Catholic Review Radio

Deacon Greg Kandra is a writer, retreat leader, blogger and author. Catholic Review Editor Christopher Gunty chatted with Deacon Kandra about his most recent book, “Peace Be with All of You: The Mission and Message of Pope Leo XIV,” from Word Among Us. He explains why service, unity and hope in Christ are hallmarks already of the new pope’s tenure, based in Augustinian spirituality. He also talks...

The Dead Sea Scrolls are some of the oldest versions of the Bible that have ever been discovered, dating back even before the time of Christ. Discovered in 1947 in Qumran, a portion of the scrolls are now on display in Washington, D.C., at the Museum of the Bible. Catholic Review Editor Christopher Gunty walked through the exhibit with Dr. Robert “Bobby” Duke to learn about how the exhibit came ab...

As a new year dawns, Rita Buettner sits down with award-winning Catholic author and columnist Laura Kelly Fanucci for a thoughtful conversation about faith, reflection, grief and hope in times of transition. Fanucci reflects on how moments such as the turn of a calendar year invite us to pause, take stock and ask where God has been present in our lives — and where God may be calling us next. Laura...

With the death of Pope Francis and the conclave to elect Pope Leo XIV, it's an understatement to say that 2025 was a busy year for the church. Catholic Review Editor Christopher Gunty sat down for an extensive conversation with Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori about the papal transition and issues of concern to the local church. The archbishop talked about good news on the vocations front, the...

The Archdiocese of Baltimore was among the first in the nation to ordain permanent deacons. Yet more than 50 years later, many Catholics still wonder how deacons serve the Church and what distinguishes their ministry. On this episode of Catholic Review Radio, George Matysek explores the diaconate from its apostolic origins to its modern-day expression. The program begins with Father Michael Foppia...

George Matysek talks with Father Maurice Henry Sands, executive director of the U.S. Bishops’ Black and Indian Mission Office in Washington, D.C. A priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit and a member of the Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi tribes, Father Sands brings a deeply personal perspective to the Church’s long history with Native and African American communities. Father Sands reflects on his upbr...

Rita Bittner sits down with Jack Kissane, longtime board president of Our Lady’s Center in Ellicott City, and Christine Cunningham, the center’s manager. Founded in 1974 as an oratory shrine and family apostolate, Our Lady’s Center welcomes thousands each year to draw closer to Jesus through the Blessed Mother. Kissane reflects on the center’s 50-year history, including its origins with founder Fr...

Advent is a special season for Catholics as we prepare to celebrate the Incarnation of our Lord. Catholic Review Editor Christopher Gunty is joined by two guests to talk about these days of anticipation. In the first segment, we talk with Oblate Sister of St. Francis de Sales Audrey Frances Moran, who teaches fourth grade religion at Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Towson, about how she explain...

Mark Viviano talks with Baltimore-area attorney Mark Scheuerman, a devout Catholic and parishioner of St. John the Evangelist in Severna Park, whose faith is the foundation of his legal practice. Scheuerman, founder of Scheuerman Law, discusses what it means to bring compassion, integrity and moral clarity into a profession often seen as ruthless. He shares powerful stories from his work in crimin...

Do you know which Catholic Church in the United States has the longest main aisle or which cemetery serves as the final resting place for more Hall of Fame baseball players than any other in the country? And do you know the name of the Russian prince who became a priest in the newly formed the United States of America? Believe it or not, the answers to all of those questions have ties to the Archd...

What leads a parish priest to leave the busyness of ministry for a life of silence and solitude? In this episode, George Matysek talks with Father Peter of Jesus — formerly a priest of the Archdiocese of Baltimore known as Father Patrick Peach — about his faith-filled journey to a Carmelite Hermitage in Minnesota. Father Peter, a graduate of Calvert Hall College High School in Towson, reflects on...

How we remember our loved ones has changed over the years — but the need to grieve, honor and support one another remains timeless. In this All Souls Day episode, Michael Ruck Sr., president of Ruck Funeral Homes and parishioner of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore, joins Rita Buettner for a heartfelt conversation about the evolving ways...

