Talk about turning your mess into your message. Today's guest, Victoria Ray, is a speaker, a podcaster, a student, and a Certified Addiction Empowerment Specialist. She's also in recovery and a big ole fan of Jesus. Victoria is here on the show today to talk about whether she believes her addiction was part of God's "plan" for her life, how she found truth in her faith during the darkest days of her life, and why she decided to devote her life to serving others with addictions. She also offers h...
Apr 29, 2020•39 min
OK, time to admit my stress + beef with the modern day education system. I went to public school. Did not have a great experience. Krzys went to public school. Did have a great experience. I don’t want to pay thousands for my kids to go to school in a community that looks exactly like them and be encased in a Catholic Bubble, nor do I want them to go to the school where I went, spending most of pre-calc hanging out in the parking lot and taking civics classes where there are actual test question...
Apr 22, 2020•33 min
We all know Mary gave the ultimate fiat. But what about ours? Our “yes” to a new grad school degree. Our “yes” to donating an extra $10 instead of buying that second wine at girls night. Our “yes” to a radical mission across the globe. Our “yes” to the mind-numbingly difficult task of child rearing. Our “yes” to homeschool or private school or public school. Every day, we are faced with an infinite amount of “yes” that we are called to say. In today’s episode, speaker Karianna Frey walks us thro...
Apr 15, 2020•38 min
Anger. Shame. Boundaries. These are the parts of care taking we *don’t* often talk about. But the truth is, these are all too common when imperfect people are trying to attempt perfect love. Today’s guest, Katie Pyles, has experience as a caretaker for an adult with special needs, and I'm so grateful she came on the show to share her story. Katie talks about how it isn't our weaknesses that harm relationships, it's the way we deny to acknowledge them or get support for them--that really resonate...
Apr 08, 2020•43 min
The death penalty is a topic I’ve been interested in for a long time, and I’m so pleased to be discussing it today with McKenna. McKenna is a grad student who comes to us with a passion for capital punishment and it’s place in the pro-life discourse. As Sr. Helen Prejean says, “people are more than the worst thing they have ever done in their lives.” McKenna and I discuss what inspired her to learn more about this area of criminal justice, what resources we should turn to if we’re interested in ...
Apr 01, 2020•28 min
Hear from Sr. Thea Bowman's best friend about what she was like, what she was passionate about, and why she deserves to be a canonized saint!
Mar 27, 2020•22 min
When you have money to give, should you give it to your literal neighbors, or the neighbors on the other side of the world? Today we're chatting with Catholic Relief Services' Beth Knobbe to discuss economic justice and what it means to care for the people around us. I was excited to hear about CRS' transitions in their economic justice programs and why they're shifting to a focus on empowering local communities. We talk about staying in your own lane, if you should focus more on policy or chari...
Mar 25, 2020•46 min
Learn all about St. Therese's mom, St. Zelie, and why Catholic feminists in particular should care about her!
Mar 20, 2020•19 min
When it’s time to put together a Catholic event, are you putting diversity on your list of goals? In today’s episode, speaker Marcia Lane-McGee and I are talking about how to embrace diversity in Catholic speaking circles without falling into the idea of a “diversity hire”. We also talk about her experience as a birth mother of a teenager, her podcast for black Catholics, and how her work at a home for teenage boys in Chicago has helped her see Jesus in all people. Enjoy! Today’s episode is brou...
Mar 18, 2020•53 min
Layna Maher from the St. Kateri Tekakwitha Shrine is here to help us learn about the life and legacy of this inspiring indigenous saint!
Mar 13, 2020•24 min
#ShoutYourAbortion. That’s what we’re told, right? That abortion is a powerful, important procedure. It empowers women. It gives them strength. It gives them autonomy. Today’s guest says hell no. Gracey is a wife, mother, and post-abortive woman. She’s here to share her incredibly vulnerable story of getting her abortion, how she sought and received forgiveness from the Lord, and what she thinks could have possibly prevented her abortion in the first place. Gracey says we need a change of HEART ...
