Catholics in Ordinary Time

Fr. Jack talks with Anne, a young adult from Saint Aloysius, about growing up Catholic, discovering a personal relationship with Christ in college, and navigating the unexpected turns of discernment.

After years of considering religious life, Anne found herself exploring a relationship she hadn't been looking for. She also shares how caring for her grandmother near the end of her life awakened an interest in hospice work and accompa...

Fr. Jack interviews Cindy Reopelle, a longtime Catholic educator and Ignatian spiritual leader, about women in the Church, single life, vocation, parish life, prayer, and why she continues to stay Catholic.

Cindy shares how her life has been shaped by Jesuit education, Catholic schools, spiritual direction, the Spiritual Exercises, and decades of serving the Church as a lay woman. She also reflects on what the Church sometimes ...

In this episode of American Parish, Fr. Jack sits down with Greg T., a high school English teacher, young adult, sports commentator, and recent convert to Catholicism.

Greg shares how his journey into the Catholic Church began as an intellectual search for truth and slowly became something deeper. Raised in a high church Episcopalian background, Greg spent years reading, questioning, church shopping, and trying to understa...

Fr. Jack interviews Kathy Finley, an author, teacher, and longtime Catholic, about parish life, marriage, spirituality, women’s gifts in the Church, and why she continues to stay.

Cathy reflects on the Church as a big table, the beauty of marriage as a sacrament, the saints, Vatican II, ministry, and the hope that parishes can better recognize and use the gifts of ordinary Catholics.

This episode is a thoughtful conversati...

Fr. Jack interviews Rachel Williams, a young adult at Saint Aloysius, about music ministry, nursing, Ignatian spirituality, prayer, parish life, and what it means to feel known by the Church.

Rachel talks about serving as a cantor, finding God in moments of brokenness, praying through the Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life, and learning to notice the opportunities to serve that can pass us by. She also reflects on tithing, yo...

Fr. Jack interviews Bob, a longtime Saint Aloysius parishioner, about a lifetime of Catholic faith, parish service, prayer, community, and what it means to call the Church home.

Bob reflects on decades of involvement in parish life, including catechesis, the Knights of Columbus, Stations of the Cross, hospitality, tithing, and helping others feel welcomed into the community. He also shares his perspective on younger Catholics, ...

Fr. Jack interviews Paul Caldera, a young adult convert and newly married Catholic, about entering the Church, learning to pray, and finding his way in parish life.

Paul shares how attending Mass with his now-wife led him into OCIA, how Catholicism began to “click,” and how practices like the Rosary, confession, learning about the saints, and joining the young adult community helped him grow in faith.

This conversati...

Fr. Jack interviews Joe and Anne Smith, a married couple from Saint Aloysius, about ordinary Catholic family life, parish community, prayer, tithing, service, and raising children in the faith.

Together, they reflect on how the Church has been present in their marriage, their children’s baptisms, their weekly rhythm of Mass, and their growing involvement in parish life. They also talk about the Eucharist, welcoming young ...

Fr. Jack interviews MaKenzie Reynoldson, a young adult from the parish, about her reversion to the Catholic faith, the mistakes and successes that have shaped her life, and the steps she is taking now to make a difference.

MaKenzie also shares about being divorced, navigating that experience in the Church, and how that difficult season helped her encounter herself more honestly and grow closer to God.

This episode explores rever...

Fr. Jack interviews Jeff Brogan about life as a Catholic husband, father, parishioner, and member of the Saint Aloysius community.

Jeff shares about moving from the East Coast to Spokane, working at Gonzaga University, serving at Saint Aloysius Church through OCIA, and learning what it means to live faith in the ordinary rhythms of family life.

This conversation explores Catholic fatherhood, praying with...

Fr. Jack interviews Krista Frankovic, Campus Ministry Director and chemistry teacher at Gonzaga Preparatory School, about teaching, campus ministry, Jesuit formation, vocation, and belonging in the Church.

Krista shares about her work, her deeper involvement in parish life during the summer, and her experience of continuing to discern her vocation as a single Catholic woman at 40. She also reflects on feeling like she has aged ...

Fr. Jack interviews Margaret Price, a young adult from the parish, about faith, justice, music, unworthiness, and what it means to remain Catholic while wrestling honestly with difficult questions.

Margaret shares about her role in music ministry, her heart for justice, and the process she went through as she researched and came to accept challenging Church teachings, including pro-life teaching, LGBTQ questions, and women not ...

What happens when faith becomes more than something you believe and begins to shape the way you learn, teach, work, and live?In this episode, Fr. Jack sits down with Vanessa Mudd for an honest conversation about her journey of faith, the questions that have shaped her, and the people and experiences that have helped her encounter God more deeply.

Drawing from her background in theology and Jesuit education, Vanessa reflects on the r...

Fr. Jack interviews Jeremy Joosten, from Washington, about faith, college, leadership, and his ordinary Catholic life.

Jeremy studied business administration in Canada, served as student government president, and has continued building a life around mentorship, public speaking, entrepreneurship, and impact. In this conversation, he reflects on what it was like to be Catholic while attending an evangelical university, how that e...

A new season of Catholics in Ordinary Time begins with American Parish.

In this introductory episode, Fr. Jack shares the vision behind the season and why we are beginning with the people and stories of Saint Aloysius. This season will explore the ordinary life of Catholics in a parish community — young adults, adults, volunteers, leaders, and people simply trying to follow Christ in everyday life.

Before the interviews begin, ...

Eric Clayton joins Fr. Jack to explore the surprising connection between Star Wars and Ignatian spirituality. Drawing from his book My Life with the Jedi: The Spirituality of Star Wars, Eric explains how themes of hope, discernment, purpose, temptation, redemption, and the search for meaning echo the spiritual wisdom of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Together, they discuss why stories like Star Wars continue to resonate so deeply and how ...

As we conclude our journey through the Spiritual Disciplines, Fr. Jack reflects on the lessons, challenges, and graces discovered along the way. Growth in the spiritual life rarely happens all at once. It comes through small acts of faithfulness, daily choices, and a willingness to let God work in the ordinary moments of life. In this episode, we look back on the practices we've explored, the transformation they can bring, and how ...

Submission isn't about being weak. It's not about losing your voice or letting people walk all over you.

In this episode, Fr. Jack explores the spiritual discipline of submission and how it transforms the way we relate to other people. In a culture that constantly tells us to fight for control, defend our preferences, and put ourselves first, Jesus offers a different path.

What if true freedom isn't found in getting your way, but in ...