CHNetwork Presents

Do Converts Really Make the Best Catholics? – CHNetwork Presents, Episode 25

Often, due to their zeal and the amount of research they do, converts to Catholicism are treated like experts on the Faith, who have somehow figured it out more even than people who've been Catholic their whole lives.But is that really the case?Matt Swaim talks to Casey and Erin Phillips and Lorelei Savaryn about their own experience of being active Evangelical Christians, the way that formed them to think about Christianity, and how it fueled their passion about being Catholic once they discovered the reality of the Church. They also discuss the pitfalls that can be present to new converts, and how those who are new to the Church shouldn't let the fact that they've learned a lot of information serve as a substitute for actually experiencing formation in their newfound faith.
Casey and Erin's podcast
Lorelei's website

Fitting in at Your Parish as a New Catholic - CHNetwork Presents, Episode 24

Many inquirers feel drawn to the Catholic Church because of the beauty and power of her teachings and sacraments. But many of them are coming from church backgrounds -- especially Evangelical ones -- where they felt welcomed and included, and their experience of visiting a Catholic parish can feel like the exact opposite of that. Matt Swaim talks to Jennifer Fitz and Rakhi McCormick about their own experience of this phenomenon when they were becoming Catholic, how to remedy some of those frustrations, and how the Mass is fundamentally different than the kind of worship experience that so many of us have come from. Jennifer's Substack articles on this topic: http://jenniferfitz.substack.com
Jennifer's Journey Home episode: https://chnetwork.org/journey-home/jennifer-fitz-catholic-revert/
Jennifer's written conversion story: https://chnetwork.org/story/tossed-about-then-reeled-in/
Rakhi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rakstardesigns
Rakhi's Journey Home: https://chnetwork.org/journey-home/rakhi-mccormick-former-hindu/
More of Rakhi's story: https://chnetwork.org/insights/hinduism-and-catholicism-rakhi-mccormick/
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The Ripple Effect of Becoming Catholic – Episode 23

Monica Anyango grew up Catholic, but left the faith for years before feeling a strong pull back to the sacraments. Raven Yohannon lived in Monica's apartment building, and one day when she got locked out, she knocked on Monica's door, and an immediate friendship began.
They talk about how friendship and community are essential components of sharing faith, and what it means to truly walk with people as they seek to grow in relationship with Christ.
Monica's work: monicaanyango.com
Raven's work: saintsalivepodcast.com

Catholic Lent and the Human Desire for Self-Discipline - CHNetwork Presents, Episode 22

Before he became Catholic, Rob Marco sought to shake off consumerism and embrace self-discipline through extreme outdoor adventures and straight edge punk ethos.
Pat Flynn sought it too, through stoic philosophy and hardcore fitness regimens.
They share with Matt Swaim how they approached self-discipline and the desire to reject consumerism and appetites before becoming Catholic, and how those concepts took on new meaning when they began to understand how Catholicism treats Lent.
Pat's website: https://chroniclesofstrength.com
More from Pat: https://www.philosophyforthepeople.com
Rob's blog: https://fatherofthefamily.blogspot.com
Pat's testimony: https://chnetwork.org/?s=patrick+flynn
Rob's Testimony: https://chnetwork.org/?s=rob+marco
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Science Fiction, Christianity, and the Search for Truth - CHNetwork Presents, Episode 20

As kids, both Rod Bennett and Jim Papandrea were captivated by science fiction, from H.G. Wells to Star Trek, to Narnia and more. These stories shaped them, and helped them to ask the most important questions about what it means to be human.
Now as widely published Church historians, Rod and Jim talk to Matt Swaim about how sci-fi and fantasy stories, and the desire to explore big questions in unfamiliar environments, can help us better understand the debates through the centuries about who Jesus is, how we should conduct ourselves in an ever-changing technological world, and what it means to have a truly Christian imagination.
Jim's book, "From Star Wars to Superman: Christ Figures in Science Fiction and Superhero Films": https://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Superman-Figures-Superhero/dp/1622823885/ref=sr_1_13?crid=1IRQUO5A089Y6&keywords=james+papandrea&qid=1668699831&s=books&sprefix=james+papandrea%2Cstripbooks%2C57&sr=1-13
Rod's book, "The Popcorn Cathedral: Essays at the Junction of Film, Faith, and Fantasy": https://www.amazon.com/Popcorn-Cathedral-Essays-Junction-Fantasy/dp/153323549X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
More stories: http://www.chnetwork.org
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Feeling Unworthy to Go Back to Mass – CHNetwork Presents, Episode 19

