Ave Explores

At the beginning of this season, Pope Leo told the Vatican Publishing House that books are bridges of encounter. By the season's end, he told writers that books help us more deeply explore what it means to be human. In this concluding episode, Katie reflects on how reading has shaped her own life and faith, and why great literature has the power to transform us. She also shares a curated list of t...

When Hallow CEO Alex Jones told Ashley Lenz he wanted to feature The Brothers Karamazov in the app’s annual Pray40 Lenten challenge, she had one condition: a weeklong retreat at Notre Dame. The retreat became the foundation for what would become Hallow’s most successful Pray40 campaign ever. More importantly, it confirmed a conviction at the heart of her work—that a truly good and beautiful book c...

In this episode, Katie talks with Marcie Stokman and Colleen Hutt, co-founders of Well-Read Mom, a nationwide book club for women seeking deeper friendships and meaningful conversations through great literature. Marcie and Colleen share how reading good books transformed their own lives, making them a better person, wife, and mother. In a culture increasingly shaped by constant screens and distrac...

In this episode of Ave Explores: Catholicism in Literature , Katie sits down with Kaitlyn Facista and Andrew Swafford to discuss the enduring legacy of two of Christianity’s greatest storytellers, C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. Facista, author of _Into the Heart of Middle-earth and founder of Tea with Tolkien, shares how Tolkien’s works played a significant role in her conversion to Catholicism...

Sr. Allison Gliot, FSP, and Fr. Michael Brisson, LC, both set out to write fiction, only to find their stories taking unexpected turns. One created a tale involving a priest entangled with the mafia; the other imagined a world where young adults navigate the mysteries of vampires. Unlikely stories from a priest and a religious sister—but perhaps all the more compelling because of their vocations....

Authors Haley Stewart and Claire Swinarski reflect on how a lifelong love of reading sparked their writing careers, helped cultivate a rich reading culture in their homes, and continues to open the door to deeper, more meaningful connections with others. We would love it if you could leave a written review on Apple and share with your friends! Editing provided by Forte Catholic ( https://www.forte...

To kick off the new series of Ave Explores on Catholicism in Literature, Fr. Jonah Teller, OP, shares how a lifelong love of reading shaped his faith, imagination, and vocation. In an age dominated by scrolling and screens, he reflects on why great books still matter and how the classics form us in wisdom, virtue, and attentiveness to God and the world around us. Fr. Jonah also offers practical wa...

On May 8, 2025, Pope Leo XIV was elected the 267th pope of the Catholic Church. In the months since, his leadership, messages of peace, and warm presence among the faithful have offered much to reflect on. In this special episode of Ave Explores , Katie McGrady and Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP, discuss the lessons and insights Pope Leo XIV has shared with the Church and the world. We would love it...

We usually arrive at Easter ready to stop "counting the days" of Lent and happy to end our fasting. Laura Kelly Fanucci's new Easter devotional, Living Easter encourages us to enter the 50 days of Easter with the same focus and purpose as we did for the 40 days of Lent. Get your copy of Witness today, with a foreword by Jonathan Roumie from The Chosen. We would love it if you could leave a written...

Holy Week arrives with a sudden silence—marked by darkness, stillness, and striking liturgical traditions—that invites us to enter more deeply into the mystery and memory of Jesus’ Passion, Death, and Resurrection. Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP, helps us prepare for the intensity of the week by sharing the rich Holy Week traditions of the Dominican Order. Get your copy of Witness today, with a fore...

Author of A Man on Purpose , Pete Burak shares how courage doesn’t begin with heroic moments, but with daily faithfulness. In this episode, he explores how small, sometimes difficult Lenten practices—like fasting—form us to respond when God calls us to step forward in bigger ways. Get your copy of Witness today, with a foreword by Jonathan Roumie from The Chosen. We would love it if you could leav...

Crucifixion was meant to be a humiliating death, a public sign of defeat. Yet Jesus transforms the Cross into the place of ultimate victory. In this episode of Ave Explores , Meg Hunter-Kilmer reflects on how gazing upon the Cross humbles us—revealing both the depth of Christ’s love and the saving power found in what once seemed like failure. Get your copy of Witness today, with a foreword by Jona...

