Talking Catholic

For school parents across the country the questions they’ve been asking most are: 1) will schools reopen for in-class education and 2) if so, how will it be done safely? The answers to those very questions have been the primary focus of the Diocese of Camden’s Office of Catholic Schools all summer. Recently, they released a FAQ on the process (https://catholicstarherald.org/questions-and-answers-a...

Philosopher. Author. Jewish turned Agnostic turned Carmelite. Breslau, Germany-born Edith Stein, or Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, was all of these, before being martyred at the Nazi concentration camp in Auschwitz.  Today, as the Catholic Church remembers her feast day, Laurie and Pete discuss the conversion of this 20th century holy woman, her longing for truth, and witness in a godless wo...

This week, Mike Walsh and Mary McCusker chat with Vinnie Mancuso about a topic we often don’t hear much about: adoption.  Vinnie, a parishioner of Our Lady of Hope and a volunteer at Catholic Charities, Diocese of Camden, shares the story of his son’s adoption and his perspective as an adoptive father, and we also hear from Mike about his experience as a foster parent.  Vinnie, who also earned his...

All saints have their conversion stories, when they cast aside the riches of this world for higher glory. For Saint Paul, it was the road to Damascus. For Saint Peter, it was on the shores of Galilee. For today’s saint, Ignatius of Loyola, it was the Battle of Pamplona in 1521, when a cannonball shattered his leg. Soon, he left his vain ways and military career, to become a soldier for Christ on t...

For the last 10 years, every April through July, parishioners from several Camden Diocese parishes lace up their cleats, swing their bats and join in prayer via the Camden Diocese's Coed Softball League. Host and “retired/free agent” player, Mike Walsh, along with co-host Kari Janisse, a coach/player for Our Lady of Peace Parish, sit down with three other coach/players - Phil Muldoon from Church o...

Every month in our Talking Catholic podcast feed we feature a special episode called Talking Saints hosted by Laurie Power and Pete Sanchez. On the heels of their recent Best Diocesan Podcast Award by the Catholic Press Association, hosts Mary McCusker and Mike Walsh thought it would be good to have the saint experts on to chat about their podcast, what makes it such an award winner and why the sa...

This week we bring back one of our favorite guests, Fr. Michael Romano, former Vocations Director for the Diocese of Camden and now the Director of Admissions for the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Father Romano chats with hosts Kari Janisse and Mike Walsh about what he does at the NAC, the difference between that seminary and U.S.-based seminaries, returning to his alma mater as a fac...

The end of the 2019/2020 school year was a new experience for everyone involved in education. After speaking with a few graduating seniors last month, we decided to chat with two teachers about their experience with emergency remote teaching. Joining us this week is Holy Spirit High School religion teacher John Clement and Saint John Paul II Regional School first grade teacher Patricia Babnew. Our...

Baby priest is a term of endearment for those men who are newly ordained to the priesthood. On today’s podcast we chat with two fresh priests only 48 hours after their ordination: Fr. Peter Gallagher and Fr. John March. The two newest priests of the Diocese of Camden sit down with Kari Janisse and Mike Walsh to discuss their VERY different vocation journeys and what was more nerve-racking, their o...

The Diocese of Camden was blessed this month to ordain three seminarians to the transitional diaconate – Rev. Mr. Paul Abbruscato, Rev. Mr. Carlo Santa Teresa, and Rev. Mr. Steven Bertonazzi. The trio chatted with our hosts Kari Janisse and Mike Walsh about their very unique vocation journeys, their seminarian experience, and how they feel now that they are ordained to the diaconate. It’s a great...

Throughout history, we see Catholic imagery within the art world. Paintings and sculptures of Christ and heavenly images flourished during the Renaissance. Fast forward to modern day art and you have performance painting images of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost painted before your eyes in a dancing style by performance painter and Catholic, Mike Debus. Join cohosts Kari Janisse and Mike Walsh as t...

Looking for something?  Try praying to Saint Anthony of Padua, the patron saint of lost things, who the Catholic Church remembers today.  A man who left a life of affluence for one of poverty, whose eloquence in preaching the faith attracted even fish to him.  Laurie and Pete unpack these stories and more of the Doctor of the Church, “the Hammer of Heretics,” in this month’s Talking Saints.