Many people who grew up Catholic have just stopped going to Church over the years, and for whatever reason, think the things they've been involved with have made it so they'll never be welcome to come back. They feel unwanted, by practicing Catholics or even by God, and don't want to be just one more hypocrite in a room full of people who they feel will never accept them.
Carlos "C2six" Zamora and Fonzie "Separate M1nd" Pedroza of the Catholic hip hop collective FoundNation share their own experience of getting in trouble with gangs and drugs in their high school years, how that affected their relationship with Christ and the Church, and how they came over time to see God as a loving Father who is always calling His children back to relationship with Him.
Featured track: "Empty Pew" by FoundNation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FZX3qNi5Vc
More tracks: https://www.foundnationfamily.com
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Seventh-day Adventists, Catholic Converts - CHNetwork Presents, Episode 18

The Seventh-day Adventist movement, founded in the mid-19th century, is in many ways like other forms of American Protestantism, but the writings of Ellen G. White set it apart as its own unique expression of Christianity, most notably in the observance of Saturday as its formal day of worship. Norman bin Yazid, a former Adventist minister, and Arthur and Teresa Beem, who come from generational Adventist families, talk to Matt Swaim about their experience of coming to know Christ in the SDA world, and the key questions they began to ask that would eventually lead each of them to the Catholic Church.
Arthur and Teresa's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXOoYMICOs_b43LagdV19Vw
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Baptist Hell Houses, Catholic Halloween - CHNetwork Presents, Episode 17

Many Protestant kids who grew up in the 1980's and 1990's were either not allowed to celebrate Halloween, or went to churches that did Halloween alternatives, because the assumption was that Halloween was a pagan holiday, with demonic origins.
Matt Swaim, Sam Guzman and Bo Bonner share their experience of growing up in that world, and what they each came to discover about the Communion of Saints, the power of good over evil, and the Christian vision of the human person once they started to look at the true origins of All Hallow's Eve and its connected feasts.
Sam Guzman's site
Bo Bonner on The Journey Home 
Bo's radio show, The Uncommon Good
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Career Ideas for Protestant Pastors Who Become Catholic - CHNetwork Presents, Episode 16

For many Protestant pastors who are considering becoming Catholic, the theological issues aren't what's holding them back; it's the question of how they'll be able to support their family when they walk away from the only career many of them have ever known.
Mike Allen, who was a Methodist pastor for several years, and Andy McNutt, whose ministry experience was in a Baptist context, share what that struggle was like for them, and offer ideas for fellow Protestant clergy who are wondering if their skills and experience will be worth anything if they leave their pastoral ministry to become Catholic.
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Praying With St. Monica For Our Loved Ones - CHNetwork Presents, Episode 15

At The Coming Home Network, we're often working with people from various backgrounds on their way into the Church. But most of our support comes from faithful Catholics who have loved ones that have left the faith, because they want to see them return to the sacraments. Patti Armstrong and Roxanne Salonen, authors of "What Would Monica Do," share their own experience of praying for their loved ones to return to faith, as well as some of the most common mistakes that can be made out of zeal or desperation. They share how St. Monica, the mother of the once wayward St. Augustine, can serve as a model and intercessor in these conversations.
Patti and Roxanne's book, "What Would St. Monica Do": https://ascensionpress.com/products/what-would-monica-do
"Redeemed by Grace" by Ramona Treviño with Roxanne Salonen: https://ignatius.com/redeemed-by-grace-rbgh/
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