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Jackson Kiser grew up going to church but never believed in God. Through high school and college, being an atheist was part of his identity, and he even felt a quiet disdain for the “Jesus-happy” people around him. Then, at one of the lowest points of his life, he prayed a simple prayer: “Jesus, if you’re real, show up.” And He did. In this episode, Jackson shares how that first encounter with grace led him to a Presbyterian church, then to an unexpected moment inside the Valencia Cathedral in Spain, where he felt drawn to the Catholic Church in a way he still can’t fully explain. He talks about wrestling through misconceptions about Mary, the saints, and Catholic worship, his experience in OCIA, being received into the Church at the Easter Vigil of 2026, and how a pilgrimage to Baltimore changed the way he sees the faith.  If you’ve ever felt that something is missing but you’re afraid to take the first step, this story is for you. Follow Jackson on Instagram. Send us some love! Support the show Thanks for Tuning in to Yes Catholic! We’re so grateful you joined us for this episode. If this story inspired you, be sure to like, share, and subscribe to keep saying Yes to Jesus with us. Stay connected with the Yes Catholic community on Instagram and subscribe on YouTube @yes.catholic for more powerful testimonies and faith-filled content. Your support helps us continue sharing stories and reaching people all over the world! Thank you in advance for your generosity.  Thank You to Our Sponsors! This episode of Yes Catholic is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors Truthly, Ascension, SacredSpark, and Tabella. Your partnership helps us continue sharing powerful testimonies and inspiring stories of faith. Make room for daily prayer with Alto, Ascension’s monthly printed prayer companion. Explore upcoming editions and subscribe.  ...

Joel Robertson grew up worshipping in basements and living rooms in a Minnesota house church. Later, he was shaped by Reformed theology, and by then he was convinced that every Catholic was an idolater. Today he’s known online as “The Accidental Catholic.” In this episode, Joel tells David about a mysterious encounter with God at his baptism when he was seven. He also shares how God reached him in a moment of despair at 13, and how he spent years touring rehab centers and detention facilities to give hope to others. Exposure to deep divisions among churches sent him into a crisis of faith. A Trent Horn debate showed him that belief in God could be intellectually trustworthy. Then Jesus’ prayer for unity in John’s Gospel sent him searching for the original Church.  Follow Joel on Instagram: @theaccidentalcatholic Content note: This episode includes discussion of depression and a suicide attempt. If you’re struggling, please reach out to someone you trust or a local crisis line. Send us some love! Support the show Thanks for Tuning in to Yes Catholic! We’re so grateful you joined us for this episode. If this story inspired you, be sure to like, share, and subscribe to keep saying Yes to Jesus with us. Stay connected with the Yes Catholic community on Instagram and subscribe on YouTube @yes.catholic for more powerful testimonies and faith-filled content. Your support helps us continue sharing stories and reaching people all over the world! Thank you in advance for your generosity.  Thank You to Our Sponsors! This episode of Yes Catholic is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors Truthly, Ascension, SacredSpark, and Tabella. Your partnership helps us continue sharing powerful testimonies and inspiring stories of faith. Make room for daily prayer with Alto, Ascension’s monthly printed prayer companion. Explore upcoming editions and subscribe.  ...

