Podcast: The American Catholic Spirit
Catholic Extension Society is launching a new podcast series called The American Catholic Spirit! This podcast will take listeners on a journey to meet the amazing and diverse faith communities we support across America. Our work touches the lives of 15 million Catholics spanning 40 states and territories from Alaska to Puerto Rico.
We hope that listeners will walk away with a deeper appreciation of the beauty of the Catholic Church in America, especially in places where people face immense challenges.
This series is brought to you by our president, Father Jack Wall.
Listen below, on Spotify, Apple Music, or anywhere you listen to podcasts!
Episode 8: Seminarians Earn “Calluses Before Chalices” | Yakima Valley, Washington State
Every Wednesday night during harvest season, 16 Masses are celebrated in migrant farmworker camps across the Yakima Valley in Central Washington. This “Mass in Camps” initiative, supported by Catholic Extension Society, offers not only the Eucharist to seasonal migrant farmworkers, but also fellowship, food and music. In this episode, Bishop Joseph Tyson of Yakima discusses how reaching out to the margins benefits the Church as a whole. In fact, all seminarians in the diocese spend summers working alongside the laborers in the fields to understand those they will one day serve as priests. Father Jesús Mariscal recounts how earning “calluses before chalices” influenced his pastoral perspective when he was a seminarian. Experience faith blooming and the Church growing amid Yakima’s bountiful harvest.
Listen to this episode on Spotify, Apple Music, or below:
Episode 7: Hope Beyond the Rubble | Guayanilla, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico’s string of natural disasters has left an indelible mark on the people. Yet, their faith endures. In this episode, we visit Guayanilla, a small town at the epicenter of devastating earthquakes in 2020. Immaculate Conception, a 180-year-old landmark church, sustained major damage. Parishioners sadly watched their beloved worship space and pre-K to 8th grade school reduced to rubble. We meet Father Melvin Diaz and principal Carmen Alicia Rodriguez Echeverria, who walk with the community each day. Beneath the church’s wreckage is an unwavering foundation of faith proving stronger than any brick or mortar. Catholic Extension Society is helping to rebuild and fortify over 600 Catholic churches and schools on the island.
Listen to this episode on Spotify, Apple Music, or below:
Episode 6: “Those who sing pray twice” | The legacy of music in the Black Catholic Church
Music in the Black Catholic Church in America dates back to 17th century African rhythms fused with the Christian faith. This style of music is a cherished mode of prayer in the Deep South, and it carries a legacy of resilience and devotion. This episode features voices including the late Francis Leblanc, a gifted and beloved music minister and teacher in Louisiana. Additionally, Carol Smoke, a music director in Alabama, shares how songs can transport people from a downtrodden place to the heights of God’s grace. Celebrate the vibrant spirituality behind the Black Catholic Church’s soul-stirring songs that bring communities closer to their roots, to each other and to God.
Listen to this episode on Spotify, Apple Music, or below:
Episode 5: Hope and Beauty in Blackfeet Nation | Browning, Montana
Little Flower Parish on Blackfeet Nation works to help this Native American community rediscover and reclaim the beauty that has been endowed in them by their creator. Mass is offered at the annual four-day Indian Days celebration, wherein people of Blackfeet descent celebrate their heritage with traditional dancing, drumming and games. The parish was involved in the founding of a school that now boasts a high graduation rate and thriving athletics program. Catholic Extension Society has supported Little Flower Parish for 50 years.
Listen to this episode on Spotify, Apple Music, or below:
Episode 4: Fishers of People | West Montana
In this episode we explore how the Catholic Church is good for societal health throughout the vast reaches of the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings in western Montana. Scattered throughout this territory, which is nearly the size of New Zealand, are small town parishes that are catalysts of compassion. When economies falter, Catholic churches are places of convening, assistance and hope. Catholic Extension Society works in solidarity with the Catholic leaders who are committed to building a brighter future in these far-flung communities.
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Episode 3: The Hidden Potential Within the Children of Migrant Farmworkers | Kalamazoo, Michigan
In southwest Michigan, Catholic leaders go outside the “four walls” of the Church to share God’s love among migrant farmworkers and their children. In this episode we hear from Veronica Rodriguez, the program director for Hispanic ministry in the Diocese of Kalamazoo in southwest Michigan. She grew up working in the fields alongside her mother. She remembers priests and religious sisters visiting the migrant camps to encourage children to believe in themselves. Today she is a vital part of the Catholic Church’s outreach to 18,000 migrant workers—bringing music, joy and confidence into the hearts of these overlooked families.
Listen to this episode on Spotify, Apple Music, or below:
Episode 2: Nothing About a Cathedral Is Accidental | San Juan, Puerto Rico
Catholic Extension Society has supported Puerto Rico since its first days as a U.S. territory. In this episode, narrated by Father Jack Wall, we visit the sacred treasures inside the Cathedral Basilica of San Juan Bautista, the oldest cathedral church under the American flag. The cathedral represents not only the 500+ years of Catholic faith on this island, but the extraordinary resilience of the people, who are still recovering from the massive destruction wrought by Hurricane Maria and several earthquakes. Now, Catholic Extension Society is helping the Church in Puerto Rico to rebuild 600 Catholic churches and schools.
Listen to this episode on Spotify, Apple Music, or below:
Episode 1: A Nun Takes on Mobile Medical Care for the Uninsured | Knoxville, Tennessee
Our first episode takes us to East Tennessee. You will meet Sister Mary Lisa Renfer, our 2024-2025 Lumen Christi Award recipient. Read her story here.
In addition to being a Religious Sister of Mercy from Alma, Michigan, she is also a physician. She leads St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic, a mobile medical clinic that serves the uninsured. Hear directly from Sister Mary Lisa, her staff and her patients. You will be inspired by her complete devotion to God and His children.
Listen to this episode on Spotify, Apple Music, or below: