Patrick opens with heartbreak, reading the U.S. Bishops’ response to the Minneapolis church shooting, then moves through the raw aftermath: a child’s shaken words, Mayor Frey’s press conference, and the overwhelming sadness gripping the Annunciation community. He questions the meaning behind public phrases like “thoughts and prayers,” tracing their use through pop culture and challenging listeners to go beyond slogans, turning attention to faith, conscience, and how Christians can respond authentically to suffering and violence. Voices from callers add urgency, raising concerns about mental health, media, and the roots of violence that stubbornly persist.

• Patrick shares the Statement of U.S. Bishops’ Vice President on Shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis (01:07)
• Audio: Young boy at Annunciation Church shooting describes what happened (02:27)
• Audio: Minneapolis Mayor, Jacob Frey: "Anybody that is going to use this as an opportunity to villainize our trans community or any community has lost touch with a common humanity. We have to be operating not out of hate for any group, but out of a love for our children.” (04:41)
• Patrick comments on “Thoughts and Prayers” as a slogan (06:18)
• Matt - I thought that Father Cormack Burke's book on the connection between pornography and violence was good. Do you think that this is a plausible reason for these mass shootings? (36:43)
• Dave - I think there is a difference between a properly formed conscience and ill-informed conscience. How could be a conscience be that malformed? What kind of mortal sins would you have to commit? (43:43)

Patrick takes tough questions about capital punishment and Catholic teaching, untangling how doctrine and papal guidance shape conscience in cases like jury service for murder trials. Callers weigh in, some insisting stricter gun laws or outright bans are the way forward, others defending the need for self-defense and recounting moments when armed citizens stopped tragedy. Arguments over mental health, law enforcement, faith, and what really keeps innocent people safe spark a discussion where moral nuance meets raw opinion and lived experience.

• Mike - If this Mass shooter who committed this horrible hate crime had survived, he would have been charged with murder. Does the Catholic Church allow for the imposition of the death penalty? (00:39)
• Peter - The reluctance of the Catholic Church to confront gun laws is troubling. If you and Relevant Radio are so prolife, why don't you do this? (12:22)
• Adelso (email) - I believe a background check is insufficient to purchase a weapon; a psychological evaluation should also be required. (24:13)
• Dennis (email) - The problem is that gun ownership laws already on the books are often ignored. In addition, as you know, criminals will not obey gun laws - if they want to get one, they will. That's why they are called criminals. (24:52)
• Patrick talks with Cyrus about gun control and citizens who have stopped massacres, and then he shares more emails that have come in during the show
• Terry - I am buying a gun! I am a sane person. I want to use this for protection. How do we screen a person if they are crazy or not? (39:01)
• Nick - Eradicating guns is not going to fix this. Eradicating the right of individuals to defend themselves is exactly what some politicians want. (47:36)
• Roy - People need to know why the 2nd Amendment in the Constitution. People need to study history to know that tyrants always take away guns first. (49:30)

Patrick confronts the aftermath of the Minneapolis church shooting, threading callers' raw stories and emails through his search for why violence has surged, all while scrutinizing cultural shifts, violent media, fractured families, and technology’s grip. He refuses to look away from difficult questions about parenting, faith, and the uncomfortable links between media exposure and aggression. Across perspectives spanning heartbreak, frustration, and weary hope, Patrick lets the messiness unfold while weighing the spiritual and practical challenges pressing on America’s conscience.

