Catholic Espresso

Welcome back to another episode of Catholic Espresso! On this episode, Fr. Pawel and Russell prepare themselves for the spiritual journey of Lent. Following in Pope Francis' message that during this Lenten season we need to listen to Jesus; they discuss how important it is turn off the distractions around us and discover Jesus in the silence. They also look at how Lent is a time to re-evaluate spiritual life by turning away from sin and believe in the Gospel as well as the profound impact fasting has had on them.

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As we approach the feast day of St. Padre Pio, Fr. Pawel and Russell reflect on the life he lived and his love for Jesus. They discuss the profound impact he's had on their personal and spiritual lives, highlighting some aspects of his humility that we can all use to enrich our own faith and love for God.

Have feedback or want to suggest a topic for future episode? Email the show at office@smirh.com.

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Recorded on the feast day of St. John Vianney; Fr. Pawel and Russell challenge each of us to take what they dub, a spiritual inventory. They reflect on what it means to be a disciple of Jesus and review the "5 Disciplines of Being a Joyful Disciple" sharing how they each include this in their spiritual lives. Our hosts also review Pope Francis' recent penitential pilgrimage to Canada and what they each took away from the Holy Father's visit. Christina is back with another edition of News of the Church with more highlights around the Pope's Canadian visit as well as other news from around the Catholic Church.

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With the beauty of summer in full swing, Fr. Pawel and Russell discuss the importance of taking time away from our busy schedules and to recharge our mind, body, and soul. They reflect on Gospel teachings about the significance of the Sabbath every week, where we should switch off and embrace the day as a day of devotion to our faith. During the summer months, it is an excellent time to take this philosophy to the next level and to take time for ourselves to recharge as well as connecting with friends and family. They stress that while taking time away is important, it is not a time to take a break from religion. Instead, they offer tips on how they use this time of rest and relaxation as a way to go deeper in faith and grow closer to God.

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In this episode, Fr. Pawel and Russell begin by reviewing how their month of May and Marian Devotion they spoke about in our last episode went. They then look ahead to the month of June and the month of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. They discuss the powerful message tied to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as well as ways that help them in their devotion.

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In this episode, Fr. Pawel and Russell share their Easter experiences with one another including the moments that really moved them. They then turn their attention to the month May, a month of devotion to our Mother Mary. They reflect on how Mary touches them in their lives, her importance to our faith, and moving stories about their experience in Fatima. They also discuss how important it is for all of us to pray the Rosary, especially during the month of May. And Christina is back with another edition of News of the Church.

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It's our first episode of 2022 and Fr. Pawel discusses some New Years resolutions inspired by Pope Francis. We also reflect on the importance of the third Sunday in ordinary time, the Sunday of The Word of God. Instituted by Pope Francis in 2019, this important Sunday in the liturgical year calls on us to go deeper into the scripture and go deeper to reflect on the the Word of God. Fr. Pawel also welcomes the program director for two new programs at St. Mary Immaculate to help people deal with grief and those facing challenges in their marriage.

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After a busy summer around the parish, we're back with another episode of Catholic Espresso! Fr. Pawel reflects on these past few months with many people coming through the church to receive various sacraments. We speak to one couple who will be getting married very soon and what it's been like to prepare for the sacrament of marriage during the pandemic. He also goes through some of his favourite books he read over the summer. Christina is back with another edition of News of the Church, highlighted by the recent announcement of Holy Father coming to Canada in the near future.

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As we head into summer, Fr. Pawel discusses how he uses this beautiful time of year to enhance his meditation and prayer life.

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As we continue in the month of May - the month of our Mother, Mary - Fr. Pawel recaps a busy few weeks in the life of the St. Mary Immaculate. We hear from a few parishioners about how they have gone deeper in their relationship with Mary during this month's marathon of prayer for the end of the pandemic. Then we welcome the very talented Carissa Douglas to the podcast. Carissa is an accomplished singer, children's author, devoted Catholic, and mother of 14 kids! She shares with us her motivations behind her writing and also how her and her husband manage to make faith a big part of their family life.

It is the month of May, a month devoted to our Mother Mary, so what better way to start off this month than with an episode all about our dear Mother Mary and the Holy Rosary. Fr. Pawel shares why the month of May is so special to him and also why in May of 2021 we need our Mother more than ever. We will also welcome three parishioners from St. Mary Immaculate who are involved with the Rosary Apostolate; Laura, Nadia, and Louise. They share with us what this movement is all about and also how Mary and the Holy Rosary has enriched their own personal lives.

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This episode of Catholic Espresso is all about giving back. Not just to our church, but to our community, and neighbours in need. Father Pawel shares how blessed he feels at St. Mary Immaculate to have so many people willing to share their time and talent in so many different ways around the parish. Among them being the parish's ShareLife Committee. ShareLife is an organization based in the Greater Toronto Area whose aim is to live the Gospel by attempting to bring the hands of Christ to those in need. We welcome the head of ShareLife Committee at St. Mary Immaculate, Pauline McLaughlin, as well as the Executive Director of ShareLife at the Archdiocese of Toronto, Arthur Peters, to learn more about the history of the organization and the incredible work they do around the community.

The Lord is risen! We hope all of our listeners have a beautiful and blessed Easter. As we celebrate this important day in the Catholic Church, we also look ahead to a feast that Fr. Pawel feels so connected to in his priesthood; Divine Mercy Sunday. We are privileged to be joined this week by Sister Inga from The Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Washington DC to learn about the life of St. Faustina and her connection to Divine Mercy. Christina is back with another edition of News of the Church, and Fr. Pawel shares with us how he knows that spring is right around here in Richmond Hill!

Welcome to the Catholic Espresso Podcast! In our premier episode, Father Pawel discusses how to have a spiritually fulfilling season of Lent in 2021.

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