Rebel Saints: Catholic Faith and Spiritual Growth

Catholic AI is reshaping how we interact with technology. In this episode, Peter Cooney co-founder, reveals how Acutis AI is building an artificial intelligence platform rooted in Catholic teaching, protecting human dignity, encouraging authentic faith, and offering a compelling alternative to mainstream AI tools. Discover why Catholic social teaching matters in the age of ChatGPT. Explore Acutis...

What do Catholics actually believe about purgatory? In this Catholicism Explained episode, Nicole unpacks the doctrine of purgatory, suffering, and the communion of saints—exploring how Catholic teaching connects living and deceased believers in spiritual community. Far from punishment, this ancient doctrine speaks to healing, belonging, and why your prayers matter for others. Perfect for anyone q...

In this episode of Rebel Saints, explore why America's bishops consecrated the nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in June 2026, and what this radical act of spiritual surrender means for your faith today. Tracing the pierced heart of Christ through St. Margaret Mary Alacoque's mystical visions to this historic moment, we ask: what does Catholic spirituality teach us about vulnerability, sacrifice...

How do Catholic faith, spiritual growth, and modern crises collide? I In Part 2 of our Magnifica Humanitas breakdown, we look at Chapters 3, 4, and 5 to see how Pope Leo XIV tackles how to "disarm AI" and reclaim your freedom. This is a practical guide to Catholic discipleship in a digital age, focusing on the three battles reshaping our daily lives: Truth, Work, and Freedom. READ Magnifica Humani...

In this episode of Rebel Saints , host Nicole dives into Pope Leo XIV’s groundbreaking new encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas ("Magnificent Humanity"), signed on May 15, 2026. Strikingly relevant to our digital age, this document marks the first time Catholic social teaching directly confronts the world of artificial intelligence, automation, and algorithmic life. Nicole breaks down the foundational...

On Mother's Day, we're answering the question Catholics get asked constantly: Do we worship Mary? No fluff, no stained-glass stereotypes, just real talk about what the Catholic faith actually teaches about the Virgin Mary. As a Catholic mom, I know how much we need her example—and why her story of radical obedience and belonging matters to every mama, spiritual seeker, and woman navigating Christi...

As a catholic christian have you ever went to pray and immediately started thinking about literally everything else? Your grocery list. That awkward conversation from three days ago. The email you forgot to answer. Whether everyone else in adoration is having some profound saint-level encounter with God while you’re mentally reorganizing your kitchen cabinets. Yeah. Same. In this episode of Rebel...

One year into the papacy of the first American pope, Nicole reflects on why Pope Leo XIV's message of peace cuts through our outrage-driven culture. How does Catholic faith and spiritual growth flourish when we resist the constant noise? In this heartfelt episode, she explores what an Augustinian missionary's simple, repeated call to peace reveals about discipleship in a restless, divided world—an...

In April 2026, Pope Leo XIV made headlines, and enemies, by choosing humility over ideology. In this Catholic news roundup, we're breaking down the biggest stories shaping Catholic faith today, from the Pope's peacemaking in Africa to the White House's religious tensions. Discover how Catholic spiritual growth happens not through winning arguments, but through the ancient practice of true dialogue...

St. Catherine of Siena wasn't a nun or theologian, yet she shaped the Catholic Church itself. In this episode, Nicole Olea explores how one woman's spiritual growth and radical interior conviction became contagious—inspiring bishops, popes, and ordinary believers. Discover what Catherine's fearless faith teaches us about discipleship in a polarized world. We unpack: Her radical devotion to Christ...

Send us Fan Mail Can small acts of faith change the world? On this Easter Sunday 2026, we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ by looking at the "forgotten co-conspirators" of the Paschal Mystery. While the world focused on the powerful, God was working through an underground network of Catholic women, children, and social "nobodies" to make the Resurrection known. In this episode of Rebel S...

Send us Fan Mail On this solemn Good Friday 2026 , we try to silence the noise around us to stand at the foot of the cross with Jesus. As Catholics do, there will be no rushing to Easter. No sanitizing the blood, the nails, or the agony.  In this Catholic reflection for Good Friday Nicole takes her fellow restless hearts to Golgotha: the scourging, crown of thorns, the heavy beam, the nails pierci...

Are you following the real Jesus—or just your idea of Him? As we enter Holy Week, Nicole explores the shift from "Hosanna" to "Crucify Him," and what this collision reveals about Catholic faith, discipleship, and the cost of actually following Jesus beyond our expectations. In This Episode Holy Week 2026: Navigating the transition from the triumphal entry to the silence of the Cross. The Passion o...

