In Goodfaith

In this episode of In Goodfaith, Maggie and Stephanie sit down with journalist and Vatican correspondent Colleen Dulle to reflect on what it looks like to remain rooted in faith while confronting the Church’s hardest realities. Colleen Dulle is a journalist and Vatican correspondent for America Magazine and co-host of the podcast Inside the Vatican. Her book, Struck Down, Not Destroyed, offers a personal and professional account of faith lived in tension with the realities of the institutional Church. Drawing from her new book Colleen shares her journey covering the Vatican during moments of crisis, including the 2018 abuse scandal, and how that reporting intersected with her own spiritual life. She speaks candidly about doubt, anger, and the ongoing work of holding both love for the Church and a commitment to truth. The conversation also explores the evolving landscape of Catholic journalism, the tension between institutional credibility and personal voice, and how motherhood has reshaped Colleen’s understanding of God’s love. Throughout, a consistent thread emerges: faith is not the absence of struggle, but a willingness to remain in it—with honesty, hope, and trust in the resurrection. Colleen's Links: Struck Down, Not Destroyed on Bookshop.org Inside the Vatican Podcast Instagram X (Twitter)   Join the conversation: We want to hear from you! What questions or challenges are you facing as a parent or caregiver trying to nurture faith in your family? Share your thoughts and help shape the series by submitting questions through the link or on social media. Stay tuned for more episodes of the Parent Series! In Goodfaith Podcast Topic Submissions

In this special Confessional: Parenting Edition episode of In Good Faith, Maggie and Tim turn the microphones toward someone listeners know well — Goodfaith president Stephanie Peddicord — along with her husband Chad Peddicord. Together they reflect on the realities of raising teenagers in today’s hyper-competitive youth sports culture: the joys, the pressures, and the values they’re trying to pass on as parents. From travel teams and early specialization to sideline behavior and the challenge of keeping family priorities intact, this conversation explores what it means to form young people through sports while remembering that their worth goes far beyond performance.    Join the conversation: We want to hear from you! What questions or challenges are you facing as a parent or caregiver trying to nurture faith in your family? Share your thoughts and help shape the series by submitting questions through the link or on social media. Stay tuned for more episodes of the Parent Series! In Goodfaith Podcast Topic Submissions

In this special bonus episode, we bring our podcast producer and Director of Communication & Development on to help us talk about the past two years. On February 26th, 2024, The Center for FaithJustice officially rebranded as Goodfaith. The process has been full of gifts and challenges, but has continually brought the organization closer to its mission: to cultivate a vibrant movement of faith in action through transformative experiences centered in Catholic social tradition.   Over the course of this conversation, we reflect on what it meant to discern a new name, honor a deeply loved history, and step into a broader national calling. We talk about programmatic shifts, new partnerships, the launch and growth of this podcast, our move from Lawrenceville to Trenton, and the expansion of our team.   We also share honestly about the realities of leading a Catholic nonprofit in uncertain times while remaining rooted in the richness of Catholic social teaching.   Thank you for walking with us...in goodfaith.   Join the conversation: We want to hear from you! What questions or challenges are you facing as a parent or caregiver trying to nurture faith in your family? Share your thoughts and help shape the series by submitting questions through the link or on social media. In Goodfaith Podcast Topic Submissions

