In this follow up to Marriage Part 1, in this episode of On Mission, Chris Pierno, Kate Fowler, and Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. discuss the Vocation to the married life and the Sacrament of Marriage, one of the seven sacraments, and how on going accompaniment in a couple’s relationship is vital.

As the feast of St. Monica (feast day August 27th) approaches, the mother of St. Augustine (feast day August 28th), who is known for her intercessory prayer for her son's conversion, please enjoy this episode about Mary as our Mother and the connection between her spiritual motherhood and the mothers in our lives with Chris Pierno, Kate Fowler, and Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. who are joined by Krissy Pierno to discuss Mary's role as Mother of the Church and the role of mothers in the lives of their children.

As the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven approaches, please enjoy this recast episode of On Mission where Chris Pierno, Kate Fowler, and Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. discuss the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Lourdes, and Our Lady of Fatima.

In this episode of On Mission, Chris Pierno, Kate Fowler, and Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. discuss the Vocation to the married life and the Sacrament of Marriage, one of the seven sacraments, and how it is a spiritual and physical bond between the man and wife where the two become one flesh for the good of the couple and the procreation of children.

In this episode of On Mission, Chris Pierno, Kate Fowler, and Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. discuss Lectio Divina, which is Latin for “Divine Reading”: what it is, how to pray with scripture, and how it can be a time of conversation with God. Lectio Divina is a traditional monastic practice of Biblical and scriptural reading, prayer, and meditation and contemplation with roots pertaining to St. Benedict and the Benedictines. Five steps one could use in Lectio Divina is: 1. Invoke the Holy Spirit to guide this time of prayer, 2. Read the scripture passages, slowly and meditatively, 3. Meditate and listen for the voice of God, 4. Pray and speak to God, 5. Contemplate and spend time in the presence of God.

In this episode of On Mission, Chris Pierno, Kate Fowler, and Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. are joined Christian Bordak-Roseman, a graduate of the Catholic University of America and former peer minister, to discuss how one can continue to pray and encounter Christ while on vacation and away from one’s typical routine. Prayer on vacation doesn’t need to be complex. Be sure to invite St. Christopher, the patron Saint of travelers. Some methods of praying away from home is to make Mass a priority, to keep a journal, utilize a prayer app, bring a spiritual book, listen to a religious podcast, spent quiet moments in contemplative prayer and thank God for the day.

In this episode of On Mission, Chris Pierno, Kate Fowler, and Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. are joined by Fr. Andrew St. Hilaire, Director of Campus Ministry at Bloomsburg University, and Christian Bordak-Roseman, a graduate of the Catholic University of America and former peer minister, to discuss opportunities available to university students to grow in their faith while they earn their degree. Some resources include Catholic groups and clubs such as Newman centers, campus ministry, and peer ministry.

In this episode of On Mission, Chris Pierno, Kate Fowler, and Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. are joined by Dr. David Rohrer Budiash, Director of Programs with the Conference of Major Superiors of Men and Managing Editor, Review for Religious, to discuss the various religious charisms that can inform one’s prayer, spirituality, and the work one does in their day to day life. Religious charisms are gifts that God gives to members of the Church, through the Holy Spirit and are particularly lived out in religious and consecrated communities.

In this episode of On Mission, Chris Pierno, Kate Fowler, and Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. are joined by Dr. David Rohrer Budiash, Director of Programs with the Conference of Major Superiors of Men and Managing Editor, Review for Religious, to discuss one of Pope Francis’ first encyclicals, Laudato Si’, translated to “Praised be,” and published in 2015. In Laudato Si’ , Pope Francis critiques materialism, consumerism, and a disregard for the care our common home for economic or personal gain and a disregard for the poor and the suffering in the world. Laudato Si’ also explores the relationship between God, humans, and the Earth.

In this episode of On Mission, Chris Pierno, Kate Fowler, and Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. discuss the first sacrament of initiation: Baptism, which is a washing away of Original Sin and a welcoming of the candidate into the family of God, marked by the washing with water, while invoking the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, along with anointing the individual with chrism oil. Baptism, then, brings all of the Baptized into the roles of priest, prophet, and king within Christ’s church. The baptized individual is given godparents to serve as witnesses and guides in the Faith. In scripture, Jesus was baptized by John, a baptism of repentance, and Jesus commissioned his apostles to baptize.

In this episode of On Mission, Jonathan Sitko, Director of Programs at Catholic Apostolate Center, joins Chris Pierno, Kate Fowler, and Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. to discuss World Youth Day (WYD) and what can be expected in Lisbon, Portugal on August 1 to August 6, 2023. World Youth Day is an international gathering every 2-3 years for Catholic young adults from ages 16-35 and focused around the Mass, prayer, and a personal encounter with Christ and the previous World Youth Day was held in Panama in 2019. The theme for World Youth Day Lisbon 2023 is “Mary arose and went with haste” (LK 1:39). Jonathan Sitko offers virtual resources for those who may not be able to attend World Youth Day Lisbon in person.

In this episode of On Mission, Joe Basalla, a Catholic School Teacher in Cleveland, Ohio, joins Chris Pierno and Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. to discuss the life and the legacy of Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI), born April 16, 1927 in Bavaria, Germany. Pope Benedict XVI, known for his profound theological understanding and teaching, departed into eternal life on December 31, 2022. Joe Basalla discusses Ratzinger’s role in developing the teachings of the Second Vatican Council and worked closely with Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II before being elected pope himself.

In this episode of On Mission, Joe Basalla, a Catholic School Teacher in Cleveland, Ohio, joins Chris Pierno and Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. to discuss the final Sunday of Lent, the beginning of Holy Week, and the Sunday before Easter, known as Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion. Joe Basalla discusses how Palm Sunday takes place in the Gospels and the experience of the liturgy where the faithful receive palms and take place in a procession, signifying Christ’s triumphant, yet peaceful--as represented by the donkey--arrival to the holy city of Jerusalem where just a few days later, the people will command that Jesus be put to death like a common thief.

In this episode of On Mission, Alex Cranstoun, Assistant to the Director of Pilgrimages and Communications Specialist at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., joins William Tishuk and Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. to discuss Alex’s work at the Basilica, planning pilgrimages to the Shrine, and how pilgrimages are distinct from a vacation or a trip and are an analogy of the pursuit of Heaven on the Earthly journey and are means by which the faithful experience God in a unique way through a departure, travel, a visit to a holy or devotional site, and the return to one’s every day life, having been transformed.

In this episode of On Mission, Alex Cranstoun, Assistant to the Director of Pilgrimages and Communications Specialist at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., joins William Tishuk and Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. to discuss Alex’s work at the Basilica and what role shrines play in popular devotion of the Church’s members and as sacred places, which can hold relics of saints, commemorate famous apparitions, and are where people can encounter Christ and his Church’s redeeming work through the sacraments, particularly, Reconciliation and Eucharist.

In this episode of On Mission, Tom Carani, collaborator with the Center, and William Tishuk, Production Associate with the Center, joins Kate Fowler, Chris Pierno, and Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. to discuss their experiences of introducing the Catholic Faith, beginning with Baptism, to even their youngest children by incorporating the Faith into everyday family experiences through the rhythms of the Liturgical Year, the Sacraments, Sunday Mass, personal witness, and daily prayers as well as the importance of community support--the village--and the particular witness of the Saints as one raises children.