Catholic interview

A 1280 Word Interview with a Melkite Catholic

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Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Jocelyn Abyad via phone call on June 2nd, 2025. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given. 

For those who may not be familiar, how would you describe the Melkite Catholic Church and what makes its liturgical and spiritual traditions unique within the Catholic Church?

I think if we are talking about the Melkite Church specifically, we are oneof the 23 Eastern Churches in full Communion with Rome. Our ancestry goes back to Antioch. That’s the most basic explanation.

Our Liturgical Rite isByzantine. Historically and geographically the Melkite Church has largely been based in Syria, more generally, the Levant and Egypt.
The various churches aren’t culture clubs but complete liturgical expressions of the Catholic faith.

I grew up Roman Catholic in Arizona and had no idea that the Eastern Catholic Churches existed. I had this narrow view of what Catholicism looked like. All the Eastern Churches bring universality through diversity to the table. 

Before I married my husband I only thought of the Church as Roman Catholic. I truly never heard of Eastern Catholicism. 

The MelkiteChurch does allow for priests to be married. A man may get ordained a priest after he is married, but if he is already a priest he cannot get married. My husband got ordained in 2022. He was a deacon for about 8 years prior to that. 

As both a priest’s wife and a homeschooling mother of seven, how has your faith shaped your family life and vocation?

It’s everything! I think first and foremost, that our faith is the priority. Most Eastern Catholic parishes are smaller, so when you are in a leadership position you are kind of like a jack of all trades. As our responsibilities grew, we decided that homeschooling was the best option. It was a decision driven by our faith life. 

My husband actually has a secular career as an aerospace engineer. It is a common practice in the Eastern Church for priests to work another job. In his work he has shaped his schedule to cater to his priesthood to make sure he is there for the community. For example, being available to celebrate funerals and take hospital calls. 

Everything is second to God and his Church. 

Liturgical living is a big part of your ministry. Can you share some practical ways Melkite traditions enrich liturgical life at home?

I think maybe other Eastern Catholics would say similar things. What I think is beautiful about our faith is that nothing is watered down. I helped to pick the vestments my husband wears, the meal planning is liturgically based. In the Melkite tradition we fast from meat on all Wednesdays and Fridays (not including Easter). And we are basically vegan during Great Lent. We also have a Dormition Fast (two weeks before the Feast of the Dormition of Mary); the Nativity Fast (two weeks before Christmas); the Apostles’ Fast (two weeks before the Feasts of Peter and Paul- June 29)

I love that the Divine Liturgy draws children into the mystery. One of my favorite memories in my heart is watching my children get baptized. They receive all the Sacraments of Initiation at once. I heard the Divine Liturgy being described as the chaos of life crashinginto the structure of the liturgy. Liturgy is immersive. When the priest processesthe children touch the priest’s robe like how the woman touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. I love that in the Melkite tradition we truly have an incarnate faith.

Smell the incense, kiss the icons, taste the Body of Christ. 

Palm Sunday is really big for Melkites. All the people processoutside the church with their palms and decorated candles. During Holy Week we have nightly services that draw you truly into the Crucifixion. On Holy Saturday, we have a “pre-pascha” called the Blessing of the New Light to foreshadow the chains of death falling away and celebrating the Resurrection. 

You co-founded We Carry You Still, a ministry for families who’ve experienced loss. How has your own journey through grief influenced your work in this area?

In 2020 and 2021, my husband and I lost three babies due to miscarriage. Frankly it shook my faith in ways I never experienced before. While we had some resources from my doctor, they were secular and weren’t theologically sound.

Over a year ago, myself and a couple friends started Carry You Still, we vet and share grief, loss, and miscarriage resources. I think this is the aspect of the pro-life movement that’s missing from the Church. 

You can learn more about this ministry at https://wecarryyoustill.org/

There’s incredible healing that can happen after such loss and grief. The Church has answers. 

Many Catholics are curious about the role of married clergy in the Eastern Churches. How do you see the vocation of the priesthood and marriage complementing each other?

I think one of the things God has laid on my heart as far as my end of things, is to be my husband’s number one supporter. Priests have a huge responsibility to serve a community and be the keeper and provider of the holy sacraments. I know that I am my husband’s best friend and comforter especially as he deals with heavy things.

I ask him to tell me as little as possible, as I find the politics of the Church discouraging. So for me to serve him, I like to know as little as possible in that aspect. On the flip side, some of the joys of being a clergy wife are being there for the parishioners’ big life events: baptisms, weddings, funerals. It is such hard work, a privilege and honor. 

My husband has a unique role of serving the community in knowing the struggles and joys of married and family life personally.  Those are some of the ways our marriage supports his vocation as a priest.

Readers may also be interested to know that priest’s wives in the Melkite Church are given the title “Khouria.” People call me Khouria Jocelyn at church.

What are some misconceptions Latin Rite Catholics might have about Eastern Catholicism, and how can we better understand and appreciate the diversity within the Church?