Rebuilding Communion in a Divided World: Insights from the Communion Project In this episode, Jonathan Lewis, Mission Strategy Officer with the Paulist Fathers, joins us to discuss the groundbreaking Communion Project. This is a fresh initiative aimed at fostering real unity within parish communities and beyond. As society grapples with polarization and division, this work reminds us of our call to embody gospel values through active dialogue, relationship, listening, and prayer. Key Topics The origins and mission of the Paulist Fathers, with a focus on American faith and identity The impact of polarization on both societal and church life, and how it hinders effective ministry The concept of communion in Catholic social teaching, and its importance in healing divisions Practical ways to cultivate community, rooted in virtues like patience, kindness, and listening The significance of small groups, accompaniment, and spiritual direction in building lasting relationships The role of media, algorithms, and social platforms in shaping perceptions and divisions Strategies for parish engagement: from awareness to action, starting with the basics How broader societal issues—history, injustice, and the common good—intersect with faith efforts The importance of patience, discipline, and virtue in long-term cultural and spiritual transformation Timestamps00:00 - Introduction to the Communion Project and its significance 2:09 - Reflection on the history of the Paulist Fathers and American identity 4:24 - Addressing polarization as a crisis affecting ministry and witness 5:58 - The Catholic vision of communion—unity amidst diversity 8:35 - The roots of American ideals connected to Catholic social teaching 10:00 - When did American Catholics start separating faith from the common good? 12:08 - Prophetic witness versus thermometer: setting the cultural tone 14:04 - The role of accountability and acknowledging historical complicity 16:18 - Reaffirming our call to see and respect human dignity 18:32 - The power of virtues like patience, kindness, and self-control in community-building 22:22 - Building genuine relationships beyond superficial parish hopping 25:27 - Recognizing the impact of algorithms and social media on division 30:28 - Developing moral muscles: listening, holding tension, and conflict resilience 36:45 - The importance of belonging, being known, and parish identity 42:31 - Moving from passive participation to relationship and belonging 46:48 - Practical resources: head, heart, and hands framework for building communion 54:30 - The importance of listening, dialogue, and prophetic witness in justice 58:07 - The patience needed for long-term cultural change and faith growth 60:42 - The call for the church to be a field hospital—living the virtues in action 65:28 - Connecting parishes with the Communion Project—how to get involved 67:38 - The role of spiritual accompaniment and direction in fostering unity 68:17 - What gives us hope amid challenging days? 69:06 - Final encouragement: start small, stay rooted, and walk together in good faithResources & Links Communion Project — Official site with resources and ways to get involved Connect with Jonathan Lewis: LinkedIn Twitter Additional Recommendations Watch The West Wing episode on division and reconciliation (recommended homework for a deeper cultural context) Explore Conflict Resilience by Dr. Bob Bourdone for skills on holding conflict and building resilience Join the conversation: We want to hear from you! What questions or challenges are you facing as a parent or caregiver trying to nurture faith in your family? Share your thoughts and help shape the series by submitting questions through the link or on social media. Stay tuned for more episodes of the Parent Series! In Goodfaith Podcast Topic Submissions

In this episode of In Goodfaith, we’re joined by Dr. Jeff Thompson and Dr. Mayra Thompson, a husband-and-wife physician team who are reimagining what healthcare can look like when it’s rooted in dignity, accompaniment, and faith. Jeff and Mayra were recently featured in an article in America Media. They founded the St. Paul Medical Clinic in Lancaster, Texas. The clinic serves uninsured and underinsured neighbors—many of them migrants—through volunteer-driven, relationship-centered primary care. Our conversation moves from their unlikely love story (Chicago, medical school, and a lot of persistence) to their shared call to serve, and ultimately to the question that changed everything: Why were we traveling overseas on mission trips when the need was right in our own community? Join the conversation: We want to hear from you! What questions or challenges are you facing as a parent or caregiver trying to nurture faith in your family? Share your thoughts and help shape the series by submitting questions through the link or on social media. Stay tuned for more episodes of the Parent Series! In Goodfaith Podcast Topic Submissions

In this episode of In Goodfaith, we continue our parent series The Confessional, with an honest and hope-filled conversation about parenting, faith, and making room for every family in the life of the Church. We’re joined by Millet LoCasale, Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry at St. Catherine Drexel Parish, longtime Goodfaith partner, and mother of two daughters. Millet shares her winding vocational path, from a career in engineering to nearly two decades in ministry, and how motherhood reshaped not only her work, but her understanding of success, listening, and trust in God. She reflects candidly on raising a high-achieving teenager alongside her younger daughter, Mia, who is neurodivergent and whose life has been marked by challenges, resilience, and grace. Millet also shares how her parish community supports families of children with special needs through faith-based parent groups, and offers encouragement to parents who feel isolated or unsure whether the Church can be a home for their family. Join the conversation: We want to hear from you! What questions or challenges are you facing as a parent or caregiver trying to nurture faith in your family? Share your thoughts and help shape the series by submitting questions through the link or on social media. Stay tuned for more episodes of the Parent Series! In Goodfaith Podcast Topic Submissions

