Kresta in the Afternoon

Raised in a loving home, Claire Culwell always knew she had been adopted and when she reached adulthood she decided to meet her birth mother. And that’s when she got the shock of her life. Claire learned that she was a survivor of a botched abortion. Not only that, she had an unborn twin whose life was terminated that day. And the story doesn’t end there. She joins us. Claire Culwell is the author...

It’s easy to look at the state of Mass attendance and yearn for the “Good old days” when Church life was a regular part of everyday life. But where do we take it from there? Some like to point at Vatican II as the cause of our problems, but that is missing a larger point. We’ll talk more about it with Fr Joseph Krupp Fr Joe Krupp is the pastor of Holy Family and St Mark’s parishes and the author o...

CS Lewis dedicated the first book in his beloved Chronicles of Narnia to his goddaughter, Lucy, writing "I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I had not realized that girls grow quicker than books. As a result you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again..."...

Prayer, in marriage, is more than checking off a box. It is time spent in the presence of the Author of love himself. Every time we pray for and with our spouse, God gives us greater insight into what it takes to love each other better more deeply, more honestly, more authentically, and more passionately. Every time we pray for and with our spouse, we open our hearts to a love that can satisfy our...

According to CS Lewis’ diary, he completed his journey to Christ on September 22, 1931. Throughout his career, Lewis drew from the structure, themes and narrative details of Dante's Divine Comedy. We'll talk with Marsha Williamson with a look at how Dante's work appears in Narnia, the Space Trilogy and other works. Marsha Williamson is the author of Reflecting the Eternal: Dante’s Divine Comedy in...

On September 26 we celebrate the feast of Cosmas and Damien, patron saints of surgeons and physicians. In the tenth chapter of Luke’s Gospel, Christ commands his apostles to “heal the sick and say to them, ‘the kingdom of God has come near to you.’” They were supposed to heal the sick even before they preached the Gospel. Mike Aquilina takes a look at this healing imperative and how it ushered in...

On his papal flight back from Slovakia and Hungary, Pope Francis told reporters that bishops should be “pastors, not politicians” when it comes to the issue of Eucharist for pro-abortion politicians. But as Monica Miller points out, one cannot desecrate the bodies of the unborn while receiving the body of Christ. She joins us. Read Monica's article here: https://www.crisismagazine.com/2021/cutting...

Ulf Ekman is no stranger to controversy. As a Lutheran priest in Sweden, he was a leader of a student revival that resulted in his very public separation from the Church of Sweden. He founded Word of Life, a large Pentecostal church that became the first "mega-church" in the country, and he became Sweden's most prominent Christian leader. But now he and his wife Birgitta have come into full commun...

There are a number of misconceptions about what Pope Francis has and hasn't said about abortion.  Al breaks it down.

The Archdiocese of Moncton in Canada will comply with state regulations on indoor public gatherings. This means that Catholics in that diocese will need to present proof of vaccination in order to attend Sunday Mass. JD Flynn joins us with a look at the canon law implications of the story. JD Flynn is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Pillar , a new Catholic media project focused on smart,...

Mother Angelica dedicated her life to directing the gaze of her viewers and listeners toward Heaven. We sit down with Doug Keck to learn from her on how we can grow in our own holiness. Doug Keck is the President and COO of EWTN. He recently discussed the book Mother Angelica's Guide to the Spiritual Life on his EWTN Bookmark program with Fr. Joseph Wolfe.

Peter Flies was raised Catholic, but lost faith when he discovered drinking. He was into sports and church, but those interests shifted to drinking and books. Years later, he would find himself sitting in a police car after being pulled over for driving under the influence. He tells us why that day was the best day of his life. Peter Flies lives in Rochester, MN with his family. He writes about wa...

Many people have written to us about the COVID-19 vaccines. Al shares his thoughts about COVID-19 vaccines and some of the absurd arguments against them. He also shares what he thinks about people wearing masks outside.

Today we celebrate the feast of Matthew – apostle, evangelist, martyr, and Gospel writer. We take a deep dive into his Gospel and meet Matthew the man with Steve Ray. Steve Ray leads pilgrimages to the Holy Land, Rome and other sites. He converted to Catholicism in 1994 and is the author of “Crossing the Tiber,” “Upon this Rock” and other books. He’s the host and producer of the Footprints of God...

Over the last few weeks we have seen several major corporations take public stands against Texas’ abortion law. Ride service Lyft pledged $1 million to Planned Parenthood and has vowed to cover the legal fees of drivers sued under the law. Dating service OK Cupid tweeted that it’s “hotter to support reproductive rights.” Why do these companies feel the need to publicly weigh in? We talk with Jenni...

On Friday, the Pentagon admitted it had accidentally killed ten civilians, including seven children, in a drone strike that was meant to kill ISIS K militants.  Al shares his thoughts.

Al shares his thoughts on a Wall Street Journal report that claimed Facebook withheld information that said that its app Instagram is bad for teenage girls' mental health.

Here is the latest news from Ave Maria Radio for Friday, 17 September 2021.  It's the Feast of St. Robert Bellarmine.

California Governor Gavin Newsom easily defeated a recall effort last night in the first major election since President Biden took office. As the parties look to the midterms and begin making plans for 2024, many conservatives are wondering what happens next. What effect will Donald Trump have? Will the media's claim that the Texas abortion bill will hurt Republicans come true? Henry Olsen joins u...

On his flight home from Slovakia today, Pope Francis reaffirmed that abortion is murder and urged priests to be “pastoral” rather than “political” when faced with the question of who can receive the Eucharist. Matthew Bunson weighs in. Matthew Bunson is Executive Editor and Washington Bureau Chief for EWTN News and a Senior Fellow at St Paul Center for Biblical Theology. He’s the author or co-auth...

For the Hebrew people, the temple was the center of the universe. God revealed Himself through the temple, the priesthood and the covenants. Steven Smith takes us on a deep dive through the Old and New Testaments, exploring the priesthood and God's covenant with His people. Dr. Steven Smith is a nationally-recognized speaker and the author of The House of the Lord: A Catholic Biblical Theology of...

Here's the latest news from Ave Maria Radio for Wednesday, 15 September 2021.  It's the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.

The late Fr Paul Mankowski wrote with a unique wit, a singular breadth of learning, and a penetrating insight into the challenges of Catholic life in the postmodern world. He suffered for his convictions but never lost hope in the renewal of Catholicism, and the truth of what the Church proposed to the world. We examine his legacy with George Weigel. George Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow an...

More than just a contest, the OSV Challenge is a unique experience for participants who aim to think beyond the status quo and view the Catholic Church through the lenses of innovation and creativity. The Final Round is this weekend, which Al will be addressing virtually. He talks about it with Jason Shanks. Jason Shanks is the President of the OSV Institute for Catholic Innovation. Visit osvchall...

In December 2015, Petr Jasek traveled to Sudan to evaluate how his ministry could help persecuted Christians there. He planned to be back home within a few days. But as he prepared to board his return flight, he was summoned for questioning by Sudanese security agents. He would spend the next 445 days in prison and would share a cell with ISIS fighters. He shares his story. Petr Jasek is the autho...