Ave Explores

Week Three: The Oddities of the Early Church with Mike Aquilina

October 9th, 2024  |  Season 25  |  48 mins

ave explores, ave maria press, fr. patrick mary briscoe, jonathan roumie, katie mcgrady, matt maher, meg hunter-kilmer, mike aquilina, op, peculiar stuff catholics do, sean pilcher, sonja corbitt, steffani aquila

When we declare that Catholicism is two thousand years old, we must do so knowing that this means the earliest days of the Church were, at times, peculiar and challenging. The liturgy had to be developed, sacramental practices clarified, disputes settled, and the life of the Church established as we now know it.

Mike Aquilina, Catholic scholar and prolific author, discusses the unusual practices of the Church's first few hundred years and how they led to some of today's most cherished traditions.

Week Two: Unveiling the Mystery of Relics with Sean Pilcher and Sharing Holy Stories with Jonathan Roumie

October 2nd, 2024  |  Season 25  |  1 hr 11 mins

ave explores, ave maria press, deacon david keene, jonathan roumie, katie mcgrady, matt maher, meg hunter-kilmer, mike aquilina, peculiar stuff catholics do, relics, sacra, saints, sean pilcher, sonja corbitt, steffani aquila, the chosen

Sean Pilcher, from Sacra, an apostolate focused on the restoration and recovery of relics, shares the meaning and importance of relics for all Catholics. Sean discusses how relics are verified, what it looks like to restore relics that have been damaged, and offers insight into how relics impact our spiritual lives.

Then, in a special bonus Ave Explores exclusive, Katie sits down with Jonathan Roumie, award winning actor from The Chosen and executive producer of the new film Heart of a Servant: The Father Flanagan Story to discuss how the joy of his Catholic faith guides him in his career and helps him discern good projects to work on, and he tells the story of meeting Pope Francis, who called him “Jesus.”

Week One: How Saints are Studied and Made with Meg Hunter-Kilmer and Deacon David Keene

September 25th, 2024  |  Season 25  |  1 hr 17 mins

ave explores, ave maria press, david keene, fr. patrick mary briscoe, katie mcgrady, matt maher, meg hunter-kilmer, mike aquilina, peculiar stuff catholics do, saints, sean pilcher, sonja corbitt, steffani aquila

Join Meg Hunter-Kilmer, author and storyteller of saints, and Deacon David Keene, an archeologist and canon lawyer, as they delve into the fascinating process of uncovering the lives of saints. From researching their stories to studying their relics, they explore the challenges and discoveries that bring these holy figures to life.

Teaser: Embracing the Oddities of Catholicism with Matt Maher

September 18th, 2024  |  Season 25  |  1 hr 2 mins

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Matt Maher wouldn’t describe himself as a “peculiar” or “weird” Catholic, but he wouldn’t mind if you described him like that, because he knows that’s just sort of part of being Catholic. World renowned, Grammy nominated singer, songwriter, and producer, Matt Maher sits down with Katie McGrady to talk about what he loves about his Catholic faith, how he shares it in lots of non-Catholic spaces, and what it means to be your most authentic self in living and loving your Catholicism.

Katie McGrady Welcomes Oscar Rivera to the Ave Podcast Family

August 19th, 2024  |  32 mins 35 secs

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In this bonus episode of Ave Explores, Katie Prejean McGrady sits down with Oscar Rivera, new host of Ave Spotlight. Together, they discuss the origins of their collaboration, dive into their experience at the National Eucharistic Congress, and share thoughts on the Olympics.

Week Seven: On Pilgrimage in the U.S. with Tim O'Malley and Chenele Shaw

June 25th, 2024  |  Season 24  |  1 hr 12 mins

amy j. cattapan, ave explores, ave maria press, brian caulfield, cardinal timothy m. dolan, catholicism in the united states, chenele shaw, csc, eucharistic pilgrimages, fr. edward looney, fr. korey lavergne, fr. nate wills, fr. tim anastos, joann seaman, katie mcgrady, kerry robertson, kevin schmiesing, meg hunter-kilmer, op, sr. mary michael fox, stephen j. binz, timothy p. o'malley

Catholicism is incarnational and tactile. We exist in reality, and so does our faith. Remembering that is essential to growing in our Catholicism, and Timothy P. O’Malley explains how “matter matters” in the places and spaces we worship. This summer, Catholics in the United States will have the chance to experience that incarnational reality on the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, spanning four routes from coast to coast, converging in Indianapolis in July for the National Eucharistic Congress. Chenele Shaw, former host of Ave Spotlight, shares the story of the pilgrimage and what we can expect along the way.

