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Show Notes
Dr. Scott Hahn
Dr. Scott Hahn is the author or editor of over forty books, including best-selling titles like Rome Sweet Home, and The Lamb’s Supper. He is the editor of the academic periodical, Letter & Spirit: A Journal of Catholic Biblical Theology, and co-editor of theIgnatius Catholic Study Bible. An exceptionally popular speaker and teacher, Dr. Scott Hahn has delivered thousands of popular talks and academic lectures, nationally and internationally, on a wide range of topics related to Scripture, Theology and the Catholic faith. He has appeared on hundreds of television programs on the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), where he has also been the regular host and presenter on several popular series including Our Fathers Plan and Genesis to Jesus. In 2012, Dr. Hahn was awarded the Fr. Michael Scanlan Chair of Biblical Theology and the New Evangelization at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, where he has taught since 1990. He is the founder and president of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology. In 2005, he was awarded the Pope Benedict XVI Chair of Biblical Theology and Liturgical Proclamation at St. Vincent Seminary, which he held through 2011. In 2002, he was awarded Pio Cardinal Laghi Chair of Catholic Theology at the Pontifical Seminary Josephinum, which he held through 2004. Scott received his Bachelor of Arts degree with a triple-major in Theology, Philosophy, and Economics from Grove City College, Pennsylvania; in 1979, his Masters of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in 1982; and his Ph.D. in Biblical Theology from Marquette University in 1995. Scott has ten years of youth and pastoral ministry experience in Protestant congregations and is a former Professor of Theology at Chesapeake Theological Seminary. He was ordained in 1982 at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Fairfax, Virginia. He entered the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil, 1986. Married to Kimberly since 1979, they now have six children and seven grandchildren. Websites: |
Kimberly Hahn
Kimberly became a Catholic at the Easter Vigil of 1990 in Joliet, Illinois, after a difficult struggle during the four years following her husband Scott’s entrance into the Catholic Church. They wrote a book together entitled Rome Sweet Home: Our Journey to Catholicism. Kimberly received a Bachelors of Arts in Communication Arts from Grove City College in Pennsylvania, followed by a Masters of Arts in Theology from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in May, 1982. Scott and Kimberly have been married since 1979 and have six children. Kimberly has been a full-time, stay-at- home Mom since their firstborn’s arrival. Currently, she home schools her younger children. She enjoys speaking with Scott, but ministry is a priority after family commitments. Kimberly has written or contributed to many books on Catholicism, marriage, the family, and homeschooling. During past school years, Kimberly led a weekly Bible study at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. Her studies on Mysteries of the Rosary, Proverbs 31, Knowing the Will of God, Finances, Praying from the Hearth, Dating and Courtship, and Women of Hope are available through St. Joseph Communications as are many of her talks on topics related to family life and the Catholic Faith. |
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Jennifer Fulwiler
Jennifer Fulwiler is a writer and speaker who converted to Catholicism after a life of atheism. She’s a writer for the National Catholic Register, is a regular guest on the Relevant Radio and EWTN Radio networks, and her story has been featured on EWTN television. She is the subject of the nationally televised reality show, Minor Revisions with Jennifer Fulwiler, and her memoir about her conversion will be published by Ignatius Press in 2014. Before she was a writer, she worked as a website developer, and she graduated with honors from the University of Texas with a degree in Advertising with a focus on New Media. She lives with her husband and six young children in Austin, Texas. Her personal blog, ConversionDiary.com, receives over 300,000 pageviews each month, and has won in the categories of Best Written Blog, Most Spiritual Blog, Best Blog by a Woman, and People’s Choice Blog in the Catholic New Media Awards. Websites: |
Dr. Patrick Fagan
Patrick F. Fagan is Senior Fellow and Director of the Marriage and Religion Research Institute (MARRI), which examines the relationships among family, marriage, religion, community, and America’s social problems, as illustrated in the social science data. The Institute has a particular emphasis on the relationship between marital stability coupled with the practice of religion and their joint impacts on our social infrastructure (issues such as happiness, health, mental health and general well being, income and savings, educational attainment and family stability as well as such negative outcomes as poverty, crime, abuse, and drug addiction). A native of Ireland, Fagan earned his Bachelor of Social Science degree with a double major in sociology and social administration, and a professional graduate degree in psychology (Dip. Psych.) as well as a Ph.D. from University College Dublin. Fagan started his career as a grade school teacher in Cork, Ireland, then returned to college to become a psychologist, going to Canada to practice then to Washington, D.C. to pursue a doctorate in clinical psychology. In 1984, Fagan moved from the clinical world into the public policy arena, to work on family issues at the Free Congress Foundation. After that he worked for Senator Dan Coats of Indiana, then was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary for Family and Community Policy at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services by President George H.W. Bush, before spending the next thirteen years at the Heritage Foundation where he was a senior fellow. Website: www.MARRI.us |
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For its second June 2014 show, Carolina Catholic re-interviews atheist turned Catholic, Jennifer Fulwiler, who spoke at Ignited by Truth in March 2014. Jennifer came back on the show to talk about her autobiography. The book, Something Other Than God, is a poignant, profound, and often funny tale of one woman who set out to find the meaning of life and discovered that true happiness sometimes requires losing it all. In this show, we will delve into her incredible conversion from pro-choice atheist to a pro-life and devout Catholic.
Jennifer Fulwiler is a writer and speaker who converted to Catholicism after a life of atheism. She’s a writer for the National Catholic Register, is a regular guest on the Relevant Radio and EWTN Radio networks, and her story has been featured on EWTN television. She is the subject of the nationally televised reality show, Minor Revisions with Jennifer Fulwiler, and her memoir about her conversion will be published by Ignatius Press in 2014.
Before she was a writer, she worked as a website developer, and she graduated with honors from the University of Texas with a degree in Advertising with a focus on New Media. She lives with her husband and six young children in Austin, Texas.
Her personal blog, ConversionDiary.com, receives over 300,000 page views each month, and she has won in the categories of Best Written Blog, Most Spiritual Blog, Best Blog by a Woman, and People’s Choice Blog in the Catholic New Media Awards.
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Show Notes
www.ConversionDiary.com
www.ncregister.com/blog/jennifer-fulwiler
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Show Notes
Our April show features the work of SaludHondu, a Wilmington based fundraising organization that serves the healthcare needs of over 50,000 people in Honduras, the majority of whom are children with previously little or no access to healthcare. In this show, we hear about the work of local volunteers and Fr. Bob Kus who take their time and talents to Honduras to help the poor and sick. We speak with Penny Cromer and Millie Moore. Penny is the chairperson for "One Cup of Tea" to fill the cup of many in need, a fundraiser to be held in the Upper Room 1871, 412 Ann Street, in historic downtown Wilmington on Saturday, April 12th, from 2-4 PM. And Millie Moore, Spanish teacher at St. Mary Catholic School, has been to the mission church in Honduras
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The February Carolina Catholic show features an interview with Immaculée Ilibagiza, survivor of the 1994 Rwanda genocide, who is the author of six books including her first book, Left to Tell, a New York Times bestseller and winner of many awards. In this show, she shares the history of the apartheid that divided her country before the genocide, what happened to her and her family during those 100 days, and how her Catholic faith led her to forgive all Hutus including the man who had killed members of her family. Immaculée will be speaking at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Kannapolis, NC on February 22.
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Show Notes
Books by Immaculée Ilibagiza with links to Amazon
Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust
Led By Faith: Rising from the Ashes of the Rwandan Genocide
The Boy Who Met Jesus: Segatashya Emmanuel of Kibeho
The Rosary: The Prayer That Saved My Life
Our Lady of Kibeho: Mary Speaks to the World from the Heart of Africa
| For our January 2014 Carolina Catholic show, and as the nation begins its 41st year of abortion-on-demand, we will shine a lamp on those people in the pro-life movement who have inspired so many others to fight to save the lives of the over 55 million unborn babies lost to abortion since 1973. These "unsung" heroes of the pro-life movement worked quietly and consistently over the 40 years since Roe v. Wade in many ways including these: helping women in crisis pregnancies; representing pro-lifers in court when arrested for standing up for life; standing and praying outside of abortion clinics; and as priests, praying without cease for an end to legalized abortion in America. |  Richard Collier |
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Show Notes
January respect Life Calendar
Annual Diocesan Respect Life Mass at Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Raleigh at 8:00 amon Saturday, January 18. Bishop Burbidge will celebrate the annual Respect Life Mass at St. Joseph Parish in Raleigh. Prior to the Mass, at 7:45 am, there will be a prayer service memorializing the unborn children of Project Rachel participants. During the Mass, he will bless the children in the womb of expectant mothers and their families.
Mass and Love My Life Youth Rally: At 10:30 am, the Bishop will celebrate a Mass for teenagers at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Mass will be followed by the 4th annual Love My Life Rally for the teens on the Cathedral grounds. Last year’s rally attracted more than 700 teens from throughout the Diocese. The teens will then join Bishop Burbidge and faithful from the Diocese at Nash Square in Raleigh for a 1:00 p.m. rally and march sponsored by North Carolina Right to Life. This event is an opportunity for Catholic teens to come together to celebrate life, to connect with others from across the Diocese and to learn more about living and promoting the pro-life culture. Prior to the Rally, the Bishop will celebrate mass at 10:30 am. Following the Rally, the youth are encouraged to participate in the March for Life at Nash Square at 1:00 pm. The Love My Life Rally will feature dynamic speakers, music, and great free food, and will draw our youth to live out a culture of loving, protecting and celebrating all human life! As Catholics, we are all called to live life abundantly, and this event will inspire our youth to join with hundreds from our Diocese in witnessing to others God’s special gift of human life.
Mass for Life on January 22, our diocese will again participate in the annual Mass for Life. Bishop Burbidge and Bishop Peter J. Jugis of Charlotte will concelebrate the annual North Carolina Mass for Life at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception at 11:30 am.
March for Life, Wednesday, January 22: Following the Mass, the North Carolina contingent will proceed to the National Mall, where they join hundreds of thousands of pro-life advocates on a march past Congress and on to the Supreme Court. Many N.C. Catholics travel to Washington, D.C., by car, while hundreds take buses coordinated by parishes throughout both Dioceses.
Annual Wilmington Prayer Vigil to commemorate the March for Life. Date and time to be announced.
In this December show, Carolina Catholic reached out to Catholics on Facebook to find out what traditions and carols Catholic families love and what they are doing to keep Christ in Christmas in their families. The responses have been wonderful! My guest host, Linda Perunko, and I will be recounting the wonderful traditions that many have including, putting on Christmas pageants for the children, setting up the family's crèche, lighting the Advent wreath, praying the Antiphons, and making a birthday cake for Jesus. In addition, we will chat about the meaning behind our Christmas traditions and how every symbol of Christmas had its origin in our Catholic history.
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Show Notes
Books used:
Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs by Francis X. Weiser, S.J.
Religious Customs in the Family by Francis X. Weiser, S.J.
Catholic Customs and Traditions by Greg Dues
The Catholic Home by Meredith Gould
The Essential Advent & Christmas Handbook and Advent Begins at Home by Liquori Press.
Web:
Catholic Traditions for Advent and Christmas from Catholic Education Resource Center
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Traditions from Fish Eaters
Catholic Traditions for Advent and Christmas from Catholics United for the Faith
For our first November Carolina Catholic show, we talk with Fr. Gerardo Vallecillo-Murcia, a priest from Honduras, who spent the last five months at the Basilica Shrine of Saint Mary here in Wilmington learning English. His parish in Honduras consists of 80 churches and 50,000 parishioners. Father is a man of many talents including composing and performing music. He is ably assisted on this show with Saint Mary Catholic School Spanish teacher, Millie Moore.
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For our second November Carolina Catholic show, we talk with the principal of Cardinal Gibbons High School, Jason Curtis, about the school, its history, its connection to Wilmington, and its recent expansion. Mr. Curtis is proud that the students are deeply committed to their Catholic faith and show that commitment by frequent attendance at Holy Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and living the corporal works of mercy.
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For our October Carolina Catholic show, we talk to local pro-life Catholics as they witness to the value of human life from conception to natural death. October is called Respect Life Month in our Church, and during this month, Catholics are asked to stand up for the most vulnerable, the unborn, the sick, and the forgotten. The show features local Catholics like Bev Jolly and Mary Mayer who are actively involved in the pro-life movement.
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Show Notes
Diocese of Raleigh Pro-Life Office
Prayer for Closing of an Abortion Mill
Father, all life is in Your care. You have
entrusted us to one another, that we may
show our brothers and sisters the same love
You have for us. We pray, then, for the least
among us, the children in the womb. Protect
them from the violence of abortion. We pray
for those that are scheduled to die at Planned
Parenthood of Wilmington. Save them from
death. Give new hope to their parents,
that they may turn away from the desperate
act of abortion. Grant conversion to the
abortionist and to the staff. Show us how we
are to respond to the bloodshed in our midst
and lead us to the day when this place of
death will be transformed into a haven of life.
Guard us with Your joy and Your peace, for
In You, life is victorious. We pray in the name
of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Basilica Shrine of Saint Mary
The Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge, Bishop of Raleigh, speaks about his recent announcement that Saint Mary Catholic Church in Wilmington has been granted the title of the Basilica Shrine of Saint Mary. The bishop talks about the significance of the title as well as the process involved to ennoble a church as a basilica.
Also, Bishop Burbidge reflects on the life of Bishop Gossman, and then chats with us about the eight new seminarians, our three newly ordained priests, the Cathedral Campus Campaign, World Youth Day with our newest pontiff Pope Francis, and the possible canonization of John Paul II.
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Champions of the Rosary
We had the privilege once again of interviewing Father Donald Calloway, MIC, a convert to the Catholic faith and a member of the Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. Before his conversion to Catholicism, he was a high school dropout who had been kicked out of a foreign country, institutionalized twice, and thrown in jail multiple times. After his radical conversion, he earned a B.A. in Philosophy and Theology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, M.Div. and S.T.B. degrees from the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC, and an S.T.L. in Mariology from the International Marian Research Institute in Dayton, Ohio. In this book, Fr. Calloway has written what is one of the most comprehensive books ever written on the Rosary. He deftly negotiates the complexities of the story of the Rosary over many centuries, weaving the historical, theological, and devotional strands into a veritable masterpiece of scholarship and piety. This book should turn every one of its readers into a champion of the rosary.
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Show Notes
Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC's Web Page
Some Books by Fr. Calloway
Champions of the Rosary
No Turning Back: A Witness to Mercy
Under the Mantle: Marian Thoughts from a 21st Century Priest
Rosary Gems: Daily Wisdom on the Holy Rosary
Marian Gems: Daily Wisdom on Our Lady
Mary of Nazareth: The Life of Our Lady in Pictures
For our August Carolina Catholic show, we explore the world of opera from Lucca, Italy, where my son, Daniel Paparozzi, studied opera at the Lorenzo Malfatti Accademia Vocale di Lucca during the month of July. In this show, we will see what it is like to attend an opera program in the city where opera was "born" (it is the birthplace of Giacomo Puccini). The operas performed by the students of the Accademia were written by Catholics, namely, Puccini, Verdi, and Donizetti whose operas and other works reflect their faith. In this opera program, the students were taught Italian, Italian diction, voice, opera coaching, stage movement, poetry, and literature, and then they performed concerts for the public. We will learn what it was like to study these great composers and to work with accomplished musicians from the Curtis Institute of Music, Juilliard, NY's Metropolitan Opera, the Opera di Roma, the Spoleto Festival, and the stage and screen.
Here are some photos from the visit to Italy:
 | Accademia students singing opera in Lucca concert |
 | Istituto Musicale Boccherini |
 | Puccini statue in front of Puccini birthplace |
For our July Carolina Catholic show, we again report from Italy! In this show, we will take you to Rome and Lucca where we will tour the Vatican and other churches in Rome and then visit the home of victim soul and stigmatist, St. Gemma Galgani, whose lived in Lucca 100 years ago and whose relics are housed at the Passionist monastery there.
Here are some photos from the visit to Italy:
 | The first photo is of me at the home where St. Gemma Galgani lived the last four years of her life; I am with a nun who is a Sister of St. Gemma Galgani (the name of the order). We are standing in the dining room of the Giannini house where she lived, and the crucifix behind us spoke to her many times. |
 | A photo of St. Gemma. |
 | The entrance to her house (the Giannini house) where we toured. |
 | The Chiesa di San Frediano in Lucca which I talk about in the show. |
 | The placard outside this shrine. |
Show notes
http://www.stgemmagalgani.com/
http://www.italyguides.it/us/italy/tuscany/lucca/lucca.htm
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In part 2 of the interviews from Ignited by Truth, we hear the rest of the interview with Melissa Ohden, a survivor of a saline abortion. In this show, Melissa talks about how finding out about the circumstances of her birth devastated her initially until she decided to find her birth families and her medical records. She went to college and then graduate school, and after searching for ten years, she found her birth certificate and the names of her parents, and she became Catholic. But what happened next to her proved to be almost as difficult as finding out that she had been aborted.
My second interview is with Adam Blai, an expert on demonology and exorcisms, who works for the Diocese of Pittsburgh as the Director of the Office for Institutional Ministries. He describes the topics of possession, obsession, and demonic infestation, what qualities the Church looks for in priests training to do exorcisms, and how we can all avoid the demonic.
Finally, my last interview for the 2015 Ignited by Truth is with Mother Mary Assumpta Long, Prioress General and one of four founding members of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Mother speaks about her order, its mission, its devotion to intense prayer and to education, and how suffering should be understood in our modern day life.
Adam Blai
Adam Blai (Bly) is a Church decreed expert on religious demonology and exorcism in the Pittsburgh diocese. He is an auxiliary member of the International Association of Exorcists based in Rome. Over the last decade he has helped educate priests on exorcism at national conferences, seminars, and through consultation on many cases in a number of diocese. He has assisted at many dozens of solemn exorcisms, house exorcisms, and resolutions of hauntings. In addition to Church cases he reaches out to educate people on the current paranormal craze, the dangers therein, and more ethical ways to resolve hauntings. He has put together a pastoral manual for priests on exorcism and resolving human spirit hauntings. He has a masters in adult clinical psychology from Penn State and is all but dissertation (ABD) for his Ph.D. His professional life has been spent working in the Pennsylvania State prison system as a Psychological Services Specialist where he has done hundreds of psychological evaluations for the parole process and worked with the full range of mental illness and human evil. Website: religiousdemonology.com |
Mother Mary Assumpta Long
Mother Mary Assumpta Long, O.P. is the Prioress General and one of four founding members of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Community was formed as a response to the call of Pope John Paul II issued in his Post-Synodal Exhortation, Vita Consecrata, to establish new foundations that will “bear witness to the constant attraction which the total gift of self to the Lord…continues to exert even on the present generation (VC, 12).” The community has grown from four to over 100 sisters since its foundation in February 1997 and presently has sisters teaching in eight dioceses. Mother Assumpta holds a S.T.L. in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas. She has formerly served as President of the Forum of Major Superiors and has also served on various boards, including the Institute on Religious Life. Website: sistersofmary.org |
David Calavitta
David Calavitta is a passionate Catholic speaker in love with Christ and his Church. He is also very much in love with his beautiful wife, Brittany. David has been blessed to serve the Church through youth ministry in various ways since the year 2000. In addition to his speaking ministry, he currently serves as the head of Design & Marketing for Life Teen International in Atlanta, Georgia. Website: holdfasthope.com The interview with David Calavitta done with Billy Atwell of the Diocese of Raleigh can be viewed here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cKfPtF1ACc. |
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Dr. Scott Hahn
Dr. Scott Hahn is the author or editor of over forty books, including best-selling titles like Rome Sweet Home, and The Lamb’s Supper. He is the editor of the academic periodical, Letter & Spirit: A Journal of Catholic Biblical Theology, and co-editor of theIgnatius Catholic Study Bible. An exceptionally popular speaker and teacher, Dr. Scott Hahn has delivered thousands of popular talks and academic lectures, nationally and internationally, on a wide range of topics related to Scripture, Theology and the Catholic faith. He has appeared on hundreds of television programs on the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), where he has also been the regular host and presenter on several popular series including Our Fathers Plan and Genesis to Jesus. In 2012, Dr. Hahn was awarded the Fr. Michael Scanlan Chair of Biblical Theology and the New Evangelization at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, where he has taught since 1990. He is the founder and president of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology. In 2005, he was awarded the Pope Benedict XVI Chair of Biblical Theology and Liturgical Proclamation at St. Vincent Seminary, which he held through 2011. In 2002, he was awarded Pio Cardinal Laghi Chair of Catholic Theology at the Pontifical Seminary Josephinum, which he held through 2004. Scott received his Bachelor of Arts degree with a triple-major in Theology, Philosophy, and Economics from Grove City College, Pennsylvania; in 1979, his Masters of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in 1982; and his Ph.D. in Biblical Theology from Marquette University in 1995. Scott has ten years of youth and pastoral ministry experience in Protestant congregations and is a former Professor of Theology at Chesapeake Theological Seminary. He was ordained in 1982 at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Fairfax, Virginia. He entered the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil, 1986. Married to Kimberly since 1979, they now have six children and seven grandchildren. Websites: |
Father Michael Schmitz
Serving as the director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Duluth as well as the Chaplain for the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Fr. Michael Schmitz inspires and educates through his priesthood and preaching. His Newman Center focuses on being fed through the Sacraments as well as study and knowledge of the Church, and has thrived under his humble and Spirit-filled guidance. He has preached to youth and young adults across the country about the love of God and the call of Jesus Christ for saints to be raised up in the Church. Father Mike’s hope is that these saints will redeem the entire world for Christ. |
Lila Rose
Lila Rose, a recent UCLA graduate, has dedicated herself to building a culture of life and ending abortion. At age fifteen, Lila founded Live Action, a pro-life nonprofit which specializes in investigative journalism, media and youth education. Live Action works to expose abuses in the abortion industry and advocate for human rights for the pre-born, using new media to educate and mobilize both local and national audiences. Live Action also hosts the leading social media presence for the pro-life movement. Lila currently serves as President. As a freshman at UCLA, Lila founded the pro-life student magazine The Advocate. The Advocate is now the largest pro-life student publication in the country, distributed at over 300 high school and college campuses with a circulation of 200,000. Lila is a frequent guest on radio and television programs, including The O’Reilly Factor, The Glenn Beck Show, CNN, EWTN, and The Laura Ingraham Show. Numerous newspapers and blogs have also covered her work, including feature pieces by Reuters, the LA Times, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, and National Review. CNN featured Lila in a documentary, “Right on the Edge.” Lila has written for magazines and news groups including Politico, the Hill and First Things. Lila also serves on the board for the Queen of Angels Charitable Trust Foundation in Los Angeles, CA. Her work has received a number of awards. Lila is a national and international pro-life speaker. Website: www.LiveAction.org |
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The April Carolina Catholic show is about the Divine Mercy Chaplet and Novena. The message and devotion to Jesus as the Divine Mercy is based on the writings of Saint Faustina Kowalska, an uneducated Polish nun who, in obedience to her spiritual director, wrote a diary of about 600 pages recording the revelations she received about God’s mercy. Even before her death in 1938, the devotion to The Divine Mercy had begun to spread. In this powerful devotion, God asks us only three simple things known as the ABCs of Divine mercy : Ask for His Mercy, Be merciful and Completely trust in Jesus. In our show, we speak to many Catholics whose lives were changed through this devotion. We also speak about the Divine Mercy Novena and Sunday. In 2002, the Holy See created new indulgences that may be gained by the faithful in connection with the celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday. This decree grants a plenary indulgence to those who comply with all the conditions established, and a partial indulgence to those who incompletely fulfill the conditions. |
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Show Notes
Prayers prayed on the show by Bud:
Divine Mercy Direct Me Eternal God, Goodness itself, whose mercy is incomprehensible to every intellect, whether human or angelic, help me, your feeble child, to do Your holy will as You make it known to me. I desire nothing but to fulfill God's desires. Lord, here is my soul and my body, my mind and my will, my heart and all my love. Direct me according to Your eternal plan. Amen
Three O’clock Prayer to the Divine Mercy You expired, O Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls and an ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us. O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You. Amen
What is Divine Mercy Sunday?
In a vision to St. Faustina Kowalska, Jesus requested the Feast of Mercy be celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter so that He could pour out “an ocean of graces:” for all souls, especially, poor sinners. The 8th day of Easter, celebrates the fullness of Christ’s resurrection and God’s mercy, which began on Easter Sunday. It was officially established in the universal Church in April 200 by Pope John Paul II.
How do we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday?
1. Celebrate the Feast on the Sunday after Easter;
2. Sincerely repent for all our sins;
3. Place our complete trust in Jesus;
4. Go to Confession, preferably before that Sunday;
5. Receive Holy Communion on the day of the Feast;
6. Venerate the Image of The Divine Mercy; and
7. Be merciful to others, through our actions, words, and prayers on their behalf.
Links to more information:
Divine Mercy Novena
Chaplet of Divine Mercy
The Feast of Diving Mercy
National Headquarters
Praying the Chaplet at your computer
Marians of the Immaculate Conception
Prayers
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The March Carolina Catholic show is on the process of electing a pope. We will be speaking to Very Reverend James F. Garneau, V.F., Ph.D., Pastor of Listen to the show
Show Notes
Conclave Rules from Catholic News Service
Benedictus XVI ebook from Vatican.va
The USCCB has recommended all parishes participate in a "Call to Prayer for Life, Marriage and Religious Liberty," made up of five parts:
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The two February Carolina Catholic shows report from the North Carolina Mass for Life and from the March for Life. This year marks the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the United States Supreme Court decision which legalized abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy. Bishops Burbidge and Jugis concelebrated the annual North Carolina Mass for Life at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, and then both dioceses, led by our Bishops and priests, joind the march in progress to pray and give witness to the sanctity of the life of the unborn.Listen to the show
Part One
Part Two
Show Notes
Diocesan article on NC Mass for Life and March for Life
Diocese of Charlotte's article on NC Mass for Life and March for Life
Kelly and Matt Klinger - Silent No More
Zoe Griffin - Stand True Pro-Life Outreach
Traveling Rosary Apostolate
EWTN
Crossroads Pro-Life Walks Across America
The Divine Mercy Mother of Mercy Messengers: Joan and Dave Maroney
Rosary of the Unborn (Father Mike Flynn)
St. Mark Youth Group (Caryn Walsh)
Franciscan Friars of the Renewal
Congressman Chris Smith (NJ)
| The two January Carolina Catholic shows record a chat with Bud Macfarlane Sr., a gifted speaker and acknowledged expert on Marian apparitions. Bud has been giving talks on the major apparitions of Our Lord and the Blessed Mother for the past 30 years. In part one of this show, he will speak of the apparitions from the time of St. Francis to Our Lady of Fatima in 1917. In part two, he will speak about the messages of Fatima, the Divine Mercy devotion, 20th century apparitions, and the crises facing our Church in the 21st century. |  |
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Show Notes
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Catholicity.com, The Mary Foundation, and St. Jude Media
12 Promises of the Sacred Heart given to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
Treatise on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin by St. Louis de Montfort
St. Catherine Laboure and the Miraculous Medal
Pope Leo XIII and the Leontine Prayer
Mystics of the Church website
Mystic of the Church: Therese Neumann
Mystic of the Church: Blessed Alexandrina da Costa
Mystic of the Church: Marthe Robin
Bud Macfarlane's documents:
The Slaughter of the Innocents through Abortifacient Contraception
The Simple Foolproof Spiritual Bailout Plan
St. Faustina and the Divine Mercy devotion
Our Lady of All Nations: Ida Peerdeman
Marian Movement of Priests: Father Gobbi
Our Lady of America: Sister Mary Ephrem
In this December show, Carolina Catholic reached out to Catholics all over the country to find out what Catholics do to keep Christ in Christmas in their families. The responses have been wonderful!
My guest host, Linda Perunko, and I recount the wonderful traditions that many have; including caroling for senior citizens, putting on Christmas pageants for the children, setting up the family's creche, lighting the Advent wreath with their families, praying the Antiphons, and having a Nativity scene on the front porch waiting until midnight for Jesus to come, a Mexican tradition.
We chat about the meaning behind our Christmas traditions and how every symbol of Christmas had its origin in our Catholic history.
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Show Notes
Our listeners traditions and favorites
Joann Levey: One of the things I do is to ask one of my grandchildren to put up the stable. Audrey did it for a while, then Marky did it and this year I will ask Ryan to do it. While they do it, we talk about what actually happened on that Christmas Eve in Bethlehem. Favorite movie: White Christmas. Favorite song is "O Holy Night."
Debbie Shinskie: Considering advent (rightfully) a penitential season...fasting more, almsgiving, special prayer focus, special spiritual reading; lighting the advent wreath appropriately; Midnight Mass.
Anne Alloco: keeps Christ in Christmas by not thinking about ourselves but someone else, the needy and sick. That’s what Jesus would want us to do. Of course, we have to remember our loved ones and dear friends, but we shouldn’t go overboard.
Judy Lund:The Nativity set. It was my Mom's. I always set it up on top of the television set as a kid every year. Now it's mine and I still set it up every year. It not only keeps Christ in Christmas, but my mom too!
Vicky Howard: I cannot pass this chance to tell you about what we do in our family, in Mexico. My Mom set the Nativity in the front porch!!! Yes everybody can see it, that is, all the neighbors, which in Mexico they are like family. The Nativity is not complete (no baby Jesus) until Dec 24 at 12:00 a.m. The tradition is that, Christmas Eve at 12:00 a.m. we get together around the Nativity and the smallest toddler in the family take the baby Jesus from my Mom hands and put Him in the cradle. My Mom prays a beautiful prayer and blesses all the family. Then we sing the "mananitas" the song of birthdays, as your "happy birthday", we all say "Happy Birthday Baby Jesus". After that, we give hugs and kisses saying "Feliz Navidad", and then we go around the Christmas tree and exchange presents. After that the children go to sleep because "Santa" will come. The adults keep singing, dancing and hugging until the sun comes. Needless to say, all the toddlers want to put the baby Jesus in the Nativity :)) the chosen one is waiting all year to do that, they feel very special. If the weather is good, we go to the street, we tie a rope from our house to the front street neighbors and hang a piñata, with candies and goodies, that time all the neighbors are invited, all this in Baby Jesus honor. I can't wait to be in Mexico for Christmas, we are leaving Dec. 7th!!!!
Jim Edens: We keep Christ in Christmas by going to our Church to guide us to the truth of God’s Word to lead us to our true joy thru Him. Thanks be to God.
Grace Dean: Saying the Advent Prayer from November 30 until Christmas. Listening to religious-themed Christmas music, and putting religious-themed ornaments on our tree. I buy as many holiday items as possible, such as Christmas cards, fruitcake, candy, cookies, and coffee, from Catholic organizations. Sending religious-themed Christmas cards, and using the religious-themed Christmas stamps sold by the Post Office. Keeping our family gift-giving as simple as possible and finishing all Christmas shopping by early December, to leave time for celebrating the holidays. We participate in our parish’s “Christmas in a box” and “Giving Tree” programs, which allow us to buy gifts and food for people who need a little extra help around the holidays. We attend Christmas morning Mass, of course. When possible, inviting someone who lives alone to share our holiday meal. "O Come O Come Emmanuel", and "A Christmas Carol". My fave used to be the 1951 version with Alistair Sim, but I also like the Patrick Stewart version.
Mary Reilly: The Christmas midnight hour every year is so special to me. I was born again into my faith in that hour in 1984 when I felt my unborn child move inside of me for the first time. I keep Christ in Christmas by adoring Him in that hour and also in doing things like Christmas car. We go caroling in the nursing homes, attending Mass with my family, and visiting the crèche.
Favorites: Oh Holy Night and White Christmas tied with It's a Wonderful Life.
Peg Dondero: We have our mothers' nativities, and they are put up in a prominent place by the first Sunday of Advent. I've been putting it on the dining room buffet so the grand kids can see. Also we have an Advent wreath and light it with prayers. At the various dinners, we read the appropriate scriptures to the family (we have always done this, and we get to evangelize our un-baptized son in law!)
Paula Anastasio: Christmas in the Anastasio's always starts at the first Sunday in Advent! We bring out the Advent Calendar and wreath. I also send Advent calendar to Cristina at college. In the past, my focus was the 5 pm children's Mass with the Nativity Pageant that we started many years ago to provide the children of St John's with the traditions that we grew up with going to Catholic school! I did the pageant for 14 years and passed it on to a younger mom with 2 girls. She is doing a great job for the last 2years.
The Christmas tree is now my main focus and I do have 2 trees! It is my crèche we love to assemble each year! It takes center stage in my living room on a large table. The pieces are life like and to see the excitement in Cristina still when she places the Wiseman and camels and when I place the white and pink poinsettias around the crèche I just smile. I cannot understand the many Catholics I know who do not have a nativity scene that blessed sacramental that St Francis gave us. I have even gone as far as buy the nativity set for at least 4people I know! This year I am truly taking back my Christmas with more reflection, less stuff, and more prayer.
Heather Latham: What Child is this? "Of The Father's Love Begotten"
Patti Hartman: Favorite movie: The Nativity, Favorite carol: O Holy Night.
Bev Jolly: Traditions/Gifts: Christmas Oplaki (Polish Wafers) for family; Carol: Silent Night – my mother sang it to me all the time; Movie: White Christmas
Greg Decker: The First Noel for carol and It’s a Wonderful Life for movie. Silent Night in English and German.
Caryn Walsh: The Preachers Wife with Whitney And Denzel. Great message and movie. Song-o Holy Night
Barb Habib: "Mary, Did You Know" and "It's a Wonderful Life"
Jan Rack: "It's a Wonderful Life" and "The Bishop's Wife." Favorite carols: "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming" and "Of the Father's Love Begotten." Also, "Away in a Manger."
