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Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Brendan Gotta sits down with Peter Carter to explore the beauty, purpose, and deeper meaning of sacred music in the life of the Church. Music has always played a central role in Christian worship, from the Psalms of the Old Testament to the chants of the early Church. But what actually makes music sacred? And what role should it play in helping us encounter God more deeply at Mass? Peter, a church musician and Director of the Catholic Sacred Music Project, shares how sacred music is not meant to be performance, but prayer. Together, they dive into the Church’s vision for liturgical music, the importance of participation, and how music elevates our worship by engaging the whole person—body and soul. They also reflect on practical ways parishes and families can recover a culture of sacred music, from singing in the home to approaching the liturgy with humility and intentionality. Ultimately, this conversation is an invitation to move beyond passive attendance and enter more fully into the worship of God. This episode challenges us to stop asking what we get out of Mass—and instead, how we can offer ourselves more completely in praise. Featured Book The Song of the Lamb: Sacred Music and the Heavenly Liturgy by Peter Carter and Cardinal Robert Sarah Mentioned Resources Catholic Sacred Music Project Sponsored by Truthly This episode is brought to you by Truthly. Truthly helps you grow in clarity, conviction, and confidence by delivering faithful, trustworthy answers grounded in Christian truth. Whether you’re seeking deeper formation or practical guidance for everyday life, Truthly equips you to think clearly and live boldly. https://truthly.ai/ Stay Connected If this episode inspired you to reflect more deeply on the call to holiness, share it with a friend. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gottabesaints/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Gottabesaints/ Support the show

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Brendan Gotta sits down with Father Peregrine to explore the powerful and mysterious story of Saint Philomena and why her witness still matters today. Though little is historically known about her life, Saint Philomena’s story has captivated the Church for centuries. From the discovery of her relics to the widespread devotion of saints like John Vianney, her life is marked by courage, purity, and total devotion to Christ. Father Peregrine shares the fascinating history surrounding her life, the miracles attributed to her intercession, and the deeper meaning behind her martyrdom at such a young age. Together, they reflect on what it means to be a witness to the faith today and how Saint Philomena challenges each of us to give ourselves fully to God. This conversation is not just about learning a saint’s story. It is an invitation to live it. Featured Book My Name is Philomena: A Saint Story by Father Peregrine Mentioned Resources St. Michael's Abbey The Abbot's Circle Sponsored by Truthly This episode is brought to you by Truthly. Truthly helps you grow in clarity, conviction, and confidence by delivering faithful, trustworthy answers grounded in Christian truth. Whether you’re seeking deeper formation or practical guidance for everyday life, Truthly equips you to think clearly and live boldly. https://truthly.ai/ Stay Connected If this episode inspired you to reflect more deeply on the call to holiness, share it with a friend. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gottabesaints/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Gottabesaints/ Support the show

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Brendan Gotta sits down with Dr. Thomas McGovern to explore the reality of what Jesus endured during His Passion—and why it matters for our spiritual lives today. During Lent, and especially on Good Friday, we hear the Gospel accounts of Christ’s suffering: the agony in the garden, the scourging, the crowning with thorns, the carrying of the cross, and the crucifixion. But many of us have wondered what these events actually meant physically. What did the human body endure? What truly happened during those final hours? Drawing from his medical expertise and years of research, Dr. McGovern walks through the Passion with both scientific clarity and deep reverence. He addresses common misconceptions about the crucifixion, explains the physical realities behind events like the “blood and water” from Christ’s side, and offers a powerful look at the depth of suffering Jesus freely embraced out of love. More importantly, this conversation moves beyond the physical details to the heart of the Gospel: the meaning of suffering. Together, Brendan and Dr. McGovern reflect on redemptive suffering, what it means to “offer it up,” and how Christ’s Passion gives purpose to our own crosses. This episode is not about sensationalizing pain, but about drawing closer to Jesus through a deeper understanding of His love. About Dr. Thomas McGovern Dr. Thomas McGovern is a physician and author who has spent years studying the medical, historical, and theological dimensions of Christ’s Passion. His work brings together scientific insight and Catholic teaching to help readers more fully grasp the reality of what Jesus suffered—and how that transforms our understanding of suffering today. 