Week Six: Forming Young Minds and Serving Those in Need with Fr. Tim Anastos and Kerry Robinson

June 18th, 2024  |  Season 24  |  56 mins 4 secs

amy j. cattapan, ave explores, ave maria press, brian caulfield, cardinal timothy m. dolan, catholicism in the united states, chenele shaw, csc, eucharistic pilgrimages, fr. edward looney, fr. korey lavergne, fr. nate wills, fr. tim anastos, joann seaman, katie mcgrady, kerry robertson, kevin schmiesing, meg hunter-kilmer, op, sr. mary michael fox, stephen j. binz, timothy p. o'malley

The Church in the U.S. has made a lasting impact on education and social services. From universities and lay apostolates that educate and form young adults to networks of Catholic Charities offices that provide essential help to those in need, Catholicism in the U.S. is not naval-gazing or self-centered. The Church in the U.S. seeks to serve. Fr. Tim Anastos, chaplain at the University of Illinois, and Kerry Robinson, CEO of Catholic Charities USA, share how the missions of formation and charity are a significant part of the story of Catholicism in this country.

Week Five: Catholicism on the California Coast and in the Colorado Mountains with Stephen J. Binz and JoAnn Seaman

June 12th, 2024  |  Season 24  |  47 mins 46 secs

amy j. cattapan, ave explores, ave maria press, brian caulfield, cardinal timothy m. dolan, catholicism in the united states, chenele shaw, csc, eucharistic pilgrimages, fr. edward looney, fr. korey lavergne, fr. nate wills, fr. tim anastos, joann seaman, katie mcgrady, kerry robertson, kevin schmiesing, meg hunter-kilmer, op, sr. mary michael fox, stephen j. binz, timothy p. o'malley

St. Junipero Serra evangelized California and St. Frances Xavier Cabrini evangelized Colorado. Their influence extends up and down the West Coast and throughout the Rocky Mountains, leaving a lasting legacy that continues to inspire today. In this episode, Stephen J. Binz, a pilgrimage leader to the California Missions, and JoAnn Seaman, director of the Mother Cabrini Shrine in Golden, CO, share the stories of these two remarkable saints and the places where their impact is still felt.

Week Four: Southern Suffering and Sanctity with Fr. Korey LaVergne and Sr. Mary Michael Fox, OP

June 5th, 2024  |  Season 24  |  1 hr 40 mins

amy j. cattapan, ave explores, ave maria press, brian caulfield, cardinal timothy m. dolan, catholicism in the united states, chenele shaw, csc, eucharistic pilgrimages, fr. edward looney, fr. korey lavergne, fr. nate wills, fr. tim anastos, joann seaman, katie mcgrady, kerry robertson, kevin schmiesing, meg hunter-kilmer, op, sr. mary michael fox, stephen j. binz, timothy p. o'malley

From the inspiring faith of little Charlene Richard, a twelve-year-old girl who died of Leukemia and is now on the path to canonization, to the enduring resilience of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia during the Civil War and the culture wars of today, Catholicism in the South is far from just a cultural norm—it embodies a story of suffering and sanctity. Fr. Korey LaVergne, pastor of St. Edward’s Church in Louisiana and Charlene Richard’s home parish, and Sr. Mary Michael Fox, OP, offer profound insights into the vibrant and joyful reality of Catholicism in the Southern United States.

Week Three: The Holiness of Bl. Michael McGivney and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton with Brian Caulfield and Amy J. Cattapan

May 29th, 2024  |  Season 24  |  1 hr 18 mins

amy j. cattapan, ave explores, ave maria press, brian caulfield, cardinal timothy m. dolan, catholicism in the united states, chenele shaw, csc, eucharistic pilgrimages, fr. edward looney, fr. korey lavergne, fr. nate wills, fr. tim anastos, joann seaman, katie mcgrady, kerry robertson, kevin schmiesing, meg hunter-kilmer, op, sr. mary michael fox, stephen j. binz, timothy p. o'malley

The stories of saints in the United States are diverse and dynamic. The first American born female saint, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and the founder and first chaplain of the Knights of Columbus, Bl. Michael McGivney, show us how holiness is found in a unique way. Brian Caulfield and Amy J. Cattapan share the stories of these two holy American heroes that introduce us to Catholicism on the east coast.