Church Life Today

In an age when belief in God seems more and more difficult to achieve, and perhaps less and less likely to be recommended, how do we commit our lives to God? This is indeed a spiritual question, but it is also a philosophical question, a question of incredible practical import, a question of faith and reason and beauty and imagination. My guest today dives deep into the question of belief in God for people like us, living in times like ours.Joining me is Fr. Ryan Duns, a member of the Society of Jesus and assistant professor of theology at Marquette University. We will be discussing his new book, Spiritual Exercises for a Secular Age: Desmond and the Quest for God, which is out now from the University of Notre Dame Press.Church Life Today is a partnership between the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame and OSV Podcasts from Our Sunday Visitor. Discover more ways to live, learn, and love your Catholic faith at osvpodcasts.com. Sharing stories, starting conversations.

Do you have hope for the future of American politics? Is now the time for the pro-life movement to take a leading role in that future? We’re going think about things that like on today’s show, as I welcome Dr. Charlie Camosy, associate professor of theological and social ethics at Fordham University. We’ve got a lot to talk about, which means I’ll keep the intro brief.I’m Leonard DeLorenzo, this is Church Life Today, thanks for listening in.Church Life Today is a partnership between the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame and OSV Podcasts from Our Sunday Visitor. Discover more ways to live, learn, and love your Catholic faith at osvpodcasts.com. Sharing stories, starting conversations.

When we think about bringing Catholic young people into adulthood, what should be included and prioritized for their formation as mature disciples? There is a lot we could talk about around that question, but today we will be talking about the crucial role of intellectual formation for Catholic young adults, especially in and around the college years. Joining me to talk about the intellectual formation of Catholic young adults is my friend and colleague, Dr. Tim O’Malley, who is the director of education in the McGrath Institute and teaches in the department of theology at Notre Dame. Among other books, Tim is the author of Liturgy and the New Evangelization, Bored Again Catholic: How the Mass Could Save Your Life, and Off the Hook: God, Love, Dating, and Marriage in a Hookup World.Church Life Today is a partnership between the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame and OSV Podcasts from Our Sunday Visitor. Discover more ways to live, learn, and love your Catholic faith at osvpodcas

When Time Magazine named Sister Norma Pimentel as one of the 100 most influential people of 2020, they said that she “has been on the front line of mercy for three decades.” The front lines of mercy. That’s where God’s preferential love for the poor and suffering meets people who are hungry, thirsty, homeless, and seeking not just safety, but compassion. For Sister Norma, that meeting place is the area around the US-Mexico border, on both sides.Sr. Norma has been the executive director of Catholic Charities in the Rio Grande Valley for over a decade. In that time, her organization has housed and assisted well over 100,000 people at the border. During his visit to the United States in 2015, Pope Francis thanked her personally for her work and witness. And in 2018, the University of Notre Dame awarded her the Laetare medal, which is the oldest and most prestigious honor given to American Catholics.To talk about the sanctity of life amid the humanitarian crisis at the border as well as her own religious vocation

Every year more than 100,000 people visit Notre Dame’s Basilica of the Sacred Heart (though of course, the year 2020 may be an exception). Nevertheless, those who walk in the basilica’s doors, discover a worship space that is immaculately maintained, utterly impressive, and completely orderly. But the order and intentionality of that church is not merely a matter of polishing and tidying up; it is in fact written right into the space itself: a space that was intentionally designed and ordered with a theological and spiritual vision. That vision is perhaps most visible in the light that bends through and illuminates the 44 stained-glass windows that contain 220 scenes throughout the basilica. Those windows tell the stories of the radiance of God’s love in the lives of his saints and the events of salvation history. These are Stories in Light. Nancy Cavadini is co-author of the new book Stories in Light: A Guide to the Stained Glass of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. This is a beautiful book, both in how it i

