

Chris Stefanick Catholic Show
Chris Stefanick | Real Life Catholic
The world says the Catholic Faith is boring. And too often, we act like we believe it. Ready to live your Faith like an adventure instead? Chris Stefanick wants to help you live the JOY God created you for, right here and now. Hit Play and get rolling!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 18, 2025 • 44min
Bobby Flay, Bacon, and the Battle for Your Dinner Table | Father Leo Patalinghug
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He beat Bobby Flay. Now he’s feeding souls with bacon, theology, and the Eucharist.
In this episode, I sit down with my good friend Fr. Leo Patalinghug—a priest, chef, and one of the most joy-filled guys I know to talk about something that hits closer to home than you might expect: your dinner table.
This isn’t just about food. It’s about faith that shows up in the ordinary. It’s about how the Eucharist connects to your kitchen, why your table is under spiritual attack, and how reclaiming one simple habit, eating together, can literally change lives.
Timestamps:
4:55 – Catholicism isn’t boring—it’s meant to feel like a feast.
6:17 – Fr. Leo explains the “baptism of bacon” (yes, really).
8:31 – What REALLY happened when Fr. Leo beat Bobby Flay on national TV?
11:21 – The Eucharist is the most powerful act of divine hospitality.
13:14 – God is a … Foodie!? Exploring the theology of meals. ️
16:40 – The devil hates your dinner table—and here’s why. ⚔️
31:25 – Regular family dinners can help fight addiction, anxiety, and more.
35:12 – Turns out, what your kids want most is simple: time with you.
This episode is your reminder to slow down, make the pizza, and invite God to the table. Because that’s where heaven touches earth.
Resources Mentioned:
Father Leo’s Books:
Saving the Family: https://shop.platinggrace.com/collections/books/products/saving-the-family
Spicing Up Married Life: https://shop.platinggrace.com/collections/books/products/spicing-up-married-life
Grace Before Meals: https://shop.platinggrace.com/collections/books/products/grace-before-meals-cookbook
Epic Food Fight: https://shop.platinggrace.com/collections/books/products/epic-food-fight-a-bite-sized-history-of-salvation
Dining with the Saints: https://shop.platinggrace.com/collections/books/products/dining-with-the-saints
Father Leo’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheFatherLeoShow
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The Chris Stefanick Show will soon be premiering on EWTN+ Streaming! You can start watching more great content at: EWTN.com/ondemand/
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✈️ To learn more about all of Real Life Catholic Pilgrimages, visit: https://reallifecatholic.com/pilgrima...

Jun 14, 2025 • 16min
Why You’re Lonely (and How to Fix It)
Let’s be real—people can be challenging. But trying to do life without them? That’s even worse.
We’re in the middle of a loneliness epidemic—and it’s wrecking our health, our joy, and our souls. Worse than high cholesterol. More isolating than ever. And no one’s talking about it.
In this episode, I’m diving into the real reason we feel so disconnected—and what the Trinity has to do with it. (Yep. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have something to say about your friendships.)
Discover why the Trinity holds the key to healing our disconnection.
Why scrolling can’t replace real friendship
How the early Church got it right—and what we’ve forgotten
The simple shift that could change your life (and your parish) This one’s practical. It’s personal. It’s powerful.And honestly? It might just change how you think about Church, friendship, and what it means to be human again.
FREE Living Joy Small Group Starter: https://coaching.reallifecatholic.com/living-joy-reboot-signup
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Sign up for the Daily Anchor for FREE and receive daily reflections, updates, and encouragement from Chris Stefanick to help you live with the joy you were made for: https://mailchi.mp/reallifecatholic/daily-anchor-landing-page-20
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Help us transform hearts for Jesus! Join the mission and become a monthly donor (A Missionary of JOY!): https://moj.reallifecatholic.com/

