The Catholic Feminist

Follow: Logging Out and Leaning In, a serial non-fiction book available only to Letters subscribers. You're probably reading this on your cell phone. And just before you read this, you probably saw something else that made you mad. A controversial hot take. A perfectly-primped-and-primed mom influencer with her five children in identical rust-toned overalls. A "Christian" influencer holding not-so-Christian opinions. Follow is an 9-part serialized book that's equal parts hope-filled invitation and steadfast anthem to find freedom from social media practices that are hurting our souls and crushing our spiritual lives. Because following Jesus doesn't take place on a cell phone. You don't have to give in to the cultural captivity of social media. Follow will help Catholics everywhere step forward into faith by logging out of the echo chamber and leaning in to the world around us—the kingdom gift we've been given. Follow will be available to all subscribers to our Substack newsletter, Letters from a Catholic Feminist, and released in serial form. I'm living out my lifelong dream of publishing how Charles Dickens and Louisa May Alcott did—piece by piece. From April to December, Letters subscribers will receive a chapter of Follow, as well as a worksheet to help themselves narrow in on how they want to use (or not use) social media to bring about the kingdom of God. Get signed up today by subscribing to Letters From a Catholic Feminist at the catholicfeministpodcast.com/letters. 

Oh, my sisters—it has been the absolute joy of a lifetime. May we continue to believe in Christ, in the church, and in ourselves. I just wanted to chat with you today about how to walk forward as a Catholic feminist, and how to celebrate the Gospel goodness + your fellow sisters. Please, please, please stay connected with the Catholic Feminist! I'll still be on Instagram. You can check out my books. I hope you consider joining us on pilgrimage. Maybe you'll even hop on our subscriber list for Letters from a Catholic Feminist! It has been an honor to learn from YOU, sister. May we keep learning. This episode was brought to you by Awaken My Heart, a new book by Emily Wilson Hussem. Check it out at AveMariaPress.com! This episode was also brought to you by Hallow, the meditation app for Catholics. Go to Hallow.com/catholicfeminist for a free 30-day trial.

This spring, when many of us were unable to attend Mass, we felt the ache for normalcy and the sacraments. Personally, it reminded me that all around the world, millions of Christians are being persecuted for their faith--that the ability to safely attend mass is a privilege I have that so many others don't. Today's guest is Gia Chacon, founder of For The Martyrs. Gia's passion for speaking up for persecuted Christians is truly inspiring and I learned SO much from her about things going on in Iran, Nigeria, and other places around the globe. I hope our episode reminds you of the gift of a persecution-free faith and emboldens you to continue speaking up for your own religious rights.  This episode was brought to you by Gather Together, a new book out from Ave Maria Press. Check it out at avemariapress.com! This episode was also brought to you by Hallow, the meditation app for Catholics. Go to Hallow.com/catholicfeminist for a free 30-day trial.

Juggling motherhood + business as an artist isn't easy for anyone, and today's guest is no exception. Ann Vaeth of Paper Monestary is helping us understand how motherhood can HELP our art, not hinder it, and how she thrives as a Catholic artist when the artistic world is so secular. So often these days, motherhood is shown as a hinderance to artistic endeavors and I love this truly feminist perspective from Ann. We also discuss her conversion to the faith, if Ann struggles with comparison on Instagram, and how she balances the business side of her art. Enjoy! This episode was brought to you by Ave Explores, an initiative of Ave Maria Press. Sign up for all of the free content at avemariapress.com and learn what the holy witness of the saints means for us. This episode was also brought to you by Hallow, the meditation app for Catholics. Go to Hallow.com/catholicfeminist for a free 30-day trial.

