Detroit Stories

As Michigan's sports gaming industry reaches new heights, moral theologians and addiction experts weigh in on a Catholic's responsibility (0:02)The narrator tries (tongue-in-cheek) to interest the listener in various bets related to sporting events this year — the Super Bowl, Final Four and Kentucky Derby — to make a point about the prevalence of sports gambling since Michigan legalized the practi...

Four women religious tell their stories about what brought them to the convent — and why sisterhood is still a vocation worth considering (0:14) We meet Sr. Nancyann Turner, OP, a member of the Adrian Dominican Sisters for more than 60 years. She hints that over that time, her life has never been what she’d describe as “boring.” (2:21) The listener learns about National Catholic Sisters Week. Begu...

Doctors told Nora Mies' parents her seizures as a newborn meant she wouldn't live a normal life; then, they prayed to Blessed Solanus Casey (00:02) We meet 9-year-old Nora Mies, a student at St. Michael’s School in Livonia.* (00:24) Nora’s dad, Patrick Mies, talks about how Nora excels in school, in her many sports and extracurriculars, and how she shines socially and spiritually. However, Nora is...

How a once-juvenile lifer found redemption by finding the good in himself, with the help of a Catholic deacon (0:00) We meet James Thomas, a.k.a. “Jaymo,” who shares a memory of his younger life. He was 15, entering the juvenile justice system, and a psychologist at his trial — whom he’d only met briefly — described him for the court. It was the first time he was in trouble, but he was written off...

Mercy High alum Sheri Crawley created a club exclusively for black and brown girls to give them an empowering place to call their own (00:03) Mercy High School alum, Sheri Crawley was celebrating her daughter’s birthday at the Chicago American Girl store where the girls were allowed to each pick out a doll to sit with them during the birthday brunch. To Sheri’s surprise, the four black girls in th...

How God's gentle nudge led one Detroit man to share his faith on street corners — and the idea spread like wildfire (00:03) Narrator sets the scene of what a typical St. Paul Street Evangelization outing may look like at Comerica Park in downtown Detroit. (01:00) Listeners are introduced to Steve Dawson, founder of St. Paul Street Evangelization, a Detroit-based grassroots nonprofit that focuses o...

How a Christian service coordinator’s tragic passing brought a family of parishes together for ‘Mercy in Action’ (00:03): The narrator introduces Mercy in Action Day, where parishes in the six counties of the Archdiocese of Detroit mobilize to perform acts of service. (01:13) Listeners are introduced to St. Lucy Parish’s particularly robust Christian service ministry. This is due in large part to...

The importance of Catholic Central’s 77 year-long tradition, The Boys Bowl, is explained and elaborated on by the first hand experiences of a coach, athletic director, and most importantly, students. (00:02) The narrator begins to introduce Catholic Central’s long standing tradition of The Boys Bowl, noting how it’s much more than just a football game. (01:49) Part one: the history of The Boys Bow...

John Daraban shares his testimony of being a soul so far gone to the point of extreme hopelessness, led back onto the path of Christ through visions at St. Lawrence, an appearance from the Blessed Mother and Solanus Casey. (00:10) The narrator gives a preface to the story being shared on the Detroit Stories podcast, accrediting the production and hard work all to John Daraban, who will be sharing...

Dcn. Steve Morello was uniquely positioned to serve the Lord and the American people in the aftermath of the tragedies of September 11th, 2001. (0:23) Dcn. Steve Morello pondered and prayed about why God had brought him to his job, until one day, six weeks into his tenure as General Counsel for the United States Army, when the answer became very clear. (1:30) We learn about Dcn. Steve’s background...

Throughout a year of immense impact on society’s mental health, Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan has ensured that all those who seek help and care are able to find it. (0:17) We meet Lisa Elia, a behavioral health therapist at Catholic Charities, who introduces the symptoms of grief and loss that many teens and young adults have exhibited throughout the stretch of the pandemic. (3:27) We l...

Sergio Lopez and Giovanni Vitale have a goal to empower men to join the conversation on Natural Family Planning. (0:03) We meet Sergio and Juanita Lopez and learn about their introduction to — and immediate skepticism of — Natural Family Planning. We also learn that their marriage faced trouble, and they were considering divorce when Juanita suggested NFP as a way to reconnect. (2:35) Sergio talks...

Ederique Goudia is on a mission to rescue the lost food of Detroit and turn it into beautiful meals for the city’s food insecure population. (0:22) Ederique Goudia is a chef, activist, and parishioner at St. Augustine-St. Monica Parish with a deep love of the people and community in both the parish and the city of Detroit. (4:16) We learn of the many organizations Ederique works with to help preve...