Our reliance on digital technologies and media accelerated dramatically beginning in March 2020. When we could no longer gather in offices for work, in schools for learning, or even in churches for worship, we found ways to make do through screens and chats and webinars. Even as communities and institutions started to open back up in the late spring or summer months of 2020, the increased reliance on technology persisted and continues to influence how we live, work, pray, and communicate.But that shift was not new. Again, it was an acceleration of trends that started long ago. Without diving too much into the historical factors, I wanted to share a conversation in today’s show about that focuses on what we’re seeing in especially the digital landscape, what is going on with us in our everyday lives, and what this might mean for where we’re heading.So I invited my friend and colleague, Brett Robinson, who is a media scholar to talk a little bit informally about all these things.------Live: www.redeemerradio.co

For Catholic Campus Ministries across the nation, the unprecedented interruptions to both typical campus life and the traditional ways of ministering to young people have generated frustration and trials, but also the possibility for rethinking approaches to ministry in terms of what is possible and what is most important. My guest today works with Catholic Campus Ministries across the country to help them sustain and enrich their work with young adults, and to meets the personal and spiritual needs of students in times certain or uncertain.Dr. Mike St. Pierre is executive director of the Catholic Campus Ministry Association. The mission of his organization is to connect, equip, and inspire ministry professionals, so that they can evangelize, catechize, and nourish the faith lives of students in private and public colleges and universities. In addition to his work in campus ministry leadership, Dr. St. Pierre also writes regularly on topics such as rest and focus, breaking from an over-reliance on digital med

This is Leonard DeLorenzo on Church Life Today. Thank you for joining us for the second-part of my two-part conversation with Daniel Philpott, Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame. We’ve been talking about projects of reconciliation in international settings and we’ll continue that here, but we will also talk about the possibilities for reconciliation in the Church after the sexual abuse crisis and Christians promoting reconciliation in the public square.------Live: www.redeemerradio.comFollow Redeemer Radio on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram:@RedeemerRadioFollow McGrath Institute for Church Life on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram:@McGrathNDSubscribe to the Podcast:iTunes | Google Play | SoundCloudChurch Life Today is a partnership between the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame and OSV Podcasts from Our Sunday Visitor. Discover more ways to live, learn, and love your Catholic faith at osvpodcasts.com. Sharing stories, starting conversations.

Have you ever thought about Eucharistic justice? Professor Daniel Philpott has. He is my guest on Church Life Today, where will talk about the biblical notion of justice, the work of reconciliation after violence and civil strife, restoring people torn apart by offenses and indignities to right relationship.Daniel Philpott is Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame. He earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University and specializes in religion and global politics, focusing on religious freedom, reconciliation, the political behavior of religious actors, and Christian political theology. Professor Philpott joins me for two episodes, with this being the first. In the second episode, we'll talk about reconciliation in the Church after the sexual abuse crisis and the possibilities for Christians to promote a vision of reconciliation in the public square. If you’re listening on radio, the second part of our conversation will air next week, or if you’re listening on podcast, check out the next

The Christian hope in the resurrection of the body is nothing short of absolutely radical. It not only gives meaning to the hereafter but also to the right now. Because if we are raised with our bodies, then everything that happens in our bodies, through our bodies, and with our bodies takes on permanent significance. Christians know this through their faith in Christ, who raised from the dead promises the same for those who live in him. But does this decisive aspect of our faith truly shape our imaginations and affect the way we see the world, each other, and ourselves, right now? This hope should change everything. And if you find hope like that hard to come by, especially in these recent months, then I’ve got just the book for you.Today on the show, I discuss the new novel End of Ending with the author, Josh Noem. This is Josh’s book debut, but believe me, he crafted a narrative of an ultimately hope-filled vision of this very ordinary world that I can’t help but think is just the kind of truly realistic f