Part of it is the cultural club mentality. My husband and I joke about visitors seeing the “liturgical zoo” to see the “exotic Catholics.” So part of the misconception is that you have to be a member of a specific ethnic group to be a member of an Eastern Church. My husband is Middle Eastern but I am not

The second misconception is Latin Rite Catholics still confusing Eastern Catholics as being Eastern Orthodox. 

We can as a Church and Her members, we pray for unity between the East and the West and that is how we can appreciate the diversity of our faith. Eastern Catholicism liturgical expression looks Orthodox. So the way forward is to embrace both East and West traditions and liturgical expressions in the unity of the Catholic Church.

Finally, if someone wanted to attend a Melkite Divine Liturgy for the first time, what should they expect—and what advice would you give them?

I tell folks that if you are in Phoenix to come see me! I encourage visitors to experience and immerse yourself in the Divine Liturgy. There’s less rules, we stand the whole time, our communion bread is leavened, and we all receive in the mouth but we don’t stick out our tongue. It’s like the chaos of life being bound within the structure of the Liturgy. 

Where can my readers learn more about you and the Melkite Church? 


My Instagram page as I do some more interviews and share homeschool tips. To learn more about the Melkite Church in general you can visit melkite.org. You may also visit my parish Saint John of the Desert. 

About Jocelyn: 

Jocelyn Abyad is the wife of Fr. Zyad Abyad and mother of 7 daughters on earth and 3 babies in Heaven. She holds a degree in psychology from Arizona State University and worked as a finance banker for over a decade before choosing to stay home to homeschool her children. Alongside her husband, she serves at St. John of the Desert Melkite Catholic Church in Phoenix, Arizona.Jocelyn shares insights on homeschooling and liturgical living across multiple platforms as Melkite Momma and is a regular contributor to Byzikids Magazine. In 2024, she co-founded We Carry You Still, a nonprofit ministry offering support and resources for women and families who have experienced miscarriage or infant loss. Throughout her work and personal experiences, Jocelyn seeks to foster faith, family, and community.

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A 1284 Word Interview about The Miracle of Guadalupe Series

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Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Whitney Hetzel via phone call on May 23rd, 2025 and June 11th, 2025. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given. 

What drew you personally to the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and how has working on this project deepened your own faith journey?

We at Good Catholic did our first series in 2017 and launched with Fatima. The response was excellent. We had a lot of conversations about which series we could do. We figured we would do the major Marian Apparitions. We realized how many layers and history to look at for Guadalupe. We shelved the project, finally the next year we decided to start the project.

I constantly hear from people who have a devotion to Guadalupe that Mary meets us in the little places. I myself am a convert and while it took me a bit to get to Mary, I have had a devotion to her ever since. Through this project I am learning that Mary is concerned about all the things in our lives (big AND small). 

The tilma of Juan Diego has survived nearly 500 years without deterioration—what does the scientific analysis reveal about this miraculous preservation, and how do you present this evidence in the film?

It’s just fascinating. It’s almost too much to present. We are probably going to do seven episodes. Science looks at something and gives the validity of something. All science points to and answers the fact that Mary gave the tilma to Juan.

Even the Church is slow to accept miracles and test things. The thing that fascinates me the most is the cornea in her eye shows what she saw. The reflection in the eye (smaller than a grain of rice) was validated by a number of eye doctors to show that Mary was looking at Juan Diego and the bishop. 

The constellations in the sky on her mantle are looking down from the galaxies on the tilma. And all the symbols on the mantle reflect certain things to the indigenous people. There’s so many things and they are equally fascinating. 

There’s no signs of aging on the actual image of Our Lady. That’s incredible after all these years. 

You’ve assembled incredible contributors like Fr. Spitzer and Jorge Arredondo from Harvard and Notre Dame. What unique insights do they bring about the theological and historical significance of Guadalupe that might surprise viewers?

Fr. Spitzer is a scientist and has a brilliant mind. He is also a priest, but he is coming from the perspective of a scientist. I didn’t think that I would be able to speak with a scientist because all of this has been studied before. 

I don’t remember how I found Fr. Spitzer’s book on Guadalupe in our warehouse (he just wrote this last year). 

We got in contact with Jorge from the authors of Guadalupe and the Flower World Prophecy. Jorge came from a linguistics perspective on the tilma. He gets into a lot of the history. We wanted to stay in line with the historical aspects and stay away from the sensational aspects. Even on the language side we wanted to cover our bases and Jorge is coming back in June for additional conversations about the Nahuatl language that Juan Diego spoke. 

We wanted to look at the tilma from a factual and unbiased perspective. That’s why we look at it from the scientific and historical perspectives. It would be silly to add to the story of the tilma because there’s so many fascinating facts from the event itself. 

Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to an indigenous man and spoke in his native language—how does the documentary explore the cultural bridge she created between indigenous peoples and the Catholic faith?

