Speaking of Faith: A Minnesota Catholic Podcast

In this special Speaking of Faith episode for Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, Abigail Jorgensen, author of A Catholic Guide to Miscarriage, Stillbirth and Infant Loss, and Olivia Fuchs, a mother who experienced a miscarriage (Hallie) and ectopic pregnancy (Hope) describe their own grief journeys, including anger, isolation, and later healing, and offer ways to honor babies through memor...

In this episode of the Diocese of St. Cloud podcast Speaking of Faith, Amber interviews small business owner and father Tom Bengtson about his memoir, Unity Map: Cartography of a Father's Homework. Tom reflects on 37 years of marriage to Susan, adopting four children through trips to Colombia and how life often requires "going to point C" to reach point B. He recounts co-founding Chesterton Academ...

In this episode, Janelle Van Erp, Liz Hamack and Lexi Torres share about TEC (Together Encountering Christ), a three-day, intergenerational Catholic retreat for ages 16+ in Central Minnesota focused on encountering Christ through talks, sharing, prayer, Mass and the sacraments, then "going forth" in discipleship. They describe TEC as transformative, welcoming, holy and rooted in authentic love. Fo...

Father Scott Pogatchnik discusses his upcoming pilgrimage to St. Louis for the beatification of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen by reflecting on Sheen's influence as a pioneering Catholic radio and TV evangelist and brilliant intellectual. He shares how Sheen's humility was shaped by early assignments, how his daily holy hour fueled his ministry and why saints should be seen as teammates who encourage...

In this episode of the Diocese of St. Cloud's Speaking of Faith, Brian Gibson, radio host, speaker and longtime leader of Pro-Life Action Ministries, shares about his Catholic reversion, family life and decades of pro-life work. Gibson explains the ministry's daily efforts organizing prayer presence and training volunteers for sidewalk counseling outside abortion facilities. Through the work, he's...

Janice Wuebkers, Kimberly Hansen and Kelli Kleinschnitz speak about the local Healing the Whole Person retreat initiative inspired by Dr. Bob Schuchts' and Sister Miriam Heidland's work with the John Paul II Healing Center. They explain the retreat's focus on identity in Christ, recognizing wounds and lies, inviting the Holy Spirit into memories and suffering and grounding healing in the sacrament...

Catherine DiNuzzo, a licensed professional counselor, author and founder of Sacred Heart Mental Wellness, encourages shifting the conversation from "mental health" to proactive "mental wellness," integrating evidence-based strategies with a Catholic perspective rather than separating counseling from faith. She also explains the biology of anxiety as a fight/flight/freeze response and how understan...

This episode of the Diocese of St. Cloud's Speaking of Faith previews the two-day Singing Praise Wisely Workshop at St. John's University (Sept. 25–26), focused on storytelling, sacred song, the wisdom of the saints and music's role in prayer and worship. Dr. Katharine Harmon, pastoral liturgist and director with St. John's Obsculta Preaching Initiative, and acclaimed composer Steven C. Warner, fo...

In this episode of Speaking of Faith, Kristi Bivens, Director of Lay Leadership Formation, and Tammy Huss, Director of Faith Formation for the Come to the Water ACC, share about the Emmaus Institute for Ministerial Formation, a diocesan four-year program developed to strengthen laypeople in intellectual, human, spiritual and pastoral formation. Meeting one weekend a month (Sept–May), with English...

In this episode of the Diocese of St. Cloud's Speaking of Faith, Amber interviews Patty Weishaar, recipient of the Saint John's School of Theology and Seminary Ezekiel Prophet of Hope Award, honoring alumni who embody collaborative ministry and hope. Patty reflects on nearly 36 years at Saint John's, beginning as a graduate student and later becoming a cornerstone of student services who welcomes...

The Very Reverend Father Matthew Crane to explains the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX): its founding in 1970 to form priests, growing conflicts with Vatican II teachings, suppression in 1975 and subsequent disobedience culminating in unauthorized episcopal consecrations in 1988 and again on July 1, 2026. He clarifies that SSPX priests are validly ordained and that Pope Francis granted provisions for...

In this episode Lexi Torres, a second-year MDiv student at Saint John's School of Theology and Seminary, and Liz Hamak, volunteer coordinator at Catholic Charities, share about attending the Bread for the World Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C. They describe learning hunger-related policies, praying and worshiping with Christians from many denominations and meeting with congressional staffers to...

