Cath-Lit Live Episode #30 with guest Victoria Everleigh

Posted on March 28, 2022 by AJ Cattapan

TV reporter Violet Rosati thought she’d be married with kids and living in the suburbs by now. Instead, she’s single, thirty-one, and starting a new job in Portland, Maine. Her move brings her closer to her boyfriend, Jude, who accepts everything about her – even her darkest secret. While in confession at her new church, she realizes the priest is her ex-boyfriend, Tristan. She hasn’t seen him in seven years and never told him about her pregnancy. He treated her terribly and now he’s a priest? As she faces old wounds, she finds Father Tristan to be kind, empathetic, and apologetic. Old feelings reemerge. But he’s a priest, and she loves Jude. How can she be drawn to a priest when she has such a wonderful boyfriend? Can she find the life she wants with Jude? Or does she confront her feelings for Tristan and risk the lives they’ve both chosen?

Victoria Everleigh is an AP award-winning TV news producer-turned-financial coach who finally decided to pursue her dream of writing novels during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. While she wishes she could be a morning person, most of her writing gets done after 10 PM. Away from her laptop, she likes to dance, figure skate, and cuddle up with a good book. She lives in New England with her husband and daughter.

To catch all the new episodes, follow me on YouTube here.

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Cath-Lit Live Episode #29 with guest Ellen Gable

Posted on January 24, 2022 by AJ Cattapan

Teenager Evie Gallagher is stunned when her 45-year-old father dies tragically and suddenly. Too many unanswered questions accompany Evie’s challenging journey to adulthood. When she finally discovers the reason her father led such a troubled life, shock turns to anger. Nervous about the first day of his freshman year, 14-year-old Hank Gallagher steps inside Archangels High School for the first time in September of 1954. Although the majestic Archangels statues inside the school’s grand lobby present an air of protection, it is not long before Hank passes right under them and into the hands of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Confused and cornered by threats, Hank attempts to abandon his secret to the past, but a horrible wound on his heart eventually leads to a catastrophic breakdown. Chapters alternate between Evie and Hank to reveal a life haunted by betrayal and a revelation of true justice and hope.

Ellen Gable is an award-winning author of twelve books and a contributor to numerous others. Ellen is also a self-publishing book consultant, editor, NFP teacher, Marriage Preparation instructor, and Theology of the Body teacher. She and her husband, James Hrkach, are the parents of five adult sons ages 22 to 34, grandparents to two precious grandchildren, and they live in Pakenham, Ontario. In her spare time, Ellen enjoys playing trivia games, genealogy, watching classic movies, and reading on her Kindle.

To catch all the new episodes, follow me on YouTube here.

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Cath-Lit Live Episode #28 with guest Dr. Mary Amore

Posted on January 20, 2022 by AJ Cattapan

As Guardian of the Holy Family and Patron of the Universal Church, St. Joseph is a model and friend for all of us. Building a personal relationship with Joseph can have a profound impact on our spiritual life, for St. Joseph always leads us to Jesus. Every Day with Joseph is the perfect place to start building that relationship. This 365 day daily devotional offers timely and relevant meditations for each day of the year. The spiritual presence and intercession of St. Joseph is needed now more than ever in our Church and in our families and in our own spiritual life.

Dr. Mary Amore holds a Doctor of Ministry Degree in Liturgical Studies and a Master of Arts in Word and Worship from Catholic Theological Union. A published author and gifted speaker, Dr. Amore is married and the mother of two young adults, and two granddaughters. Dr. Amore serves as the full time Executive Director of Mayslake Ministries in Oakbrook Terrace, IL.

To catch all the new episodes, follow me on YouTube here.

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Who’s ready to visit sunny Italy?

Posted on January 12, 2022 by AJ Cattapan

Long, cold winter days make me long for sunny Italy!

You, too?

Great! You can come with me and my friend Fr. Andy Matijevic from Holy Name Cathedral. We’ll be heading to central Italy June 15-25, 2022, for an incredible, fun, and faith-filled pilgrimage.

Join us for a live Zoom meeting on Tuesday, January 25, at 7:30 p.m. Central to learn more! To get the Zoom link, register here.

I’ll even have a few giveaways so you won’t want to miss this!

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Cath-Lit Live Episode #27 with guest Katy Carl

Posted on January 3, 2022 by AJ Cattapan

Shortly before Br. Thomas Augustine Fielding solidifies a lifelong commitment to his monastic community, a traumatic encounter with an abusive priest plunges the novice into terror and doubt. Reeling and uncertain, he reaches out to his friend, artistic rival, and former lover, Angele Solomon, with hopes that she can help him to speak the difficult truth. As she attempts to advocate for her friend, Angele must ask how the scars left by their common past—as well as newer harms—can ever be healed or transcended. The wider inquiries demanded next will transfigure how both of them picture a range of human and divine things: time and memory; art and agency; trust and responsibility; and what it might mean to know real freedom.

Katy Carl is the author of As Earth Without Water (Wiseblood Books, 2021) and of Praying the Great O Antiphons: My Soul Magnifies the Lord (Catholic Truth Society, 2021, forthcoming) and is editor in chief of Dappled Things magazine.

To catch all the new episodes, follow me on YouTube here.

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Special retreat for educators on February 21, 2022!

Posted on November 12, 2021 by AJ Cattapan

One of my former principals used to say that February is “the armpit of the school year,” so I can’t think of a better month to invite my fellow teachers in the trenches to “get away” for a little while.

On February 21, 2022 (Presidents’ Day), I’ll be leading a special retreat day for educators. All educators are welcome, from classroom teachers and administrators to catechists, DREs, and homeschooling parents!

The retreat will be offered both in person and virtually, so you can join us from anywhere in the world!