That’s a great question! Really, it’s a narrative story. The protagonist is Juan Diego. The Franciscan missionaries really did help bridge that gap. The conquest ended the human sacrifices in the Aztec culture. Truly in the ten years before Our Lady appeared the Franciscans tried to bridge and catechize. There was a language barrier that made it difficult to help in the conversion process. The bishop sent by King Charles (around 1521) was up against a lot, two steps forward five steps back. The conquistadors were poor examples of the faith. And some of the indigenous people didn’t want Catholicism to take root. 

The bishop wrote a letter to King Charles and sent it in a lard barrel and got on his knees and asked for a sign. And shortly after Our Lady was sent to Juan Diego and also appeared to his sick uncle.

In today’s cultural climate, why do you believe the message of Guadalupe is particularly relevant?

I think it’s just as relevant today. Each age has a time of challenges. When you look at the stuff that is going on in the Church the last decade, people are leaving the Church. But you see a juxtaposition of there being a resurgence of the faith. I feel like there has been a sense of the faith waning but there’s the beginnings of a Catholic moment. We are nearing the 500th anniversary of the Blessed Virgin appearing to Juan Diego. I think we are living in an exciting time.

What do you hope Catholic families will take away from this series?

I think my strongest hope is that a renewed devotion and trust in our Lady will happen. In some ways it is in the small ways that Mary cares for us. And that Mary always, always, always leads us to Christ. I hope Catholic families truly embrace this. That we can always turn to Mary and be covered under Her mantle. 

Mary is the connection to the humanity of Jesus and shows us that Jesus is still with us. When she appears, Mary helps us recognize that the Incarnation is important. Especially with Guadalupe, Mary left us something tangible with the tilma. People really do need a tangible sign that our Lord is not distant, that he is with us. 

Beyond the Kickstarter campaign, what’s your vision for how this documentary can reach both practicing Catholics and those who might be encountering this miracle for the first time?

Thanks for this question, because this is one of our biggest challenges (and our greatest hope). Because of the tangibility of the tilma, we have this opportunity to reach people who aren’t Catholic. A lot of people (myself included) kind of look at Guadalupe as a Latin American devotion. But she appeared for all of us. And I hope that this series will show through the science of the tilma that this devotion is not culturally limited, it’s for the whole world. 

In 1945, Pope Pius XII named Our Lady of Guadalupe as Patroness of the Americas (North and South). Saint Pope John Paul II confirmed this title in the late 90s. 

What has been the most profound moment or discovery during your research and filming process that reinforced why this story needed to be told?

It’s one of the scientific elements of the tilma. Truly, the evidence of the eyes of our Lady having the curvature of being the same as a human eye. And the reflection in her eyes being what she saw (Juan Diego and the bishop). Father Spitzer reinforced this truth. These are signs that were interesting to me. In 1531, the people didn’t need scientific evidence to be convinced, but she knew that our modern world would need more of this scientific evidence. The fact that the tilma has survived for 500 years is a miracle. 

My hope is that this will lead people to the truth of believing in God. 

Where can my readers learn more about this project and support it? 

Here’s our Kickstarter and you can visit Good Catholic to learn more about our other work. 

About Whitney: 

Whitney Hetzel’s most important job is her vocation as mother to nine children (ages 15–35) and grandmother to five (soon to be eight).  Whitney is a convert to Catholicism. In college, she majored in journalism and English and received a Master’s degree in Psychology from Saint Louis University. She loves her job as a writer and content creator for Good Catholic—the digital arm of The Catholic Company.

Whitney is the Executive Producer of Not Made By Human Hands: The Miracle of Guadalupe and has enjoyed combining rigorous research, theology, and storytelling to bring the story of the miracle of Guadalupe to others. Her lifelong passion for writing, sparked early on with her blog 9 Kid Fitness, has evolved into a vocation of sharing faith-filled content that helps others live as authentic Christians in their daily lives.  

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A 949 Word Interview with an Ambrosian Rite Catholic

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Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed @churchofambrose from Instagram via phone call on April 11th, 2025. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.

Tell me about your faith journey.

I was born and raised Catholic. During my teenage years I became lukewarm, I moved to university and during the initial years my faith struggled. Slowly, but surely the Lord called me back to the faith in a deeper way. I was fundamentally unhappy for a while before I found God again. I want people to experience it.

The Ambrosian Rite is largely unknown outside of Milan. It is a local church, there’s practically one diocese (Milan). 

The Ambrosian Rite dates back to at least the 4th century with connections to St. Ambrose himself. What sparked your passion for preserving this ancient liturgical tradition through digitization?

I think the Ambrosian Rite is one of the most unique rites. It is very intrinsic in our culture. This rite starts from (most likely) the old Roman Rite. Bl. Cardinal Schuster (1880-1954) said that Saint Ambrose took the rite from Rome and slightly modified it. This is probably only partially true, however the Ambrosian Rite is the oldest Western Rite still alive today. Our Lent is the same Lent that Gregory the Great would have followed. It’s so interesting and cool that this rite is preserved. This is how Saints Augustine and Ambrose followed. It feels like I’m going back centuries; it’s very inspiring.

