When we lose someone we love, life can feel deeply changed. How do we find God in this experience of grief?

When Br Giovanni Castellano's father died suddenly, he soon found himself writing. It wasn't long until he had written a whole book of his spiritual reflections on grief.

In this episode, Piero and Br Giovanni explore a Catholic understanding of what happens when we die, how to find God in grief, purgatory, CS Lewis's experience of grief and why we should pray for the dead.

(00:00) Intro

(2:51) Why write a book about death?

(4:48) Experiencing a sudden death

(6:24) 'Sister Death'

(10:46) Can you know if someone is in heaven?

(13:11) Theology & experience of bereavement

(15:10) How to find God in grief

(16:55) How God spoke through others

(20:58) Last Words & Regret

(25:00) Strength in absence

(27:16) Momento Mori

(31:35) Reflecting on mortality

(33:12) God speaks in our lowest moments

(36:00) Praying for the Dead

(42:03) What is Purgatory?

(47:58) What is Heaven like?

(50:57) Advice for those grieving

Today, St John Henry Newman is declared a Doctor of the Church! This has only happened to 38 people in the history of the Church, so why Newman? What did he contribute to the Catholic Church? What did he help us to understand about the life of faith?In this episode, Piero talks to Fr George Bowen, who was instrumental in Newman becoming a saint and in him becoming a Doctor of the Church. Together, they explore what Newman told us about how God speaks to us, how doctrine develops, how his work on conscience inspired resistance to the Nazis and how he lived his life in pursuit of truth.(0:00) Intro(4:19) What is a Doctor of the Church?(7:15) Newman's letters & diaries(8:28) What were Newman's main insights?(15:00) Newman's search for the truth (20:00) Newman on Conscience (23:00) Being awakened by the truth(26:20) How do we come to have faith?(28:34) An English Doctor of the Church(31:39) Where should you start reading Newman? (33:12) The Brompton Oratory(34:30) Newman for the English Church (36:33) Fr George's journey with Newman(38:16) Newman on friendship

In today's society, many people have experienced the pain of broken sexual relationships and the confusion of attempts to redefine what it means to be male and female. What if there is a better vision for sex and gender? What did God intend when He created us male and female?When Christopher West & Mike Mangione were in London for their event 'The Well', they joined Pierpaolo to talk about St Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body. They explore why the Sexual Revolution didn’t free us, how contraception harms couples, the mystery of being created male and female and where to take our desire for more.You can find out more about Christopher's work here: https://tobinstitute.org/& you can discover Mike's music here: https://www.mikemangione.com/(0:00) Intro(3:09) How is Theology of the Body doing?(5:57) What John Paul II foresaw(8:52) Why gender is under attack(11:03) Altering the body(17:08) Has Theology of the Body been understood?(20:48) Mike & Christopher's collaboration(27:42) What do you worship?(31:56) Young people seeking more(34:40) Created for more

Author Fr Antonio Ritaccio joins the podcast this week to talk his new CTS book, 'Finding God in Anxiety and Depression'.In this very practical episode, Fr Antonio explores what we mean when we use the words anxiety and depression, what to do if you suffer from them, Catholic teaching about suicide and why forgiving those in our lives who cause us pain allows us to live more freely.

(0:00) Intro

(3:44) Depression in my family home

(5:37) Defining Anxiety & Depression

(9:01) Gen Z: The Anxious Generation

(13:24) The four elements of depression

(18:18) Mental Health & Spirituality

(25:09) Understanding Suicide

(32:16) The need for community

(36:45) How to forgive

(43:11) Why do bad things happen to good people?

(50:05) How to find God in our suffering

(1:00:21) Advice for those struggling

Want to go deeper? Get the book here: https://www.ctsbooks.org/product/finding-god-in-anxiety-and-depression/

About the book:When you’re navigating anxiety and depression, it’s hard not to feel abandoned by God.

However, in Finding God in Anxiety and Depression, Fr Antonio Ritaccio reveals how mental health struggles can lead to deeper intimacy with Him.

Accessible, honest and rooted in Catholic spirituality, this book offers practical ways to find hope, healing and meaning amid your suffering.

What do we know about Pope Leo XIV? First of all, he is an Augustinian!

The Augustinians are a religious order of friars who live out the spirituality of St Augustine of Hippo, the author of the spiritual classic, 'Confessions'.

Piero met up with Fr Gladson Dabre, Provincial of the Augustinians in Britain, to explore what we can expect from Pope Leo's leadership.

St Augustine was the author of the highly influential works 'Confessions' and 'The City of God' - both of which Fr Gladson explores, before unpacking how they might influence Pope Leo's leadership of the Catholic Church.

Did you know that Church attendance in the UK is growing, especially among young people? This year, 'The Quiet Revival Report' demonstrated that Church decline in England and Wales has not only stopped, but the Church is growing, as Gen Z leads an exciting turnaround.The authors of our new book, 'After Secularisation' joined us to explore that Catholic story of The Quiet Revival, live at our book launch at WeBelieve Festival!Authors Bernadette Durcan, Dr Hannah Vaughan-Spruce & Professor Stephen Bullivant explore what happens after a society has become as secular as it can, how COVID changed things and why young men seem to be leading this renewal in the Church.You can get the book here: https://ctsbooks.org/after-secularisation/

And you can find out more about WeBelieve Festival here: https://webelievefestival.com

'The question what is a woman rests on a prior question which is what is a person?'This week, we have a great guest with us, Dominican sister Sr Carino Hodder OP, author of the new book, 'The Dignity of Women in the Modern World'!In this episode, Piero and Sr Carino explore her conversion from new atheism and her journey to becoming a nun, why a feminism that asks women to be like men doesn't work, St Pope John Paul II's call for women to create a new feminism and why feminists are coming to catholic conclusions.In the book, Sr Carino invites us to look directly at woman in the light of God and find her true meaning, offering an inspired and inspiring understanding of woman’s nature and mission as virgin, bride, and mother, shaped by the nature and mission of the Church herself, the Bride of Christ.You can get the book here: https://www.ctsbooks.org/product/the-dignity-of-women-in-the-modern-world/