Voices of Holy Cross: Stories of Hope

Brother Philip Smith CSC is the archivist for the Midwest Province of Holy Cross Brothers. In his first few months on that job, with a little push from the Holy Spirit urging him to "look up and to the right," he discovered over 6000 letters between Br. Columba O'Neill and others, documenting thousands of cures, which convinced him to pursue Columba's case for sainthood. Due largely to Br. Philip's zeal and patient effort, Br. Columba O'Neill has recently been named a Servant of God.

One of Holy Cross's best friends and collaborators is Carolyn Woo, who, in a long list of professional accomplishments, has served as Dean of the Mendoza School of Business at the University of Notre Dame and national president of Catholic Relief Services. She speaks here of the imprint of Holy Cross on her life and her imprint on theirs, reflecting that when your work (as hers always is) is in the name of the Blessed Mother--Notre Dame--mediocrity is simply not an option.

Longtime pastor Fr. John Dougherty has lived the majority of his priesthood following the earliest model of life in Holy Cross, serving parishes from Granger, Indiana to Portland, Oregon to Austin, Texas. He gives us glimpses of a couple typical days in his flourishing parish, and while he doesn't necessarily advise this today, tells how he once presided at 8 Masses in a single weekend.

Holy Cross priest, teacher educator, chaplain to Notre Dame's football team and author of Pray Like A Champion Today, new from Ave Maria Press (use code PRAY20 for a 20% discount), Fr. Nate Wills offers infectiously exuberant wisdom on how he forms Catholic school teachers and administrators to be "disciples with Hope to bring," turned field and weight room insights into an inspirational book, and why we need not fear meaningful encounters with generative AI tools.

Notre Dame's Moreau Seminary Rector Fr. Jim Gallagher CSC sheds light on an undervalued discipline in shared life: genuine forgiveness. In this conversation, Fr. Jim tells stories of how forgiveness has strengthened his own experience of community life, and offers concrete tips for extending forgiveness... even when the other person is getting on your last nerve.

Longtime Holy Cross lay collaborator Dr. Lisa Kirkpatrick of St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas shares stories of accompanying students and colleagues in some of their darkest moments, and what it feels like to come out on the other side of those transformative journeys: the side of hope, joy and resurrection.

From naval vessels two football fields long, to a crowded shelter for mothers and children left homeless in Bangladesh, to a face-to-face encounter with a woman in Phoenix who saw Jesus in the hands that gave her new socks and a blanket, Fr. Bill Dorwart CSC has been about the work of resurrection since his days as a young seminarian. In this episode, Fr. Bill relates shares memories of encounters where he's helped people experience new life.

Longtime lay collaborator Ken Hallenius tells stories of how he uses modern tech tools to spread the Gospel and share hope in his work with Holy Cross, speculates which of those tools Blessed Fr. Moreau might be drawn to, and shares a new feast day he's pushing for: Meating Friday.

Working among the poorest people in Portland's downtown St. Andre Bessette Parish, Fr. Randy Rentner and Fr. Pat Hannon have learned to flex and grow their compassion muscles and tell stories of what it's like to honor the inherent dignity of their neighbors, sharing both their burdens and their joys, including a cat named Thomas.

Host Karen Eifler collects stories from Dianne Barlas, who has worked in parishes all over the world with the Congregation of Holy Cross, pursuing social justice and helping form people of faith--from middle schoolers to parishioners and now students, faculty and staff in college. Along the way she lets us peek at the moment she knew she was in this for keeps, having found her home as a lay collaborator.