Jun 11, 2025 • 57min
27 Years Lost to Screen Time?! What Big Tech Doesn’t Want You to Know
Tech addiction is real—and it’s stealing your time, your peace, and your purpose. But you don’t have to stay stuck.
In this powerful episode of The Chris Stefanick Show, I sit down with Andrew Laubacher, founder of Humanality, to expose how your smartphone is rewiring your brain—and what you can do to take your life back.
93% of your free time is being eaten by screens
The average teen is on social media 5+ hours/day
1 in 5 millennials has no friends
And your phone was engineered to make this worse
This conversation will give you the truth about tech addiction, the science behind attention loss, and real tools to break free—without going off the grid.
Timestamps
2:25 – Goldfish is greater than a human attention span?!
14:41 – Why moderation fails (and what works)
15:25 – 27 years of your life lost to screens
37:17 – The loneliness epidemic no one’s talking about
39:13 – What is a Digital Detox Village?
42:30 – How to reclaim your mind, time, and joy
Resources Mentioned
Light Phone – https://www.thelightphone.com/ (Code: Humanality)
Wise Phone – https://wisephone.com/ (Code: CHRIS)
Join a Digital Detox Village – https://humanality.org
Humanality + Hallow App – https://hallow.com/collections/1843/
Watch the Carlos Acutis Movie – https://carloacutisfilm.com/
✨ Sign up for the Daily Anchor for FREE and receive daily reflections, updates, and encouragement from Chris Stefanick to help you live with the joy you were made for: https://mailchi.mp/reallifecatholic/d...
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Jun 7, 2025 • 19min
Breakthrough is one Prayer Away: A Message for Pentecost)
What if everything you’re waiting for hinges on one word: SUDDENLY?
Pentecost wasn’t a slow spiritual awakening. It was a detonation. The Church didn’t tiptoe onto the scene—it BURST into the world with power, clarity, and joy. And that same Spirit that flipped the lives of the Apostles upside down… still moves today.
In this episode, we delve into what really happened on Pentecost and why it matters more than ever. If you’ve been stuck in fear, burnout, or just wondering where God is, this is for you. This isn’t a pep talk. It’s a call to breathe in the Spirit of God—and exhale His power into the world around you. Because you’re not just here to be inspired. You’re here to be transformed.
Come, Holy Spirit.
Sign up for the Daily Anchor for FREE and receive daily reflections, updates, and encouragement from Chris Stefanick to help you live with the joy you were made for:https://mailchi.mp/reallifecatholic/daily-anchor-landing-page-20
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Help us transform hearts for Jesus! Join the mission and become a monthly donor (A Missionary of JOY!): https://moj.reallifecatholic.com/

Jun 4, 2025 • 1h 6min
Kim Zember’s Journey Through LGBTQ Identity and Finding True Freedom in Christ
Sign up for the Daily Anchor for FREE and receive daily reflections, updates, and encouragement from Chris Stefanick to help you live with the joy you were made for: https://mailchi.mp/reallifecatholic/daily-anchor-landing-page-20
Help us transform hearts for Jesus! Join the mission and become a monthly donor (A Missionary of JOY!): https://moj.reallifecatholic.com/
What happens when “living your truth” leaves you feeling more lost than ever? In this powerful episode, Kim Zember shares her deeply personal journey through same-sex relationships, heartbreak, and the search for identity—and how it all collided with the radical love of Jesus.
Kim isn’t here to debate or condemn. She’s here to tell the truth about what it’s like to chase love that doesn’t satisfy… and to be found by the One who does. Her story is raw, redemptive, and full of the kind of hope our world is starving for.
Timestamps:
4:35 - “My identity is not in what I do—it’s in what He’s done.”
6:11 - “I just wanted to be loved.” Where the ache began.
11:59 - Can something feel right… and still be wrong?
40:46 - “God’s not trying to fix me. He’s making me whole.”
46:37 - Why affirmation isn’t the same as love
43:42 - What to say when your child says, “I’m gay”
47:52 - Fasting for your children: the forgotten weapon
If you’ve ever wrestled with identity, love, or how to walk with someone who is—this episode will challenge and encourage you. There’s a love stronger than any label.
A truth deeper than any feeling.And a God who calls you His.
Previous Episode with Kim Zember: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkxqBIkIwuw
Kim's Zember's Website: https://boldlybeloved.com/
Kim Zember's book: https://sophiainstitute.com/product/restless-heart/?srsltid=AfmBOorzpuoHvPNfPuw95SVMjlhojl7WGhNJ8vij00gGKZClmVX5DdDK
Kim Kember's New Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1mlyfHaK3A
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The Chris Stefanick Show will soon be premiering on EWTN+ Streaming! You can start watching more great content at: EWTN.com/ondemand/
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✈️ To learn more about all of Real Life Catholic Pilgrimages visit: https://reallifecatholic.com/pilgrima...
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✉️ Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration in your inbox. https://mailchi.mp/reallifecatholic/d...
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️ Listen to 3-Minute Reset, my NEW podcast with Pat Lencioni for working Christians: https://apple.co/3RHoSg2
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Listen to the "Chris Stefanick Show" as a podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast…

