Catholic Review Radio

Dorothy Day was a journalist, Catholic convert and co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement who devoted her life to serving the poor, welcoming the homeless and advocating for peace and social justice. On this edition of Catholic Review Radio, her granddaughter, Martha Hennessy, talks with George Matysek about Day’s life, faith and enduring legacy.

Hennessy, who is active in the Catholic Worker Movement, shares personal memories of her grandmother and discusses how the Eucharist and prayer fueled Day’s commitment to serving others. She explains how Catholic Worker houses of hospitality continue that mission today and why...

In a new episode of Catholic Review Radio, host Christopher Gunty talks with two authors who discuss ways to live a Catholic life these days.

In the first segment, Gunty, associate publisher and editor of Catholic Review Media, speaks with Tom Corcoran, associate to the pastor at Church of the Nativity in Timonium, Md., and co-author of “Jesus, the Rich Young Man and the Meaning of Life.” Together, they explore the Gospel story of the rich young man and its enduring challenge: What must we surrender to follow Jesus fully? Corcoran explains that the young man’s questi...

Soccer is the world's most popular sport, teaching teamwork, discipline, perseverance and respect. In the Archdiocese of Baltimore, those lessons reach nearly 2,000 young athletes each season through the Archdiocesan Parish Soccer Program's 156 teams.

Host George Matysek explores how the league combines competitive soccer with Catholic values. President Steven Bartomioli and Vice President Bradley Gracey discuss efforts to foster sportsmanship, inclusion and faith-centered character formation for players of all skill levels. They share how new initiatives, including the St. Sebastian Recognition Coin and division names honoring former parish programs, help reinforce the league's Catholic identity while celebrating acts...

In this episode of Catholic Review Radio, Christopher Gunty speaks with Missionary of Jesus Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, about immigration, poverty and the Catholic call to welcome the stranger.

Sister Norma describes her decades of service at the southern border and explains how Catholic Charities supports vulnerable families. The organization provides emergency assistance, including food, shelter, and support for people facing homelessness; and addresses food insecurity, housing insecurity, and family separation.

She explains that immigration is only one part of Catholic Charities’ broader mission. The agency al...

In this episode of Catholic Review Radio, host Rita Buettner explores the life, legacy, and enduring spirituality of St. Francis of Assisi as the Church marks the 800th anniversary of his death. Through conversations with Conventual Franciscan Father Michael Heine, provincial of Our Lady of the Angels Province, and Conventual Franciscan Friar Gary Johnson, vicar provincial, listeners gain fresh insight into one of Christianity's most beloved saints.

Father Heine reflects on the dramatic conversion of St. Francis, from the son of a wealthy merchant to a follower of Christ who embraced poverty, simplicity, and service to the...

In the latest episode of Catholic Review Radio, Catholic Review Managing Editor George Matysek talks with Father Steven Roth, director of vocations and associate vicar for clergy for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, about the current state of priestly vocations, why more men are discerning the priesthood, and how the Church is supporting them. The conversation covers the growth in seminarians, the variety of backgrounds among new entrants, and the role of prayer, family, and parish life in encouraging vocations.

With 66 men in formation this year, up from 60 last year, Father Roth emphasizes that the quality of the...

Christopher Gunty of Catholic Review Media talks with Monsignor Jason Gray, executive director of the Archbishop Fulton Sheen Foundation, about Archbishop Sheen’s life, his rise as a pioneering Catholic broadcaster, and the miracle that led to his beatification. Monsignor Gray also explains how Archbishop Sheen’s Midwest roots, prayer life and clear teaching style shaped a ministry that reached millions.

In this episode, they discuss:

In this episode of Catholic Review Radio, Christopher Gunty, editor, talks with Greg Farno, chancellor for education for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, and School Sister of Notre Dame Patricia McCarron, superintendent of Catholic Education, about the start of the school year, what makes Catholic schools distinctive, and how they support students academically, spiritually and socially. They also discuss enrollment trends, parent partnership, leadership development for educators and the role of Catholic schools in forming the whole person.

Farno and Sister Patricia describe the energy of the first day of school, from students running into classrooms to teachers...

George Matysek goes behind the scenes of Notre Dame football with Holy Cross Father Nate Wills, the team’s chaplain and author of "Pray Like a Champion Today: Sacred Stories from the Sidelines of Notre Dame Football." Ordained in 2006, Father Wills is also an education professor at Notre Dame and a national speaker on artificial intelligence in Catholic education.

Father Wills discusses his ministry of accompanying players and coaches through both the highs and difficult moments of football, including injuries and personal struggles. He explains the century-old tradition of giving players saint medals before games, the spiritual me...

For years, Tom Tirpak’s mother, Therese, thought about writing a book. She had a deep love for the Divine Mercy, and she wanted to share the personal stories and miracles in her life that reflected what she called Mercy Moments. She started writing some of her stories in a notebook, and she told others to one of her grandsons, who recorded them.

After Therese passed away, Tom was moved to pull together his mother’s stories and reflections into a book, “Get on Board the Mercy Train: Journeys of a Marian Helper on the Road to Heaven...

What do animation, comic books and Catholic faith have in common? For Tim Murphy, they are all part of one creative journey.

In this episode of Catholic Review Radio, host George Matysek talks with Murphy, creative services director for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, about his passion for art, his background in animation and the faith that has guided his life's work. Murphy recounts how prayer and an unexpected opportunity led him to join the archdiocese in 2016 and explains how he uses creative media to share the Gospel and engage audiences of all ages.

From developing...

In this episode of Catholic Review Radio, Catholic Review Editor Christopher Gunty interviews Maria Ruiz Scaperlanda, promoter of the canonization cause of Father Stanley Rother, a priest from Oklahoma who became a martyr in Guatemala. They discuss Father Rother's upbringing, his journey to the priesthood and his deep connection with the local community in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala. The conversation highlights Father Rother's advocacy for the people during a time of civil unrest, his efforts to learn the local Tz’utujil language, and the impact he had on the community. Scaperlanda also shares insights about the documentary “An American Marty...

Kevin Brown shares a powerful story of transformation from addiction, incarceration and homelessness to a life defined by service, faith and hope. Growing up in Maryland, he faced poverty and insecurity before alcohol and drugs led him into years of substance abuse, repeated imprisonment and life on the streets.

After the loss of his brother to a fentanyl overdose, Brown made the life-changing decision to enter Helping Up Mission's faith-based recovery program. Today, he serves as the mission's food warehouse manager, is a certified peer support specialist and volunteers with Be More Caring, helping people experiencing homelessness...

Rita Buettner speaks with Ilka Knüppel, author of "Finding Ruth: A Personal Story of Hitler’s Secret Euthanasia Program, Action T4."

Knüppel recounts the life of her great-aunt Ruth Muehlmann, a young woman with a disability who was murdered in 1941 as part of the Nazis’ secret program that systematically killed people with disabilities. She shares her years-long search through German archives, her visits to the institutions where Ruth lived and died, and the emotional journey of uncovering long-hidden family history.

The author also reflects on how her Catholic faith sustained her while researching such p...

In this episode of Catholic Review Radio, Father J. Collin Poston shares his deeply personal journey through severe illness, faith and recovery. His story highlights how attentiveness, faith, and community support can transform suffering into a source of strength and hope for others.

Christopher Gunty, associate publisher and editor of Catholic Review Media, talked with Father Poston about his life-saving surgery and the importance of faith and prayer during critical health crises. He also discusses the power of the sacrament of the sick, experienced multiple times, as a source of divine strength and how his faith deepened...

As the nation approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Archbishop William E. Lori is inviting Catholics and all people of goodwill to reflect on the relationship between faith, civic life and the common good. In this episode of Catholic Review Radio, we share excerpts from the first installment of Archbishop Lori’s new podcast series, "In Charity and Truth," inspired by his pastoral letter, "In Charity and Truth: Toward a Renewed Political Culture."

Archbishop Lori is joined by Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York for a wide-ranging conversation about the Catholic Church’s role in A...

