Candid Catholic Convos

A "vocation" and a "job" are sometimes used interchangeably, but it turns out, a vocation carries a much deeper significance: "who you are" vs. "what you do." Or rather "who has God called you to be." Today we're chatting with Deacon Andrew St. Denis, one of our transitional deacons soon to be ordained a priest in a few weeks, about how he knew he was called to the priesthood.

Today we have the very special privilege of introducing you to Deacon Cole Mase, one of our three transitional deacons preparing to enter the priesthood in the next few weeks, and we're chatting about how he knew he was ready to take the first step into seminary.

Happy Mother's Day! Today we're bringing you a very special crossover episode with Mel Rossi and Jess Wolf of the podcast Simple Yes to help us dive deeper into our relationship with Mary as a human and as a mother.

Homelessness in Pennsylvania alone rose 12.2 percent over the last year according to the Annual Homelessness Assessment Report, and on any given day, over 12,000 Pennsylvanians are known to be homeless across the commonwealth. 20-25% of the homeless population across the U.S. also struggle with mental health or substance abuse issues. This week, we’re shining a light on a powerful new ministry in...

Happy Easter! Even though we're at the end of Holy Week, how can we really lean in to this special season, this pinnacle of our faith, and truly experience it rather than just trudge through it? Deacon Scott Root, senior theology teacher for Trinity High School, joins me again today for our Back-to-Basics series, and today we’re exploring the holiest week of the year that we just celebrated, most...

Michael Parks of WHP 580 sits down with Bishop Timothy Senior for our annual Easter episode. For more event info, visit hbgdiocese.org Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/kuFY92hTKBM

In just a few short months, our diocese will be hosting a young adult jubilee pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi to celebrate the jubilee with Pope Francis and young people around the world while also visiting some of the world’s most incredible holy sites. We're super excited to welcome back Zack Haney, director of youth and young adult ministries and this year’s pilgrimage leader, to talk about how w...

What if we told you that the Diocese is partnering with a unique organization that not only raises funds and awareness for crisis pregnancies, but also embraces a holistic pro-life approach using a combination of cycling and evangelization? Today, we're excited to welcome back Zack Haney, our director of Youth and Young adult Ministry, and Marianne Weltmer, our director of Life and Dignity, to cha...

If you're a fan of the 1989 animated classic 'All Dogs Go To Heaven,' you're probably a firm believer that our furry friends will be waiting for us on the other side. But what does the church actually say about this? Some doctors of the church say no, while some saints and even the pope say yes. To offer us another perspective, Father Kenneth Roth, pastor at St. Joseph’s Church in Mechanicsburg an...

Being Catholic isn't something we 'have' to do - it's something we 'get' to do. We get to experience God's grace through His gift of the Sacraments. Deacon Scott Root, senior theology teacher at Trinity High School, joins us again today for our back-to-basics series and today we're covering the last two sacraments, the sacraments of service which are matrimony and holy orders. Watch on YouTube: ht...

Did you know anointing of the sick isn't just for those who are dying? Deacon Scott Root, senior theology teacher for Trinity High School, joins us again for our next installment of the Back-to-Basics series. Today we’re exploring the Sacraments of Healing: Confession and Anointing of the sick and why they’re both necessary for a healthy, fulfilling life. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/eHWbpdC...

We've talked a lot about taking ownership of our Catholic Faith, and today we're going to do just that, starting with the sacraments. Deacon Scott Root, senior theology teacher at Trinity High School, joins us for the next installment of our back to basics series and today, we're doing a deep dive into the sacraments of initiation: Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation.

It’s hard to have faith that things will get better or truly believe that this suffering is there for a reason. Instead of drawing closer to God, it often feels like we’ve been abandoned. Pope Francis wrote, "God does not abandon us and often amazes us by granting us a strength that we never expected and would never have found on our own." He likened the journey of the ill to that of the disciples...

We're always looking for ways to honor and improve our relationships with our spouses, our kids or our friends, but when was the last time we worked on our relationship with God? Sure you say your prayers and go to church, but when was the last time you actually put any effort into THAT relationship? God doesn’t want to be acquaintances with us. He wants ALL of us. So how can we deepen our relatio...

Bishop Senior recently announced that schools in the Diocese of Harrisburg would be incorporating age-appropriate teachings of Theology of the Body into their curriculum starting with the 2025 school year. Today, we're joined by Mr. Courtney Brown, father of eight and executive director of Rua Woods Institute. Rua Woods is one of the many curriculum choices our schools and parents alike have to ed...

Father Ben Dunkelberger, pastor at Our Lady of the Visitation and campus minister at Shippensburg University joins us today to walk through all the vibrant opportunities to available in our Diocese for Youth and Young Adults and hopefully, you’ll learn about one that interests you! Follow us on social media: https://www.facebook.com/DioceseofHarrisburg https://www.instagram.com/hbgdiocese/ https:/...

Deacon Scott Root, Senior Theology Teacher at Trinity High School, joins us for the start of our new series, Back to Basics. This week, we begin our deep dive into the Catholic faith, starting with the Church itself - its origins, its mission, its structure, and what we mean when we say, "a mystery of faith." If you have any questions you'd like to ask Deacon Root, drop a comment below and we'll d...

In the spirit of the new year, let’s make a resolution together to get back to basics on all things Catholic. Deacon Scott Root, senior theology teacher at Trinity High School, will be sitting down with us today and throughout 2025 to dive deep into the foundations of Catholicism, helping us get back to basics and revitalize our commitment to our faith, starting with an introduction to Catholicism...

Michael Parks of WHP 580 joins Bishop Senior for our annual Christmas episode to discuss all the recent happenings in the Diocese as well as looking into what we can expect in the new year.

Today is the third Sunday of Advent, next week is Christmas already. Society tells us “its the most wonderful time of year,” that we’re just expected to be happy and smiling and joyful because its Christmas. But for many people, this is a very hard time of year. So how can we experience true joy, not just temporary holiday happiness? Father Stephen Logue, campus minister at Millersville University...

We tend to place a lot of pressure on ourselves this time of year to do all the things in the name of preparing for Christmas. And by its definition, Advent is a season of preparation, but are we preparing the right way or are we being distracted? Making the cookies and sending the cards and putting the tree up in November isn’t really helping us prepare for Jesus’ first or second coming. It’s jus...

Advent is a season of waiting, and God does some of His best work in our waiting seasons, but we have to have hope, and we have to trust in Him that the wait is worth it. To kick off this season of joyful anticipation, we're excited to welcome Father Bill Forrey, pastor at Holy Name of Jesus Parish, to dive deeper into the meanings of Hope and the first week of Advent.

Thanksgiving is upon us, and with it, all those reminders to be grateful. But what is gratitude, and how can we practice it throughout the year? Sister Geralyn Schmidt joins us today to unpack this virtue with tangible tips to practice it.

We will never have all the information. We aren’t meant to. That’s why we have faith. Martin Luther King Jr. is famously quoted as saying “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” To wrap up Vocations Awareness week, we have the honor of speaking with Fr Josh Weaver, Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Harrisburg to help us fill in the gaps of what a vocation is,...

The end of this election won’t come with sunshine and rainbows and everyone skipping hand and hand into the sunset. What matters isn’t what’s on the news today—it’s what we choose to do about it, and the effect that choice has on our eternal souls. Today’s episode is a repeat with Executive Director of the PA Catholic Conference and regular guest on our show, Eric Failing. Normally we don’t air re...