Kresta in the Afternoon

Colonial Catholics were viewed with great suspicion. Many thinkers of the time doubted Catholics’ ability to separate country from pope, and thus declared them to be “dangerous until proven loyal.” Yet Catholics went on to sign the Declaration of Independence and helped draft the First Amendment. We talk with Michael Breidenbach about how those colonial Catholics transformed the idea of liberty.

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.

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...

Is religion a right given to us by the state? Is it an opium for the masses? Is it private opinion with no role in the public sphere? Secularists claim that religion is merely a private matter, personally engaging but socially irrelevant. They may concede that a little bit of faith can be helpful, but you should mostly keep it to yourself.  Religion, modern secularists say, is irrelevant to m...

You probably remember the stories of Charlie Gard and Alfie Evans. And now there is a similar tragedy coming out of the UK – a 2-year-old girl named Alta Fixsler who has been taken off life-support because doctors say she has no chance of recovery and is in constant pain. Her parents are Hasidic Jews and doctors in their homeland of Israel are willing to take over Alta’s care, but a European court...

What is the future of the parish in a post-Christian world? It begins – and ends – with the Gospel. It means building on the idea that Catholicism is integral to human flourishing, and is dependent on taking Catholic belief and practice more seriously, rebuilding the parish within the neighborhood. Dr Tim O’Malley has more.

Cardinal George Pell was falsely accused, tried, and convicted of molesting two choir boys after Mass.  One of the accusers changed his story twenty-four times and the case was so weak it was later thrown out by the Australian High Court.  The case was only thrown out, however, after Cardinal Pell spent more than 400 days in prison. He joins us to discuss the case, his time in prison, th...

Fr Benedict Kiely was celebrating a Mass in Vermont in 2014 when ISIS was sweeping across the Ninevah plain. For the first time in 2000 years, there would be no Mass at Mosul and he wanted to do something about it – but what could he do? Since then he has begun serving the Iraqi church however he can. He shares his experiences and what Pope Francis’ trip has meant for the people of the region.

Fr Daniel Mauer is an American priest who spends most of his time helping to build the Church in Eastern Russia. He’s home for vacation and he gives us a look at the state of the Church there.

You’ve probably seen the yard sign that states “in this house we believe…” followed by several statements. It’s the kind of thing you see when people call for “unity,” but do such generic statements actually accomplish anything? Al discusses.

Al continues his discussion on whether evil disproves the existence of God. There is an incredible amount of evil in the world – famine, despair, war, destruction, natural disaster and more. Does this overwhelm the possibility that God may have a reason for permitting such evil? Al discusses.

Who holds the primary responsibility for a child’s education? You’d think it would be a simple question, but it’s become highly politicized – especially in this era of gender ideology and “Critical Race Theory.” And we’re seeing the effects in districts where school boards think that responsibility is primarily theirs. Should parents pull their kids from public schools? We’ll talk about it with Ma...

School Shootings. Terrorism. Racism. Violent Crime. Just look at the headlines and you can see stories of people suffering at the hands of others. In January we observe Holocaust Remembrance Day. How could all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-loving God allow such evil? Does the presence of evil proof God has limited power and knowledge, or even disprove His existence altogether? Al discusses.

From the radical feminism of the 60s to the 2015 Obergefell v Hodges and now the transgender movement, society has become obsessed with Identity. We tend to think of the Sexual revolution as a root cause of these issues, but what if it was actually a symptom of something else? We look at the human search for identity with Carl Trueman.

It’s hard to believe Advent is already almost over. Beginning at Midnight on Christmas Eve, EWTN will kick off 48 hours of special radio programming to help us celebrate the birth of the Lord. Doug Keck gives us some highlights to look forward to.

December 14, 2012 began like any other day for Jenny Hubbard. But that would be the day she would lose her daughter Catherine in the Sandy Hook shooting. Where can we find God when innocent children suffer in such a horrific act of evil? Jenny joins us.

Overall, the markets had a strong year - but thanks to concerns over the Omicron variant, there was a choppy end. What can we expect as we head into the new year? Chadd Garcia joins us.

If you were raised in a Christian home, you’ve probably lost count of how many times you’ve heard the Christmas story. We know all the hallmarks of the tale – the Annunciation, the Visitation, the census, the journey to Bethlehem, the full inn, and more. Do we know where these events took place within Israel? Steve Ray gives us a virtual tour.

The US has announced a Diplomatic Boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. This means that athletes will still compete in the Games, but no US officials will be there. Will this send an effective message? How might China respond? Benedict Rogers joins us.

Books have the power to awake our imaginations, open our eyes and shape how we view the world. Is there a book that you read – at any time in your life – that has had a lasting impact on you? How did it change you? Give us a call at 877-573-7825.

Over the past two weeks, you might have seen headlines about a group called “New Ways Ministry” and the Vatican’s synod on synodality — first praise that the group’s video was included among synod resources, then controversy when a link to the video was taken off a synod website, then an apology from a Vatican official at the center of the controversy. What’s been going on? We talk with Matthew Bu...

It's common for athletes to mention their faith after a big victory. In many ways, sports and our lives as Christians can go hand-in-hand. Al shares some examples.

Fr. Jean Ikanga was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and after his ordination he came to the US to pursue a medical degree. The work he has done to help the people of his homeland inspired Deacon Joe Hulway to follow in his footsteps. Deacon Joe joins us today.

After nearly two months in captivity, the rest of the Christian Aid Missionaries have been freed. From the beginning, they responded to this chaotic evil with the love of Christ. Al takes a close look at this story and other places we are seeing order made out of chaos.

On December 6, Catholics in Crookston, Minnesota braved a blizzard to attend the installation Mass for new Bishop Andrew Cozzens. He replaces Bishop Michael Hoeppner, who resigned after a Vos estis lux mundi investigation found he had severely mishandled allegations brought to him by Ron Vasek. For Ron, Cozzens’ installation is the sign of many good things to come. He joins us.