — route and updates https://www.eucharisticpilgrimage.org
Called by Name initiative — Diocese of Nottingham, England https://www.nottinghamdiocese.org.uk
Men's Silent Retreat — July 18th, Franciscan Life Process Center, Lowell, MI Link in show notes — contact [email protected]
Consider supporting the podcast on our Buy Me a Coffee
page to help grow the show to reach as many men as possible!
Subscribe to our YouTube page
Check out our website
Get delicious coffee from Mystic Monk Coffee
Download TAN Digital to access the incredible TAN Library! Use code 'MANLYCATHOLIC' to get 50% OFF your subscription!
15 min
June 17Ep 212 - The Father Who Stays Is the Most Radical Man in the Room - A Father's Day Episode
Brothers, this episode is for you.
James sits down and delivers a Father's Day message that every Catholic father needs to hear. He starts with the hard truth: America is in a fatherlessness catastrophe. One in four children grows up without their biological father. The research on what that produces is not subtle. And some of the most dangerous absences are not the men who walked out the front door — but the men who are still sitting at the dinner table and have already checked out.
But this episode is not about guilt. It is about weight and dignity and the sacred office that most men are carrying without ever being told what it actually is.
James unpacks why Jesus calls God Father. He walks through Saint Joseph: a man who never speaks a single word in Scripture, who just acts, stays, protects, and obeys. He talks about the thanklessness of faithful fatherhood and how staying anyway is one of the most countercultural things a man can do in 2026.
And then he gets personal. The exhaustion. The moments of checking out. The weight of running a home, working full time, homeschooling, podcasting, and still trying to show up. This one is honest.
🎯 Key Takeaway — Apply This Now:
Pick one small, concrete act of presence this week and execute it without announcement. Pray with your kids tonight before bed. Put the phone face down at dinner. Write your wife a note she will find tomorrow morning. Take your son somewhere — just the two of you — before the week is out. You do not need a grand gesture. You need to show up one more time. That is enough.
📚 References & Resources Mentioned:
Into the Breach — Bishop Thomas Olmsted; pastoral letter on Catholic manhood Available free at: https://intothebreach.net
Knights of Columbus — Into the Breach video series; episode on fatherhood referenced https://www.kofc.org/intothebreach
Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC — Consecration to Saint Joseph; referenced on the growth of Josephology Available at: https://www.consecrationtostjoseph.org
Thank you for your prayers and support!
Consider supporting the podcast on our Buy Me a Coffee page to help grow the show to reach as many men as possible!
Subscribe to our YouTube page
Check out our website
Shop our merch store
Get delicious coffee from Mystic Monk Coffee
Download TAN Digital to access the incredible TAN Library! Use code 'MANLYCATHOLIC' to get 50% OFF your subscription!
Contact us at [email protected]
19 min
June 12Ep 211 - Good News Friday: Jesus Walks Past the White House
One thousand Catholics carried Jesus through the streets of Washington D.C. on the feast of Corpus Christi.
Six hundred thousand young people flooded the streets of Madrid on the first evening of the Pope's apostolic visit to Spain.
A diocese in North Carolina just ordained 10 priests in a single day, the largest ordination class in its 54-year history, and the faithful lined up around the block for hours just to receive a first blessing from newly anointed hands.
The bishops of the United States, for the first time in 250 years, consecrated this nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
And a movement that started in a shanty town in Madrid with one man, a Bible, and a guitar just celebrated 60 years of setting the world on fire across 138 countries.
Five stories. One Church. Here is your good news.
📚 References & Resources Mentioned:
National Eucharistic Pilgrimage 2026 — launched Pentecost Sunday, St. Augustine, FL; concludes Philadelphia, July 4th https://www.eucharisticpilgrimage.org
Catholic Information Center, Washington D.C. — host of the Corpus Christi procession, June 6th, 2026 https://www.cicdc.org
USCCB Consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus — June 11th, 2026, Orlando, FL; 215 of 273 active bishops voted in favor; livestreamed on USCCB YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@usccb https://www.usccb.org
Works of Mercy
📌 Show Notes:
Thank you for your prayers and support!
Consider supporting the podcast on our Buy Me a Coffee page to help grow the show to reach as many men as possible!
Subscribe to our YouTube page!
Check out our website!
Shop our merch store!
Get delicious coffee from Mystic Monk Coffee!
Download TAN Digital to access the incredible TAN Library! Use code 'MANLYCATHOLIC' to get 50% OFF your subscription!
Contact us at [email protected]
15 min
June 10Ep 210 - They Lied to You About the Middle Ages...And It's By Design with Author Jeb Smith
Everything you were taught about the Middle Ages is wrong. The kings were tyrants. The peasants were starving. The feudal system was oppressive. Democracy is the greatest system ever devised. You learned it in school, you saw it in movies, and you never questioned it. Jeb Smith did...and what he found will make you rethink everything.
James sits down with author and historian Jeb Smith to break open his book Missing Monarchy: Correcting Misconceptions about the Middle Ages, Medieval Kingship, Democracy, and Liberty.
