Ever Ancient, Ever New

On this week's episode, we're listening to a Facebook Live interview featuring Sister Rita Marie, SsEW with the Sister Servants of the Eternal Word in Irondale, Alabama .   The Sister Servants of the Eternal Word is a public association of the faithful begun by Mother Mary Gabriel Long in 1987. The community is contemplative-active, committed to evangelization through catechesis and retreats, acco...

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of Fr. John A. Hardon's death, December 30th, 2025, the Institute on Religious Life will be launching a series of Fr. Hardon talks from our own archives! Father Hardon entered the Society of Jesus in 1936. He authored over 200 books, including The Catholic Catechism (1975) and was a consultant for the drafting of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. He wrote co...

On today’s episode, we will be featuring a talk from our 2007 National Meeting by Msgr. Charles Mangan. Msgr. Mangan is from the Diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is a faculty member at Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, MD. Ordained a priest in 1989, he has served as an official in the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life in Rome and director o...

On this week's episode, we're listening to a Facebook Live interview featuringFr. Matthias of the Immaculate Heart, OCD of the Discalced Carmelite Friars of the California-Arizona Province . The Discalced Carmelite Friars seek to respond to Christ's call by combining the contemplative spirit with the active apostolate. As Carmelite brothers and priests, they serve the Church in various ministries....

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of Fr. John A. Hardon's death, December 30th, 2025, the Institute on Religious Life will be launching a series of Fr. Hardon talks from our own archives! Father Hardon entered the Society of Jesus in 1936. He authored over 200 books, including The Catholic Catechism (1975) and was a consultant for the drafting of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. He wrote co...

Today, we will be listening to a talk from our 2010 National Meeting from Mother Mary Assumpta Long, O.P. titled, In Pursuit of Perfect Charity. Mother Mary Assumpta Long, OP is the former Prioress General of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist in Ann Arbor, Michigan .  Mother Assumpta holds a S.T.L. in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome...

On this week's episode, we're listening to a Facebook Live interview featuring Sr. Sister Clare Key of the Daughters of St. Francis of Assisi , a religious congregation of women founded in Budapest, Hungary in 1894. Today their motherhouse is located in Lacon, Illinois. Their Apostolate in the Church is service to our neighbor for the love of Christ. They want to bring the good tidings of God’s go...

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of Fr. John A. Hardon's death, December 30th, 2025, the Institute on Religious Life will be launching a series of Fr. Hardon talks from our own archives! Father Hardon entered the Society of Jesus in 1936. He authored over 200 books, including The Catholic Catechism (1975) and was a consultant for the drafting of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. He wrote co...

On today’s episode, we will be featuring a talk from our 2013 National Meeting by Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv. of the the Conventual Franciscan Friars .  2013 national meeting with you, from Fr. James McCurry, OFM. Reverend James McCurry, OFM Conv., was born in Ireland and has lectured, conducted retreats and spiritual days, and preached in all 50 of the United States, as well as in over 60 countr...

On this week's episode, we're listening to a Facebook Live interview featuring Brother Dominic Michael Heart of the Franciscan Brothers of Peace in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Franciscan Brothers of Peach are a community of Franciscan Brothers consecrated freely to Christ by the vows of poverty, celibacy, and obedience. They live an active life of prayer, brotherhood, and service, rebuilding the Di...

Started in 1986, the Pro Fidelitate et Virtue Award is conferred each year at the Institute on Religious Life’s National Meeting to someone who has been outstanding in the support and promotion of authentic religious life. Today's episode is honoring our 2008 Pro Fidelitate et Virtute Award recipients, Mr. Jerome and Mrs. Gwen Coniker. Desiring to live the message of Our Lady of Fatima, Jerry and...

On today’s episode, we will be featuring a talk from our 2013 National Meeting by Mr. Mike Sullivan.  Mike Sullivan is the president of Catholics United for the Faith and publisher of Lay Witness and Emmaus Road Publishing. He contributed to the most recent volume of the best-selling Catholic for a Reason series: The Mystery of Marriage and Family Life. He has also written for Our Sunday Visitor,...

On this week's episode, we're listening to a Facebook Live interview on “The Seasons of the Glorious Birth of Our Lord” with IRL board member, Jesse Weiler, and Mother Marla Marie Lucas, MSCL, who is the Superior of the Maronite Servants of Christ the Light. The Maronite Servants of Christ the Light are a congregation of consecrated religious serving the Church in the parish as spiritual mothers i...

Started in 1986, the Pro Fidelitate et Virtue Award is conferred each year at the Institute on Religious Life’s National Meeting to someone who has been outstanding in the support and promotion of authentic religious life. Today's episode is honoring our 2011 Pro Fidelitate et Virtute Award recipient, Fr. Kenneth Baker, S.J. Fr. Kenneth Baker, S.J., is editor emeritus of the Homiletic & Pastor...

On today’s episode, we will be featuring a talk from our 2024 National Meeting by Sr. Regina Marie Gorman, OCD of the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles.   Sister Regina Marie Gorman, O.C.D. was raised in Los Angeles where she entered Carmel in 1972.  She holds a Masters in Theology and Christian Ministry from Franciscan University in Steubenville, OH. Sister Regina Marie is...

On this week's episode, we're listening to a Facebook Live interview on “Digital Evangelization” with IRL board member, Jesse Weiler, and Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, O.P. of the Dominican Friars of the Province of St. Joseph. A native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Father Patrick joined the Order of Preachers in 2010. Following his ordination to the priesthood, he was assigned in Providence, Rhode Island....

Started in 1986, the Pro Fidelitate et Virtue Award is conferred each year at the Institute on Religious Life’s National Meeting to someone who has been outstanding in the support and promotion of authentic religious life. Today's episode is honoring our 2009 Pro Fidelitate et Virtute Award recipient, Fr. Michael Scanlan, T.O.R. Fr. Michael Scanlan, T.O.R. was a priest of the Franciscan Third Orde...

On today’s episode, we will be featuring a talk from our 2025 National Meeting by Sr. Miriam James Heidland, S.O.L.T. of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity. Sr. Miriam James Heidland is a former Division I athlete who had a radical conversion and joined the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) in 1998. Her story has been featured on EWTN’s The Journey Home, SEEK Confer...

On this week's episode, we're listening to a Facebook Live interview on “Surrendering to God’s Will” with IRL board member, Jesse Weiler, and Sr. Teresa Paul, OSF of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis in East Peoria, Illinois .  Thank you for listening! May God bless you and enjoy!   

Started in 1986, the Pro Fidelitate et Virtue Award is conferred each year at the Institute on Religious Life’s National Meeting to someone who has been outstanding in the support and promotion of authentic religious life. Father Edmund McCaffrey was born on January 9, 1933. He was the former Abbot Ordinary of the Benedictine monastery, Belmont Abbey in Charlotte, N.C. Fr. Edmund was well known as...

On today's episode, we're listening to an interview with Carolyn Stegmann from the Apostolate for Family Consecration's Women's Catholic Corps in Bloomingdale, Ohio .  While living a ‘consecration of life’ through private vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience, the Catholic Corps was constituted within the lay apostolate of the Apostolate for Family Consecration and exists to help fulfill its mi...

On today’s episode, we will be featuring part one of a talk from our 2012 National Meeting by Francis Cardinal George.  The son of a janitor, Chicago-born Francis Eugene George contracted polio at the age of 13, and, due to a developed limp, was rejected by Chicago's archdiocesan seminary, leading him to join the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in 1957. Making his solemn profession the following year,...

On this week's episode, we're listening to a Facebook Live interview on “Religious Life and Liturgical Renewal” with IRL board member, Jesse Weiler, and Fr. David Yallaly, SJC of The Canons Regular of St. John Cantius in Chicago, Illinois.   Thank you for listening! May God bless you and enjoy!   

Started in 1986, the Pro Fidelitate et Virtue Award is conferred each year at the Institute on Religious Life’s National Meeting to someone who has been outstanding in the support and promotion of authentic religious life. Today's episode is honoring our 2024 award recipient, Francis Cardinal Arinze. Francis Cardinal Arinze was born on November 1, 1932 in Eziowelle, Onitsha, Nigeria. His vocation...

On today’s episode, we will be featuring part two of a talk from our 2009 National Meeting by Bishop Robert Barron. Bishop Barron was ordained a priest in 1986 in the Archdiocese of Chicago and appointed to the theological faculty of Mundelein Seminary in 1992. He served as the Rector/President of Mundelein Seminary from 2012 until 2015. In 2015, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Barron to be Auxiliar...