The Catholic Extension Society has been helping mission dioceses in the United States since 1905. Father Jack Wall, a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, has been its president since 2007. Catholic Review Editor Christopher Gunty talked with Father Wall about the ways that Catholic Extension helps almost half of the dioceses in the US find the resources they need to ensure the church is vibrant...

Bishop Adam J. Parker answers a wide variety of questions from our listeners on our third installment of our "Ask a Bishop" edition of Catholic Review Radio. Just a few topics he addresses include ways of inviting people into the church, changes to confirmation policies, the state of archdiocesan bankruptcy proceedings, the election of Pope Leo, eucharistic processions and how to become Catholic....

Do you connect the things happening in your everyday life to your faith? Things such as taking the carrots out of your son’s soup, or watching the Olympics? Catholic Review columnist Rita Buettner has a knack for that, in her column in the print edition or in her online blog. Catholic Review Editor Christopher Gunty sat down with Rita to talk about how she is able to find links between what’s goin...

What would you do if you found a statue of our Blessed Mother in a dumpster behind a florist shop? Former radio DJ Kevin Matthews had to face that question. Catholic Review Editor Christopher Gunty talks with Matthews about his fateful find, and how he had the statue repaired just enough to show that Mary is the mother of all those who are broken. Now a speaker and leader of prayer services, Matth...

In recent years, the Archdiocese of Baltimore has been blessed with a significant increase in the number of men and women stepping forward to answer the call to religious life. Joining us to talk about is Father Stephen Roth, Director of Vocations and Associate Vicar for Clergy for the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Father Roth, a former pastor of St. Isaac Jogues in Carney, was ordained to the priesth...

What’s the difference between a faith-based movie and a “faith-adjacent” movie? How do producers and directors ensure they are creating films that inspire and uplift viewers? Catholic Review Editor Christopher Gunty talked with writer and director Sean McNamara about these topics, and about his new movie, due in theaters Sept. 26, “Bau: Artist at War.” The new film is based on a true story of love...

Now in his 18th season with the Ravens, head coach John Harbaugh is celebrated for championships and playoff runs. But his Catholic faith and family values shape him even more. Mark Viviano talks with Harbaugh about purpose, prayer, parenting and how faith fuels life on and off the field.

Little Portion Farm, a ministry of the Conventual Franciscans, has been feeding the hungry and caring for creation since 2019. Using sustainable methods, the Ellicott City farm has donated more than 100,000 pounds of fresh produce to those in need. Father Michael Heine, provincial leader of the Our Lady of the Angels Province, and Matt Jones, manager of Little Portion Farm, talk with George Matyse...

A 17th-century Italian orphan finds the long-lost piece of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, missing since Dominican friars cut out a portion of the wall to connect the priory's refectory with its kitchen. That’s the basic premise of “Boy of Heaven,” a novel by Morris Hoffman. As the tale takes us through the trials and tribulations of the story, eternal themes emerge. Catholic Review Editor Ch...

It’s back-to-school time and for School Sister of Notre Dame Patricia McCarron, that means a new job. She stepped down as head of school at Notre Dame Prep in Towson at the end of the school year and now is the superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Catholic Review Editor Christopher Gunty talked with Sister Patricia about what inspired her to become a School Sister of Notre D...

In October 2023, the militant group Hamas attacked Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and kidnapping hundreds. Israel retaliated and now, nearly two years later, the conflict continues. In this episode of Catholic Review Radio, Editor Christopher Gunty talks with Joseph Hazboun, regional director for Catholic Near East Welfare Association, a pontifical mission. Hazboun says the situation in th...

The heavens are full of wonder, and the astronomers who work for the Vatican Observatory probably know that better than most people on earth. In this episode of Catholic Review Radio, Editor Christopher Gunty talks with Jesuit Father Paul Gabor, vice director of the Vatican Observatory in Tucson, Ariz., about the intersection between faith and science. As a scientist, he is grateful for the gift o...

During the Second Vatican Council, a mysterious voice began reporting from inside the closed-door sessions — exposing tensions and calling for reform. That voice belonged to Xavier Rynne, the pseudonym of Father Francis Xavier Murphy, a Redemptorist priest who risked everything to write anonymously about the council’s inner workings. George Matysek talks with Richard A. Zmuda, author of the new hi...