Toni Rubano: "Mary, Did You Know" and "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Little Drummer Boy" !!! 
x0x P.S. "Adeste Fideles" & Dominick the Donkey" too !! "Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle"
Dot Campagna: Miracle on 34th St.
This November Carolina Catholic show is in honor of our veterans.We speak to Christopher Alexander, a former Marine, a retired NYPD officer, and a police liaison in Iraq and Afghanistan who has just returned from Afghanistan where he worked side by side with the Marines in places like Fallujah, the Arghandab River Valley just north of Khandahar, Kabul, and the Helmand Province at Camp Leatherneck where he served as task force supervisor for 20+ American Police Advisors. Among other topics, we discuss the current state of affairs in Afghanistan and what it is like to live in a country where Sharia Law strongly influences the legal system.
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Show Notes
Wounded Warrior Project
Step Up For Soldiers
The October Carolina Catholic show is titled The Dangers of Relativism and the Importance of Catholic Citizenship in a Democratic Society and features an interview with internationally recognized sociologist, Dr. Mario Paparozzi, who, as a Catholic, sees the inestimable value of the role that the Catholic Church plays as a social institution in modern American society.
We will be discussing the strategic important of the Catholic Church in shaping the moral character of our society and fending off the "dictatorship of relativism" that Pope Benedict XVI warns the world about. As Catholics, we are obliged to understand and fully embrace the moral teachings of our Church and consider them especially when exercising our citizenship privilege in any public election.
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Show Notes
USCCB Faithful Citizenship
Living the Gospel of Life
Building a Culture of Religious Freedom by Archbishop Charles Chaput
This October Carolina Catholic show is where we take an in-depth look at the missionary work of Fr. Myron Effing, serving in far east Russia which was called "the End of the Earth" by Pope John Paul II. Fr. Effing has slowly managed to re-establish Roman Catholicism by founding almost all the parishes within a 1000-mile radius of his residence in Vladivostok, rebuilding the cathedral of Vladivostok, founding a new order — the Canons Regular of Jesus the Lord, and among many other endeavors, social work including soup kitchens, crisis pregnancy centers, and programs to help alcoholics and orphans.
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Show Notes
An American Priest at the End of the World New Oxford Review, July-August 2003
A short documentary, in three YouTube videos, about Most Holy Mother of God Parish, Vladivostok:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
The September Carolina Catholic show is the second talk on Marian apparitions given by Bud Macfarlane, Sr. of the Mary Foundation. The talk called Marian Apparitions Updated, was given in 1992. In this talk, he continues to speak about Our Lady's apparitions including Akita, Fatima, Garabandal, communicating Mary's message about the importance of fasting and the daily Rosary.
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Show Notes
15 Promises of the Rosary
http://ourladyofgoodsuccess.com/frames-3-4-2005/aaa.htm
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and the Twelve Promises
St. Louis du Montfort's True Devotion to Mary
Alphonse Ratisbonne and the Miraculous Medal
The Sabbatine Privilege
Militia of the Immaculata and St. Maximillian Kolbe
Pope Leo and the St. Michael Prayer's origin
St. Therese Neumann
Garabandal
The Divine Mercy and St. Faustina's Diary (online)
Cure D'Ars
Our Lady of All Nations
The Four Marian Dogmas
The Fifth Marian Dogma?
Encyclical: Mystici Corporis Christi and Mystical Body
Our Lady of America
Our Lady of Betania, Venezuela
Our Lady of Akita
Marian Movement of Priests (Fr. Stefano Gobbi) and (Fr. Francis Geremia)
Bud MacFarlane's 2012 article on the bright future of the Catholic Church
Our Lady of St. Nicolas, Argentina (Gladys Quiroga de Motta)
The Seton Miracles and Father James Bruse
Rosa Mystica
List of approved, pending and unapproved apparitions
The September Carolina Catholic show features a discussion with Carl and Gloria Price. Carl is a third cousin to our Tar Heel Apostle, Father Price, whose cause for canonization is currently underway in the Diocese of Raleigh. Father Price, co-founder of Maryknoll, was born in Wilmington in 1860, and he was the first native North Carolinian to be ordained a priest. In this show, we will learn about Father Price, the miracle that saved his life, and his work in North Carolina and in China.
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Show Notes
NC Catholic January/February 2012 Article
NC Catholic January/February 2011 Article
Diocese of Raleigh - The Dream of Father Price
Diocese of Raleigh - A Personal Journey
Diocese of Raleigh - Diocesan Cause for Father Price Opens
Diocese of Raleigh - Transcript of the Cause of Father Price
Maryknoll Magazine Article - From Wilmington to the World
Diocese of Raleigh - Edict for Opening the Cause for Father Price
For our second show of August 2012, we will be chatting with an old friend of mine, Patrick White, who was away from his Catholic faith for several decades before his wife lovingly brought him back to the Church. In this show, we will be talking to Pat about his early Catholic education, his reasons for his lapse from practicing his faith, the factors that brought him home to the Catholic Church, and his extensive participation in the life of the church today including his recent attendance at the 27th annual Eternal Life conference.
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Show notes
The August Carolina Catholic show is a talk given by Bud Macfarlane, Sr. of the Mary Foundation about Marian Apparitions. The talk called Marian Apparitions Explained, given in the 1990s, changed lives forever. It’s a great summary of the apparitions of Our Lady from her earliest recorded apparition to Blessed Alan de la Roche in 1475 to the current apparitions of the 21st century.
In the talk, Bud speaks of Our Lady’s message to pray the Rosary for the conversion of sins as well as to fast, repent, and to come to know her Son’s Sacred Heart through her Immaculate Heart. In this presentation, we learn more about her apparitions including Rue du Bac, Pontmain, Lourdes, Fatima, Kibeho, Betania, and the Philippines.
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Show Notes
St. Catherine Laboure and Rue du Bac
Father Gobbi and the Marian Movement of Priests
http://www.piercedhearts.org/treasures/shrines/lourdes.htm
St. Faustina and the Feast of Mercy
About Bud MacFarlane's Mary Foundation
In this second of our two Carolina Catholic July shows, we continue reporting from Rome. Actually from being on a tour with Christopher Wells whom we reported on in the first show of July.
Here is the list of the Ten Places Every Catholic Should See in Rome:
The Four Major Basilicas:
1. St. Peter's (San Pietro) (Tickets for Papal Audience are available from Santa Susanna AND ticket information for the Scavi tour are available from the USCCB website)
2. St. Paul Outside the Wall (San Paolo Fuori le Mura)
3. St. John Lateran (San Giovanni Laterano)
4. St. Mary Major (Santa Maria Maggiore)
The Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome
The Four Major Basilicas
5. Holy Cross of Jerusalem (Santa Croce di Gerusalemme)
6. St. Sebastian (San Sebastiano)
7. St. Lawrence (San Lorenzo)
Other churches/catacombs to see in Rome:
8. St. Clement (San Clemente)
9. Holy Stairs (Scala Santa)
10. St. Callixtus (San Callisto)
AND
Three Fountains (Tre Fontane)
Santa Prassede and St. Pudentiana
Major things to see in Rome:
The Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel
The Roman Forum
The Colosseum
The Spanish Steps
The Trevi Fountain
Via Condoti and Via Veneto (shops)
The Pantheon
Piazza Navona, Piazza della Republica, Piazza del Popolo
Circus Maximus and the Bocca della Verità (close to each other)
Vittorio Emmanuel monument (wedding cake or Vittoriano)
Castel S. Angelo
Piazza Campidoglio/Capitoline Hill
Villa Borghese (the pleasure gardens of Rome)
San Pietro in Vincoli (Saint Peter in Chains) to see Michelangelo's statue of Moses
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In this first of our two Carolina Catholic July shows, we will be reporting from Rome, Italy! In our first show, we visited with Christopher Wells, a reporter/collaborator from Vatican Radio. (Christopher is on the left in the picture; my husband, Mario, is on the right.) Christopher is studying at the Angelicum for his licentiate after having finished his Bachelor's degree in Sacred Theology. The Angelicum is the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, a Dominican University, and one of the principal pontifical universities in Rome. Chris, a former seminarian from the Diocese of Sioux Falls, SD, has lived in Rome since 2004 when he began his studies at the Angelicum, and during the past eight years, he earned money by giving tours in Italy. In this show, we will be chatting with Chris about his education, the Angelicum, and his work at Vatican Radio. In our second July show with Chris, we will be touring Rome!
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Show notes
Vatican Radio
Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas
The June Carolina Catholic show addresses the medical End of Life issues through an interview with Dr. Jacques Mistrot, a retired North Carolina cardiac surgeon, who spoke at St. Mark Catholic Church on April 28, and who, in 2006, organized a course in Catholic bioethics including Medical End of Life Issues. The course was approved by Bishop Burbidge in 2008.
The topics addressed include Catholic teaching on ordinary vs. extraordinary care, food and hydration, those in a locked in state, and what type of document protects us as Catholics as we face our own illnesses and those of our loved ones.
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Show Notes
For the three weekends before the May 8th vote, Carolina Catholic will air a show in favor of voting for the Marriage Amendment. Our guests include State Senator Thom Goolsby for the first half hour, an interview with Bishop Burbidge and audio clips from Bishop Burbidge and Bishop Jugis of the Diocese of Charlotte for the second half hour.
In this show, we will examine this historic vote in which the citizens of NC will be asked to decide whether or not the current law, which defines marriage as between one man and one woman, should be codified as a constitutional amendment as 30 other states have done while upholding the contractual rights of same sex couples.
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Show notes
For our first April 2012 show, we spoke with Ann Tremblay, Administrative Assistant for Bread for Life. This ministry at St. Mark Catholic Church serves low income seniors who live at home or otherwise independently, and the program provides them with food as well as daily necessities such as detergent, toilet paper, toothpaste, etc. Bread for Life offers Bread Tables, Food Drops, The Begging Bowl, The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), the SNACS program for chronically ill seniors, as well as the Daily Dozen offering essential home care items.
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Raymond Arroyo
is an internationally recognized, award-winning journalist, producer, and bestselling author, seen each week in more that 100 million homes around the globe. He has worked for the Associated Press, the political columnist team of Evans and Novak, and as a Capitol Hill Correspondent. He studied under theatre luminaries Stella, Adler, Uta Hagen, and Beatrice Straight. He acted and directed in New York and London.
As host and creator of EWTN’s international news magazine, “The World Over Live”, Arroyo has interrogated the leading figures of the day. Highlights include: A landmark interview with Pope Benedict XVI: the only English language conversation ever recorded with the pontiff and the first, exclusive, sit down interview with Mel Gibson on the set of his film, “The Passion of the Christ.”
Arroyo is the producer of the bestselling, all star, audio Bible, “The Word of Promise” (Thomas Nelson). He is also executive producer of “The Birth of Christ” (Sony Classics), the billboard topping Christmas Cantata that premiered on PBS.
Arroyo and his work have been featured on “The Today Show”, “Good Morning America”, Hannnity and Colmes”, “Access Hollywood”, “CNN Headline News”, “The Laura Ingraham Show” and other programs. His writings have been published by The National Catholic Register, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, and The Washington Times. A graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Arroyo is the author of the New York Times Bestsellers: Mother Angelica: The Remarkable Story of a Nun, Her Nerve and a Network of Miracles (Doubleday) and Mother Angelica’s Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday spirituality (Doubleday).
Raymond Arroyo resides in Northern Virginia with his wife Rebecca and their three children. He is currently working on a mystery series and an original musical.
Website: www.raymondarroyo.com
Mario St. Francis A model and actor, once named one of America’s Most Eligible Bachelors by Cosmopolitan magazine and one of Pittsburgh’s Most Beautiful People, Mario St. Francis led life in the fast lane of fame, money, and prestige. God sent a miracle that began a series of events that would flip Mario’s life upside down. Never to be the same, Mario left it all behind to follow Christ and is now a full-time “man on a mission.” This modern day St. Francis is on a mission to evangelize, catechize and change lives by bringing about a deeper understanding and love for the Catholic Faith. After his conversion he attended Franciscan University to pursue degrees in Catechetics, Philosophy, Theology and Communication. He is currently in San Antonio, TX at the Mexican American Catholic College finishing his Bachelors of Arts degree. His testimony is internationally featured on TV, radio, newspapers and magazines.
Website: www.mariostfrancis.com
Sr. Miriam James Heidland
was recruited to the University of Nevada- Reno on a full volleyball scholarship as Sharon Heidland. 800 miles away from church going parents, she had everything the world said she needed to be happy. She was a star athlete on a full ride, academically successful, a beautiful and popular party girl with a football player boyfriend, a late night disc jockey, and aspired to be a “fabulously wealthy” business woman and live a “glamorous life.” Yet she felt something was missing. She knew she had to do more with her life. Thus began her journey back to Christ.
Sr. Miriam is a member of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) serving in the Pacific Northwest. Her community serves those in deepest apostolic need in many parts of the world. Smart, funny, quick-witted, outgoing, and a communications major, she co-hosts a radio program, “Sisters In Christ” and has appeared on EWTN’s “Life on the Rock.”
Website: www.soltsisters.blogspot.com
The last interviewee was an exhibitor at the conference - Dan Henson. Dan represents Vote For Marriage NC.
Website: http://www.voteformarriagenc.com/
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at the age of 13, after listening to a couple of lectures given by Dr. Scott Hahn on cassette tape, he told his father he wanted to get his Ph.D. in Theology and become a professor. Dr. Barber is now a Research Fellow for the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology founded by Dr. Scott Hahn, and is Professor of Theology, Scripture & Catholic Thought at John Paul the Great Catholic University. Dr. Barber is the author of a number of books, including Coming Soon: Unlocking the Book of Revelation & Applying Its Lessons Today and Genesis to Jesus: Studying Scripture from the Heart of the Church, a Bible study co-authored with Kimberly Hahn. He has recorded numerous CDs and DVDs and speaks extensively across the country on Scripture and the Catholic Faith. Known for his enthusiastic, engaging style, Dr. Barber is the host of the nationally syndicated radio show, Reasons for Faith Live and a frequent guest on EWTN. He blogs at The Sacred Page along with Dr. Brant Pitre and Dr. John Bergsma. While working on his Ph.D. at Fuller Theological Seminary, he met his best friend, Kimberly, in a Biblical Hebrew class and married her in 2007. They have two children and reside in San Diego, CA.
To learn more about his work, please visit:
www.saintjoe.com/michael_barber.asp
www.thesacredpage.com
John Garcia 
is a gifted and popular speaker who is well versed in a number of areas including the study of addictions, spiritual warfare, family life, demonology and obedience to the Magisterium. He is well known for his spiritual revival retreats. Mr. Garcia is the founder of Sober for Christ, a Catholic lay ministry that reaches out to those with addictions. John is certified by the Saint Paul Center for Biblical Theology to teach their Journey through Scripture Series and is continuing his Biblical Theology studies at John Paul the Great Catholic University. He has been married for 12 years to his wife Laura and they have three children; Faith, Hope and Peter and are expecting their fourth child in March.
Website: www.SoberForChrist.com
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This year, Carolina Catholic will again be reporting from the Rally for Life in Raleigh on January 14 as well as the North Carolina Mass for Life and the March for Life in Washington DC on January 23. This year's march marked the 39th year that abortion on demand has been the law of the land in the U.S. In this show, we will speak to Effie Steele, whose daughter and unborn grandson were murdered, and she was one of two main victims who fought for the Unborn Victims of Violence Act that became law in 2011. We will also speak to Bishop Burbidge, Msgr. David Brockman, Father Dan Oschwald, Father Anthony Sortino, Caryn Walsh, St. Mark's Youth Group leader, several of her students, Joel Peters from St. Mark's Catholic School and her daughter CeCe, Caleb Strittmatter, St. Mark's Parish Administrator, Loretta McManus, the Respect Life coordinator from Immaculate Conception Church, and many others who attended the march or rally for life.
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The January Carolina Catholic show is a bit different this month. We've polled the staff and some friends of Wilmington Catholic Radio about their favorite Catholic things within the categories of Marian apparitions, saints, daily devotions or prayers, pilgrimage sites, authors and books, movies, hymns, holy days, media personalities, ways to end abortion, etc. You categories and the top ten items in each are below in the Show Notes.
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Show Notes
Top 10 Marian apparitions (approved)
Guadalupe
Rue du Bac: St. Catherine Laboure
LaSalette, France
Lourdes, France
Pontmain, France
Pellevoisin, France
Knock, Ireland
Fatima, Portugal
Beauraing, Belgium
Banneux, Belgium
Kibeho, Rwanda
Betania, Venezuela
Akita, Japan
Medjugorge (Vatican Committee investigating)
Top 10 favorite saints & blesseds
Blessed JP II
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
St. John Vianney
St. Mary Magdalene
St. Pio (Padre Pio)
St. Rita of Cascia
St. Philomena
St. Gianna Beretta Molla
St. Gemma Galgani
Blessed Anna Maria Tiagi
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati
Blessed Solanus Casey
Top 10 Catholic daily devotions/ Catholic prayers
The Mass, the Eucharist
Morning offering
The Angelus at 6 a.m., 12 noon, and 6 p.m.
