Ave Explores

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.

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.

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.

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.

Bonus Episode: Blessed Fulton Sheen's Impact

October 12th, 2026  |  39 mins 8 secs

Saints, ave explores, ave maria press, ave spotlight, beatification, blessed fulton sheen, catholic church, catholicism, evangelization through the media, katie mcgrady, oscar rivera, sheen awards

Katie joins Oscar Rivera on Ave Spotlight for a conversation about the legacy of Blessed Fulton Sheen and the power of media to proclaim the Gospel. Fresh off receiving the inaugural Sheen Award for Impact in Radio and Podcasting, she reflects on the importance of using our platforms for something greater than recognition. Together, they explore Sheen’s groundbreaking television ministry and his remarkable gift for communicating timeless truths with clarity, boldness, humor, and a profound understanding of the Church’s mission. From the missionary creativity of the 1950s to today’s world of podcasts, social media, and algorithms, this episode asks a challenging question: If we have more ways than ever to share Jesus with the world, what are we doing with that gift?

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.

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.

Week Six: Books are a Bridge feat. Katie McGrady

July 1st, 2026  |  Season 33  |  25 mins 28 secs

alex jones, andrew swafford, ave explores, catholicism in literature, claire swinarski, colleen hutt, cs lewis, fr. johan teller, fr. michael brisson, haley stewart, hallow, jrr tolkien, kaitlyn facista, katie mcgrady, marcie stokman, op, sr. allison gliot, the brothers karamazov, well read moms

At the beginning of this season, Pope Leo told the Vatican Publishing House that books are bridges of encounter. By the season's end, he told writers that books help us more deeply explore what it means to be human.

In this concluding episode, Katie reflects on how reading has shaped her own life and faith, and why great literature has the power to transform us. She also shares a curated list of the books recommended by each of this season's guests, offering listeners a reading guide to continue the conversation long after the season ends.

Week Five: A Russian Novel for Lent on Hallow feat. Alex Jones and Ashley Lenz

June 24th, 2026  |  Season 33  |  44 mins 32 secs

alex jones, andrew swafford, ave explores, catholicism in literature, claire swinarski, colleen hutt, cs lewis, fr. johan teller, fr. michael brisson, haley stewart, hallow, jrr tolkien, kaitlyn facista, katie mcgrady, marcie stokman, op, sr. allison gliot, the brothers karamazov, well read moms

When Hallow CEO Alex Jones told Ashley Lenz he wanted to feature The Brothers Karamazov in the app’s annual Pray40 Lenten challenge, she had one condition: a weeklong retreat at Notre Dame. The retreat became the foundation for what would become Hallow’s most successful Pray40 campaign ever. More importantly, it confirmed a conviction at the heart of her work—that a truly good and beautiful book can open hearts to Jesus Christ.

Week Four: Finding Community through Great Books with Marcie Stokman and Colleen Hutt, Founders of Well-Read Mom

June 17th, 2026  |  Season 33  |  51 mins 56 secs

alex jones, andrew swafford, ave explores, catholicism in literature, claire swinarski, colleen hutt, cs lewis, fr. johan teller, fr. michael brisson, haley stewart, hallow, jrr tolkien, kaitlyn facista, katie mcgrady, marcie stokman, op, sr. allison gliot, the brothers karamazov, well read moms

In this episode, Katie talks with Marcie Stokman and Colleen Hutt, co-founders of Well-Read Mom, a nationwide book club for women seeking deeper friendships and meaningful conversations through great literature. Marcie and Colleen share how reading good books transformed their own lives, making them a better person, wife, and mother. In a culture increasingly shaped by constant screens and distractions, they argue that literature helps us recover the lost arts of thinking, reading, and speaking well.

For many women, finding time to read can feel impossible. Marcie offers a simple answer: read together. Through book clubs and shared conversations, women discover a space to wrestle with the questions that matter most—the joys and sorrows, hopes and fears, and challenges of everyday life. These friendships provide the connection, encouragement, and sense of belonging that every person longs for.

Marcie and Colleen also explain the Well-Read Mom four-step process:

Read: Let go of the guilt and simply begin.

Compare: Connect the themes of the book to your own life.

Share: Engage in authentic conversations with others, ideally face-to-face.

Accompany: Support one another through life's struggles with compassion and confidentiality.

Three Takeaways
Reading fosters friendship, and friendship inspires us to keep reading.

Every person has a deep desire to be seen, known, loved, and connected in authentic community.

The Well-Read Mom four-step process offers a practical path to deeper relationships and a richer intellectual and spiritual life.