They ripped out the altars. Whitewashed the saints. Built “churches” that look like airports. How did we get here? And why did Catholics go along with it? In this episode of The Deep, Erika exposes the shocking, anti-Catholic roots of the Church’s “wreckovation” era – and the modernist ideas that gutted sacred beauty. But it’s not over. Across America, parishes are rising from the ashes and restoring what was lost.

Timestamps:
0:00 Intro: How did we get here?
2:13 The history behind ugly churches
6:29 “Kitschy” Jesus
8:21 The modernist spirit
11:44 The role of Vatican II
13:37 Ugly church architecture on display
16:28 The way of beauty
17:36 Hopeful stories of renovation

Watch The Deep on Zeale! https://zeale.co/podcasts/the-deep

Top counterterrorism official Joe Kent resigns, claiming Iran posed “no imminent threat.” What does this mean for the war, and what comes next? Meanwhile, the author of The Population Bomb dies, and we revisit one of the most influential (and wrong) ideas of the last century. And finally, what is the real lesson of Saint Patrick? All this and more on the LOOPcast!

Get your FREE PHONE as a new Charity Mobile user with every new line — and FREE SHIPPING — with promo code LOOPCAST at https://bit.ly/LOOPcast-CharityMobile

00:00 Welcome to the LOOPcast
03:14 Updates on Iran War
36:15 Population Bomb Author Dies
49:05 Good News
56:00 Saint Patrick’s Day
1:02:00 Should you kick your kids out at 18?
1:10:55 Listener Question
1:19:54 Twilight Zone
1:51:17 Closing Prayer

EMAIL US: loopcast@catholicvote.org
SUPPORT LOOPCAST: www.loopcast.org

Check us out on Zeale: https://zeale.co

Subscribe to the LOOP today!
https://catholicvote.org/getloop

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-loopcast/id1643967065
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/08jykZi86H7jKNFLbSesjk?si=ztBTHenFR-6VuegOlklE_w&nd=1&dlsi=bddf79da68c34744

FOLLOW LOOPCast:
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Tom: https://x.com/TPogasic
Erika: https://x.com/ErikaAhern2
Josh: https://x.com/joshuamercer

Daily Prayer for America 250
By Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, King of Heaven and Earth,
I place today my nation, the United States of America,
into Your Heart pierced for love of us.
On the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence,
I acknowledge that true liberty is Your gift,
and that our lasting homeland is the eternal Kingdom of God.

Under the mantle of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas,
and through the intercession of her Immaculate Heart,
bless my homeland anew,
purify her from sin,
and guide her leaders in truth, justice, and peace,
so that she may safeguard all human life,
respect the integrity of marriage and the family,
and honor the practice of religion.

Reign in my home and in my nation.
Draw every heart into communion with You,
that Your truth, love, justice, mercy, and peace may triumph
in America and throughout the world.

Amen.

All opinions expressed on LOOPcast by the participants are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of CatholicVote.

Dominican friar and Godsplaining podcast host Fr. Gregory Pine, OP joins Erika to discuss his new book, Training the Tongue: Growing Beyond the Sins of Speech. In an age of hot takes and endless commentary, how do we learn to speak truthfully, charitably, and even humorously? A conversation about disciplining our speech – and reclaiming real human conversation.

Check out Fr. Pine's new book: "Training the Tongue and Growing Beyond Sins of Speech" https://stpaulcenter.com/store/training-the-tongue-and-growing-beyond-sins-of-speech

Watch The Deep on Zeale: https://zeale.co/podcasts/the-deep

Trump demands Iran’s “unconditional surrender” as the war intensifies. We analyze the strategy, the risks, and what comes next. Meanwhile, Kristi Noem is out as DHS secretary. And finally, we answer your questions live. All this and more live on the LOOPcast!

Get your FREE PHONE as a new Charity Mobile user with every new line — and FREE SHIPPING — with promo code LOOPCAST at https://bit.ly/LOOPcast-CharityMobile

00:00 Welcome to the LOOPcast
02:30 Updates on the Iran War
39:55 Kristi Noem is OUT
1:07:15 Good News
1:17:40 Q&A
1:37:23 Twilight Zone
1:57:20 Closing Prayer

EMAIL US: loopcast@catholicvote.org
SUPPORT LOOPCAST: www.loopcast.org

Check us out on Zeale: https://zeale.co

Subscribe to the LOOP today!
https://catholicvote.org/getloop

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-loopcast/id1643967065
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/08jykZi86H7jKNFLbSesjk?si=ztBTHenFR-6VuegOlklE_w&nd=1&dlsi=bddf79da68c34744

FOLLOW LOOPCast:
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Subscribe to Tom Across America: https://www.youtube.com/@TomAcrossAmerica250
Watch Tom Across America on Zeale: https://zeale.co/shows/tom-across-america

Tom: https://x.com/TPogasic
Erika: https://x.com/ErikaAhern2
Josh: https://x.com/joshuamercer

Daily Prayer for America 250
By Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, King of Heaven and Earth,
I place today my nation, the United States of America,
into Your Heart pierced for love of us.
On the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence,
I acknowledge that true liberty is Your gift,
and that our lasting homeland is the eternal Kingdom of God.

