There are 94 Catholic basilicas in the United States, and Grady Connolly has visited every single one of them!

What began as a fascination with one basilica became a remarkable pilgrimage across the country. In this episode, Grady shares the story of his first basilica visit, how the idea of visiting every American basilica came about, and what he learned along the way.

What makes a church a basilica? What is the significance of the bell and umbrella found in basilicas? What does Grady do when he visits one? And are there churches in America that should be designated basilicas but aren't?

Grady also reveals his three favorite basilicas and shares a beautiful encounter from his travels that remains with him to this day.

His journey inspired his new book, Basilicas: A Pilgrim's Guide to America's Most Remarkable Catholic Churches, published by Ave Maria Press.

If you've ever visited a basilica or wondered what makes these churches special, Grady's story might inspire you to begin a pilgrimage of your own.

Get Grady's book: https://www.avemariapress.com/collections/pilgrimage-collection/products/basilicas

When Laura Frederickson's eight-year-old son Francisco was diagnosed with a rare form of childhood brain cancer, her life changed forever. In this episode, Laura introduces us to Francisco and shares what happened in the days following his diagnosis.

How do you make the most of the time you have with a son who is dying? What role did prayer and the intercession of the saints, especially St. Carlo Acutis, play during his illness? Initially given only six to nine months to live, Francisco lived for 18 months.

How does a mother prepare for the death of her child when she knows it is coming? What were Francisco's final days like? And how did his family celebrate his life at his funeral?

Throughout his illness, Francisco looked forward to what he called "Heaven's Party." Laura shares how his faith and hope shaped their family's journey, why she wrote the book Pilgrim of Hope, and why Francisco's story continues to matter.

This is a conversation about faith, suffering, a mother's love, and the hope of eternal life.

Buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/Little-Pilgrim-Hope-Childs-Terminal/dp/B0HHJ54LVX/

Fr. John Bartunek, LC, spent time on the set of Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. In this episode, he begins by sharing memories from that experience before turning to a book that has profoundly influenced Fr. Edward's spiritual life and preaching: The Better Part.

Why did Fr. Bartunek write The Better Part? How is the book organized, and what makes its reflections on the Gospels so helpful for prayer? Fr. Bartunek and Fr. Edward share some of their favorite Gospel passages and discuss how Scripture continues to speak to our lives.

With The Better Part now available as an app, what's different from the original book? And Fr. Edward asks an intriguing question: If Fr. Bartunek were writing the book today, what would he do differently?

Discover more videos, reflections, and spiritual resources from Fr. Bartunek at RCspirituality.org.

https://sophiainstitute.com/promo/the-better-part/?srsltid=AU7gw4Xnvh7I8RUvcGM9jMYTB9kym8YWy7yyCZIcV2yCYfXkVtAQtYvW