289: What Does it Take to Become Catholic? (w/ Joe Heschmeyer and Au…

In this very special episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by my two friends Catholic Answers apologist Joe Heschmeyer and Gospel Simplicity host Austin Suggs for an extraordinary conversation about what it takes to convert to Catholicism. This is the most cordial, thoughtful conversation you'll ever hear!Austin, a Protestant Christian, has spent many years on his fantastic YouTube channel talking to the best and brightest in the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant churches so I'm joined by Joe Heschmeyer to ask Austin why does he remain a Protestant? And what would it take for him to consider converting to Catholicism? I'm so thrilled to bring together my friends to weigh the evidence, dig deeply, and tackle Austin's objections to Catholicism and what kind of evidence it would take for someone as thoughtful as Austin to become Catholic.Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. For more from Joe check out his YouTube channel Shameless Popery which is also available in podcast form wherever you get your podcasts. Also, his fantastic books, which I cannot recommend more highly, are available from Catholic Answers.Find and follow Austin on his incredible YouTube channel Gospel Simplicity.Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!Theme Music: "SpleJoin myself and my parish priest Fr. Joseph on a pilgrimage experience to France.This retreat-like pilgrimage takes place August 12 - 20, 2025. With Mass every day, we'll walk in the footsteps of St. Joan of Arc in Rouen, retreat to the home of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the iconic Mont-Saint-Michel, and explore the newly restored Cathedral de Notre Dame de Paris.Visit Trinity Travel Tours for more information. This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patreon Co-Producers. Thank you to Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William. Beyond The BeaconJoin Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish of the Diocese of...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by author Dustin Shane, a convert to Catholicism from the Jehovah's Witnesses, to talk about his harrowing and incredible faith journey. From his experience growing up in a devout Jehovah's Witness family to his wandering years and his ultimate decision to leave the faith (and face being shunned by his family!) there's a whole lot to unpack in this journey that I'm sure you'll love. Above all, Dustin gives us a unique perspective we don't often get to hear and offers some amazing insights into the faith he left and the faith – Catholicism – that he decided to come into.It's an amazing conversation! For more from Dustin visit his website.Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!Theme Music: "Splendor (Intro)" by Former Ruins. Learn more at formerruins.com or listen on Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp.Join myself and my parish priest Fr. Joseph on a pilgrimage experience to France.This retreat-like pilgrimage takes place August 12 - 20, 2025. With Mass every day, we'll walk in the footsteps of St. Joan of Arc in Rouen, retreat to the home of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the iconic Mont-Saint-Michel, and explore the newly restored Cathedral de Notre Dame de Paris.Visit Trinity Travel Tours for more information. This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patreon Co-Producers. Thank you to Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William. Beyond The BeaconJoin Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish of the Diocese of...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by Alex Dee from the Saints Alive podcast to talk about the incredible witness of the saints, the importance of passing on these amazing stories to our children, evangelization, and the amazing Lenten initiative that Saints Alive is about to embark on. Alex is an awesome, on-fire guy, and his insights into the stories of the saints, his own experiences in evangelization, and his heart for storytelling shines through in this episode. I hope you sincerely enjoy it. Check out Saints Alive and their Lenten initiative for kids on the Hallow app. Use the link to get a 30-day free trial and sign up for the waitlist here.Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!Theme Music: "Splendor (Intro)" by Former Ruins. Learn more at formerruins.com or listen on Spotify, Apple Music, and Join myself and my parish priest Fr. Joseph on a pilgrimage experience to France.This retreat-like pilgrimage takes place August 12 - 20, 2025. With Mass every day, we'll walk in the footsteps of St. Joan of Arc in Rouen, retreat to the home of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the iconic Mont-Saint-Michel, and explore the newly restored Cathedral de Notre Dame de Paris.Visit Trinity Travel Tours for more information. This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patreon Co-Producers. Thank you to Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William. Beyond The BeaconJoin Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish of the Diocese of...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this very special episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by Kenny Burchard and Sam Nunnally, two former Evangelical, Charismatic pastors who converted to Catholicism to tell their stories, talk about their biggest misconceptions about Catholicism, and cordially explain how they set things straight. In this episode we'll talk about the misconceptions that Kenny and Sam held about Catholicism (and where they came from!), some of the struggles they faced as Evangelical pastors trying to apply their understanding of the Bible (and the question of authority), how they found ultimate fulfilment of their faith in the sacraments and practice of the Catholic Church and so much more. This is a phenomenal episode and I couldn't ask for two better guys to unpack this all with. For more from Kenny check out his YouTube channel Bible Highlights and, as always, his work with the Coming Home Network International.To see what Sam is up to follow him on Instagram.Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!Theme Music: "Splendor (Intro)" by Former Ruins. Learn more at formerruins.com or listen on Join myself and my parish priest Fr. Joseph on a pilgrimage experience to France.This retreat-like pilgrimage takes place August 12 - 20, 2025. With Mass every day, we'll walk in the footsteps of St. Joan of Arc in Rouen, retreat to the home of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the iconic Mont-Saint-Michel, and explore the newly restored Cathedral de Notre Dame de Paris.Visit Trinity Travel Tours for more information. This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patreon Co-Producers. Thank you to Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William. Beyond The BeaconJoin Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish of the Diocese of...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by Dr. Cheryl Hughes to talk about one of the most prolific "convert makers" in American Catholic history: Archbishop Fulton Sheen. Dr. Hughes, a biographer of Fulton Sheen, joins me to talk about what made his evangelism so effective, what we can learn from him today, and how God used Abp. Sheen who was in the right place at the right time. We talk about the role of Catholic apologetics when speaking to our non-Catholic Christian brothers and sisters, the importance of catechesis without compromise, and even hear Dr. Hughes own conversion story! It's a great conversation. To read more about Archbishop Fulton Sheen check out Dr. Hughes's book, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen: Convert Maker out from Ignatius Press.Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!Theme Music: "Splendor (Intro)" by Former Ruins. Learn more at formerruins.com or listen on Spotify, Apple Music, and Join myself and my parish priest Fr. Joseph on a pilgrimage experience to France.This retreat-like pilgrimage takes place August 12 - 20, 2025. With Mass every day, we'll walk in the footsteps of St. Joan of Arc in Rouen, retreat to the home of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the iconic Mont-Saint-Michel, and explore the newly restored Cathedral de Notre Dame de Paris.Visit Trinity Travel Tours for more information. This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patreon Co-Producers. Thank you to Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William. Beyond The BeaconJoin Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish of the Diocese of...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by Avery Reukauf, a Catholic convert with one of the most incredible conversion stories you'll ever hear!From the untimely death of her mother following a radical decision to be baptized to her decision to join the military and her deployment to Iraq to her whirlwind marriage and the birth of her children to miracle upon miracle as Avery and her husband move from denomination to denomination in fervent pursuit of Christ – you'll be on the absolute edge of your seat listening to this faith journey which even includes an insane twist ending: that Avery was Catholic almost all along! Friends, I can't encourage you enough to listen to and share this episode because there's so much in here that I can't even describe. In the end, it's the story of how through the graces of baptism, God pursues those that He wants for His own – and, ultimately, that's all of us! Wow. What a story. For more from Avery please follow her on Instagram and check out The Churchy Podcast with Avery Reukauf wherever you find podcasts.Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!Theme Music: "Splendor (Intro)" by Former Ruins. Learn more at formerruins.com or listen on Join myself and my parish priest Fr. Joseph on a pilgrimage experience to France.This retreat-like pilgrimage takes place August 12 - 20, 2025. With Mass every day, we'll walk in the footsteps of St. Joan of Arc in Rouen, retreat to the home of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the iconic Mont-Saint-Michel, and explore the newly restored Cathedral de Notre Dame de Paris.Visit Trinity Travel Tours for more information. This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patreon Co-Producers. Thank you to Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William. Beyond The BeaconJoin Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish of the Diocese of...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by speaker, author, and accomplished Catholic Answers apologist Dr. Karlo Broussard to talk about praying to the saints.How do we know it's OK to pray to the saints? Why would the Church encourage it when it seems discouraged in the Bible? How do we know they can hear us? How is that even possible? This, and much more, as Karlo uses Scripture and evidence from the Early Church to explain why it isn't only OK to pray to the saints but actually encouraged – and a very, very good practice!For more from Karlo check out Catholic Answers and his website. His book, The Saints Pray for You is available everywhere.Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!Theme Music: "Splendor (Intro)" by Former Ruins. Learn more at formerruins.com or listen on Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp.Join myself and my parish priest Fr. Joseph on a pilgrimage experience to France.This retreat-like pilgrimage takes place August 12 - 20, 2025. With Mass every day, we'll walk in the footsteps of St. Joan of Arc in Rouen, retreat to the home of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the iconic Mont-Saint-Michel, and explore the newly restored Cathedral de Notre Dame de Paris.Visit Trinity Travel Tours for more information. This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patreon Co-Producers. Thank you to Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William. Beyond The BeaconJoin Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish of the Diocese of...