The Hour of Mercy/ the Divine Mercy Chaplet
Act of Contrition/ Examination of Conscience
The Rosary
Grace before and after meals
Scripture reading
Divine Office
Prayer for the Poor Souls in Purgatory
Litanies
Top 10 pilgrimage sites for Catholics
Rome, St. Peter’s, Esquiline Hill
Medjugorje
Lourdes, Paris, Rue du Bac, Nevers
Fatima
Emmitsburg, MD
Guadalupe
St. Anne du Beaupre
EWTN
St. John Neumann
The Holy Land
Top 10 Catholic authors/Catholic books
Bible, Catechism of the Catholic Church
Popes JP II and Benedict XVI
Bishop Fulton Sheen
Dr. Scott Hahn
St. Louis du Montfort, True Devotion to Mary
Dietrich von Hildebrand
Imitation of Christ (Thomas à Kempis)
GK Chesterton and C.S. Lewis
Maureen and Ted Flynn, Thunder of Justice
Top 10 Catholic movies
The Song of Bernadette
The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima
The Robe/Demetrius and the Gladiators
Ben-Hur
Jesus of Nazareth
King of Kings
The Perfect Stranger
Come to the Stable, The Bishop’s Wife
The Bells of St. Mary’s
It’s a Wonderful Life
Top 10 Catholic hymns
Holy Ground, Total Praise (Gospel)
Veni Jesu, Amor mi
Gentle Woman, Quiet Light
Panis Angelicus, Ave Maria
My Carolina Catholic theme song: The King of Love my Shepherd is
‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus
On Eagle’s Wings
Be not afraid
Sweet Sacrament, we Thee adore!
The Old Rugged Cross
Top 10 holy days of the year
Christmas
The Solemnity of Mary
Ash Wednesday
Good Friday
Easter Sunday
Ascension Thursday
The Assumption
All Saints Day
All Souls Day
The Feast of the Immaculate Conception
Top 10 media personalities
Bishop Fulton Sheen
Pope JP II, Bishop Burbidge, Msgr. Brockman
Mother Angelica
Raymond Arroyo
Father Larry Richards
Scott Hahn
Drew Mariani
Sheila Liaugninas
Staff of Catholic Answers, Tim Staples & Patrick Coffin
EWTN
Father Groeschel
Top 10 things Catholics can do to end abortion
Pray
Sidewalk counseling
Distribute pro-life literature
Volunteer at your local Pregnancy Resource Center or Home for Unwed Mothers
Donate regularly to a pro-life organization
Wear pro-life t-shirts and clothing
Educate yourself on all aspects of the pro-life movement.
Organize a diaper drive for your local Pregnancy Resource Center.
Pro-life Social networking
VOTE!
Top 10 reasons why we love being Catholic
The Eucharist and the Mass
Our priests
The Rosary
The Papacy
Mother Teresa, Fulton Sheen, JP II, famous Catholics
Its universality
Judy’s Irish grandfather: "The Catholic faith is the hardest faith in, but it’s the grandest faith to die in."
Mary, Our Mother
The Sacrament of Confession
Efficacious suffering
Purgatory
The November Carolina Catholic show features an interview with Msgr. Jeffrey Ingham, pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Southern Pines.
Msgr. Ingham was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He attended Borromeo Seminary College in Cleveland from 1965 to 1969. He received a BA in Scholastic Philosophy. He then attended St. Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology in Cleveland from 1969 to 1972. He finished his studies at Holy Trinity Seminary in Dallas, Texas in 1975.
In 1975, he became Parochial Vicar at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Raleigh until 1977. He then was assigned to be Parochial Vicar at St. Patrick in Fayetteville until 1980. He became Pastor of Sacred Heart, Whiteville in 1980. From 1983 to 1988 he was Chancellor for the Diocese of Raleigh. He then was assigned the Pastor to Our Lady of Lourdes in Raleigh until 2000. Msgr. Ingham took a one year Sabbatical in Lynton, England being Chaplain to Poor Clares, a very small parish and mission. Msgr. Ingham came to his current assignment as Pastor at St. Anthony of Padua, Southern Pines in 2001.
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Show Notes
St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Southern Pines
The December Carolina Catholic show features an interview with Sharon Legere, a local parishioner, whose life took her on a journey from atheism to Catholicism.
Sharon spoke to us about her many years as an atheist with no interest in any religion until she saw a medal from Medjugorje, heard the story of the six visionaries and believed in the authenticity of the visions. This began a journey which took her from her life in Albany to Emmitsburg, Maryland, and finally to the Wilmington area and to pilgrimages to Medjugorje, Italy, and France.
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For the October Carolina Catholic show, we speak with Bishop Michael F. Burbidge about his first five years as our shepherd in the Diocese of Raleigh.
In this show, we talk to Bishop Burbidge about many topics such as:
- his plans for the new Cathedral Campus Project and Cape Fear High School
- the social issues he and Bishop Jugis have prioritized with their Catholic Voice-NC outreach
- the implementation of the revised Roman missal
- many other items of interest to his sheepfold
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Show Notes
The September Carolina Catholic show features an interview with Alex Hill, Director of Music and Liturgy at St. Mark's Catholic Church in Wilmington.
Since January of 2010, Alex Hill has been the Director of Music and Liturgy at St. Mark's. Alex, the father of six children, earned his Bachelor of Music degree in Composition and his Masters of Music in Conducting. His musical resume includes 18 years as the Musical Director of the Central Pennsylvania Youth Orchestra, as a guest conductor of various orchestras, symphonies, and chorale groups, as a co-founder of a ballet company and a music conservatory, and as a composer of liturgical music.
The show will have Alex's music featured throughout. The show will cover his biography, his conversion story, and his current job as Director of Music and Liturgy at St. Mark's. That all will lead into talk about the revised Roman Missal, the changing role of the liturgical music, and how Catholics and choirs should be preparing for the changes.
To quote Alex on the importance of liturgy:
I always say "The liturgy made me do it!" Many people believe that "liturgy" is just a formal worship structure, a set of rules or rubrics which are limiting. But like so many other things in Catholicism, there is a paradox in the idea of limits and freedom. In liturgy, the closer we get to the exactitude of the Church's teaching on liturgy and worship, the more free we become to have a real actual encounter with Christ. When we experiment with the Mass (which is a sacrament), when we apply an "anything goes" philosophy to texts or music or style or structure, we become slaves to popular taste or the whims of pastors or music leaders, or to parishioners who want music which THEY like. This is why following the Church on embarking on this new translation is so important - Christ gave the Church the Holy Spirit to infallibly lead the faithful in true sacramental worship. We must trust this, and discover Christ anew in the Mass every time we attend. Each Mass is the same in many ways, but each Mass is a one-time event - the actual sacrifice of Jesus Christ who offers himself to the Father on our behalf, in our presence and for our benefit. Its pretty amazing when you stop to think about it, and Catholicism demands that we "think about it" much more than we are willing to do sometimes!
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Show Notes
The August 2011 show is about the Byzantine Rite of the Catholic Church. We talk with St. Mary’s parishioner, Jan Rack, a convert to Catholicism who has a great love of the Byzantine liturgy.
Within our Church there are seven Canonical rites of equal dignity, descendants of the liturgical practices that originated in centers of Rome, Antioch, and Alexandria. One of these rites is the Byzantine rite which is the largest of the Eastern rites. The Byzantine liturgy was developed by St. James but modified by Sts. Basil and John Chrysostom. After the schism between Rome and Constantinople, many churches remained separated from Rome. After these churches returned to the fold, they have generally been treated as separate rites based on their particular location. Churches using the Byzantine liturgy include the Albanian, Belarussian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Greek, Hungarian, Italo-Albanian, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, and Ukrainian.
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Show Notes
The July Carolina Catholic show features Gerard Hall of the Office of Divine Worship for the Diocese of Raleigh. Gerard has spearheaded our diocesan adoption of the revised, or third, edition of the Roman Missal which will take effect on the first Sunday of Advent, November 27, this year.
In this show, we cover the reasons behind the revision, the translation and implementation process, but more importantly, we will learn about what to expect as we begin the new liturgy during Advent. We will learn some of the new prayers, the new responses, and some new vocabulary. If you are unable to attend any of the training sessions offered for the laity by the Diocese, this show will give you an excellent overview of the changes being implemented.
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Show Notes
Welcoming the Roman Missal, Third Edition
Diocese of Raleigh's Office of Divine Worship
Bishop Burbidge's Announcement on the Revised Roman Missal
The May Carolina Catholic show is all about saints. There are two shows this month. The first features a Secular Franciscan, Linda Perunko, who is also an artist and teacher. She talks about her favorite saint, Francis of Assisi, as well as the process of becoming a Secular Franciscan.
The second show focuses on some Italian saints. I chat with two fellow pilgrims to Italy this past year, Diane Harris and Catherine Veres. We chat about Italian saints such as Maria Goretti, Padre Pio, St. Francis, St. Clare, St. Rita of Cascia, and Sts. Benedict and Scholastica from Norcia Italy.
Show Notes
Padre Pio
Padre Pio: The True Story by C. Bernard Ruffin
Italian Sacred Destinations
Castel Gandolfo (Papal summer residence)
Nettuno (St. Maria Goretti)
San Giovanni Rotondo (Padre Pio)
Mont Sant'Angelo
Lanciano (Eucharistic Miracle)
Assisi (Sts. Francis and Clare)
Cascia and Roccaporena (St. Rita)
Norcia (Sts. Benedict and Scholastica)
In Rome
St. Pudentiana and St. Praxedes
Santa Maria Maggiore (St. Mary Major)
Santa Scala
Santa Croce in Gerusalemme
And Nennolina
San Giovanni in Laterano: St. John Lateran
St. Peter/Vatican City
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Matthew Kelly
Matthew Kelly was born in Sydney, Australia, where he began his lay ministry in 1993. Since that time he has traveled in more than fifty countries and spoken to over three million people. He has written thirteen books which have appeared on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestseller lists and been published in twenty-five languages. His titles include: The Rhythm of Life, The Seven Levels of Intimacy, The Dream Manager, Building Better Families, and Rediscovering Catholicism. The majority of his work today is here in the United States speaking to students from primary school through college, lay adults, priests and seminarians. He also leads numerous retreats every year, both in the United States and abroad.
In addition to his spiritual ministry, which occupies 80% of his time, Kelly is also a partner at Floyd Consulting, a Chicago based management consulting firm. His clients include: Pepsi, Proctor and Gamble,, McDonalds, USBank, 3M, Ernst & Young, HSBC, the Department of Defense, the U.S Navy, the U.S. Air Force and more than 35 other Fortune 500 companies.
Kelly’s core message, regardless of whether he is addressing CEO’s, high school students, priests, or parish communities, invites listeners to become the-best-version-of-themselves. Kelly convincingly communicates this message as God’s desire for each of us. And he insists it is also the desire of parents for their children, husbands and wives for each other, CEOs for their companies and employees, pastors for their parishes, and managers and lay ministers for those they lead and instruct.
This message of becoming the-best-version-of-yourself, inspired by Vatican II’s universal call to holiness, allows Kelly to present the genius of Catholicism through his seminars and writings in a way that is disarmingly simple and yet, deeply profound.
To learn more about his work, please visit:
www.matthewkelly.org
www.floydconsulting.com
www.dynamiccatholic.com
Dr. Brant Pitre
Dr. Brant Pitre is Professor of Scripture at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, Louisiana. He received his Ph.D. in Theology from the University of Notre Dame, where he specialized the study of the New Testament and ancient Judaism, graduating with highest honors. He is the author of several articles and a book, Jesus, the Tribulation, and the End of the Exile, which focuses on the eschatology of Jesus as the key to the origin of the doctrine of the atonement (Baker Academic, 2005). Additionally, Doubleday is publishing a new book by Dr. Pitre entitled Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist, which is coming out in February 2011. Dr. Pitre is also currently working on an academic book Jesus and the Last Supper, a project funded by a grant from the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, founded by Dr. Scott Hahn. Dr. Pitre is an extremely enthusiastic and engaging speaker and has produced several Bible studies on CD and DVD, in which he explores the Jewish roots and biblical background of Catholic faith and theology. He currently lives in Covington, Louisiana, with his wife Elizabeth, and their four young children and fifth on the way.
For more more about his work, please visit:
www.BrantPitre.com
Deby Schlaprizzi
Deby Schlapprizzi is host of Splendor of You®, a radio program addressing varied topics on faith in contemporary living. Deby delivers a message of purpose and hope. She has been a guest on national talk radio. A woman “who acts on principle,” as she was described by the St. Louis Post Dispatch, Deby’s presentations are met with standing ovations and excellent reviews. She inspires women and men of all ages to recognize the handprint of God within and to let His splendor shine!
A pro-life advocate and motivational speaker, Deby is driven by her desire to help shape a society more respectful of the sacredness of all human life. Her pro-life advocacy began at the age of eighteen in 1973 with Roe v. Wade and the legalization of abortion in the United States. At the age of twenty-six, she volunteered to become a pro-life voice for the St. Louis Archdiocese.
Deby’s early success mushroomed to being an invited guest speaker at a multitude of schools, parent-teacher organizations, and youth conferences. She is a national and local lecturer on matters of faith and morals. In 2001, Deby was featured in The Wall Street Journal for her role in reversing the American Heart Association’s national position on embryonic stem cell research. Then, in 2006, under Deby’s leadership, a dedicated team of volunteers waged a battle to keep human cloning out of Missouri’s constitution.
In congruence with her work, Deby has received multiple honors including:
- Cardinal John O’Connor Pro-Life Award
- Silver Palm of Jerusalem
- Vitae Caring Award
- Citizen Recognition Award: Exemplary Acts of Faithful Citizenship from the Missouri Catholic Conference
- Cardinal Carberry Award: Outstanding Contribution to Pro-Life Movement
- Outstanding Sacred Heart Alumnae Award – Southern USA Region
- Appointment to the Missouri Catholic Conference by the Archbishop of St. Louis, Raymond L. Burke, currently the Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura
Deby studied Communications/Business at St. Louis University and later focused on post-graduate studies in Counseling and Gerontology.
Website: www.splendorofyou.com
Dr. Patrick O'Connell
Patrick has a heart for educating Catholics about their Faith. Throughout medical school, he volunteered with the high school faith formation program at this parish. He resumed this ministry after residency training while living in Baltimore. Since moving to North Carolina, he has been involved in adult education in Catholic bioethics. He completed a certification program in Catholic bioethics through the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia. With this background, he has spoken on bioethics topics to high school groups, to student groups at the local universities, and to parish adult education programs. In 2009 he spoke on Theology of the Body and reproductive healthcare as part of the Bishop’s Lecture Series sponsored by Bishop Burbidge. Patrick is a parishioner at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Raleigh.
Jeremy Rivera
Jeremy is Director of Communications for FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students), a ministry that sends teams of young, trained missionaries to over 50 college campuses across the U.S. in order to reach students with the Gospel. A cradle Catholic, Jeremy drifted away from the Church for a time, serving as a staff member at New Hope Christian Fellowship in Hawaii, Menlo Park Presbyterian in California, and Pathways Church in Colorado. Coming back to the Catholic Church in 2006, he followed God’s call to serve the youth and founded three young adult ministries. A Toastmasters International award-winning speaker, Jeremy is able to reach a broad audience of Catholics and Protestants. He is passionate about encouraging others to greater levels of sincerity on their journey with God. Jeremy holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Business and a Master’s degree in Biblical Studies.
Website: www.FocusOnline.org
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For our March show, we talk to the founders and co-chairs of the Wilmington St. Patrick’s Day Parade: Steve McEnaney and Jim Quinn. The annual parade which takes place this year on Saturday, March 12 at 11 am.
We talk to Steve and Jim about their Irish roots, their love of all things Irish, the history of the parade in Wilmington and their work at bringing the parade to downtown Wilmington starting in 1999. We also chat with them about the luncheon at the Hilton Wilmington Riverside that is served to the Marines after the parade.
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For our February show, we report from the Rally for Life in Raleigh, the March and Mass for Life in Washington DC and the Prayer Vigil for Life in Wilmington.
Rally for Life
Father Philip Tigher, St. Catherine of Siena, Wake Forest
Jackie Bonk, Office of Pro-LIfe, Diocese of Raleigh
Father Rick Rohrer, Sts. Cyril and Methodius Byzantine Catholic Church.