📚 Featured Book What Christ Suffered: A Doctor’s Journey Through the Passion by Dr. Thomas McGovern https://www.amazon.com/ 🙌 Sponsored by Truthly This episode is brought to you by Truthly. Truthly helps you grow in clarity, conviction, and confidence by delivering faithful, trustworthy answers grounded in Christian truth. Whether you’re seeking deeper formation or practical guidance for everyday life, Truthly equips you to think clearly and live boldly. Learn more at https://truthly.ai/ Stay Connected If this episode helped you reflect more deeply on Christ’s Passion, share it with a friend this Lent. Follow Gotta Be Saints:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gottabesaints/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Gottabesaints/ Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Ida Görres is one of the most insightful Catholic writers of the twentieth century—yet many Catholics today have never heard her name. In this episode, Brendan Gotta sits down with Jennifer Bryson to explore the life and legacy of Ida Görres, a fearless German Catholic thinker whose writings on holiness, suffering, and the lives of the saints continue to challenge and inspire readers today. Jennifer shares how she first discovered Görres and why her work remains so relevant in our modern world. Together they discuss Görres’ reflections on authentic sanctity, her candid approach to the struggles of Christian life, and why her writing offers a refreshing alternative to overly sentimental portrayals of holiness. This conversation invites listeners to rediscover a bold Catholic voice who reminds us that sainthood is lived through real human struggles, grace, and perseverance. About Jennifer Bryson Jennifer Bryson, Ph.D., is a Catholic writer, scholar, and translator who has dedicated significant work to introducing English-speaking audiences to the writings of Ida Görres. With a background in theology, languages, and international affairs, Bryson has spent years studying Görres’ thought and helping bring her profound reflections on holiness and the spiritual life to a wider audience. Learn more about Jennifer Bryson: https://jenniferbryson.net/ 📚 Featured Book Bread Grows in Winter by Ida Görres https://ignatius.com/bread-grows-in-winter-bgwp/  Want to learn more about Ida? Check out this website dedicated to her - https://www.idagoerres.org/.  🙌 Sponsored by Truthly This episode is brought to you by Truthly. Truthly helps you grow in clarity, conviction, and confidence by delivering faithful, trustworthy answers grounded in Christian truth. Whether you’re seeking deeper formation or practical guidance for everyday life, Truthly equips you to think clearly and live boldly. Learn more at https://truthly.ai/ Stay Connected If this episode helped you discover a new Catholic thinker, share it with a friend who loves learning about the saints and the spiritual life. Follow Gotta Be Saints:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gottabesaints/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Gottabesaints Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Gossip. Lying. Flattery. Crass words. Most of us recognize that sins of speech quietly undermine our pursuit of holiness. In this episode, I sit down with Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P., to discuss his book Training the Tongue and Growing Beyond Sins of Speech and the path toward verbal virtue. Drawing from Thomistic wisdom and pastoral experience, Fr. Gregory explains why speech is ordered toward communion with God and others, why seemingly “small” faults like exaggeration and gossip are spiritually dangerous, and how cultivating habits of truth-telling, correction, humor, prayer, and restraint can transform our relationships. If you’ve ever struggled with frustration, careless words, or discouragement in trying to change, this conversation offers both clarity and hope. About Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P. Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P., is a Dominican friar of the Province of St. Joseph and a well-known preacher and teacher. He serves as an instructor of dogmatic theology at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC, and is a frequent contributor to the Thomistic Institute. Learn more about Fr. Gregory: Dominican Friars of the Province of St. Joseph: https://opeast.org/ Thomistic Institute: https://thomisticinstitute.org/ 📚 Featured Book Training the Tongue and Growing Beyond Sins of Speech This brief but powerful book shows how cultivating healthy habits can crowd out sinful speech and help us reclaim communication as a tool for true communion with God and man alike. 🙌 Sponsored by Truthly This episode is brought to you by Truthly.  Truthly helps you grow in clarity, conviction, and confidence by delivering faithful, trustworthy answers grounded in Christian truth. Whether you’re seeking deeper formation or practical guidance for everyday life, Truthly equips you to think clearly and live boldly. Learn more at https://truthly.ai/ Stay Connected If this episode encouraged you, share it with a friend who wants to grow in holiness. Follow Gotta Be Saints: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gottabesaints/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Gottabesaints Support the show

Send us Fan Mail About This Episode Lent has a way of catching us off guard. One moment we’re settling into the new year, and the next we’re being invited into forty days of prayer, sacrifice, and renewal. In this episode, Brendan Gotta sits down with author and homeschooling mom Colleen Pressprich to discuss her new book Lenten Prayers for Families and how families can enter more intentionally into the Lenten journey. Colleen shares practical wisdom for cultivating the domestic church, praying with children of all ages, and creating rhythms of Scripture, reflection, and conversation in the home. Whether you are raising little ones, guiding teens, or simply seeking a deeper Lent yourself, this conversation offers encouragement and practical steps to live the season with greater purpose and peace. About Colleen Pressprich Colleen Pressprich is a Catholic author, former missionary, Montessori teacher, and homeschooling mother of five. She is passionate about strengthening the domestic church and helping families cultivate holiness in the ordinary rhythms of daily life. Colleen lives in Michigan with her husband and children, where she continues to write and serve families seeking to grow closer to Christ in their homes. 📚 Featured Book Lenten Prayers for Families This family-centered devotional offers Scripture, guided prayer, reflection, and conversation starters to help households enter more deeply into the Lenten season together. 🙌 Sponsored by Truthly This episode is brought to you by Truthly Truthly helps you grow in clarity, conviction, and confidence by delivering faithful, trustworthy answers grounded in Christian truth. Whether you’re seeking deeper formation or practical guidance for everyday life, Truthly equips you to think clearly and live boldly. Learn more at https://truthly.ai/ Stay Connected If this episode encouraged you, share it with a friend who wants to live Lent more intentionally. Follow Gotta Be Saints: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gottabesaints/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Gottabesaints Support the show

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Gotta Be Saints Podcast, I sit down with Steph Stampfer, a Catholic writer and podcaster living in Vienna, to share her powerful and honest journey to the Catholic faith. Steph’s story moves through spiritual searching, travel, Eastern spirituality, New Age practices, and deep interior brokenness—before ultimately leading her home to Christ and the Catholic Church. This conversation is a testimony to the patience of God, the power of intercessory prayer, the role of Our Lady in conversion, and the beauty of simply sitting with Jesus and allowing Him to do the work. In This Episode, We Discuss: Growing up in Germany and early questions about love, belonging, and meaningSearching for truth through travel, Buddhism, and meditationLife in Berlin and immersion in New Age and esoteric spiritualityThe danger of blending spiritualities and creating a “custom” faithPsychedelic experiences and the reality of the spiritual worldHitting rock bottom and feeling deeply lostA providential move into the home of a faithful Catholic womanThe quiet power of the Rosary and intercessory prayerMarian consecration and the breaking of spiritual strongholdsEncountering Jesus as a Person—not an ideaHealing from loneliness, confusion, and interior unrestFalling in love with Scripture, the Eucharist, and adorationEmbracing the Catholic Church as homeLearning to let God work rather than striving on our ownWhy silence and time before the Lord changes everythingAbout the Guest Steph Stampfer lives in Vienna, Austria, where she works as a Catholic writer and hosts a podcast focused on sharing the faith boldly and without apology. Her work centers on authentic conversion, prayer, and helping others encounter Jesus Christ in a real and personal way. Episode Sponsor — Truthly This episode is sponsored by Truthly, the Catholic app that helps you reflect, learn, and share your faith with confidence. Start your free trial with code gottabesaints at Truthly’s website: Truthly Support the show

