Candid Catholic Convos

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and today I’m honored to welcome to the program Deacon Ed Shoener, who is a founding member of the Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers and the Catholic Institute of Mental Health Ministry at the University of San Diego. He serves on the Council on Mental Illness of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability and has authored several books on su...

When I was a kid, being Catholic was just something I “did.” I went to church because my parents made me, same thing for Catholic school. It wasn’t until I was much older that I realized what my parents were giving me was a foundation to stand on, a home to come home to no matter how far I travelled. I want to lay the same foundation for my sons. How can we do our best, as parents and caregivers,...

In previous episodes we’ve talked about our wellness, our whole selves, as being spiritual, physical and mental. If you forsake one for another, inevitably, you will still suffer. How we nurture or nourish each of these areas directly impacts the other, which in turn impacts our whole self and how we show up in the world, how we make the real presence of Christ visible through us. So how can we sh...

Welcome to part two of our Candid Catholic Convos episode on what we want versus what God wants for us with spiritual director Donna Giberti. This week, we're continuing our conversation about attending to our desires, what happens when our plans don't work the way we want to, and how to live confidently in uncertainty.

Today we’re talking with Donna Giberti, a spiritual director with the Diocese who has lived several lifetimes before being formed – from unexpectedly becoming a single mother, to working in corporate America as well as the non-profit space, being an active participant in parish life, planning pilgrimages, and finally heeding God’s call of walking with others on their spiritual journey. Donna’s goi...

He Is Risen! Bishop Senior is joined by Michael Parks of WHP580 for our annual Easter Special.

Bishop Senior is joined by Michael Parks of WHP580 this week to share with us his wishes during the holiest week of the year.

Few Catholic saints are as celebrated in the secular world as Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Everything turns green and those who may not be Irish in heritage become Irish at heart, celebrating the lore, leprechauns, and luck associated with the holiday. Saint Patrick is truly the man, the myth and the legend – so much so that some even forget he’s a saint, and why that title was best...

For better or worse, election season is around the corner, and to help us wade through the waters of indecision is Eric Failing, Executive Director of the PA Catholic Conference and host of the "Faith, Elections and Citizenship; Forming Consciences of Faithful Citizenship, a call to political responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States" event happening April 8th at the Diocesan C...

70% of Catholics are afraid to share their faith or to participate in evangelization. So what are we as Catholics called to do? How can we make the process of evangelization not weird and uncomfortable for both us and whomever we’re speaking to? Deacon Gregory Amarante from our Catholic Life and Evangelization Team and Dr. Jim Gregory, director of religious education for St. Columba Parish and sch...

Where are we supposed to look for a good example of what it means to live well? Where are we supposed to look for a model so we can in turn be an example for our children? What does that even look like, anyway? Today we’re chatting with Jon Leonetti, a nationally known Catholic speaker, best-selling author, radio host and keynote speaker for this year’s Diocesan Men’s Conference, about using Saint...

More than 1 million children a year experience their parents's divorce or separation, and those children eventually grow up to become adults who's chances of experiencing a divorce themselves increase by 40%. Today we’re chatting with Bethany Meola, a wife, mother, author and co-founder of Life Giving Wounds, about the long lasting impact divorce and separation can have on children, and where adul...

In just 10 short days, we will begin the season of Lent – honestly it feels like Christmas was yesterday – and with that, comes meatless Fridays. Enter the local parish fish fry. This generations old practice has been a staple in Catholic communities dating back to prohibition when they were used to disguise speakeasies to keep the bars from going under financially and even further overseas. Just...

We’re each different, fearfully and wonderfully made, with a purpose that is specific to us. But sometimes, it’s difficult to recognize and appreciate our differences for what they are. The reality is we’re all more alike than you think. Today we're joined Deacon Armando Torres, our director of Cultural Identity and Outreach, to talk about the different apostolates as well as our new outreach prog...

We’ve talked about this topic a lot on Candid Catholic Convos, so today we dug deep into the archives and compiled a compendium – like a best of episode - all on the topic of pro-life just for you. The first segment is from Episode 37 with Samantha Povlock, CEO and Editor in Chief of FemCatholic with what mainstream would call a radical reframe of the term feminism and how that incorporates with o...

This week’s episode was recorded in September 2023 with Brian Lynch and Dominic Biacchi from our newly formed Diocesan Young Catholic Professionals Networking Organization, and we’re bringing it back today because of some pretty amazing updates – If you’re an adult in your 20s or 30s, mark your calendars for January 26 from 7 to 9pm because Young Catholic Professionals South Central PA is hosting...

If you have lofty goals for 2024, especially if they center around health and wellness like more than half the population, you're going to want to really lean into this episode, because today we're chatting with Erin McCole Cupp, an author and expert on Theology of the Body, about the theology of moving your body to honor God, managing disordered eating, and committing to true overall wellness of...

Today we’re joined by Jen Reed, our managing editor for the Catholic Witness, as she interviews Bishop Senior about his recent visit to SCI Coal Township, his first such visit to a prison in the Diocese of Harrisburg, and the first time he’s ever celebrated a liturgy for inmates. You can read more about his visit and experience online at www.thecatholicwitness.org .

Merry Christmas from the Diocese of Harrisburg! Enjoy a special conversation this week featuring WHP580's Michael Parks and Bishop Timothy Senior discussing happenings in the Diocese and their favorite memories of Christmas.

Advent is a season brought to us by the message of an angel, so let's talk about the role of angels in our lives, our guardian angels to be specific, and how we often forget that they’re with us all the time. They’re the ones watching when we’re sleeping, and helping us get on the nice list if you think about it. Today Sister Geralyn Schmidt, of the Sisters of Christian Charity, sits down with us...

If at this point in the year your family, like mine, is absolutely wiped – maybe you’re a little less patient with each other or you’re feeling guilty for not making enough time to do the interior work of parenting – this episode is for you. Today we're chatting with Melissa Maleski, director of Laity and Family for the Diocese of Harrisburg, about our role as parents in what we call the Domestic...

Dating has become a job in and of itself, and with the current state of our culture, what hope is there for single Catholics still looking for their happily ever after? Today I’m chatting with Julianne Bartlett, a Catholic writer and lawyer who experienced prolonged singleness to share with us how she maintained hope, survived the holidays with nosey family members, and eventually found her prince...

A few weeks ago, we started a conversation with spiritual director Chris Wood on stress, worry and overwhelm, but we didn’t get to finish. We had split into two episodes to fully do it justice, and its finally time to get to part two. Today we’re going to dive deeper and talk about what unhealthy levels of stress, worry and overwhelm look like, when we should consider seeking the assistance of med...

Merriam Webster dictionary defines a vocation as “a summons or strong inclination to a particular state or course of action, most notable a divine call to the religious life or the work in which a person is employed, their occupation.” Today marks the beginning of National Vocations Awareness week, and we have the honor and privilege of speaking with Bishop Timothy Senior, twelfth bishop of Harris...

Infertility affects both men and women, physically and emotionally. The worst part though, was feeling isolated, like we were in a desert alone, searching for an oasis that others had been able to find, but we couldn’t. Today, I’m honored to share the microphone with Ann Koshute, co-founder of Springs in the Desert, to share with us her journey to this much-needed ministry and advice for couples c...