Kresta in the Afternoon

Last week, Gallup released the results of their annual poll on sanctity of life issues. Unsurprisingly, a number of media outlets are aggressively spinning the results to argue that there has been an increase in public sentiment in favor of legal abortion. In particular, the fact that a record high 47 percent of Americans view abortion "morally acceptable" received a great deal of attention from t...

When the MLB announced it was leaving Georgia after its recent voter reform law, many said they were boycotting watching MLB games in person and on TV. Has the MLB and other major sports leagues seen a drop in ticket sales and ratings? Columnist Michael McCaffrey joins guest host Jerry Usher to discuss this.

Father’s day is coming up and we are in the year of St. Joseph. St. Joseph of course, is an exemplary model for all fathers. Are there any father figures in film who stand out? Deacon Steve Graydanus joins us with some surprising examples.

British and American scholars have recently began devoting more attention to the 19th-century revivals of Catholicism in the English speaking world. One of the central figures was John Henry Newman, who would later inspire GK Chesterton. June 19 is the anniversary of St. John Henry Newman’s canonization as the first male American saint, and we'll talk with Susan Hanssen.

Right now, religious liberty violations are showing up across the country. Those on the political left generally argue that there is supposed to be a wall between the religion and the state. But is this actually what the Founding Fathers envisioned? Dr. Vincent Phillip Muñoz joins Al to discuss this

With a Catholic in the White House and mixed messages from the bishops, ambiguous statements from the pope, and possible impending schism in Germany, the Church is in crisis in many ways. It can be easy to despair and wring hands and lament that the “good ole days are gone,” but there is a way forward. Dr. Ralph Martin discusses his new book A Church in Crisis and Pathways Forward.

June 12th marked 34 years since President Ronald Reagan gave his speech at the Brandenburg Gate in Germany, calling on Gorbachev to “tear down this wall.” The all ultimately the wall fell. It was an iconic symbol of Communism because it was designed to keep people in, not out. At the time its falling was viewed as a decisive victory for Western liberties and values, and a possible death blow for S...

June 14th is the anniversary of the death GK Chesterton. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest Christian writers of the 20th century and heavily influenced the work of CS Lewis. He is especially known for his quotable writings and comments. Dale Ahlquist, president of the American Chesterton Society and co-founder of the Chesterton Academy, is with Al discuss some of Chesterton’s great...

As many dioceses remove their general dispensations for the Sunday Mass obligation, it is a coincidence that this is the tenth year since the publication of Dr. Edward Sri’s book A Biblical Walk Through the Mass. He joins Al to discuss this and the Catholic liturgy.

Last month, an unmarked mass grave was discovered at an Indian Residential School in Kamloops that was run by the Catholic Church in the 19thand 20th centuries. The school has been closed since 1970. The question remains, what happened? And why was the Catholic Church involved in this? Dr. Aaron Ross, adjunct professor at the University of Ontario, joins Al to discuss Indian Residential Schools an...

Are aliens real and is artificial intelligence a real threat? Those were the topics of the Society of Catholic Scientists’ recent conference. Dr. Steven Barr is the president of that society and he joins Al to discuss this.

Pope Francis refuses the resignation of Cardinal Reinhard Marx in Germany.  What does this mean for the German Church and der synodale weg?  Plus, the 2006 USCCB document on Eucharistic coherence you didn't know about.  How does it related to President Biden and other pro-abortion politicians?  Dr. Matthew Bunson, executive editor and Washington bureau chief of EWTN News, joins...

We are coming up on the 20th anniversary of the execution of Timothy McVeigh on June 11th.  He was found guilty for his role in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.  We often remember the names of the perpetrators, but not of the victims.  Jeanne Bishop, author of Grace from the Rubble: Two Fathers' Road to Reconciliation after the Oklahoma City Bombing, shares with Al the story of McVei...

