The American Catholic Spirt
Catholic Talk
Join Catholic Extension Society as we journey to meet vibrant and transformative communities of faith in the poorest regions of America. We find people who are rich in faith, culture and purpose amid the many struggles and challenges they face. We hope that listeners will walk away with a deeper appreciation of the beauty of the Catholic Church in our country. These communities are supported by Catholic Extension Society, an organization based in Chicago and founded in 1905. Our mission is to work in solidarity with people to build up vibrant and transformative Catholic faith communities among the poor in the poorest regions of America. Our work touches the lives of 15 million Catholics spanning 40 states and territories from Alaska to Puerto Rico.
Location:
United States
Description:
Join Catholic Extension Society as we journey to meet vibrant and transformative communities of faith in the poorest regions of America. We find people who are rich in faith, culture and purpose amid the many struggles and challenges they face. We hope that listeners will walk away with a deeper appreciation of the beauty of the Catholic Church in our country. These communities are supported by Catholic Extension Society, an organization based in Chicago and founded in 1905. Our mission is to work in solidarity with people to build up vibrant and transformative Catholic faith communities among the poor in the poorest regions of America. Our work touches the lives of 15 million Catholics spanning 40 states and territories from Alaska to Puerto Rico.
Twitter:
@CathExtension
Language:
English
Episodes
Seminarians Earn “Calluses Before Chalices” | Yakima Valley, Washington State
12/16/2024
Every Wednesday night during harvest season, 16 Masses are celebrated in migrant farmworker camps across the Yakima Valley in Central Washington. This “Mass in Camps” initiative, supported by Catholic Extension Society, offers not only the Eucharist to seasonal migrant farmworkers, but also fellowship, food and music. In this episode, Bishop Joseph Tyson of Yakima discusses how reaching out to the margins benefits the Church as a whole. In fact, all seminarians in the diocese spend summers working alongside the laborers in the fields to understand those they will one day serve as priests. Father Jesús Mariscal recounts how earning "calluses before chalices” influenced his pastoral perspective when he was a seminarian. Experience faith blooming and the Church growing amid Yakima’s bountiful harvest.
Duration:00:10:32
Hope Beyond the Rubble | Guayanilla, Puerto Rico
12/9/2024
Puerto Rico’s string of natural disasters has left an indelible mark on the people. Yet, their faith endures. In this episode, we visit Guayanilla, a small town at the epicenter of devastating earthquakes in 2020. Immaculate Conception, a 180-year-old landmark church, sustained major damage. Parishioners sadly watched their beloved worship space and pre-K–8th grade school reduced to rubble. We meet Father Melvin Diaz and principal Carmen Alicia Rodriguez Echeverria, who walk daily with the community. Beneath the church’s wreckage is an unwavering foundation of faith proving stronger than any brick or mortar. Catholic Extension Society is helping to rebuild and fortify over 600 Catholic churches and schools on the island.
Duration:00:07:35
“Those who sing pray twice” | The legacy of music in the Black Catholic Church
11/22/2024
Music in the Black Catholic Church in America dates back to 17th century African rhythms fused with the Christian faith. This style of music is a cherished mode of prayer in the Deep South, and it carries a legacy of resilience and devotion. This episode features voices including the late Francis Leblanc, a gifted and beloved music minister and teacher in Louisiana. Additionally, Carol Smoke, a music director in Alabama, shares how songs can transport people from a downtrodden place to the heights of God's grace. Celebrate the vibrant spirituality behind the Black Catholic Church’s soul-stirring songs that bring communities closer to their roots, to each other and to God.
Duration:00:09:49
Hope and Beauty in Blackfeet Nation | Browning, Montana
11/12/2024
Little Flower Parish on Blackfeet Nation works to help this Native American community rediscover and reclaim the beauty that has been endowed in them by their creator. Mass is offered at the annual four-day Indian Days celebration, wherein people of Blackfeet descent celebrate their heritage with traditional dancing, drumming and games. The parish was involved in the founding of a school that now boasts a high graduation rate and thriving athletics program. Catholic Extension Society has supported Little Flower Parish for 50 years.
Duration:00:10:12
Fishers of People | East Montana
11/12/2024
In this episode we explore how the Catholic Church is good for societal health throughout the vast reaches of the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings in eastern Montana. Scattered throughout this territory, which is nearly the size of New Zealand, are small town parishes that are catalysts of compassion. When economies falter, Catholic churches are places of convening, assistance and hope. Catholic Extension Society works in solidarity with the Catholic leaders who are committed to building a brighter future in these far-flung communities.
Duration:00:12:42
The Hidden Potential Within the Children of Migrant Farmworkers | Kalamazoo, Michigan
11/12/2024
In southwest Michigan, Catholic leaders go outside the “four walls” of the Church to share God’s love among migrant farmworkers and their children. In this episode we hear from Veronica Rodriguez, the program director for Hispanic ministry in the Diocese of Kalamazoo. She grew up working in the fields alongside her mother. She remembers priests and religious sisters visiting the migrant camps to encourage children to believe in themselves. Today she is a vital part of the Catholic Church’s outreach to 18,000 migrant workers—bringing music, joy and confidence into the hearts of these overlooked families.
Duration:00:09:59
Nothing About a Cathedral Is Accidental | San Juan, Puerto Rico
11/5/2024
Catholic Extension Society has supported Puerto Rico since its first days as a U.S. territory. In this episode, narrated by our president, Father Jack Wall, we visit the sacred treasures inside the Cathedral Basilica of San Juan Bautista, the oldest cathedral church under the American flag. The cathedral represents not only the 500+ years of Catholic faith on this island, but the extraordinary resilience of the people, who are still recovering from the massive destruction wrought by Hurricane Maria and several earthquakes. Now, Catholic Extension Society is helping the Church in Puerto Rico to rebuild 600 Catholic churches and schools.
