Visitation Sessions (A Podcast)

This week, we’re chatting about the pop culture phenomenon du jour, K-Pop Demon Hunters, plus the toxic culture of pop princesses, boy band fever, and cotton candy theology. Show notes are few and far between, but here are the videos of the Ambiguous Dance Company that Chris used to show the kids when they were toddlers on the daily. Higher Power (official dance video) Higher Power/Extraterrestria...

Today, we're talking about the Catholic origins of Halloween, how the holiday has been corrupted by Wiccans and consumerism alike, and how much darkness is good for all of us. Mentioned on today's show: "The Truth About Exorcists & Demons: A Conversation with Dave VanVickle" "The Goodness and Glory of All Hallow's Eve" by Emily Stimpson Chapman This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss th...

What makes a movie Catholic? What makes a movie great? And why, so often, are movies that call themselves Catholic, not great? Those are the questions on the table today, on Visitation Sessions. Also, a special thanks to this episode’s sponsor, Select International Tours . For 38 years, Select has been arranging group pilgrimages for Catholics to some of the holiest sites in Christendom and beyond...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit visitationsessions.substack.com We kept the conversation on Catholic movies going to ask the question: Is Nudity in films ever okay? Show Notes Amelie Akiru Lives of Others Schindler’s List Father Thomas Loya on Porn Versus Art

Today, we’re talking all things Sacred Scripture, from how the Historical Critical Method of Scripture Scholarship destroyed Scripture study to how Catholic parents can raise kids who know their Bibles better than the Protestants down the street. Special thanks to our sponsors, Select International Tours , the only Catholic tour company that offers a comprehensive online pilgrim formation program....

Kate and Casey are up in Wisconsin this week, making a documentary about a Catholic doctor who rides on horseback to serve the Amish (I think that’s how it goes), but before they left we chatted about all God’s creatures, great and small. Not the books. Not the tv shows. The actual animals: pigs, cows, chickens, dogs, cats. Does a love of animals make you happier and holier? Or can it sometimes ma...

Are any of us professional poets? No. Are any of us poetry professors? No. Are any of us poetry publishers? One more time, no. But who cares. Poetry is part of our human patrimony. It’s the language of love, the language of war, the language of fear, despair, and human longing. Writing poems is what humans do—all humans, in every age—and this week, in perhaps our most favorite conversation ever, w...

This week, we’re talking about one of the most glorious teachings of Catholicism: the saints! We also explore the Church’s teachings on relics, how grace transforms the material world, and how a relationship with the saints is meant to strengthen your relationship with Christ, not be a substitute for it. Show Notes: Saints: * Saint Gabriel Possenti * Saint Jude * Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity * S...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit visitationsessions.substack.com In this month’s bonus episode for full subscribers, we reflect on the events of last week, including the tragic death of Charlie Kirk, the initial responses in the culture, and how Christians should respond to chaos and hatred in the world. Note: This conversation was recorded prior to the arrest of Tyler...

What are some practical ways men (and women) can overcome the habit of using pornography? Why is doing penance for pornography use so helpful? How can grace, over time heal our hearts and minds? And why is it so important for single people to take action now, before they are married, to begin that healing process. That’s what we are having a conversation about this week, on Visitation Sessions. Sh...

The Stapletons convinced the Chapmans to go to their first ever Renaissance Fair in Pittsburgh and the good, the bad, the beautiful, and the ugly of it all sparked quite the conversation about community and Catholicism. Also, Emily has a new cookbook out. It’s called Around the Catholic Table , and if you like good food, Catholicism, and community, you should buy it. Show Notes: The Surprisingly R...

Today, we’re talking about California, the Chapman’s adventures there, the reason Kate is sharing her story as a birth mother in her documentary The Inner Sea , and why the conversation around adoption and abortion in pro-life circles needs to deepen. Show Notes: The Inner Sea Springs of Love Building Belonging: Six Steps for Fostering and Adopting in Faith (An Adoption Education Curriculum) The C...

