I get the sense from many Catholic preachers and pastors that they don’t understand human weakness. More than that, too often I have heard Catholic preachers downplay, or deny, the reality of mental illness, treating addiction as if it’s a...
To kick off the third season of the Pope Francis Generation podcast, Dominic and I interviewed Brad Jersak! I first came across his work a few years ago when a friend shared a video of his talk “The Gospel in Chairs.”...
I first heard of Gloria Purvis in the summer of 2020 after the murder of George Floyd. Around that time, Sam Rocha interviewed her for an excellent article in Church Life Journal titled, The Gift of Blackness to the Church. The...
In late 2016, after an election year that left me feeling very disillusioned with American politics and alienated from the conservative pro-life circles I had been actively involved in, I began earnestly reading about Catholic Social Teaching. As a part...
Back in January, I read a new book titled, Cathonomics: How Catholic Tradition Can Create a More Just Economy by the economist, Tony Annett. Just two chapters in and I was hooked. Those first chapters were the most comprehensive, yet accessible, survey...
I believe that love is a requirement for disappointment. I love the Catholic Church. I’ve shared this story many times, but during the summer following my high school graduation, at a Steubenville Youth Conference, I fell in love with Jesus,...
Earlier this week, Dustin Quick invited me onto his podcast, “Holy Smokes: Cigars, Catholicism, and Conversation” to talk about the Magisterium and the development of doctrine. I encounter a lot of hesitancy in the Church with the idea that Church...
I recently had the privilege of talking with TL Putnam over on his podcast, Outside the Walls, about my article, The Place Where You Stand is Holy Ground: Recognizing and Preventing Spiritual Abuse in the Catholic Church. We first talked...
Last month, I was invited to St. Francis de Sales parish in Beckley, WV, to lead a day-long retreat about Catholic Social Teaching. The parish livestreamed my talks for the parishioners, and I was able to edit the video recording...
I’ve believed that ministry is my vocation since I was just out of high school, and I have worked as a lay minister in the Catholic Church for over eight years. About a year and a half ago, however, Jesus...
This Saturday, August 20th, I’m leading a retreat at St. Francis de Sales parish in Beckley, WV. And it’s going to be livestreamed! I’ve taught and written a lot about Catholic Social Teaching, but I’ve never preached it as a retreat before—and I’m...
I recently read an article commenting on the state of moral theology in the Church today. The author was critical of theologians and pastors setting the bar too low for Christians who, he rightly points out, are called to nothing...
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