Carolina's story began before she was born. Three months into her mother's pregnancy, doctors found a serious heart condition and warned that mother and baby might not both survive. Her family consecrated her life to Our Lady, and her grandmother quietly promised that if all went well, Carolina would be baptized at the Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida in Brazil. Carolina was born perfectly healthy. She grew up "really Catholic," but God felt more like a respected teacher than a friend she knew. That changed in 2021, when her grandmother died and the only prayer she could find was a Brazilian lullaby her grandmother used to sing. Carolina shares how that grief opened her to a personal relationship with Jesus. She talks about the fear that followed, that surrendering to God would mean losing someone else, and how God met her in that fear during adoration at a Catholic Christian Outreach retreat. She also tells of the year she spent waiting with her family for her mom's open-heart surgery and how she came to see that trust isn't the absence of fear but the presence of faith. David and Carolina also talk about her first Rise Up conference in Montreal, praying at St. Joseph's Oratory just days before her mom's surgery, and how St. Faustina helped her see suffering differently. She closes with a message for anyone in a season of fear or grief: love the people in your life fully today, because love is never wasted. Rise Up 2026 If you’re looking to start the new year rooted in faith, join Catholic Christian Outreach at Rise Up — Canada’s biggest Catholic young adult conference. Encounter Christ, connect with passionate Catholics from across the country, and be inspired to live out your mission with boldness. 📍 Happening in Vancouver  📅 Dec 29 - Jan 1  ⏰ Early Bird ends Sept 15! Register for Rise Up Send us some love! Support the show Thanks for Tuning in to Yes Catholic! We’re so grateful you joined us for this episode. If this story inspired you, be sure to like, share, and subscribe to keep saying Yes to Jesus with us. Stay connected with the Yes Catholic community on Instagram and subscribe on YouTube @yes.catholic for more powerful testimonies and faith-filled content. Your support helps us continue sharing stories and reaching people all over the world! Thank you in advance for your generosity.  Thank You to Our Sponsors! This episode of Yes Catholic is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors Truthly, Ascension, SacredSpark, and Tabella. Your partnership helps us continue sharing powerful testimonies and inspiring stories of faith. Make room for daily prayer with Alto, Ascension’s monthly printed prayer companion. Explore upcoming editions and subscribe.  ...

Audrey grew up Catholic in the Philippines. She went to Mass, served at multiple parishes, and prayed her rosaries, but she still felt disconnected from God. Years of bullying left her a perfectionist who wore a different mask for everyone, always trying to be liked and always afraid of falling short. In this episode of Yes Catholic, Audrey tells David how a simple prayer led to an unexpected encounter with Catholic Christian Outreach on her university campus just two days later. She describes the question that changed everything, Where is Jesus in your life?, plus her first experience of adoration, an hour-and-a-half confession after 12 years away, and a Confirmation in the middle of the pandemic where she realized she didn't have to perform for God. Audrey now serves as a children's faith formation coordinator in Manitoba, Canada. She shares how her grandmother's and mother's prayers carried her, why community matters so much, and the good news that we never have to be enough on our own, because Jesus is. If you've ever felt exhausted trying to be good enough, liked enough, or holy enough, this conversation is for you. Rise Up 2026 If you’re looking to start the new year rooted in faith, join Catholic Christian Outreach at Rise Up — Canada’s biggest Catholic young adult conference. Encounter Christ, connect with passionate Catholics from across the country, and be inspired to live out your mission with boldness. 📍 Happening in Vancouver  📅 Dec 29 - Jan 1  ⏰ Early Bird ends Sept 15! Register for Rise Up Send us some love! Support the show Thanks for Tuning in to Yes Catholic! We’re so grateful you joined us for this episode. If this story inspired you, be sure to like, share, and subscribe to keep saying Yes to Jesus with us. Stay connected with the Yes Catholic community on Instagram and subscribe on YouTube @yes.catholic for more powerful testimonies and faith-filled content. Your support helps us continue sharing stories and reaching people all over the world! Thank you in advance for your generosity.  Thank You to Our Sponsors! This episode of Yes Catholic is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors Truthly, Ascension, SacredSpark, and Tabella. Your partnership helps us continue sharing powerful testimonies and inspiring stories of faith. Make room for daily prayer with Alto, Ascension’s monthly printed prayer companion. Explore upcoming editions and subscribe.  ...

