The Dunces' Corner

TFE Live Show/Memories, Shoutouts, and Ask Us Anything Don't call it a comeback. The Duncepod gets resurrected for a live show at The Franciscan Experience 2025. Some of the Dunces have vocation updates. Participants share illuminating memories from an incredible week with FranU's theology institute, give shout outs, and ask tough questions. Siblings show a lot of love. Jesus calls us to be poor a...

TFE 2024 Live Show/Ask Us Anything/Air Horns Everywhere The Dunces are back live at The Franciscan Experience 2024. Dr. David Moser joins the show with old-timers Dr. Pedraza, Rachael, and Josh. New majors, Ignazio and Chandler, get in the mix, and Chris the Philosopher makes a long overdue appearance. Stellar high school students share some of their favorite memories from the week and how they fo...

B-Side: Called by Name Fr. Andrew tells the captivating, sometimes funny, sometimes gut-wrenching story of Jesus calling him to the priesthood. B-Side episodes bring you a story that gives flesh to a topic talked about in a previous episode. See Episode 12, "Going on Vocation." Music Credits: "Reawakening", "Comfortable Mystery 2", "Still Pickin", "Country Ballad 2" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)...

Dr. Vukov/Feast of St. Francis/A.I. and Humanizing Technology or Technologizing Humans/A.I. vs. Meat Computers Dr. Joe Vukov from Loyola Chicago visits the Dunces' Corner to talk all things Artificial Intelligence and Technology. Josh and Ben join the show. Dr. Vukov shares his conversion from Protestant to atheist to Catholic and the harrowing story of how he became a philosopher. The Dunces talk...

TFE 2023 Live Show/Ask Us Anything/Buc-ee's The Dunces record a live show at The Franciscan Experience 2023. Rock Star high-schoolers ask about the Immaculate Conception, why the authorities at the time of Jesus decided to kill him, God and gender, the problem of evil, the ethnicity of Jesus in artwork, and why angels aren't depicted in art as they are in the Bible. Hunter and his hair return from...

Eras of Church History/Tay-Tay vs. Mayer/Mouth Sounds You think Tay Tay's tour is big? Just you wait. Through the powers of the Dunce DeLorean, Catherine takes us to her cave in the desert and drops some St. Anthony on us; Rachael steals some pears with St. Augustine; Dr. Whidden gives you a double dose of monasticism and the One which nothing greater can be conceived; Matt almost dies then riffs...

Becoming Men and Women of Communion/Vulnerability and True Community/Either-Or Game The end of Lent was Lenty. Dr. Pedraza went to a symposium on formation. Rachael talks about her NET community in Ireland. Sr. Ref gets real about the Lord doing work. Matt dropkicks instagram and fake friends. Then the CFRs bring the holy fire about community life and how to break free from shame and isolation. Br...

Dr. Angela Franks on Misogyny and the Feminine Genius/Gender in a Man's World/Which is the Worse Penance? The Dunces welcome Dr. Angela Franks from St. John's Seminary to talk about her article, "Why Does Higher Ed Throw Women Under the Bus?" and then open up about church jobs, the femine genius, and the spiritual motherhood of religious sisters. Dr. Franks gives a teaser for her bioethics lecture...

Dr. Collier on the Christian Renewal of Healthcare/Lenty Lent/Worse Penance Game The Dunces are back. Trey and Catherine have average news. Hunter mustache you a question. Rachael is having a Lenty Lent. Dr. Collier shares her story, talks about how to let the Divine Physician go to work in healthcare, and helps men avoid mansplaining when it comes to women's health. Then everyone plays a hilariou...

The Franciscan Option/The Secret of Franciscan Poverty/Emptiness and Humility/Trivia The Dunces welcome special guest Fr. Agustino Torres, CFR, to shed some light on what St. Francis can teach us about renewing the Church and the world today. Dr. Meinert asks about the secret to Franciscan poverty, Avera wants to know how best to empty herself so that God can fill her, and Catherine asks for tips...

SNES vs. N64/What is a Vocation/The Counsels and the Married Life/Advice for Discerning Vocation The Dunces try to release some steam for those caught in the vocation discernment pressure cooker. Brady tells us the glories of his newfound married life and gets video games wrong. Catherine discerns a vocation and lives to tell about it. Elise cracks open a can of Edith Stein. Topics include the rel...

