Vatican Insider

Don’t forget to tune in to Vatican Insider this last weekend of January, a weekend after the March for Life in Washington, D.C. My guest in the interview segment is Alveda King, a prominent figure on pro-life issues, and the niece of Martin Luther King, Jr. The campaign for a federal holiday in King’s honor began soon after his assassination in 1968. This holiday was signed into law by President R...

Welcome to Vatican Insider on a weekend that precedes a presidential inauguration, Martin Luther King Day and the football game between Notre Dame and Ohio that will determine the US collegiate football championship! The news segment starts in a moment and after that, stay right here for Part II of my conversation with Benedictine Fr. Edward Linton, Director of the Institute for Continuing Theolog...

This week, we revisit my interview with American seminarians Patrick Ernst and Nicholas Monnin of the diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend in Indiana. These remarkable young men talk of their call to the priesthood – how they heard ‘the call’, what they expect of priesthood but most importantly, the very joy they feel at the mere idea of being a priest! They talk of some of the highlights of living in...

I want to welcome you this weekend to the first edition of Vatican Insider in this New Year, in this 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope. May it be a wonderful happy, hope-filled year for all of you! As usual, at the start of VI, you’ll hear lots of news highlights and then you’ll meet my special guest in the interview segment…Fr. Edward Linton, the Director of the Institute for Continuing Theological Educa...

I hope and pray that each one of you had a beautiful and blessed Christmas, marked by meaningful liturgies and many happy moments with family and friends. My days were full and delightfully happy, filled with wonderful memories.

In this weekend’s pre-Christmas edition of Vatican Insider, instead of an interview, I present a fun Special on Christmas and New Year, how both are celebrated in the Vatican and in Rome. Some interesting history, color and traditions are included in this report. So, gather around for a Christmas Story a la Italiana, and be sure to include the young ones!

In the interview segment of “Vatican Insider” this weekend, just days after the December 10 feast of Our Lady of Loreto, I present a Special on the stunning Shrine of Our Lady of Loreto on Italy’s Adriatic Coast. You will be enchanted by the story of this beautiful and historic shrine. This and more in today's Vatican Insider with Joan Lewis.

This week, in what is normally the interview segment of Vatican Insider, I offer a special report on the recently completed, 3-year-long Synod on Synodality in which I present what several U.S. prelates attending the synod had to say about that experience from pieces they wrote, press conferences they spoke at, or interviews they gave to the media. This and much more in today's edition of Vatican...

Instead of a guest interview this week, I offer a two-pronged special on Thanksgiving, my own thoughts on how I am thankful for God’s multitude of blessings in my life, and then a very special reflection by Pope Francis on the meaning of Thanksgiving.

The interview segment of Vatican Insider this weekend features my conversation with celebrated Chicago sculptor Lou Cella and the story he tells of the statue he sculpted of the world’s beloved St. Frances Xavier Cabrini – Mother Cabrini – a statue now in Rome at the basilica of St. Paul. An American saint is back in her native Italy forever.

The interview segment of Vatican Insider this weekend features my conversation with celebrated Chicago sculptor Lou Cella and the story he tells of the statue he sculpted of the world’s beloved St. Frances Xavier Cabrini – Mother Cabrini – a statue now in Rome at the basilica of St. Paul. An American saint is back in her native Italy forever.

In the interview segment of Vatican Insider this week, I accompany you on a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Anthony of Padua, describing this much-acclaimed shrine and looking at the life and times of this celebrated saint.

My special guest this week in the interview segment of Vatican Insider is Michael Heinlein, editor of Simply Catholic, a ministry of Our Sunday Visitor and he is a frequent contributor to OSV. Our focus is his captivating book “Glorifying Christ” on the life and times of Cardinal Francis George, the late archbishop of Chicago.

My special guest this week in the interview segment of Vatican Insider is Michael Heinlein, editor of Simply Catholic, a ministry of Our Sunday Visitor and he is a frequent contributor to OSV. Our focus is his captivating book “Glorifying Christ” on the life and times of Cardinal Francis George, the late archbishop of Chicago.

Join me on Vatican Insider this weekend as I offer a number of interesting stories and audiences the Pope had this week and then my special report in what is normally the interview segment on the College of Cardinals. On October 6 the Pope announced he would create 21 new cardinals on December 7 and so I look at the College they will join that day – its history and makeup and some interesting stat...

I met Fr. Maher a few years back through a mutual friend, Irini de Saint Sernin, the Society’s Director of Philanthropy. We have become fast friends and I have to say, if you could just spend five minutes with Irini, you’d somehow believe, as I do, that her passion for the Bollandists played a role in the papal visit! So stay tuned after the news for Part II of my conversation with Fr. Maher.

Welcome to my first post-vacation edition of Vatican Insider as we start the busy news month of October with the Synod on Synodality in the Vatican and a number of interesting appointments for the Pope, including a canonization ceremony. But now, as I do every Friday, let me tell you about my guest in this week’s interview segment, Jesuit Fr. Michael Maher. He is an expert in the Belgium-based Soc...

As you know, because of the COVID-19 crisis and restrictions imposed on and by people for in person interviews – at least up to now – in recent weeks I have filled what is normally the interview segment of Vatican Insider with Specials. So far, I’ve explored 6 of the 7 Roman basilicas known as the Pilgrim Basilicas – St. Peter’s, St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, St. Paul’s outside the Walls, Holy...

VATICAN INSIDER: ST. JOHN CANTIUS, THE STORY OF A CHICAGO PARISH My guest this week in the interview segment of “Vatican Insider” is a longtime friend, Fr. Frank Phillips, former pastor for 30 years at Chicago’s well-known St. John Cantius Church. After a number of years, we met serendipitously over my vacation at a pre-investiture ceremony for the Order of the Holy Sepulchre that was held at St....

This week on Vatican Insider, the interview segment is a repeat but it features a compelling storyteller and fascinating guest, Fr. Bill Petrie. At the time of our conversation, Fr. Bill, a priest of the Order of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (SSCC), was pastor of St. Damien parish on the Hawaiian island of Molokai’i. We’ve been friends for a number of years and usually met at Kalaupapa on M...

My guest this weekend and next in the interview segment of “Vatican Insider” is Samuel Gregg, research director at the Acton Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We spoke when he was in Rome to talk about his latest book, Reason, Faith and the Struggle for Western Civilization. (Originally aired on 11/15/19)

In the interview segment this week and next, I feature a conversation I had with Tony Clark, a scholar of all things Chinese, an historian, and writer who has authored dozens of books, articles, and other publications. He is a professor of Chinese history at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington. Tony has lived and travelled extensively in China and tells many wonderful, riveting stories. We...

In the interview segment this week and next, I feature a conversation I had with Tony Clark, a scholar of all things Chinese, an historian, and writer who has authored dozens of books, articles, and other publications. He is a professor of Chinese history at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington. Tony has lived and travelled extensively in China and tells many wonderful, riveting stories. We...

Welcome to Vatican Insider on the weekend after ferragosto, the Italian name once associated with pagan games in the month of August but now referring to the solemnity of the Assumption! It also refers to the usually quite long August period of holidays. In fact, the lazy, hazy days of ferragosto is the title of the Special that will appear in what is normally the interview segment of VI. This is...

My guest this week in the interview segment is Anthony di Mauro. We talk briefly about his time this summer as an intern in the Rome EWTN office and then focus on something amazing he has started called The Relic Project. That is the main focus of our conversation. What is a relic? Have you ever seen on? Does your family have one? What about your parish? Perhaps it even has a few relics. Are they...