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by Dr. Matthew Wiseman for one of the most phenomenal conversion stories we've had on this podcast. Raised in a devoutly Southern Baptist home, Dr. Wiseman and his family, seeking a deeper understanding of the Bible, found themselves immersed in the Messianic Movement – also known as the "Hebrew Roots" movement – and seeking to put into practice the Old Testament Jewish laws as New Testament Christians. What transpires from here is nothing short of incredible. Listen and learn what drove Dr. Wiseman deeper into his Christian faith, what put him at odds with trying to follow the Bible to the "letter of the law," and how the same problems with plague Sola Scriptura Christians found their way into those trying to practice as pure a Christianity as possible – in the Messianic communities. Ultimately, learn what led Dr. Wiseman to embrace Catholicism and its natural outgrowth of Judaism and how it all came together to make sense in the culmination of his story. Be sure to check out Dr. Wiseman's book The Two Jerusalems, out from Ignatius Press.Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!Theme Music: "Splendor (Intro)" by Former Ruins. Learn more at formerruins.com Join myself and my parish priest Fr. Joseph on a pilgrimage experience to France.This retreat-like pilgrimage takes place August 12 - 20, 2025. With Mass every day, we'll walk in the footsteps of St. Joan of Arc in Rouen, retreat to the home of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the iconic Mont-Saint-Michel, and explore the newly restored Cathedral de Notre Dame de Paris.Visit Trinity Travel Tours for more information. This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patreon Co-Producers. Thank you to Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William. Beyond The BeaconJoin Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish of the Diocese of...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by my friend theologian, biblical scholar, and former Protestant pastor Dr. John Bergsma to talk about the deeply biblical roots of the Year of Jubilee. Pope Francis has declared 2025 a "Year of Jubilee" but what exactly does that mean? What are the "sacred portals" opening up across Rome? What kinds of special graces are available for Catholics? And where in the world does this idea even come from? With his deep knowledge of Scripture, his sensibilities as a Former Protestant pastor, and his incredible insights from history and the Early Church Dr. Bergsma explains everything you need to know about the Year of Jubilee, its importance, and how to explain it to your non-Catholic or new Catholics friends – or even Catholics who have been Catholic for a long, long time!So glad to have Dr. Bergsma back on the show. So many insights in this episode.For more from Dr. Bergsma visit his website. To check out this book Jesus and the Jubilee click here.To purchase any of John's fine books visit the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology.Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!Theme Music: "Splendor (Intro)" by Former Ruins. Learn more at Join myself and my parish priest Fr. Joseph on a pilgrimage experience to France.This retreat-like pilgrimage takes place August 12 - 20, 2025. With Mass every day, we'll walk in the footsteps of St. Joan of Arc in Rouen, retreat to the home of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the iconic Mont-Saint-Michel, and explore the newly restored Cathedral de Notre Dame de Paris.Visit Trinity Travel Tours for more information. This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patreon Co-Producers. Thank you to Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William. Beyond The BeaconJoin Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish of the Diocese of...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined once again by one of my favourite guests and yours, my good friend Rod Bennett. Rod is a Catholic convert with a unique way of looking at the faith and a penchant for asking some of the most penetrating questions about what connects as divides us as Protestants and Catholics. On this episode, we talk about the question of Christian unity and how can Protestants, ever, accomplish what Jesus prayed for in John 17? It's an utterly fascinating conversation with some of the best insights Rod has ever brought us including how do Protestants find a Bible-believing church when they first become Protestant and don't know their Bible yet? How Protestants agree to disagree and still have unity?What are the essentials that Protestant Christians agree on? And more... With charity and his trademark cordial, down-home demeanour, Rod challenges our non-Catholic Christian listeners to think hard about these tough questions and our Catholic listeners to humbly, in charity, have answers at hand.For more from Rod Bennett, check out his numerous previous appearances in the archives of the show including conversations about Catholic Witnesses to the Early Church (Episode 141) and Were the Early Christians Catholic? (Episode 089).And check out These Twelve, Rod's latest book from Catholic Answers Press and his many, many other fantastic books available everywhere.For more, visit The Cordial Catholic. Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests! To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this showJoin myself and my parish priest Fr. Joseph on a pilgrimage experience to France.This retreat-like pilgrimage takes place August 12 - 20, 2025. With Mass every day, we'll walk in the footsteps of St. Joan of Arc in Rouen, retreat to the home of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the iconic Mont-Saint-Michel, and explore the newly restored Cathedral de Notre Dame de Paris.Visit Trinity Travel Tours for more information. This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patreon Co-Producers. Thank you to Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William. Beyond The BeaconJoin Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish of the Diocese of...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic