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Candid Catholic Convos - 5-4-25

May is Mental Health Awareness month and today, we're honored to welcome to the program Deacon Ed Shoener, who is a founding member of the Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministries and the Catholic Institute of Mental Health Ministry at the University of San Diego. He serves on the council on Mental Illness of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability and has authored several books on suicide. Along with his family and friends, Deacon Ed founded "The Katie Foundation" after his daughter, Kathleen, died by suicide in 2016. Her obituary went viral because it spoke to the needs and concerns of people who live with mental illness.

**If you or someone you know is considering self-harm, please dial 988 for the suicide crisis lifeline.

Candid Catholic Convos - 4-27-25

Homelessness in Pennsylvania alone rose 12.2 percent over the last year according to the Annual Homelessness Assessment Report, and on any given day, over 12,000 Pennsylvanians are known to be homeless across the commonwealth. 20-25% of the homeless population across the U.S. also struggle with mental health or substance abuse issues.

This week, we’re shining a light on a powerful new ministry in the Diocese of Harrisburg — one that blends compassion, mental health care, and the Catholic call to serve the most vulnerable among us.

Named after St. Benedict Joseph Labre, the patron saint of the homeless, Catholic Charities new Labre Mental Health clinic offers essential mental health services and a place of dignity for those in our area experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. I’m honored to welcome program and medical director of the Labre Mental Health Clinic, Dr. Kirsten Tollefson.

Dr. Tollefson shares the inspiration behind this mission, the challenges of launching a clinic rooted in both clinical excellence and Gospel values, and how this work is already making a difference right here in Harrisburg.

Candid Catholic Convos - 3-16-2025

Few Catholic saints are as celebrated in the secular world as Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Everything turns green and those who may not be Irish in heritage become Irish at heart, celebrating the lore, leprechauns, and luck associated with the holiday.

Saint Patrick is truly the man, the myth and the legend – so much so that some even forget he’s a saint, and why that title was bestowed upon him.

So what makes him so memorable?

Father Brommer, pastor of the Cathedral Parish of Saint Patrick here in Harrisburg and director of our office of Divine Worship joins me today to unpack what’s truth, what’s fiction, and how this legendary Saint became the patron of our Diocese.

Candid Catholic Convos - 9-22-24

This week the Diocese is participating in the annual Pennsylvania March for Life, with thousands on the steps of the capitol in Harrisburg fighting to protect the rights of the unborn. This is your fight too, and you’re invited to join us tomorrow starting with a 9am benediction and Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral, followed by the rally, the march and a closing Mass again at the Cathedral. You can find all the details on our website – hbgdiocese.org which is also where you can sign up for the overnight adoration.

We dug deep into the archives and compiled a best of episode on the topic of pro-life.
The first segment is from Episode 37 with Samantha Povlock, CEO and Editor in Chief of FemCatholic with what mainstream would call a radical reframe of the term feminism and how that incorporates with our Catholic beliefs. The next segment is from episode 11 with Dr Anne Marie Manning and Dr Naomi Whittaker about what an abortion is and isn’t, and it also features advice for those in a season of an unexpected pregnancy or uncertainty or who are questioning their decision to utilize the abortion pill. The third segment is from episode 33 and it’s all about pro-life policy making and the ways Eric Failing and the PA Catholic Conference are advocating not just for the unborn, but for a whole life which is especially important this election year.

Candid Catholic Convos - 4-14-2024

Welcome to part two of our Candid Catholic Convos episode on what we want versus what God wants for us with spiritual director Donna Giberti. This week, we're continuing our conversation about attending to our desires, what happens when our plans don't work the way we want to, and how to live confidently in uncertainty.

Candid Catholic Convos - 1-9-2024

This week’s episode was recorded in September 2023 with Brian Lynch and Dominic Biacchi from our newly formed Diocesan Young Catholic Professionals Networking Organization, and we’re bringing it back today because of some pretty amazing updates – If you’re an adult in your 20s or 30s, mark your calendars for January 26 from 7 to 9pm because Young Catholic Professionals South Central PA is hosting a FREE Launch party at the Capitol Building. Join us for a fun night of networking, filled with drinks, appetizers, and dessert, meet other young professionals who are excited about integrating their faith into the workplace, and a special greeting from Bishop Senior to kick-off of our YCP South Central PA Chapter! For more info and details on how to register, visit www.youngcatholicprofessionals.org/chapter/south-central-pa

Candid Catholic Convos - 1-7-2024

If you have lofty goals for 2024, especially if they center around health and wellness like more than half the population, you should really lean into this episode, because today we're chatting with Erin McCole Cupp, an author and expert of the Body Institute about the theology of moving your body to honor God, managing disordered eating, and committing to true overall wellness of the mind, body and spirit.

Candid Catholic Convos - 11-26-2023

Imagine if God took away everything you never said “thank you” for. Seriously, what if God took away everything you never said thank you for? Not just the big stuff either, the things we take for granted on a daily basis, the things we don’t even think about until they’re gone – like we don’t think about our health until we’re sick or we don’t think about the fact that we can run or walk until our knees hurt, right? So what are some ways we can practice appreciation for all the gifts God has given us? How can we really cultivate a disposition of gratitude daily, not just on Thanksgiving? We're excited to welcome back Sr. Geralyn Schmidt of the Sisters of Christian Charity to help me come up with some tangible ways to practice giving thanks in our daily lives.