(For example during the 1st, 3rd and 5th Sundays of Lent, instead of the “Gloria” we sing the “Divinae Pacis”. This chant is older than the edict of Milan (313 AD))

For readers unfamiliar with the Ambrosian Rite, what are the most distinctive elements that set it apart from the more familiar Roman Rite celebrated in most Catholic churches?

In general the thing that people notice the most is the thurible. In the Roman Rite there’s a cap on top of it. We don’t have a cap on it and it’s spun in a 360 degree motion. It is spun to form the shape of the cross.

(At the start of the Mass the altar is incensed. You can remove this and add the text at the bottom)
(Another particular difference, is the incensation of the Tabernacle which is done kneeling at the start of every High Mass.)

The other thing people notice is the chants. It’s very hard to explain, it’s just very different.

(The ambrosian chants were introduced by Saint Ambrose himself in the 4th century. For the first time in the Church’s history, non-psalmic hymns were included in liturgical celebrations. Ambrose, personally composed many hymns, including “Aeterne rerum conditor”, “Deus creator omnium”, “Iam surgit hora tertia”, and “Intende qui regis Israel”. The most famous hymn is obviously the “Te Deum”, which was composed together with Saint Augustine after Augustine’s baptism. I highly suggest the reader listen to the Ambrosian Version of the “Te Deum”.
Despite the modifications it underwent over the centuries, Ambrosian chant is considered the oldest surviving body of Western liturgical music.)

And the Offertory is done before the Credo (and it is much longer). We have lots of prefaces (one for each day) and some of them are very old and date back to St. Ambrose. 

(there are other differences but these ones are the most noticed by first time visitors)

Your mission focuses on digitizing the Traditional Ambrosian Rite. What are the greatest challenges you’ve faced in translating manuscripts and liturgical books that are many centuries old into accessible digital formats?

The Ambrosian Rite was heavily attacked from its beginning. Most of the original manuscripts are gone. When it comes to more recent things, I have been looking for breviaries and missals. It is very difficult to find these items. There are subtle differences that are easy to miss. It is difficult to find where things originated from. 

The Ambrosian liturgical calendar has some fascinating differences, including six Sundays of Advent rather than four. Which seasonal celebrations in the Ambrosian tradition do you find most spiritually enriching?

Our Ordinary Time is limited compared to the Roman Rite. It is only during a few weeks of the year, and differences in color. We have a different hue of purple (morello). During the Lenten period we use black during the weekdays because it’s also a penitential color not just for mourning. Saturday and Sundays are less penitential during Lent, so morello is used.

(Red is the Eucharistic color instead of the Roman Rite white, so the feast of the Corpus Domini (Corpus Christi in the Roman Rite) is in Red not white in the Ambrosian rite)

Who are saints particularly honored in the Ambrosian Rite?

Ambrose (of course being our Rite’s namesake). 

Charles Borromeo is our second patron saint. He is the one who reformed the Archbishop of Milan. He had a huge role in the Council of Trent. In Milan he was the first one to create a seminary. He is also the patron saint of seminaries. 

We care about our bishops and martyrs. In the Eucharist Prayer we ask for intercession for most of the archbishops and martyrs.

(I’ll send a picture of the Comunicantes with the Ambrosian Saints and Martyrs)

Looking to the future, how do you see traditional liturgical forms like the Ambrosian Rite contributing to the spiritual renewal of the Church in an increasingly digital age?

I’m noticing many young people are more interested in the traditional liturgies. The church where I attend is always full. You might find a seat if you go five minutes early, but not likely. There’s a huge emphasis on the parish. It’s kind of like the dynamic between the Traditional Latin Rite Mass and the Novus Ordo Mass (in the Roman Rite).

Where can my audience find more of your work?
On my Instagram page @churchofambrose.

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A 748 Word Interview about Ephesians 6 Ministry

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Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Father Nick Fleming via phone call on May 7th, 2025. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given. 

The name “Ephesians 6” clearly references the Armor of God passage. What specific aspects of this Scripture inspired you to found this ministry, and how does it shape your approach to spiritual growth? 

This ministry began out of a desire to do spiritual warfare. The spiritual battle over the soul can only be won if we focus on God. There are two ways to contend with an opponent: to fight them head on or to live your best life. 

For example, if you are running a race, your opponent will try to distract you. Our attention is taken away from the finish line. That’s how the Devil works. Not coming into full view, he begins with little distractions. Peter was walking on the water when he was focused on Jesus, he only started to sink when he took his eyes off Jesus. 

Faith is our shield, the sword of the spirit…what better way to describe our faith than the armor. 

Your mission statement mentions helping people “engage in Spiritual Warfare.” How do you explain this concept to those who might be unfamiliar with it, and what practical tools does your ministry provide?

First of all, to help people recognize their disorder in the world and to help them see the disorder and find the root cause. I start to ask them mundane questions: do you make your bed, do you have a regular morning routine? I help people first find the disorder. They can start to find virtue by establishing order in their life. It’s a life grounded in purpose. 

