Talking Catholic

This week on Talking Catholic , we welcome a long overdue guest: Robin Strough, Director of the Office of Child and Youth Protection for the Diocese of Camden. Robin joins us to share important updates from her department and to explain her mission — ensuring that every child entrusted to the Diocese is protected, supported, and surrounded by a safe environment. She also walks us through how the D...

As host Mike Walsh shuttled colleagues from Atlantic City to Philadelphia International Airport, he fired up the podcast gear and captured a conversation while criss-crossing New Jersey. Riding along in the passenger seats are: • Janelle Gergen , Chancellor and COO of the Diocese of Crookston • Montie Chavez , Director of Communications for the Archdiocese of Las Vegas • Paul Schratz , Editor of T...

“Now let me fight for God.”  With these words, St. Martin of Tours, officer in the Roman Emperor's cavalry, put down his sword to follow Christ.  Join us for this episode of Talking Saints, as Pete and Laurie explore the life of this soldier turned monk, then bishop, who's act of charity toward a beggar ultimately changed the course of his life.    Listen to Talking Saints with Laurie Powe...

This week on Talking Catholic , host Mike Walsh sits down with Joanna McGill-Gardner, Esq., an immigration attorney and former Catholic Charities of South Jersey colleague. Joanna shares how her early experiences in service and journalism led her to a vocation in immigration legal work, where she now accompanies individuals and families navigating some of the most complex and emotional legal chall...

“So I have a meeting at the Vatican…” That’s how this week’s episode begins — as members of the Diocese of Camden’s leadership reflect on their pilgrimage to Rome from Oct. 23–28 for the Jubilee of Synodal Teams and Participatory Bodies at the Vatican. Joining us to share stories from this extraordinary experience are most of the delegation that included: Bishop Joseph Williams , Father Jon Thomas...

“Your life has meaning.”   That’s one of the important messages this week’s guests have for Talking Catholic’s listeners.   On this week’s episode, Father Tom Piro and Father Stephen Robbins – who are both associate directors for the Office of Vocations – talk about the Diocese’s newest initiative: “Called by Name.”   This November, every parishioner is being asked to prayerfully consider young me...

This week on Talking Catholic, Marianela Núñez and cohost Mike Bress celebrate a century of faith, family, and Ram pride at Gloucester Catholic High School . They’re joined by Tom Iacovone, Principal, and Kathy Dougherty, Director of Marketing, to reflect on 100 years of tradition, community, and Catholic education in South Jersey. From the halls that shaped generations to the alumni who carry Ram...

Each year, the Office of Catholic Education for the Diocese of Camden brings together elementary and high school principals for a two-day conference in Ocean City. The gathering covers a range of important topics while also providing opportunities for fellowship among colleagues. On this week’s episode, cohosts Marianela Nuñez and Mike Bress speak with two new elementary school principals — Bill H...

On this episode of Talking Catholic , we sit down with two distinguished members of Legatus , the national organization of Catholic business leaders committed to living and sharing their faith in the corporate world. Joining the conversation are BJ Kraemer , Managing Principal of MCFA, and Greg Passanante , CEO and Northeast Market Administrator for Shriners Children’s Philadelphia. Together, they...

On this week’s episode of Talking Catholic , host Mike Walsh is joined by guest co-host Lisa Lauria for a conversation about the upcoming Catholic Charities of South Jersey Annual Dinner. Their guests are Executive Director Maria Elena Hallion, Ph. D. , and Stacy Napolitano , Director of Development for the Diocese of Camden. Together, they highlight this year’s Saint John Neumann Award honoree, E...

On this week’s episode of Talking Catholic, two well-respected pro-life advocates join us to talk about the upcoming Mass for Life, rally and march taking place Sept. 25 in Trenton.   Jennifer Ruggiero, director of human life and dignity for the Diocese of Metuchen, and Rachel Hendricks, coordinator of the Respect Life Ministry in the Diocese of Trenton, discuss the misinformation being spread and...

Join us for a deeply inspiring episode as Kari Janisse and Mike Walsh sit down with Rowan University’s Catholic Campus Ministry executive board members—Donovan Kenny, Anthony LaPiana, and Peter Romeo—fresh from their pilgrimage to Rome for the Jubilee of Youth. These engineering seniors not only witnessed the global heartbeat of youth faith in action but brought their own stories of transformation...

This week we spotlight a special presentation series hosted by Saint Joseph’s Polish Apostolate of the Diocese of Camden titled: “With God in Camden.”  The series explores the extraordinary life of Servant of God, Fr. Walter Ciszek, S.J.—a Pennsylvania-born Jesuit missionary who endured decades of imprisonment and hard labor in Soviet Russia for his Catholic faith. His remarkable story of survival...

On this episode of Talking Catholic , hosts Mike Walsh and Jen Mauro are joined by Laurie Power and Pete Sanchez, co-hosts of our sibling monthly podcast Talking Saints , for a conversation about the upcoming canonizations of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati . Together, they explore the extraordinary lives of these two soon-to-be saints, the virtues that made them powerful witnesses of faith...

In this episode of Talking Catholic , hosts Mike Walsh and Jen Mauro sit down with Fr. Jason Rocks, Chancellor of the Diocese of Camden, to look back at the first 100 days of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate. From his calm, unifying tone and revival of beloved papal traditions to his bold engagement with modern issues like artificial intelligence, Pope Leo XIV has set a distinctive course for the Church...

As Catholic schools prepare to kick off another academic year, excitement is building not only in the classrooms but also on the fields. This week, co-hosts Jen Mauro and Mike Bress sit down with longtime Catholic Star Herald sports reporter Mark Zimmaro for a deep dive into the upcoming high school sports season. Mark shares insights on standout athletes to watch, programs on the rise, and the un...

On this week’s episode of Talking Catholic, two young women on fire for the Lord share their experiences and wisdom on how they built the Young Adult Group at Saint Peter Parish, Merchantville.   Bella DeFeo and Nadia Foster, close friends in their 20s, often heard their peers express a desire to grow deeper in faith beyond Sunday services. After lots of prayer, talks with the pastor, planning and...

“Do all you can with the means at your disposal and leave all the rest calmly to God.”  In today’s podcast, Pete and Laurie dive into the life and legacy of St. Mary MacKillop, Australia’s first saint, a woman of unwavering compassion, tenacious faith, and deep humility.  While excommunication is not often part of the story of a saint, learn how her faithfulness and patience in the face of injusti...

As the 2025–26 school year approaches, Catholic schools across the Diocese of Camden are preparing for another year of academic excellence—freshly cleaned classrooms, updated technology, and new beginnings. But at Holy Angels Catholic School in Woodbury, NJ, one change stands out above the rest: a bold transition to a classical Catholic curriculum. This week on Talking Catholic , cohosts Marianela...

This week on Talking Catholic , we explore a deeply personal and universal topic: addiction. Whether it’s alcohol, drugs, food, media, pornography, or other compulsions, addiction touches countless lives — often disrupting health, relationships, and spiritual well-being. Joining co-hosts Mike Walsh and Jen Mauro are two guests with firsthand experience in the healing journey: Jen Drees , a Calix S...

This week on Talking Catholic , we welcome two vibrant voices in Catholic communications: cousins Mary Kate Haliskoe and Jerry Wutkowski. With deep roots in both faith and family, Mary Kate and Jerry share what it’s like to work together in the world of Church media, reflect on the joys and quirks of collaborating as relatives, and offer a behind-the-scenes look at their roles supporting the missi...

“My dear Jesus, I ask You in grace that, through the merit of Your Most Holy Name, You make me a lover of the Cross."  On this episode of Talking Saints, Pete and Laurie, unpack the extraordinary life of St. Veronica Giuliani-mystic, stigmatist, and victim soul.  Discover how her profound love for Christ, detailed in her 22,000 page spiritual diary, offers a model for each of us in embracing...

In this episode of Talking Catholic , Mike Walsh chats with Kerry Weber, executive editor of America Media and newly elected president of the Catholic Media Association. Their conversation centers on Kerry’s life within Catholic journalism, her commitment to ethical storytelling, and the importance of building a stronger, more connected Catholic media community. She also discusses the changing med...

With Mike Walsh out of town for the Catholic Media Conference, co-hosts Mike Bress and Jen Mauro take the Talking Catholic show on the road to visit with some of the Diocese of Camden’s seminarians! Father Joshua Nevitt, assistant director of vocations for the Diocese, and seminarians Michael Leason, Theodore Deluhery and Domenic DeStefano welcomed Jen and Mike to the former Saint Mary’s Convent i...

“Our Lord is calling us to sanctify the ordinary tasks of every day, for the perfection of the Christian is to be found precisely there.”  In today's episode of Talking Catholic, Laurie and Pete explore the life of St. Josemaría Escrivá, founder of Opus Dei and “the saint of ordinary life.”   From humble beginnings in Spain to the worldwide spread of Opus Dei, learn how he spent his life witnessin...