Ave Explores
Everyday Faith for Everyday Catholics
Displaying 6 items of Ave Explores with the tag "basilicas".
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Week Five Going and Coming: The Lasting Impact of a Pilgrimage feat. Fr. Mark Toups
November 4th, 2026 | Season 34 | 47 mins 55 secs
33 days to prepare your heart for pilgrimage, ave explores, basilicas, catholic pilgrimages, corporate travel, david henrie, edmundo reyes, fr. dave pivonka, fr. mark toups, grady connolly, hiking the camino, joan watson, john hale, katie mcgrady, lourdes, paul jarzembowski, pilgrimage, rome, santiago de compostela, the holy land, the way of st. james, verso travel
Who are you journeying with and speaking to when you’re on pilgrimage? That question is essential to a journey that is with, for, and in Christ. Fr. Mark Toups, who prefers slow, intentional, quiet pilgrimages, explores how a pilgrimage continues to shape us long after we return home. He is the author of the brand-new 33 Days to Prepare Your Heart for Pilgrimage, a book written to aid the pilgrim making their way across the country—or simply across the street.
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Week Four Beautiful Places Close By: Visiting the Basilicas of the U.S. with Grady Connolly
October 28th, 2026 | Season 34 | 41 mins 56 secs
33 days to prepare your heart for pilgrimage, ave explores, basilicas, catholic pilgrimages, corporate travel, david henrie, edmundo reyes, fr. dave pivonka, fr. mark toups, grady connolly, hiking the camino, joan watson, john hale, katie mcgrady, lourdes, paul jarzembowski, pilgrimage, rome, santiago de compostela, the holy land, the way of st. james, verso travel
When Grady Connolly set out to visit all 94 basilicas in the United States, he didn’t expect the adventure to become a test of both personal faith and endurance. Along the way, he discovered that each church tells a unique story about the growth and history of the Catholic Church in America. He captured these stories in his new book, Basilicas: A Pilgrim’s Guide to America’s Most Remarkable Churches. Grady joins the show to reflect on how this pilgrimage became much more than a vacation or sightseeing trip. It was an opportunity to encounter the beauty and goodness of God in the sacred spaces of his own homeland—and to discover how the places close by can open our hearts to something greater.
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Week Three World Youth Day, a Pilgrimage of People with Paul Jarzembowski
October 21st, 2026 | Season 34 | 53 mins 30 secs
33 days to prepare your heart for pilgrimage, ave explores, basilicas, catholic pilgrimages, corporate travel, david henrie, edmundo reyes, fr. dave pivonka, fr. mark toups, grady connolly, hiking the camino, joan watson, john hale, katie mcgrady, lourdes, paul jarzembowski, pilgrimage, pope st. john paul ii, rome, santiago de compostela, the holy land, the way of st. james, verso travel
Pope St. John Paul II created World Youth Day because of his own profound experiences as a youth at large gatherings while on pilgrimage with his peers. Hoping to bring that joy to the masses, World Youth Day was born. Now with the 17th World Youth Day set to be held in Seoul, South Korea in August of 2027, Katie sits down with Paul Jarzembowski to learn how the unique pilgrim’s experience at a World Youth Day is unlike anything else in the Church or world today.
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Week Two A Pilgrim’s Heart: How to "Be a Pilgrim" On and Off a Trip feat. Joan Watson (Verso Ministries)
October 14th, 2026 | Season 34 | 39 mins 20 secs
33 days to prepare your heart for pilgrimage, ave explores, basilicas, catholic pilgrimages, corporate travel, david henrie, edmundo reyes, fr. dave pivonka, fr. mark toups, grady connolly, hiking the camino, joan watson, john hale, katie mcgrady, lourdes, paul jarzembowski, pilgrimage, rome, santiago de compostela, the holy land, the way of st. james, verso travel
St. Augustine coined the term peregrini to describe what it means to be a traveler through this life, making our pilgrimage toward our final home: heaven. This spirit of journeying, with a heart open to what God will do, is essential to pilgrimage. Joan Watson, pilgrimage formation manager for Verso Ministries, explores how a pilgrim’s heart is developed before, during, and after a journey to a specific place—and how we can carry that spirit with us every day.
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Week One: Travel and Pilgrimages with a Family feat. John Hale and daughter, Elizabeth Hale
October 7th, 2026 | Season 34 | 45 mins 59 secs
33 days to prepare your heart for pilgrimage, ave explores, basilicas, catholic pilgrimages, corporate travel, david henrie, edmundo reyes, fr. dave pivonka, fr. mark toups, grady connolly, hiking the camino, john hale, katie mcgrady, lourdes, pilgrimage, rome, santiago de compostela, the holy land, the way of st. james
When John Hale became CEO of Corporate Travel, it opened up a world of opportunities to explore new places, both on his own and alongside pilgrims. He and his wife, Kristen, also made it a priority to bring their children along on adventures around the world. In their first joint interview, John sits down with his eldest daughter, Elizabeth, to reflect on the impact of traveling as a family and the difference between taking a vacation and going on pilgrimage. Together, they share how these shared experiences have shaped their family’s faith and brought them closer to God.
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Teaser: Why Pilgrimages? feat. Edmundo Reyes of Seeking Beauty
September 30th, 2026 | Season 34 | 53 mins 56 secs
33 days to prepare your heart for pilgrimage, ave explores, basilicas, catholic pilgrimages, corporate travel, david henrie, edmundo reyes, fr. dave pivonka, fr. mark toups, grady connolly, hiking the camino, john hale, katie mcgrady, lourdes, pilgrimage, rome, santiago de compostela, the holy land, the way of st. james
Edmundo Reyes was bitten by the travel bug at a young age, always seeking adventure and hoping to discover something beautiful along the way. Years later, it was only fitting that he became the showrunner and executive producer of a Catholic travel series hosted by David Henrie, taking curious Catholics on a journey through Italy (Season 1) and Spain (Season 2), with many more destinations to come. But you don’t have to produce a travel show to have a pilgrim’s heart. Edmundo shares how we can all remain open to the movement of the Holy Spirit by embracing our desire to go and see what the Lord has in store for us.