We're grateful to be joined by John Grosso, digital editor at National Catholic Reporter, to reflect on faith, journalism, and the moral responsibility of Catholic witness in a time of deep national and ecclesial unrest. John joins us in the wake of his widely circulated editorial criticizing Vice President Vance's response to the killing of Renée Nicole Goode in Minneapolis. The piece resonated far beyond Catholic media and ignited conversation across the secular press. He shares how the phrase “a moral stain on our collective witness” emerged, why this moment demanded prophetic clarity, and what it means to speak truth to power when silence feels safer. Join the conversation: We want to hear from you! What questions or challenges are you facing as a parent or caregiver trying to nurture faith in your family? Share your thoughts and help shape the series by submitting questions through the link or on social media. Stay tuned for more episodes of the Parent Series! In Goodfaith Podcast Topic Submissions

In this episode of In Goodfaith, we’re continuing our parent series--"The Confessional"--with Mike Jordan Laskey and Genevieve Jordan Laskey. We hope you enjoy this warm, honest conversation about parenting, faith, and joy in everyday life. Rather than offering advice or formulas, Mike and Gen reflect on how faith is formed through ritual, imagination, and presence—bedtime prayers children won’t let you skip, liturgical seasons lived at home, and traditions shaped by touch, sound, story, and repetition. They remind us that faith is often caught rather than taught, and that children learn most by watching how we live. We also hear about Down By The Bagel, their family band, a creative and joyful project that has become a shared outward expression of connection, hospitality, and sacred joy. Through music and creativity, their family practices something deeply spiritual: creating together and welcoming others in. This conversation invites us to see parenting not as a project to perfect, but as a relationship rooted in love, surrender, and showing up—again and again. Join the conversation: We want to hear from you! What questions or challenges are you facing as a parent or caregiver trying to nurture faith in your family? Share your thoughts and help shape the series by submitting questions through the link or on social media. Stay tuned for more episodes of the Parent Series! In Goodfaith Podcast Topic Submissions

In this episode of In Goodfaith, we continue our Parent Series. These conversations don’t offer parenting advice so much as create space for reflection, honesty, and the messy beauty of raising a family in faith. We sit down with one of our longtime friends and founding board members, Mary Vanderhoof, a mom of three grown daughters and grandmother to eight young grandchildren, to talk about what it means to pass on faith across generations. Mary shares how her Irish Catholic roots and her father’s work in the early labor movement shaped her lifelong commitment to justice and the Gospel call to love our neighbor. She reflects on the joys of raising faith-filled children and grandchildren, and how small, simple acts—like making First Communion “books of remembrance” or glitter-covered Good Friday crosses—can keep faith alive at home. Together, we talk about what it looks like to live our faith authentically in a changing Church, to model justice and compassion for our children, and to find joy in the ordinary, sacred moments that form a family’s spiritual life. Join the conversation: We want to hear from you! What questions or challenges are you facing as a parent or caregiver trying to nurture faith in your family? Share your thoughts and help shape the series by submitting questions through the link or on social media. Stay tuned for more episodes of the Parent Series! In Goodfaith Podcast Topic Submissions

