This week, we’re talking about one of the most glorious teachings of Catholicism: the saints! We also explore the Church’s teachings on relics, how grace transforms the material world, and how a relationship with the saints is meant to strengthen your relationship with Christ, not be a substitute for it.

Show Notes:

Saints:

* Saint Gabriel Possenti

* Saint Jude

* Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity

* Saint Helena

* Saint Padre Pio

* Saint Brigid of Ireland

* Saint Therese of Lisieux

* Saint Edith Stein

* Saint Hildegard of Bingen

* Saint John Paul II

* Saint Philip Neri

* Saint John Henry Newman

* Saint Bernadette Soubirous

Books:

* Essays on Woman by Edith Stein

* Parochial & Plain Sermons by John Henry Newman

* Theology of the Body by John Paul II

* Saint Hildegard of Bingen: Discovering the Doctors by Emily Stimpson Chapman

* Story of a Soul by Therese Martin

Rosary Bracelets: Humble Mission Beads

Thin Places

“Making Christianity Weird Again” by Tracy Rowland

Therese (1986 French movie)

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In this month’s bonus episode for full subscribers, we reflect on the events of last week, including the tragic death of Charlie Kirk, the initial responses in the culture, and how Christians should respond to chaos and hatred in the world.

Note: This conversation was recorded prior to the arrest of Tyler Robinson.

Show Notes:

The Last Battle: On Hatred, …

What are some practical ways men (and women) can overcome the habit of using pornography? Why is doing penance for pornography use so helpful? How can grace, over time heal our hearts and minds? And why is it so important for single people to take action now, before they are married, to begin that healing process. That’s what we are having a conversation about this week, on Visitation Sessions.

Show Notes:

Spiritual Passages: The Psychology of Spiritual Development By Father Benedict Groeschel

The Family Man

Three Colors Trilogy: Blue

The Porn Myth: Exposing the Reality Behind the Fantasy of Pornography by Matt Fradd

Covenant Eyes

Saint Mark Ji Tianxiang

“The Porn Habit: How Porn Effects Marriage” (a podcast) with Sheila Gregoire

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The Stapletons convinced the Chapmans to go to their first ever Renaissance Fair in Pittsburgh and the good, the bad, the beautiful, and the ugly of it all sparked quite the conversation about community and Catholicism. Also, Emily has a new cookbook out. It’s called Around the Catholic Table, and if you like good food, Catholicism, and community, you should buy it.

Show Notes:

The Surprisingly Radical Roots of the Renaissance Fair

Saint Conrad

Blessed Solanus Casey

Brideshead Revisisted

Saint Andre Bessette

The Catholic Table (Not a cookbook)

Around the Catholic Table (the cookbook)

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Today, we’re talking about California, the Chapman’s adventures there, the reason Kate is sharing her story as a birth mother in her documentary The Inner Sea, and why the conversation around adoption and abortion in pro-life circles needs to deepen.

Show Notes:

The Inner Sea

Springs of Love

Building Belonging: Six Steps for Fostering and Adopting in Faith (An Adoption Education Curriculum)

The Chapman’s Adoption Story (produced by Springs of Love)

Leah Outten (birth mom support from a Protestant perspective)

Cradled in Grace (ethical adoption consultants)

Abiding Love Adoptions (birth mom centered adoption agency)

M Train: A Memoir by Patti Smith

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Earlier this month, The Church Life Journal ran an article by Michael Rota and Stephen Bullivant sharing some rather grim data on Catholic parents’ ability to raise Catholic children who stay Catholic as adults. In short, even with a little help from Catholic immigrants, the Church in America is essentially losing 9 out of 10 Catholics, once they become adults. “Rather grim” was a bit of an understatement, I suppose.

Regardless, since all four of us have seemingly defied the odds by growing up Catholic and remaining Catholic, we thought we’d parse that data through the lens of our own (wildly) different experiences in (wildly) different Catholic homes. What did our parents do that helped? What didn’t they do that might have helped more? And how much of it has nothing to do with our parents and much more to do with temperament, community, and grace?

That’s what we’re talking about today, on Visitation Sessions, which thanks to all of you wonderful listeners has now well surpassed 200,000 downloads! That is crazy. And amazing. Thanks so much for spending an hour of your week with us! And, don’t forget, if you want even more content, the very best way to get it is to become a full subscriber to the podcast today. Not only do our full subscribers help keep the podcast coming, but they also have access to subscriber only content and regular behind-the-paywall Q&A’s.

Show Notes:

Religious Transmission: A Solution to the Church’s Biggest Problem by Michael Rota and Stephen Bullivant

The Village Nobody Wants, Cartoons Hate Her

The Inner Sea Film

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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)

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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

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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

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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