Through my experience in pastoral ministry, I find people come to me when their life is falling apart. So helping them to see the disorder first is how we can lead them to the path of salvation. 

For example, the first experience Peter had with Jesus was him as a sinful man. 

So rather than fixing a broken world we focus on fixing the broken heart. By redeeming each and every individual, the Kingdom of God is made present. 

The Lord wants us to take the first steps. Our God is a Good Father who wants us to have independence, to freely choose Him and not as a drone. He wants us to surrender our humility to Him but at the same time he will allow us to participate in the redemptive act of the Cross of Jesus. I am surrendering my ego and my own self-gratification of ambition to act out of humility to follow Jesus. 

That’s the crux of the Church’s ministry to find people in the wounds of Jesus and to help them desire God’s will. 

In your experience working with people through Ephesians 6 Ministry, what do you find are the most common spiritual challenges people face today, and how does your approach help address them?

There is no particular virtue lacking in the world. I think the most prevalent issue is mediocrity and that people believe there is no such thing as being great. Greatness begins with purpose. People allow themselves to be moved by the circumstances in their lives or whatever seems to be going on in the world around them. 

I help people find that they are more than the circumstances that they are in to make them to be. Once we learn where the disorder is, we can establish order and find purpose. This is where the armor of God comes in.

“Strangers in a Strange Land” by Cardinal Chaput mentions the problem with our age is not that we are not strangers in a strange land, it is that our children and grandchildren are comfortable being in this world. That we have grown too comfortable. That’s our chief struggle. And we see that there’s a longing. We see a growth in more orthodox and traditional churches. It makes it worthwhile when it’s hard to live. The young people are drawn to this more ascetical life because they long for meaning, heroism. 

The world should open us up to wonder and awe. Life is not meant to be a vat of entertainment. Leisure is not sitting idly and doing nothing. It is sitting with purpose and reflecting on the good. Play is what satisfies our reason. It is contemplating the greatest things. 

Real rest is when you stop putting on a performance for the other and when we can rest in their presence. 

Where can my audience find more about your ministry?

Follow us on Instagram 

About Fr. Fleming: 

Fr. Nicholas Fleming, entered the Seminary of Our Lady of Providence and attended Providence College, where he earned a degree in Philosophy in 2011. He earned a degree in Theology from Angelicum University and was ordained a priest on June 27th, 2015. Following ordination, Fr. Fleming completed a license in Marriage and the Family at the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and the Family. After completing his studies in 2016, he was assigned as an assistant pastor at SS John and Paul in Coventry. Fr. Fleming currently serves as the pastor of SS John and James and St. Mary Church West Warwick, in RI. While pastor, I have perceived the need for more specified virtue training to encourage the faithful to be fit for the Kingdom, and with the help of his partner has begun the work of Ephesians 6 ministry.

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Small Pilgrimages: Evangelizing Your Kids One Step at a Time

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Sponsored: This article is made possible by Pockets of Heaven, supporting quality and engaging Catholic content.

Evangelizing children isn’t always about complex theological lessons or far-off mission trips. Sometimes, the most powerful encounters with God happen right in your own backyard or even your living room. Just as adults benefit from pilgrimages that draw them closer to God, children can encounter Christ through small, intentional “journeys” of faith that fit within everyday life.

Let’s explore how these small pilgrimages can help pass on the faith to your kids while strengthening your domestic church.

new evangelization

The Domestic Church: Where Evangelization Begins

The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us of the parents’ vital role:

“Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. They bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule… Parents have a grave responsibility to give good example to their children” (CCC 2223).

In many ways, the home itself becomes a sort of permanent pilgrimage site, a sacred place where children encounter God daily through prayer, forgiveness, service, and love.

As I’ve written before, even small actions like having holy images in your home, praying before meals, answering questions during Mass, or visiting a local Catholic bookstore create micro-moments of evangelization. One of my daughters, for example, loves flipping through pamphlets about the Eucharist. That small curiosity leads to natural conversations about the Real Presence. These little moments plant seeds that the Holy Spirit can grow over time.

Adding sacramentals and liturgical resources to your home can also help foster these everyday encounters. Catholic businesses like Pockets of Heaven provide beautiful, handcrafted tools that help families create prayer spaces, celebrate feast days, and make the liturgical year come alive for kids in simple but meaningful ways.

You don’t need a master’s degree in theology to evangelize your kids. What matters most is creating a loving environment where faith is part of daily life, where Christ is present in both words and actions.

Pilgrimages Teach Kids That Life is a Journey Toward God

Father Dave Pivonka wisely reminds us that “Every single one of us is a pilgrim on a journey. For us Christians, as Pope St. John Paul II said, this journey should ultimately lead us to the heart of the Father.”

Pilgrimages, whether big or small, teach kids that faith is not static. It’s a living, breathing adventure toward God’s heart. And this journey doesn’t require international travel. While trips to Lourdes, Fatima, or Rome are beautiful, they’re not necessary to experience the graces of pilgrimage.

