Wisdom From The Rock FFCP

Bill McCarron’s guests for July are Sr. Rita Harwood and Prof. Gina Pérez. Sr. Rita is based in Cleveland and widely recognized for her advocacy and humanitarian work with immigrant and refugee communities. Prof. Pérez is a professor at Oberlin College and a respected scholar in anthropology and immigration studies.

Deacon Jim Armstrong’s guest June is Father Jacob Bearer, the pastor of St. Edward and St. Lucy Parishes in Parkman, Ohio.  Father Bearer is a dynamic, young priest who previews his talk to the First Friday Club of Cleveland on June 4th.  His talk, Being a Courageous Catholic, is one of great insight and inspiration.  Father is speaking to each one of us, encouraging us to live our baptismal call...

Deacon Jim Armstrong’s guest for May is Father Dave Tomaszycki who is a priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit and the pastor of St. Peter’s Parish in Mount Clemens, Michigan.  Father Dave talks about this insightful book on Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen titled On the Demonic.  Fr. Dave will address the First Friday Club on Thursday, April 30th

Deacon Jim Armstrong’s guest is Kwami Adoboe-Herrera, a survivor of child labor trafficking.  Born in Togo, West Africa, he was trafficked to the United States at the age of 7 under the false promise of education. Instead, he was forced into domestic labor, working long hours without rest, care, or access to school.  He joins us today to tell his story of perseverance, healing, and hope.  He is al...

Deacon Jim Armstrong’s guest is Dr. Kathryn LaFontana, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at Ursuline College in Pepper Pike.  Dr. LaFontana previews her March 5th talk titled, Catholic Women’s Colleges: Negotiating an Identity for the Future.

Deacon Jim Armstrong’s guest is Miguel Chavez, Senior Vice President of Mission & Ministry for the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine. Miguel oversees the integration of the philosophy and values of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine into the daily operations of the Sisters of Charity Health System. His Thursday, January 8th, 2026, address to the First Friday Club is "Theology: Called to...

Deacon Jim Armstrong’s guest is Sister Laura Bregar, OSU, President of  the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland.  She will be discussing the rich, remarkable 175 Year history of the Ursuline Sisters in Northeast Ohio.

Deacon Jim Armstrong’s guest is Bishop Neal Buckon, who serves as Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese for the Military Services of the United States.  Bishop Buckon will be addressing the First Friday Club of Cleveland on Thursday, November 6 at their regular monthly luncheon gathering.  He will discuss: The Military Chaplaincy and the Soldiers Served with Highlights of Military Chaplain Heros cu...

Deacon Jim Armstrong’s guest is Dr. Nicolle McGowan,  a local physician who will discuss one of the oldest institutions of western and Christian civilization, the Order of Malta, American Association, and its newest affiliate, right here in Cleveland.  Dr. McGowan has the title of Dame in the organization, and she is the Area Chair for Northeast Ohio. Dr. McGowan will be addressing the October 2nd...

Deacon Jim Armstrong's guest is Mike Winsor, President of Incarnate Word Academy, Parma Hts., OH.  Mr. Winsor will be Modarating a Panel discussing Classical Catholic Education at the First Friday Club Luncheon on September, 4th.

Deacon Jim Armstrong's guest for July is Fr. Joseph Koopman. Fr. Koopman is professor of moral theology at St. Mary Seminary and an advisor in moral theology and ethics for the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland and the Ohio Catholic Conference of Bishops. He was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Cleveland in 2001. Fr. Koopman will be speaking on "The Moral Law:  A Burden or a Key to Our Ha...

Deacon Jim Armstrong's guest is Dr. Tom Fielding the Music Director at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist.  Dr. Fielding is an organist and composer, and a graduate of the Indiana University Jacobs’ School of Music where his principal teacher was Christopher Young. He has received many awards for his work, and he has played recitals throughout England and the Netherlands including two appear...

Deacon Jim Armstrong's guest is John Czarnetzky, who is the Dean and CEO of Ave Maria School of Law located in Naples, Florida.  The topic of Dean Czarnetzky's talk will be "American Legal Education – The Catholic Solution"  He is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Virginia.  Before law school, Dean Czarnetzky was an officer in the United States Army, whe...

Deacon Jim Armstrong's guest is Fr. Andrij Hlabse, S.J.  Fr. Hlabse is the son of former Cleveland newscaster Dick Russ.  He was ordained to the priesthood in the Ukrainian Byzantine Rite in 2018.  Fr. Hlabse is engaged in Ph. D. studies on the development and relations of the Latin and Greek theological traditions and how the Church’s prayer expresses her theological belief.  He will be speaking...

Deacon Jim Armstrong's guest is Sr. Susan Durkin, OSU who is Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Women Religious Archives Collaborative.  The Collaborative is constructing a Heritage Center in Cleveland, one of only four such centers in the United States, to preserve Religious Order's histories and legacies and make them available to researchers and the general public.  Come and hear some of...

Deacon Jim Armstrong's guest is Peter Burak.  Peter is the vice president of Renewal Ministries, a ministry dedicated to Catholic renewal and evangelization.  He is a graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville and has a master’s degree in theology from Sacred Heart Major Seminary.  Pete is a frequent speaker on discipleship and evangelization and co-director of Pine Hills Boys’ Camp.  He is...

Deacon Jim Armstrong's guest is Bishop Edward Melesic of the Diocese of Cleveland.  The Bishop will be the speaker at the First Friday Club on February 6.  Bishop Melesic gives us a preview of his "State of the Diocese" talk he will be giving on Feb. 6.

Deacon Jim Armstrong's guest is Peter Range.  Peter is the Senior Fellow for Strategic Initiatives at the Center for Christian Virtue.  He previously was the Executive Director of Ohio Right to Life after serving for 7 years as the Director of the Office for Life and Justice of Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Toledo.  Peter hosts his own radio show called “Say Yes to Life,” which airs in both...