Duration:00:06:36
A Nun Takes on Mobile Medical Care for the Uninsured | Knoxville, Tennessee
11/1/2024
A Nun Takes on Mobile Medical Care for the Uninsured | Knoxville, Tennessee
Our first episode takes us to East Tennessee. You will meet Sister Mary Lisa Renfer, our 2024-2025 Lumen Christi Award recipient. In addition to being a Religious Sister of Mercy from Alma, Michigan, she is also a physician. She leads St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic, a mobile medical clinic that serves the uninsured. Listen below to hear directly from Sister Mary Lisa, her staff and her patients. You will be inspired by her complete devotion to God and His children.
Duration:00:09:52
In the Age of Anxiety, 'Be Not Afraid'
1/4/2019
How do you find peace and confidence in today’s age of anxiety? Sister Marie-Paule Willem, Catholic Extension's 2018-19 Lumen Christi Award recipient, has spent a lifetime sharing the love of God in the most dire places, from living through Nazi occupation as a child to her current work serving women in detention in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Joe Boland, Catholic Extension's vice president of mission, sat down with Sister Willem to collect some of her hard-won wisdom and fascinating stories.
Find our article on Sister Willem at catholicextension.org/sisterwillem.
Duration:00:21:03
A Report from the Border
7/10/2018
Catholic Extension's vice president of mission Joe Boland recently appeared on Relevant Radio to discuss what he saw at the U.S.-Mexico border on a recent trip to El Paso, Texas.
The Catholic Church is providing essential ministries to families--especially children--in need. You can learn more about these efforts by supporting our Family Reunification fund. Click here to learn more.
Duration:00:10:56
George Washington embraced immigrants, and so does the Catholic Church
7/5/2018
The United States has a distinct history of immigration, and the Catholic Church has a long history of lending support to immigrants. Dr. Tim Muldoon, director of mission education for Catholic Extension, offers a reflection on the historical role of the Church in helping these struggling communities as well as its current involvement in the issue.
Learn more
Duration:00:13:10
Family Reunification Fund Supports Ministries on the Border
6/26/2018
Joe Boland, Catholic Extension's vice president of mission, recently appeared on the Catholic Chicago radio program to discuss Catholic Extension's new Family Reunification fund.
The fund supports ministries that provide direct outreach and advocacy for immigrant families separated as a consequence of our broken immigration system.
Learn More
Duration:00:18:03
A Glimpse of the Future of the Catholic Church in America
6/12/2018
This coming November, four dioceses in the United States will celebrate 175-year anniversaries: Chicago, Hartford, Milwaukee, and Little Rock. A closer look at the history and present realities of these dioceses offers us a glimpse of the ways that the Catholic Church in the United States is growing and changing--and gives us hope for the future.
Read more
Duration:00:10:16
What is the mission of the Catholic Church?
5/18/2018
Our director of mission education, Dr. Tim Muldoon, has spent much of his career exploring the mission of the Church. Hear his thoughts.
Duration:00:15:22
How Catholic Parishes Are Helping Communities in Puerto Rico
5/7/2018
Our vice president of mission, Joe Boland, recently appeared on Catholic TV to discuss our recent support of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. Learn more at catholicextension.org/impact
Duration:00:07:23
The Enduring Mission of Catholic Extension
5/1/2018
Our president Father Jack Wall recently appeared on Catholic.TV to reflect on Catholic Extension's mission to build up the Church in America's poorest places, especially our recent support of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.
If you're unfamiliar with the work of Catholic Extension, this interview provides a perfect primer on our mission. Learn more at our website.
Duration:00:06:56
Want to grow in holiness? Start by serving others
4/10/2018
The publication of Pope Francis’ most recent apostolic exhortation, Gaudete et Exsultate (“Rejoice and be glad”) offers us an opportunity to reflect on how the gospel calls us to renew our efforts at growing as a holy people called to serve others.
The document is subtitled “the call to holiness in today’s world,” and exhorts us to grow in faith both as individuals and as members of a church in service to the world.
Listen to Dr. Tim Muldoon reflect on four lessons from the pope's new document and how these values are lived out in the mission dioceses served by Catholic Extension.
Read more
Duration:00:14:08
Young People and Purple Churches
4/5/2018
In his address at World Youth Day in 2013, Pope Francis urged young people to go out to the streets and “make some noise.” By that, he called to mind his desire that they be agents of the Church’s mission in the world, and not merely passive recipients.
Dr. Tim Muldoon, director of mission education for Catholic Extension, offers some thoughts on how the Church might look if young people emerged as leaders...through the story of a purple church.
Read more
Duration:00:07:48
Patrons of Puerto Rico
3/21/2018
Joe Boland, our vice president of mission, appeared on Relevant Radio to discuss the current situation in Puerto Rico six months after Hurricane Maria as well as the role of Catholic parishes in providing essential physical and spiritual support to communities across the island.
We have launched the Patrons of Puerto Rico initiative to raise funds for these parishes so that they can continue their vital ministry to the millions of Puerto Ricans who are still struggling to put their lives back together.
Learn more
Duration:00:10:45
Reflection for the Second Week of Lent
2/28/2018
Rebecca Woods, a young adult pastoral associate at a small parish in the rural Diocese of Lexington, offers a brief reflection on the Gospel reading for the second week of Lent.
Afterward, listen to an interview with Rebecca on her experience working for the Catholic Church in Appalachia, where Catholics are a minority but the Church is a respected source of physical and pastoral care for the poor.
Subscribe to our Lenten reflection email series.
Duration:00:09:37