What happens when the life you've built on lies falls apart on the holiest week of the year? John Edwards grew up a devoted Baptist kid in Memphis, then joined a fraternity in college, stopped going to church, and began a 17-year addiction to cocaine, alcohol and pornography. On the outside he was a top salesman at a Fortune 250 company. On the inside he was carrying father wounds, a deep sense of inadequacy, and a secret his wife didn't know. After his mother's death left him angry at God, John hit bottom when he was arrested on Holy Thursday. In a Memphis jail cell, he felt Christ's presence and prayed the realest prayer of his life: "I surrender." What followed was a series of graces.  If you feel unworthy of God's love, or you keep confessing the same sins, this episode is for you. God still holds the pen, and there's a beautiful story left to be written. Connect with John, launch a men's group in your parish, or get a signed copy of Power Made Perfect at https://store.justaguyinthepew.com/ Send us some love! Support the show Thanks for Tuning in to Yes Catholic! We’re so grateful you joined us for this episode. If this story inspired you, be sure to like, share, and subscribe to keep saying Yes to Jesus with us. Stay connected with the Yes Catholic community on Instagram and subscribe on YouTube @yes.catholic for more powerful testimonies and faith-filled content. Your support helps us continue sharing stories and reaching people all over the world! Thank you in advance for your generosity.  Thank You to Our Sponsors! This episode of Yes Catholic is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors Truthly, Ascension, SacredSpark, and Tabella. Your partnership helps us continue sharing powerful testimonies and inspiring stories of faith. Make room for daily prayer with Alto, Ascension’s monthly printed prayer companion. Explore upcoming editions and subscribe.  ...

From a small-town Louisiana teen torn between band life and a real call to holiness, he shares how grief, prayer, and music collided and redirected his life toward Jesus. What starts as a teenage encounter at a prayer meeting quickly becomes a story of surrender, heartbreak, and vocation. Josh opens up about the accident that took his friends life, the funeral-home moment that forced him to answer the question of who he would follow, and the decision that changed his songs from writing about girls to writing prayers. Josh also reflects on leading worship at World Youth Day, the National Eucharistic Congress, papal events, and his home parish while balancing family life and a public calling. This conversation is about more than music. It’s about humility, mercy, and what happens when you seek the Lord first. Josh Blakesley is a Catholic musician and music director at St. Faustina Catholic Church in Fulshear, Texas. Learn more: https://joshblakesleymusic.com/ Send us some love! Support the show Thanks for Tuning in to Yes Catholic! We’re so grateful you joined us for this episode. If this story inspired you, be sure to like, share, and subscribe to keep saying Yes to Jesus with us. Stay connected with the Yes Catholic community on Instagram and subscribe on YouTube @yes.catholic for more powerful testimonies and faith-filled content. Your support helps us continue sharing stories and reaching people all over the world! Thank you in advance for your generosity.  Thank You to Our Sponsors! This episode of Yes Catholic is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors Truthly, Ascension, SacredSpark, and Tabella. Your partnership helps us continue sharing powerful testimonies and inspiring stories of faith. Make room for daily prayer with Alto, Ascension’s monthly printed prayer companion. Explore upcoming editions and subscribe.  ...

Nico Zhomwa moved from Zimbabwe to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan for grad school. He shares how COVID pushed him to make his faith his own, a chance encounter that connected him to CCO, and how a "golden ticket" at Rise Up led him to discern a call to missionary work he never saw coming. From a chapel notebook full of fears to a hard conversation with his dad, it's a story about identity, discernment, and learning that God's plan is better than the one we write for ourselves. "You are a beloved son of the Father before anything... come as you are and Jesus will love you." Rise Up 2026 If you’re looking to start the new year rooted in faith, join Catholic Christian Outreach at Rise Up — Canada’s biggest Catholic young adult conference. Encounter Christ, connect with passionate Catholics from across the country, and be inspired to live out your mission with boldness. 📍 Happening in Vancouver  📅 Dec 29 - Jan 1  ⏰ Early Bird ends Sept 15! Register for Rise Up Send us some love! Support the show Thanks for Tuning in to Yes Catholic! We’re so grateful you joined us for this episode. If this story inspired you, be sure to like, share, and subscribe to keep saying Yes to Jesus with us. Stay connected with the Yes Catholic community on Instagram and subscribe on YouTube @yes.catholic for more powerful testimonies and faith-filled content. Your support helps us continue sharing stories and reaching people all over the world! Thank you in advance for your generosity.  Thank You to Our Sponsors! This episode of Yes Catholic is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors Truthly, Ascension, SacredSpark, and Tabella. Your partnership helps us continue sharing powerful testimonies and inspiring stories of faith. Make room for daily prayer with Alto, Ascension’s monthly printed prayer companion. Explore upcoming editions and subscribe.  ...

