Marc Barnes is one of the coolest, smartest, most impressive guys we know. As one of the founders of both New Polity and the Harmonium Project, a professor at St. Joseph the Worker College, and the owner of a local farm to shelves grocery store, The Grocery Box, he has been putting Catholic Social Teaching into action in the streets of Steubenville for over a decade now. So, we thought we would pick his brain about where Catholics often go wrong in their pursuit of the goals of Catholic social teaching and why simply loving the place where you live and serving it well is one of the best things you can do to bring about a more just society.

Show Notes:

Rerum Novarum by Pope Leo XIII

The Church Against the State by Andrew Willard Jones

Being Consumed: Economics and Christian Culture by William Cavanaugh

The 401K Story (New Polity Podcast)

Do you think the Internet needs more sane(ish) Catholic Conversation? Then subscibe to Visitation Sessions today and help us keep the chats coming.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit visitationsessions.substack.com/subscribe

Last week, the Vatican welcomed thousands of Internet evangelists to Rome for the Jubilee for Digital Missionaries and Influencers. Why would they do this? Why does it matter? What are the dangers of Catholics entangling themselves in Influencer Culture? And what does Emily really think about the word “Influencer”? We’re tackling all that and more this week, on Visitation Sessions.

(Also, after we recorded this episode, Emily got word that a problem at the printers will be delaying the release of Around the Catholic Table by a few weeks. The new launch date is now set for Tuesday, September 3. It’s still coming soon, though, so apologies for the wrong info in the show. It was right at the time we recorded!)

Show Notes:

Jesus and the Jubilee: The Jewish Roots of the Year of the Year of God’s Favor by John Bergsma

Address of His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, to Influencers and Digital Missionaries

Around the Catholic Table: 100+ Simple Recipes for Family and Friends by Emily Stimpson Chapman

The Story of All Stories: A Story Bible for Young Catholics by Emily Stimpson Chapman

Support sane Catholic conversation on the Internet and unlock exclusive content by becoming a full subscriber to Visitation Sessions today.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit visitationsessions.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit visitationsessions.substack.com

The Chapmans are back in Illinois this week, so Emily can spend some time with her mom, whose Alzheimer’s continues to worsen. There wasn’t time before they left to record a new episode, but after we recorded our last episode, we did manage to record a quick bonus episode for our full subscribers. We’re sharing that here today. The topic: Anxiety.

A read…

Emily and Chris are still recovering from the Worst Mass With Kids Ever, so we thought this week we would swap a few horror stories about parenting little kids during the Mass, discuss why we think it’s important for them to be in church even when they’re misbehaving, and go over a few possible survival strategies for getting through the seasons of littles and Liturgy.

A big thank you to Beata Home for sponsoring this episode of Visitation Sessions. Be sure to check out Beata Home’s beautifully curated collection of fine art prints on their website and Instagram page, and make sure to use the code Emily15 to save 15 percent on your order.

Show Notes

Guidelines from the Church on Bringing Young Children to Mass (Catholic Answers)

“Learning How to See Again,” by Joseph Pieper

Beauty for Truth’s Sake: On the Re-enchantment of Education by Stratford Caldecott

Beauty in the Word: Rethinking the Foundations of Education by Stratford Caldecott

Don’t miss a single sane(ish) Catholic conversation by becoming a full subscriber today.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit visitationsessions.substack.com/subscribe

We’re back! After a few weeks on the road, we’re catching up on everyone’s adventures, talking about what it means to honor our parents even when our parents are profoundly broken, and having heat stroke while we’re at it. We literally had to stop recording halfway through to keep Emily from passing out. All rambling, imprecise speech, and bad opinions we blame on a certain un-air-conditioned attic.

Show Notes:

“Secret Baptisms, Toxic Parents, & Prayer During the Single Years” by Emily Chapman"

“Honoring Our Parents, Ethical Adoptions, & Meatless Meals” by Emily Chapman

“The No Contact Epidemic That is Tearing Families Apart,” (The Lila Rose Show)

“Why Are So Many Young People Going No Contact With Their Parents” by Anna Russel (The New Yorker)

“A Shift in American Family Values Is Fueling Estrangement” by Joshua Coleman (The Atlantic)

Don’t Forget

It’s not too late to shop and save with some of our wonderful episode sponsors.

Ignatius Press: You can still save 15 percent off all novels at Ignatius Press with the code VISITATIONNOVELS. They have wonderful classic and contemporary fiction, including the Father Gabriel Mystery series that Emily is loving.

Beata Home: Beata Home offers a stunning collection of fine art prints for every room in your home. Choose from digital downloads, prints, and framed art, and save 15 percent on your purchase with the code Emily15.

To support more sane Catholic conversation online, consider becoming a subscriber today.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit visitationsessions.substack.com/subscribe

The Stapletons are rolling back into town this week and will be heading to Steuebenville on Friday to record a new episode. Until then, enjoy this fiery discussion about the marital debt, which we had with Renzo and Monica Ortega last March, when they visited us to discuss their book Lovemaking: How to Talk About Sex with Your Spouse.

