Practicing Catholic Show

Happy Easter! Archbishop Hebda joined us this past weekend to share about springtime renewal with the Synod and our parishes’ Synod Evangelization Teams. His Excellency also recalls the ordination of Bishop Izen and what he’s been up to in these couple weeks since his installation.  

With Synod implementation underway, you’ve likely hearing the buzz about small group formation within your parish and what exactly that might look like in the coming year. Recently, parish staff and clergy from across the Archdiocese met for a formation day where the focus was on a series of small group visioning days that will be going on within our parishes.   With us this weekend to share more...

May 1st is Religious Brothers Day, alongside the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker – both shine a light on the gift of masculinity within our Church and the unique spiritual traits that men bring to the Body of Christ. Joining us this past weekend was Br. Matt Wooters, SJ: a Jesuit Brother who’s served in our Archdiocese and all over the country as he fulfills his vocation to care for those who are i...

Leading off this week, our new Auxiliary Bishop Michael Izen is with us! We’ll hear his take on how the Ordination went and what’s filling up his plate in these first few weeks! Find Ordination coverage here.

This past Saturday was Earth Day, and we heard from Sr. Kathleen storms and Adam Fitzpatrick about the Laudato Si’ apostolate and stewardship of creation. 

Archdiocesan Outreach Coordinator for Restorative Justice and Abuse Prevention Paula Kaempffer joined us to introduce a new homebound ministry and a new support group for victim/survivors of clergy abuse. 

Up first this weekend on Practicing Catholic, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Williams joined Tom Halden, Director of Communications, for his monthly chat. He’s talking Easter, his first year as a bishop and more.

Maybe you, a family member, or a close friend have been experiencing a lack of purpose or emptiness. At a time when the use of social media, many outlets of media consumption, and constant comparison nag at us, it’s more important than ever to cling to our Catholic identity as a daughter or son of Christ the King. Dr. Tod Worner, managing Editor of the Word on Fire Institute, and Fr. Spencer Howe...

Spring is in the air and soon enough schools will be out of session! But the learning doesn’t stop there, especially for our Synod Evangelization Teams and those who attended the School of Discipleship in February and March. Joining us this weekend was Deacon Joe Michalak, Director of Synod Evangelization for the Archdiocese , and key player for the Catechetical Institute’s School of Discipleship....

Over the past year, we’ve all become more aware about our Indigenous Catholic sisters and brothers whether here in the Archdiocese or around the country. On the show this past weekend, we checked in with Father Michael Carson, Assistant Director for Native American Affairs from the USCCB, about the work underway and this summer’s Tekakwitha Conference in the Twin Cities.

We’re not the only Archdiocesan podcast on the block anymore! The Catholic Spirit recently launched its first limited podcast series, “ Conversion: Embraced by Love ” - four episodes dedicated to sharing the stories of three local converts to the faith.   Here to share some more about the creation of the podcast and why it’s so important to hear from converts, is Joe Ruff: editor in chief of The C...

Spring is in the air and you know what that means.. Pretty soon we’ll be enjoying warm summer evenings outdoors, perhaps even at the softball fields!   Catholic Softball Group is a co-ed softball league for young adults in our Archdiocese, ranging from experienced players to those playing just for fun. Chatting with us this past weekend to share about how you or the young adults in your life can g...

Looking for a meaningful tradition to your Easter celebrations? For 30 years, supporters around the Twin Cities have hosted Giving Trees around the Christmas season. This spring, Catholic Charities invites you to host your own Giving Basket ! It is a new family-friendly opportunity to collect those highest-need items for the families and individuals within our community. Joining us this past weeke...

Maybe you’ve heard the term before: an outcome of the 2015 settlement agreement between the Archdiocese and the Ramsey County Attorney's office, an Archdiocesan ombudsperson has served as an independent resource for people with questions or concerns about clerical sexual abuse in the Archdiocese. Julie Craven, who works with restorative justice and healing at the University of St. Thomas Schoo...

Have you or somebody you love ever experienced a season of hard times? Whether it was financial or housing strain, an illness, or perhaps a death in the family, we all are able to relate to the feeling of needing help and support from our neighbors. The folks at Hospitality Houses for Divine Mercy do just that by serving our homeless brothers and sisters who suffer from mental health illnesses.  ...

As Practicing Catholics, we know we’re called to steward our finances well but it’s not always easy to do on our own. The Catholic Community Foundation serves Catholic individuals, families, parishes and institutions seeking to streamline their charitable giving while financially supporting the spiritual, educational, and social needs of our community.   Joining us this past weekend to share about...

In the depths of Lent, there’s still a bit of joy and fellowship to be had if you’re tuned in to the tradition of attending parish fish frys. As Practicing Catholics, we know that Fridays are a day to abstain from meat, particularly during Lent but is also practiced as a penance throughout the liturgical year.   This weekend we chatted with two gentlemen from Our Lady of the Lake parish in Mound a...

While we continue this penitential season of Lent, a lot of folks in the Archdiocese are feverishly working on an episcopal ordination and some celebrations honoring Bishop-elect Michael Izen. It’s all happening under the encouraging and watchful eye of our shepherd, Archbishop Bernard Hebda, who joined us this weekend on Practicing Catholic for his monthly visit

Over the past three years of our Archdiocesan Synod process, it’s become rather clear that our parish communities desire more opportunities for evangelization, fellowship, and development of our youth. We can’t help but notice a common theme in these three pillars: that folks are drawn to one another for support, encouragement, and accompaniment. But why is fostering community such an important co...

Lent can be a time to welcome new traditions into our lives, especially ones that are rooted in prayer. This Holy Week, we invite you to reflect on the life of Christ in a unique way: through a series of radio plays first produced by the BBC in the early 1940s focused on bringing the Gospels to life. Joining us today is Kathryn Wehr, managing editor of Logos: A Journal of Catholic Thought and Cult...

As we discussed last week on Practicing Catholic, the need to support our young people in their faith journeys is ever-so-important in our changing world. NET Ministries – which stands for National Evangelization Teams - has been helping young people evangelize their peers for the past 40 years; utilizing retreat teams, discipleship teams, and YDisciple - a small group discipleship resource – to h...

The National Eucharistic Congress is coming up in 2024 and you’d better start making your travel plans now! It’s the first Eucharistic Congress to happen in 83 years and you and your families have the opportunity to attend. Joining us this past weekend to share more of the exciting details was Fr. Tim Tran, Parochial Vicar at St. Stephen in Anoka, and Archdiocesan point person for the National Euc...

What’s something that most dads, overworked employees, and monks all have in common? The desire for a little bit of silence! In the midst of everyday busyness and sometimes-chaos, does your heart crave a bit of peace and quiet? Mine too. Especially during this season of Lenten preparation, it’s important to nourish our spiritual lives with quiet as that is where the Lord tends to speak to us. &nbs...

We revisited a chat with Fr. Joseph Johnson of Holy Family in St. Louis Park – spiritual warfare during Lent is very real, and the good father will give us some insight in how we might recognize and combat it.  This segment originally aired in February 2022.

Have you or maybe a friend or family member been asked to be part of your parish’s Synod Evangelization Team? If the answer to that is “yes,” you’re certainly familiar with the Catechetical Institute’s School of Discipleship: the 7-week course our Synod Evangelization Team members are participating in now through March. If you’re not familiar, don’t you worry.. We’re just about at the halfway mark...