Brooke Joiner grew up Lutheran in Colorado, but a car accident, a season of searching, and one unforgettable holy hour in Eucharistic adoration set her on the path to the Catholic Church.  In this episode, Brooke shares the story of her conversion, the "arrows" that pointed her toward Mother Teresa's first house in Calcutta, and how she and her husband Matteo walked away to found Catholic Owned, a platform connecting Catholics with authentically Catholic-owned businesses across the U.S.  She opens up about the 24 months with no income, the faith it took to keep going, and what she hopes every listener takes away: pray the rosary, and consider Marian consecration. Use code YESCATHOLIC to save 10% Send us some love! Support the show Thanks for Tuning in to Yes Catholic! We’re so grateful you joined us for this episode. If this story inspired you, be sure to like, share, and subscribe to keep saying Yes to Jesus with us. Stay connected with the Yes Catholic community on Instagram and subscribe on YouTube @yes.catholic for more powerful testimonies and faith-filled content. Your support helps us continue sharing stories and reaching people all over the world! Thank you in advance for your generosity.  Thank You to Our Sponsors! This episode of Yes Catholic is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors Truthly, Ascension, SacredSpark, and Tabella. Your partnership helps us continue sharing powerful testimonies and inspiring stories of faith. Make room for daily prayer with Alto, Ascension’s monthly printed prayer companion. Explore upcoming editions and subscribe.  ...

Daniel grew up Catholic in one of the most secular countries in the world, where he was often the only kid in the pews and church felt like an empty obligation his parents forced on him.  Living a double life through his teens, he finally encountered Christ in a real way at a Steubenville youth conference in the U.S., sparking a slow but life-changing conversion.  In this episode, Daniel shares how that encounter reshaped his faith, how he met his wife Emily, and how their marriage led them to found SacredSpark — a ministry helping Catholic singles build real, in-person relationships in the digital age.  Daniel opens up about fatherhood, discernment, walking away from a secular career, and what it looks like to finally make your faith your own. Learn more: https://www.sacredspark.app/ Send us some love! Support the show Thanks for Tuning in to Yes Catholic! We’re so grateful you joined us for this episode. If this story inspired you, be sure to like, share, and subscribe to keep saying Yes to Jesus with us. Stay connected with the Yes Catholic community on Instagram and subscribe on YouTube @yes.catholic for more powerful testimonies and faith-filled content. Your support helps us continue sharing stories and reaching people all over the world! Thank you in advance for your generosity.  Thank You to Our Sponsors! This episode of Yes Catholic is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors Truthly, Ascension, SacredSpark, and Tabella. Your partnership helps us continue sharing powerful testimonies and inspiring stories of faith. Make room for daily prayer with Alto, Ascension’s monthly printed prayer companion. Explore upcoming editions and subscribe.  ...

John Sansone went from reality TV fame on Fox's Farmer Wants a Wife to becoming an outspoken Catholic voice online — and he's the first to admit he doesn't have it all figured out. In this episode, John opens up about growing up in a large Italian-Lebanese Catholic family in St. Louis, drifting from his faith in high school, and the divine timing behind his unexpected TV casting. He shares why he believes the platform he was given (not earned) comes with responsibility, how posting about faith online keeps him personally accountable, and an unforgettable confession-booth analogy about falling down and getting back up. John also talks about attending Fulton Sheen's beatification trip to Peoria and why he believes imperfection doesn't disqualify anyone from living out their faith. https://www.celebratesheen.com/ Follow: https://www.instagram.com/notjohnsansone/ Send us some love! Support the show Thanks for Tuning in to Yes Catholic! We’re so grateful you joined us for this episode. If this story inspired you, be sure to like, share, and subscribe to keep saying Yes to Jesus with us. Stay connected with the Yes Catholic community on Instagram and subscribe on YouTube @yes.catholic for more powerful testimonies and faith-filled content. Your support helps us continue sharing stories and reaching people all over the world! Thank you in advance for your generosity.  Thank You to Our Sponsors! This episode of Yes Catholic is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors Truthly, Ascension, SacredSpark, and Tabella. Your partnership helps us continue sharing powerful testimonies and inspiring stories of faith. Make room for daily prayer with Alto, Ascension’s monthly printed prayer companion. Explore upcoming editions and subscribe.  ...