Jeb walks through what a true medieval king actually was, why medieval warfare was less deadly than any modern conflict, why peasants worked fewer hours and paid less in taxes than the average American today, what Robin Hood actually stood for, and why compulsory public education was designed from the start to produce compliant workers.
💬 Powerful Quotes:
"The last person you want in power are those who seek it. We push people to become politically active, to go out there and force their ways on everyone else — which is what democracy is. It's one big war of everyone denying each other self-government." — Jeb Smith
"In America, we pass over 10,000 laws a year. That is more than the entire Middle Ages produced over hundreds of years. The government is just minuscule by comparison." — Jeb Smith
📚 References & Resources Mentioned:
Missing Monarchy: Correcting Misconceptions about the Middle Ages, Medieval Kingship, Democracy, and Liberty
Defending the Middle Ages: Little Known Truths about the Crusades, Inquisitions, Medieval Women, and More
Defending Dixie's Land: What Every American Should Know About the South and the Civil War
Follow Jeb on X: @JebSmith764
Jeb's website: authorjebsmith.com
Thank you for your prayers and support!
Consider supporting the podcast on our Buy Me a Coffee page to help grow the show to reach as many men as possible!
Subscribe to our YouTube page!
Check out our website!
Shop our merch store
Get delicious coffee from Mystic Monk Coffee
Download TAN Digital to access the incredible TAN Library! Use code 'MANLYCATHOLIC' to get 50% OFF your subscription!
Contact us at [email protected]
1 hr 2 min
June 05Ep 209 - Good News Friday: The Eucharist Is Walking Up the East Coast
The Blessed Sacrament is being carried up the entire eastern seaboard of America. The Pope is making his first trip to Spain in 15 years. Seminary numbers are climbing. And on Pentecost Sunday, the Pope asked every Catholic man the one question most of us are avoiding.
Five stories. Let's get into it.
📚 References & Resources Mentioned:
National Eucharistic Pilgrimage
Pope Leo heads to Spain
Ordination numbers
Pentecost homily
World Mission Sunday
Men's Silent Retreat — Lowell, Michigan; Franciscan Retreat Center; Fr. Dominic giving talks; Mass, adoration, confession [Link in show notes — contact [email protected] for details]
Thank you for your prayers and support!
Consider supporting the podcast on our Buy Me a Coffee page to help grow the show to reach as many men as possible!
Subscribe to our YouTube page!
Check out our website!
Shop our merch store!
Get delicious coffee from Mystic Monk Coffee!
Download TAN Digital to access the incredible TAN Library! Use code 'MANLYCATHOLIC' to get 50% OFF your subscription!
Contact us at [email protected]
14 min
June 04 Fr. Dom's Homs: You Have the Breath of God in You. Now Stop Living Like You Don't
You were confirmed.
You receive the Eucharist.
You have the Holy Spirit
So why are so many Catholic men living like dry bones?
Fr. Dom breaks open Pentecost Sunday and delivers one of the most personal and direct homilies of the Easter season.
He walks through what the Holy Spirit actually is, what it actually does, and why most Catholics are sitting on an untapped power they do not even realize they have. He goes from Genesis, the breath of God moving over the waters, breathing life into dry bones in Ezekiel's valley, all the way through to the consecration at Mass, where a priest breathes the words over the host and bread and wine become God.
The Holy Spirit is not a feeling. It is pure act. And every single sacrament you have received has the Holy Spirit attached to it with a call to action attached to that.
He also goes personal. He shares what his life looked like before Christ and what happened when God came crashing in and breathed life into him. That story is the whole point. A witness is more powerful than an argument. And the Greek word for witness is martyr.
💬 3 Powerful Quotes:
"When God came crashing into my life and I gave my life to him — just like in Ezekiel — he put on sinew, muscle, flesh, blood, and then the breath of God fell upon me. I was no longer dry bones. I was someone eager to bring the Holy Spirit to everyone I met."
"Sometimes I think we forget as Christians that we have this potential of the Holy Spirit — not beside us, but in us — and it lies untapped. People are hungering for what you have. Did you know that?"
"In Greek, the word for witness is martyr. We have a lot of those in the communion of saints — men and women who did not back down, who proclaimed the love of Christ even if it cost the spilling of their blood."
🎯 The Challenge:
Start tomorrow morning with one sentence before your feet hit the floor: "Fill me with your Holy Spirit today." That is it. Make it a daily non-negotiable.
Thank you for your prayers and support!
Consider supporting the podcast on our Buy Me a Coffee page to help grow the show to reach as many men as possible!
Subscribe to our YouTube page!
Check out our website!
Shop our merch store!
Get delicious coffee from Mystic Monk Coffee!
Download TAN Digital to access the incredible TAN Library! Use code 'MANLYCATHOLIC' to get 50% OFF your subscription!
Contact us at [email protected]
14 min

About The Manly Catholic: Training Soldiers for Christ

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Jesus Christ is the epitome of what it means to be a man. With masculinity in our culture more confused than ever, join us at The Manly Catholic as we…