RED-C Roundup

169 Katie Smith: Youth Ministry

On Wednesday, June 10, Gene Wilhelm talked with Katie Smith, graduate of Texas A&M and now Director of Youth and Young Adults at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Richardson, Texas. Katie and Gene talked about the beauty of youth ministry and the impact a great youth minister had on her life at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Parish in College Station. She shared her journey to becoming a youth minister and talked about her deep family history at St. Joseph in Richardson. Listen to this episode to learn about the significance of youth and young adult formation in your child’s life! And we ask that you kindly pray for good youth ministers and people to join those ranks in order to help our youth become strong men and women of God.

168 Fr. Sebastian Walshe: Secrets of Heaven

On Wednesday June 3rd, Fr. Sebastian Walshe, a Norbertine Priest from St. Michael’s Abbey in Orange, California, was on to talk about his new book, Secrets from Heaven: Hidden Treasures of Faith in the Parables and Conversations of Jesus. Fr. Sebastian was raised in a mixed-religion family, his father being a non-practicing Catholic, and his mother a Jew, until she had a conversion to the Lutheran Church. Fr. Sebastian mentioned the three main objections to the truth of scripture that he writes about in his book: 1) the scriptures contradict modern science, 2) the scriptures contradict themselves, and 3) the authors of scripture were biased, and he addressed the third objection in this interview, refuting it with multiple examples. Fr. Sebastian talked about how women (untrustworthy sources in those days), were the first ones to witness the resurrection, a detail that no one would use in an attempt to make up a false resurrection. He also talked about the parable of the prodigal son, and how when we sin we have the tendency to come back to God afraid, but Jesus didn’t die to purchase slaves, he died to purchase his children back, and a few other parables as well. Listen to the episode now to hear more details about these hidden treasures of Faith! And pick up Fr. Sebastian Walshe’s book here!

167 Marcel Lejeune: Evangelization & Being a Disciple

On Wednesday, May 27, Judy Comeaux spoke with Marcel Lejeune about evangelization. He is the President and Founder of Catholic Missionary Disciples, Catholic Evangelist, international speaker, and award-winning author of the Contagious Catholic: the Art of Practical Evangelization. Marcel and Judy talked about what it truly means to be a disciple, not just a believer, of Jesus Christ. Living your Faith intentionally as a disciple of Christ is far different from just going through the motions by attending Mass, and completing a checklist. What does being a disciple of Christ look like? How should your life look different from others?  Listen to this episode now to dive a little deeper into what it means to truly be an intentional disciple and evangelist for Our Lord Jesus Christ!   

166 Charlene Alexander: Reflection on Quarantine

On Wednesday May 20, Pam Marvin spoke with Charlene Alexander of the Regnum Christi consecrated women of the Houston/Tomball area. They reflected on this time we’ve had in quarantine and how it has affected us humanly as well as spiritually. They each talked about their personal experiences, things they have learned throughout this time, ways they have grown, and more! Listen to the episode now for a peaceful and fruitful conversation! Remember to go and love your neighbor! 

165 Trent Horn: Can a Catholic be a Socialist?

On Wednesday, May 6, Deacon Mike Beauvais spoke with Trent Horn from Catholic Answers Live about his new book, Can a Catholic be a Socialist? In the first part of the show, Deacon Mike and Dennis shared their thoughts about the resumption of public masses in the Diocese of Austin and how that process is playing out. In the second segment, Trent Horn also talked a little bit about public masses being re-opened to the public and made the point that we can never be 100% safe in life, but we take reasonable, precautionary measures to help keep people safe to the best of our human ability. The remainder of the interview concerned his new book, Can a Catholic be a Socialist? Spoiler alert - no! Listen in to hear more details about socialism and why we as Catholics cannot be socialists!

164 Building the Pro-Life Movement: Elle Staniszewski

On Wednesday April 22, Judy Comeaux spoke with Elle Staniszewski of the Pro-Life Waco, about the impact of “blessing bags.” Elle serves as a sidewalk counselor outside of Planned Parenthood, and hands out blessing bags to women heading into or out of the clinic. These blessing bags are filled with love as a way to reach out to the women and, hopefully, prevent them from following through with an abortion. On the outside of the blessing bags there are coupons for free health care such as pregnancy tests, STD tests, ultrasounds, etc. Inside, the bags hold a choices brochure, letting the women know that they have options other than abortion, a little red glass heart for them to hold as a source of comfort and love, hand sanitizer, nail polish, and many other thoughtful goodies. Listen to this episode to get your mind off of the corona-virus for a while and turn your prayers and energies to the pro-life movement and this beautiful ministry of blessing bags happening in Waco!

163 Fr. Ryan Higdon: Catholic Parochial Schools

On Wednesday, April 8, Gene Wilhelm talked about St. Julie Billiart in the first part of the show, who was the Saint of the Day for April 8. In the second half of the show, he talked with Fr. Ryan Higdon, Pastor at St. Louis Catholic Church in Waco. Fr. Ryan talked about his experience as a priest at different Catholic churches and schools. He has been at St. Joseph in Bryan, St. Mary’s in College Station, and is now the pastor at St. Louis in Waco. The parochial school—a Catholic school under the care and administration of a parish—is a particular feature of Catholic life in the United States from about the 1880s onward. Recently, Fr. Ryan assumed the job of administering both a parochial grade school and a high school. He has drawn on  his own experience with Catholic education to guide him in this new role. Listen in to hear about his plans for these parochial schools in the years ahead. 

162 Holly Ordway: Lewis & Tolkien

On Wednesday April 1, Deacon Mike Beauvais spoke with Dr. Holly Ordway, newly appointed Fellow of Faith and Culture at Word on Fire, and also Professor of English and faculty in the M.A. in Apologetics at Houston Baptist University. Dr. Ordway was not raised in a religious home, but she eventually became a Christian, and then a few years after that she became Catholic. She talked about her journey to the Catholic Faith through learning from authors like C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Her interview is a very personal view of these two great authors and how they made Christianity sensible to her. She also delves into how reading great literature that’s not pietistic but produced by a Christian imagination can beguile non-believers into giving Christianity a serious hearing. Tune in to hear more. When choosing between the values of heaven and the values of earth, always round up!