• Michael (email) - This behavior needs to be rooted out and destroyed. (01:02)
• Patrick shares more emails about gun control
• John - I am 76-years-old and Vietnam War Veteran. This talk about a taking guns away is ridiculous. I am tired of people trying to take rights away from us. (05:25)
• Amelia - We don't need coddling like the shooters’ mom did. (14:49)
• Dana - America has so much violence. It is like a spirit of violence in the air. I think that just about everyone has a gun. Could they make guns that could just injure and not kill? (19:21)
• Michelle - There is a gun shop/pawnshop near here. We have laws for guns, but they don't enforce them because they are afraid of offending people who are mentally ill. (28:57)
• Laura - What has changed? You are not even talking about social media and how the rate of mental health problems has gone up since 2020. (31:28)
• Rita - There was mass violence during the Vietnam War. Remember the Kent State shooting and also the bombings. I don't think that the trans thing has much to do with Catholic students being murdered. (33:52)
• Mary (email) - How do we influence and coexist with other catholic parents in a conservative catholic school environment where so many of the parents in this community have rolled over and given their kids these smart phones? (37:05)
• Cindy - We need to remember that we are one in the body of Christ. We have to always be prepared with our spiritual weapons like the Rosary. (40:13)
• Richard - I teach a serial killer and mass murder class. When it comes to violent video games, numerous studies have been done linking these games to acts of aggression. (42:26)
• Maureen - Our politics have become extremely violent. People need to look at the politicians who have called on violence towards others. (46:37)
• Anna - You are talking about the underlying issues. I think these things are promoted and allowed. Look at Epstein, mafia, and cartels. It's all big money. (48:47)
• Mike - I feel strongly that Roe v. Wade started all of this because as a society we have become numb to death. (49:49)

Patrick handles questions from callers about selling blessed items and explains the Church's stance on simony, warning against treating spiritual goods as commodities. He picks apart misunderstandings about Christ’s divinity, rooting his answers in Scripture and the testimony of the earliest Christians, and engages in a spirited back-and-forth with a Pentecostal caller about the Trinity, grounding his replies both historically and theologically. When a mother wonders what to do about baptism for her child against her husband’s wishes, Patrick lays out the responsibilities and options with practical clarity.

• Peter - Is it wrong to sell a blessed item like a Rosary? (01:10)
• Lucy (email) - If Jesus never said in the New Testament that He was God, why are we so certain? (11:09)
• Dan - In John 7, who is Jesus talking about when He says, “he that believeth in me”? (23:03)
• Martine (email) - If he's always existed, "where" was Jesus before he was born? (37:17)
• Marie - Infant baptism. I understand that this is not licit but could be done. If I baptized my kid on my own (without a priest or deacon) would I have to confess that? (47:51)

Patrick opens the episode weighing whether non-Catholic students should be altar servers in Catholic schools, laying out Church teaching and exploring its purpose. As listeners call in with their own stories and questions, he gives thoughtful responses, especially on how roles at Mass shape faith and vocations in boys and girls. Mid-discussion, Patrick shifts instantly to urgent updates about a tragic mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis, breaking from ordinary conversation to offer live news and prayer.

• Adam (email) – Can non-Catholic students who attend Catholic school be altar servers? (00:52)
• Ellen (email) - Aren't altar servers supposed to have made their First Communion? (12:18)
• Stephanie – Non-Catholic kids in the Mass: I think as a kid it helped me to go to Mass to feel that I was welcome and that it wasn't closed off. (14:10)
• Brother John – A woman told me that we don't say altar boys anymore but altar servers. (21:12)
• Rick - Have you ever heard of Father Peter Mary Rookie?  (35:40)
• Bethany - I was a girl altar server. What would be beneficial for girls to do? Being an altar server helped bring me closer to my faith. What other options are there for young women? (39:09)

Patrick opens with real-time updates on the tragic mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Parish and School in Minneapolis, offering prayers and compassion while processing the horror as fresh details emerge. Amid sorrowful news, Patrick answers heartfelt listener calls about loss, faith, and why God permits such suffering, comforting those in pain while highlighting hope in scripture and the life of the Church. An eleven-year-old altar server’s voice brings a moment of gentle encouragement and innocence against the day’s grief.

• Sharleen - My Church is St. Bernadette in Scottsdale. We have Knights of the Altar. (02:24)
• Aaron - I am distressed by this shooting. Is there any canon law or church teaching that would address that these children went to heaven? (24:01)
• Walter 11-years-old - I am an altar server, and it has helped me get so much closer to God. (30:28)
• Sharlyn - If God wills all things, is it His will for people to use their free will to carry out evil intention? (41:51)

It shouldn’t be a controversy to start a pro-life club at a Catholic high school. Patrick sorts through inconsistent policies and the confusion faced by students and parents. He fields a call from a thoughtful seven-year-old, breaks down traditions around Communion, and swaps stories about awkward early jobs and donut debates, letting serious moments mingle with humor and everyday honesty. Throughout the episode, Patrick offers insight, practical steps, and encouragement for families working to keep the Catholic faith alive in a rapidly shifting culture.

• Martha (email) – Please consider homeschooling (00:41)
• Joel (email) – Kids should have t-shirts that say “Pro-Life Club” (04:30)
• Patrick and Cyrus talk about jobs they didn’t last long at (11:31)
• Richard - What is the proper way of handling the Eucharist when putting it inside the monstrance? (18:00)
• Avery (7-years-old) - Why can't nuns and priests get married? (24:25)
• Daniel (email) – Donuts and coffee! (34:47)
• A.J. (email) - I find it deplorable that the innocence of our special needs community is being compromised by the LGBTQ ideology. (38:05)
• Email - These verses are considered to be prophetic concerning the 1,000-year reign… (43:41)
• Brian - How do I find a Catholic Church in San Francisco? (48:24)

Brian calls in from San Francisco, searching for faith after a hard life, and Patrick offers hands-on advice for reconnecting with parish life and finding support. Marriage, divorce, and questions about scripture surface; Patrick calmly explains Catholic teaching and directs callers to authentic resources. Listeners offer prayers and concrete help, while Patrick quietly becomes a steady friend for souls hoping for relief or belonging.

• Patrick continues his conversation with Bryan who had his life change by the words of a street preacher and is looking into joining the Catholic Church (01:20)
• Silvana (email) - Thanks for recommending Star of the Sea Parish to Brian.  They have a beautiful Marian Shrine there too. (20:24)
• Julie - I was so moved by your conversation with Bryan. The pastor of Our Lady Star of the Sea used to be a pastor of mine at another Church. Great guy. I want to thank you, Patrick. (20:42)
• Lisa - My daughter is going through a divorce and has been seeing a man for a year now. She is planning on getting an annulment. Can they live together as brother and sister? (26:38)
• Tony - My sister is living together with her husband civilly but not having sexual relations and receiving communion. Is that ok? (36:22)
• Michael - What do you think of the NIV and the King James Bibles? Are they comparable to Catholic bibles? (43:04)

Patrick responds to questions that cut to the heart of Catholic life, moving from a supervisor’s Sunday work dilemma to a mother’s heartbreak over her son abandoning Mass for love. He weaves together listener stories, personal reflections, and Church teaching with both gentle encouragement and striking candor. As he celebrates the arrival of his new grandson and listens to tales of faith, Patrick offers practical advice and genuine warmth, drawing out the truth in every exchange.

• Steven (email) – Is it okay to ask people to work on Sunday? (02:03)
• Mary - My son is dating someone who is not Catholic. I feel the girlfriend is lying to him. Is there anything I can do? (10:07)
• Rosa - I called a year ago about an annulment. I want to thank you for your guidance. It helped me a lot. (23:17)
• Caesar - In Catholic Christian burials, we should keep the body together and not cremated and spread in the ocean. Saints, however, have relics all over the world. Can you help me understand this? (29:07)
• Victor – Our priest said that not all Catholics will be going to Heaven. He also said that we might meet Buddhist monks in heaven. How is this possible? (38:56)

Patrick opens the episode on a thankful note, spotlighting listener generosity before moving straight into authentic conversations about battling temptation, the significance of vows, and practical spiritual advice. He fields passionate emails and calls, touching on struggles with sin, the value of daily prayer, defending pro-life stances in Catholic schools, and finding God’s glory in everyday actions, with surprising candor and warmth. Expect encouragement, some humor, and a few pointed challenges for anyone yearning to live their faith more deeply.

• Larry (email) - When trying to overcome a bad habit, like overeating or over drinking, to say, “I vow to God that I won’t overeat today.” (01:20)
• David (email) – How can I defeat the temptation of porn? (04:44)
• Susan (email) - I am a huge fan of Relevant Radio, you and Cyrus (22:12)
• John Paul (email) - My high school allows LGPTQ clubs, but not bible study clubs (25:00)
• Pat in Alberta - How do I glorify God? (38:11)
• Jacob - I have been dating a Lutheran girl for a couple of months. How can I convince her about the Catholic view of faith and works? (41:45)
• Bob - You are talking about lust. Does lust always have to do with sex? (49:22)