What happens when God asks you to step outside your comfort zone? Adeline Johanna grew up Catholic, but for years her faith was largely centered around going to Mass and practicing familiar prayers. In high school, anxiety and fear of judgment became a major part of her life, but through Scripture and a growing trust in Jesus, her faith began to become deeply personal. After dropping out of university with no clear plan, Adeline began creating photography content online. But when she felt God calling her to use her platform to share the Catholic faith, she faced a new set of fears: What would people think? Was she qualified enough? Was her faith strong enough? Eventually, she chose obedience over fear. In this conversation, Adeline shares how God transformed her from a shy and anxious young woman into someone boldly proclaiming Christ online, why authentic Catholic community matters for young people, and what she has learned about trusting God's strength rather than relying on her own. If you've ever felt unqualified, afraid, or uncertain about what God is calling you to do, this episode is for you. You don't have to have everything figured out. You just have to be willing to say yes. Learn more: https://www.instagram.com/adelinejohanna/ Send us some love! Support the show Thanks for Tuning in to Yes Catholic! We’re so grateful you joined us for this episode. If this story inspired you, be sure to like, share, and subscribe to keep saying Yes to Jesus with us. Stay connected with the Yes Catholic community on Instagram and subscribe on YouTube @yes.catholic for more powerful testimonies and faith-filled content. Your support helps us continue sharing stories and reaching people all over the world! Thank you in advance for your generosity.  Thank You to Our Sponsors! This episode of Yes Catholic is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors Truthly, Ascension, SacredSpark, and Tabella. Your partnership helps us continue sharing powerful testimonies and inspiring stories of faith. Make room for daily prayer with Alto, Ascension’s monthly printed prayer companion. Explore upcoming editions and subscribe.  ...

Jesus, I trust in You. We surrender every fear, every doubt, every plan we try to control… “From the fear that I am unlovable… deliver me, Jesus.” Pray this Litany of Trust with us. Thank you to the 34 Catholic accounts that helped collaborate in making this possible! Give them a follow! Litany of Trust written by the Sisters of Life http://www.sistersoflife.org/ @thedomesticdadlife @santonio_hill @brother.bernardo.lc @saltandgoldcollection @the.living.person @kmascough @marylenaburg @callmemannyyy @bobby.angel @louisdamani @restlessnightwriter @belovedhealthco @orianne_jn @luxmundi.media @mariemazzanti @asacredfaith @sr_michellee @carmelitesisters4aged @franciscabildomusic @maroniteservants @thatcatholicdesign @_garyfriesen @benturland @_meganturland @frmattwheeler @itsokaytobecatholic @johnfinchmusic @frrobgalea @saintsprites @yes.catholic @josephsanjose @stayfaithful_jmj @mirari.vos @jonathanchart @sistersoflifefriends @jacobfromtruthly @truthly.ai Send us some love! Support the show Thanks for Tuning in to Yes Catholic! We’re so grateful you joined us for this episode. If this story inspired you, be sure to like, share, and subscribe to keep saying Yes to Jesus with us. Stay connected with the Yes Catholic community on Instagram and subscribe on YouTube @yes.catholic for more powerful testimonies and faith-filled content. Your support helps us continue sharing stories and reaching people all over the world! Thank you in advance for your generosity.  Thank You to Our Sponsors! This episode of Yes Catholic is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors Truthly, Ascension, SacredSpark, and Tabella. Your partnership helps us continue sharing powerful testimonies and inspiring stories of faith. Make room for daily prayer with Alto, Ascension’s monthly printed prayer companion. Explore upcoming editions and subscribe.  ...