You've heard it constantly: the "nones" are the fastest growing religion in the world. Why are we hemorrhaging Catholics? Author, wife, and mama Mallory Smyth breaks down why she spent time away from the Catholic faith and what brought her back. In her story, we can find lessons learned about keeping, spreading, and living the faith. This isn't a board meeting of parish workers talking about How to Attract the Millennials, it's just 2 friends sharing their own stories of finding Jesus in the Catholic Church and working to rekindle a love for him in others. This episode was brought to you by Ave Explores, an initiative of Ave Maria Press. Sign up for all of the free content at avemariapress.com and learn what the holy witness of the saints means for us. This episode was also brought to you by Hallow, the meditation app for Catholics. Go to Hallow.com/catholicfeminist for a free 30-day trial.  

It's one of the joys of the podcast that I get to sometimes sit with my besties and do deep dives over their life decisions--ha! On today's show, we're chatting with Emily Linn, a young adult minister within the Diocese of Milwaukee. Emily is a wife, mom, and passionate ministry worker who has some great insight into burnout. What does burnout feel like? How do you know if you should step away from your ministry job? How do you know if you're truly 'called' to ministry? These are the questions Emily and I tackle together, and it was a gift to have her on the show. If you're currently experiencing burnout within your ministry job, know this: Jesus sees you. He does. Even--especially--when others don't.  This episode was brought to you by Ave Explores, an initiative of Ave Maria Press. Sign up for all of the free content at avemariapress.com and learn what the holy witness of the saints means for us. This episode was also brought to you by Sock Religious. For 10% off a pair of Catholic socks, enter FEM10 at checkout.

Did you know that 1 in 5 women use the Internet for sexual activity every single week?! My mind was blown when I learned that statistic. When you know it's THAT large a number, you know it has to be an awful lot of Catholics engaging in practices that dehumanize our brothers and sisters and shred God's design for healthy sex. Today's guest, Bella Bryant, knows exactly what it's like to suffer from pornography addiction. She's here to share her story of healing, how her sexual abuse as a child impacted her addiction, and why she's so focused on helping others know their true worth and break the bonds of porn. Enjoy! This episode was brought to you by Ave Explores, an initiative of Ave Maria Press. Sign up for all of the free content at avemariapress.com and learn what the holy witness of the saints means for us. This episode was also brought to you by Sock Religious. For 10% off a pair of Catholic socks, enter FEM10 at checkout.

Here's the tricky part about being a feminist: I want every woman to feel confident and empowered…and I also want every woman to be healthy. And I know that right now, especially in America, we're not. So how can we treat our bodies like temples while also avoiding fat shaming or pride? Today's guest, Rebecca Dussault, is an Olympic cross-country skier and a mom of six with a passion for the intersection of fitness and faith. We dive into allllll of it: why she thinks the Olympics committees dislike motherhood, why she's so passionate about fitness, and why she thinks treating our bodies well is a way of loving God. I loved talking to Rebecca and I hope your chat resonates with you today! This episode was brought to you by Ave Explores, an initiative of Ave Maria Press. Sign up for all of the free content at avemariapress.com and learn what the holy witness of the saints means for us. This episode was also brought to you by Sock Religious. For 10% off a pair of Catholic socks, enter FEM10 at checkout.

Danielle Noonan is a singer, songwriter, speaker, and mama with a passion for following God's call—even when it meant moving her family out to a farm! I loved chatting with Danielle today all about the beauty of art within the Catholic Church, what COVID has been like as a musician, and what her songwriting process entails. We also dive in to why she decided to join us on our 2021 pilgrimage to France. Enjoy! This episode was brought to you by Ave Explores, an initiative of Ave Maria Press. Sign up for all of the free content at avemariapress.com and learn what the holy witness of the saints means for us. This episode was also brought to you by Sock Religious. For 10% off a pair of Catholic socks, enter FEM10 at checkout.

In today's episode, we're talking with writer and podcaster Samantha Stephenson all about egg donation, surrogacy, and other troubling bioethics developments that the world accepts and the church refuses. Why is that? Isn't egg donation just #womenhelpingwomen? Isn't surrogacy just helping women who want to have kids have them?! Not so, says Samantha--in fact, her insight as to why these procedures are harmful for women is incredibly interesting and she provides tons of resources for those interested in learning more. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by Select to Give, a charitable giving program that helps persecuted Christians in the Holy Land.