Through the Grapevine

Send us Fan Mail This week Michalene speaks with Bobbi Gallagher and Randy Kissell about our amazing Food Justice Garden, how it began, and how it continues to thrive and provide literally tons of fresh produce for those in need in our local community. We were enjoying Root 1 Carmenere wine from the Calchuaga Valley region of Chile . Michalene recommends the Matt Maher song "Garden" Jeff...

Send us Fan Mail This week is just the three of us sharing about the upcoming parish celebration, the kickoff to the new ministry year, and some of the awesome events the parish has planned for this year of Eucharistic revival, "Nourishing our bodies, souls, and communities." This week we're drinking Fit Soda Root Beer Vanilla Float , which we can't in good conscience recommend...

Send us Fan Mail This week Michalene returns from her east coast adventures as we talk to Lloyd Smeidler and Jason Blanton about the Bread for the World organization, and how we can get involved in advocating for an end to hunger in our nation and world right here at Holy Infant. Click here to learn more about Bread for the World. Watch the film A Place at the Table on the hunger epidemic in the U...

Send us Fan Mail This week Amber and Jeff got to hang out with Fr. Robert, Fr. Labosky, with special guest appearances by Zoe, Bolli, and Queso (and Annie, Cap, and Chewie in spirit).  We talk about our dogs past and present, how they've become intertwined in our lives and the lessons they teach about dependence and unconditional love. Congratulations to our Mickey McGrath book drawing winner...

Send us Fan Mail This week we have a special interview with Brother Mickey McGrath, an Oblate of St Francis de Sales and a wonderful Catholic artist whose works are very familiar to us here at Holy Infant, as they are all around the campus.  You can learn more about Brother Mickey and how to get any of his art or books through his website, https://www.bromickeymcgrath.com/ Amber and Jeff were drin...

Send us Fan Mail This week we have our new deacon, Tom Hill, in studio with Amber, Michalene, and Jeff, to talk about his vocation and the permanent deaconate, and why he and his wife Judy chose to join Holy Infant upon moving to North Carolina.   We enjoyed a glass of the Pinto Noir from Sunny with a Chance for Flowers winemakers in California . Next week don't miss Jeff's conversation...

Send us Fan Mail This is our last re-share of our favorite episodes from Season 1.    Season 2 of Through the Grapevine begins next week! In this episode from March, Michalene spoke with Andrea Thomas, co-director of The Vigil Project , a community of artists making music for the Catholic journey and inviting the Church into prayer through song.  The Vigil Project led a True Presence Night of musi...

Send us Fan Mail As we re-share episodes from our first season this summer, this was an episode from back in January around the feast of St Francis DeSales featuring a conversation between Michalene and Fr. Jack Kolodziej, the Provincial of the Wilmington-Philadelphia Province of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales about the spirituality of St Francis de Sales and the Oblates. Our beverage this we...

Send us Fan Mail As we re-share episodes from our first season this summer, this was our second full episode when Amber spoke with parishioner Arianna Guitierez who started the Mom's Book Club this fall.  Our wine this week is the Relax Riesling .   

Send us Fan Mail This week we re-share our episode from June 1 with Fr. Jim Sabak, OFM, director of the office of divine worship for the Diocese of Raleigh, in studio to dive into some of the wonderful liturgical celebrations of June that sometimes get overshadowed in the transition from the end of the Easter season and academic year to the summer months. Since June 13 is the memorial of St Anthon...

Send us Fan Mail This week we discuss the focus of our parish we have planned for the 2023-2024 ministry year, including a talk from Fr. Robert at our recent parish leadership summit, as well as some of the nuts and bolts and things that are planned.  Ultimately, this is about how we can all see ourselves, our ministries, as part of this focus, both how we can be nourished ourselves, and how we ca...

Send us Fan Mail This week we speak with two members of our Holy Infant music ministry, Brian and Ellyn, about the importance of music in their faith lives and why they choose to be a part of the choir. We drank some peppermint hot tea this week as we chatted since, besides water, it is one of the better drinks for soothing the voice. Amber recommends coming to our graduate celebration at the 11:3...

Send us Fan Mail This week we have Fr. Jim Sabak, OFM, director of the office of divine worship for the Diocese of Raleigh, in studio to dive into some of the wonderful liturgical celebrations of June that sometimes get overshadowed in the transition from the end of the Easter season and academic year to the summer months. Since June 13 is the memorial of St Anthony, we are drinking the Cais Da Ri...