On the Diocese of St. Cloud's Speaking of Faith podcast, we learn about Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) from Reyne Alishouse, parishioner at St. Lawrence in Duelm, former catholic school teacher and current homeschool mom and a CGS Level 1 catechist. CGS is a Catholic, Montessori-style, hands-on faith formation held in an "atrium." Reyne explains how the child-centered, quiet space uses Scri...

This episode of the Diocese of St. Cloud's "Speaking of Faith" features reflection on the Mexican American Catholic College (MACC) in San Antonio immersion program — "Hispanic Ministry in the 21st Century." Participants from both MACC (Adriana Gomez and Martin Martinez) and the Saint John's School of Theology and Seminary (Chris Conway and Kateri Mancini) explain MACC's history and the program's b...

In this episode of Speaking of Faith from the Diocese of St. Cloud, host Amber interviews Ben Epper, incoming Faith Formation Director at the Church of St. Joseph in St. Joseph, about his M.Div. capstone, "Setting the Table: A Reversal Model for Including Youth and Young Adults in Ecclesial Restructuring and Renewal." Ben shares survey findings from 15 ACCs showing minimal youth and early young ad...

This episode of "Speaking of Faith" spotlights the 2020 Catholic Century Farm Award recipient, the Donnay Family. Erin Donnay shares the 106-year legacy of her family's farm near Kimball, which began with her husband, Kevin's, great grandfather Matthias Donnay. Erin and her husband are now fourth-generation stewards of the land. Erin traces the farm's roots back to 1920, describes daily life on a...

In this episode of the Diocese of St. Cloud podcast Speaking of Faith, Mary Parks, a trauma-informed educator, healthcare chaplain and spiritual director, shares about human formation—developing emotional skills, virtues, maturity and freedom to live in alignment with God. Mary explains how Catholic teaching on human dignity and the four pillars of formation makes human formation foundational, esp...

In this episode of Speaking of Faith, Dr. Daniella Zsupan-Jerome and Dr. Matthew Sherman of Saint John's School of Theology and Seminary discuss Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, released May 25, 2026. They explain what an encyclical is, why it carries high teaching authority and also outline the core message of the Magnifica Humanitas: Catholics and all people should use consc...

In this Memorial Day episode of the Diocese of St. Cloud's "Speaking of Faith," Pat Timmerman and her son Father Craig share the life and sacrifice of Army First Lieutenant Jason Gary Timmerman, a joyful farm kid, teacher, and devoted Catholic remembered for helping others. They recount Jason's service in Iraq, his love of Psalm 91 and the shock of learning he was killed instantly by an IED while...

May as Mental Health Awareness Month frames a conversation with Father Alan Wielinski and Deb Forstner of the Pelican Valley ACC. They discuss why mental health ministry belongs in parish life, addressing stigma, normalizing conversation and integrating faith's gifts of hope and community. The team's efforts include a suicide prevention remembrance and healing Mass, faith formation presentations o...

The conversation with theologian Dr. Jessica Coblentz continues. Drawing from her book 'Dust in the Blood: A Theology of Life with Depression,' she reframes depression as a "wilderness experience," reflecting on biblical stories of displacement and God's presence in suffering. Dr. Coblentz takes a deeper look at the story of Hagar, highlighting how God often provides not dramatic rescues but "smal...

In this episode of Speaking of Faith from the Diocese of St. Cloud, Dr. Jessica Coblentz, a theology professor at Saint Mary's College and author of Dust in the Blood: A Theology of Life with Depression published by Liturgical Press. Dr. Coblentz's book provides framework for the conversation where she shares how a severe depressive episode in her twenties felt like a frightening identity shift, m...

In this episode of the Diocese of St. Cloud's "Speaking of Faith," host Amber talks with Benedictine Sister Laura Suhr, director of Girls, God and Good Times (3G) Camp, and parent Stephanie Nix about the Catholic Benedictine summer camp for girls in its 20th year on the College of St. Benedict campus in St. Joseph. They discuss what sets 3G, a camp for girls exiting 4th through 11th grade, apart—m...

Liturgical Press celebrates 100 years of publishing! Therese Ratliff, director, Tara Durheim, marketing director, and Margaret Nuzzolese Conway, development manager, reflect on the press's Benedictine roots, Father Virgil Michel's role in the Liturgical Movement leading to Vatican II and how the mission has consistently centered stewardship, community and welcoming diverse voices, including women....

This episode includes a conversation about synodality with Dr. Kristin Colberg professor of theology at the College of St. Benedict and St. John's University and the only Vatican-appointed U.S. member of the Theological Commission supporting the Synod on Synodality. Dr. Colberg explains synodality as the ancient practice of "walking the path together" through prayerful listening and communal disce...