What can we do to build a culture more welcoming of life and more devoted to upholding human dignity? Many might think those to be worthy pursuits, but have no idea what to actually do. But you know who not only has good ideas, but is putting those ideas into practice? My guest on today’s show.I am joined today by Jessica Keating, who serves as the director of the Office of Life and Human Dignity within the McGrath Institute for Church Life at Notre Dame. Jessica holds a Master’s of Divinity degree from Notre Dame and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and sociology from St. Joseph’s in Philadelphia. In addition to her work in the office of life and human dignity, she is also completing a doctoral degree in systematic theology at Notre Dame. If you want to follow up on the resources or initiatives we will discuss today, please go to mcgrath.nd.edu/lifeandhumandignity.------Live: www.redeemerradio.comFollow Redeemer Radio on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram:@RedeemerRadioFollow McGrath Institute for Church Life on Fa

The full vision of Catholic education spans from the beginning to the end of childhood, and on into who young people become as adults. It isn’t just about students: it is about their families, the community of faith, the very vision and life that is shared among people. My guest today speaks to this comprehensive vision of Catholic education from his perspective as the head of a k-12 Catholic school.Kyle Pietrantonio just completed his term as Head of School at Holy Spirit Preparatory School in Atlanta, where he served in school leadership for 15 years. He joins me, Leonard DeLorenzo on Church Life Today from the McGrath Institute for Church Life and Redeemer Radio.------Live: www.redeemerradio.comFollow Redeemer Radio on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram:@RedeemerRadioFollow McGrath Institute for Church Life on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram:@McGrathNDSubscribe to the Podcast:iTunes | Google Play | SoundCloudChurch Life Today is a partnership between the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame

Americans do not talk much about abortion, but we can under the right conditions. This is one of the conclusions that Dr. Tricia Bruce and her team of researches posit in the report on their groundbreaking and comprehensive interview study focusing on abortion attitudes in the United States. Dr. Bruce is joining me for the second of a two-part interview on her report “How Americans Understand Abortion.” Dr. Bruce’s study was conducted in partnership with the McGrath Institute for Church Life and you can download a copy of the report for free at mcgrath.nd.edu/resources.I’m Leonard DeLorenzo, this is Church Life Today, and you can find part 1 of my interview with Dr. Bruce on our Church Life Today podcast.------Live: www.redeemerradio.comFollow Redeemer Radio on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram:@RedeemerRadioFollow McGrath Institute for Church Life on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram:@McGrathNDSubscribe to the Podcast:iTunes | Google Play | SoundCloudChurch Life Today is a partnership between the McGrath Institute for Chu

American do not talk much about abortion. That’s sounds strange, doesn’t it? We seem to hear a lot about abortion in the news, in politics, in relation to the Supreme Court, but in terms of everyday Americans in their interpersonal conversations, we are actually very quiet about abortion..This is part of what Dr. Tricia Bruce and her team of researchers discovered in their groundbreaking and comprehensive interview study of abortion attitudes in the United States among “every Americans.” The report of their study was released in mid-July 2020 under the title “How Americans Understand Abortion.” This study was undertaken in partnership with our McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame, and you can download a copy of this report for free at mcgrath.nd.edu/resources.Today Dr. Bruce joins me, Leonard DeLorenzo, for a two-part interview to discuss her report and to offer us some observations and insights about American attitudes towards abortion. This is part 1 of our interview, while part

This episode is part two of a two-part discussion focusing on some of the decisions rendered by the Supreme Court in June and July 2020. My guest is again Prof. Rick Garnett of the University of Notre Dame Law school.------Live: www.redeemerradio.comFollow Redeemer Radio on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram:@RedeemerRadioFollow McGrath Institute for Church Life on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram:@McGrathNDSubscribe to the Podcast:iTunes | Google Play | SoundCloudChurch Life Today is a partnership between the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame and OSV Podcasts from Our Sunday Visitor. Discover more ways to live, learn, and love your Catholic faith at osvpodcasts.com. Sharing stories, starting conversations.