Click here to learn more and sign up!

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Cath-Lit Live Episode 26 with guest Christy Wilkens

Posted on November 9, 2021 by AJ Cattapan

I’ve been waiting for a long time to share this book–mostly because I had a front row seat when the events in this book took place!

The grotto at Lourdes is known as a place of healing. But sometimes the miracle that occurs is not physical, but something much deeper. Christy Wilkens made the long trek to Lourdes with her husband, Todd, and their toddler, Oscar—who was plagued by mysterious seizures—through a program with the Order of Malta. In Awakening at Lourdes, Wilkens shares that while Oscar’s condition did improve after their visit, the real healing took place in her heart and her marriage. In Lourdes, her family discovered a deeper love for each other, a renewed sense of community, and an abiding confidence in God’s mercy.

Christy Wilkens is a Catholic wife, mother of six, and the author of Awakening at Lourdes: How an Unanswered Prayer Healed Our Family and Restored Our Faith. She writes for CatholicMom.com, Blessed Is She, and Accepting the Gift. In 2019, she was invested as a Dame in the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

To catch all the new episodes, follow me on YouTube here.

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Cath-Lit Live Episode 25 with guest Eleanor Bourg Nicholson

Posted on September 27, 2021 by AJ Cattapan

For Athene Howard, the only child of renowned cultural anthropologist Charles Howard, life is an unexciting, disillusioned academic project. When she encounters a clairvoyant Dominican postulant, a stern nun, and a recusant English nobleman embarked on a quest for a feral Franciscan werewolf, the strange new world of enchantment and horror intoxicates and delights her—even as it brings to light her father’s complex past and his long-dormant relationship with the Church of Rome. Can Athene and her newfound compatriots battle against the ruthless forces of darkness that howl for the overthrow of civilization and the devouring of so many wounded souls? In this sister novel to A Bloody Habit, the incomparable Father Thomas Edmund Gilroy, O.P. returns to face occult demons, gypsy curses, possessed maidens, and tormented werewolves, accompanying a charming neo-pagan heroine in her earnest search for adventure and meaning.

In addition to scholarly pursuits, Eleanor Bourg Nicholson occasionally strays into fiction, including her epistolary novella, The Letters of Magdalen Montague (Kauffmann Publishing, 2011; Chrism Press, 2021), and her Victorian vampire novel, A Bloody Habit (Ignatius Press, 2018). A former assistant executive editor for Dappled Things, she is assistant editor for the Saint Austin Review (StAR), as well as the editor of several Ignatius Critical Editions of the classics. Her work has appeared in the National Catholic Register, Touchstone, First Things, The Catholic Thing, The Imaginative Conservative, and elsewhere. By day, Eleanor is the resident Victorian literature instructor at Homeschool Connections and with her husband homeschools their five children. By night, she reads the Victorians, writes Gothic novels, and cares for feral offspring. She is joining us tonight to talk about her new book Brother Wolf.

To catch all the new episodes, follow me on YouTube here.

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Cath-Lit Live Episode 24 — when the tables got turned on me!

Posted on September 22, 2021 by AJ Cattapan

Romance author Maddie Evans turned the tables on me for this one! She interviewed me about my new book Sweet Jesus, Is It June Yet? 10 Ways the Gospels Can Help You Combat Teacher Burnout and Rediscover Your Passion for Teaching.

The Amazon Book Blurb:

You work hard to motivate your students every day, but where can you find the inspiration you need when teaching gets tough or your passion for the classroom starts to wane?

Veteran teacher Amy J. Cattapan invites you to look to the greatest teacher of all time—Jesus. With humor and stories from the trenches, Cattapan draws valuable insight and tools from the Gospels and shares ten life-changing principles every teacher can learn from Jesus. In Sweet Jesus, Is It June Yet?, she’ll help you hang onto your sanity and fulfill your calling even when you’re feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and on the verge of burnout.

Classroom burnout is real. About 44 percent of new teachers in New York leave the profession by their fourth year and 40 percent of new teachers leave Chicago schools within five years. All over the country, managing online instruction has only added to the pressures teachers face.

In order to combat frustration and burnout, Cattapan will help you:

  • remember where your calling began
  • rediscover who this is all about
  • know when to lean on others for help;
  • learn how Jesus dealt with challenges
  • and understand that God’s grace really is enough.

Whether you’re a brand new teacher, a veteran educator, or a homeschooling parent, you’ll find wisdom—and more than a few laughs—in Cattapan’s reflections on the Great Teacher and in classroom stories straight from the front lines.

To catch all the new episodes, follow me on YouTube here.

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Cath-Lit Live Episode 23 with guest Sr. Kathleen Glavich

Posted on September 20, 2021 by AJ Cattapan

How did a worshipper of Chemosh land on the family tree of Jesus? How did she become the paragon of faithful love to this day? The biblical story of Ruth is a classic. Using imagination and what is known about Ruth’s times, Sister Kathleen expanded this four-page tale in her novel “Book of Ruth, a Tale of Great Loves.” In the book you meet the loyal Ruth, an immigrant; Naomi, her mother-in-law, whose faith is sorely tried; and Boaz, who opens his heart to the foreigner Ruth and Naomi and rescues them from poverty. God’s never-ending love for his people is the dominant theme.

Mary Kathleen Glavich is a Sister of Notre Dame from Chardon, Ohio. She is the author of more than ninety books on spirituality and religious education for children and adults. Formerly she taught every grade from first to twelfth, served as a vocation director for the Diocese of Cleveland, and was a parish minister. She enjoys editing others’ books, giving talks and retreats, playing the piano, and crocheting baby blankets.

To catch all the new episodes, follow me on YouTube here.

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