Send us Fan Mail Why don't Roman Catholic priests get married? Nicole explores the "why" behind priestly celibacy as a total gift of self to Christ and the Church. This week on Rebel Saints, Nicole dives deep into the "why" behind priestly celibacy in the Roman Catholic Church. Moving past the modern "hot takes" about power or money, we explore the priesthood not as a restriction, but as a relatio...

Send us Fan Mail In this Rebel Saints episode, Nicole explores the Raising of Lazarus (John 11) for the Fifth Sunday of Lent, Year A. Jesus declares, "I am the resurrection and the life," confronting the tombs in our lives: spiritual dryness, shame, sin, broken relationships, or feeling hope is gone. No situation is beyond God's reach. From Ezekiel's promise to rise from graves to Romans' Spirit a...

St. Patrick wasn't Irish—and that's exactly why his story matters for your Catholic faith. In this episode of Rebel Saints, we uncover the real St. Patrick: a British missionary, former slave, and saint whose life transformed Ireland from a pagan land into the Isle of Saints and Scholars. Discover how spiritual growth and redemption happen through prayer, and what this ancient Catholic saint teach...

Send us Fan Mail What if the real blindness in your life isn’t physical, but spiritual? In this episode of Rebel Saints , we reflect on the Fourth Sunday of Lent (Laetare Sunday, Year A) and the powerful Gospel of the man born blind (John 9:1–41) . Jesus declares, “I am the light of the world,” and reveals that true sight comes not just from seeing—but from encountering Him. We also dive into the...

Send us Fan Mail Are you drawing from broken wells? On the 3rd Sunday of Lent, we meet the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well. Nicole explores John 4, isolation, and finding living water. In this episode for the Third Sunday of Lent (Cycle A), we dive into John 4. Jesus sits at Jacob’s well in the noon heat, tired and waiting for a Samaritan woman whom society avoided. He asks for a drink: she receiv...

Send us Fan Mail Did you forget it was Friday and eat meat? Nicole explains Catholic Lent rules, the difference between a slip-up and a sin, and how to handle Good Friday birthdays. It is Friday during Lent. You forget and eat a burger. Or perhaps your child’s birthday falls on Good Friday. You find yourself holding a slice of pizza thinking: "Wait, did I just commit a mortal sin?" In this episode...

Send us Fan Mail Planning a Catholic wedding? Beyond the florals and seating charts, the Nuptial Mass is a Sacrament. Photographer Nicole joins us to discuss the theology of the Eucharist, wedding vendors, and keeping Christ at the center of your vocation. If you are planning a Catholic wedding right now, this episode is for you. In the middle of contracts and timelines, it is easy to forget the s...

Send us Fan Mail Is your Lent feeling messy? In the second week of Lent, the energy dips and cravings get louder. We dive into the Transfiguration to see why glory isn't the goal—it's preparation for the Cross. Week two of Lent is when it gets real. The “I can do this” starts wobbling. Why does the Church give us the Transfiguration right now? This episode of Rebel Saints explores trusting God in...

Send us Fan Mail Lent begins with ashes and the uncomfortable truth we are not self-sustaining. In this episode of The Rebel Saints Podcast, we move from Ash Wednesday into the Gospel of the First Sunday of Lent, where Jesus is led into the desert and tempted. What does it mean to be dust? Why does the Church insist on our mortality at the beginning of Lent? And how does Christ’s obedience in the...

Send us Fan Mail Nicole is back — not with a rebrand exactly, but something more like a pivot. The Rebel Saints Podcast is no longer just for teens — it’s for anyone swimming upstream in a culture that doesn't understand why you still care about things like grace, sacrifice, and truth. It’s for Catholics (and maybe the Catholic-curious) who are trying to live an ancient faith in the middle of our...

Send us Fan Mail Meet Pope Leo XIV: the first American-born pope. Nicole reflects on this Spirit-led election, his Augustinian roots, and why this "quiet firestarter" is exactly what the Church needs right now. Welcome back to the Rebel Saints Podcast. If this is your first time here, you picked the right moment to jump in. In this episode, Nicole shares a deeply personal reflection on the electio...

Send us Fan Mail Join us on the Rebel Saints Podcast where Nicole, a Catholic Youth Minister and host, reflects on the profound significance of Christ's resurrection by exploring the readings for the Feast of the Resurrection of Our Lord - Easter Sunday, March 31, 2024. We delve into the themes of witness, anticipation, and joy that permeate the Easter narrative, from Peter's fearless proclamation...