In this episode of Catholic Review Radio, Christopher Gunty explores with Taylor Black the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, its cultural and ethical impacts, and the Catholic perspective on technology. Black is director of AI and Venture Ecosystems at Microsoft. Discover how AI is shaping society, the importance of human dignity, and what the future holds.

The conversation talks about the significance of Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas in the context of AI and technological shifts. Other key topics are the balance between technological advancement and environmental sustainability and the role of AI in de...

Welcome to Season 7 of Catholic Review Radio

Celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with a fascinating look at the often-overlooked Catholic roots of the nation on Catholic Review Radio. Host Rita Bittner speaks with Dr. Dennis Castillo, professor of Church history at St. Mary’s Seminary, to explore how a small but influential Catholic community helped shape the founding of the United States.

From the remarkable story of Charles Carroll – the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence – to the quest for religious freedom that inspired many Catholics to support independence, this episode uncovers key contribu...

Covering the Vatican and the popes full time brings opportunities to share information about the Church with readers all around the world. Carol Glatz, Rome Bureau chief for Catholic News Service, has been working in that field for more than two decades, covering four popes. In this episode of Catholic Review radio, Glatz sat down with Catholic Review Editor Christopher Gunty for a wide-ranging discussion on the joys and hardships of covering such an important news beat.

She shares insights on Pope Leo’s first year and how he differs from previous popes. Her trips with popes ha...

On Father's Day, Rita Buettner speaks with Deacon Keith Chase, a permanent deacon at Our Lady of the Fields in Millersville, and his son, Deacon Andrew Chase, a transitional deacon preparing for priestly ordination in 2027. The father and son reflect on their faith journeys, from Deacon Keith’s unexpected call to the diaconate while praying the rosary to his son's experience growing up in a family deeply rooted in parish service. They share memories of parish life, the influence of a parent’s witness and the unique bond created by serving the Church in different vocations. The conversation explores disc...

An outreach program at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore is changing lives on city streets.

George Matysek speaks with two missionaries from Source of All Hope — Erin Kelter and seminarian Daniel Otto — about their work accompanying people experiencing homelessness. Rather than acting as social workers, they build genuine friendships, offering presence, prayer and the simple dignity of being seen and known by name.

Later, Father Brendan Fitzgerald, rector of the Baltimore Basilica, joins the conversation to discuss the program's growth, including a $2 million grant and...

Host Rita Buettner speaks with Christopher Wesley, executive director of Marathon Youth Ministry, about faith, family and raising the next generation of Catholics. Drawing on more than two decades of youth ministry experience, Wesley discusses how parishes can help young people find belonging, purpose and identity, while encouraging parents to build strong faith-centered communities around their families. Wesley also shares insights on the vital role fathers and other trusted adults play in nurturing faith, the challenges facing lay ministers and the importance of creating welcoming parishes for young people.

Host: Rita Buettner

Guest: Christopher Wesley...

Bishop Adam J. Parker, auxiliary bishop of Baltimore, returns for another installment of Catholic Review Radio's popular "Ask a Bishop" series. In this episode, Bishop Parker takes on a wide range of listener questions gathered from Catholic events across the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

He offers practical advice for college students on peer-to-peer evangelization, guidance on approaching friends struggling with underage drinking and tips for defending the Catholic faith with confidence and humility. A father of a seminarian asks how to encourage vocations — and Bishop Parker's answer is both personal and pastoral. Other topics include whether Catholics should ki...

In the early years of the Catholic Church in the United States, few figures were as unlikely — or as fascinating — as Prince Demetrius Augustin Gallitzin. Born into Russian nobility with Catherine the Great as his godmother, Gallitzin became a Catholic priest on the American frontier, earning the title "Apostle of the Alleghenies."

Catherine O’Donnell, a historian at Arizona State University, joins host George Matysek to discuss the extraordinary life of one of the most fascinating figures in the early U.S. Catholic Church.

Gallitzin arrived in Baltimore in the late 18th century and came under...

