Respect Life Radio

Join host Deacon Geoff and weekly guest Father John Bartunek, LC, a Legionary of Christ priest, author and moral theologian, for a conversation about deepening your relationship with Christ through prayer and Scripture. Father John earned his undergraduate degree in history from Stanford University, entered the Legionaries of Christ in 1993 and was ordained a priest in 2003. He later earned a doct...

Join host Deacon Geoff and weekly guest Sister Renee Mirkes for a thoughtful conversation on the Catholic Church’s understanding of bioethics and the dignity of human life. Drawing from her work at the St. Paul VI Institute and her recent article in The Catholic Thing, “Cardinal Sarah and the Crisis in Bioethics,” Sister Renee explores the moral and ethical challenges facing our culture and the im...

This week on Respect Life Radio, hosts Emma Ramirez and Jennifer Torres welcome Fr. Joe Laramie, SJ, Director of Sacred Heart Jesuit Retreat House in Sedalia, Colorado. Fr. Joe entered the Society of Jesus in 2000 and was ordained a priest in 2011. His ministry has included teaching at the high school level, serving as a college campus minister and accompanying communities in Mayan villages in Bel...

This week on Respect Life Radio, host Deacon Geoff welcome Catholic historian, author and educator Phillip Campbell. Phillip is the author of TAN Books’ popular Story of Civilization series, a four-volume Catholic history curriculum that brings the stories of the past to life through the lens of faith. He has taught history, Scripture and other subjects to homeschool students and has written exten...

This week on Respect Life Radio, host Deacon Geoff welcome Anthony E. Clark, Ph. D., a professor of Chinese history, author and Catholic scholar. Dr. Clark explains the current landscape of the reality of Chinese Catholics describing their worldview is through a glass ceiling. Noting the need to intentionally remain loyal to the truth of the Gospel in pursuit of following Christ through need to ha...

This week on Respect Life Radio, we welcome Sue Homola, co-author of The Blunt Truth: Ten Things Every Parent Needs to Know About Marijuana. Sue joins us to discuss the changing landscape of marijuana, the dangers of today’s high-potency THC products and what parents need to know to protect the health and well-being of their children. Sue is an author and advocate for health-first drug policies. S...

Today on Respect Life Radio, Jennifer and Emma are joined by Erin Scherer, Associate Director for Mission Advancement for Catholic Funeral and Cemetery Services (CFCS) in the Archdiocese of Denver. Together, they dive into what it truly means to respect life from womb to tomb. Erin shares about the many facets of CFCS and the unique call each staff member experiences to serve families during some...

On this episode of Respect Life Radio, Deacon Geoff welcomes weekly guest Fr. John A. Perricone, Ph. D., a Catholic priest, philosopher and longtime educator whose work has appeared in Crisis Magazine, The Latin Mass, New Oxford Review, St. John’s Law Review and The Journal of Catholic Legal Studies. Father Perricone is an adjunct professor of philosophy at Iona University and has spent decades te...

On this week’s episode of Respect Life Radio, Deacon Geoff welcomes weekly guest Emily Chaffins, a fiction writer and journalist whose work combines a passion for storytelling with a Catholic perspective on faith and everyday life. Emily’s writing has been recognized with multiple Catholic Media Awards and she recently earned First Place for Graduate Fiction from the Florida International Universi...

This week on the Respect Life Radio Podcast, Deacon Geoff welcomes Eric Sammons, editor-in-chief of Crisis Magazine, Catholic author and speaker, for a thoughtful discussion on the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) and its place within the life of the Church. Eric has dedicated his career to helping Catholics better understand the faith through his writing and leadership at Crisis Magazine. Through man...

This week on the Respect Life Radio Podcast, Deacon Geoff welcomes author, teacher and Catholic Exchange contributor Derek Rotty. A husband, father and educator from Jackson, Tennessee, Derek is the author of Prophet of Hope: Fulton Sheen Responds to the Modern World and writes extensively on Catholic history, faith and family life. Together they discuss his newest Catholic Exchange article, Fulto...

This week on Respect Life Radio, Deacon Geoff Bennett is joined by Joshua Arnold, a senior writer at The Washington Stand, to discuss his recent article, Christianity Is Normal. In a culture that increasingly treats Christian beliefs as strange or out of step, Arnold explores the reality that Christianity is not something new or abnormal but has been a foundational part of human history and cultur...