Under the mantle of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas,
and through the intercession of her Immaculate Heart,
bless my homeland anew,
purify her from sin,
and guide her leaders in truth, justice, and peace,
so that she may safeguard all human life,
respect the integrity of marriage and the family,
and honor the practice of religion.

Reign in my home and in my nation.
Draw every heart into communion with You,
that Your truth, love, justice, mercy, and peace may triumph
in America and throughout the world.

Amen.

All opinions expressed on LOOPcast by the participants are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of CatholicVote.

For over a century, the College Board has shaped who gets into college – and what “success” even means to American kids. In this episode of The Deep, Erika traces how a nonprofit testing company became a billion-dollar gatekeeper, why standards have quietly shifted, and why elite universities are now scrambling back to testing after going test-optional. Is the system ensuring merit – or masking its own decline? Let’s look at the data.

Timestamps:
0:00 - College Board: The gatekeeper of American education
1:06 - College Board’s unsettling origin
4:35 - College Board takes over universities
6:47 - “Aptitude” controversy
8:49 - College Board cashes in (big time)
10:00 - Becoming the gatekeeper
12:24 - How do we escape the College Board matrix?

Watch The Deep on Zeale: https://zeale.co/podcasts/the-deep

Get your FREE PHONE as a new Charity Mobile user with every new line — and FREE SHIPPING — with promo code LOOPCAST at https://bit.ly/LOOPcast-CharityMobile

EMAIL US: loopcast@catholicvote.org
SUPPORT LOOPCAST: www.loopcast.org

Check us out on Zeale: https://zeale.co

Subscribe to the LOOP today!
https://catholicvote.org/getloop

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-loopcast/id1643967065
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/08jykZi86H7jKNFLbSesjk?si=ztBTHenFR-6VuegOlklE_w&nd=1&dlsi=bddf79da68c34744

FOLLOW LOOPCast:
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Subscribe to Tom Across America: https://www.youtube.com/@TomAcrossAmerica250
Watch Tom Across America on Zeale: https://zeale.co/shows/tom-across-america

Tom: https://x.com/TPogasic
Erika: https://x.com/ErikaAhern2
Josh: https://x.com/joshuamercer

Daily Prayer for America 250
By Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, King of Heaven and Earth,
I place today my nation, the United States of America,
into Your Heart pierced for love of us.
On the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence,
I acknowledge that true liberty is Your gift,
and that our lasting homeland is the eternal Kingdom of God.

Under the mantle of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas,
and through the intercession of her Immaculate Heart,
bless my homeland anew,
purify her from sin,
and guide her leaders in truth, justice, and peace,
so that she may safeguard all human life,
respect the integrity of marriage and the family,
and honor the practice of religion.

Reign in my home and in my nation.
Draw every heart into communion with You,
that Your truth, love, justice, mercy, and peace may triumph
in America and throughout the world.

Amen.

All opinions expressed on LOOPcast by the participants are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of CatholicVote.

Catholic bishops call Trump’s birthright citizenship push “immoral” — but what does Catholic teaching actually say about borders and citizenship? Meanwhile, there is major beef between the Pentagon and Anthropic. And finally, Pope Leo issues a warning to priests about using AI for homilies. All this and more on the LOOPcast!

00:00 Welcome to the LOOPcast
02:30 USCCB and Trump’s EO
23:55 Notre Dame Update
29:44 Anthropic vs. Pentagon Beef
40:43 Good News
47:06 War Imminent?
01:00:20 Twilight Zone
01:18:45 Closing Prayer

EMAIL US: loopcast@catholicvote.org
SUPPORT LOOPCAST: www.loopcast.org

Check us out on Zeale: https://zeale.co

Subscribe to the LOOP today!
https://catholicvote.org/getloop

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-loopcast/id1643967065
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/08jykZi86H7jKNFLbSesjk?si=ztBTHenFR-6VuegOlklE_w&nd=1&dlsi=bddf79da68c34744

FOLLOW LOOPCast:
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Subscribe to Tom Across America: https://www.youtube.com/@TomAcrossAmerica250
Watch Tom Across America on Zeale: https://zeale.co/shows/tom-across-america

Tom: https://x.com/TPogasic
Erika: https://x.com/ErikaAhern2
Josh: https://x.com/joshuamercer

All opinions expressed on LOOPcast by the participants are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of CatholicVote.

Scott Hahn joins Erika for a very special episode on politics, religion, and what it means to live well in our American “Babylon.” If you’ve ever felt torn between pursuing Christian holiness and the mess of politics, if you’ve ever felt uncomfortable being “too obviously Catholic” in public, this conversation is for you.

Books & Resources:

The First Society: The Sacrament of Matrimony and the Restoration of the Social Order, by Scott Hahn https://stpaulcenter.com/store/the-first-society-the-sacrament-of-matrimony-and-the-restoration-of-the-social-order
It Is Right and Just: Why the Future of Civilization Depends on True Religion, by Scott Hahn and Brandon McGinley https://stpaulcenter.com/store/it-is-right-and-just-why-the-future-of-civilization-depends-on-true-religion
Catholics in Exile: Biblical Wisdom for the Journey Home, by Scott Hahn and Brandon McGinley https://stpaulcenter.com/store/catholics-in-exile-biblical-wisdom-for-the-journey-home
The St. Paul Center: https://stpaulcenter.com

Watch The Deep on Zeale: https://zeale.co/podcasts/the-deep