May 27, 2025 • 1h 12min
A Green Beret’s Hidden Battle and Road to Peace with Scott Galuska
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Help us transform hearts for Jesus! Join the mission and become a monthly donor (A Missionary of JOY!): https://moj.reallifecatholic.com/
Scott Galuska is a former Green Beret who lived through hell: firefights, grenade blasts, the trauma of combat, and the devastating loss of his brothers in arms. But what shocked him more than the bullets or explosions… was the mercy of God that met him in the middle of it all.
In this powerful episode, Scott opens up about the battles he fought both on and off the battlefield - his fear of dying without the sacraments, the miraculous protection he experienced in combat, and the slow, steady pull back to the heart of the Church.
Timestamps:
15:25 – Broke his leg parachuting—taped it up and kept going.
24:18 – First firefight: “I just ran toward the bullets.”
32:57 – A grenade explodes 10 feet away. Shrapnel hits. No wound.
55:35 – Watching his best friend die—from the base.
1:04:00 – How Eucharistic Adoration began to heal him. 1:08:46 – His message to anyone in the dark: Don’t quit.
If you’ve ever wondered where God is in the middle of suffering… this one’s for you.
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The Chris Stefanick Show will soon be premiering on EWTN+ Streaming! You can start watching more great content at: EWTN.com/ondemand/
........
✈️ To learn more about all of Real Life Catholic Pilgrimages visit: https://reallifecatholic.com/pilgrima...
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✉️ Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration in your inbox. https://mailchi.mp/reallifecatholic/d... .........
️ Listen to 3-Minute Reset, my NEW podcast with Pat Lencioni for working Christians: https://apple.co/3RHoSg2