This week on the Respect Life Radio Podcast, host Deacon Geoff welcomes John Melnikov, a theology teacher in Trumbull, Connecticut. Melnikov holds a B.A. in Religious Studies from Fairfield University and an M.A. in Christian Leadership from Liberty University. He is a regular contributor to Catholic Exchange and Crisis Magazine, where he writes on Catholic culture, morality and the challenges fac...

For this week's Respect Life Radio podcast, host Deacon Geoff welcomes Fr. Joseph Gill, a priest of the Diocese of Bridgeport, pastor, high school chaplain and teacher. A graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville and Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Fr. Gill is also a frequent contributor to Crisis Magazine. The conversation centers on his recent article, "Demonic Deception of Kids' Sports," in...

Host Emma Ramirez welcomes Caitlin Burnett, BSN, RN, a registered nurse and Fertility Care Practitioner at Bella Health + Wellness, for an informative conversation on Natural Family Planning (NFP). Drawing from more than 20 years of nursing experience in pediatrics, labor and delivery, and postpartum care, Caitlin shares how teaching women to understand their fertility has become her passion. She...

Join host Deacon Geoff as he welcomes weekly guest Andrew J. Peach, J.D., Ph. D., a former philosophy professor and current attorney. Andrew is the co-author of An Introduction to Catholic Ethics, a textbook used in Catholic high schools across the United States. His writing has appeared in numerous publications including First Things, The Thomist, Crisis Magazine, Touchstone Magazine and Catholic...

This week on Respect Life Radio, Deacon Geoff welcomes Michael J. Lichens, former editor of Catholic Exchange and a prolific Catholic writer whose work has appeared in both Catholic and mainstream publications. Holding an M.A. from the University of Chicago Divinity School, Michael has dedicated much of his career to researching, writing and editing works that uncover the richness of Catholic fait...

This week on Respect Life Radio, host Deacon Geoff Bennett welcomes Linda Carl, author of the new book Yoga Unveiled: My Spiritual Journey from Darkness to Light. A lifelong spiritual seeker, Linda spent nearly two decades as a certified yoga instructor and was deeply immersed in Eastern spiritual practices before rediscovering the truth and beauty of the Catholic faith. Through her personal exper...

This week on Respect Life Radio, host Deacon Geoff Bennett welcomes Garrett Johnson, writer, speaker, and founder of Brother Without Order. Garrett shares his powerful journey from leaving the Catholic faith and living a life centered on worldly pursuits to rediscovering Christ and embracing the teachings of the Church. Today, he is a member of the Courage apostolate and writes extensively on fait...

This week on Respect Life Radio, Jennifer and Emma welcome Bre Stemper, apostolate leader for Springs of Love at St. Thomas More Parish. Bre is a wife and mother of two boys whose experience with infertility opened her heart to the needs of children in foster care and adoption. She shares the profound ways the Lord worked in her family's journey and the invitation she and her husband received thro...

On this week’s episode of Respect Life Radio, Deacon Geoff Bennett welcomes Father Carter Griffin, rector of Saint John Paul II Seminary, to discuss his recent article for the National Catholic Register, “Forming Your Children for Chastity: A Letter to Parents.” Drawing from his years of priestly formation and pastoral experience, Father Griffin shares practical wisdom for parents seeking to raise...

On this episode of Respect Life Radio, Deacon Geoff sits down with Dr. Paul Kengor—a husband, father, professor, and bestselling author—to discuss his newest book, American Pontiff: Pope Leo XIV and His Plan to Heal the Church. Drawing from his deep expertise in both Catholic history and American politics, Dr. Kengor offers a compelling look at the life and leadership of Pope Leo XIV, the first Am...

On today’s episode, Deacon Geoff is joined by Marie Brousseau, a Canadian teacher and essayist, to discuss her most recent Catholic Exchange article “Why People Fall from Faith: The Fear of Accepting God.” Together, they explore how the loss of faith is often less about intellectual doubt and more about a deeper fear of surrender. Marie shares that accepting God requires trust, humility, and a wil...

This week on Respect Life Radio, Emma and Jennifer welcome Kat Talalas, Assistant Director for Pro-Life Communications, and Chelsy Gomez, Program Associate for the Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities at the USCCB. Kat and Chelsy share how their journeys into pro-life work were shaped by a deepening faith and a growing understanding of Church teaching—ultimately calling them to live out the Gospel o...

This week on Respect Life Radio, we welcome Dr. Jim Papandrea, an award-winning author, Professor of Church History and Historical Theology, and host of The Way of the Fathers podcast. A former Protestant deacon who entered into the Catholic Church, Dr. Papandrea brings a rich depth of theological insight shaped by his academic work and love for the early Church. Drawing from his recent article, H...