Ep. 119: The Lego Church Guy

Please listen as host and producer Jonah McKeown makes an important announcement regarding the CNA Newsroom podcast. Listen to our entire catalog of over one hundred original episodes (for free) by visiting www.catholicnewsagency.com/podcasts, or on any podcast app. See you soon!

For Holy Week 2022, we explore a few of the Church’s earliest Easter pilgrimage traditions in Rome, and investigate the hymns you may not hear at Easter Mass this year. This episode first aired in March 2021. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/holy-week-2021-vatican-issues-guidelines-for-catholics-facing-coronavirus-restrictions-70744 https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/beauty-drama-and-pinpoint-silence-easter-triduum-memories-from-rome-93027 https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/a-vatican-ambassador-is-visiting-romes-most-ancient-churches-this-lent https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/all-are-welcome-not-a-welcome-hymn-at-mass-usccb-committee-says-54933 https://www.sourceandsummit.com/

An anonymous Ukrainian journalist has been speaking with the help of a Catholic radio station in Norway, as Russia continues its assault on her country. On this episode of the podcast, we learn about how this Ukrainian journalist found a worldwide platform for her spiritual reflections and observations amid the chaos of war. Shownotes: https://www.stritaradio.no/ https://feeds.transistor.fm/diary-from-kiev-by-st-rita-radio https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250609/catholic-journalist-flees-ukraine-capital-the-war-brings-me-closer-to-god https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250796/pope-francis-consecrates-russia-and-ukraine-to-the-immaculate-heart-of-mary https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250570/why-is-st-michael-the-archangel-the-protector-of-kyiv

In honor of the Feast of St. Joseph, we’ll tell you the story of how St. Joseph helped to facilitate an unexpected connection between a teacher in Denver, Colorado and a priest in Soroti, Uganda. Shownotes: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250242/from-denver-to-uganda-st-joseph-facilitates-an-unexpected-connection https://www.soroticatholicdiocese.org/ https://mysoundwise.com/soundcasts/1634757979029s https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfRnJcVgM5YuK9cDTT2wrzvwYaiknoC33 https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250609/catholic-journalist-flees-ukraine-capital-the-war-brings-me-closer-to-god

“The Bible in a Year” podcast with Father Mike Schmitz touched hundreds of thousands of lives beginning in 2021. We speak with the creators of the hit podcast, as well as with several people whose lives were forever changed by listening. Shownotes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bible-in-a-year-with-fr-mike-schmitz/id1539568321 https://youtu.be/bq27RZERjrc www.thebibleinayearstudyguide.com https://ascensionpress.com/pages/biy-registration https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250039/bible-in-a-year-father-mike-schmitz-next-podcast

Why do we associate St. Valentine with cards, chocolate, and romance? Who was this guy anyway? We speak to a historical expert about the real St. Valentine. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/246487/the-rome-church-where-you-can-venerate-st-valentines-skull https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/43515/st-valentine-how-a-beheaded-martyr-became-the-poster-child-for-romantic-love

A Catholic scientist talks about his groundbreaking work with a massive space telescope, as well as his thoughts on the relationship between faith and science. http://theleaven.org/benedictine-professor-helps-discover-new-molecules-in-space/ https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/the-pillars-of-creation https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_jp-ii_apc_15081990_ex-corde-ecclesiae.html

Our Lady of Guadalupe convent in St. Louis has an unlikely neighbor: an abortion clinic. Since the convent opened in 2017, the number of surgical abortions at the clinic has dramatically decreased. https://www.archstl.org/respect-life-apostolate/programs/spiritual-support/our-lady-of-guadalupe-convent https://www.archstl.org/house-for-life-2018 https://fscc-calledtobe.org/2019/02/12/franciscan-sister-reflects-on-st-louis-our-lady-of-guadalupe-convent/

An innovative prayer hotline at the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton has seen a lot of success since its launch at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. You can reach the prayer hotline at 1-866-202-4934. https://setonshrine.org/prayer-requests-2/?gclid=CjwKCAiAtouOBhA6EiwA2nLKHx0UID9v-XJxrSoG8if6dofYhSvaQ9OwDA94TQL09f4b6X6tXQcuexoCOcIQAvD_BwE https://www.catholicsun.org/2021/04/22/shrine-prayer-hotline-spurred-by-pandemic-is-so-successful-itll-continue/

John Kraemer is a disability advocate from Michigan who has, for the past 20 years, built giant Catholic churches out of Legos. Shownotes: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/249934/lego-master-catholic-church https://www.facebook.com/LegoChurchProject https://twitter.com/Kc8wzm