Speaking of Faith: A Minnesota Catholic Podcast

Digital Media Manager Dianne Towalski talks with 90 year-old Father Tony Kroll, a retired priest of the Diocese of St. Cloud. The conversation centers on listening and how being a good listener has helped him in his priesthood and his ministry.

Benedictine monk, David Paul Lange and Benedictine sister, Nina Lasceski provide insight on listening through a Benedictine lens. They explore listening as a a whole-body experience and share ideas on how we better listen to God, to oneself and to others. The practice of Lectio Divina is also discussed.

Gerard Thomas Straub will present the 17th Annual Fr. Wil Illies Heart Speaks to Heart Memorial Lecture on April 5 at Christ Church Newman Center in Saint Cloud at 6:30 PM. Gerry is a documentary filmmaker and the founder and president of Pax et Bonum Communications, which produces films focused on the plight of the poor. The goal of his ministry is to put the power of film at the service of the p...

The Diocese of Saint Cloud welcomes Amanda Achtman. Achtman shares why she fierce advocate against euthanasia in her home country of Canada and around the world. The conversation includes insights from her studies and from saints and Catholic leaders. Her work at dyingtomeetyou.com focuses on humanizing the 'conversation on suffering, death, meaning and hope.'

Philip and Hannah Shefveland speak about their experience supporting individuals through sacrament preparation and how their involvement in young adult groups helps nourish their sacramental life. Hannah teaches second grade at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School in St. Cloud and Philip is the director of discipleship and evangelization for the All Called to Christ Area Catholic Community and campus mi...

Father Matthew Crane, the vicar of canonical affairs for the Diocese of St. Cloud and Father Erik Lundgren, parochial administrator of the Church of Saint Wendelin, Luxemburg, the Church of the Holy Cross, Pearl Lake, and the Church of Saint Mary Help of Christians in St. Augusta, join us for a lively dicussion about sacramental life focusing on the question, what is the purpose of liturgy?

Dianne Towalski, digital media manager for the Diocese of St. Cloud talks with Deacon Joe Kresky and Karen Handeland from Sacred Heart Parish in Sauk Rapids about their passion for mission and trips they have been on, including their most recent trip to remote villages in Alaska.

Jon Ruis, owner and principal of Ruis Consulting Group, talks with Joe Towalski, chancellor of the Diocese of St. Cloud.

Emily Ripplinger, Branch Manager and David Stang, Member Advisor from Catholic United Financial and Christine Pinto, Director for Faith Formation for the Diocese of Saint Cloud speak with host, AmberWalling, about sponsoring and presenting at the upcoming Festival of Families on February 2, 2025 at St. Francis Xavier in Sartell, MN. Both Ripplinger and Stang participated in the event in 2024 and s...

Daniella Zsupan-Jerome, assistant professor of pastoral theology at Saint John's School of Theology and Seminary and director of the Sustained Encuentro grant, discusses her new book, Speak Lord Your Servant is Listening: Reflections on Faithful Communication in the Digital Age, with host Amber Walling. Zsupan-Jerome provides insight on the format of her book and how its devotional format is acces...

Barb Simon-Johnson talks with Brenda Kresky, director of planning for the Diocese of St. Cloud and members of the Diocesan Planning Council, Karen Pundsack and Andy Klinnert.

As World Day of the Poor is celebrated around the country, two members of the Service in Christ committee from the Mary Mother of the Church ACC, Marilou Heltemes, interim chairperson, and Bruce Uselman, Good Samaritan Fund liason, join Luke Preussler, rural life coordinator for the office of social concerns at the Diocese of St. Cloud, to discuss how they work locally to encounter and serve those...

Barb Simon-Johnson talks with Brenda Kresky, director of planning for the Diocese of St. Cloud and Mike Laughery from Emmaus Partners about some of the current realities the diocese is dealing with.

Barb Simon-Johnson talks with Brenda Kresky, director of planning for the Diocese of St. Cloud and Mike Laughery from Emmaus Partners about the history behind the planning process and some of the challenges facing the diocese now and in the future.

Amber Walling of the diocesan communications office talks with Dr. Antonio Ramirez, associate professor of Theology and Pastoral Ministry at the Mexican American Catholic College in San Antonio, Texas and Donelle Poling, Director of Conversatio: Creating a Culture of Encounter at Saint John's School of Theology and Seminary about the upcoming program, "Attune Your Soul: The Sacred Art of Listening...

"Together in Solidarity: How CCHD helps fund the work of Fei y Justicia and the Greater Minnesota Worker Center."

Program participants Camille Piper from San Antonio, Texas, and Luke Waltman from Little Falls, share what they learned from the Rural Immersion Program and how this will impact their ministry going forward.

Christine Luna-Munger, director of the Episcopal House of Prayer and new farmer, and Deacon Leo Wehseler, who both presented to the students, discuss life in small towns and on the farm, what it means to know your neighbor and how life in rural community yields more than sellable goods.

Ben Durheim, assistant professor of theology, and Daniella Zupan-Jerome, assistant professor of pastoral theology and director of the Sustained Encuentro program, both from Saint John's School of Theology and Seminary, discuss the origins of the Rural Immersion Program, the school's partnership with the Mexican American Catholic College, the process of inviting speakers to the program and why curr...

Bill Vos, a priest of the Diocese of St. Cloud, moderates a discussion about how mission work is changing and how we can encourage young people to choose to go into mission. Guests are Father Rodrigo Ulloa-Chavarry and Greg Darr, both from the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, a Catholic foreign mission society based in New York.

Amber Walling from the Central Minnesota Catholic staff and Kevin LaNave, peace and justice coordinator at Christ church Newman Center in St. Cloud talk with Father Ed Foley. Father Foley is the Duns Scotus Professor Emeritus of Spirituality and Retired Professor of Liturgy and Music at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. Father Foley is currently directing a $1.25 million dollar grant from the...

Dianne Towalski, digital media manager for the Diocese of St. Cloud talks with Molly Weyrens. Molly is a pastoral associate at Christ Our Light Parish in Princeton/Zimmerman and is passionate about working with people on the margins, especially those experiencing poverty. She also works with Central Minnesota Catholic Worker.

Fathers Casey Cole and Roberto "Tito" Serrano, both Franciscan friars, have set out on an 11-week pilgrimage. Between May 19 and Aug. 3, they plan to visit all 30 Major League Baseball ballparks, traveling more than 17,000 miles to meet people where they are and preach the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Our Impact on the Synod: Why does it matter locally? After hearing about the heart of the synod in the first session, Philip Shefveland and Barbara Sutton, both members of the diocesan synod team, talk with Joe Towalski about how the information we share through the synod process will have a lasting effect right here in our diocese.

The Heart of the Synod: What is a synod and why are we having one now? Local professor and theologian Kristin Colberg, the sole U.S. member of the synod's international theological commission, talks with Joe Towalski about her experience in working with the global synod team and helps us understand the long-term value of the synodal process.