“Humanity, in every age, and even today, looks to works of art to shed light upon its path and its destiny.”- Saint John Paul II   Talking Catholic celebrates the art of poetry this week, speaking with Nicole Rollender, acclaimed poet and CEO/Co-Founder of Strand Writing Services.  Host Kari Janisse welcomes back Pete Sanchez to join in on the enlightening discussion, and what follows is a delight...

It’s been a weird few months and we’ve been bringing you a lot of heavy topics. Mike Walsh needed a break so he called over to his house a rare podcast of all four of the Talking Catholics hosts. For the first time since before March, Mike, Mary McCusker, Kari Janisse and Marianela Nunez had a chance to chat without the use of a Zoom call - they sat six feet from each other on Mike’s patio furnitu...

In 16th century Rome, the Catholic Church was in trouble; the Protestant reformation, inner corruption, and growing cynicism threatened its influence. Enter the man called “good little Phil,” Philip Neri. To mark today’s feast of Saint Philip Neri, our hosts Laurie Power and Pete Sanchez share the life of this remarkable evangelist who proved that “a joyful heart is made more easily perfect than a...

There are stigmas surrounding certain populations such as those struggling with addiction, trauma, and incarceration. This week, Mike Walsh and Mary McCusker chat with Jo Anne Farrell, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Camden's addiction healing coordinator, who addresses these issues, and how and why the Church should be responding to them with a pastoral approach.   Jo Anne, who is a registered nur...

For the Class of 2020 it’s be a weird year. At least for the last few months. Kari Janisse and Mike Walsh invited a few seniors on to the show to ask them about what the last few months have been like, how it might impact they way they live their futures and what they plan to be doing in those futures. We chat with Patrick from Holy Spirit High School in Absecon, Jade from Paul IV High School in H...

This week, Mary McCusker and Mike Walsh chat with Jennifer Dyer, one of the most dynamic and enthusiastic guests to ever join Talking Catholic! Jennifer has spent her entire career living out the social teachings of the Church: internationally through Catholic Relief Services, nationally with Catholic Charities USA, and locally here at Catholic Charities, Diocese of Camden. Jennifer has continuall...

his week, we get a glimpse inside of one of the lesser-known housing “gems” in New Jersey: the Diocesan Housing Services Corporation, of the Camden Diocese.  Our guest, Jamie Reynolds, has served as Executive Director for the past four years, and he has successfully led his staff in their mission of providing affordable, high-quality housing across the Diocese – mainly to seniors and those disabil...

Students in South Jersey Catholic Schools took their books home “just in case” on Friday March 13. And by order of Governor Murphy, they haven’t been back since. How did schools recalibrate so quickly? What does remote learning look like? What are the biggest challenges and successes? What does the future look like?   These questions and more are the subject of Talking Catholic’s conversation with...

As the Easter season begins, we wanted to sit down for a chat with one of our co-host Kari Janisse’s favorite people, Anthony Vece. A South Philly native, by way of South Jersey and now a Long Island resident, Anthony was born legally blind with 1% vision, but that never stopped him. And his force of personality and spiritual will, including eventually becoming a parish lector. On this episode he...

It’s time for a special Talking Saints program, join Laurie Power and Pete Sanches as they bring us a unique episode from the safety and social distancing of their own homes.  Instead of focusing on their usual monthly saint, this time they will be sharing the lives of men and women we can pray to during this time of pandemic: Saint Anthony of the Desert, Saint Camillus, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton,...

When a disaster or crisis strikes, such as this pandemic, nonprofits and social service agencies need to quickly adapt to the circumstances, laws, and a number of other factors to continue to serve populations. This week, we hear from Kevin Hickey, Executive Director of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Camden, and a member of the Catholic Charities USA Board of Trustees. Over the years, he’s seen an...

Just after Ash Wednesday we invited Fr. John Rossi, administrator of Saint Bridget University Parish (https://www.stbridgetup.org) in Glassboro, NJ to give us some tips for Lent. At the time we said we would have to have him back to talk about Holy Week & the Triduum, and so we have! Of course, the world has changed a bit in the intervening weeks, so Kari Janisse and Mike Walsh also talk with Fr....

Katie Comerford, the Diocese of Camden‘s Associate Director of Development for the House of Charity - Bishop’s Annual Appeal returns to the podcast to talk about the importance of fundraising - both spiritually and in service to our parishes and communities. Katie is a veteran fundraiser who has worked all around the country. She offers our co-hosts Mary McCusker and Mike Walsh great tips on how t...