Ron Ruiz, Head of Humanities, St. Thomas More Academy
Bishop Michael F. Burbidge, Bishop of Raleigh
Dave Jones, NC State Deputy, Knights of Columbus
March for Life
Precious Life Ministries, two of the co-founders, Susan Brindle, Miriam Laudeman
Boycott Nike (Life Decisions International)
Voglio Vivere (Italian pro-life group)
Prayer Vigil for Life
NC State Senator Thom Goolsby
Pastor Tony McGhee, Wilmington Christian Center
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The January Carolina Catholic show features an interview with Father Benedict Groeschel, CFR, given at the Evening of Sacred Arts held on December 3, 2010 at St. Mark's Catholic Church in Wilmington.
Fr. Groeschel's Bio
Father Groeschel, born July 23, 1933, is a Roman Catholic priest, retreat master, author, psychologist, activist and host of the television talk program Sunday Night Live with Father Benedict Groeschel, which is broadcast on the Eternal Word Television Network. He is the director of the Office for Spiritual Development for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York as well as associate director of Trinity Retreat and the executive director of The St. Francis House. He is professor of pastoral psychology at St. Joseph's Seminary in New York and an adjunct professor at the Institute for Psychological Sciences in Arlington, Virginia. He is one of the founders of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal.
Born as Peter Groeschel in Jersey City, New Jersey, he entered the Capuchin Order in 1951. The following year, he was admitted to temporary profession of vows and given the name Benedict Joseph. He made his perpetual profession in 1954 and was ordained a priest in 1959. He received a Masters Degree in Counseling from Iona College in 1964 and a Doctorate in Psychology from Columbia University in 1971.
In 1960, Fr. Groeschel became the chaplain for the Children’s Village, a Dobbs Ferry, New York-based facility for emotionally disturbed children. In 1965, he joined the staff of St. Joseph's Seminary and has taught classes at Fordham University, Iona College and Maryknoll Seminary. In 1967, he founded The St. Francis House in Brooklyn which provides a safe haven for young men looking for a new start in life. The results of his counseling, teaching ability and the manner in which he treated his subjects attracted the attention of many, including Terence Cardinal Cooke, then Archbishop of New York. In 1974 at the request of Cardinal Cooke, he founded the Trinity Retreat in Larchmont, New York, which provides spiritual direction and retreats for clergy. In 1984, New York's John Cardinal O’Connor appointed Fr. Groeschel to the position of promoter of the cause of Canonization of the Servant of God Terence Cardinal Cooke. In 1985, he co-founded with Christopher Bell the Good Counsel Homes for homeless pregnant women and children. In 1987, Fr. Groeschel and seven Capuchin colleagues left their order to begin the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal with the mission of preaching reform and serving the poor. Since joining the Institute of Psychological Sciences in 2000, he has taught an annual intensive course focused on how to give practical assistance to people experiencing trauma, extreme stress, and sorrow - while at the same time integrating religious values with counseling and psychotherapy.
Fr. Groeschel is Chairman of The St. Francis House and the Good Counsel Homes. He is on the board of Ave Maria University in Naples, Florida and is a member of the American Psychological Association. Other works of charity Fr. Groeschel is involved with are: the Padre Pio Shelter, St. Anthony Residence, St. Francis Youth Center and St. Benedict Joseph Medical Center in Honduras.
Fr. Groeschel has received wide public attention through his preaching engagements, writing and television appearances. He is the author of over 30 books and has recorded more than 100 audio and video series. He publishes articles in several Catholic magazines on a monthly basis. His most recent books include The Tears of God (2008), Questions and Answers About Your Journey to God (2007), The Virtue Driven Life (2006), Why Do We Believe? (2005) and There Are No Accidents: In All Things Trust in God (2004). His weekly television program, Sunday Night Live with Father Benedict Groeschel, offers a mix of interviews, answering viewer questions, and discussing spiritual and social matters relating to the Roman Catholic faith.
Fr. Groeschel has also been a highly visible Roman Catholic activist, first in the civil rights movement. He publicly criticizes what he perceives as insulting depictions of the church in popular culture and the media. In September 1998, he led protests outside of an Off-Broadway theater in New York City against the production of Terrence McNally’s play Corpus Christi.In his 2002 book From Scandal to Hope, he accused The Boston Globe, The New York Times and The San Francisco Chronicle of showing anti-Catholic prejudice in their respective coverage of the sexual abuse scandal that disrupted the church. “Seldom in the history of journalism have I seen such virulent attacks on any institution that is supposed to receive fair treatment in the press,” he wrote.
In April 2005, he again questioned the anti-Catholic sentiments of the U.S. media by charging distorted coverage of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, who had become Pope Benedict XVI. Fr. Groeschel noted the new pope had "been very badly abused by the American media," adding that the pontiff’s World War II biography was negatively distorted and incorrect reports of his personality were published.
On January 11, 2004, Fr. Groeschel was struck by an automobile while crossing a street in Orlando, Florida. He received a head injury and broken bones, and had no blood pressure, heartbeat or pulse for about 27 minutes. A few days later, the trauma triggered a near-fatal heart attack. While he was recovering from his injuries, he collaborated with John Bishop on the book There Are No Accidents: In All Things Trust in God, and he broadcast his first live program on EWTN on October 24, 2004. Although the accident left him with limited use of his right arm and difficulty in walking, he was back out preaching and giving retreats by the end of 2004 and he has continued to keep a full schedule. Many consider his recovery close to a miracle. As he told the New York Times nearly four years after his accident: “They said I would never live. I lived. They said I would never think. I think. They said I would never walk. I walked. They said I would never dance, but I never danced anyway.” Today he remains a well sought after teacher, counselor, preacher, retreat master, author and spiritual director.
Musical Accompaniment
St. Mark's Director of Music and Liturgy, Alex Hill, composed a song for the occasion. He performed this for the event accompanied by Angela Daughtry and Heather Latham.
THE IMAGE OF GOD
[Verse 1: 2 Corinthians 3:16 – 18]
When a person turns to the Lord,
A veil is removed from their heart.
And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
All of us, gazing with unveiled face
On the glory of the Lord who is Spirit,
Are transformed into that image, from glory into glory.
[Refrain: Colossians 1:15, 19-20]
He is the image of the unseen God
The first born of all creation.
In him all fullness was pleased to dwell
Through him all is reconciled
Making peace through the blood of his cross.
[Verse 2: 2 Corinthians 4:3 – 4]
Even though our gospel is veiled,
It is veiled for those who perish,
As the god of this age blinds the minds of unbelievers.
So that they may not see the light
Of the gospel of the glory of Christ,
Of Christ, who is the image of God. [refrain]
[Verse 3: 2 Corinthians 4:5 – 6]
For we do not preach ourselves
But Jesus Christ as Lord,
And ourselves as your slaves for the sake of Jesus.
For God who said, "Let light shine from darkness,"
Has shone to bring to light the knowledge
Of the glory of God on the face of Jesus Christ. [refrain]
Musician Bios
Alex E. Hill is a choral and orchestral conductor and a published liturgical composer. Since January 2010 he has served as Director of Music and Liturgy at St. Mark Catholic Church in Wilmington . For 22 years before that he resided in Central Pennsylvania. Alex and his wife of 25 years, Andrea, have 6 children.
Angela Daughtry has been involved with liturgical music for over thirteen years and has been the Coordinator of Liturgy and Music at St. Therese Catholic Church since 2006. She humbly considers herself a vocalist although she has had no formal training. Angela studied the flute privately during her school years, and taught herself to play guitar at age 30. She graduated from UNCW with a BA in Environmental Studies. Being a wife and mother of three keeps her happily occupied when she is not singing. Angela really appreciates and enjoys the Coastal Carolina lifestyle in contrast to her childhood in Minnesota.
Heather Latham is an ECU graduate, an accomplished cellist and vocalist, who has been a cantor at St. Mary's Catholic Church for several years. She and her husband are the proud parents of two children who are both serving in the military. Both Heather and her husband, David, give generously of their time despte their demanding careers, and together they have operated the St. Mary's Bookstore for the past five years.
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Show Notes
EWTN Sunday Night Live with Father Benedict Groeschel
Franciscan Friars of the Renewal Web Site
The December Carolina Catholic show features interviews with the women at the pro-life vigils in Wilmington.
We talk with these women who are regulars at the pro-life vigil just steps from the Wilmington Health Center, a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic, where both medical and surgical abortions are performed and where referrals for abortions later than 13.6 weeks after their last menstrual period are made.
These women (and men) have been prayerfully and bravely standing at 16th Street near the Tradd Court abortion facility for over 10 years now, and several women planning abortions have changed their minds in favor of life after being "sidewalk counseled" by these women. But the essence of what these women and men do is pray for the moms and their unborn children at risk of abortion while witnessing to the horror of abortions.
Show Notes
New Hanover County Pro Life Council
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The November Carolina Catholic show continues an interview with the Parocial Vicar of Infant of Prague Catholic Church in Jacksonville, Father Anthony "Tony" DeCandia. In October, Father spoke about his incredible conversion to the Catholic faith from his Methodist Baptist roots, and he spoke about those who witnessed to him about our faith including his Grandma Grace whose daily rosaries for him, said in secret, proved instrumental in his conversion.
In this part of our show with Father, we will speak to him about the call that led him to the priesthood as well as some important issues facing Catholics today.
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Show Notes
The October Carolina Catholic show features an interview with the Parocial Vicar of Infant of Prague Catholic Church in Jacksonville, Father Anthony "Tony" DeCandia. Father Tony is a convert to the Catholic faith and the son of a Marine pilot. His fascinating story of conversion to the faith which ultimately led to the priesthood is full of inspirational men and women who lit his path to our faith.
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Show Notes
| The September Carolina Catholic show features interviews with the director of the newly formed diocesan Pro-Life Office, Mrs. Jacqueline Bonk, and other pro-life leaders. This show emanates from the 2010 Respect Life Seminar held in Raleigh on August 21. |
Jacqueline Bonk |
Show Notes
Annual Seminar Draws Parish Pro-Life Co-ordinators
Jacqueline Bonk to Head Doicesan Pro-Life Office
Bishops' Joint Statement on UNC Student Health Care Provision for Abortion Coverage
FDA report on ELLA, the "week after pill"
NC Choose Life License Plate Status
New Hanover County Pro Life Council
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The August Carolina Catholic show features interviews from the closing Mass of the Year For Priests. The following were interviewed after the Mass on June 29, 2010.- Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge, Bishop of the Diocese of Raleigh
- Rev. Msgr. Jeffrey A. Ingham, V.F., , Pastor, Saint Anthony of Padua Church, Southern Pines
- Rev. Ned Schlesinger, Vocations Director, Diocese of Raleigh
- Rev. Vic Gournas, Parocial Vicar, St. Paul Catholic Church, New Bern
- Msgr. David D. Brockman, Vicar General, Diocese of Raleigh
- Brian Wright, Seminarian
Show Notes
St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Southern Pines
St. Paul Catholic Church in New Bern
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The July Carolina Catholic show features an interview with two teachers from St. Mary Catholic School, Jack Viorel and Kevin Murphy, who also happen to have a love for surfing. They were the feature article in the May 2010 NC Catholic. Jack and Kevin also are directors of Ocean Cure, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing surf camps to medically fragile and at-risk youth. Ocean Cure has an impressive outreach surf program offering charity surf camps for children infected with HIV, Autism, and Cerebral Palsy among other illnesses as well as our Wounded Warriors, Special Olympics, the visually impaired, CARE, and other groups that minister to the medically challenged. These camps are offered at no cost to the participants.Ocean Cure also donates time, money, and equipment to various other surf charities such as Surfer's Healing and Life Rolls On in the belief that the ocean has powerful healing properties and that learning to surf can have a positive effect on a person's physical and emotional health and well being.
When Ocean Cure donates surf lessons or surf camps to particular groups or individuals, Ocean Cure provides all the funds necessary to make it happen. Ocean Cure works directly with Wilmington’s number one surf and kiteboard school, Indo Jax, to provide participants with all the necessary equipment and instructors to make the surf experience fun, safe, and uplifting. We also leave each student with a little gift upon completion of our surf course, all at no cost to them.
Ocean Cure is able to do this through generous donations from individuals and businesses that contribute to their charity surf programs. Ocean Cure is a non-profit and your donations are tax-deductible.
How to Support
You can support Indo Jax Charity Surf Camps by donating to Ocean Cure. Ocean Cure is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to providing surf camps to medically fragile and at-risk youth. Your donations help to keep the outreach surf camps free for the participants. You will receive a tax receipt for your donation. You may send donations to the address below or call (910) 458-7100.
Ocean Cure Office
607 N Lake Park
Carolina Beach, NC 28428
Wish List
Office SuppliesWet Suits
Booties
Gloves
Car/Van
Surfboards
2010 Ocean Cure Outreach Program Dates
Jan 22-April 22 - 90 Days to Earth DayApril 1-April 10 - Home of Hope Orphanage Kochi India
April 24, 25 - Wounded Warrior Surf Series
April 26-30 - Boys and Girls Club
May 22,23 - Wounded Warrior Surf Series
May 17-20 - CHOICES At Risk After School Program
June 5,6 - Surf It, Save It NC Aquarium Surf Expo
June 14-18 - CARE Coastal Aids Resource Effort
June 26,27 - Wounded Warrior Surf Series
July 6-8 - Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
July 26-30 - Visually Impaired
August 7 - Life Rolls On
August 16-20 - Autism Surf Camp
August 17 (registration May 15) Folly Beach - Surfer’s Healing
August 19 (registration May 15) Wrightsville Beach - Surfer’s Healing
Sept 2,3,4,5 - Wounded Warrior Surf Series
October 23 - Big Buddy Day Surf Camp
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Show Notes
The June Carolina Catholic show features an interview with Father Charles Sikorsky, LC, JD, JCL. Father Sikorsky is the current president of the Institute for the Psychological Sciences in Arlington, VA. This graduate school, which offers Masters and Doctoral degrees in Psychology, combines this discipline with Catholic philosophy and theology. The Institute is training psychologists to treat the mind and soul of their clients, and so the psychologists are trained in both the secular science and theology/philosophy bringing a Catholic and Christian worldview in counseling and treatment.
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Show Notes
YouTube video on "What exactly is the IPS philosophy?"
Patrick McCaskey
Patrick McCaskey is a co-owner of the Chicago Bears professional football team, Chicago native and grandson of George Halas, one of the legendary founders of the National Football League. As a faithful Catholic, he has actively sought to witness his Catholic Faith in his personal and family life, as well as in his career in business and sports. He recently founded an organization called Sports Faith International, a Chicago-based initiative dedicated to inspiring and transforming the culture through the world of sports. Sports Faith International strives to utilize the best of new and traditional media to feature and encourage the powerful personal testimonies of outstanding athletes at all levels, who are living out their faith on and off the field. The vision of Sports Faith International is inspired by Pope John Paul II, “the athlete’s Pope,” who also called for the use of the media to promote the faith and utilize sports as a powerful instrument to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In addition to his public speaking and serving on numerous sports and educational boards and committees, he has written a book, Bear With Me: A Family History of George Halas and the Chicago Bears which is a window into the Halas and McCaskey families and the impact of their faith on family life and football. Mr. McCaskey has been married to his wife, Gretchen Wagle for 25 years and they have three sons.
Website: www.sportsfaithinternational.com
Father Dwight Longenecker
Fr. Dwight Longenecker is an American who has spent most of his life living and working in England. Fr Dwight was brought up in an Evangelical home in Pennsylvania. After graduating from Bob Jones University with a degree in Speech and English, he went to study theology at Oxford University. He was eventually ordained as an Anglican priest and served as a curate, a school chaplain in Cambridge and a country parson. Realizing that he and the Anglican Church were on divergent paths, in 1995 Fr. Dwight and his family were received into the Catholic Church. He spent the next ten years working as a freelance Catholic writer, contributing to over twenty-five magazines, papers and journals in Britain, Ireland and the USA.
Fr. Dwight is the editor of a best-selling book of English conversion stories called The Path to Rome-- Modern Journeys to the Catholic Faith. He has written Listen My Son—a daily Benedictine devotional book, which applies the Rule of St Benedict to the task of modern parenting. More Christianity is a straightforward and popular explanation of the Catholic faith for Evangelical Christians. Friendly and non-confrontational, it invites the reader to move from 'Mere Christianity' to 'More Christianity'. Fr. Dwight’s Adventures in Orthodoxy is described as ‘a Chestertonian romp through the Apostles’ Creed.’ Fr. Dwight has contributed a chapter to the third volume of the best selling Surprised by Truth series and is a regular contributor to Inside Catholic, First Things, This Rock and National Catholic Register.
In 2006 Fr. Dwight accepted a post as Chaplain to St Joseph’s Catholic School in Greenville, South Carolina. This brought him and his family back, not only to his hometown, but also to the American Bible belt, and hometown of Bob Jones University. In December 2006 he was ordained as a Catholic priest under the special pastoral provision for married former Anglican clergy. He ministers at St Joseph’s, and in the parish of St Mary’s, Greenville. He’s married to Alison. They have four children, named Benedict, Madeleine, Theodore and Elias.