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Gotta Be Saints Podcast, I sit down with Dr. George Delgado, a family physician and one of the pioneers of abortion pill reversal (APR), to talk about the science, the stories, and the hope behind a medical protocol that gives women a second chance after beginning a chemical abortion. Dr. Delgado is the founder of the Abortion Pill Reversal Network and the author of Abortion Pill Reversal: A Second Chance at Choice. As chemical abortions now account for the majority of abortions in the United States, APR has become an increasingly urgent and misunderstood topic. This conversation walks through what APR actually is, how it works medically, why it is opposed by powerful institutions, and what’s at stake for women and children. Most importantly, this episode centers the human reality: women who regret their decision, reach out for help, and discover that it is not too late. In This Episode, We Discuss What a chemical (medication) abortion is and how it worksThe role of progesterone in sustaining pregnancyHow abortion pill reversal works medically and why it makes sense biologicallyWhy regret often sets in immediately after taking the first abortion pillCommon misconceptions about APR and what the peer-reviewed evidence actually showsClaims that APR is “unproven” or “dangerous” and how the data respondsThe growing risks of telehealth and mail-order abortionsWhy abortion pill reversal threatens the abortion industry’s narrativeHow APR can be a redemptive turning point in a woman’s lifeWhy APR may be the “tip of the spear” in the pro-life movement todayWhat needs to change in medicine, policy, and public awareness going forwardAbout the Guest Dr. George Delgado is a family physician based in California and one of the earliest doctors to develop and study abortion pill reversal. He has published multiple peer-reviewed studies on APR and founded the Steno Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to education, awareness, and research around abortion pill reversal. The Institute is named after Blessed Nicholas Steno, a physician and Catholic convert. Get the Book 📘 Abortion Pill Reversal: A Second Chance at Choice Published by Ignatius Press Available at: Ignatius PressAmazonStenoInstitute.orgGrab it here. Episode Sponsor — Truthly This episode is sponsored by Truthly, the Catholic app that helps you reflect, learn, and share your faith with confidence. Start your free trial with code gottabesaints at Truthly’s website: Truthly Support the show

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Gotta Be Saints Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Angela Costley, a Hebrew Catholic theologian and Scripture professor based in the UK, to talk about what it means to be both Jewish and Catholic—not as a contradiction, but as a fulfillment. We discuss why the phrase “Jewish Catholic” can sound confusing at first, how the Church is grafted onto the “olive tree” of Israel (Romans 9–11), what Vatican II helped recover about the Church’s relationship to the Jewish people, and why Hebrew Catholics need space to live their Jewish identity faithfully within the Church. This conversation draws from Dr. Costley’s work as co-editor of From Sinai to Rome: Jewish Identity in the Catholic Church—a book that doesn’t shy away from the painful history of Jewish-Catholic relations, while also offering real hope for the future. About Dr. Angela Costley Hebrew Catholic theologian based in the UKScripture professor at St Mary’s College (seminary)Studied at Durham, Oxford, and earned her PhD at the Pontifical University in MaynoothBoard member of the Association of Hebrew CatholicsIn this episode, we talk about: What a “Jewish Catholic” is (and why it isn’t a contradiction)Why Catholicism can be understood as the heir of “Temple Judaism” fulfilled in ChristThe Mass and the fulfillment of temple worship and offerings“Salvation comes from the Jews” (John 4:22) and what Catholics should do with thatRomans 9–11 and the image of the olive tree (Israel as root; Gentiles grafted in)Why the Church isn’t a “new Israel,” but Israel in fulfillmentJewish identity as personal and collective (and why assimilation can be spiritually damaging)The Association of Hebrew Catholics and the need for community and witnessFacing hard history: antisemitism, misunderstandings, and doctrinal developmentWhy friendship and dialogue matter for healing and authentic witness todayHope in Romans 11 (“all Israel will be saved”) and what that means going forwardDr. Costley’s “Mount Rushmore of saints,” her hoped-for patronage, and how to pray for herGet the Book 📘 From Sinai to Rome: Jewish Identity in the Catholic Church (Ignatius Press) Ignatius Press Episode Sponsor — Truthly This episode is sponsored by Truthly, the Catholic action app that helps you reflect, learn, and share your faith with confidence. Start your free trial with code gottabesaints at Truthly’s website: Truthly Stay Connected Follow Gotta Be Saints on Instagram: @gottabesaints Support the show

