Talking Catholic

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...

On the feast of Saint Gianna Beretta Molla, Laurie Power and Pete Sanchez share the inspiring life of the 20th century mother, wife, and pediatrician. Her Catholic faith and love of her family are models for all seeking to live a life for God. Saint Gianna Beretta Molla, patron Saint of unborn children, physicians, and mothers, pray for us!

We always like chatting with our friends from VITALity Catholic Healthcare Services and today we sit down with two of our favorites, Executive Director Deacon Jerry Jablonowski and Anne Marie Pirillo, Manager, Parish Based Senior Social Programs. In addition to talking about the incredible (and expanding) work of VITALity, we also discuss their April 28 event in Ventnor, NJ, "FOLLOWING THE WAY OF...

James Andrews, Director of the diocese's Office of Black Catholic Ministries and Cultural Diversity, and Coordinator for the Racial Justice Commission, steps into the studio this week with Mike and Pete. The engaging Mr. Andrews shares with the hosts his faith background, his work with South Jersey's Black Catholics, and the upcoming Afternoon of Jazz his office is sponsoring this weekend. For mor...

This week Mike and Pete are joined by Clare McNamee, Director of Campus Ministry at Paul VI High School; and Father Michael Romano, diocesan Director of Vocations and the Bishop's Priest Secretary, to talk about the upcoming annual iRace 4 Vocations event. The free faithraiser to benefit vocations includes a Mass, confession, food, family entertainment and a 5K Race/ 1 mile walk that has become a...

We're in Ocean City, NJ, this week chatting with Katie Waldow, Director of Youth Ministry at Saint Damien Parish. While it may not be summer yet at the seaside resort, Katie's sunny demeanor, youthful energy and deep spirituality keep Mike and Pete in great spirits, worthy of a mid-July day. The three talk about the benefits and challenges of engaging the young church in a shore town that see's it...

Mike and Pete are on the road again this week, as they head to Stockton University's Catholic Campus Ministry Center. The hosts chat with three college students, Gabi Marigliano, Victoria Mitchell, and Dom Villanueva, who share their recent experiences working with Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, and building a culture of encounter with migrants and refugees, as part of the D...

For this week's episode, Mike and Pete went back to school... Paul VI High School in Haddonfield... for an all-day gathering of the more than 600 men and women teaching in the Diocese's elementary and secondary schools. Joining them on-location were Kara Hastings, Math teacher at Resurrection Catholic elementary school in Cherry Hill; Heather Crisci, Principal of Camden Catholic High School, Cherr...

We hope you'll enjoy our newest podcast, Talking Saints. In this first episode, our hosts Laurie Power and Pete Sanchez discuss Saint Patrick, the Roman Britain who arrived in Ireland in the 5th Century. For the next 40 years, he brought Christianity to the Irish and would later become it's most famous bishop and saint. Saint Patrick's Prayer (abridged) As I arise today, may the strength of God pi...

Who was Saint Joseph, the silent husband to Mary, and the foster father of Jesus? Laurie Power and Pete Sanchez discuss what is known about the carpenter on his feast day, and how Saint Joseph can still be an example for all today, in quietly allowing God to work in our own lives. Saint Joseph, patron of the universal Church, watch over the Church as carefully as you watched over Jesus, help prote...

After more than a year of guests, hosts Mike and Pete intentionally go guest-less on this one. The duo talk about the newest podcast that will launch on St. Patrick's Day, a few high profile news items that took place within the Diocese of Camden, and then chat about Holy Week, Easter, and the best way to eat (or destroy)marshmallow peeps.

Nancy Denton, parishioner of Christ Our Light in Cherry Hill and assistant to Mike Jordan Laskey in the Office of Life and Justice, sits down with Mike and Pete this week to discuss the FaithFULL Food Drive and the Catholic Relief Services' Rice Bowl program. She shares sobering statistics about global food insecurity, the inspiring work of CRS, and how families can live out the Gospel call to hel...

On March 1, Bishop Dennis Sullivan held a meeting with student leaders from the nine Catholic high schools located in the Diocese of Camden to discuss gun violence targeting schools nationwide. We have pulled together the audio from this unprecedented meeting and put it into podcast form. The meeting featured a brief prayer service (3:55 minute mark) and an hour-long discussion period (13:12 minut...

In the past 8 days, Bishop Dennis Sullivan and the Diocese of Camden have hosted two unprecedented meetings. One with 16 Dreamers facing an uncertain future as DACA remains in limbo and another with 40+ Catholic school student leaders in a poignant discussion about violence targeting schools around the nation, most recently in Parkland. In this podcast, Mike and Pete discuss how each meeting unfol...

What is the Direction of Intention Prayer, and how can it help Catholics guide their lives to God? Father John Fisher, OSFS helps Mike and Pete understand this question on the latest episode of an enlightening Talking Catholic. As well, the Rector of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception shares a bit on his journey to the Oblates, forming students in the classroom as a teacher, his work in Ca...

We kickoff our second year of the podcast with one of the best conversations we’ve ever had. For the first half of the discussion, Father Nicholas Dudo, Vicar for Clergy of the Diocese of Camden, chats with us about his visit to the Super Bowl as the Philadelphia Eagles' Catholic chaplain. Then in the second half, we talk about his fascinating journey from the culinary world to the priesthood. It’...

It's our one year anniversary and the beginning of Lent so we figured it was a great time to bring back our semi-regular co-host Father Robert Sinatra, pastor of Padre Pio Parish in Vineland, NJ. He stops by the vault and chats with Mike and Pete about the recent Eagles Super Bowl win (yesssssssssss!!!!!!!!! #flyeaglesfly)and the upcoming Lenten season, where he drops more than a few pearls of wis...

As the Diocese of Camden's House of Charity-Bishop's Annual Appeal kicks off this weekend, Mike and Pete welcome the Director of Development, James Lanahan, and two individuals working with organizations directly helped by generous donors: Rosemary Love, RN Care Coordinator of VITALity Health Services, and Jeanetta Warren, Catholic Charities' Program Coordinator. The lively roundtable discussion i...

As Catholic Schools Week kicks off this Sunday, we invited principal Molly Webb to join us as we chat all things education. She is in her second year leading Resurrection Catholic School in Cherry Hill, NJ. Also joining us is another educator and our pinch hitting co-host, filling in for an ailing Pete Sanchez, Marianela Nunez, Diocese of Camden Schools Office Field Consultant for Latino Enrollmen...

In preparation for this Friday's March for Life in Washington, D.C.. Talking Catholic welcomes into the studio Tracye McArdle, ardent advocate for life and worshipper at Mater Ecclesiae Church in Berlin. She speaks with Mike and Pete about the sanctity of life, and her efforts in South Jersey to promote the dignity of all.