May 22, 2025 • 1h 5min
Can’t I Just Worship on a Mountain? with Fr. John Nepil & Chris Stefanick
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Help us transform hearts for Jesus! Join the mission and become a monthly donor (A Missionary of JOY!): https://moj.reallifecatholic.com/
Join Chris and Natalie Stefanick on the trip of a lifetime, diving into the beauty of creation where Natalie found God, in one of the most stunning places in the world: Kauai.https://www.canterburypilgrimages.com/tour/rlc-kauai/
“Why do I need church? I find God in nature.” Sound familiar? Maybe you’ve even said it yourself.
And hey - I get it. I live in Colorado. I love nature. There’s something about standing on a mountaintop that just hits differently. The beauty. The silence. The awe. It stirs your soul. But if we stop there, we’re missing the best part.
In this episode, I sat down with my friend Fr. John Nepil—a priest, seminary professor, and the only person to ever celebrate Mass on the summit of all 54 of Colorado’s 14,000-foot peaks. Yeah…he’s kind of a legend.
This episode isn’t just about mountaintop moments. It’s about the search for something we can hold on to—and the emptiness behind the adventures we seek when the destination isn’t God, and where He intended to be found.
The partying, the psychotropic drugs, the adrenaline highs that so many partake in are all betraying a desperate hunger for something real, something eternal. This is a fascinating conversation that will rock you to the core.
We talked about everything from creation to confession, beauty to worldview, suffering to Eucharistic joy - and why the mountains, as incredible as they are, can’t give you what you’re really looking for. Because the mountains don’t love you back. But Jesus does.
And He didn’t stay “up there.” He came down into the mess and mystery of your everyday life. He meets you not just in sunsets and silence, but in the Eucharist. That’s where the longing ends and the love begins.
This episode will challenge the lies we believe, reignite your sense of wonder, and help you see the world—and your faith—with new eyes.
........ The Chris Stefanick Show will soon be premiering on EWTN+ Streaming! You can start watching more great content at: EWTN.com/ondemand/
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✈️ To learn more about all of Real Life Catholic Pilgrimages visit: https://reallifecatholic.com/pilgrima...
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✉️ Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration in your inbox. https://mailchi.mp/reallifecatholic/d... .........
️ Listen to 3-Minute Reset, my NEW podcast with Pat Lencioni for working Christians: https://apple.co/3RHoSg2

May 16, 2025 • 24min
Why Pope Leo XIV Gives Me Real Hope w/Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila
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Help us transform hearts for Jesus! Join the mission and become a monthly donor (A Missionary of JOY!): https://moj.reallifecatholic.com/
Get your Leo XIV t-shirt: https://reallifecatholic.checkoutstores.com/campaigns/reallifecatholic/products/leo-xiv Pray the Surrender Novena with me and Archbishop Aquila! Here is how to start: https://catholicexchange.com/the-surrender-novena-let-jesus-take-care-of-everything/
We have a new pope. And he’s American!!!
When Pope Leo XIV stepped onto that balcony and said, “Peace be with you,” the whole world watched in stunned silence. But what most people missed was what those words actually revealed. This isn’t just about history being made. This is about where the Church is headed next—and what you are being invited into. In this powerful episode of The Chris Stefanick Show, I sit down with my friend and Archbishop, Samuel Aquila, to unpack everything we’re seeing in these early days of Pope Leo’s pontificate—and why it gives me hope.
We talk about:
️ Why “Peace be with you” was no accident
What the name Leo tells us about the mission he’s stepping into
How a bishop emailed the Pope—and got a reply the next morning
⚖️ The striking parallels between now and Pope Leo XIII’s time
The ONE thing that will unite the Church again (hint: it’s not politics)
Why now is the perfect time to pray the Surrender Novena
Watch it now, and pray with us for Pope Leo XIV as he carries the weight of the keys.
Timestamps:
Did that really just happen?! A Pope from the U.S.?! (1:15)
A bishop emailed the new pope... and got a personal reply. (3:20)
Why the name Leo means more than you think (7:50)
What this moment has in common with Leo XIII and global upheaval (10:45)⚖️
The Church’s future is not about sides. It’s about Jesus.(12:10)
His first words: “Peace be with you.” The world needs this. (14:30)
️ Why now is the time to pray the Surrender Novena (19:30)
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The Chris Stefanick Show will soon be premiering on EWTN+ Streaming! You can start watching more great content at: EWTN.com/ondemand/
........
✈️ To learn more about all of Real Life Catholic Pilgrimages visit: https://reallifecatholic.com/pilgrima...
........
✉️ Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration in your inbox. https://mailchi.mp/reallifecatholic/d... .........
️ Listen to 3-Minute Reset, my NEW podcast with Pat Lencioni for working Christians: https://apple.co/3RHoSg2
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Listen to the "Chris Stefanick Show" as a podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast…