Mar 11, 2020•42 min
Learn about the life and legacy of "almost-saint" Dorothy Day, a Catholic feminist we should all admire, to celebrate Women's History Month.
Mar 06, 2020•28 min
When we hear “the troops”, we probably all have things pop into our head. From Colin Kapernick to WMD to Dorothy Day’s pacifism, how Catholics interact with “the troops” can be fraught with confusion. Today’s guest, Brianna Hughes, is a member of our armed forces and it was so interesting to hear why she hates when people refer to “the troops” as one giant monolith. We talk about what it’s like to face sexism in the workplace, who “the troops” support politically, how trust in God plays into her...
Mar 04, 2020•43 min
When we’re engaging in pro-life discourse, we often hail adoption as a beautiful, healthy choice—which it is. But it’s easy to forget that adoption at its core *begins* with a loss, with grief, and with suffering. Today’s podcast guest, Martha Farnsworth, is both an adoptee and a birth mom. We talk about both of those experiences and why we should never use the phrase “just” when speaking of adoption (ie., “Just pursue adoption!!!”) My heart broke when she talked about the church’s response to h...
Feb 26, 2020•44 min
Parenting is hard, no matter who you’re parenting. But parenting a child with special needs is a task that some people hold up as the most heroic act of them all. Not so, says today’s guest—and she explains why. Vania Deeney is a mom, engineer, and Catholic Latina whose daughter was diagnosed with a genetic condition in her third trimester. Vania and I chat about what it was like to receive her daughter’s diagnosis, her advice for mothers of able-bodied kids to make our church more inclusive, an...
Feb 19, 2020•39 min
Pornography has been a “men’s issue” for as long as I’ve been involved in ministry. Anti-porn talks are for the men. The accountability apps are aimed at men. The speakers willing to Go There are men. I am so, SO thankful for women like author Kelsey Skoch. Kelsey is boldly sharing her story of overcoming a pornography addiction in order to help other women find a way out. In today’s show, we talk about WHY pornography is immoral, if there’s any room for porn in a healthy sexual being’s life, an...
Feb 12, 2020•51 min
Our first guest of season 4? My own sister! Ellie Courchane is a nurse, a fiancee, and a frequent attender of mission trips to developing nations. Ellie and I are chatting about what makes a GOOD mission trip, why so many mission trips are actually harmful, and why we sometimes use humor to view things through a different lens. I love Ellie’s perspective on why mission trips can truly be a good thing when done well and why your impact matters just as much as your intent. We also talk about if it...
Feb 05, 2020•43 min
Things I learned during this episode: most people do kegals wrong, having issues with peeing yourself at ALL is not considered normal postpartum, and what a pelvic floor even is. Dr. Chelsea Harkins is a physical therapist here to walk us through what our body is supposed to do after childbirth, how she helps women who have never properly healed, and how Theology of the Body plays into her work. Listen, y’all: even if you’ve never birthed a child, this episode IS for you. Because women straight ...
Nov 27, 2019•44 min
There are only 2️⃣ episodes left in season 3 of the Catholic Feminist Podcast! 🙌🏻 Today’s guest, Gail DeGeorge, is the perfect penultimate* show for y’all. Gail is the editor of the Global Sisters Report, a project that features stories about Catholic sisters and the critical issues facing the people they serve. The GSR journalists report about their lives and works, and sisters write commentary from their perspective. Gail is here to talk to us about the importance of supporting our sisters a...
Nov 20, 2019•30 min
Honestly, just a fun mini episode on the books I'm reading, my prayer routine, and how I'm trying to impart the feeling of "joyful anticipation" onto my kids!
Nov 15, 2019•18 min
Every single one of us has a story. A story of learning and relearning God, a story of breaking down barriers and building up good, healthy walls, a story of walking along a path to what we believe. Sharing these stories to help spread the faith is what Julianne Miles does on her podcast, Mystery Through Manners, and on her NEW daily podcast, Ruah Storytellers, which will air during Advent. Jules and I are chatting today about the importance of stories, the impact the stories of others have had ...
Nov 13, 2019•48 min
You’ve heard that you’re supposed to “discern your vocation”…but what does that ACTUALLY look like? That’s what Sr. Peter Marie of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecelia is here to speak with us about! We’re talking all about the vocations process over here for National Vocation Awareness Week, including what a come-and-see looks like, why it’s NOT a bad thing to enter religious life + leave it before making final vows, and the importance of getting HELP + direction with your discernment process. ...
Nov 06, 2019•37 min
When we’re asking women to leave behind lives of sex work, it’s vital to focus on HOW they got to where they are and WHAT they need in order to leave that path behind. Today’s guest, CarrieLynn Mascaro from Catholic Charities, is here to help us understand ways the Church is helping women stop selling their bodies. What I love about CarrieLynn’s approach is the way she focuses on the systematic problems—like affordable housing—that leave women feeling like they have no other option. We also disc...
Oct 30, 2019•29 min
I am over the moon to announce that the Catholic Feminist Pilgrimage to France is taking place in October 2020—and I want you to join us. Come walk in the footsteps of our sister saints, sip wine with other Catholic feminists, celebrate the sacraments at gorgeous cathedrals, and make 100 new besties. More information at www.thecatholicfeministpodcast.om/pilgrimage .
Oct 24, 2019•17 min
When do we “shake the dust”, when do we engage, and when do we shut up + listen? Today’s guest, Alissa Molina, has some insight for us. Alissa co-hosts a spiritual podcast with some wonderful Protestant sisters and I had to ask how that challenged her or pushed her out of her comfort zone. I loved her insight on why it’s important to not ONLY engage with Catholics, how she tries to advance the Gospel message, and why mean Christians make us angrier than mean atheists. We also talk about how bein...
Oct 23, 2019•44 min
When today’s guest, Justina Kopp, suffered a miscarriage, she was completely devastated. She didn’t know if she’d ever be able to have kids again. So imagine her surprise when she found out she was pregnant with not 1…not 2…NOT 3…but 4 babies. Y’all. Four babies. Let that sink in. Justina is on the show today to talk about the ups + downs of raising multiples, why she loves postpartum doulas, pregnancy after miscarriage, and what it was like to have a doctor encourage her to “reduce” her pregnan...
Oct 16, 2019•36 min
Sometimes I think one of the most difficult parts of being a Christian is that our culture so strongly feels that certain things are “the answer” that we believe are harmful. Be it divorce, pornography, contraception…so many things in our society that are presented as a great good can actually be so damaging to the human soul. If we truly care about people, we view it as our duty to share that information to help them grow closer to the Creator and live a life that is truly joyful + fulfilling. ...
Oct 09, 2019•46 min
When wife, mom, + producer Jeannie Gaffigan learned she had a pear-shaped brain tumor…it was inconvenient, to say the least. She had to learn how to give up a white-knuckled grip on control, find humor in heartache, and stop being the “executive producer” of her family. I loved her story about an atheist neurologist’s response to her faith life and how she feels God was with her through this insane medical journey. As a long-time fan of Jeannie’s wife Jim, I knew she’d be hilarious, even when ta...
Oct 02, 2019•36 min
Justice is a complicated thing. It seems so black and white—bad guys vs. good guys, right? If only the world was so easy to divide in that way. Today’s guest, Kathy Stilling, is a defense attorney (that attends my parish IRL!) Kathy is well-known for recently defending a Big 10 football player accused of sexual assault. Today on the show, we’re talking about what happens when justice, truth, and #BelieveAllWomen collide—and explode. Kathy walks us through how she joined the Catholic church, how ...
Sep 25, 2019•40 min
CRAPPY ADVICE: To be a good disciple, you need to sell everything in your house, grab a knapsack, and become a missionary somewhere. GREAT ADVICE: Discipleship does not have to be a formal ministry program, involve selling your iPhone, and happens when people are UNAFRAID. Today’s guest, Katie Prejean McGrady, is a Catholic speaker who’s one of our most requested guests. She’s the author of multiple books, a wife + mama, and has some #THOUGHTS on how to be a disciple as a modern-day feminist. We...
Sep 18, 2019•41 min