Send us Fan Mail The Reason to Stay Catholic (with Colleen Dulle) In this episode of the Gotta Be Saints Podcast, I sit down with Colleen Dulle — wife, mother, Vatican reporter, and author of Struck Down, Not Destroyed: Keeping the Faith as a Vatican Reporter. We talk honestly about why we remain Catholic in a wounded Church: how to stay when you’ve seen the worst, how to wrestle with God without walking away, and where real hope is found when scandals, hypocrisy, and disappointment hit close to home. From covering the clerical abuse crisis as a young journalist, to processing the revelations about Jean Vanier and L’Arche, to a powerful moment of grace at the tomb of Christ in the Holy Sepulchre, Colleen shares how the Lord has met her in the mess — and why, despite everything, she’s convinced the Gospel really is our only hope. About Colleen Dulle Vatican reporter and longtime journalist with America MagazineAuthor of Struck Down, Not Destroyed: Keeping the Faith as a Vatican ReporterHas covered some of the Church’s most painful scandals up closeWife and mother, soon moving with her family to Rome to cover the Vatican full-timeIn this episode, we talk about: Why stay Catholic at all? Colleen’s story & vocation as a Vatican reporterBeauty and brokenness in the ChurchThe Jean Vanier / L’Arche revelationsThe clerical abuse crisis and a crisis of faithLearning to “yell at God” & wrestle in prayerA moment of grace at the Holy SepulchreMadeleine Delbrêl and a “heart stripped of trust in all things human”The Church that moves slowly (and why that matters)Hope for ordinary CatholicsColleen’s “Mount Rushmore of saints”If she becomes a saint one day… andHow you can pray for her  Get the Book 📘 Struck Down, Not Destroyed: Keeping the Faith as a Vatican Reporter by Colleen Dulle Find purchase options and more at Colleen’s website: colleendulle.comPrefer audio? Look for the audiobook version narrated by Colleen on major audiobook platforms.Stay Connected 👉 Follow Gotta Be Saints on Instagram: @gottabesaints  Episode Sponsor — Truthly This episode is sponsored by Truthly, the first Catholic action app helping you reflect, learn, and share your faith confidently. With Truthly, you can: Take short, practical actions to live your faith each dayDeepen your understanding of Catholic teachingShare truth online without feeling overwhelmed or underprepared🎁 Start your free trial with code gottabesaints at truthly.ai . Support the show

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Gotta Be Saints Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Michael Pakaluk — husband, father of 15, philosopher, and author of The Shock of Holiness: Finding the Romance of Everyday Life. We talk about the beauty of the Catholic faith, why holiness is both deeply attractive and deeply demanding, and how God meets us in the very ordinary, sometimes messy, details of daily life. From stories about daily Mass with small children, to reflections on his late wife Ruth (now a Servant of God), to a mind-blowing insight into Jesus walking on water and the Eucharist, this conversation will help you see your own life with new eyes. About Dr. Michael Pakaluk Professor of Political Economy at the Catholic University of America (Bush School of Business)Philosopher and scholar, especially in the thought of AristotleAuthor of 14 books (with more on the way!) and father of 15 childrenWidower of Ruth Pakaluk, whose cause for canonization has begun, and husband of Catherine Pakaluk, author of Hannah’s ChildrenIn this episode, we talk about: The beauty of the Catholic faithWhy holiness is so attractive — and so uncomfortableRuth’s story and the reality of heroic holinessThe universal call to holiness in ordinary lifeThe romance of everyday lifeA fresh look at the Eucharist and transubstantiationHow to actually live this outGet the Book 📘 The Shock of Holiness: Finding the Romance of Everyday Life Order from Ignatius PressOr ask your local Catholic bookstore to order it (and put a copy on the shelf!)Stay Connected 👉 Follow Gotta Be Saints on Instagram: @gottabesaints  If this episode encouraged you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend who needs the reminder that holiness is possible — right in the middle of ordinary life. Episode Sponsor — Truthly This episode is sponsored by Truthly, the first Catholic action app helping you reflect, learn, and share your faith confidently.   Start your free trial with code gottabesaints: truthly.ai Support the show

