The Cordial Catholic

In this episode,  I'm joined by Renzo and Monica Ortega, podcasters, ministry leaders, authors and the couple behind the apostolate Two Become Family. We're breaking down exactly what the Catholic Church believes and teaches about marriage, family, and sexuality – and it's an amazing conversation. We tackle Natural Family Planning, contraception, the Catholic vision of marriage (and the sanctification of spouses), and much, much more. And I couldn't ask for a better couple to have this conversation with than Renzo and Monica; they're honest, earnest, and humble and have some fantastic insights on these topics. If you're newly married, newly Catholic, or discerning a conversion, listen and learn exactly what Catholics believe about marriage, family, and sexuality. For more from Renzo and Monica visit their website. You can find Pre-Cana with the Pope everywhere podcasts are found, and follow them on Instagram too.Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!A very special thanks to our Patreon co-producers who make this show possible: Amanda, Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Jorg, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William.Support the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode, I'm joined by Olivia Spears, mother, educator, and curriculum creator behind the incredible Into the Deep catechetical series to talk about raising authentic Catholic kids. This conversation, especially for new Catholic families just starting out, new converts, and those looking at the Catholic Church wondering where their family fits in, is filled with incredible insights, ideas, and advice from a seasoned Catholic parent. Olivia is a blast, so wise, and shares some incredible knowledge about how those just starting out in the Catholic faith can pass on the faith, their experience, and their joy. This was a wonderful conversation that many of you have requested, and I hope it's widely enjoyed!For more from Olivia check out Into the Deep.Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!A very special thanks to our Patreon co-producers who make this show possible: Amanda, Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Jorg, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William.Support the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode, I'm joined by the wonderful Karen Edmisten, author, Mom, and surprised Catholic convert, Karen joins me this week to tell her amazing story from atheism into the Catholic Church. Raised without any religion at all Karen was surprised when she began to ask questions about the meaning of life – to encounter people who caused her to ask these kinds of questions by the way they lived – and ended up becoming Christian. To her surprise, she wasn't done yet, and Karen eventually made her way into the Catholic Church. Her husband, a practical atheist, was as surprised as anyone but he came along for the journey and, eventually, converted to Catholicism as well. Through struggles, challenges, incredible miracles, and wonderful stories along the way, Karen tells the tale of her amazing journey from atheism into Catholicism and how it's fundamentally changed her life, her husband's life, and the live of their family. You're going to love this episode! For more from Karen visit her website.Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!A very special thanks to our Patreon co-producers who make this show possible: Amanda, Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Jorg, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William.Support the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode, I'm joined by author, educator, and Catholic convert Lorelei Savaryn to talk about her incredible journey out of Evangelical Christianity into the Catholic Church. A passionate Evangelical, Lorelei and her husband began questioning the foundations of their faith when they encountered questions of "Once Saved, Always Saved," the example of the Early Church, and the beauty of the liturgy. These questions, and more, tugged at Lorelei's conscience and eventually moved her to declare that either Christ founded a Church which exists somewhere, or he didn't found a Church at all. The rest is a great story, which Lorelei tells so well in this episode. I think you'll love it! For more from Lorelei visit her author website. She also writes at ThisCatholicFamily.com and is a contributor at Catholic Mom.Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!A very special thanks to our Patreon co-producers who make this show possible: Amanda, Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Jorg, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William.Support the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode, I'm joined by Father Daniel-Maria Klimek, T.O.R. to talk about Mary. Father Klimek has a fantastic new book all about this subject and we dig in deeply. From topics like Mary's role as the New Ark of the Covenant, her power of the demonic realm, her prayers on our behalf, and exactly how and why we can – and should – grow more deeply in love with the Mother of Jesus, all in this fantastic episode. If you're on the fence about Catholicism because of an "allergy" to idolatry, if Mary is the last objection standing in the way, or maybe even the first, this episode will help you answer some of the most challenging questions. For more from Father Klimek find his book For the Love of Mary at the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology and visit his YouTube channel.Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!A very special thanks to our Patreon co-producers who make this show possible: Amanda, Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Jorg, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William.Support the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode, I'm joined by Casey Chalk, a Catholic convert/revert and author of The Obscurity of Scripture, to talk about one of the great big problems with the bedrock of Protestantism and the interpretation of Scripture. We're talking about the Protestant doctrine of the clarity of Scripture – the perspicuity of Scripture – or the idea that the Bible is so clear that any Christian can understand it for themselves. This idea, which Chalk argues is foundational to Protestant Christianity, is faulty at its core. This is a fun episode; about as edgy and controversial as we get on this show but digging deeply into something that both Chalk, as a convert, and myself ran into in our search for how to understand the Bible. Chalk presents some compelling evidence that, we hope, will help Protestant's to evaluate their worldview, and take a second look at Catholicism.For more from Chalk visit his website, and find his fantastic book The Obscurity of Scripture: Disputing Sola Scriptura and the Protestant Notion of Biblical Perspicuity from the St. Paul Center. Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!A very special thanks to our Patreon co-producers who make this show possible: Amanda, Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Jorg, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William.Support the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode, I'm joined by my good friend Keith Nester and his wife Estelle to talk about their Catholic journey. Keith and Estelle met as Keith was beginning his work as a Protestant pastor; work that would take up 22 years of life his. Estelle, raised Catholic but not practising, was happy to follow Keith into Evangelical Christianity, to get married, raise kids, and live and serve as a pastor's wife. So, what was it like when Keith began feeling the tug towards Catholicism?Their journey is an amazing one and their honesty and love for one another and our Lord just shines through this conversation. For all spouses going through a conversion journey, or thinking about one, this is absolutely the best thing to listen to and I hope it encourages you greatly!For more from Keith please check out our extensive back catalogue – he's appeared may times – and find him online on his website and YouTube channel. Also, check out the Rosary Crew where Keith and his community pray the rosary every single day (for over 1,000 days and counting). Not bad for a Protestant pastor.Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!A very special thanks to our Patreon co-producers who make this show possible: Amanda, Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Jorg, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William.Support the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by author, radio host, podcaster, and mother extraordinaire, the wonderful Katie Prejean McGrady, to talk about the ridiculous, terrible, and downright crappy ways Catholics can (and do) share the faith.Katie is an incredible human being and puts herself out there, on the radio and social media, every single day. She's an evangelizer, authentic to the core, and not afraid to share what she's thinking; and this is a topic she's thought lots about. She shares some of her experiences, great stories, and awesome life lessons. We talk about some of the awful interactions we've had online (and in person) and how to do BETTER when it comes to sharing our faith and being a Catholic, seeking after the Kingdom, on social media and in the pew. For more from Katie check out her website – everything you need to know is there!Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!A very special thanks to our Patreon co-producers who make this show possible: Amanda, Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Jorg, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William.Support the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by The Miracle Hunter, Michael O'Neill, to share some of his fantastic insights and stories from years of gathering, cataloging, and investigating miracles around the world. Miracles, for me as an Evangelical Christian, were one of those things that challenged my paradigm – especially when it came to miracles involving the Eucharist, apparitions of Mary, and the prayers of the saints, things we didn't believe in as non-Catholic Christians. This week, we dig deeply into some of these incredibly fascinating stories and Michael explains how the Catholic Church investigates miracles, how it declares some authentic, and what that means for believers everywhere. For more from Michael check out his website.Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!A very special thanks to our Patreon co-producers who make this show possible: Amanda, Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Jorg, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William.Support the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, for our 200th episode, I'm joined by Catholic Answers Senior Apologist Jimmy Akin to share some of the reasons why the Protestant doctrine of Sola Scriptura is problematic – and what a reasonable alternative, in the Catholic Church, may be! For me, as an Evangelical struggling with divisions over the interpretation of Scripture within my own faith communities,  the very bedrock of my faith – the Bible as the sole, infallible rule of faith – became a real point of concern. Could this really be what Christ envisioned for his Church? Jimmy shares some of his concerns, answers some of mine, and explains why even the most innovative and modern formulations of Sola Scriptura, from the top Evangelical apologists, fail some pretty basic tests. For more about Jimmy visit his website. Also see Catholic Answers. And, check Jimmy Akin's book The Bible is a Catholic Book. Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!A very special thanks to our Patreon co-producers who make this show possible: Amanda, Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Jorg, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William.Support the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic