Catholic Stuff You Should Know

Fr. Jacob, Fr. John, and Fr. Sean gather while they are at summer conference and they share stories in memory of the life and death of both Fr. Jacob's mother, Mary Machado, and their priest brother Msgr. Ken Leone. They discuss loss and grief in light of hope and joy, holding in memory lives well lived and deaths well faced.

Why does the Church encourage us to have a patron saint? In this episode, Frs. Sean and Jacob explore the meaning of patronage in the communion of saints. The saints are living members of Christ’s Body who intercede for us, accompany us, and model the many ways holiness can be lived. The conversation reflects on why particular saints seem to “choose us,” how patron saints help shape our Christian vocation, and why asking for their prayers deepens rather than distracts from our relationship with Christ. They especially highlight the witness of St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, St. Maximilian Kolbe, and St. John Paul II, showing how their unique lives continue to inspire the Church today.

As the final installment of Fr. John's cycling-French saint pairings, this week's podcast explores the charisms of one of the great friendships of Church history - St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane Frances de Chantal. Centered on the shared life in Annecy and the foundation of the Visitation religious community, Fr. John and Fr. Sean unpack some of the seminal insights of St. Francis' Introduction to the Devout Life. Tying this into the cycling history of the famous Col de la Croix de Fer (or "Pass of the Iron Cross"), they hope to instill a sense of our heroic capacity in Christ through the ordinary and everyday things of life.

Why does God use material things to communicate His grace? In this week’s episode, Frs. John and Sean explore the Catholic understanding of sacraments, sacramentals, and relics. What makes a sacrament different from a sacramental? Why does the Church bless everything from homes to rosaries? And why do Catholics venerate the relics of the saints? Along the way, they discuss why matter matters, how the Incarnation changes the way we see creation, and why God continues to use visible signs to draw us to invisible realities.

As Part two of Fr. John's three-part French cycling-pilgrimage series, this week's episode introduces the life of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and the apparitions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Under the theme of the ardent and fiery love of God, it is paired with the Alpe d'Huez - the most iconic climb of the Tour de France, featured in the coming weeks of this year's tour.