Website: www.dwightlongenecker.com
Dr. John Bergsma
Dr. John Bergsma is Associate Professor of Theology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, in Steubenville, Ohio. He holds the M.Div. and Th.M. degrees from Calvin Seminary, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and served as a Protestant pastor for four years before entering the Catholic Church in 2001 while pursuing a Ph.D. in Theology from the University of Notre Dame. He specialized in the Old Testament and the Dead Sea Scrolls, graduating with high honors in 2004. His major study of the interpretation of the Year of Jubilee in ancient times is published as The Jubilee from Leviticus to Qumran (Brill Academic, 2007). Dr. Bergsma’s articles, some co-authored with Dr. Scott Hahn, have appeared in several academic journals as well as Lay Witness, the magazine of Catholics United for the Faith. He has appeared as a guest on EWTN’s The Journey Home, Franciscan University Presents, and Relevant Radio’s Drew Mariani Show. Twice voted Faculty of the Year by graduating classes of the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Dr. Bergsma is a popular teacher who inspires his students with a love of Scripture. He and his wife Dawn reside with their seven children in Steubenville, Ohio.
Website: www.johnbergsma.com
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Dr. Greg & Lisa Popcak
Dr. Gregory Popcak, MSW, Ph.D is an internationally recognized Catholic psychotherapist with degrees in psychology, theology, and social work. Together with his clinical associates, he conduct thousands of hours of marriage, family, and personal counseling by phone with Catholics around the world. He is also active in research leading to the effective integration of counseling and Catholicism. His wife Lisa is a Catholic Family Life Educator, teacher, lactation consultant, and homeschooling mother.
Greg and Lisa are the Co-Directors of the Pastoral Solutions Institute, an organization providing books, audio productions and telephone-based counseling services to Catholics worldwide. They co-host two syndicated radio programs: Fully Alive! with Dr. Greg and Lisa Popcak airing across North America from 10p-Midnight Eastern (7-9p Pacific) on The Catholic Channel--Sirius 159/XM117, and Heart Mind and Strength, heard at noon (Eastern) each weekday throughout the Midwestern US on the Ave Maria Radio Network. The Popcaks are also authors of 10 popular books, including Parenting with Grace: A Catholic Parent Guide to Raising (almost) Perfect Kids. They have also hosted two television series for EWTN, including For Better…FOREVER! on the topic of marriage.
Website: www.exceptionalmarriages.com
John Martignoni
John Martignoni is a well-known international Catholic Speaker and the Founder and President of the Bible Christian Society, an apologetics and evangelization apostolate dedicated to teaching and explaining the truths of the Catholic Faith. Early in his career, he earned an MBA at the University of Alabama and experienced the beginning of a profound awakening in his Catholic Faith while working as a teaching graduate student at UNC in 1988-1989. He is also the host of EWTN Open Line, a live, internationally telecast call-in program of Bible apologetics weekly on EWTN Radio. In May of 2009, John was named the Director of the Office of New Evangelization and Stewardship for the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama. He is the Founder and President of Queen of Heaven Catholic Radio in Birmingham, which began in 2005. In addition, John also established the Catholic Businessmen and Professionals Association to bring Catholic men together for the purpose of deepening their Faith and promote evangelization.
John travels throughout the country and Canada speaking at parishes and conferences about the Catholic Faith and the Bible. Close to half a million copies of his talks have been distributed in all 50 states and more than 40 foreign countries. He has been married for 14 years to his wife, Janel, and is the father of four children.
Website: www.biblechristiansociety.com
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For our March show, we talk with Alfred Schnog.
Since the Holocaust...we see human atrocities taking place but feel helpless in preventing them. Yet, there is one thing that we can do - speak out against such crimes and teach our children about them and their cause. Only in this manner can we hope to stem the universal disregard of such human suffering."
- Alfred Schnog, Holocaust Survivor
Alfred Schnog’s family escaped from Nazi Germany on the morning after Kristalnacht. Their harrowing escape and his mother’s heroic resistance saved Alfred from certain death in the Holocaust. He relates his story as well as his memories of Nazi oppression directed against Jews which he witnessed as a youngster growing up in Cologne, Germany.
Alfred’s family left Holland to come to the United States where they arrived barely one month before the Nazis invaded Holland, thus narrowly escaping from the Nazi grasp once again.
Alfred is married to Anita M. Schnog and together they have 4 children who have blessed us with 11 grand children aged six to twenty-four. Anita and Alfred share their time between Bald Head Island and Wilmington.
Alfred is a graduate of Cornell University with a degree in Electrical Engineering and received an ROTC commission in the U.S. Army. He practiced engineering briefly before entering active duty in the Army Ordinance Corp where he served during the Korean War as commanding officer of a Field Supply Company stationed near Inchon and Seoul. He also assumed duties as the Battalion Education officer. After his tour of duty, he returned to civilian life and entered the world of business.
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For our February show, we report from the Rally for Life in Raleigh and the March and Mass for Life in Washington DC.
Rally for Life
- Alyse Player, a 12 year old singer at the Rally for Life
Father Anastasio Hudson, Greek Orthodox Priest, Missionary Priest in NC
Padre Marco Antonio Gonzales-Hernandez, Parochial Vicar, St. Mark's Catholic Church, Wilmington
Father Dan Oschwald, Rector, Sacred Heart Cathedral, Raleigh
Father Ned Schlesinger, Director of Vocations, Diocese of Raleigh
Monsignor Jeffrey Ingham, Pastor, St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, Southern Pines
John Paul Lyons, Youth Director, St. Mark's Catholic Church, Wilmington
Chris Peters, Abby Evans, Sabina Fisher and Alex Lyons, members of St. Mark's Youth Group
Bishop Michael F. Burbidge, Bishop of Raleigh
Bev Jolly, Abby Reimel, Megan Liebold, Teens for Life, UNCW PLUS, New Hanover Pro-Life Council
March for Life
Sister Marie Jean, Sister, Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, MA
Diane and Alexandra Harris, Members of St. Mary's Respect Life Group
Father Pat Keane, Pastor, Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, Newton Grove
Congressman Chris Smith, Republican, NJ
Father Tim Christy, Pastor, St. Magdalen di Pazzi Roman Catholic Church, Flemington, NJ
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The January Carolina Catholic show features an interview with Dr. Diane Harris. We address the topic of abortion as we commemorate the 37th year that our country has legalized the killing of the unborn. This program highlights the medical side of the abortion debate as we speak to a doctor about the medicine behind abortion and contraception and the physical consequences of both.Abortion Q & A for our listeners
(Legal= all 9 month.) By law
Is there any cut off when abortions aren’t done?
No, but in some states clinics will not perform abortions beyond a baby’s length (33.3 cm in some states).
Is the doctor obligated to tell you all the medical risks involved? (Called Informed consent)
In North Carolina the answer is no.
Do you need parental consent? NC?
Yes, but if you don’t want to tell your parents go to court for permission.
Can the father of the baby stop the abortion?
No, but a leading cause of death among young women is murder by boyfriend over refusal to have abortion.
What is the leading cause of death in USA?
Abortion.
Heart disease is number two at 975,000 deaths per year.
How many abortions per day? Per year? Per lifetime?
Day: 3,400 per day (1 every 20 seconds)
Year: 1.3 million per year/US: 45 million/world
1 out 3 American women will abort.
What does the word “fetus” mean? Pro-choice?
Madison Avenue campaign in late 1980’s to soften abortion debate.
Pro life events for January 2010
| 16th | Respect Life mass at 8 a.m. at St. Joseph’s in Raleigh with Bishop Burbidge followed by the NC RTL Prayer breakfast at 9:30 a.m. and the Rally for Life at Nash Square at 1 pm. See http://ncrtl.org/ |
| 22nd | March for life in DC and Mass for life with Bishops Burbidge and Jugis at 11:30 a.m. at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. See here and here for more details. |
| 30th | Wilmington Prayer Vigil 2010 at 12:30 at Riverfront Park. Please visit nhcplc.org for more information. |
Show Notes
Local pro-life links:
New Hanover County Pro-life Council
NC Right to Life
March for Life
National RTL
LifeLine Pregnancy Center, Wilmington
National Association of Pro-Life Nurses
Coalition on Abortion-Breast Cancer
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The December Carolina Catholic show is on Christmas and Advent Traditions in the Catholic Home. In this show we discuss the true Christmas and Advent traditions of the Catholic Church. We also want to separate fact from fiction so that we can truly understand this wonderful time of year.
Christmas really doesn’t begin until Christmas Eve and then ends on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the 1st Sunday after the Epiphany, 1-10-10.
There were three tendencies among early Christians as these traditions developed:
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1. They had a high respect for symbolism (light over darkness);
2. They had a natural tendency to borrow from their real world experience; and
3. They were attempting to offset the influence of pagan festivities. Now, it may be said that the pagans of consumerism and commercialism are trying to snatch these beautiful traditions back from Christianity.
Advent
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What does the word “Advent” mean?
The word Advent derives from the Latin word “adventus” meaning coming. The Lord is coming. Advent marks the beginning of the Christmas season and the liturgical year for most Western churches. This “arrival" or "coming" in Latin represents the approach of Christ's birth (and fulfillment of the prophecies about that event) and the awaiting of Christ's second coming.According to present usage, Advent is a period beginning with the Sunday nearest to the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle (30 November) and embracing four Sundays. The first Sunday may be as early as 27 November, and then Advent has twenty-eight days, or as late as 3 December, giving the season only twenty-one days.With Advent the ecclesiastical year begins in the Western churches. During this time, the faithful are admonished to prepare themselves worthily to celebrate the anniversary of the Lord's coming into the world as the incarnate God of love, thus to make their souls fitting abodes for the Redeemer coming in Holy Communion and through grace, and Thereby to make themselves ready for His final coming as judge, at death and at the end of the world. -
What is the historical origin of Advent?It cannot be determined with any degree of certainty when the celebration of Advent was first introduced into the Church. Christmas (or the Nativity of Our Lord) was first celebrated around the fourth century, when, it was celebrated throughout the whole Church, by some on 25 December, by others on 6 January. In the 4th and 5th centuries, Advent was the preparation for the "Epiphany" rather than Christmas.Sometime in 6th century Rome, the focus of Advent shifted to the second coming of Christ. In the 9th century, Pope St. Nicholas reduced the duration of Advent from six weeks to the four weeks we currently observe. And finally, sometime in the middle ages--approximately the 1500's--an additional focus on the anticipation before Christ's birth was added to that of His second coming.
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What are we celebrating during Advent?Advent is a time of reflection about the amazing gift that God gave to us in the person of Jesus. It is also an opportunity to restore Jesus to His rightful place as the center of our holiday celebrations! Advent is, appropriately, both somber and joyful! The prevailing themes of the Advent season and the symbolism behind the activities which churches and families share are expectation and hope, preparation and peace, joy and sharing, and most of all, love. These themes are represented in the 5 candles of the Advent wreath.In the CCC 524, it states, that “When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing the long preparation for the Savior’s first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for His second coming.No Gloria is prayed or sung during Advent, but the Alleluia remains. Both joyous and penitent.
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What is the history of the Advent wreath?The practice of lighting Advent candles began in Germany by non-Christians. They lit candles surrounded by evergreen branches in their windows on cold winter nights to signify their hope for the coming warmth and light of spring! Later, German Lutherans kept the practice alive and gradually the symbolism of the Advent wreath was added: evergreens represent everlasting life (because they do not die during winter) and Christian growth; the wreath is a symbol of God's unending love and of victory; candles represent Christ, the light of the world, and their purple or blue color signify the royalty of Jesus our King! Another tradition saying is that the four candles signify the 4000 years of waiting from Adam and Eve until, at long last, Jesus' birth.
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What is the meaning of the wreath and the three purple and one pink candle?The Advent wreath has no liturgical connection, and it is not a sacramental of the Catholic Church. There is no special blessing for it, but we can have our wreaths blessed. The wreath is an ancient symbol of victory and glory. Evergreen is used as a symbol of eternity representing our eternal Lord, Jesus Christ.And there are four themes for the four weeks of Advent that help us prepare for Christmas:1st week: expectation: We are waiting for Christ to come at Christmas/ Isaiah foretold of His coming.2nd week: hope: We hope to make Jesus a part of lives at Advent and all year long/ The Bible3rd week: joy: When we light the pink candle, we rejoice in the love of Jesus./ Mary4th week: acceptance: This is our week to say “yes” to what is asked of us, like Mary said yes to be the mother of God. /John the BaptistPurple candles: symbolize a time of preparation & penancePink candle/Gaudete Sunday: a time to rejoice for what is to come. Listen for the word “rejoice” in the readings at mass.Wreath: the evergreen is a sign of eternity like our eternal Father in Heaven.
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What else can we do during Advent to prepare for Christmas?The Christmas Novena: (Traditionally, this is prayed 15 times a day, beginning on St. Andrew the Apostle's feast day, November 30th, until Christmas.)Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold.In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, (State your intention here)Through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen.Straw for the crib: This custom, which originated in France, helps children see that their good deeds have benefit; for every good deed they do, they get to place a piece of hay or straw into the crèche to make a soft bed for the Baby Jesus.Advent Calendar: some of these have Scripture, some have daily activities for the family to do (like pray for someone, write a letter to Jesus, etc.)The Jesse Tree: This seasonal tradition recalls the family tree of Jesus; “But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom (Is. 11:1.) This chapter of Isaiah is about the rule of Emanuel, or God be with us, to come. Using any type of tree, we make symbols to represent the genealogy of Christ including: David (crown); Adam (apple); Noah (ark); Jacob (ladder); Moses (Ten Commandments); Joseph of Egypt (coat of many colors); Mary and Joseph; Ruth (wheat or corn); Holy Spirit (dove); and Christ (the Chi Rho symbol).Celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholas on December 6th: On the eve of St. Nicholas’ Day, we should tell our children the story of this wonderful saint and Bishop of Myra who suffered a dreadful imprisonment under Emperor Diocletian. Nicholas, an orphan himself, spent his life making the poor of our world feel welcomed and cared for.Mass on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8th: Mary was conceived without the stain of original sin. What a gift she was to us all.Reconciliation services:Wed., Dec. 9 7 p.m. St. Jude HampsteadThurs. Dec. 10 7 p.m. St. Stanislaus Castle HayneMon., Dec. 14 10:30 a.m. St. Mary WilmingtonTues. Dec. 15 7 p.m. Sacred Heart SouthportWed., Dec. 16 7 p.m. Our Lady of the Snows ElizabethtownMon., Dec. 21 7 p.m. St. Brendan the Navigator ShallotteThe Christmas Pageant: If your Church doesn’t do one, start it. Call me if you need a script. This tradition really brings home that the meaning of Christmas is Christ centered.O Antiphons: Beginning on December 17th, we sing the Antiphons. An antiphon is a brief, scripturally based song or prayer based on the titles for Christ as revealed in Isaiah, and they are chanted in a responsorial fashion. They have proclaimed the seven nights before the vigil of Christmas for many centuries. They are normally said while praying the Liturgy of the Hours. The seven O Antiphons of Advent summarize the hopes of the chosen ones in the Old Testament waiting for the Messiah: O Wisdom; O Lord of Might; O Flower of Jesse’s Stem; O Key of David; O Dayspring; O Desire of Nations; and O Emmanuel. So we sing, O Come, O Wisdom…(the song, O come, o come Emmanuel is based on the Antiphons.)The Latin names are O Sapientia (wisdom), O Adonai (Lord), O Radix Jesse (root of Jesse), O Clavis David (key of David), O Oriens (rising sun), O Rex Gentium (king of the people), and O Emmanuel (God with us.) In acrostic if read backwards, it reads, ERO CRAS (tomorrow, I will be there.)Each antiphon has three parts: an invocation to the Messiah under an OT title; an attribute of the Messiah; and a petition from His people.O Wisdom, O holy Word of God, you govern all creation with Your strong yet tender care. Come and show your people the way to salvationLas Posadas: One of the most colorful traditions is the posada party, celebrated every evening from December 16 to 24. These celebrations commemorate Mary and Joseph's cold and difficult journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem in search of shelter. "Posada" in Spanish, simply means lodging or shelter. Nowadays, the posada has evolved into a religious and social celebration, paying a festive homage to the journey. Each one of these nights before Christmas, a party is held in a home in the neighborhood. There is plenty of food and drink, with candies and fruit for the children. At dusk, all the guests gather outside the house. A small child dressed as an angel leads, followed by children carrying figures of Mary and Joseph. Boys and girls dressed in silver and gold robes constitute the procession, followed by the adults and musicians. Everyone sings melodious songs as they walk slowly along, carrying their lit candles. When they reach the house, the group divides in two. One half remains outside and begs for shelter from the other half, which is inside the house. The doors are then opened, the religious part of the celebration ends, and the fun begins.The happy end to each posada has always been the piñata. A piñata is a fragile earthenware jar covered with paper mache, traditionally made in the shape of a star, to recall the one that so mysteriously guided the Three Kings to the newborn Jesus. Now piñatas come in all shapes and sizes and are filled with candy, toys, and sometimes money.In the old days, the last posada held on December 24 was most popular, because it was followed by midnight Mass. In the provinces of Mexico, this tradition lives on.The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe: 4:40 am Procession with the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe;5:00 am Mañanitas with singers & mariachi; 5:30 am Mass; 7:00 pm "Las Nochecitas".