Discover Detroit’s best kept secret: the oldest free clinic in America with a commitment to doing the right thing. (1:12) In 1834, America’s first free clinic — and Detroit’s first hospital — was established to help those who’d contracted cholera. 100 years later, it became the Cabrini Clinic, a clinic focused on serving the poorest of the poor. (3:27) Nurse Practitioner Alisa Smith gives an examp...

Despite growing up in a country and time of harsh religious persecution, Fr. Fred Kalaj still found and fell in love with the Gospel — even to the point of hearing and answering his call to the priesthood. (0:14) At just fifteen years old, Fr. Fred Kalaj was already pondering life’s toughest questions: why are we here? What is our purpose? What is death, and what comes next? He searched for these...

Graduation is always a milestone, but for St. Mary Catholic Central High School and the Goda family, this accomplishment has been a team effort with a lasting impact. (0:03) Graduation day is right around the corner, and this celebration is even more special for Jacob Goda and his parents, because Jacob has Downs Syndrome. (1:01) We learn about Jacob’s primary education in Monroe Public Schools, h...

When life threw Steve and Sue Francis challenge after challenge, faith in God was what helped them hope for better things. (0:24) We hear testimony of a long-awaited Easter for the Francis family, whose business experienced a fire that left everything unsalvageable. (1:56) Meet Steve and Sue Francis, owners of the Country Smoke House in Almont, MI, and how what started as a hobby bloomed into a bu...

Meet Maddeline and Daris Bartolon — immigrants who got the miracle they prayed for, thanks to a community who decided they would be strangers no longer. (0:09) We meet Maddeline Lopez Bartolon, a 15-year-old choir member and parishioner at St. Gabriel in Detroit, who lives with a genetic condition called rickets. (1:40) We learn about the Bartolon’s home in San Marcos, Guatemala, and the urgency o...

For Fr. Zach and Fr. Drew Mabee, the bond of brotherhood led them not only to Catholicism, but to priestly vocations in Michigan, as well. (0:00) We meet Zach and Drew Mabee, priests of the Diocese of Lansing and Archdiocese of Detroit, respectively — and brothers. Two generally different siblings are bonded together by both brotherhood and priesthood. (2:03) Father Zach talks about what their pro...

Audrey Sutherland left her home, her family, and her job to minister in Atlantic City. Here’s what she learned from her Boardwalk ministry. (0:16) We meet Audrey Sutherland and learn about her rural upbringing and the culture shock she witnessed when moving to suburban Detroit, and the abrupt decision she made to leave her home and job to move to Atlantic City. (1:48) A brief overview of the Atlan...

The story of one couple’s experience revitalizing a failing marriage, and how they’ve become leaders of metro-Detroit’s marriage-saving Retrouvaille ministry. (0:00) Meet Mark and Betty Squier, a couple on the eve of their 19th wedding anniversary — and on the brink of divorce. (1:25) Mark tells the story of how he and Betty met, when they got married, and of the five children the two have. (3:25)...

Mary Sue Terrasi embodied the pro-life movement so passionately that her efforts and impact still continue — even after her death. (0:27) Mary Sue Terrasi embodied everything Pope Francis refers to when he talks about “blue jean saints.” We learn about how she and her husband Bill met, and her high-risk pregnancy and Hodgkin’s diagnosis that led to some challenging decisions. (4:50) We learn of th...

From humble yet musical beginnings through to a career as an international opera singer, Mary Callaghan Lynch is on a mission to bring opera to the students of Detroit. (0:17) We meet the Callaghan family, huddled around the TV watching Giancarlo Menotti’s opera Amahl and the Night Visitors. (2:19) We hear about Mary’s successful career as an international opera singer and her opportunity to perfo...

From mobster to minister, Tom Naemi experienced a profound conversion to Christ from behind bars. (0:33) Tom Naemi discusses his plan to eliminate his rival’s grocery store — for good. (2:46) We learn more about Tom’s life growing up in Highland Park, how he started working with the family store, and the beginning of his rivalry with another local grocer. (6:37) Tom tells us how he fled to Baghdad...

The pandemic changed all our lives. Here’s how it affected those on the frontlines. (1:40) We look at the pandemic through the lens of FEMA’s shock cycle, which evaluates a community’s response to trauma. We begin with phase one: preparedness. (2:58) After some testimony from Laura, a woman quarantining alone, we hear from Kelly, an ER nurse on the front lines of treading patients. We then meet Ni...