Visitation Sessions (A Podcast)

Today, we’re talking to our good friends from the American Catholic History Podcast, Tom and Noelle Crowe, about the saints, sinners, and movements that have made American Catholics who we are and why that matters to the global Church, especially in the wake of Pope Leo XIV’s election. Show Notes: Matt Fradd’s Note The American Catholic History Podcast American Catholic History Pilgrimages The Ame...

Habemus Papem! All four of us (but especially the resident redhead) have caught Pope Fever, and our new Holy Father is all we can talk about. So, today, we thought we would talk about it with you. In this episode, we’re chatting about our reactions to Pope Leo XIV—first, second, and third reactions that is—as well as our hopes for this new Leonine papacy. We also want to thank one of our favorite...

Between Kate’s film festival showings and Emily’s speaking engagements (Buffalo last week, Ottawa this week), the past couple of weeks have been a little insane for the Stapletons and Chapmans. We did manage to squeeze in a short Q&A, though, where we answer some of your questions about NFP and Artificial Intelligence. On Thursday, May 8, though, we have a special thank you gift coming for our ful...

Today, we’re talking to our good friend Rob Corzine, vice president of Academic Programs at the St. Paul Center, about conclaves past and present, and how despite humanity’s best efforts, the Holy Spirit proves again and again that he is in charge. And our apologies that this episode is dropping later than promised. We decided we wanted to wait until after Pope Francis funeral to drop an episode t...

Before Easter, we recorded a podcast for this week. And then some things happened. We’re still sharing this episode, as recorded, but we’ll be back later in the week with a new episode about the passing of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, plus the upcoming conclave, the nine days of mourning, and more. We’re bringing on a special guest who is way more up on his Church history and conclave procedures...

With Good Friday soon upon us, we’re talking through fasting and abstinence, the good of penance, and the penance of Palm Sunday with small children. Mentioned on today’s episode: St. Michael’s Abbey The Rule of St. Augustine (as it pertains to fasting) “Fasting: A Source of Trial,” Sermons of Saint John Henry Newman “All About Lent: The Fast,” Emily Stimpson Chapman This is a public episode. If y...

If Chappell Roan is good at anything besides singing, it’s inspiring lively conversation. Buckle up for a free flowing and wide ranging conversation about parenting, influencers, community, country music, the Diocese of Pittsburgh’s shameful maternity leave policy, and mimetic desire (because why not). P.S. This week, a little over 13 months after we launched this podcast, we crossed the 130,000 d...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit visitationsessions.substack.com After we finished “Let’s Talk About Sex,” our most recent conversation with Monica and Renzo Ortega of Two Become Family , we kept recording as we discussed the Manosphere’s obsession with the marital debt, what they get wrong, and what they get right. This episode is available for full subscribers only....

How do you talk with your spouse about sex? How do you communicate your fears, struggles, needs, and love to them? Why are these conversations so very hard? And why also are they so very important? This week, we’re talking about those questions and more, with our friends Renzo and Monica Ortega, authors of the new book: Lovemaking: How To Talk About Sex With Your Spouse and hosts of the podcast an...

St. Patrick’s Day is almost upon us, so this week we’re talking about heavenly visions of lakes of beer, the goodness of alcohol, the badness of drunkenness, and bizarre stories about St. Patrick himself (courtesy of Casey, of course). Show Notes St. Brigid’s Fire by Kevin Heider Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe Drinking with the Saints by Michael Foley St. Thomas on Boorishness St. Thomas on sobrie...

Recently, in The Free Press , the writer Chris Arnade penned an essay asserting that “Every Man Wants to Be a Hero.” So, this week, we’re discussing if that’s true, along with what heroism means, the attraction of the anti-hero, forming little boys to be heroes, and why or why not women have the same desire for heroism. Nazis, video games, the Manosphere, and mermen also somehow figure in to the c...

What is IVF? Why does the Church oppose it? Why do we hear so little about it in our parishes? How does the conversation need to change? What does the Catholic tradition of celibacy have to teach us about sex, marriage, and babies? We’re talking about all this and more, this week? Show Notes Revelations (Alvin Ailey Ballet) Donum Vitae Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Dignitas Personae C...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit visitationsessions.substack.com Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa for this delayed bonus episode! Between talks … and film festivals … and photo shoots … and deadlines … and snow days … and all the kids, the four of us are stretched way too thin right now. We are working on a plan to help with that. Until then, we ask for your merc...

Sorry for the repost! We had a little error that needed fixing! So many of you have asked us to do a more thorough discussion of the Four Temperaments and why this is is such a deeply Catholic (and helpful) understanding of the human person. It turned out to be more of a conversation than we could tackle in an hour, so consider this a solid start. (Also, if you’re a full subscriber, keep an eye on...

What possesses a man to turn the hardest, saddest, most humiliating chapter of his life into a book? How do you write about your wife’s infidelity without losing your wife all over again? What does life look like afterwards? This week, we’re talking about those questions and more with author and humorist, Harrison Scott Key. Back in October, we discussed his book, " How to Stay Married: The Most I...

It’s been the winter of non-stop sickness around here, so with germs on all our brains, we decided to unpack what the Church has to say about sickness and suffering and what we learn about ourselves when confronted with our own and other’s weakness. Also, for those of you in or near Wisconsin, the Stapletons are traveling to Door County next week for the world premiere of their documentary film, T...

The Russians are on the march in Ukraine. The Chinese are rattling sabers in the direction of Thailand. The Middle East is …the Middle East. California is in flames. Snow is falling on beaches in Florida. And Tik Tok may or may not be going dark (please, God, please). Is it the end of the world? Or just another week on earth? This week we’re talking about the end of the world and how Christians ar...

We’re kicking off the New Year by talking about the importance (and pitfalls) of making resolutions, setting goals, and crafting a vision for the year. How, as Catholics, should we approach these things? And how, as Catholics, do we make sense of God having different plans for our year than our own? Show Notes: Catechism of the Catholic Church 1500 : “Illness and suffering have always been among t...

Sorry friends, we have all had various versions of the plague these last few weeks, plus Chris and Casey had mountains of finals to grade, so getting this last podcast edited has proven challenging. But we made it, 24 hours before Christmas, so as you finish your wrapping and ready your house for the great feast, you now have something to keep you occupied. It’s basically a bunch of Catholics, try...

Over the next two weeks, we’re talking about the heroes of the Christmas story, from the ancestors of Christ to Mary and Joseph, St. Nick, St. Lucy, St. Juan Diego, and John McClane. This week’s episode focuses on St. Nick—the man, the myth, the legend—and how we approach talking about him in our families (so if you’re listening with Santa loving little ones around, definitely use those earbuds!),...

Today, we’re discussing pressing questions like: should we play Christmas music during Advent? Listen and find out. “Astrology, Politics, and Parenting, Oh My,” by Emily Chapman The Simplest of Advent Retreats Nicholas: the boy who became Santa riu riu chiu by chanticleer huron carol by the stapletons. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to...

This week, as the world cooks and cleans and barrels along highways to grandmother’s house, we’re talking about feasting—what it is, what it’s not, what the culture gets wrong with it, and what the Church gets right. Show Notes The Catholic Table: Finding Joy Where Food and Faith Meet by Emily Stimpson Chapman Babette’s Feast My 600 Pound Life . This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss t...

Why does dating have to be so hard? What’s up with men in their forties dating women decades their junior? And is there any such thing as a single vocation? We’re tackling all these questions and so, so much more this week, with the help Kate’s very lovely, very accomplished, and very single sister Clare. Come on guys, get with it. Show Notes: The Catholic Girl’s Survival Guide to the Single Years...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit visitationsessions.substack.com For the past few months we have been trying to think of a way to thank those of you who have signed up to become full subscribers to this podcast. As fun as it is to get together to record them, it also has become a part-time job for all of us, and the expense of upgrading equipment and finding the time t...

This podcast is late, late, late, and we are sorry, sorry, sorry. The blame falls solely on my (Emily’s) shoulders. I have had the most insane conflagration of deadlines and events the past two weeks, and that, combined with the normal work of mothering three small children and running a household, pretty much broke me. So, mea culpa, mea cupla, mea maxima culpa. As my penance I will unlock an ess...