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Our Bishop has some suggestions: slow down, pray more, offer a daily rosary while meditating on its mysteries, go to Confession, reconcile with a person with whom you are at odds.A Christmas countdown candle: Such a candle has 25 lines.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
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Where did the word “Christmas” originate?
The word “Christmas” comes from the English “Cristes maesse” which means “Christ’s mass.” The use of “X” in “Xmas” represents the first letter of the name of Christ in Greek, and it was frequently used as a holy symbol by the early Christian church. -
What are some Catholic traditions regarding Christmas Eve?
Many cultures refrain from eating meat today as a type of penance; Italians, for example, eat the 7 fishes (La vigilian or la festa dei sette pesci) for the seven sacraments: bacalà (salted cod fish), whitefish, eels, shellfish, calamari (squid), octopus, squid (scungili), and flounder.
Many families decorate their Christmas tree this night.
Irish families do a deep cleaning to prepare their homes for the Lord.
Farolitos and luminarias: line your foot paths and homes with farolitos (little lanterns) and/or luminarias (New Mexican adobe homes line the top of their flat roofs with them.) -
What about the Christmas tree? Does it have liturgical significance?
The Christmas tree is completely religious in origin. The whole idea and symbolism of the tree in entirely religious and based on the radiation of liturgical thought into Christian homes.
Christmas tree: combination of 2 religious symbols:
The Paradise Tree: This originated in the “mystery play” which was a play that used to be performed in churches (e.g. Adam and Eve’s expulsion from Garden of Eden.) Garden of Eden represented by fir tree hung w/apples (Paradise Tree); Eden play held on 12-24; plays were eventually discontinued but the children loved the fir tree hung with apples which was moved to the home.
The Christmas Light: A candle inspired by the liturgical usage of a burning candle to represent Christ. Originally, it was placed on top of a wooden structure (pyramid) and adorned with balls and tinsel and called a Christmas Pyramid.
The Christmas tree is born!
In 16th century W. Germany, the two customs were combined. The candles and decorations and the lights, glass balls and tinsel were put on the Paradise Tree which already bore apples. The “Star of Bethlehem” that had adorned the top of the Christmas Pyramid was kept and fastened to the top of the tree. Sweets and cookies were added to represent the sweet fruit of Our Lord’s redemption (remember, it used to be a “tree of sin”.)
Today’s Christmas tree: Our Christmas tree stands in our homes as a symbol and reminder that Our Lord is the “Tree of Life” and the “Light of the World,” “Lumen Christi.”
Lights: symbols of His divine/human traits/virtues
Decorations: His great glory
Evergreen: ancient symbol of eternity
Sweets: sweetness of Redemption
Star of Bethlehem: light that leads us to Christ
Prayer to bless your tree before you turn on the lights:
Lord, bless this tree in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
May it serve to remind us that Jesus is our tree of life and the light of the world.
Amen. -
What is the history of the Christmas Crib/crèche? (French)
This tradition originated with St. Francis of Assisi through his famous celebration at Greccio, Italy on Christmas Eve, 1223.
St. Francis wanted to relive the Nativity, so he created a real life reenactment of the original Bethlehem scene with real people and animals. St. Francis wanted, “For once…to see all this with my own eyes.” Mass was said right in front of Nativity scene.
Our manger scenes: honored position in our homes
Central theme of this holy feast.
Character of a religious shrine in our homes.
Unveil the crib on Christmas Eve only. -
What about candy canes & gift giving?
Candy Canes: symbol of the crook of the shepherds who were the first to witness the birth of Jesus. The white stripe represents His purity, and the red represents His sacrifice.
Gift giving: originated with both St. Nicholas and Saturnalia and the gifts of the Magi. -
Where did the traditions of Christmas Lights in the window originate?
Brought to America by 19th Century Irish immigrants.
Originated during religious persecution in Ireland (17th C.)
Churches closed, priests in hiding, Mass in secret.
Yearlong prayer and desire for home to be chosen for Christmas mass in one’s home.
Irish Catholics left doors unlocked and candle in window as a signal that priest was welcome. -
When did we start attending Midnight Mass on Christmas?
Tradition has roots in early monasteries where the faithful would gather to seek forgiveness first then pay homage to the Newborn King and then to receive Eucharist. After mass, they would celebrate to daybreak. -
Why do we burn a Christmas candle?
The Christmas Candle: Ancient symbol of Christ as light of the world (Lumen Christi). It can be placed in middle of the Advent Wreath or anywhere in a place of honor in our homes. -
Do any of the Christmas Plants have religious meaning?
Holly: believed holly was used in Crown of Thorns. Its points and red berries symbolize His drops of blood.
Mistletoe: Called “all heal” it is used as a Christian symbol of Christ, the divine healer of all.
Poinsettias: with its flaming color symbolizes the divine love of our Newborn King, with its red bracts (leaves) resembling the Star of David.
Ivy: Clinging ivy is a picture of weakness upheld by unseen strength. We “cling” to Jesus to be strong & holy. -
When did Christmas pageants originate?
In early church, custom to “act out” the mysteries of the life of Jesus as educational tool (e.g. the Nativity.) 18th century Germany revived these plays, and German immigrants brought them to America. It retells the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. -
What about Christmas Carols?
“Carol” comes from Old English “carolen” which means to “sing joyfully” Originally Latin hymns from 5th century; Modern: 13th c. under St. Francis of Assisi ; Caroling: Introduced in colonies by British. -
Are St. Nick and Santa Claus one and the same as they are portrayed and sung about every year?
Let’s start with Kris Kringle. This came from the German word for Christ Child (Christ Kinder) & was popularized by Germans in Pennsylvania.
St. Nick was Bishop of Myra in Asia Minor in 3rd C. (Turkey)
Patron of small children; feast day is December 6.
Rich family but orphaned.
Gave possessions to the poor.
As Bishop, devoted to children and poor.
Emperor Diocletian put him in prison.
At his death, 1000’s of favors granted to those who asked his intercession.
In Europe, feast celebrated December 5 in which St. Nick visits, admonishes children/rewards with candy.
He is dressed as bishop, with mitre & crosier, and comes as a heavenly messenger.
However, veneration of all saints was banned during the Protestant Reformation. Only the Dutch Protestants kept the visit of St. Nicholas alive (Sinter Klass), and the Dutch immigrants brought this tradition to America. Their first New York City church was named Sinter Klaas. Dutch lost control of New York to the English whose children envied the annual visit from St. Nick.)
Santa Claus
He is not St. Nick.
Dutch immigrants brought Sinter Klaas with them to New Amsterdam.
English children wanted to have similar celebration but English could not honor a Catholic saint; the secret gifts of St. Nick was transferred to the eve of Christmas which the English celebrated with Father Christmas.
Combined two traditions: transferred St. Nick’s visit to Christmas and changed Bishop to Santa Claus, who is a combination of Father Thor, Christmas Man, Father Christmas and St. Nick.
Christmas Man was a secular version of St. Nick in Protestant cultures. Father Thor (Thursday is Thor’s day) from Germanic mythology; He was god of peasants/common people.
Elderly, jovial, friendly, heavy set, long white beard, lived in palace of ice, fire element was red and he rode a chariot (sound familiar?)
Lived in Northland, palace among icebergs, loved fireplaces and came down chimneys.
Chariot drawn by goats, Cracker and Gnasher.
Called a Yule god because he fought the ice/snow.
St. Nick’s red and white vestments were borrowed.
Christmas Man was the European custom and he had a sleigh, reindeer, and loved chimney visits.
Father Christmas was England’s Christmas man.
The fine tuning came from Washington Irving’s article called Knickerbocker’s History of New York (chubby, Dutch, pipe, rooftops, presents), Clement C. Moore’s poem: Twas the night before Christmas, and cartoonists like Thomas Nash painted a picture based on Thor as Santa Claus to lighten hearts during the Civil War. -
What does the word Yule mean and what are the twelve days of Christmas?
Yule is the Anglo Saxon word for feasting/drinking. It comes from the word geol. The Yule Tree reflected the green of spring to come.
The Twelve Days of Christmas are the days between Christmas until January 6th, the feast of the Epiphany which is also called Christmastide and the Epiphany is the Twelfth Night. A bit of modern folklore claims that the song's lyrics were written as a "catechism song" to help young Catholics learn their faith, at a time when practicing Catholicism was discouraged in England (1558 until 1829).
Why and when did we start sending Christmas cards?
2 billion sent each year.
19th Century, began as seasonal greeting.
English artist probably designed first card in 1842.
Boston lithographer Louis Prang began printing cards which depicted Christ’s birth.
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Sources
Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs by Francis X. Weiser, S.J.
Religious Customs in the Family by Francis X. Weiser, S.J.
Catholic Customs and Traditions by Greg Dues
The Catholic Home by Meredith Gould
The Essential Advent & Christmas Handbook AND Advent Begins at Home by Liquori Press.
The November Carolina Catholic show is on 20th century Marian apparitions. We all love Our Lady so much, and we dedicated this show to her from the start. She has graced many parts of the world with her presence including Lourdes, France, Fatima, Portugal, Akita, Japan, Betania, Venezuela, Kibeho, Rwanda, and many other places. We had the pleasure of speaking to Chris Bately who has been to sites where Our Lady has appeared, and she will share how these places affected her faith.
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Show Notes
http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/MARIAN.HTM
http://www.marian.eu/
http://www.marypages.com/
http://www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/approved_apparitions/index.html
http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/resources/aprtable.html
http://www.pewsitter.com/view_news_id_8373.php
http://www.salvemariaregina.info/MarianShrines/MarianApparitions.html
The September Carolina Catholic show features an interview with Bishop Burbidge as he speaks to us about the Year for Priests which began June 19, 2009 and will end June 19, 2010 with a World Meeting of Priests in Rome. He will speak about our own diocesan observations of this wonderful celebration, including features in our diocesan magazine and on the diocesan website, and the events which will mark this special Year for Priests. Bishop Burbidge stresses the need for priests to spend a year in prayer to strengthen them in their vocations, and he asks all the faithful to pray daily for our pastors and all priests serving in this most sacred consecrated ministry.
This show also features Mike Burbeck, a diocesan seminarian who served at St. Mark’s Catholic Church this past summer. Mike speaks about his conversion to Catholicism and the wonderful experiences he has had while studying for the diocesan priesthood. Mike is a seminarian at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary outside Philadelphia.
Diocese of Raleigh Prayer for PriestsGod our Father, Strengthen them to carry out their ordained ministry Help them to serve Your people with humility and charity. Keep Your Priests faithful to their vocation We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, the High Priest Mary, Mother of all Priests, pray for us. |
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For earlier interviews with Bishop Burbidge click on January 08 and March 08.
Show Notes
Father Frank Pavone
Father Frank Pavone talks about the current pro-life battles being fought as well as how we as Catholics must stay faithful to the Catholic teaching on respect for all human life.
Father Pavone is the National Director of Priests for Life which has spread internationally in upholding the Sanctity of Life in all its stages. His popularity from visits on EWTN and his program "Defending Life" have made him extremely in demand throughout the United States and beyond.
His fame and respect is not limited only to the Church for he serves on numerous Christian and pro-life boards of directors such as the Advisory Committee for the Caring Foundation, Board of the National Pro-life Religious Council, Board of America's Crisis Pregnancy Helpline, Advisory Council for Ramah International, Advisory Board for the Ivy League Coalition for Life, and the Board of the Center for Bioethical Reform. In addition he is active with the Board of A Baby's Prayer Foundation, Theological advisory Board for the Culture of Life Foundation, Board of Saints' Stories, and the National Board of Advisors for K-IHM Catholic Radio. He is also a member of International Right to Life, the Catholic Press Association, National Religious Broadcasters, Roe No More Ministries, and the Common Ground Network for Life and Choice. He is also an Honorary Advisor to the Society of Blessed Gianna Beretta Molla.
Show Notes
Michael Clancy
Michael Clancy is a photo-journalist turned speaker. He is the one who took the photograph of an unborn child undergoing fetal surgery to correct Spina bifida. Michael Clancy talks about how his photograph, called the Hand of Hope, changed him from a pro-choice photographer to a pro-life Christian and speaker whose photo has already saved babies from abortion.
"What began as a regular assignment turned into a life changing event when i captured the reaction of an unborn child to the touch of his surgeon during in utero surgery. I've told my story at over 60 eventss in the past two years and will continue until the world knows the true story of the little boy that reached from the womb and changed the world."
Show Notes
The Photographer Whose Amazing Pro-Life Picture Changed the World
Struggling Photographer Chooses Principle over Money
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For our July Carolina Catholic show, which also celebrates the start of our 3rd year, we will have a music filled show featuring the St. Mary Gospel Choir. This choir has sung at St. Mary’s Catholic Church for 28 years, and every weekend it fills the church with its joyous and spiritual music. Our show features interviews with the musical director Warren Murphy, president Deloris Bryant, and AAMEN representative Bill Gibbs. The show features some of our favorite Gospel hymns which you will surely love.
Show Notes
St. Mary Catholic Church Music Ministry
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The June Carolina Catholic show again features Father Dan Oschwald, the current pastor of St. Mark's Catholic Church. Unfortunately for us, Father Dan will be leaving at the end of June to assume his new assignment as rector of Sacred Heart Cathedral in Raleigh. Our loss is the diocese's gain.
This show has two parts:
- Father Dan will answer listener's questions on the faith. These questions were sent in during April.
- Father Dan will answer far tougher questions from the Second Grade students of St. Mark Catholic School.
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Show Notes
Father Larry Richards
A gifted and captivating speaker, preacher, and retreat master, Fr. Larry Richards holds the answer to some of life's most profound questions. He speaks from experience as a pastor of an inner city parish, a high school chaplain, a counselor, and evangelist. Fr. Larry Richards has directed hundreds of retreats, parish missions and conferences for young and old alike. His inspirational talks and presentations, always authentic and enthusiastic, have changed the hearts, minds and lives of millions of listeners worldwide.
Father Larry Richards was born on March 26, 1960, in Pittsburgh, PA. He entered St. Mark High School Seminary in Erie at the age of 17. After high school he attended the college seminary at Gannon University and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Mental Health Counseling in 1983.
Continuing his studies at the major seminary at St. Vincent in Latrobe, PA, Fr. Larry received his Masters of Divinity in 1987. He will soon conclude his studies and be awarded a Master of Arts degree in Liturgy from the University of Notre Dame.
Ordained to the priesthood on April 21, 1989 for the Diocese of Erie, Fr. Larry has served as pastor of St. Joseph Church/Bread of Life Community in Erie since July 2002. He continues the task of unifying two congregations into one community dedicated to Jesus through love, prayer and service. In addition, he is the Spiritual Director of the TEC (To Encounter Christ) Retreat Program for the Diocese of Erie.
Father Larry founded “The Reason for Our Hope Foundation,” a non-profit organization dedicated to ‘spreading the Good News’ by educating others about Jesus Christ and the Catholic faith through various media forms. The foundation promotes Catholic speakers who are effective instruments of evangelization and also supports charities that strive to make real the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Website: www.TheReasonForOurHope.org
Tim Staples
Tim Staples was raised a Southern Baptist. Although he fell away from the faith of his childhood, Tim came back to faith in Christ during his late teen years through the witness of Christian televangelists. Soon after, Tim joined the Marine Corps. During his four-year tour, he became involved in ministry with various Assemblies of God communities. Immediately after his tour of duty, Tim enrolled in Jimmy Swaggart Bible College and became a youth minister in an Assembly of God community.
During his final year in the Marines, however, Tim met a Marine who really knew his faith and challenged Tim to study Catholicism from Catholic and historical sources. That encounter sparked a two-year search for the truth. Tim was determined to prove Catholicism wrong, but he ended up studying his way to the last place he thought he would ever end up: the Catholic Church!
He converted to Catholicism in 1988 and spent the following six years in formation for the priesthood, earning a degree in philosophy from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Overbrook, PA. He then studied theology on a graduate level at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, MD, for two years. Realizing that his calling was not to the priesthood, Tim left the seminary in 1994 and has been working in Catholic apologetics and evangelization ever since.
Suggested Reading: Catholics and the Culture War, Nuts & Bolts: A Practical Guide for Explaining and Defending the Catholic Faith
Website: www.catholic.com
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Immaculée was born in Rwanda and studied Electronic and Mechanical Engineering at the National University of Rwanda. Her life transformed dramatically in 1994 during the Rwanda genocide when she and seven other women huddled silently together in a cramped bathroom of a local pastor’s house for 91 days. During this horrific ordeal, Immaculée lost most of her family, but she survived to share the story and her miraculous transition into forgiveness and a profound relationship with God. Left to Tell, the triumphant story of this remarkable young woman’s journey through the darkness of genocide will inspire anyone whose life has been touched by fear, suffering, and loss. Immaculée recently hosted a documentary titled "Ready to Forgive, An African Story of Grace," a project sponsored by The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. The film focuses on the Acholi people of Northern Uganda and their desire to forgive their tormentors.