Send us Fan Mail In this powerful and timely episode of the Gotta Be Saints Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Charles “Charlie” Camosy — moral theologian, bioethicist, and author of Living and Dying Well (order here). Charlie shares deep insights into the cultural push toward physician-assisted killing, why our society is at a “tipping point,” and how the Catholic vision of life and death offers a radically hopeful alternative rooted in dignity, community, and love. Drawing from Church teaching, real-world data, and his father’s own end-of-life journey, Charlie shows how we can resist the throwaway culture and accompany the sick and elderly with compassion and purpose. Whether you’re caring for aging parents, worried about dementia, or simply wondering what it means to “die well” as a disciple of Jesus, this conversation reframes aging and dying as invitations to deeper love. In this episode, Charlie shares: Why some states are pushing physician-assisted killing — and why others still strongly resistWhat “autonomy” really means in our cultural momentWhy the poor, disabled, and marginalized are most at riskHow consumerism distorts our view of productivity and worthWhat it truly means to live and die well in Christian communityHow demographic trends and the dementia crisis complicate end-of-life careHow Catholics can build a counterculture of hospitality, encounter, and hopeIf you’ve ever asked yourself… How do I support a loved one who fears being a burden?  What does the Church actually teach about assisted suicide?  How do I walk with aging parents with dignity and charity?  What does resisting the throwaway culture look like at the end of life? …then this episode is for you. Learn More Explore more of Charlie’s work: charlescamosy.com Truthly This episode is sponsored by Truthly — the first Catholic action app helping you reflect, learn, and share your faith confidently.  Start your free trial with code gottabesaints: truthly.ai Follow Gotta Be Saints Instagram: @gottabesaints  Subscribe and leave a review to help others discover the call to holiness. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail In this powerful and deeply moving episode of the Gotta Be Saints Podcast, I’m joined by Fr. Ron Rolheiser, OMI — priest, theologian, and author of beloved spiritual classics The Holy Longing and Sacred Fire. Fr. Ron shares wisdom from his new book, Insane for the Light: A Spirituality for Our Wisdom Years , exploring what it means to grow old with grace, purpose, and hope. Together we discuss how aging, loss, and even physical diminishment can become powerful acts of love — mirroring Christ’s own Passion and self-gift in the Eucharist. Whether you’re entering your later years, caring for an aging loved one, or simply wondering how to find meaning in seasons of limitation, this episode will help you see aging not as decline but as a sacred call to deeper love. In this episode, Fr. Ron shares: Why modern culture avoids talking about aging — and how the Church can respondWhat Jesus’ Passion teaches us about fruitful passivity and surrenderHow to turn diminishment and dependence into spiritual giftsThe hidden grace of caregiving and receiving careWhy forgiveness, gratitude, and inner work prepare us for our final act of loveThe meaning behind the title Insane for the Light — and what it means to “stare into eternity”If you’ve ever asked yourself… How can I find purpose after retirement or loss?What does it mean to grow old as a disciple of Christ?How can I accompany my parents or grandparents in their final years?  …this episode is for you.Learn More: Order Fr. Ron’s book: Insane for the Light Visit: ronrolheiser.com Follow Gotta Be Saints: Instagram: @gottabesaints Subscribe and leave a review to help others discover the call to holiness. Sponsored by Truthly This episode is brought to you by Truthly — the world’s first Catholic action app helping you reflect, learn, and share your faith confidently. Start your free trial with code gottabesaints at truthly.ai . Support the show