Earlier this month, The Church Life Journal ran an article by Michael Rota and Stephen Bullivant sharing some rather grim data on Catholic parents’ ability to raise Catholic children who stay Catholic as adults. In short, even with a little help from Catholic immigrants, the Church in America is essentially losing 9 out of 10 Catholics, once they become adults. “Rather grim” was a bit of an unders...

Marc Barnes is one of the coolest, smartest, most impressive guys we know. As one of the founders of both New Polity and the Harmonium Project , a professor at St. Joseph the Worker College , and the owner of a local farm to shelves grocery store, The Grocery Box , he has been putting Catholic Social Teaching into action in the streets of Steubenville for over a decade now. So, we thought we would...

Last week, the Vatican welcomed thousands of Internet evangelists to Rome for the Jubilee for Digital Missionaries and Influencers. Why would they do this? Why does it matter? What are the dangers of Catholics entangling themselves in Influencer Culture? And what does Emily really think about the word “Influencer”? We’re tackling all that and more this week, on Visitation Sessions. (Also, after we...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit visitationsessions.substack.com The Chapmans are back in Illinois this week, so Emily can spend some time with her mom, whose Alzheimer’s continues to worsen. There wasn’t time before they left to record a new episode, but after we recorded our last episode, we did manage to record a quick bonus episode for our full subscribers. We’re s...

Emily and Chris are still recovering from the Worst Mass With Kids Ever, so we thought this week we would swap a few horror stories about parenting little kids during the Mass, discuss why we think it’s important for them to be in church even when they’re misbehaving, and go over a few possible survival strategies for getting through the seasons of littles and Liturgy. A big thank you to Beata Hom...

We’re back! After a few weeks on the road, we’re catching up on everyone’s adventures, talking about what it means to honor our parents even when our parents are profoundly broken, and having heat stroke while we’re at it. We literally had to stop recording halfway through to keep Emily from passing out. All rambling, imprecise speech, and bad opinions we blame on a certain un-air-conditioned atti...

The Stapletons are rolling back into town this week and will be heading to Steuebenville on Friday to record a new episode. Until then, enjoy this fiery discussion about the marital debt, which we had with Renzo and Monica Ortega last March, when they visited us to discuss their book Lovemaking: How to Talk About Sex with Your Spouse . This episode originally aired as a bonus episode for full subs...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit visitationsessions.substack.com Happy (almost) Fourth of July! The Stapletons are still out on tour, but before they hit the road, we recorded this special bonus episode. One of our listeners asked us to address the quagmire of gentle parenting and parental discipline. Which we did, after much debate and with much more fear and tremblin...

Before we all headed out of town, we got together at the fruit fly infested Visitation House to talk about summer and what it teaches us about the life of both Heaven and earth. This episode was brought to you by Beata Home , The word Beata is derived from the Latin word for Blessed, and the mission of Beata Home is to bless your home with beautiful art that lifts your mind and heart (and your chi...

We’re all getting ready to hit the road for vacations and/or tours, so we thought we would spend an hour analyzing our own particular form of crazy: traveling with small children. Why do we do it? When don’t we do it? And what’s the very worst that can happen? (Hint, it involves starving children and diesel fuel). In our luggage this week, are some of the really wonderful novels for children and a...

This week we talk to Catholic author and Word on Fire Votive editor, Haley Stewart, about what makes stories good (for children and adults), why good stories matter, and how they shape us. We also put together a fantastic summer reading list that is not AI generated! Haley Stewart is the author of seven books : three books for adults, a series of books for children (the Sister Seraphina Mysteries)...

Kate, Casey, Chris, and Emily hash out out the difference between discerning the will of God and overthinking every life decision. Also, special thanks to the Catholic Balm Company , for sponsoring this week’s episode. Their thoughtfully curated bundles of all natural balms, lotions, soaps, and colognes are safe from harmful toxic ingredient, smell great, and work just as great as they smell. They...

Next week, after 29 years in Catholic education (17 in the classroom, 12 in diocesan administration), Chris is (mostly) leaving teaching behind to work with Emily and take over the business side of all she does. This week, after 17 years in the classroom, Casey is also leaving teaching behind to work with Kate on a host of different creative projects, from their music to theatre camps for kids. So...