The Fruits from the Fields

Welcome back to Season 3 of Fruits from the Fields! In this episode, hosts Josh Burcroff and Mike Hickey sit down with Michelle Lo Piccolo, President-Elect of Young Catholic Professionals (YCP) Detroit and owner of Mosaic Travel Company.Join us as we dive into:-The mission of Young Catholic Professionals and how it equips young adults to witness in the workforce.-The importance of authentic Catholic community, building friendships, and supporting one another in faith.-Michelle’s journey in leadership, her passion for Catholic young adult formation, and the exciting direction of YCP Detroit.-A sneak peek into Camp Gonzagaa, an upcoming Catholic summer camp experience for young adults!This episode is packed with wisdom on integrating faith into daily life, finding courage in an apostolic age, and pursuing God’s call in career, relationships, and community. Don’t miss it!🎧 Tune in now & stay connected with us for future episodes!

Aaron became a good friend of mine when we crossed paths in Rome at the North American College for two years. I've always valued his insight and his insistence on optimism and hope. We discuss how he fosters these virtues and the sources he turns to in difficult times.

Far from being simply a physical health benefit, Lorenzo enters deep into the reality that his practice of cold showers and ice baths bring him into a place of prayer. Most people have heard about the various trends in self betterment that exist, but Lorenzo is adamant that this is much more important than simply "choosing to do something hard". We talk about the death-to-self component of Baptism, the significance of cultivating personalized space for prayer, and the difficult task of mastering and having control over our innate drive for self-preservation.

I've heard before that the two most difficult disciplines to study at the collegiate level are physics and math, and my sister happens to be doing the latter. The opposite of utilitarian and pragmatic, Amanda is truly passionate about the field itself and has placed herself in a position to research what she is interested in while sacrificing roles with attractive salaries and choosing to be a lifelong student. I learned a lot talking with her in this format, understanding better her process of discernment and coming to an understanding of what she wants to pursue.

What does it look like at the higher levels of post-secondary education today? Where does our education system thrive and where does it fall short? How we make humility a reality when so much of the world is a meritocracy and wants to push us further into pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps and outcompeting others? These are all topics we cover today with Zach Antwan, a dear friend who understands systems on all levels very well.

Fr. Peter John Cameron O.P. takes us on a narrative journey through the connections between George Bailey, the protagonist of Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life, and the life of St. Joseph. What might seem like a nice concept at the beginning transforms into this undeniable interplay between the life of service, the role of dreams, and the saving of lives that both of them share that left me edified beyond belief in viewing my own life and understanding that God is the one who gifts us our destinies. Rather than trying to craft our own, we have to dream bigger and be evermore receptive of just how big God's plan for our life is.

A very logical and methodical take on some of the deepest truths about the faith. Alec offers such a different approach to understanding God that simply just makes a lot of sense.

Fr. Joe is a newly ordained priest of the diocese of Providence, Rhode Island. I was so blessed to overlap with Joe in Rome for two years and can say that he is one of the deepest, most spiritual thinkers that I know. His humility exudes through every word he says and every minute of his ministry. Grateful to God for priests like Fr. Brodeur!

Rather than simply revisiting past memories, we take time to talk about what life was like for three friends who were just starting their high school careers when everything got shut down. Rather than being an annoyance or hindrance, all three of these young women were able to find God in this difficult time through different and unique ways. Tune in to hear the seeds that God was planting in their lives and the fruits that have been born as a result of their faith.

"But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." -Philippians 3:20 This week we are joined by a friend of OLF, John Brahier, who serves as the Associate Superintendent of Catholic Culture for the Archdiocese of Detroit. Within his role, John is able to offer ample insight into the state of all 79 of the Catholic schools in the archdiocese as well as the future forward for promoting a solid culture at each of these schools in hopes of bringing the entire group together. As a father of three (soon to be four!), John himself has personal interest in paving a bright future for all of the youth that we serve.