Small pilgrimages could include:

  • Visiting your diocesan cathedral for Mass.
  • Spending an hour in adoration at a nearby chapel.
  • Walking as a family to a local Marian shrine.
  • Going on a nature walk while praying the Rosary.
  • Visiting a cemetery and praying for the dead on All Souls’ Day.

These intentional acts pull kids out of their daily routines and help them encounter God anew. As Fr. Pivonka puts it, “Do something intentional that takes you out of your ordinary routine. Seek to encounter Jesus. You will be amazed what God can do in your heart.”

The Sacraments: Theological Rest Stops Along the Journey

Life is exhausting. I’ve written before how my own fatigue nearly led me to despair. Yet, in that weakness, I was reminded of Bishop Paul Swain’s beautiful words:

“Sacraments are not the end or graduation of the Catholic life, rather sacraments act as theological rest stops to give us strength.”

Confession, for example, is like a pit stop where we release burdens and receive grace to keep walking. As the Catechism explains, “The sacrament of Penance repairs or restores [fraternal communion]” (CCC 1469).

The Eucharist provides nourishment for the journey ahead — our manna in the desert:

“The principal fruit of receiving the Eucharist in Holy Communion is an intimate union with Christ Jesus… Life in Christ has its foundation in the Eucharistic banquet” (CCC 1391).

And marriage? It’s not simply a contract but a covenant of mutual sacrifice. As I’ve joked before, marriage often feels like a holy war against pride, impatience, and selfishness. But it’s also a place of peace, where we strategize, rest, and receive grace for the road ahead.

When we bring our children into these sacramental rest stops by taking them to Confession, preparing them for First Holy Communion, and witnessing the beauty of a sacramental marriage, we’re showing them how to draw strength for their own pilgrim journey.

Penance, Solidarity, and Thanksgiving — Lessons Even Kids Can Learn

Pilgrimage isn’t always comfortable. Fr. Pivonka shares stories of pilgrims enduring blistering heat, unexpected thunderstorms, and travel mishaps. Yet these struggles become opportunities for offering penance, teaching kids a profound lesson: suffering can be united to prayer.

On a small pilgrimage to a local shrine, a child might get tired or frustrated. That’s a chance to gently explain:

“You can offer this tiredness for Grandma who’s sick, or for a friend who’s struggling.”

Solidarity is another beautiful fruit of pilgrimage. Whether walking together as a family or participating in parish events, kids learn that they’re not alone in their faith. They belong to the wider Body of Christ — a Church filled with fellow pilgrims, saints, and sinners all journeying home.

Finally, pilgrimages naturally lead to thanksgiving. As Fr. Pivonka writes about his own Camino de Santiago:

“Going on pilgrimage does something to our hearts and to how we see the world… We begin to see [God] in places where we didn’t before.”

When kids see the beauty of God in creation, family, sacraments, and community, gratitude becomes a habit that sustains their faith long after the pilgrimage ends. Even creating little “pockets of heaven” in our homes — through prayer corners, seasonal decor, or feast day celebrations — can help foster that spirit of gratitude.

 Biblical ABC Book published by Parousia Media

Start Small, Start Today

Evangelizing our kids doesn’t require perfect words or elaborate plans. It begins with small acts of intentionality, small pilgrimages of the heart, the home, and even the neighborhood.

As parents, our job is to guide our children toward Christ through daily witness, sacramental life, and occasional small pilgrimages that draw them deeper into God’s presence. With each little step, they’ll discover that their whole life is a beautiful, lifelong journey toward the Father.

As Proverbs 16:3 reminds us:

“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”

Buen Camino.

Thanks again to today’s article sponsor! Visit Pockets of Heaven where you’ll find resources to help your children journey with Jesus, Mary, and the Saints in the pockets of everyday life.

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A 1069 Word Interview with A Catholic Coach

/ chicoinematt

Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Kramer Soderberg via phone call on May 14th, 2025. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given. 

Growing up as the son of a college basketball coach, how have the lessons you learned from the court shaped your Catholic faith journey and your approach to spiritual “coaching”?

That’s a great question! I have been around the game of basketball my whole life. My dad was a college coach when I was born. Growing up in my early life I was the typical cradle Catholic. But after college I found myself learning more about the faith. 

I realized that the stuff I learned on the court could be applied to my faith life. That I should approach my faith life with excellence like I did on the court. Another aspect that made me revert to the faith was the concept that if I wanted to achieve my goals in sports that it was really hard. Only later when I was reinvestigating the faith that I realized it was hard. The Catholic Church challenges you. It wouldn’t make sense if this journey was easy. Christ is challenging us to holiness and greatness. This is the same mentality that any great athlete pursues. 

I love the word “strive”. It’s very connected to the title of my book: Fill Your Cup. My dad brought out three different sized cups to represent different types of athletes. And his message was that success was filling your cup (that you were given). True success in God’s eyes is to realize your potential and strive to fulfill your vocation and potential. It is so freeing to not worry about what anyone else is doing. That’s true success and sounds like the virtue of magnanimity. 

