Visitation Sessions (A Podcast)

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...

Is “How to Stay Married: The Most Insane Love Story Ever Told,” by Harrison Scott Key, really the best book ever written about marriage? Maybe. Maybe not. But it’s absolutely one of the best. It’s honest, real, and—in its own way—profoundly faithful. If you or someone you love is struggling in your marriage, we recommend putting it at the top of your reading list. Today, we’re talking about the bo...

No folks, we’re not endorsing any candidates. We’re not even talking candidates. Instead, we try to thread the narrowest needle ever threaded by discussing why elections do and don’t matter, what Catholics need to consider every time we head to the polls, how to fund common ground with those who disagree with us, and what matters most the day after Election Day … all without talking about the actu...

Today, we’re joined by a very special guest, our friend Dave VanVickle. Dave is a lay evangelist, spiritual warfare expert, and father of five, who has spent the past 22 years assisting priests and dioceses with exorcisms. Dave is the sanest, most balanced expert we know on this topic, so we were eager to have him share his wisdom on the nature of exorcisms, the dangers of the demonic AND of payin...

Plenty of opinions, lots of questions, but very few answers is what we have for you this week as we talk about raising kids in the age of cell phones, Internet, and graphic crime shows streaming eternally on TV. Chasing Childhood (Documentary) The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt The War Against Boys: How Misguided P...

Two weeks ago, Emily answered a question in her newsletter about whether or not a wife should honor her husband’s request that she get breast implants. Everyone felt like there was a lot more to talk about than Emily was able to fit into her answer, so we recorded a whole podcast about it. It’s a perfectly clean conversation, but if you have any 12-year-old boys around who break out into hysteric...

Today, the gang is breaking down Pope Francis’ new pastoral letter on literature “On the Role of Literature in Formation.” Why do priests need to read more stories? We do we all need to read stories? What are the very best stories? What do they teach us? And what is wrong with all the people who hate Harry Potter? So. Many. Links. Today. Probably missing a dozen. But here is the best list we could...

Chris and Casey are back in the classroom, and everyone’s summer vacation is coming to an end, so the Chapmans and Stapletons are officially kicking off the second season of Visitation Sessions by looking back on a summer that was anything but restful and talking about the quest for rest, the purpose of recreation, and the glory of routines. Related to this episode: Leisure as the Basis of Culture...

We crowded into a hot childfree attic on a Sunday night to talk about what everyone else is talking about: Ballerina Farm … and farming … and trad wives … and social media …and minding our own business … and why no matter what we do, the world is going to hate believing Christians (or aspiring Christian as the case may be) who are trying to live our faith. Mentioned in this episode: Meet the Queen...

This week, your hosts Chris and Emily Chapman and Casey and KATE Stapleton (not Chris Stapleton 🤦🏼‍♀️) review some of the flash points in Butker’s Benedictine speech and discuss why both the speech and Emily’s Substack article about it are making so many people so danged crazy. Note 1: This will be our last podcast for the next two to three months, as the Chapmans head off on pilgrimage, the Sta...

Today, we’re talking about homeschooling, the purpose of the domestic Church, why awkwardness matters, and a whole lot more of listener requested topics, in this special Q&A Episode. In This Episode: Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fate of Human Societies by Jared Diamond John Henry (Tonie character) John Henry (short—Also available on Disney Plus) Future Faithful Families Project “Every Tech Tool in...

This week, we dive deeper into the Christian obligation (yes, obligation) to practice hospitality and answer your questions about what that looks like when you’re tired, strapped for cash, and would rather just watch Netflix. Mentioned in this episode: Apostolica Acuositatem (Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity), Second Vatican Council “Enduring Homelessness Requires More Than Just Survival,” by...

Two high schoolers, a homeschooling mom, and a sleep deprived writer sit down over drinks to talk about learning. It sounds like the beginning of a very boring joke, but it actually was a fascinating late night conversation about learning, education, technology in classrooms, the virtue of studiositas, the vice of curiositas, the wonder of children, and why Emily dislikes the word “educator” almos...

The Chapmans are counting down the days until they take two three-year-olds and a five-year-old to Italy. The Stapletons are counting down the days until they take six kids on a converted school bus and embark on their summer concert tour. Obviously, when it comes to travel, none of us are sane. But there is a reason for our madness. This week, we’re talking about the graces of travel—why we do it...

Today, we welcome our first guest ever to the show, Dr. Matt Breuninger— associate professor of Psychology at Franciscan University , author of Finding Freedom in Christ: Healing Life’s Hurts , and most important, the former owner of Visitation House. We talked for a solid 90 minutes up in the attic about what it means to be a good man, a good father, and a good husband (including an inordinate am...

After a two week Easter break, we’re back this week with a new conversation on modesty. Yes, modesty. But we promise, it’s not the conversation you had with your mom (unless your mom is Emily or Kate). Links: * The Summa: Modesty ( II-IIae Q.160 ); Adornment in the Creation of the World ( I-I Q. 70 ) * Daily Life in the Time of Jesus by Henri Daniel-Rops * These Beautiful Bones: An Everyday Theolo...