What if your worth has nothing to do with what you accomplish? In this episode of Yes Catholic, David sits down with Jude D’Agostino, Catholic content creator behind Lifting the Cross, to talk about anxiety, self-worth, healing, prayer, and discovering how God truly sees us. Jude shares his journey from being a cradle Catholic to struggling with anxiety and placing his identity in basketball and achievement. After reaching a difficult point in high school, he began asking a deeper question: “How does God see me?” That question ultimately led him closer to Christ through the FOCUS missionaries at West Chester University, where intentional friendship, discipleship, Bible study, and prayer transformed his relationship with God. Jude also shares practical advice for anyone who wants to grow closer to Christ, including the importance of silence, daily formation, and the sacraments. He explains why simply spending time in silence with God can transform our hearts in ways we often miss because of the noise around us. The central message of Jude’s story is simple but profound: You are not worth what you do. You are a beloved child of God. Instagram: @liftingthecross_ig TikTok & YouTube: Lifting the Cross Send us some love! Support the show Thanks for Tuning in to Yes Catholic! We’re so grateful you joined us for this episode. If this story inspired you, be sure to like, share, and subscribe to keep saying Yes to Jesus with us. Stay connected with the Yes Catholic community on Instagram and subscribe on YouTube @yes.catholic for more powerful testimonies and faith-filled content. Your support helps us continue sharing stories and reaching people all over the world! Thank you in advance for your generosity.  Thank You to Our Sponsors! This episode of Yes Catholic is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors Truthly, Ascension, SacredSpark, and Tabella. Your partnership helps us continue sharing powerful testimonies and inspiring stories of faith. Make room for daily prayer with Alto, Ascension’s monthly printed prayer companion. Explore upcoming editions and subscribe.  ...

Jacob and Zach Scally started making music at just 10 and 13 years old. Today, the Scally Brothers travel across the country as full-time Catholic musicians, using their music to lead people closer to Jesus. In this episode, they share their journey of saying yes to God, the story behind “Keep Hopin,” how a 99 year old woman inspired one of their biggest songs, and what they learned about trusting God through uncertainty and suffering. If you're wondering whether God is still working in your life, this episode is for you. God is not done writing your story. Learn more: https://www.thescallybrothers.com/ Send us some love! Support the show Thanks for Tuning in to Yes Catholic! We’re so grateful you joined us for this episode. If this story inspired you, be sure to like, share, and subscribe to keep saying Yes to Jesus with us. Stay connected with the Yes Catholic community on Instagram and subscribe on YouTube @yes.catholic for more powerful testimonies and faith-filled content. Your support helps us continue sharing stories and reaching people all over the world! Thank you in advance for your generosity.  Thank You to Our Sponsors! This episode of Yes Catholic is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors Truthly, Ascension, SacredSpark, and Tabella. Your partnership helps us continue sharing powerful testimonies and inspiring stories of faith. Make room for daily prayer with Alto, Ascension’s monthly printed prayer companion. Explore upcoming editions and subscribe.  ...

Imagine experiencing God's mercy so profoundly that it reshapes your entire life. Father Brice Higginbotham shares his inspiring story of how a simple act of going to confession opened the door to divine love, mercy, and a calling to serve as a priest. His journey reveals the quiet ways God patiently draws us closer, through sacrament, friendship, and prayer, especially when we least expect it. If you’ve ever felt distant from God, overwhelmed by sin, or unsure about your purpose, this episode will remind you that God’s mercy is always present and accessible. Father Brice’s story is a testament that, no matter how far we stumble, God's love is greater. Learn more: https://www.fatherbrice.com/ Send us some love! Support the show Thanks for Tuning in to Yes Catholic! We’re so grateful you joined us for this episode. If this story inspired you, be sure to like, share, and subscribe to keep saying Yes to Jesus with us. Stay connected with the Yes Catholic community on Instagram and subscribe on YouTube @yes.catholic for more powerful testimonies and faith-filled content. Your support helps us continue sharing stories and reaching people all over the world! Thank you in advance for your generosity.  Thank You to Our Sponsors! This episode of Yes Catholic is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors Truthly, Ascension, SacredSpark, and Tabella. Your partnership helps us continue sharing powerful testimonies and inspiring stories of faith. Make room for daily prayer with Alto, Ascension’s monthly printed prayer companion. Explore upcoming editions and subscribe.  ...