Send us Fan Mail This week Jeff and his guest, Jonathan Kregor, professor of music at the University of Cincinnati, dive into three familiar pieces of music of the Holy Spirit that we sing for Pentecost.  They also discuss one of Jonathan's own compositions, Come, Holy Spirit. Our Pentecost wine is Dancing Flame red blend from the D.O. Valle Central of Chile. Michalene's recommendation i...

Send us Fan Mail This week Amber spoke with Mark Searcy, who was Baptized, Confirmed, and received the Eucharist at the Easter Vigil at Holy Infant as he completed his initiation into the Catholic Church.  Mark's girlfriend, Maggie, who had an important part in Mark's journey, also takes part in the conversation. Our wine selection is the Rosé from The Four Graces winery in the Willamett...

Send us Fan Mail This week Michalene speaks with Whitney Whitmore and Lizzy Lineberry, co-founders of the Lily of the Valley ministry that serves families with early life challenges such as infertility, a prenatal diagnosis, a postnatal medical concern, or the loss of a child.    You can get in touch with the ministry through their website, https://lotvministry.org/ This week in honor of Mother&ap...

Send us Fan Mail This week after playing a little fact or fiction, Michalene chats with Chris Woodward and Jeff Spears from our Holy Infant Knights of Columbus Council about all the good work they do within our parish and in the community, and the fellowship they experience together. We have some gift recommendations this week... Amber recommends the Little Things Studio where she got her gifts fo...

Send us Fan Mail This week Amber, Michalene, and Jeff check in with one another for the first time since the Easter break, and we hear from several of our new Holy Infant family members from when they attended our celebration event for new parishioners back in March.

Send us Fan Mail This Easter break week Michalene and Jeff drove down to Oriental, NC for a daysail on the Neuse River on Holy Infant parishioner Ed Blocher's Cal 2-27. Click here for some info about Divine Mercy Sunday and plenary indulgences. Best way to learn about the village of Oriental is to check out The Town Dock , the online news site for the town.

Send us Fan Mail Jeff is joined by Andrew Casad, a theology instructor at O'Dea High School in the Seattle area, who has extensive experience study and working in the areas of liturgy, Christian initiation, and catechetics, including serving as the director of liturgy and the catechumenate at St Thomas More in Chapel Hill 2006-2013. Special thanks to Fr. Robert, Michalene, and Amber for helpi...

Send us Fan Mail This week we chat with our pastor, Fr. Robert, on a wide range of topics about the parish including a bunch of campus projects, how one can get assistance, and as we continue to grow, how to put down roots, get involved, and live our faith. We were drinking a great bottle of The Federalist Red Blend from Mendocino County, California. Michalene recommends reflecting on Jesus'...

Send us Fan Mail This week as we prepare to celebrate the solemnity of St Joseph on March 20th (usually March 19th, but moved this year because it falls on a Sunday of Lent), we decided to do an episode on fathers, who, like Joseph, aren't biological fathers, but answered unique calls to fatherhood.  Mike McDonnell is on the staff at Immaculate Conception Catholic School in Durham and he shar...

Send us Fan Mail This week Michalene speaks with Andrea Thomas, co-director of The Vigil Project, a community of artists making music for the Catholic journey and inviting the Church into prayer through song.  The Vigil Project will lead a True Presence Night of music and adoration at Holy Infant this Sunday, March 12th, at 6:30pm.  All are welcome! Since we were recording a little earlier than no...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we had the privilege to speak with Irene Dunbar, a founding member of Holy Infant, at her home, where she is regularly visited and brought the Eucharist by the members of our Sick and Homebound Ministry.  You can learn more about this ministry by visiting www.holyinfantchurch.org/homebound This week we enjoyed the Unshackled Cabernet Sauvignon from California. Mich...

Send us Fan Mail This week we spoke with Kelly Adamson who is a campus minister at Dayton University in Ohio and a lay Benedictine Oblate.  Kelly shares how regularly praying one or more of the hours from the Liturgy of the Hours such as Morning or Evening Prayer helps her hear God's constant call through the psalms, canticles, readings, and prayers each day. We tried the Fre brand alcohol-re...