What does it look like to truly discern as a family—not just in theory, but in the real, complicated choices of work, money, parenting, and faith? In this powerful and deeply honest conversation, we welcome back Keith Cieplicki, Executive Director of the Jail Ministry in Onondaga County, New York. You may remember Keith from our earlier episode on accompanying the incarcerated. This time, Keith joins us for our Family Discernment series to reflect on the radical, uncomfortable, and deeply faithful decisions that reshaped his family’s life. Keith shares the story of leaving a successful Division I basketball coaching career to work in a homeless shelter and eventually lead a jail ministry—choices that required profound trust, sacrifice, and ongoing discernment within his marriage and family. Together, we explore how values take shape in everyday decisions, how fear can quietly drive parenting choices, and how faith sometimes calls us not toward comfort, but toward transformation. This episode is especially for parents and caregivers navigating big and small decisions: careers, youth sports, financial security, presence with children, and the courage to say both yes and no with intention. In this episode, we explore: What family discernment really looks like in practice Letting go of status, security, and consumerism for a faith-rooted life Trust, doubt, and learning to “breathe underwater” Parenting beyond grades, achievements, and cultural pressure The freedom found in simplicity, presence, and relational love Why the Gospel often calls us to become uncomfortable How children grow when they see faith lived, not just taught Along the way, Keith reflects on the influence of saints like Dorothy Day, the tension between fear and freedom, and the enduring invitation to “live church” every day. As Keith reminds us, discernment doesn’t mean having all the answers. It means being willing to take the next faithful step. “Be not afraid.”   If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, share it with someone who might need it, and leave a review. Your support helps these stories reach more families walking the journey of faith together. Join the conversation: We want to hear from you! What questions or challenges are you facing as a parent or caregiver trying to nurture faith in your family? Share your thoughts and help shape the series by submitting questions through the link or on social media. Stay tuned for more episodes of the Parent Series! In Goodfaith Podcast Topic Submissions

In this episode of In Good Faith, we're joined by two people we deeply admire — Cecilia Flores and Jonathan Lewis — for a rich, wide-ranging conversation about Dilexi Te, the first apostolic exhortation of Pope Leo XIV. This document has been sitting with us since its release. While it doesn’t introduce new principles of Catholic social teaching, it does something arguably more important: it re-centers them — unapologetically, historically, and pastorally — as the beating heart of the Church’s mission. We wanted voices who could help unpack both the theology and the lived reality behind the text, and Cecilia and Jonathan bring exactly that. Cecilia Flores is the Executive Director of the Catholic Volunteer Network and a longtime leader in community organizing and faith-based justice work. Jonathan Lewis serves as Mission Strategy Officer for the Paulist Fathers. Both bring deep experience from Rome, the Vatican, and grassroots ministry — and both read this document with eyes wide open. Join the conversation: We want to hear from you! What questions or challenges are you facing as a parent or caregiver trying to nurture faith in your family? Share your thoughts and help shape the series by submitting questions through the link or on social media. Stay tuned for more episodes of the Parent Series! In Goodfaith Podcast Topic Submissions

In this solo-hosted episode, Maggie talks with Allison Beyer, a multidisciplinary artist, minister, and contributor to Goodfaith’s Family Matters program. Allison shares the story behind her Jesse Tree Advent ritual, which was born during the pandemic as a creative, prayerful practice for her young children. Together, they explore how art, ancestry, and faith shape the season of Advent, and how remembering the “family tree” of our spiritual tradition can ground us in belonging during difficult times. Allison also reflects on the religious communities that formed her and why beauty and creativity keep us spiritually awake. The conversation turns toward the current climate around immigrants in the U.S., where both Maggie and Allison name the hope they’re finding in bold, clear leadership from the Church. Maggie also shares a personal story of loss and healing, offering a gentle reminder that Advent meets us exactly where we are. This episode invites listeners to return to the simple rituals that steady us, trust the God who is with us, and begin again. Instagram: @allisonbeyermakesart "Emmanuel!" by Allison Beyer Jesuit Media Lab Goodfaith YouTube: Works of Mercy & Five-Finger Examen   Join the conversation: We want to hear from you! What questions or challenges are you facing as a parent or caregiver trying to nurture faith in your family? Share your thoughts and help shape the series by submitting questions through the link or on social media. Stay tuned for more episodes of the Parent Series! In Goodfaith Podcast Topic Submissions

In Part Two of our conversation with Ike Ndolo, we dive even deeper into the fire at the heart of Ike’s work: reclaiming the Jesus who stands with the poor and the oppressed. We talk about how Ike’s social media presence grew out of heartbreak and awakening, beginning with the killings of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown. He shares what it was like to speak out publicly when so many in his own ministry circles stayed silent, and how telling the truth cost him gigs and jobs, but also connected him to a wider community of justice-minded Christians who refuse to look away.   Together, we explore: How Ike’s justice formation “woke back up” during the Ferguson uprising Why speaking about race, violence, and Catholic social teaching online still feels radical How algorithms shape the false “Jesuses” people encounter Why WWJD needs an update—and why “What did Jesus do?” is the better spiritual mirror The cost of telling the truth in church spaces (and the freedom that comes with it) The 100+ day vigil behind God in the Rubble—and why Ike won’t stop singing until Palestine is free The role of music in liberation movements, justice work, and spiritual imagination Ike’s new vision for teaching and mentoring through Ike’s Music Makers The story and heart behind his new single “City of God” There’s laughter, lament, resistance, and hope in this episode. Ike’s honesty invites us to re-anchor ourselves in the Gospel, rather than the algorithm, and to remember that following Jesus means standing where He stands.   Ike's Songs Featured in Pt. 1 & 2 🎵 God in the Rubble 🎵 City of God (new release) Connect with Ike Website: www.ikendolo.com Instagram: @ikendolo Facebook: facebook.com/ikendolo Spotify: Ike Ndolo on Spotify   Join the conversation: We want to hear from you! What questions or challenges are you facing as a parent or caregiver trying to nurture faith in your family? Share your thoughts and help shape the series by submitting questions through the link or on social media. Stay tuned for more episodes of the Parent Series! In Goodfaith Podcast Topic Submissions

In this episode of In Good Faith, we sit down with Ike Ndolo — husband, dad, songwriter, and longtime minister — to talk about what it means to hold on to faith, creativity, and justice in a changing Church. Ike shares how a high school class and a teacher who believed in him unexpectedly sparked his songwriting journey. We trace his path from a youth minister in Missouri to leading worship in Arizona’s charismatic Catholic scene, and how that world shaped (and challenged) his understanding of God, justice, and belonging. Together we reflect on: What happens when our faith traditions fracture into “different flavors” — and how we might learn to breathe with both lungs again The tension between passion for worship and the call to justice What it’s like to work inside the Church, deconstructing and rebuilding belief while trying to stay rooted in love How a mother’s courage for truth and justice can shape a lifelong faith Ike’s story is one of resilience, creativity, and reorientation — from youth ministry to music to confronting the hard edges of institutional life — and still choosing to believe in a God who shows up “in the rubble.”   Ike's Songs Featured in Pt. 1 & 2 🎵 God in the Rubble 🎵 City of God (new release) Connect with Ike Website: www.ikendolo.com Instagram: @ikendolo Facebook: facebook.com/ikendolo Spotify: Ike Ndolo on Spotify   Join the conversation: We want to hear from you! What questions or challenges are you facing as a parent or caregiver trying to nurture faith in your family? Share your thoughts and help shape the series by submitting questions through the link or on social media. Stay tuned for more episodes of the Parent Series! In Goodfaith Podcast Topic Submissions

What happens when we truly see one another? In this moving conversation, youth minister and theologian Sherine Green and writer and humanitarian Vince Gallagher share stories that reveal the transforming power of mercy and encounter. From mission trips in Jamaica and Latin America to classrooms and communities across the U.S., they reflect on what it means to be present to the suffering and beauty of the world — and to respond with love. Together, they explore with us how encounter bridges divides, why trust is at the heart of mission, and how even small acts of kindness can pierce the veil and let us glimpse the kingdom of God among us. Join the conversation: We want to hear from you! What questions or challenges are you facing as a parent or caregiver trying to nurture faith in your family? Share your thoughts and help shape our parent series by submitting questions through the link or on social media. Stay tuned for more episodes! In Goodfaith Podcast Topic Submissions

In this installment of The Confessional, we sit down with Cecilia Flores, Executive Director of Catholic Volunteer Network, to talk about what it really looks like to raise kids in faith and justice — with honesty, joy, and a whole lot of grace. Cecilia shares stories from her life as the daughter of Filipino immigrants, her years in mission work in Honduras, and the daily realities of parenting her two kids, Kiara and Jacob. Together, we talk about the spaces where Church teaching meets real life — where faith, service, and family all collide in the everyday mess and beauty of love. Join the conversation: We want to hear from you! What questions or challenges are you facing as a parent or caregiver trying to nurture faith in your family? Share your thoughts and help shape the series by submitting questions through the link or on social media. Stay tuned for more episodes of the Parent Series! In Goodfaith Podcast Topic Submissions

Welcome to the first installment of our new parent series, The Confessional. The name comes from the repurposed confessional we use as our recording space, but it also reflects what we hope this series will be: a place for parents to speak honestly about the joys and challenges of raising kids in today’s complicated, noisy world. In this episode, we sit down with Molly and Benno Lauer, who share how their family created a tradition of annual retreats—weekends away where they step back from daily life to reflect, set goals, and name their shared values. What began during the pandemic, when their oldest turned their house into a “hotel” just to break the routine, has grown into a practice that shapes everything from chores to morning routines to how they hold each other accountable with kindness. Together, we explore how family discernment can be both practical and faith-filled: creating simple rituals (like “glows and grows”), giving kids ownership of family goals, and remembering that intentionality matters more than perfection. If you’ve ever wondered what’s possible when a family pauses the chaos and chooses direction together, this conversation is for you.   Join the conversation: We want to hear from you! What questions or challenges are you facing as a parent or caregiver trying to nurture faith in your family? Share your thoughts and help shape the series by submitting questions through the link or on social media. Stay tuned for more episodes of the Parent Series! In Goodfaith Podcast Topic Submissions  

Introducing Our New Parent Series: "The Confessional" In this mini-episode, share some exciting news: the launch of a brand-new series within In Goodfaith focused on the joys and challenges of parenting. Recorded in our repurposed confessional booth in Trenton, NJ, we discuss some of our own parenting journeys—toddlers, teenagers, and everything in between—and preview the kinds of conversations listeners can expect this fall. From grandparents and single parents, to priests and families navigating sports and spiritual life, this series will highlight the real, messy, hopeful stories of parents raising children in faith today. Join the conversation: We want to hear from you! What questions or challenges are you facing as a parent or caregiver trying to nurture faith in your family? Share your thoughts and help shape the series by submitting questions through the link or on social media. Stay tuned for the first full episode of the Parent Series, dropping soon—and new episodes every other week throughout the fall. In Goodfaith Podcast Topic Submissions

In this episode, we explore how Catholic teaching shapes the lives of athletes seeking to balance their love of sports with their life of faith. From the discipline of competition to the demands of family schedules, youth sports can both enrich and challenge spiritual life. Our guest, Father Josh Whitfield of Dallas, Texas, shares pastoral insights and personal experiences on how families can stay grounded in faith while navigating the whirlwind of practices, games, and tournaments. Together, we’ll hear stories and reflections that shed light on what it means to integrate faith and athletics, offering fresh perspectives for parents, athletes, and parish communities alike. In the episode, we discuss Fr. Josh Whitfield's article "Soccer vs. Sunday Mass: How youth sports are undermining religion—and hurting our kids" in America Magazine. Be sure to read his thought-provoking piece! Learn more about Fr. Josh at his website, where you can find links to his books and other articles.

This episode is Part 2 of our conversation with Angela Patterson from Springtide Institute. We delve into the evolving landscape of faith formation, exploring both the challenges and opportunities it presents. Join us as we discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people's spiritual lives, the importance of community, and innovative approaches in youth ministry. We also examine how faith intersects with cultural issues, mental health, and the diverse experiences of Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Tune in to discover what's working in faith formation today and how we can support young people in their spiritual journeys.