Musings on the Last Things/Saints and Martyrdom/The Halloween Candy Power Ranking The Dunces tackle topics related to eschatology and get you ready for All Saints, All Souls, and the Candy Triduum. Daniel takes Hell seriously. Catherine has an existential crisis and wonders who or what the Anti-Christ is. Avera gets shook by the young saints God is raising up. Dr. Meinert tells us why endurance is...

The Political Landscape/Principles to Guide Our Engagement in Politics Dr. Meinert's growing peas. Catherine's engaged. Daniel and Avera join the show. Highlights include: Catherine and Daniel lamenting political discourse in our country; Avera on the black Catholic experience of political, spiritual, and mental slavery; Dr. Meinert on the idolatrous aspects of political discourse dettached from t...

A preview of our first episode of the sophomore season, which will be dropping soon!

The Dunces on the Good Place/"Guess the Plot" Game In the concluding half of the special double-episode, Dr. Pedraza, Dr. Meinert, Catherine, Brady, Elise, and Trey analyze the Good Place by giving out various awards including: the Atlas Award (for who carried the show), the Saul-Paul Award (best redemptive arc), and the award for the Best Theological/Philosophical Moment. The episode comes with a...

How Catholics Should Approach Media/Our Favorite Movies and Shows Amidst procrastination, Catherine stumbles upon a video about how Catholics should approach movies and TV shows, and she, Dr. Pedraza, Dr. Meinert, Brady, Elise, and Trey talk about it. They dive into how their parents censored or did not censor what they watched, how to scrutinize culture when you're a part of it, and end by offeri...

B-Side: I Will Not Leave You Orphans Fr. Brad Doyle and priestly fatherhood during the coronavirus. Some people are worried that their shepherds have abandoned them. This story tears back the veil. B-Side episodes bring you a story that gives flesh to a topic talked about in a previous episode. See Episode 5, "We're All Lonely. Together." Pope Francis' Urbi et Orbi Address: https://www.vaticannews...

Life in the time of Coronavirus/The Loneliness Epidemic/St. Thomas and JPII on Community Dr. Pedraza, Dr. Meinert, Catherine, Elise, and Trey talk life in the time of the coronavirus pandemic, then share stories of loneliness and trying to form community. Dr. Meinert sheds a little wisdom via St. Thomas on friendship, and Dr. Pedraza sets the record straight on JPII's anthropology while emphasizin...

B-Side: A None Among Us Lanie and her journey. One of the first steps in addressing the rise of the nones is understanding their stories. Here's one from someone from our hometown. B-Side episodes bring you a story that gives flesh to a topic talked about in a previous episode. See Episode 1 on "Evangelizing the Nones." Bergoglio's Lecture: http://communio.stblogs.org/Pope%20Francis%20on%20the%20R...

Lenten Penances/ Why You Can't Feast without Fasting/ Lenten Would-You-Rather Game Dr. Pedraza, Dr. Meinert, Brady, Catherine, Hunter, and Trey talk about how to do Mardi Gras, how to avoid haphazard Lenten plans, the four ways you can relate to created goods, and making Lent a training in love. Then they play a Lenten version of "would you rather." Episode comes with a dose of St. Francis and a s...

Dr. Favale's Conversion/ Student Questions/ Wives' Questions / Either-Or Game Dr. Pedraza, Dr. Meinert, Catherine, Ansleigh, and Brady welcome Dr. Favale to the show to talk about her journey from Protestantism to Postmodern Feminism to the Catholic Church. Then they force her to be a heretic. Dr. Favale's book: https://wipfandstock.com/into-the-deep.html Some of Dr. Favale's articles: https://chu...

Introducing the Dunces / How I Got into Theology / Bishop Duca / Evangelizing the Nones Dr. Pedraza, Dr. Meinert, Catherine, Elise, Ansleigh, and Ally talk about the "Nones," why they stayed in the Church when so many of their peers are leaving, and what to do about it. Bp. Barron's Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hk7hr5dYRA&feature=youtu.be&t=4544 Music credits: "Too Cool",...