Kresta in the Afternoon

Here is the latest news from Ave Maria Radio for Tuesday, 14 September 2021.  Its the feast of the Triumph of the Cross.

In the weeks following the terrorist attacks, firefighter Tom Colucci attended the funerals of several of his friends and coworkers. While present at them, an old thought returned to his mind: “Why don’t I become a priest?” He joins us. Fr. Tom Colucci is the Pastor of Most Precious Blood Parish in Walden, New York

Fr. Kevin Madigan was leaving his parish of St Peter’s in Lower Manhattan when he heard the first plane hit the towers. He grabbed his anointing oils and rushed to the scene, looking to minister to the injured. As he worked, he heard a second explosion rock overhead. He joins us.

In September 2001, Jim Nicholson had just arrived in Rome to serve as US Ambassador to the Holy See for the Bush administration. He was meeting with the French ambassador when he learned what was happening back home. He shares his experiences and how John Paul II reacted. Jim Nicholson is an attorney and former US Ambassador to the Holy See. He has also served as chairman of the Republican Nationa...

As the North Tower burned, FDNY Chief Rich Picciotto charged up the burning stairs. He was between the sixth and seventh floors when the tower collapsed and prayed that God would “make it quick.” He is the highest-ranking firefighter to survive the World Trade Center collapse, and joins us. Richard Picciotto is the author of Last Man Down: A Firefighter's Story of Survival and Escape from the Worl...

Here is the latest news from Ave Maria Radio for Monday, 13 September 2021.  It's the feast of St. John Chrysostom.

At 9:25 am on September 11, the Department of Transportation ordered US airspace closed. Thousands of planes suddenly had no place to go. 38 of them were diverted to Gander, Newfoundland. The tightly-knit community of less than 10,000 suddenly found itself playing host to nearly 7,000 scared and confused travelers. What followed was an incredible display of love and humanity on one of the world's...

Al shares his thoughts on former President Bush's speech on the anniversary of 9/11 and how he sees America twenty years after the terrible terrorist attacks.  

Here is the latest news from Ave Maria Radio for Friday, 10 September 2021.  It's the feast of St. Nicholas of Tolentino.

It was 1943 – World War II was in full swing and Italy had just switched to the Allies’ side. Two German soldiers were killed in the northern part of the country when some abandoned munitions exploded. The Germans insisted it was sabotage and rounded up 22 civilians, demanding to know who was behind the plot. That’s when policeman Salvo D’Acquisto stepped in. Dino Valle tells the story. Dino Valle...

When asked last week about the new abortion law in Texas, President Biden made two things clear: He will use every resource of the government to ensure Texas women have access to abortion, and he does not believe life begins at conception. This is the latest example of how he has completely towed the line of the Democratic Party on abortion. Paul Kengor joins us. Paul Kengor is author most recentl...

Here is the latest news from Ave Maria Radio for Thursday, 9 September 2021.  It's the feast of St. Peter Claver.

Many people, when discussing the challenges we face today, make the mistake of taking a very narrow view of history, which allows them to declare emphatically that things are the worst they have ever been. And we can make the same mistake when discussing the problems facing the Church. But to do so misses the point – the Church has faced great challenges in the past and risen from them stronger th...

The Church has gone through some dark times and it is easy to think that everything is a sign of the end times.  Al explains why this isn't the case and why there is no better (and no harder) time to be Catholic in America.

Mary is arguably history’s most famous woman – the namesake of thousands of schools and churches and the inspiration for thousands of pieces of art. Yet we also call her “the woman wrapped in silence.” What lies between these two extremes? We’ll talk with Fr. David Meconi. Father David Meconi is the author of many books, most recently 101 Surprising Facts About Mary. He currently directs the Catho...

Today is the Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. What better way to celebrate than discussing the Rosary? We’ll look at the historical, theological and devotional elements of the Rosary with Fr. Donald Calloway. Fr Don Calloway is a member of the Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. Before his conversion to Catholicism he was a high school dropout who had been kicked...

On Sunday Pope Francis will travel to Budapest, Hungary to celebrate the closing Mass of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress. Matthew Bunson joins us live from Budapest to give us a firsthand look at the conference. 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-author of more t...

Here is the latest news from Ave Maria Radio for Wednesday, 8 September 2021.

Many in Louisiana are still without power as the region recovers from last week's Hurricane Ida. Bishop Shelton Fabre of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux joins us with how Catholics are helping in the relief efforts and how you can join them. You can support Catholics in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux by going to https://catholiccharitiesht.org/ Bishop Shelton Fabre is the Bishop of Houma-Thibodaux,...

In recent years atheism has become ever more visible, acceptable, and influential. Atheist apologists have become increasingly vociferous and confident in their claims: that a morality requiring benevolence towards all and universal human rights need not be grounded in religion; that modern science disproves the existence of God; and that there is nothing innately religious about human beings. Chr...

 In 1998 CalTech neuroscientist Nirao Shah decided to study sex-based differences in human brains using the latest available technology. At the time, he was basically on his own. The neuroscience community had largely considered any observed sex-associated differences in cognition and behavior in humans to be due to the effects of cultural influences. But in the years since there has been a s...

What should you do when a brother or friend sins against you?  Jesus has given us clear guidance on this.

Most priests are devout men who have sincerely committed their lives to Christ and His Church, but they are also human beings with faults and failings. Some are cranky and stern, and others can be weak or indifferent. Some grapple with sins of the flesh, and others are controlled by money. We’ll talk with Fr Mitch Pacwa about how Christ anticipated these struggles and how to deal with them spiritu...

Here is the latest news from Ave Maria Radio for Tuesday, September 7th.  It's the feast of St. Cloud.

When we reminisce about the "good old days," one of the features we tend to remember is how we spent our Sundays. Almost all the stores were closed, and after church we'd have a family dinner and spend the day resting. While the culture has long since abandoned such traditions, it doesn’t mean we can't restore it within our families. Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle joins us to discuss how we can reclai...