Mamas in Spirit

Jonna Schuster aimed for picture-perfect faith. Until everything started to fall apart. Jonna's perfectionist tendencies left her drained and unhappy—she even started having health problems.  When Jonna attended a silent retreat with Passionist Nuns in Kentucky, everything changed. While a blizzard raged outside the chapel, Jonna knelt alone inside. She felt the indescribable touch of God—like she...

Jill Simons lay on her bedroom floor, surrounded by nine rejection letters from top MFA programs. After a childhood marked by remarkable achievements, Jill realized she could no longer rely on her accomplishments as the source of her identity. Jill needed some healing. Over six months, Jill regularly attended Adoration, during which Christ patiently awaited her to surrender the burden of self-impo...

In her 30s, Allison Gingras was invited to her first Bible study by a friend. Initially, she attended primarily for the snacks.  But then, Allison fell in love with the Word of God.  As Holy Scripture touched her heart, Allison began to live her faith.  Allison has embraced God's call to follow Christ, even when it has been difficult. Her journey has included writing and speaking about her Catholi...

God had a virtuous plan for Sr. John Dominic Rasmussen, OP.  Sr. John Dominic grew up in a non-religious household. Her life transformed when she began attending a Christian school and reading the Bible as a child.  Eventually, Sr. John Dominic converted to Catholicism and joined the Nashville Dominicans. Fifteen years later, she and three other Sisters established the Dominican Sisters of Mary, M...

On a February morning about three years ago, Valeriia Cherednychenko and her family woke up to explosions outside their home in Ukraine. When Valeriia looked out, she saw missiles exploding.  Valeriia and her husband immediately hid with their four daughters in an interior room of their home. Once there was a break in the missile attacks, they fled the country. Listen to this Easter podcast to hea...

While praying, Maddie de Aquino heard God speak to her heart as a young girl: "You are mine, and I am yours." Maddie thought she was being called to religious life. However, everything shifted when Maddie was 15 and her beloved mother passed away from a stroke. Consumed by anger, Maddie distanced herself from God. She could not have imagined how God would pursue her and transform her heart. Now, M...

At 47, Patty Magid discovered two things: she was pregnant and she had a lump in her breast.  Overcome with concern for her husband, her children and the baby she carried, Patty prayed to God to tell her what to do. As she drove by her church in Jersey, God revealed the answer.  Patty faithfully obeyed and for 9 months did not know if her baby would survive—or if cancer would take her from her old...

Host Lindy Wynne experienced the grace of Easter when she was baptized at 21 years old. Join Lindy and Chaplain Fr. Jon Meyer in this Easter "mini-retreat in a podcast," as they explore God's transformational love--a love that is pure gift. Remaining in God's love can be challenging for us, especially in difficult seasons. Increasing our awareness of God's abundant blessings helps us accept and ab...

Christine Rich has learned the Saints are working for her in a very real way.  A number of years ago, Christine didn't understand why she felt drawn to choose Saint Valentine as her  Saint of the Year. Months later, God caught her attention when she realized that the morning she signed papers to leave the large, Catholic company she co-founded was Valentine's Day. After signing the papers, Christi...

Alicia Bell's word for this year: Surrender. When Alicia was promoted to her dream job of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at GraceWorks Ministries, she was shocked to have a cancer scare at the same time. Uncomfortable ambiguity was amplified when Alicia was faced with unexpected challenges in her family. While Alicia was blessed to have Jesus in her heart since she was young, this time required eve...

When Jared Geesey was a boy, he remembers his Sunday School teacher telling him that faith wouldn't just happen because he was the son of a pastor. Jared needed to have a personal relationship with Christ.  Jared discovered the meaning of her words when he became a missionary and was forever changed. He now shares about the light of Christ as the Chief Distribution Officer and Executive Producer o...

Content Warning! This podcast is not suitable for children and contains sensitive content. Please read the entire description. The last time Angela saw her brother, Albert, he kissed her belly. Angela was nine months pregnant and had just asked Albert to be the Godfather of her baby. That was the last time Angela saw Albert alive.  Weeks later Angela traveled from California to her homeland of Haw...

