Candid Catholic Convos

  May is Mental Health Awareness month and today, we're honored to welcome to the program Deacon Ed Shoener, who is a founding member of the Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministries and the Catholic Institute of Mental Health Ministry at the University of San Diego. He serves on the council on Mental Illness of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability and has authored several books on suicide. Along with his family and friends, Deacon Ed founded "The Katie Foundation" after his daughter, Kathleen, died by suicide in 2016. Her obituary went viral because it spoke to the needs and concerns of people who live with mental illness. **If you or someone you know is considering self-harm, please dial 988 for the suicide crisis lifeline.

  Homelessness in Pennsylvania alone rose 12.2 percent over the last year according to the Annual Homelessness Assessment Report, and on any given day, over 12,000 Pennsylvanians are known to be homeless across the commonwealth. 20-25% of the homeless population across the U.S. also struggle with mental health or substance abuse issues. This week, we’re shining a light on a powerful new ministry in the Diocese of Harrisburg — one that blends compassion, mental health care, and the Catholic call to serve the most vulnerable among us. Named after St. Benedict Joseph Labre, the patron saint of the homeless, Catholic Charities new Labre Mental Health clinic offers essential mental health services and a place of dignity for those in our area experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. I’m honored to welcome program and medical director of the Labre Mental Health Clinic, Dr. Kirsten Tollefson. Dr. Tollefson shares the inspiration behind this mission, the challenges of launching a c...

  Few Catholic saints are as celebrated in the secular world as Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Everything turns green and those who may not be Irish in heritage become Irish at heart, celebrating the lore, leprechauns, and luck associated with the holiday. Saint Patrick is truly the man, the myth and the legend – so much so that some even forget he’s a saint, and why that title was bestowed upon him. So what makes him so memorable? Father Brommer, pastor of the Cathedral Parish of Saint Patrick here in Harrisburg and director of our office of Divine Worship joins me today to unpack what’s truth, what’s fiction, and how this legendary Saint became the patron of our Diocese.

  This week the Diocese is participating in the annual Pennsylvania March for Life, with thousands on the steps of the capitol in Harrisburg fighting to protect the rights of the unborn. This is your fight too, and you’re invited to join us tomorrow starting with a 9am benediction and Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral, followed by the rally, the march and a closing Mass again at the Cathedral. You can find all the details on our website –  hbgdiocese.org  which is also where you can sign up for the overnight adoration. We dug deep into the archives and compiled a best of episode on the topic of pro-life. The first segment is from Episode 37 with Samantha Povlock, CEO and Editor in Chief of FemCatholic with what mainstream would call a radical reframe of the term feminism and how that incorporates with our Catholic beliefs. The next segment is from episode 11 with Dr Anne Marie Manning and Dr Naomi Whittaker about what an abortion is and isn’t, and it also features advice for ...

  Lately I've been thinking about all the friends I’ve had over the years – the ones that didn’t stand the test of time, the ones who walked away when it got hard, the ones I walked away from, the friendships I outgrew and the friends I left behind when I changed jobs or moved to another city. It also got me thinking about how challenging it is to make friends anymore, especially as a busy adult, how committing to and fostering a new relationship takes time and effort we may not have or be willing to give. And what about those lifelong friends? How do we maintain them in different seasons of life? Today I’m sitting down with Zack Haney, the director for Youth and Young Adult Ministry, to really dive into how we can cultivate and foster authentic friendships as busy adults.  

  Welcome to part two of our Candid Catholic Convos episode on what we want versus what God wants for us with spiritual director Donna Giberti. This week, we're continuing our conversation about attending to our desires, what happens when our plans don't work the way we want to, and how to live confidently in uncertainty.