This episode originally aired as a bonus episode for full subscribers, but today, we’re sharing it with everyone. To unlock more bonus content like this and receive future bonus episodes, all you have to do is click on the little button below. And if you missed our full discussion with the Ortegas, you can listen to it here: “Let’s Talk About Sex.”

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit visitationsessions.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit visitationsessions.substack.com

Happy (almost) Fourth of July!

The Stapletons are still out on tour, but before they hit the road, we recorded this special bonus episode. One of our listeners asked us to address the quagmire of gentle parenting and parental discipline. Which we did, after much debate and with much more fear and trembling. But only for full subscribers. Some things just…

Before we all headed out of town, we got together at the fruit fly infested Visitation House to talk about summer and what it teaches us about the life of both Heaven and earth.

This episode was brought to you by Beata Home, The word Beata is derived from the Latin word for Blessed, and the mission of Beata Home is to bless your home with beautiful art that lifts your mind and heart (and your children’s minds and hearts) to God. Beata offers a large, but carefully curated collection of fine art prints, available as digital downloads, prints, and framed art.We love the work they do, and are so excited that one of their prints will be hanging in our new studio, and we know you will love having their art hanging in your home. Visit Beatahome.com and use the code Emily 15 to save 15 percent.

Become a supporter of Visitation Sessions and you’ll receive exclusive bonus content monthly.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit visitationsessions.substack.com/subscribe

We’re all getting ready to hit the road for vacations and/or tours, so we thought we would spend an hour analyzing our own particular form of crazy: traveling with small children. Why do we do it? When don’t we do it? And what’s the very worst that can happen? (Hint, it involves starving children and diesel fuel).

In our luggage this week, are some of the really wonderful novels for children and adults published by Ignatius Press. We’re so grateful for the care and attention Ignatius devotes to publishing contemporary (and classic) Catholic fiction, and love recommending their books to others. Right now, you can save 35 percent on all Ignatius novels (and 65 percent on e-versions) with the code VisitationNovels. Some of our favorites that we mentioned on the show include: Charis in the World of Wonders, If You Can Get It, The Spear, The Vanishing Woman, and the Louipo series.

Let’s Meet in Person

If you’re in the Dayton/Columbus/Cincinnati area, pencil in July 19 on your calendar. Chris and I will be speaking in Russia, Ohio that night from 6:30 to 8:30 in the Russia School Local Gym (100 School Street). Admission is free. Reach out to Kathryn Francis with questions.

See The Inner Seas

Kate’s documentary about adoption, music, and God’s surprising plans is showing at the Red Cedar Film Festival in Menomnie, WI on Saturday, July 19, at 2:00 p.m.

Show Notes:

“You’re Crazy for Taking the Bus” by Jonathan Richman

Thieves and Dreamers by the Stapletons

Taffy Nivert (I can’t find the issue from Franciscan Way magazine online because it is too old, but I swear on my life it exists!)

Taliesen Nightmare

Wnat to support Catholics having sane and semi-intelligent conversations online? Then consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit visitationsessions.substack.com/subscribe

This week we talk to Catholic author and Word on Fire Votive editor, Haley Stewart, about what makes stories good (for children and adults), why good stories matter, and how they shape us. We also put together a fantastic summer reading list that is not AI generated!

Haley Stewart is the author of seven books: three books for adults, a series of books for children (the Sister Seraphina Mysteries), and most recently, The Catholic Kids C. ookbook: Holy Days and Heavenly Food. She also hosts the Votive podcast, where she explores the world of writing for children, and writes here on Substack. A mother of four, she lives with her children in Tallahassee, Florida.

The Catholic Kids Cookbook: Holy Days and Heavenly Food by Haley Stewart and Clare Sheaf

The Pursuit of the Pilfered Cheese: A Sister Seraphina Mystery by Haley Stewart

Strange Sound by the Sea: A Sister Seraphina Mystery by Haley Stewart

The Curious Christmas Tale: A Sister Seraphina Mystery by Haley Stewart

Books by Tommy dePaola

Books by Jan Brett

The Ox Cart Man by Donald Hall

Barbara Cooney

Demi

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary Schmidt

The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams by Daniel Naveri

Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Naveri

“On Fairy Stories” by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Way Things Work by David Macaulay

Past Watchful Dragons R. J. Sheffler

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shafer and Annie Barrows

Jane Austen novels

Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh

River of Darkness by Buddy Levy

American Legend: The Real Life Adventures of David Crockett by Buddy Levy

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

Charis and the World of Wonders by Marly Youmans

Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry

The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris

Piranesi by Susanna Clark

Support sane Catholic conversation on the Internet by becoming a subscriber today.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit visitationsessions.substack.com/subscribe