Candid Catholic Convos - 11-23-2023

A few weeks ago, we started a conversation spiritual director Chris Wood on stress, worry and overwhelm, but we didn’t get to finish. We had split into two episodes to fully do it justice, and its finally time to get to part two. Today we’re going to dive deeper and talk about what unhealthy levels of stress, worry and overwhelm look like, when we should consider seeking the assistance of medication, and tactile ways we can improve our stress levels naturally

Candid Catholic Convos - 11-5-2023

Merriam Webster dictionary defines a vocation as “a summons or strong inclination to a particular state or course of action, most notable a divine call to the religious life or the work in which a person is employed, their occupation.” Today marks the beginning of National Vocations Awareness week, and we have the honor and privilege of speaking with Bishop Timothy Senior, twelfth bishop of Harrisburg and former rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary to help us fill in the gaps of what it means to be called to a vocation, how the journey can look different for everyone, and how we can support those discerning a call to religious life.

Candid Catholic Convos - 9-17-2023

Christian parenting is HARD - what hope is there for parents trying to raise little disciples, little saints, in today’s society?To help answer this, I’ve asked Fathers Tim and Kyle Sahd, brothers in a family with not one, not two, but THREE priestly vocations to give me some practical, 21st century tips on how to encourage Catholic families living in today’s society.

Candid Catholic Convos - 8-27-2023

What do superheroes and Catholicism have in common? I'm so glad you asked, because this week, you’re going to get a special glimpse into our renewed mini-sode series "Musings of a Catholic Evangelist” with Sister Geralyn Schmidt of the Sisters of Christian Charity. And if DC superheroes are your thing, you’ll definitely want to keep listening to what Father Don Bender of Saint Patrick Parish in Carlisle has to say about his revert experience, his transformative encounters with the Eucharist, and his homily to first communicants.

Candid Catholic Convos - 7-30-23

Let’s say it’s been a while since you’ve been to church, or maybe you’ve never been but you feel a tug to go and have no idea where to start. Well, let’s start with the basics. Let’s start with prayer.
What do we pray? How do we pray? When do we pray? Why should we pray?
Today Sr. Geralyn of the Sisters of Christian Charity, who also developed our Diocesan Formation for the Ministry of Spiritual Direction, joins us to help simplify the act of praying.

Candid Catholic Convos - 6-18-2023

Christian parenting is HARD - what hope is there for parents trying to raise little disciples, little saints, in today’s society?
To help answer this, I’ve asked Fathers Tim and Kyle Sahd, brothers in a family with not one, not two, but THREE priestly vocations to give me some practical, 21st century tips on how to encourage Catholic families living in today’s society.

Candid Catholic Convos - 4-02-2023

If the phrase "pick up your cross" has ever stirred frustration in you, especially at a time when it feels like too much to carry, today's episode is for you. We're chatting with retired priest Father John McFadden, who ministers to prisoners at the Camp Hill State Correctional Facility about what we can do when we feel trapped by the heaviness of our personal crosses.

Candid Catholic Convos - 3-12-2023

Year over year, the Hispanic population in Central Pennsylvania grows, creating vibrant communities in York and Adams counties. And if you watch the news, they’ll tell you this is a bad thing, that the things that make us different are things to be feared. The reality is we’re more alike than you think. Today we're chatting with Father Michael Rothan, the Spanish Apostolate of Hanover, to talk about what makes his ministry unique and share with us all the ways the Catholic faith can be made beautiful in different cultures.

Candid Catholic Convos - 2-26-2023

Spring is here, and that means so is Lent! Father Paul Clark joins us to chat about some best practices to make these next forty days more fruitful and draw us closer to Christ.

Candid Catholic Convos - 2-12-2023

 Sports are, in so many ways, like a religion. Like religion, sports can convey important lessons about culture and values. But as much as you could compare sports to organized religion, practicing your actual faith on the field, at least on a national level, was strongly discouraged, until a few weeks ago. So it begs the question – are faith and athletics intrinsincly linked? To unpack this, Eric Kindler, the athletic director for Trinity High School, and Jordan Hill, Trinity’s head football coach and former NFL player in his own right, join me to talk about their journeys of faith and how in informs their leadership with the next generation of players. 

Candid Catholic Convos - 1-29-2023

If you’re like me and your kids are in Catholic School, or maybe your kids are older but they attended Catholic school in the past, or you yourself went to Catholic School, then you know this week is a big one – it’s Catholic Schools Week. Today we're joined by Daniel Breen, superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Harrisburg, to explain to us why Catholic education is fundamental in building a strong foundation for our children and the amazing things happening with the future of Catholic Schools in our Diocese.

Candid Catholic Convos - 1-22-2023

Today we’re continuing our conversation with Father Jonathan Sawicki picking up right where we left off last week. We’re finally going to answer the question why can’t women be priests, as well as dive into the infallibility of the Bible, apocryphal texts, and the difference between being good versus being saved.