Gregg Landry, founder of Blue Rock Productions and president of the Catholic Business Network of Baltimore, didn't set out to be a faith leader. He came to UMBC to play baseball and ended up doing suicide crisis counseling and working in Baltimore's most troubled neighborhoods. Looking back, he sees God's hand in all of it.

Mark Viviano talks with Landry about how saying yes has shaped everything since. They discuss how a single reflection question at a men's faith group — what have you said no to that could have been a blessing? — led Landry to eucharistic ministry at G...

He was once a rising concert pianist, performing for audiences around the world—until he answered a call he could not ignore. Catholic Review Managing Editor George Matysek speaks with Sulpician Father Paul Maillet about his journey from the concert stage to the priesthood.

A former student of the legendary Leon Fleisher, Father Maillet reflects on the discipline and demands of a professional music career – and how a vocation first sparked in high school gradually took hold through prayer, service and discernment.

Now a faculty member at St. Mary's Seminary and University in Roland Park, he c...

What do monks, monasteries and a great bottle of Bordeaux have in common? More than you might think. On this episode of Catholic Review Radio, host Rita Buettner speaks with Emily Stimpson Chapman, a bestselling Catholic author who has spent years tracing the deeply intertwined histories of winemaking and the Church in her new coffee table book, "Sacred Wine: The Holy History and Heritage of Catholic Vintners."

Chapman explains how monks preserved and elevated winemaking after the fall of the Roman Empire – and why the Mass was central to their motivation. She also discusses her remarkable recent ou...

When white smoke rose over the Sistine Chapel last year, Elise Ann Allen was one of the few journalists who already knew the man stepping onto the balcony. The Rome-based correspondent for Crux had first met Cardinal Robert Prevost in Peru years earlier while covering the Church's response to the abuse crisis — an encounter that eventually led to a dinner with the future pope and, after his election, the first in-depth interview with Pope Leo XIV.

George Matysek talks with Allen about her new biography of Pope Leo XIV, published this April in English. She traces how hi...

On this episode of Catholic Review Radio, host Christopher Gunty speaks with architect Mauricio Cortés Sierra, one of the lead designers guiding the completion of Barcelona’s world‑famous Basilica de la Sagrada Familia. Cortés Sierra shares the remarkable story of a church begun in 1882, shaped by Antoni Gaudí’s visionary faith, and carried forward by multiple generations of artisans. He reflects on the recent completion of the Tower of Jesus Christ – the basilica’s highest point – and its deep spiritual symbolism, designed to remain humbly below the height of God’s creation. The conversation also explores how Gaudí used ar...

Our God is a merciful God, and that is ever-present especially in the sacrament of reconciliation or confession. Catholic Review Editor Christopher Gunty talked with Father Michael DeAscanis, pastor of St. Louis Parish in Clarksville and St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fulton, about his great joy in bringing people back into communion with God through confession. They also discuss St. Faustina and the Divine Mercy devotion promoted by the woman who saw Jesus with mercy pouring from his heart in the early part of the 20th century. Learn more about how and why the Church celebrates the feast...

This Easter marks a remarkable moment in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, where more than 1,280 catechumens and candidates entered into full communion with the Catholic Church — a number drawn from those attending formal rites and not including several hundred others welcomed at individual parishes. In this episode of Catholic Review Radio, host Rita Buettner highlights two of these journeys.

Laura Montgomery of St. Joseph in Fullerton describes how she and her family moved from a Baptist and non-denominational background in search of truth, ultimately discovering the richness of Catholic tradition, especially the Eucharist and a sense of spiritual in...

In this Earth Day-themed episode of Catholic Review Radio, host George Matysek explores how faith can inspire care for creation through the perspectives of two guests.

First, Father Jim Bors, a former naval officer and widowed father ordained to the priesthood in 2022, shares how his lifelong love of nature informs his ministry. Now serving as priest-secretary to Archbishop William E. Lori, he has promoted native plant gardens at the parish level and at his home in Cape St. Clair. His work focuses on restoring habitats for pollinators and encouraging practical, faith-rooted stewardship of the environment.