Kevin Wells had a failed brain surgery. Then his wife, Krista secretly started binge drinking red wine to cover her hidden shame.  This began years of a long, dark night in Kevin and Krista's home and marriage. At first Kevin's spiritual practices left him frustrated-until Kevin learned to grip onto Christ in a way he had never before and completely surrender his wife, marriage and family to God....

Honesty leads us to deeper healing—and ultimately to a greater ability to love and be loved. In this Lenten Podcast with Brya Hanan, LMFT, discover how Lent is the perfect time to experience the healing touch of God. Brya experienced trauma as a child that left her feeling that there was something wrong with her--she just wasn't enough. When Brya's mom and stepfather started exploring Catholicism,...

What do you do when you are suffering and want nothing more than to avoid it? The holy mystery of "Jesus is the Garden" is the sacred blueprint to follow when what we are facing seems too much to bear. Learn how to go to God, even in the times you want to run away. This Lent, allow the Divine Physician to hold and propel you forward to new life. 

"Quitting the Christian Life. It's Too Hard...." This is the title of a YouTube video Roxie Beckles, "That Black Catholic Chick" filmed a year ago. Roxie awakened in the very early morning hours and was having a "dark night of the soul." Roxie's depth of vulnerability about her personal struggle with the demands of an authentic Christian life was untouched before Roxie pushed "publish." The video...

"You're going to stay in this marriage." This was the message Nicole Berlucchi heard from God. Before this, Nicole was convinced she was doing most of the work at home and in her marriage. Her friends told her she was a "saint" for putting up with her husband. To top it off, Nicole's husband was unwilling to go to therapy. Nicole was sure God was on her side. Nicole left her husband for four days...

"Healing happens organically as love is being expressed," says Dr. Bob Schuchts of the John Paul II Healing Center    In this mini-retreat in a podcast, Dr. Bob shares how important it is to listen and be attentive to what spiritual practices the Holy Spirit is drawing you to this Lent--so the Divine Physician can bless you with healing.   As we look at our patterns of sin and chronic wounds we ha...

Wishing you and your family a blessed Christmas! Mamas in Spirit will return on March 6th, 2025 for Season 7. Subscribe now!  May God bless you and yours, always. 

Has a friend hurt you or left you out?    Dr. Mary Ruth Hackett was just about to leave for a party hosted by a dear friend when she received a text—Mary Ruth's friend asked her to come a little later, because she was running behind. Mary Ruth pulled up social media to pass time and was surprised to see a live photo posted by her friend. The image showed the host and many of Mary Ruth's friends ga...

What is beauty? This is the question O'Maria Akpati answers in this week's Advent Podcast. As a former celebrity makeup artist, O'Maria discovered that beauty had nothing to do with the exterior. She found that when celebrities used makeup to become more beautiful, their self-esteem decreased.  O'Maria left her job and discerned becoming a Discalced Carmelite for two years. During this time, God r...

Do people see me? Do people hear me? Do they love me? These are the questions that ten-year-old Mildred Chen, feeling lost in the middle of five daughters, asked herself. When the sixth child was born into her family, Mildred was asked to clean his dirty diapers--a chore she felt terrible about. One day while she was completing this task, she heard a dark voice telling her to jump into the nearby...

Megan Lynch couldn't believe it when she felt a lump in her breast. With four young children and no risk factors, Megan was sure it wasn't cancer. Yet it was. Then the doctor told Megan the cancer may have spread into her bones. If it did, she would have a year to live. Megan waited three weeks for test results to see if she would survive the year. During that time, Megan prayed: Lord, if this is...

Fr. Jon, Chaplain of Mamas in Spirit, invites you to bring the longings of your heart to prayer this Advent season. Fr. Jon and Host Lindy Wynne discuss times of their lives they cried out to the Lord—and God miraculously turned their cries into calls.   Learn how all of Lindy's children came to her through the gift of adoption during this time of year. Hear about Fr. Jon's call into priesthood an...

Lisa Martinez was incredibly anxious and fearful as a child, but neither Lisa nor her parents understood why. When Lisa attended her freshman year of college at Franciscan University—a place Lisa and many others refer to as a "field hospital" for souls—Lisa discovered why she had been consumed by such angst and fear. Lisa experienced flashbacks of sexual abuse as a young child. She finally knew wh...