Video Links: www.immaculee.com or www.leftottell.com
Suggested Reading:
Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust
Our Lady of Kibeho: Mary Speaks to the World from the Heart of Africa
Led By Faith: Rising from the Ashes of the Rwandan Genocide
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The May Carolina Catholic show features interviews of two speakers at the 2009 Ignited By Truth conference: Joseph Pearce and Brad Watkins. This is the last show emanating from Ignited By Truth.
Joseph Pearce
Joseph Pearce is an English-born writer, Writer in Residence and Professor of Literature at Ave Maria University in Naples, FL; previously he had a comparable position, from 2001, at Ave Maria College in Ypsilanti, MI. Twenty years ago he was a radical activist, a skinhead, and the editor of two hate-filled, extremist magazines. Today, Joseph Pearce is the author of several critically acclaimed, best-selling biographies of great nineteenth- and twentieth-century Christian authors. He became a convert in 1989. He is co-editor of The Saint Austin Review (StAR). StAR features authors such as Fr. Aidan Nichols, Fr. James Schall, Fr. Benedict Groeschel, and Dr. Janet Smith. Dedicated to "reclaiming culture," each issue focuses on a specific theme; past topics include "Hollywood and the Culture War," "The Lord of the Rings," "Return to Aquinas," and "Decadence and Conversion." Pearce hopes that StAR can be a part of a Catholic literary and cultural revival similar to the "golden age" of Catholic literature that began with John Henry Newman in the 1840s and lasted until the 1960s.
The journey from angry agnosticism to joyful Catholicism was long and often harrowing. Pearce was raised in a staunchly anti-Catholic, nominally Protestant home in East London. By the time he was a young teen in the 1970s, he was an agnostic neo-fascist. Bitter about the economic inequality around him, Pearce rebelled against globalism and neo-Marxism and devoted himself to the ideology of neo-fascism. By the time he reached his early twenties, Pearce had been imprisoned twice for editing magazines of the radical right wing group National Front. His love of reading was a light during this dark and turbulent time, a light that eventually led him out of the "Faustian pact" he had made with extremist politics. Convinced there existed an alternative to both capitalism and Marxism, Pearce stumbled across a book titled The Well and the Shallows, written by the renowned English journalist and Catholic apologist G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936).
At the time, Pearce (still a non-believer) was a member of a Protestant secret society opposed to "papism." Despite his hatred of the Catholic Church, Pearce was fascinated by the economic system of distributism outlined by Chesterton in his essay "Reflections on a Rotten Apple." Distributism advocates private ownership, small communities, agrarianism, smaller government, and the equitable distribution of goods and services within a society. Two of its most famous proponents were Chesterton and his close friend Hilaire Belloc (1870-1953). Pearce was soon fascinated by Chesterton’s arguments and couldn’t find fault in his logic.
Initially interested only in Chesterton’s views on politics and economics, Pearce eventually found himself reading Chesterton’s arguments on behalf of the Catholic Church and his defense of orthodox Christianity. The 1980s were "an arm wrestle" between Pearce’s political beliefs and his growing attraction to the Catholic Church. Catholicism would finally get the "upper hand" in the mid-80s. The turning point came in 1985 during his second incarceration. "I was teetering on the brink," Pearce explains. "When I was asked by the authorities what my religion was, I told them I was Roman Catholic—even though I wasn’t. It was there in prison that I began to attend Mass for the first time in my life." Pearce’s only prior experience with Mass was attending a Catholic wedding as a nine-year-old. But the Catholic church he visited as a young boy was "different—there was something there. It was the Real Presence of the Eucharist working on me, even without my knowledge of it." The road to the Savior and His Church was filled with numerous obstacles, but Pearce came home safely. In 1989 he entered the Catholic Church of Our Lady, Mother of God, in Norfolk, north of London.
Suggested Reading: Literary Giants, Literary Catholics, C.S. Lewis and the Catholic Church, The Quest for Shakespeare: The Bard of Avon and the Church of Rome
Website: www.ignatiusinsight.com/authors/josephpearce.asp
Brad Watkins
Brad Watkins is currently the Administrative Secretary to the Bishop and the Assistant Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Raleigh. He has undergraduate degrees in Graphic Design and Art + Design from the College of Design at North Carolina State University. He also has a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to his current positions with the Diocese of Raleigh he was an art teacher at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh. While at CGHS, he began the Frassati Society, a youth group with Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati as its patron and model.
Happily married for 16 years, Brad and his wife Chantal have four children and one on the way. Their marriage and family are a beautiful testament to the sacrament and vocation of Holy Matrimony, as well as JPII’s civilization of love. This foundation led Brad to discern and ultimately enter formation for the Permanent Diaconate. God willing, he will be ordained as a Permanent Deacon, with 14 other men from the Diocese of Raleigh, in June of 2010. His talk will focus on his experience that true peace and happiness are found by discerning and following the path Christ has laid out for your life.
Blog: romancatholicvocations.blogspot.com
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Carolina Catholic welcomes Sara Bryant, Heather Latham, and Angie Edwards to its December show!
St. Mary's Music Director and Organist, Sara Bryant, along with cantors/singers Heather Latham and Angie Edwards, will appear on Carolina Catholic in the month of December to get us ready for the birth of Christ by deepening our understanding of Advent via the extraordinary music of the Catholic Church. We will explore the history of this music from the Gregorian Chants to more modern musical expressions of our longing and preparation for the coming of Christ.
This show, Singing our Way through Advent in the Catholic Church, airs on Saturday,December 6th at 11 am, Sunday, December 7th at 6 pm, and again the following weekend on Saturday, December 13th at 11am, and Sunday, December 14th at 6 pm.
Show Notes
St. Mary Catholic Church Music Ministry
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Carolina Catholic, in honor of Respect Life Month, features an interview of Bishop Michael F. Burbidge. The show focuses upon the consistent ethic of life beginning with the right to life and the dignity of the human person, and our call to defend human life and other human rights, from conception to natural death, as our fundamental obligation as Catholics to respect the dignity of every human being as a child of God.
In this powerful show, Judi Paparozzi and Christine Vayo had the great privilege of speaking to Bishop Burbidge about Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship and the call to political responsibility that all Catholics have to live and vote according to a well formed conscience based upon the teachings of Jesus Christ and His church here on earth. Bishop Burbidge stressed the Catholic Church's protection of all human life and dignity regarding the issues of abortion, embryonic stem cell research, euthanasia, the rights of prisoners and those living in poverty, and the need for immigration reform in the United States while emphasizing the great need for prayer during these difficult times in our country.
In the photo are, left to right, Christine Vayo, Bishop Burbidge, Judi Paparozzi and Frank Morock. The photo was taken at the Catholic Center after recording the October 2008 Carolina Catholic show.
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Show Notes
Carolina Catholic, in honor of Respect Life Month, features interviews with two pro-life leaders of the Cape Fear Deanery: Bev Jolly and Chuck Dean.
We will be discussing some right-to-life issues facing our country in 2009. We will address the current life issues, as well as speak about the hard decisions we must all face as Catholics in this pro-abortion and pro-euthanasia political environment.
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The September episode of Carolina Catholic features the St. Mary Parish Bookstore and Gift Shop which wouldn't be the success it is today without the dedication of the awesome duo - our head volunteers, David and Heather Latham. As many of you know, Heather and David are converts to Catholicism, so we will first learn about their journey to the Catholic faith. We will discuss the bookstore’s mission as a Catholic ministry, and we will also talk about what’s new and exciting in Catholic books, tapes, music, and gifts.
Store hours are Sunday mornings from after the 8 am Mass until 1 pm, and Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 am till 3 pm. The store is available at other times courtesy of the church staff, you may call us at (910) 762-5491, extension 59, or you may email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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Carolina Catholic focuses on the Hispanic Catholics in the Cape Fear Deanery. Guests Father Bob Kus and Vicki Retes Howard from St. Mary Catholic Church discuss the experience of the Hispanic Catholic, the issues they face as immigrants to this area, and the wonderful traditions they bring with them to the Catholic Church in North Carolina.
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Padre Marcos Leon, the former parochial vicar and seminarian from both St. Mary's and St. Mark's, is currently the pastor of The Sacred Heart of Jesus Roman Catholic Church in Whiteville. On this show of Carolina Catholic, Padre Leon spoke about his call to the priesthood, his early days at St. Mary and St. Mark, and his years as priest in the Diocese of Raleigh.
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The November episode of Carolina Catholic addresses the trend of Catholic parents deciding to home school their children in greater numbers every year. The show features two moms, Denise Cooper and Debbie Shinskie, who home school their children; and one student, Andy Shinskie, who has been home schooled from kindergarten to high school. We will discuss the reasons why Catholic moms choose to home school, what it takes to start a home school in North Carolina, and how the children do both academically and socially.
Show Notes
Mater Amabilis
Seton Home Study School
Kolbe Academy
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Carolina Catholic will interview three individuals about their conversion stories to the one true faith. These are our own Peter Lamporte and the married couple, Allison and Rich Dooley.
This is a return for Peter Lamporte and Allison Dooley. It's Rich's first appearance. Peter has co-hosted Carolina Catholic in the past. Allison was on the October show with Christine Vayo to talk about her pro-life work here in Wilmington.
The show will cover these topics:
- Peter's Conversion Story
- Allison's Conversion Story
- Rich's Coming Home Story
- The Dooley's Story
- Major Hurdles Non-Catholics Face When Becoming Catholic
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This is our first year anniversary show of Carolina Catholic. It featured Part II of the Conversion Stories of Peter Lamporte and Allison and Rich Dooley. In this show, we covered the major hurdles which they had to overcome to fully embrace the Catholic faith, the reactions of their families, the impact converting has had on their everyday lives, and the resources which they used to help them in their journey home to the Catholic Church.
A few days after this show was taped, the Dooley family relocated to the Raleigh-Durham area where their children will attend St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Grammar School in Wake Forest.
For the first part see the May 2008 interview.
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Carolina Catholic is proud to present an interview with Father Ned Shlesinger, vocation director for the Diocese of Raleigh. In this show, we get to know Father Ned, and learn what our 19 seminarians are doing this year, and what the process of discerning a vocation is all about.
This is the outline of the show.
- Father Ned's Biography
- Current Work as Vocations Director & Director of Seminarian Formation
- The Call to the Priesthood
- Priesthood Discernment Group
- Many are called to serve God
- The Diaconate program
- Religious Communities of Women
- Religious Communities of Men
- Programs for the Laity
- The Call to the Priesthood
- Our Seminarians
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Show Notes
Carolina Catholic is proud to present an interview with Clancy Must about the Sixth Annual Walk for Awareness sponsored by the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) on Saturday, October 11th at Hugh McRae Park. Clancy is one of the board members of NAMI here in Wilmington. Clancy and Pat, his lovely wife, have been involved as both teachers and facilitators for NAMI’s Family to Family Educational Program and the Caring and Sharing support group. Clancy will speak to us about his own journey into the world of those who have brain disorders, and the help that is available to all families who live with the challenge of mental illness.
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Show Notes
NAMI Wilmington contacts
| Name: | Peter Mumma |
| Email: | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
| Phone: | (910) 343-7524 |
| Name: | Stanley Oathout |
| Email: | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
| Phone: | (910) 253-0863 |
The January Carolina Catholic spoke to Father James Garneau, pastor of St. Mary Church in Mount Olive, NC. Father Garneau talks about how important it is for all Catholics to stand up for the unborn especially now as we face the greatest challenges to our Church's pro-life teachings with the possibility of the Freedom of Choice Act, FOCA, becoming a reality in the U.S. FOCA will destroy all legal protections that we currently have in place. We also address what has happened to us as a nation since abortion was legalized 36 years earlier on January 22, 1973, and what we can do, even in the privacy of our homes, to aid in the cause of life.
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The February Carolina Catholic show features Father Dan Oschwald, the pastor of St. Mark's Catholic Church. Father Dan discusses his mission to increase priesthood and religious vocations and what he is doing at St. Mark's to promote vocations.
Father Dan will also talk about impending legislation at the national level, the Freedom of Choice Act, that will make abortion the right of every woman in America, and at the taxpayers' expense.
Lastly, Father Dan will talk about the Ignited By Truth conference in Raleigh.
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Show Notes
Carolina Catholic is proud to present Part II of our interview with His Excellency Michael F. Burbidge, Bishop of Raleigh. In this show, Bishop Burbidge talks about the many exciting things going on in our diocese as well as some tough issues we all face as Catholics.
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For the first interview with Bishop Burbidge click here.
Show Notes
This show features Sister Isaac Koenig, a sister of the Society of Saint Ursula, and the director of St. Mary-Tileston Outreach Center which services almost 6,000 people per year with financial assistance, food, clothing, diabetic food, hygiene, household items and Christmas and Thanksgiving baskets.
The following from the UNCW press release on the Schweitzer Award:
Sister Isaac began what is now called the St. Mary's Social Outreach Program serving the needy of the Wilmington area. In 1991, inspired by St. Mary parishioners and at the urging of doctors within the parish, Sister Isaac began the St. Mary Outreach Clinic, now the Tileston Clinic, one of the area's largest, self supporting, non-profit health clinics serving the working poor.
Sister Isaac was also instrumental in the development and construction of the Hadden Hall Apartments, HUD sponsored housing for low income senior citizens as well as Mother Hubbard's Cupboard, a facility now housed in Grace Methodist Church that provides food for thousands of individuals and families.Sister Isaac has served the community on the Board of Good Shepherd soup kitchen in the early years of its development and has been recognized for her work with many awards including the North Carolina Human Relations Award.
Today, the St. Mary Social Outreach has 150 volunteers who are actively involved in serving the poor by handing out food or cleaning and folding donated clothes. Within the past 2 years, Issac developed a program for diabetics that provides with assistance with dietary needs, and she organizes volunteers who make sandwiches for patients at the Tileston clinic while they are waiting for appointments.
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Show Notes
This show is entitled, “Meet Bishop Burbidge”. Peter Lamporte and I had the privilege of interviewing Bishop Burbidge about his life growing up in Philadelphia, his priesthood and his years as a bishop, his first year as our bishop here in NC, and his plans for the future of the Raleigh diocese. We also got to ask him some of the excellent and compelling questions that our listeners sent in to the station.
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For the next interview with Bishop Burbidge click here.
Show Notes
This show is entitled, "Meet the Founders of WBPL-LP".
I had the privilege of interviewing the three founders of WBPL-LP: Bill Hamilton, Joe DeRobertis and Jim Eden. The show features the background of the radio station, how they were inspired to start a radio program in Wilmington, the technical and funding obstacles they faced, the best of being part of such a wonderful ministry and their goals for the future.
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This show is entitled the "African-American Catholic". I had the privilege of interviewing two of our most prominent Catholics in Wilmington, author James J. Hankins and St. Mary’s AAMEN president, William Gibbs.
In this fascinating show, we explore the history of the African-American as a Catholic growing up in North Carolina during the times of segregation and the civil rights. We will also explore the history of St. Thomas and the great priests and sisters who were a part of its history. Finally, we learn about AAMEN, the African Ancestry Ministry and Evangelization Network.
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Show Notes
This show is entitled "Pro life Wilmington Part II" where we go right to the front line of this issue and talk to two women working with the woman in a crisis pregnancy. Our guests are Christine Vayo and Allison Dooley of the St. Mark’s Respect Life Committee. The show focuses how Christine and Allison reach out to the woman in a crisis pregnancy and the resources made available to her and her unborn child.
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This show is entitled "Pro life Wilmington" and features our guests, Father Pat Keane and Beverly Jolly. The show focuses on the different aspects of the pro life movement at work here in Wilmington and being done by Bev and other great pro lifers.
Father Pat also discusses the church’s teaching on abortion and how we should all respect the lives of all God’s children, born and unborn.
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This show features the work of Dr. Paul Covington, a medical doctor and a parishioner at St. Mark’s where he leads a Tuesday Morning Men's Rosary Group as well as an informal lay apostolate for Scriptural Scholarship. He discusses his own spiritual journey and the work we must do to deepen our relationship with the Risen Lord.
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Our first show features the story of Father Pat Keane as he journeys from the secular to the spiritual life. His story is inspiring and uplifting.
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Show Notes
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Wilmington Catholic Radio
PO Box 12321
Wilmington, NC 28405
Wilmington Catholic Radio is an affiliate of Relevant Radio and of EWTN Radio, both of which are listener supported non-profit radio networks.
Wilmington Catholic Radio is an apostolate serving the Catholic Church and consistently operating in accord with the principles and truths of the Catholic Faith as expressed in Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition and the living Magisterium of the Church. Our goal is to always provide the community with solid Catholic teaching so Catholics can have an easy way to learn more about their faith, and for non-Catholics to learn what the Church really teaches. This is our mission.
