PODCAST

Story Secrets

Fr. Roderick Vonhögen

Fr. Roderick Vonhögen explores the deeper layers of the stories that you love.

religion & spirituality christianity

All Episodes

14:00

Story Secrets - Saint Brendan's First Voyage

Story Secrets ·

2025/05/17

This week, on May 16,we celebrated the feast of Saint Brendan the Navigator, the Irish monk whose sea voyages became the stuff of both Christian devotion and mythic imagination. He’s often remembered for his legendary journey across the Atlantic—possibly even reaching the shores of North America centuries before Columbus.But saints don’t start out as legends. They begin, like all of us, with small steps. Quiet questions. A restless heart. A Personal Spark While I was in Ireland, I had the

16:32

Story Secrets - The Hollow Game

Story Secrets ·

2025/05/16

Why Icame up with this story. I worry about what we’re handing our children. Not just phones and tablets, but the digital realms they open: worlds that begin by adding to life, but slowly start to replace it. Curated, addictive, relentless. Social media promises fun, connection, identity. And at first, that’s exactly what it delivers. But too often, it becomes something else. The games become rules. The rules become pressure. And the pressure becomes performance. Behind it all? Powerful,

17:53

Story Secrets - Bello and the Colossus

Story Secrets ·

2025/05/15

Remember Pico, the fluffy seagull chick who crash-landed on the roof of the Sistine Chapel during the Conclave?This story takes us back in time—way back—to ancient Rome, during the reign of Emperor Nero. Meet Bello, one of Pico’s bold forefathers, who found himself circling over the Domus Aurea and a very peculiar construction project… Turns out, mischief runs in the family. 🎧 Listen now to uncover what connects two mischievous gulls, a golden statue, and a lesson in vanity only a

13:27

Story Secrets - The Druid and the Fogmaker

Story Secrets ·

2025/05/14

Two rival druids. One village. A battle between enchantment and healing.This week’s story takes us deep into a misty glen in early medieval Ireland, where a kind old druid brews gentle potions to help the sick and sorrowful. But when a charming newcomer arrives with a fiery red brew that promises visions and bliss—at a terrible cost—the village begins to change. What happens when healing becomes competition? When profit outweighs compassion? And what would you do… if your kindness was

45:43

Story Secrets - Bob's Roman Holiday

Story Secrets ·

2025/05/13

In times of transition, it's often the smallest voices that carry the clearest songs.I created this short story in the days following the election of Pope Leo XIV, inspired by the quiet courage and gentle presence of Cardinal Prevost as he begins his new chapter in Rome. It’s not a biography, of course—it’s a parable. A red bird, far from home, navigating a new world of ancient stones, unfamiliar songs, and unexpected friendships. It’s about hope. Belonging. And how even in a place as vast

48:39

Story Secrets - The Sisters of the Forbidden Fruit

Story Secrets ·

2025/05/12

What happens when faith becomes a hunger strike? In today’s story, we follow the journey of a young nun who enters a monastery dreaming of a different life—one rooted in silence, simplicity, and God. But as she rises through the ranks and purifies her community from modern distractions, things begin to unravel. What starts with salad ends with sacrifice. It’s a tale of ideals, control, and a reverse-Genesis hidden deep in the woods. And yes… there’s a tree. And fruit. 🍎 Listen to the

26:15

Story Secrets - The Hunter and the Angel

Story Secrets ·

2025/05/11

What would you do if you stumbled on a sign warning you not to pass? Not a flimsy warning—but one carved in stone, written in Latin, perched above a crumbling gate that leads deep into a dark and ancient forest. Would you obey? Or would you laugh, shrug, and step through anyway? In this episode, I tell the story of a hunter who follows his prey into a place where music glows like thread, where angels sit on stones and play songs the forest can breathe—and where a single choice can change

13:19

Story Secrets - The Magician’s Cat

Story Secrets ·

2025/05/10

In today’s story, a quiet monastery hides a restless hunter—and a secret dream of claws, courage, and transformation.“The Magician’s Cat” follows a feisty orange tabby named Magnus who’s not content with the peaceful life of his old monk companion. He doesn't want milk and naps—he wants the thrill of the hunt, the pride of a warrior, the roar of a lion. And in a dream (or is it more than a dream?), we glimpse the future of this unlikely feline: not just a house cat, but a

17:32

Story Secrets - The Lion, the Bridge and the Wardrobe

Story Secrets ·

2025/05/09

What happens when the Room of Tears hides more than just vestments—and opens into a world of snow, silence, and saints? In this magical and deeply symbolic short story, “The Lion, the Bridge, and the Wardrobe,” I reimagine the first moments of Pope Leo XIV after his election. Inspired by C.S. Lewis, the papal name "Leo," and a mysterious door in the Vatican, this tale takes the new pope on a Narnian-style journey through a desolate Rome where bridges have vanished and only a lion

8:34

Story Secrets - A Tale Of Soot And Spirit

Story Secrets ·

2025/05/09

What if the black and white smoke signals from the Sistine Chapel weren’t just symbols… but sentient? In this short story, I reimagine the smoke of the papal conclave as two ancient beings—mystical smoke-spirits locked in a sacred duel inside the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. Inspired by the spiritual weight of the moment, and a dash of Lost-style mystery, I wrote "A Tale ofSoot and Spirit: A Short Story About Two Colors, One Choice." As black smoke wrestles with fear, habit, and power,

7:17

Story Secrets - The Chick on the Chimney

Story Secrets ·

2025/05/08

While the world watched for smoke above the Sistine Chapel, I was home with a fever and a head full of stories. In this episode, I share how illness kept me grounded—but not my imagination. Inspired by the live Vatican stream and a particularly clumsy seagull chick on the roof, I wrote a whimsical short story: "The Chick on the Chimney – A Short Story About Feathers in the Vatican." You’ll hear about a brave little gull named Pico, his parents Bianca and Bruno, and how a poop on the Pope’s

33:24

Story Secrets - Walking With Dragons

Story Secrets ·

2025/05/07

Ever wonder what happens when you follow a calling you barely understand, armed with nothing but faith, ink, and a slightly trembling hand?In this episode, I tell a story I made up on the spot—no script, no notes, just imagination and a whisper of a world I’m slowly discovering. It’s called “Walking With Dragons,” and it follows a young novice story mage on his very first mission. Sent into the unknown by nothing more than a vague prayer and a quiet sense of direction, he arrives in a

19:16

Story Secrets - After The White Smoke

Story Secrets ·

2025/05/06

The conclave begins tomorrow. In just a few days, a name will echo from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. The white smoke will rise. The world will hold its breath. And we’ll meet a new pope. But what if—just for a moment—you let your imagination run a little further? What if the name announced wasn’t one you expected? What if the figure that stepped onto that balcony wasn’t what anyone saw coming? That’s the story I ended up telling on a walk this week. I didn’t plan it. I just hit

17:44

Story Secrets - The Power of Daily Storytelling: A...

Story Secrets ·

2025/05/05

I've always believed in the transformative power of stories. Whether it's through Star Wars, the dozens of novels I read each year, or the countless podcasts and TV programs I’ve made, stories shape who I am. But recently, something changed. Writing my own fantasy novel—set in a mythical version of early medieval Ireland—showed me how much I still have to learn about storytelling. It’s one thing to enjoy stories. It’s another to craft one from scratch. So I’m trying something new: I’ll be

21:16

Story Secrets - The Story Magic Behind My Book

Story Secrets ·

2025/05/02

At the start of this year, I took a crazy leap: I began writing my first fantasy novel. I was scared — but some friendly fantasy writers encouraged me to just start writing, no matter how imperfect it would be. And wow, has it been a ride.Set in early medieval Ireland, my story asks: 👉 What if the miracles attributed to saints actually happened — through a kind of sacred storytelling magic? Instead of flashy spell systems like you find in Brandon Sanderson’s books, I’m inspired more by

12:01

Story Secrets - Did Twisters Blow Me Away? (Spoiler:...

Story Secrets ·

2025/05/01

I finally watched Twisters, the sequel to one of my guilty pleasures: the 90s classic Twister. And honestly? It left me feeling... underwhelmed. Just like the original, Twisters is a popcorn blockbuster full of tornado chases, cheesy accents, and implausible survival scenes. But while the first movie had this raw, thrilling energy (and that unforgettable roaring sound design), the sequel felt like a safe remix — same story beats, less heart. A few things stood out: The main characters

21:40

Story Secrets - Sacrifices That Break the Soul (Andor...

Story Secrets ·

2025/04/30

15:49

Story Secrets - When Star Wars Becomes Uncomfortably...

Story Secrets ·

2025/04/29

There’s this one scene in Andor Season 2, Episode 2 that made me laugh out loud… and then immediately feel bad for laughing. It’s the moment when Cyril Karn, overwhelmed by his controlling mother, just collapses face down on the bed. Total shutdown. And yes—it has already become a meme. But what makes this scene so brilliant (and relatable) is what happens right before. Dedra, the ruthless Imperial officer, calmly dismantles Cyril’s mother with a few sharp words—and likely a handful of

15:55

Story Secrets - Why This Star Wars Story Hits Harder...

Story Secrets ·

2025/04/28

The first three episodes of Andor Season 2 are out—and wow, they remind me why this show might just be the best Star Wars we’ve ever had on TV. What makes Andor stand out? It dares to slow down. It gives space for moments to breathe, for conversations to land, and for emotions to feel real—not rushed like in some of the movies. This season jumps forward in time toward the events of Rogue One. We’re getting closer to that terrifying moment when the Death Star becomes fully operational. But

15:28

Story Secrets - What The Predator Gets Wrong About...

Story Secrets ·

2025/04/07

The other day I watched The Predator—not the classic one with Schwarzenegger, but the confusing 2018sequel that somehow ended up in my Netflix queue. The film tries to tackle neurodiversity, with a young autistic boy at the heart of the story. Tries... and mostly fails.The kid is smart, often overwhelmed, and largely misunderstood by the adults around him. And yes, the film hints that his autism makes him special—even evolutionary. But in the end, he's reduced to a narrative device. A

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