Apr 30, 2025 • 35min
Lessons from a Complicated Papacy (and Why They Matter Now!)
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Help us transform hearts for Jesus! Join the mission and become a monthly donor (A Missionary of JOY!): https://reallifecatholic.com/moj/
When a spiritual father dies, it’s not just the end of an era — it’s a moment for grief, gratitude, and renewed faith.
In this special episode, I sit down with my friend JD Flynn to unpack the life and legacy of Pope Francis — the parts that inspired us, the parts that challenged us, and the parts that still call us to deeper conversion today.
This conversation isn’t about politics. It’s about family. It’s about honoring the man who gave his life to shepherd the Church through some of the most complicated years in recent history — and asking what we are called to do next.
Want to jump right to the key moments? Here's where you can dive in:
3:30 - How Pope Francis defied political labels—and why that matters ⚖️
4:48 - Why this papacy didn’t fit into any easy box
6:51 - The messy moments—and why healing starts with truth
8:46 - His pastoral heart: daily calls to a priest in Gaza ❤️
13:11 - Why pretending “everything’s fine” actually hurts the Church
29:27 - The call to go back to the heart of it all. ✝️
32:26 - How his witness challenges you and me to grow in maturity
The Church isn’t just an institution, but a family. And when a spiritual father dies, it's time to come together and carry the best parts forward, meet the hard parts with faith, and keep working together—not with anger or division, but with the hope and joy that only Jesus can give.
Let's pray for Pope Francis.
Let's pray for the Church.
And Let’s pray that the future pope would be exactly what the church needs right now.
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The Chris Stefanick Show will soon be premiering on EWTN+ Streaming! You can start watching more great content at EWTN.com/ondemand/
........ ✈️ To learn more about all of Real Life Catholic Pilgrimages visit: https://reallifecatholic.com/pilgrimages/
........
✉️ Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration in your inbox.https://mailchi.mp/reallifecatholic/daily-anchor-landing-page-20
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️ Listen to 3-Minute Reset, my NEW podcast with Pat Lencioni for working Christians: https://apple.co/3RHoSg2

Apr 24, 2025 • 21min
He is Risen and Life is Good!
What if one headline could rewrite your entire life?
“He is Risen.” Three words that flipped the world upside down—and they still change everything today.
In this episode, we dive deep into what the Resurrection of Jesus actually means for your life. Not in a distant, theological way—but in the realest, most practical sense. The tomb is empty. Death has lost. Your story is forever changed. We talk about the eternal victory that breaks into our ordinary days. The cancer diagnosis? Doesn’t win. That grief? Doesn’t define you. The enemy of death itself? Conquered.
And I’ll take you inside the tomb of Jesus—actual footage from one of the most powerful places on earth.
Timestamps:
00:00:16 – Why “He is Risen” Changes Everything
00:01:22 – The Kind of News That Rewrites Your Story
00:04:41 – The Real Enemy at the Gates (And How Jesus Beat Him)
00:06:15 – Why Christians Don’t Just “Make Peace” With Death
00:07:52 – How Jesus Transformed My Mother-in-Law’s Final Days
00:12:23 – St. Josephine Bakhita and the Redemption of Suffering
00:15:16 – Scientific Evidence Behind the Resurrection
00:16:47 – Your Life Isn’t a Story of Pain—It’s a Story of Victory
00:17:17 – How Paul Kept His Joy (Even on Death Row)
This episode is a celebration of hope that can’t be shaken. If you’re struggling, suffering, or searching for meaning—watch this. The resurrection isn’t just something to remember. It’s something to live. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share this with someone who needs to be reminded: This isn’t the end. It’s the beginning.
Help us transform hearts for Jesus! Join the mission and become a monthly donor (A Missionary of JOY!): https://reallifecatholic.com/moj/
........ ✈️ To learn more about all of Real Life Catholic Pilgrimages visit: https://reallifecatholic.com/pilgrima...
........ ✉️ Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration in your inbox. https://reallifecatholic.com/newslett...
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️ Listen to 3-Minute Reset, my NEW podcast with Pat Lencioni for working Christians: https://apple.co/3RHoSg2