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Gotta Be Saints, I sit down with author and Catholic coach Belinda Terro Mooney to talk about living real friendship with Jesus and praying with the saints—especially on their feast days. With All Saints’ Day right around the corner, we dive into why the saints’ stories matter, how ordinary people become holy, and practical ways to invite the saints to intercede for your family, parish, and daily life. Guest Bio Belinda Terro Mooney is an author, Catholic coach, widow, and mom of seven. She’s a definitively professed Secular Discalced Carmelite whose new book, Pray With Us: A Saint for Every Day, offers short reflections and prayers that help readers grow in friendship with the saints throughout the year. 📘 Get the Book: Pray With Us: A Saint for Every Day 🌐 Website: belindaterromooney.com Key Topics & Highlights 01:00 – Why the saints matter more than celebrity culture 04:00 – Becoming the saint God made you to be 07:00 – Holiness in every vocation: parents, spouses, singles, and priests 10:00 – Saints vs. self-help: the surest roadmap to heaven 12:00 – Ordinary people, heroic virtue, and the gift of true leisure 16:00 – Friendship with Jesus at the heart of prayer 19:00 – Staying faithful in dryness—when prayer feels like “chewing straw” 23:00 – Turning everyday duties into prayer 26:00 – Conversational prayer: driving, working, and parenting with Jesus beside you 30:00 – How to pray with the saints—especially on their feast days 33:00 – Inside the book: short bios, virtue-focused prayers, and adding your own intentions 36:00 – A vision for families: teaching children to pray with the saints 40:00 – Belinda’s “Mount Rushmore” of saints: Teresa of Ávila, John of the Cross, and Thérèse of Lisieux 49:00 – If she were a saint… Belinda’s heart for the vulnerable and abused 50:00 – How to pray for Belinda and her family Connect with Belinda Taro Mooney 🌐 Website 📘 Amazon – Pray With Us: A Saint for Every Day 📸 Instagram 📖 Facebook 💼 LinkedIn ▶️ YouTube 📍 Pinterest Sponsored by Truthly This episode is brought to you by Truthly — the Catholic action app that helps you reflect, learn, and share your faith confidently. Start your free trial at truthly.ai and use code GOTTABESAINTS for a discount. 📸 Instagram: @gottabesaints Support the show

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Gotta Be Saints, Brendan Gotta welcomes back Dr. Julia Sadusky, a clinical psychologist and author of Emerging Gender Identities: Understanding the Diverse Experiences of Today’s Youth. Together, they unpack the complex and often misunderstood topic of conversion therapy—how it’s defined, what the law says, and how Catholics can approach questions of faith, sexuality, and identity with both compassion and truth. From Colorado’s 2019 conversion therapy ban to the challenges faced by Christian clinicians, this conversation explores the balance between faithful accompaniment and clinical integrity, while offering hope for families navigating these sensitive issues. Guest Bio Dr. Julia Sadusky is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in the integration of faith and mental health. She works primarily with sexual and gender minorities from Christian backgrounds and provides consultation and training to churches, schools, and clinicians. Julia holds a Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from Regent University and a B.A. from Ave Maria University. She is also the co-author of Emerging Gender Identities: Understanding the Diverse Experiences of Today’s Youth. Website: juliasadusky.com Instagram: @drjuliasadusky Key Topics & Highlights 00:00 – Introduction and context for today’s discussion 00:03 – Defining conversion therapy: why it’s difficult to pin down 00:06 – What Colorado’s 2019 law actually says 00:10 – Why many Christian clinicians feel anxious about these laws 00:14 – How faith communities historically engaged with conversion therapy 00:18 – The impact of conversion therapy on faith, family, and trust in God 00:23 – The need for emotionally mature, well-formed Catholic clinicians 00:26 – The influence of culture and social media on identity formation 00:30 – Parenting with warmth and firmness rather than fear 00:36 – Building trust and walking with teens through difficult questions 00:39 – Finding common ground across divides and engaging others with charity Key Takeaways Conversion therapy isn’t a single practice—it’s an umbrella term that covers any therapy seeking to change orientation or gender identity.Laws like Colorado’s don’t ban pastoral care or identity exploration—they restrict licensed therapists from pursuing fixed outcomes with minors.Effective Catholic counseling should help teens think critically and mature in faith, not react out of fear.Building trust and long-term relationships matters more than offering quick fixes.Faithful dialogue across political and ideological lines is still possible—and deeply needed.Sponsored by Truthly This episode is brought to you by Truthly — the world’s first Catholic action app helping you reflect and share your faith confidently. Start your free trial here and use code Gottabesaints for a discount! Connect with Gotta Be Saints Instagram: @gottabesaints Support the show