Ave Explores

1st Week of Lent: Dignity at the Cross with the Sisters of Life

February 21st, 2026  |  Season 32  |  48 mins 36 secs

ali hoffman, ave explores, ave maria press, bishop andrew cozzens, fr. gregory pine, fr. jerónimo espinosa, fr. patrick mary briscoe, katie mcgrady, laura fanucci, lenten journal, lenten video and podcast series, meg hunter-kilmer, op, witness

Rooted in their mission to uphold the dignity of every human person, the Sisters of Life witness to the truth that no one is beyond God’s love and mercy. During Lent, we are invited to stand at the foot of the Cross and encounter the Lord’s loving gaze, even in his suffering. Sr. Cora Caeli and Sr. Magnificat Rose share how they live Lent as religious sisters, reflecting on why the cross is not something to avoid but to embrace—especially as we repent, convert, and cling to Christ throughout these forty days.

Ash Wednesday: Starting Lent with a Plan with Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP, and Tommy McGrady

February 17th, 2026  |  Season 32  |  50 mins 43 secs

ali hoffman, ave explores, ave maria press, bishop andrew cozzens, fr. gregory pine, fr. jerónimo espinosa, fr. patrick mary briscoe, katie mcgrady, laura fanucci, lenten journal, lenten video and podcast series, meg hunter-kilmer, op, witness

Lent invites us to trust God’s providence—but it also calls for intention. In this episode, Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP, author of Witness, joins Katie and her husband, Tommy, to reflect on approaching the season with purpose. Fr. Patrick shares how writing a Lenten reflection journal helped him contemplate the Cross more deeply and why we’re invited to stand at its foot—ready to receive all the grace the Lord desires to give through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

NEW SERIES: Not a Fan of Lent? You’re Not Alone with Fr. Gregory Pine, OP

February 12th, 2026  |  Season 32  |  42 mins 22 secs

ali hoffman, ave explores, ave maria press, bishop andrew cozzens, fr. gregory pine, fr. jerónimo espinosa, fr. patrick mary briscoe, katie mcgrady, laura fanucci, lenten journal, lenten video and podcast series, meg hunter-kilmer, op, witness

In this teaser episode of Ave Explores: Lent with Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP, host Katie McGrady sits down with Fr. Gregory Pine, OP, to name a familiar tension: many of us resist Lent, even while longing for the work God wants to do in us. Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving aren’t ends in themselves—they’re pathways into deeper participation in the divine life and a renewed ability to recognize God in the ordinary.

Fr. Gregory invites us to begin simply, with an honest prayer: Lord, I need you.

This conversation sets the tone for our Lenten series inspired by Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe’s book Witness. Throughout Lent, we’ll walk alongside those who encountered the Passion firsthand, with weekly videos featuring Fr. Patrick and companion podcast episodes with guests including Bishop Andrew Cozzens, Meg Hunter-Kilmer, Ali Hoffman, Fr. Jerónimo Espinosa, Laura Fanucci, and more.

This Lent, don’t get stuck in what you dislike about the season. Let God meet you where you are—and lead you where he is calling you to go.

Get your copy of Witness today, with a foreword by Jonathan Roumie from The Chosen.

Fourth Sunday of Advent: The Wonder of the Journey with Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP

December 19th, 2025  |  Season 31  |  41 mins 20 secs

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In the final days of Advent, Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP, reflects on Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem—sudden in appearance, yet deeply intentional and necessary. Their path invites us to consider our own journeys during this liturgical season and throughout life, and to recognize the deeper purpose meant to be received with wonder.

Third Sunday of Advent: Joy in the Chaos of Advent with Rachel and Jason Bulman

December 12th, 2025  |  Season 31  |  40 mins 50 secs

advent with behold the wonder, ave explores, deacon jason bulman, eliza monts, fr. patrick mary briscoe, katie cavadini, katie mcgrady, matt maher, op, rachel bulman

With six kids, busy schedules, and long to-do lists, Deacon Jason and Rachel Bulman understand what it means to try and slow down in the Advent season, and how even best laid plans to slow down are often thwarted. In today's episode, they share how Jesus actually finds us in that chaotic family life, is present to us, and shows us his tenderness and brings joy even when we feel like everything is moving too fast.

2nd Sunday of Advent: A Peaceful Aesthetic with Eliza Monts

December 4th, 2025  |  Season 31  |  41 mins 38 secs

advent with behold the wonder, ave explores, deacon jason bulman, eliza monts, fr. patrick mary briscoe, katie cavadini, katie mcgrady, matt maher, op, rachel bulman

Walk into any Target or Home Goods and you'll see nothing but perfectly curated Christmas décor selling you the right kind of holiday aesthetic, all in pursuit of a perfect Instagram post. Eliza Monts, a popular Substack writer and Instagram influencer, shares how we can't let perfect be the enemy of good while pursuing peace and harmony in the Advent season.

1st Sunday of Advent: Finding Wonder in Advent with Katie Cavadini

November 28th, 2025  |  Season 31  |  45 mins 22 secs

advent with behold the wonder, ave explores, deacon jason bulman, eliza monts, fr. patrick mary briscoe, katie cavadini, katie mcgrady, matt maher, op, rachel bulman

The season of Advent can become far busier than we'd like it to be, if we aren't careful. Author of Behold the Wonder, Katie Cavadini, offers insights into how incorporating lectio and visio divinia and allowing ourselves to be immersed in the moments of the nativity story throughout the season can provide us numerous opportunities to behold the wonders the Lord wants to show us in this season of hopeful anticipation.

NEW SERIES! Teaser: The Advent of Christmas with Matt Maher

November 19th, 2025  |  Season 31  |  37 mins 33 secs

advent with behold the wonder, ave explores, deacon jason bulman, eliza monts, fr. patrick mary briscoe, katie cavadini, katie mcgrady, matt maher, op, rachel bulman

Matt Maher takes Advent seriously, not only because he spends the season touring cathedrals across the country leading evenings of prayer and praise, but because Advent invites us to remember the gift and majesty of Mary’s “yes.” In this conversation, Matt reflects on how her courageous response shapes our own call to live the faith with renewed trust, hope, and openness each day.

SPECIAL EPISODE: Remembering Pope Francis with Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP

May 6th, 2025  |  43 mins

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When plans to attend the canonization of Bl. Carlo Acutis shifted following the death of Pope Francis, Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP, traveled to Rome to report for Our Sunday Visitor, while Katie Prejean McGrady stayed in the U.S. to cover events for CNN and SiriusXM. In this special episode of Ave Explores, Katie and Fr. Patrick reflect on the life and legacy of Pope Francis, share personal stories of meeting him, and discuss what may lie ahead for the Church as the 2025 conclave approaches.

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.