The Cordial Catholic

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

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by my friend – the guy who got me into podcasting in the first place! – Matt Pana to talk about the Kingdom of God. Matt was raised Catholic in a Filipino-American household but drifted into Evangelical Christianity as a young adult. He came enthusiastically back into the practice of Catholicism after being exposed to Catholic apologists like Patrick Madrid and Scott Hahn and, today, joins me to share a bit about that journey and how the Catholic Church understands, and embodies, what Jesus describes as the "Kingdom of God."  For more from Matt, check out on social media @mattpana and check out Deep Cuts on the Array of Hope Network, a wonderful show he hosts on pop culture and Catholicism.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, in one of the most enjoyable episodes to date, I'm joined by Daniel and Steven from The Catholic Brothers to talk about their journey out of and back into the Catholic faith. Raised in a devout Catholic home, Daniel and Steven unpack exactly what drew them out of the Catholic faith and into Evangelical Christianity, then Anglicanism, and finally back into full communion with the Catholic Church. It's an amazing story that touches on some of the beautiful experiences of Evangelical Christianity, the need for an authority structure in Anglicanism, and, eventually, the authentic witness of the Early Church Fathers for the truth of Catholic Christianity. This episode is just jam-packed and Daniel and Steven are fantastic storytellers with an excellent story to tell.For more from The Catholic Brothers check out their podcast (available everywhere) and their YouTube channel. The work is top-notch.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 Catholic convert Mike Sharp to tell the incredible conversion journey him and his wife experienced – culminating in their decision to join the Catholic Church!Mike's journey touches on so many interesting points like the insufficiency of Sola Scriptura, the Early Church and apostolic succession, the liturgy, the Eucharist, confession, authority, and so much more. You name it, Mike wrestled with it, and his thoughtful, deeply spiritual engagement with all of these topics makes this one of the best conversion stories out there. Mike absolutely nails it and by the grace of God has come through this amazing experience with a great story to tell. I think you're going to love it. For more from Mike visit his website and check out his podcast, Sharpened Iron, everywhere you find podcasts.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 once again by the incredible Mike Aquilina, church historian extraordinaire, to talk about the African roots of the Catholic Church. Mike unpacks some of the interesting – and surprising – roots of things we take for granted in Catholic Christianity: the liturgy, the Latin language, some of our most important developments of doctrine and dogma and, of course, some of the most important thinkers in Early Christianity. Mike has a great take on Church history, great insights, and great stories to well. I hope you enjoy it!For more from Mike check out his latest book Africa and the Early Church: The Almost-Forgotten Roots of Catholic Christianity. 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 Lauren Bacon. Lauren is an "expected Catholic convert" and the wife of John Bacon, a former Anglican priest, and a previous guest on this show. John's own story featuring exorcisms, a friendship with Dr. David Anders, miracles, and the Early Church – and, this week, we hear it from his spouse's perspective!Lauren joins us to tell her own unique conversion story and walks us through what it was like to meet someone destined for ministry, ordained an Anglican priest, only to have God take their relationship with Himself and with one another in a completely different direction. It's a story about faithfulness, trusting God, and thirsting after the Truth! With lots of twists, turns, and miracles along the way. It's a great conversation.To listen to her husband John Bacon's episode look for Episode 167: An Anglican Priest Encounters Catholicism (w/ John Bacon) on your favourite podcasting app.For more from Lauren check out her Instagram page.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 Shannon Wimp Schmidt, Parish Vitality Coordinator for the Archdiocese of Chicago, to talk about the Catholic parish. What exactly should we expect from a Catholic parish?  How does it compare to an Evangelical church? How can we get more involved? What if nothing is happening in our parish – is it OK to go somewhere else? These questions, and many more, are answered this week as Shannon joins me for an honest, sometimes spicy, chat about what's going on at the grassroots level in the Catholic Church. You don't want to miss this!For more from Shannon, check out her podcast Plaid Skirts & Basic Black everywhere podcasts are found and. her fantastic book Fat Luther, Slim Pickin's: A Black Catholic Celebration of Faith, Tradition, and Diversity. For more, visit The Cordial Catholic. 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 David Patterson from Yes Catholic to talk about his own incredible journey out of, and then back into, the Catholic faith – thanks to some amazing miracles, plenty of grace, and some incredible moments of divine providence! Then we dig into what it means to say "Yes" to Christ and His Church, the beauty of being Catholic, the Eucharist, confession, and so many incredible stories of grace that David has encountered in his life and the stories he's heard. It's an awesome episode! For more from David visit his website and follow Yes Catholic on Instagram.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  Heidi Witte, aka Miss Heidi, from Children's Liturgy of the Word, to talk about just about everything to do with raising our kids Catholic. For this listener-requested topic, we tackle bringing kids to Mass, passing on the faith, creating a domestic church within our homes, celebrating the liturgical calendar and feast days, praying as a family, and a whole bunch of other incredible insights, ideas, and tools for not only making the Mass meaningful but for helping us to raise our kids Catholic.Heidi is an educator, a mom, a speaker, and an bonafide expert on making the Catholic faith intelligible and meaningful for children. She has a lot to share. For more from Heidi check out her Linktree. And, for a huge list of resources Heidi has generously compiled for our listeners click here.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 Marlene Watkins, founder of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospitality North American Volunteers, to talk about Lourdes: the apparitions of the Virgin Mary to a poor French peasant girl, the miracles that followed, and, incredibly, the mind-blowing miracles that science and medicine cannot prove which are still happening today! This episode is truly one of my favourites. Marlene shares her experience with leading over 200 pilgrimages, bringing thousands of pilgrims to this incredible holy site, and some of the amazing miracles experienced there. On my own personal journey into Catholicism, miracles surrounding the Virgin Mary left me confused. After all, if Mary was just a simple girl, just a means for Jesus to be born on Earth, then how could she possibly "perform miracles"? It never made sense to me as an Evangelical. Stories like these, of incredible miracles as a result of the prayers of Mary, shook my faith!If that's you, on the journey, maybe they'll shake yours too! For more from Marlene Watkins check out her book Everyday Miracles of Lourdes and visit Lourdes Volunteers to find out more about how you can get involved.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