Talking Catholic

Every two years, the Diocese of Camden makes a pilgrimage to Washington, D.C.’s beautiful Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, to pray to and receive graces from Mary, Mother of God, the Patroness of the United States and the Catholic community of South Jersey. As the diocesan community prepares for its next pilgrimage next month, Father James Bartoloma, Chancellor for the...

This week, Mike and Pete sit down with our friends from Catholic Charities - Kevin Hickey, Mary McCusker and Patrick Barry - to discuss the Share he Journey Initiative and the upcoming Justice for All dinner. Mary and Patrick have both made pilgrimages to the Texas/Mexico border to see first hand the immigration concerns in that area of the county. They learned a great deal about it from Sister No...

Writer. Orator. Bishop. Doctor of the Church. Augustine of Hippo was all of these, but his greatest title is that of Saint. On his feast day, Laurie and Pete discuss the life of this influential 4th Century man, the son of Saint Monica, whose initial worldly ways found God’s love and grace. “It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels,” he once wrote, reca...

While it may be a low bar, Mike is convinced this is the best podcast we’ve ever recorded. And naturally, it’s all due to our guests, Sr. Agnes, Sr. Ann Kateri, Sr. Joseph and Sr. Chiara - collectively known as the CFRs - AKA - the women religious from the Community of Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal. It’s their second time on the podcast and they are as wonderful as ever. We chat about their fi...

On the latest show, Mike and Pete spend a Summer evening in Atlantic City with youth who are living the Gospel call to serve others throughout the shore area. The hosts and the young church have a spirited discussion of their week in the urban beach town, faith, and the dangers of recording a podcast just before dinner (#hangry). Guests included Greg Coogan, Director of Youth, Young Adult, and Cam...

Sister Dorothy Aloisio, Franciscan Missionary Sister of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, has been a joyful presence in the lives of South Jersey’s Catholics for more than 50 years, whether serving in schools or in parishes throughout the Diocese of Camden. The current Pastoral Associate of Our Lady of Hope, Blackwood is this week’s guest on Talking Catholic. In a delightful discussion with hosts Mike...

This week we’re chatting with Deacon Anthony Cioe about Man Up South Jersey, the men’s spirituality conference, with a special focus on missionary discipleship. After 10 years in the City of Philadelphia, on Nov. 10, 2018, the conference will come to South Jersey for the first time. Deacon Anthony is shepherding this event that inspires attendees to become better husbands, better fathers, better s...

Pete and Mike take a tour of the shore this week, heading to Cape May to speak with a pair of art teachers in diocesan Catholic schools: Grace Hoffner from Saint Mary Regional School in East Vineland, and Dave Sipple from Gloucester Catholic High School. From the site of the current "Art on the Mall" exhibition showcasing student artists from around the diocese, Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, th...

Fr. Joseph Capella, one of South Jersey's truly kind, inspiring, and faith-filled individuals, and now the newly-named Rector of Cherry Hill’s Camden Catholic High School, joins Mike and Pete in the Vault this week. This fantastic hour includes Fr. Capella discussing his Hammonton roots; his role as an educator in South Jersey’s schools for the past 20+ years; and finding God’s grace and strength...

"Who will teach me what is most pleasing to God, that I may do it?" This was the desire of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, who is remembered by Laurie and Pete today, on her feast day. The 'Lily of the Mohawks" was born to a Mohawk father and a Christian Algonquin mother in Ossernon (upstate New York), and was baptized at the age of 20. Working at the Saint Francis Mission near Montreal, she was a model...

Father Adam Cichoski, Parochial Vicar of Lindenwold’s Parish Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, steps into the vault this week with Mike and Pete. Fresh off his recent trip to Lourdes and the Camino, Father Adam shares his transformative experience in France and Spain, his first year as a diocesan priest, and learning Spanish in Texas. To learn more about Fr. Adam's trip with our seminarians, read t...

Elena Brandt, Swedesboro resident and founder of FontSound, LLC., is this week’s guest with Mike and Pete for a fantastic hour in the vault (assuming you can make it through the record-setting 14 minutes of news read and banter at the beginning. Sorry.). This driven and energetic young woman from Queens, NY, shares the story of her passion project, FontSound, which assists Catholic parishes in emp...

The dynamic duo are back again and talking about another dynamic duo, the two foundational pillars of the Catholic Church, Saints Peter and Paul. Laurie Power and Pete Sanchez share the lives and impact of Peter, the first Apostle and Rock of the church, and Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles. Their devotion to the Catholic faith, and the passion to share its truth and beauty with all, inspires fai...

The third co-host is back! Fr. Robert Sinatra, pastor of Saint Padre Pio Parish in Vineland, joins Mike and Pete for a spirited hour of conversation that we thought was going to be about the importance of leisure time, something we tend to get a few minutes more of in the summer. However, what actually happened is three pals locked themselves in a vault and talked about whatever popped into their...

Mike and Pete stray far from the friendly confines of The Vault as they attend the Catholic Media Conference in Green Bay, Wisconsin (https://www.cmctitletown.com/). Joining them this week are fellow attendees Erin Friedlander, communications director from the Diocese of Metuchen, and Mary Beth Peabody, Marketing and Communications Manager for the Catholic Schools Office of the Diocese of Camden....

Jeff Morris, founder of the Woodbury-based Morris Graphic Inc, and President of the South Jersey Catholic Business Network (http://cbnsj.org/), talks with our co-hosts this week about the CBN's upcoming Best Practices Symposium at Rowan College of Gloucester County, an all-day event for business leaders on June 21st. The trio also discuss the bucolic town of Woodbury and his 30+ years at Morris Gr...

Julie LaRosa, the delightful and enthusiastic Assistant Director for Christian Formation for Youth & Young Adults at Sewell’s Church of the Holy Family, gets into The Vault this week with Mike and Pete. Schools might be closing their doors for the summer, but the faith formation doesn’t end. Julie enthusiastically talks about her parish’s upcoming Vacation Bible School next month, a week of fun, f...

As Father’s Day approaches , Mike and Pete are joined by Bill McCusker, author of “Fatherhood: In Pieces- Wisdom and Advice from Fathers for Fathers,” and founder of Fathers & Families, Inc., whose mission is to improve the lives of children, mothers, and families, and communities and the country, by building awareness of the importance of the institution of fatherhood. The three discuss fatherhoo...

On June 16, the Diocese of Camden will welcome two new priests into its midst, Deacons Anthony Infante and Joshua Nevitt. After many years of seminary, they are finally ready to take their vows as shepherds to the Catholics of South Jersey. We hope you will keep them in your prayers now and always.

What’s a DRE? That’s how we led off our chat this week with two great directors of religious education in the Diocese of Camden, the Caso sisters. Lisa is the DRE at The Parish of All Saints in Millville, NJ, and Karen is the DRE at Saint Gabriel the Archangel Parish in Carney’s Point, NJ. For most of their adult lives they have been committed to religious education programs around the diocese and...

As Memorial Day approaches, and remembering the sacrifices of military service members throughout history, Fr. Chris Mann, the Marine, former friar and current Pastor of Christ the Redeemer Parish in Atco, N.J., returns to The Vault to chat with Mike and Pete about the common ground shared between the religious and military life, and how the retelling of the past can shape our present and future.

Laurie Power and Pete Sanchez share the life of Saint Rita of Cascia, a 15th century Italian widow and Augustinian nun, and now Saint of the Catholic Church. This Saint known as "The Precious Pearl" is a shining example of how we are called to live a life of faith and peace, in wherever we are at in our lives. Saint Rita of Cascia, Patroness of Impossible Causes, pray for us!!

As the Diocese of Camden’s Catholic Strong Campaign continues to roll out, Mike and Pete travel to the Church of the Holy Family in Sewell, N.J., to speak with its pastor, Father John Picinic, about this initiative to strengthen South Jersey’s Catholic faith communities. In the pastor’s office, the three have a lively chat about Catholic Strong’s benefits to individual parishes and the diocese, it...

“Love you and the Lord.” These were the inspiring words of the one and only Priscilla Frederick, track and field coach at Paul VI High School, and 2016 Olympian, during her visit to The Vault this week. The authentic and ever-positive young woman leads a joy-filled conversation with Mike and Pete, to discuss her own accomplishments in track and field, the importance of living a life grounded in th...

We are very pleased to have the pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Haddon Heights, NJ on the podcast this week, Fr. Joseph Byerley. He is one of the Camden Diocese’s many priests celebrating a significant anniversary of their ordination to the priesthood. In his case, 25 years! Fr. Byerley chats with Mike and Pete about how his pastoral techniques have evolved since his days as a young priest, a...