Your dual identity as both a basketball coach and Catholic evangelizer is unique. How do you find these two callings complement each other, and what strategies from coaching translate most effectively to spiritual guidance?

I think my faith and vocation as a coach go hand and hand. Your Catholic faith should be intertwined with your life. It is simple for me to connect the two. When your faith is the most important part of your life it’s this mindset to not limit it to Sunday. To pray unceasingly. There’s certainly challenges: to a referee that’s annoying you or when players aren’t playing to their potential. But my faith helps me in these situations.

When I became a head coach, I thought I would get a lot more time to work on my Xs and Os and the gamplans. But what I learned was that I also focused on helping my players get in the right mindset and the idea of motivating my players for greatness was really the main role as a coach. The biggest crossover from being a college coach and my ministry is helping motivate and inspire people to that greatness, that sainthood and that desire to pursue it. 

As a former player who excelled at both high school and college levels, how does your competitive background influence the way you approach challenges in your faith life and family leadership?

I think competitiveness is a great attribute. Like all good things, it can be skewed in the wrong direction. Competitiveness is so important in the athletic field and life in general. It comes back to this idea of pursuing greatness. It is not necessarily competitiveness against someone else, it is more so being the best I can be and challenging myself to the limits. That competitive fire as a player has never died as a coach. But when I realized that being Catholic is hard, the competitiveness translated to the spiritual life to drive me. 

I have used the term crossover often, I don’t think I have paid attention to it. 

Many Catholics struggle with bringing their faith into public spaces. As someone who moves between the athletic and faith worlds, what advice would you give to those looking to authentically integrate their Catholic identity into their professional lives?

I think that’s challenging. Most of us separate the two. On Sundays I go to Mass and on Mondays I go to work. During my reversion, I had a fascination with Jesus the person. I was thinking how he could be at peace all the time. What made him different? I grasped this idea that Jesus was always aware and connected with God’s Presence. This point hit home when I wrote this book. Constant awareness of God’s presence in your life is transformational. When I started to practice this, my life started to all become one (coaching, family life, and life).

So my suggestion is to be constantly aware of God’s presence. Three triggers helped me to be reminded of God’s presence: 

  1. Nature
  2. Other people 
  3. Struggles, annoyances

These triggers helped to remind myself to practice being aware of God’s Presence. When you practice you form habits. And when you have habits you will start to blend Sunday into Monday. 

About four or five years ago I hung a Rosary on my hip and I grabbed my Rosary to help center myself and remind me of God’s Will during stressful moments during a game. 

With the intense schedule of basketball season and raising five children, how do you maintain spiritual disciplines and prayer life during particularly busy seasons?

It’s challenging for sure. I have always been a routine based guy. I think most athletes are similar. I have about five to six simple morning prayers. I read the Gospel each day. Anytime I am driving to and from work I pray the Rosary and I try to go to Mass throughout the week (4-5 times).

During the season, I find it easier to be more focused on the Lord. My habits during the stressful times I have the habit of running to the Lord. It’s interesting that in the off season I find it tougher to stick to my routine and be aggressive in my prayer life. 

As a basketball enthusiast myself: If you could compare your Catholic faith journey to any current NBA player’s career trajectory or playing style, who would it be and why?

I’d probably say Kobe Bryant. Early on in my faith life I had a lot of youthfulness and excitement. About halfway through that downfall (during Kobe’s career) I had a type of low-point before my reversion. After that low-point it seemed that Kobe grew as a father and basketball player. It is at the low point that we are the most aware of God. 

About Kramer: 

First time author, Kramer Soderberg, is a devoted husband to his wife, Andrea, and father to his five children with a sixth on the way due in September 2025. Son of long time college basketball coach, Brad Soderberg, Kramer grew up in Saint Charles, Missouri where he excelled on the basketball court at both the high school and college levels. He is the head coach at Millikin for the past four years.

Outside of coaching, Kramer devotes much of his free time to growing in his Catholic faith and spreading his love of Jesus to others through speaking opportunities and personal interactions throughout his community.

Thank you for sharing!

A 1295 Word Interview with Sam Nunnally

/ chicoinematt

Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Sam Nunnally via phone call on May 12th, 2025. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given. 

Your journey from Protestantism to Catholicism is central to your story. Could you share a pivotal moment or realization during that search for “the fullness of truth” that ultimately led you to the Catholic Church?

It was kind of a series of moments. At age 20, I had an experience about the Eucharist that didn’t fit into my Protestantist worldview. Later when I was in seminary in 2004, I had to read the Early Church Fathers. After reading them, I had my head in my hands and realized I had it all wrong. Even though I was a pastor at a non-denominational church by then, I knew then that the Catholic Church was the fullness of truth. I continued to study trying to fit Catholicism into my Protestant framework. I became a Methodist Pastor for about five years hoping that would be the fix. But I was never able to settle into my feelings about the Catholic Church. After a failed attempt at church planting, I left full-time ministry and went into banking. 