In June and early July 2020, we’ve heard news just about weekly of controversial or at least hotly contested Supreme Court decisions. Maybe you found yourself with strong reactions now again, but you weren’t totally clear about what you were reacting to. What, actually, was at stake in that case and what does the ruling really mean? I have questions like that, too, especially in cases that are of special interest to many Catholics or other religious believers: cases about religious liberty, immigration, healthcare mandates, and abortion law. To help us get better sense for some of these summer 2020 Supreme Court decisions and their ramifications, I’m happy to welcome back Rick Garnett Professor of Law and Concurrent Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame, where he is also the founding director of the Program on Church, State, and Society.I’m your host, Leonard DeLorenzo and this is Church Life Today. This is part one of a two-part interview with Prof. Garnett.------Live: www.redeemerra

As the host of a nationally syndicated morning show, Gloria Purvis is used to having many people hear her voice. But in the wake of recent violence and injustice, she has been using her voice to amplify the cries against racism and the demands for personal and societal repentance. Today she joins me, Leonard DeLorenzo, to speak not merely about law and order, but indeed about sin and conversion.------Live: www.redeemerradio.comFollow Redeemer Radio on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram:@RedeemerRadioFollow McGrath Institute for Church Life on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram:@McGrathNDSubscribe to the Podcast:iTunes | Google Play | SoundCloudChurch Life Today is a partnership between the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame and OSV Podcasts from Our Sunday Visitor. Discover more ways to live, learn, and love your Catholic faith at osvpodcasts.com. Sharing stories, starting conversations.

What does it mean to kneel? For Catholics, who are a liturgical people used to kneeling, we have a sense for that. My guest today is himself Catholic, he is himself steeped in the liturgy, and yet what he thought he knew about kneeling changed when George Floyd was killed on May 25, 2020.This is Leonard DeLorenzo on Church Life Today. My guest is Eric Styles, one of my colleagues at the University of Notre Dame, where he serves as rector of Carroll Hall. He is also Associate Artistic Director of Afro-House, a music driven performance art company. I’ve asked him to join me today to talk about his article which appeared in our Church Life Journal, under the title “Black Bodies, Kneeling, and the Liturgy.” We’ll also talk about the neglected testimonies of African Americans, and systemic racism in relation to the call to solidarity and the Catholic Church.------Live: www.redeemerradio.comFollow Redeemer Radio on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram:@RedeemerRadioFollow McGrath Institute for Church Life on Facebook/Twitter

Who is forming our future priests, and how are they being formed? These are questions that have only grown in importance in recent years, especially in the wake of recent scandals in the Church. What has been going on in seminaries, and what should be going on in seminaries are topics of great interest and often of great speculation. So why don’t we talk to somebody who knows what’s what in seminary formation? Good news, I’ve got just the person! Msgr. Michael Heintz is a priest of the Diocese of Fort Wayne- South Bend. He is the former pastor of St. Matthew’s Cathedral parish in South Bend, but now here serves full-time at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland where some 20 dioceses send their seminarians for their studies and formation as priests. Msgr. Heintz is associate professor of theology at Mount St. Mary’s, as well as spiritual director and academic dean. He offered a major address on the formation of seminarians and priests at the McGrath Institute for Church Life’s Called & Co-Resp

Have we gotten Catholic education all wrong? That’s a daunting question, but an important one, and potentially a liberating one. It’s the kind of question that the resurgence of more classical models of education may be responding to. And one of the catalysts of this resurgence is the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education. My guest today is the executive director of this Institute, Elisabeth Sullivan. She joins me, Leonard DeLorenzo, to talk about how the holistic model for Catholic education, that developed over two millennia, has been replaced over the course of just a few decades. And how Catholic Liberal Education seeks to retrieve what has been lost for the sake of a truly universal, integrative, and ultimately liberating education ordered to the fullness of truth, beauty, and goodness in Jesus Christ.------Live: www.redeemerradio.comFollow Redeemer Radio on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram:@RedeemerRadioFollow McGrath Institute for Church Life on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram:@McGrathNDSubscribe to the Podcas