A project of Ave Maria Press, Ave Explores helps you discover and learn about aspects of the Catholic faith from a variety of different angles, looking at topics relevant to the spiritual life in a fresh, engaging, and practical way.
Latest episodes
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54 min
Week Three: World Youth Day, a Pilgrimage of People with Paul Jarzembowski
Pope St. John Paul II created World Youth Day because of his own profound experiences as a youth at large gatherings while on pilgrimage with his peers. Hoping to bring that joy to…
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39 min
Week Two A Pilgrim’s Heart: How to "Be a Pilgrim" On and Off a Trip feat. Joan Watson (Verso Ministries)
St. Augustine coined the term peregrini to describe what it means to be a traveler through this life, making our pilgrimage toward our final home: heaven. This spirit of journeying…
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39 min
Bonus Episode: Blessed Fulton Sheen's Impact
Katie joins Oscar Rivera on Ave Spotlight for a conversation about the legacy of Blessed Fulton Sheen and the power of media to proclaim the Gospel. Fresh off receiving the inaugur…
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46 min
Week One: Travel and Pilgrimages with a Family feat. John Hale and daughter, Elizabeth Hale
When John Hale became CEO of Corporate Travel, it opened up a world of opportunities to explore new places, both on his own and alongside pilgrims. He and his wife, Kristen, also m…
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54 min
Teaser: Why Pilgrimages? feat. Edmundo Reyes of Seeking Beauty
Edmundo Reyes was bitten by the travel bug at a young age, always seeking adventure and hoping to discover something beautiful along the way. Years later, it was only fitting that…
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25 min
Week Six: Books are a Bridge feat. Katie McGrady
At the beginning of this season, Pope Leo told the Vatican Publishing House that books are bridges of encounter. By the season's end, he told writers that books help us more deeply…
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45 min
Week Five: A Russian Novel for Lent on Hallow feat. Alex Jones and Ashley Lenz
When Hallow CEO Alex Jones told Ashley Lenz he wanted to feature The Brothers Karamazov in the app’s annual Pray40 Lenten challenge, she had one condition: a weeklong retreat at No…
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52 min
Week Four: Finding Community through Great Books with Marcie Stokman and Colleen Hutt, Founders of Well-Read M…
In this episode, Katie talks with Marcie Stokman and Colleen Hutt, co-founders of Well-Read Mom, a nationwide book club for women seeking deeper friendships and meaningful conversa…
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44 min
Week Three: C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien: Faith, Imagination, and the Power of Story feat. Kaitlyn Facista…
In this episode of Ave Explores: Catholicism in Literature, Katie sits down with Kaitlyn Facista and Andrew Swafford to discuss the enduring legacy of two of Christianity’s greates…
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53 min
Week Two: Murder Mysteries and Vampire Novels with Fr. Michael Brisson, LC, and Sr. Allison Gliot, FSP
Sr. Allison Gliot, FSP, and Fr. Michael Brisson, LC, both set out to write fiction, only to find their stories taking unexpected turns. One created a tale involving a priest entang…
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50 min
Week One: Reading in the Home
Authors Haley Stewart and Claire Swinarski reflect on how a lifelong love of reading sparked their writing careers, helped cultivate a rich reading culture in their homes, and cont…
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56 min
Teaser: Read like a Friar with Fr. Jonah Teller, OP
To kick off the new series of Ave Explores on Catholicism in Literature, Fr. Jonah Teller, OP, shares how a lifelong love of reading shaped his faith, imagination, and vocation. In…
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41 min
BONUS EPISODE: One Year with Pope Leo XIV
On May 8, 2025, Pope Leo XIV was elected the 267th pope of the Catholic Church. In the months since, his leadership, messages of peace, and warm presence among the faithful have of…
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39 min
Easter: Feast after the Fast with Laura Kelly Fanucci
We usually arrive at Easter ready to stop "counting the days" of Lent and happy to end our fasting. Laura Kelly Fanucci's new Easter devotional, Living Easter encourages us to ente…
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41 min
Holy Week: The Shock of Holy Week with Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP
Holy Week arrives with a sudden silence—marked by darkness, stillness, and striking liturgical traditions—that invites us to enter more deeply into the mystery and memory of Jesus’…
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37 min
5th Week of Lent: Lent Makes Us Courageous with Pete Burak
Author of A Man on Purpose, Pete Burak shares how courage doesn’t begin with heroic moments, but with daily faithfulness. In this episode, he explores how small, sometimes difficul…
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35 min
4th Week of Lent: The Cross is Humbling with Meg Hunter-Kilmer
Crucifixion was meant to be a humiliating death, a public sign of defeat. Yet Jesus transforms the Cross into the place of ultimate victory. In this episode of Ave Explores, Meg Hu…
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38 min
3rd Week of Lent: Suffering with Christ featuring Mary Lenaburg
When we stand at the foot of the Cross, we encounter true compassion—literally, “to suffer with.” Mary Lenaburg knows this compassion intimately. Having experienced profound sorrow…
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48 min
2nd Week of Lent: Friendship at the Cross with Fr. Jeronimo Espinosa and Ali Hoffman
Lent invites us to stand at the foot of the Cross—but never alone. The Christian life is meant to be lived in communion, alongside companions who help draw us closer to the Lord. I…
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49 min
1st Week of Lent: Dignity at the Cross with the Sisters of Life
Rooted in their mission to uphold the dignity of every human person, the Sisters of Life witness to the truth that no one is beyond God’s love and mercy. During Lent, we are invite…