As God began working on my heart, I remarried in 2018. Around 2020, I began to pull the pieces together and truly consider converting. I was reading Catholic theologians like Yves Congar, Karl Rahner, plus a host of apologetical material. It was becoming clear that the Catholic way was the way to go. In 2022, I told my wife, Amber, that I was converting to Catholicism (she herself was a convert to Catholicism in 2005 from Mormonism). 

Prior to my conversion, we found a way to split the difference by going to a Protestant service one week and the Catholic Mass the next. Through this exposure and this gentle approach from my wife, I felt comfortable eventually converting to Catholicism. She never put pressure on me.

Women in general are looking for strong Christian men. The whole New Evangelization approach was something that my wife was doing intrinsically. If we choose to love our brothers and sisters in Christ then we would approach evangelization like how my wife did. 

The name “It’s Okay to Be Catholic” suggests there’s a certain hesitancy or shame some feel about embracing Catholic identity. What experiences led you to identify this as a problem worth addressing through your ministry?

That’s a great question! People resonate with the name. I resigned to the fact that it’s okay to be Catholic. It’s almost like an understatement. It’s obviously more than okay to be Catholic – it’s the best way to live! Sometimes it’s tough getting people to the place that it’s comfortable to explore Catholicism. It kind of requires a “veil” to be lifted. The Instagram account takes my backlog of seminary training and reading and speaks to the spiritually curious using Protestant language but through a Catholic lens. 

The whole idea of It’s Okay to Be Catholic is to simply open the door. We live in a very Protestant nation which requires people to want to explore the Catholic faith. It takes time and people need grace to move at their own pace. In my Diocese of Pensacola, Florida there’s only about 3-4% Catholic population. 

As Director of Campus Ministry at Florida State University, you work with young adults at a critical time in their faith formation. What unique challenges do Catholic college students face today, and how does your conversion story help you relate to their questions?

This is the way I try to mentor the students: I simply try to be open about my struggles with faith and life. I try to be personable with them and talk about the differences between Catholicism and Protestantism. Because I come from that background, I can speak to those issues directly. A lot of these students are converts. There’s a huge influx of (mostly men) coming back to the faith. 

When students go home after OCIA and confirmation, they often experience criticism from their families. The students struggle with the hurt caused by this. I try to relate to their situation and lean into my experience with Protestant misunderstandings about the Catholic faith. 

You’re involved in several media initiatives, including a partnership with Truthly, “the world’s first Catholic AI app.” How do you see technology and new media serving the Church’s mission, and what excites you about these possibilities?

It’s the future. As much as I love the tradition of the Church, when people talk about AI and digitization there’s a skewed view. AI doesn’t have to conflict with tradition. It behooves the Church to move quickly with this technology to help share our ancient faith. 

What Truthly does is help get information like, for example, the Early Church Fathers to people in an easy to digest fashion. It’s AI that is trained to give balanced and helpful information about the faith. When I first got involved with this app, I put it through the ringer with various prompts. If you push it, Truthly will go to higher level theology. 

It’s a great example of a way that the sacred traditions of the Church can be placed in a new vehicle to share the truth. The truth never changes. But sometimes the medium needs to change.

I love the fact that Pope Leo XIV is leaning towards social justice in the world of AI. 

What elements of Catholicism do you find yourself most passionate about sharing with others?

On the social media front, I love uncovering the truth about Catholic history. This requires some digging and reading. I try to whittle down each reel to about a minute. I love to uncover the history of the Catholic Church and dispel myths. 

The other thing I personally love is contemplative prayer. One thing that led me to the Catholic faith was the mystics. From Bernard of Clarivaux to Julian of Norwich. Those are the kind of things that drew me to the Church and those are things I am still reading. I am currently reading a treatment of St. John of the Cross (based on the Dark Night of the Soul). Before that I was reading St. Bernard of Clairvaux. 

Looking ahead to your forthcoming book and other projects, what’s the core message you hope readers and followers take away from your work?

Simply that the Catholic Church is true and it’s beautiful. If you can shine a bright light on the Church, it does make mistakes of the past disappear.  But the focus is on the beauty. Let’s say you are out in a dark ocean. And you don’t realize there’s a lifeboat 50 yards from you. What I find is there are tons of people struggling and wading through the stuff they heard about the Catholic Church over the years – much of it incorrect. My job is to simply show them the lifeboat by shining a light on it. Once they are in the lifeboat you can clean them up, warm them up, and get them to shore. As long as you have them focusing on the Church’s beauty – for example, like the beauty of the Eucharist – you can work on the other things they may have questions about. 

For those who might be in the position you once were—curious about Catholicism but hesitant—what would be your encouragement to them about taking that next step in exploration?

My encouragement to them that if I can do it, they can, too. It took me 20 years to put the pieces of  Catholicism together. Take your time and investigate it fully. Find someone that you can trust to talk to or go on the internet and look up Catholic apologetics. It’s Okay to be Catholic!

Where else can my audience find more about your ministry? 

It’s Okay to Be Catholic and my Instagram account. Look for more podcast appearances, books, and speaking engagements to come! 

Thank you for sharing!