We want to bear faithful witness to Jesus in this culture and sometimes that is complicated because of the world we live in.  Tim Muelhoff is the co-author of Winsome Persuasion: Christian Influence in a Post-Christian World and he joins Al to talk about just that. You can find all of the books, articles, and guests featured on today's program online at AveMariaRadio.net Like us on Facebook!...

We live in a culture where smart phones are all around us.  But do they make us smarter?  Elijah John joins Al to discuss this. You can find all of the books, articles, and guests featured on today's program online at AveMariaRadio.net Like us on Facebook! Leave us a review and give us five stars so more people can find Kresta in the Afternoon!

Cathy Camino is a professor of Shakespeare at the University of South Carolina Upstate. She grew up knowing the rules of the Church but not the mercy of Jesus. She joins Al to talk about her reversion back to Catholicism. You can find all of the books, articles, and guests featured on today's program online at AveMariaRadio.net Like us on Facebook! Leave us a review and give us five stars so more...

Fr. Joe Krupp was recently asked in the Diocese of Lansing’s Faith Magazine if the Mass can ever be irreverent. The person who asked the question said her friend had been going to websites and listening to podcasts that claim the Church was more reverent before the 1960s. Is this true? Fr. Joe Krupp and Al discuss this. You can find all of the books, articles, and guests featured on today's progra...

Since the rise of the internet, it has become increasingly common to openly criticize, mock, and ridicule priests, bishops, and the pope. Some websites, calling themselves news outlets, have created whole businesses around this. Gregory Caridi, Chancellor of the Diocese of Dallas and a civil and canon lawyer, joins Al to talk about this phenomenon and how to fraternally correct those in authority....

Cardinal Reinhard Marx offers his resignation to Pope Francis. He only offered his resignation, however, for his position as the archbishop of Munich and Freising, not as Cardinal or an advisor to the pope. In his letter, he cited his responsibility amid the sexual abuse crisis in Germany. Christoph Wimmer, editor of CNA Deutsch joins Al to discuss the Church in Germany. You can find all of the bo...

On Sunday, 6 June, we celebrated the Feast of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Christ. Fr. Dwight Longenecker joins guest host Jerry Usher to discuss the Eucharist. You can find all of the books, articles, and guests featured on today's program online at AveMariaRadio.net Like us on Facebook! Leave us a review and give us five stars so more people can find Kresta in the Afternoon!

This year is the 500th anniversary of the conversion of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus. In their multiple centuries of existence, they have provide the Church with a lot of good but also some bad. Jonathan Leidl, columnist for the National Catholic Register, joins guest host Jerry Usher to discuss the good and bad of the Society of Jesus. You can find all of the books,...

June is a month dedicated to the devotion of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Catholic Church. Kathleen Beckman is the co-founder and President of Foundation of Prayer for Priests ( www.foundationforpriests.org ), an international apostolate of prayer for the sanctity of priests. She joins guest host Jerry Usher to discuss this. You can find all of the books, articles, and guests featured on today...

Often times, people claim miraculous things happen to them. What does the Catholic Church teach about miracles? What does the Church about incorruptible bodies? Adam Blai is a certified consultant for exorcists and as spent decades studying and experiencing the supernatural. He talks to guest host Jerry Usher about his new book and more. You can find all of the books, articles, and guests featured...

President Joe Biden visited Tulsa, Oklahoma on Tuesday to commemorate the Tulsa race massacre of 1921, the first president to do so. Dr. Scott Ellsworth, author of The Groundbreaking: The Tulsa Race Massacre and American City’s Search for Justice and lecturer at the University of Michigan, joins Al to talk about what actually happened at the Tulsa race massacre and how Black Wall Street came into...

Two valedictorians in Michigan were told by their public schools they were not allowed to reference their faith in their graduation speeches. Both of them were represented by First Liberty Institute. Stephanie Taub, a senior counsel for First Liberty Institute, joins Al to talk about these cases and violations of religious freedom on campus. You can find all of the books, articles, and guests feat...