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PODCAST

Ave Explores

Ave Maria Press

A project of Ave Maria Press, Ave Explores helps you discover and learn about aspects of the Catholic faith from a variety of different angles, looking at topics relevant to the spiritual life in a fresh, engaging, and practical way.

religion & spirituality christianity

All Episodes

38:45

Easter: Feast after the Fast with Laura Kelly Fanucci

Ave Explores ·

2026/04/03

We usually arrive at Easter ready to stop "counting the days" of Lent and happy to end our fasting. Laura Kelly Fanucci's new Easter devotional, Living Easter encourages us to enter the 50 days of Easter with the same focus and purpose as we did for the 40 days of Lent. Get your copy of Witness today, with a foreword by Jonathan Roumie from The Chosen. We would love it if you could leave a written review on Apple and share with your friends! Editing provided by Forte

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40:54

Holy Week: The Shock of Holy Week with Fr. Patrick...

Ave Explores ·

2026/03/30

Holy Week arrives with a sudden silence—marked by darkness, stillness, and striking liturgical traditions—that invites us to enter more deeply into the mystery and memory of Jesus’ Passion, Death, and Resurrection. Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP, helps us prepare for the intensity of the week by sharing the rich Holy Week traditions of the Dominican Order. Get your copy of Witness today, with a foreword by Jonathan Roumie from The Chosen. We would love it if you could leave a written review

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37:01

5th Week of Lent: Lent Makes Us Courageous with Pete...

Ave Explores ·

2026/03/21

Author of A Man on Purpose, Pete Burak shares how courage doesn’t begin with heroic moments, but with daily faithfulness. In this episode, he explores how small, sometimes difficult Lenten practices—like fasting—form us to respond when God calls us to step forward in bigger ways. Get your copy of Witness today, with a foreword by Jonathan Roumie from The Chosen. We would love it if you could leave a written review on Apple and share with your friends! Editing provided by Forte Catholic

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34:54

4th Week of Lent: The Cross is Humbling with Meg...

Ave Explores ·

2026/03/14

Crucifixion was meant to be a humiliating death, a public sign of defeat. Yet Jesus transforms the Cross into the place of ultimate victory. In this episode of Ave Explores, Meg Hunter-Kilmer reflects on how gazing upon the Cross humbles us—revealing both the depth of Christ’s love and the saving power found in what once seemed like failure. Get your copy of Witness today, with a foreword by Jonathan Roumie from The Chosen. We would love it if you could leave a written review on Apple and

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38:00

3rd Week of Lent: Suffering with Christ featuring...

Ave Explores ·

2026/03/07

When we stand at the foot of the Cross, we encounter true compassion—literally, “to suffer with.” Mary Lenaburg knows this compassion intimately. Having experienced profound sorrow and deep joy, she understands that suffering is not a season to escape but a place to remain with Christ. While her life has not been a perpetual Lent, she has learned how to walk through it—standing beside Jesus at the Cross and discovering there a love that redeems every trial. Get your copy of Witness today,

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48:23

2nd Week of Lent: Friendship at the Cross with Fr....

Ave Explores ·

2026/03/02

Lent invites us to stand at the foot of the Cross—but never alone. The Christian life is meant to be lived in communion, alongside companions who help draw us closer to the Lord. In this episode, Fr. Jerónimo Espinosa and Ali Hoffman reflect on how friendship and community have shaped their faith over the years. Through their shared journey, they reveal the beauty of growing in intimacy with Jesus through genuine relationships and the transformative grace that comes from encountering the

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48:36

1st Week of Lent: Dignity at the Cross with the...

Ave Explores ·

2026/02/21

Rooted in their mission to uphold the dignity of every human person, the Sisters of Life witness to the truth that no one is beyond God’s love and mercy. During Lent, we are invited to stand at the foot of the Cross and encounter the Lord’s loving gaze, even in his suffering. Sr. Cora Caeli and Sr. Magnificat Rose share how they live Lent as religious sisters, reflecting on why the cross is not something to avoid but to embrace—especially as we repent, convert, and cling to Christ

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50:43

Ash Wednesday: Starting Lent with a Plan with Fr....

Ave Explores ·

2026/02/17

Lent invites us to trust God’s providence—but it also calls for intention. In this episode, Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP, author of Witness, joins Katie and her husband, Tommy, to reflect on approaching the season with purpose. Fr. Patrick shares how writing a Lenten reflection journal helped him contemplate the Cross more deeply and why we’re invited to stand at its foot—ready to receive all the grace the Lord desires to give through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Get your copy of

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42:22

NEW SERIES: Not a Fan of Lent? You’re Not Alone with...

Ave Explores ·

2026/02/12

In this teaser episode of Ave Explores: Lent with Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP, host Katie McGrady sits down with Fr. Gregory Pine, OP, to name a familiar tension: many of us resist Lent, even while longing for the work God wants to do in us. Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving aren’t ends in themselves—they’re pathways into deeper participation in the divine life and a renewed ability to recognize God in the ordinary. Fr. Gregory invites us to begin simply, with an honest prayer: Lord, I need

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41:20

Fourth Sunday of Advent: The Wonder of the Journey...

Ave Explores ·

2025/12/19

In the final days of Advent, Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP, reflects on Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem—sudden in appearance, yet deeply intentional and necessary. Their path invites us to consider our own journeys during this liturgical season and throughout life, and to recognize the deeper purpose meant to be received with wonder. We would love it if you could leave a written review on Apple and share with your friends! Editing provided by Forte Catholic

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40:50

Third Sunday of Advent: Joy in the Chaos of Advent...