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Discover the inspiring intersection of faith and America’s pastime in this week’s episode of Catholic Review Radio. Catholic Review Editor and Host Chris Gunty speaks with filmmaker John Scheinfeld, writer and director of the new documentary Baseball Beyond Belief. Inspired by John Sexton’s bestselling book “Baseball as a Road to God: Seeing Beyond the Game,” the film explores how faith, ritual, doubt, and community shape both spiritual life and baseball fandom. Scheinfeld shares stories from players, scholars, and fans of many religious backgrounds – Catholic, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and more – revealing the universal human longing reflected in the game. T...

Catholic Review Associate Publisher Christopher Gunty has two guests on the program this week. First up is Deacon Kevin Cummings of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, talking about the ministry he and other members of Deacons of Hope starteed to create residential homes for unwed women experiencing homelessness. He notes how addressing all the needs – pre-natal and post-natal – saves the women and their babies.

In the second segment, Joseph Schuler, development director and one-man band at WMET Radio in Washington, D.C., talks with Gunty about his journey of faith and how his son’s trauma...

🎬 Enjoy additional conversation with our guests on Hollywood and the movies in this special bonus episode for the 2026 Oscars season!

Catholic Review Associate Publisher Chris Gunty is joined by Daughter of St. Paul Sister Rose Pacatte, OSV News media reviewer John Mulderig, and co‑host Ann Augherton of the Arlington Catholic Herald for a fast‑moving, insightful conversation about Hollywood’s biggest night, coming up March 15.

From the imaginative spectacle of Sinners to the quiet beauty of Train Dreams, the panel explores why 2025’s films leaned into offbeat storytelling, ordinary heroes, and marathon running times. They break...

🎬 Catholic Review Radio’s 2026 Oscars Special dives into the year’s most surprising, soulful, and genre‑bending Best Picture nominees. Catholic Review Associate Publisher Chris Gunty is joined by Daughter of St. Paul Sister Rose Pacatte, OSV News media reviewer John Mulderig, and co‑host Ann Augherton of the Arlington Catholic Herald for a fast‑moving, insightful conversation about Hollywood’s biggest night, coming up March 15.

From the imaginative spectacle of Sinners to the quiet beauty of Train Dreams, the panel explores why 2025’s films leaned into offbeat storytelling, ordinary heroes, and marathon running times. They break down each Best Pi...

Mark Viviano welcomes Baltimore Orioles pitcher Cade Povich for a heartfelt conversation about faith, baseball and purpose. Preparing for his third Major League season with the Baltimore Orioles, Povich reflects on a life-changing milestone: his reception last year into the Catholic Church at age 25.

Povich shares how his journey began with childhood curiosity, deepened in Catholic high school theology classes and matured amid the pressures of professional baseball. Encouraged by teammates, his wife’s faith and guidance from a priest, he completed months of formation during the grind of the MLB season. The day after his baptism, he...

Exploring the beauty and challenge of Catholic marriage, this week’s episode of "Catholic Review Radio" features author and homeschooling mother Caitrin Bennett discussing her award-winning book, "Holier Matrimony: Married Saints, Catholic Vows and Sacramental Grace." A parishioner of St. John Francis Regis Parish in Leonardtown, Bennett shares how her desire to find married saints as companions in her own vocation grew into a richly layered work on saintly couples, Catholic wedding vows and sacramental grace.

In a new pastoral letter released Feb. 9, Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore takes the occasion of the nation’s 250th anniversary to address “a moment of grace and responsibility.” Catholic Review Editor Christopher Gunty talked with the archbishop about the motivation for the letter, which is subtitled, “Toward a Renewed Political Culture.” Archbishop Lori notes in the interview that the extreme polarization of the current political climate is painfully evident and that we need to find common ground to work for human dignity.

Oscar Wilde once said, “Every sinner has a past. Every saint has a future.” Catholic Review Editor Christopher Gunty talks with Tim Jeffries and Joe Reynolds, producers of the popular video series “Sinners and Saints,” which is now filming its third season. They talk about how each of us is a broken sinner and how we should strive to become saints. Even some of the holiest saints we can think of, including St. Augustine, were notorious sinners before they changed their ways.