When we stand at the foot of the Cross, we encounter true compassion—literally, “to suffer with.” Mary Lenaburg knows this compassion intimately. Having experienced profound sorrow and deep joy, she understands that suffering is not a season to escape but a place to remain with Christ. While her life has not been a perpetual Lent, she has learned how to walk through it—standing beside Jesus at the...

Lent invites us to stand at the foot of the Cross—but never alone. The Christian life is meant to be lived in communion, alongside companions who help draw us closer to the Lord. In this episode, Fr. Jerónimo Espinosa and Ali Hoffman reflect on how friendship and community have shaped their faith over the years. Through their shared journey, they reveal the beauty of growing in intimacy with Jesus...

Rooted in their mission to uphold the dignity of every human person, the Sisters of Life witness to the truth that no one is beyond God’s love and mercy. During Lent, we are invited to stand at the foot of the Cross and encounter the Lord’s loving gaze, even in his suffering. Sr. Cora Caeli and Sr. Magnificat Rose share how they live Lent as religious sisters, reflecting on why the cross is not so...

Lent invites us to trust God’s providence—but it also calls for intention. In this episode, Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP, author of Witness, joins Katie and her husband, Tommy, to reflect on approaching the season with purpose. Fr. Patrick shares how writing a Lenten reflection journal helped him contemplate the Cross more deeply and why we’re invited to stand at its foot—ready to receive all the...

In this teaser episode of Ave Explores: Lent with Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP , host Katie McGrady sits down with Fr. Gregory Pine, OP, to name a familiar tension: many of us resist Lent, even while longing for the work God wants to do in us. Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving aren’t ends in themselves—they’re pathways into deeper participation in the divine life and a renewed ability to recognize G...

In the final days of Advent, Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP, reflects on Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem—sudden in appearance, yet deeply intentional and necessary. Their path invites us to consider our own journeys during this liturgical season and throughout life, and to recognize the deeper purpose meant to be received with wonder. We would love it if you could leave a written review on Ap...

With six kids, busy schedules, and long to-do lists, Deacon Jason and Rachel Bulman understand what it means to try and slow down in the Advent season, and how even best laid plans to slow down are often thwarted. In today's episode, they share how Jesus actually finds us in that chaotic family life, is present to us, and shows us his tenderness and brings joy even when we feel like everything is...

Walk into any Target or Home Goods and you'll see nothing but perfectly curated Christmas décor selling you the right kind of holiday aesthetic, all in pursuit of a perfect Instagram post. Eliza Monts, a popular Substack writer and Instagram influencer, shares how we can't let perfect be the enemy of good while pursuing peace and harmony in the Advent season. We would love it if you could leave a...

The season of Advent can become far busier than we'd like it to be, if we aren't careful. Author of Behold the Wonder , Katie Cavadini, offers insights into how incorporating lectio and visio divinia and allowing ourselves to be immersed in the moments of the nativity story throughout the season can provide us numerous opportunities to behold the wonders the Lord wants to show us in this season of...

Matt Maher takes Advent seriously, not only because he spends the season touring cathedrals across the country leading evenings of prayer and praise, but because Advent invites us to remember the gift and majesty of Mary’s “yes.” In this conversation, Matt reflects on how her courageous response shapes our own call to live the faith with renewed trust, hope, and openness each day. We would love it...

When Pope Leo was elected on May 8, 2025, Archbishop Nelson Pérez was flying home to Philadelphia from Rome. Mid-flight, he got to share the historic news with his fellow passengers. In this episode, Archbishop Pérez reflects on Pope Leo’s leadership style, his vision for the Church, and his awareness of the world’s challenges—qualities that are inspiring Catholics everywhere to renew their witnes...

Pope Leo is the first missionary Pope since St. Peter, and it is already quite evident how his formation as a missionary in Peru is guiding his papal ministry. Msgr. Roger Landry, the National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States, shares how the Holy Father is walking in the footsteps of his predecessors by first reminding us that we are called to "go out to all the wo...

Katie sits down with José Manuel de Urquidi of the Juan Diego Network and Inés San Martín of the Pontifical Mission Societies to discuss their personal experiences with Pope Francis and Pope Leo. Together, they explore how to understand Pope Francis’s legacy and the unfolding mission of Pope Leo. Reflecting on cultural nuances and the influence of social media, José Manuel and Inés reveal how each...