Ave Explores ·

2025/12/12

With six kids, busy schedules, and long to-do lists, Deacon Jason and Rachel Bulman understand what it means to try and slow down in the Advent season, and how even best laid plans to slow down are often thwarted. In today's episode, they share how Jesus actually finds us in that chaotic family life, is present to us, and shows us his tenderness and brings joy even when we feel like everything is moving too fast. We would love it if you could leave a written review on Apple and share with your

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41:38

2nd Sunday of Advent: A Peaceful Aesthetic with Eliza...

Ave Explores ·

2025/12/04

Walk into any Target or Home Goods and you'll see nothing but perfectly curated Christmas décor selling you the right kind of holiday aesthetic, all in pursuit of a perfect Instagram post. Eliza Monts, a popular Substack writer and Instagram influencer, shares how we can't let perfect be the enemy of good while pursuing peace and harmony in the Advent season. We would love it if you could leave a written review on Apple and share with your friends! Editing provided by Forte Catholic

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45:22

1st Sunday of Advent: Finding Wonder in Advent with...

Ave Explores ·

2025/11/28

The season of Advent can become far busier than we'd like it to be, if we aren't careful. Author of Behold the Wonder, Katie Cavadini, offers insights into how incorporating lectio and visio divinia and allowing ourselves to be immersed in the moments of the nativity story throughout the season can provide us numerous opportunities to behold the wonders the Lord wants to show us in this season of hopeful anticipation. We would love it if you could leave a written review on Apple and share with your

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37:33

NEW SERIES! Teaser: The Advent of Christmas with Matt...

Ave Explores ·

2025/11/19

Matt Maher takes Advent seriously, not only because he spends the season touring cathedrals across the country leading evenings of prayer and praise, but because Advent invites us to remember the gift and majesty of Mary’s “yes.” In this conversation, Matt reflects on how her courageous response shapes our own call to live the faith with renewed trust, hope, and openness each day. We would love it if you could leave a written review on Apple and share with your friends! Editing provided by Forte

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52:49

Week 4: The Pope Has a Wawa Order with Archbishop...

Ave Explores ·

2025/10/29

When Pope Leo was elected on May 8, 2025, Archbishop Nelson Pérez was flying home to Philadelphia from Rome. Mid-flight, he got to share the historic news with his fellow passengers. In this episode, Archbishop Pérez reflects on Pope Leo’s leadership style, his vision for the Church, and his awareness of the world’s challenges—qualities that are inspiring Catholics everywhere to renew their witness to Christ’s love and their commitment to making disciples. And yes, the new pope even has a Philly

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52:38

Week Three: Pope Leo, the Missionary Pope with Msgr....

Ave Explores ·

2025/10/22

Pope Leo is the first missionary Pope since St. Peter, and it is already quite evident how his formation as a missionary in Peru is guiding his papal ministry. Msgr. Roger Landry, the National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States, shares how the Holy Father is walking in the footsteps of his predecessors by first reminding us that we are called to "go out to all the world and share the good news" with a missionary mindset and a willing heart. We would love it if you

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1:14:01

Week 2: The Uniqueness of Each Pope with Inés San...

Ave Explores ·

2025/10/15

Katie sits down with José Manuel de Urquidi of the Juan Diego Network and Inés San Martín of the Pontifical Mission Societies to discuss their personal experiences with Pope Francis and Pope Leo. Together, they explore how to understand Pope Francis’s legacy and the unfolding mission of Pope Leo. Reflecting on cultural nuances and the influence of social media, José Manuel and Inés reveal how each pope’s distinct personality and leadership style can be appreciated in light of those who came

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1:00:56

Week One: A Dozen Popes with Shannon Wimp Schmidt

Ave Explores ·

2025/10/08

Shannon Wimp Schmidt joins Katie to explore the significance of the papacy, highlighting key teachings and defining moments from the past twelve popes—from Leo XIII at the turn of the twentieth century to Leo XIV today. Together they trace how the papacy has evolved through the personalities, styles, and themes each pope brought to their encyclicals and homilies, showing how the Lord continues to guide his Church. In the end, they consider a personal question: What role does the pope play in our

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22:36

NEW SERIES Teaser: Leo in the Fisherman's Shoes...

Ave Explores ·

2025/10/01

When Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected to the papacy on May 8, 2025, he stepped into the metaphorical shoes of the fisherman worn by 266 men before him. Choosing a name that hadn't been held by a pope in over 100 years, he entered an office held by men with varied personalities, lofty goals, numerous agendas and projects. Learning about those popes only helps us understand this current pope, and when we watch what Pope Leo does, says, writes, and where he'll go, we do so in light of all

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37:43

Week 6: Digital Detox with Sr. Nancy Usselmann, FSP

Ave Explores ·

2025/08/20

Sr. Nancy Usselmann, FSP, dives into the intersection of faith and media in today’s digital world. Drawing on the vision of Bl. James Alberione—the founder of the Daughters of St. Paul—she unpacks how we can integrate our faith into the way we consume, create, and share content. Sr. Nancy also invites us to consider the importance of digital fasting—a spiritual detox that helps us reset our minds and hearts amid constant media noise. This episode offers a thoughtful reflection on living faithfully

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265 results

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