Modern Catholic Family cover art

Modern Catholic Family

Modern Catholic Family

Written by: Jim Schubert
Listen for free

About this listen

Modern Catholic Family empowers families to anchor in the fullness of Catholic living. It is the only platform designed specifically for Catholic families, offering guidance and community that unite the ancient wisdom of the Catholic Church with the dynamic needs of today’s family.

© 2026 Modern Catholic Family
Christianity Ministry & Evangelism Parenting Relationships Self-Help Spirituality Success
Episodes
  • Evangelization Begins with Joy
    Jan 20 2026

    Send us a text

    What happens when a young man at a restaurant can't stop talking about his brother's food with pure joy? That's evangelization. Jim and Meghan sit down with Fr. Gale Hammerschmidt, pastor of St. Isidore's Catholic Student Center at Kansas State University, to explore what it means to love the faith so deeply that you can't help but share it. With humor, conviction, and stories from campus ministry, Father Gale reveals how joy becomes the foundation for passing on the faith to the next generation.


    What’s in this episode:

    • The restaurant story that perfectly captures evangelization
    • Why joy must be the cause of faith in every Catholic household
    • How St. Isidore's creates a culture where students want to be
    • The 9:09 mass and why hundreds of college students attend
    • Weekly Bible studies as spaces for checking in with people who love you
    • Why Catholic schools and rules alone won't transmit the faith
    • The Spirit of St. Andrew and taking the leap of faith immediately
    • How St. Andrew brought his brother Peter to Jesus
    • The pandemic ministry with 49 days of videos and nightly live streams
    • Advice for parents sending kids to college and choosing good Newman Centers
    • Focus missionaries and their impact on campus
    • Investigating colleges and their Catholic presence before choosing
    • The importance of gentleness alongside joy in ministry
    • You become the average of the five people you spend the most time with
    • One resource every Catholic family should know: Fr. Mike Schmitz's Videos and Ascension
    • Book he is currently reading: Personal Prayer by Fr. Thomas Acklin & Fr. Boniface Hicks
    • Advice to his younger self: Don't wait so long to take faith seriously
    • Final wisdom for listeners: You become the average of the five people you spend the most time with, so choose wisely


    Resources Mentioned:

    St. Isidore's Catholic Student Center – Kansas State University campus ministry

    St. Isidore's Catholic Student Center Facebook – Where Fr. Gale's homilies are posted

    The Konza Catholic Podcast – Fr. Gale's podcast

    Fr. Mike Schmitz's Videos and Ascension – Catholic teaching and resources

    Personal Prayer by Fr. Thomas Acklin & Fr. Boniface Hicks – Fr. Gale's top recommendation on prayer

    FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) – Campus missionary organization

    Benedictine College – Catholic college in Kansas

    Show More Show Less
    50 mins
  • Cultivating a Catholic Home
    Jan 13 2026

    Send us a text

    What if the greatest gift you can give your family isn't found in perfect schedules or flawless execution, but in the intentional ordering of your priorities? Jim and Meghan sit down with Lindsay Schlegel to explore what it truly means to cultivate a Catholic home. As a mother of five ranging from kindergarten to high school, Lindsay shares how she and her husband have built a family culture rooted in faith, liturgical living, and the recognition that God comes first, followed by spouse, then children. With honesty and wisdom, she reflects on navigating overscheduled lives, growing in virtue together, and showing her children that the adult life of faith is joyful, not burdensome.


    What’s in this episode:

    • The daily challenge of balancing busy schedules with patience and virtue
    • Why the order matters: God first, spouse second, children third
    • How a reality check on priorities can transform family life
    • Lindsay's journey from a semi-Catholic upbringing to building liturgical traditions
    • The importance of celebrating baptismal days and patron saint feasts
    • Resources that helped her family embrace liturgical living
    • Recognizing and adjusting to different seasons of family life
    • How Lindsay kept writing and publishing while raising young children
    • The story behind God's Little Flowers children's book
    • Why showing kids that adult life is fun matters for their faith
    • One resource every Catholic family should know: The Saints podcast
    • Book she is currently reading: St. John Henry Newman's reflections on the litany of Loretto
    • Advice to her younger self: Trust that it all works out and pray the litany of trust earlier
    • Final wisdom for listeners: When you feel stuck, ask the Holy Spirit and find silence to hear where you're being led


    Resources Mentioned:

    Lindsay's website: lindsayschlegel.com

    The Saints Podcast – Dramatized saint stories, including 5-episode format (15 minutes each)

    Saints Alive Podcast – Saint stories for families

    Saint Stories for Kids by Shining Light Dolls – 5-minute saint episodes for children

    Hallow App – Catholic prayer app featuring Ben Rector's Christmas music

    Don't Forget to Say Thank You by Lindsay Schlegel – Parenting lessons that brought her closer to God

    God’s Little Flowers by Lindsay Schlegel – Children's book about recognizing our unique gifts

    Reflections on the Litany of Loretto by St. John Henry Newman – Reflections for the month of May

    Litany of Trust by Sr. Faustina Maria Pia, SV – A powerful prayer for surrendering to God's will

    Ben Rector Music – Contemporary artist featured on Hallow App

    Show More Show Less
    40 mins
  • How Beauty Builds Character, Home, and Community
    Jan 6 2026

    Send us a text

    What if the crisis of beauty in our culture is actually a crisis of encountering God himself? Jim and Meghan sit down with Kate Capato to explore why authentic beauty is not decoration but essential to who we are called to be. Kate shares her journey from childhood wonder at snowflakes to creating oil paintings that invite prayer, healing, and encounter with Christ. With honesty and conviction, she speaks about the transformative power of beauty, the process of creating art through prayer, and why every Catholic home and church needs to reclaim the sacred.


    What’s in this episode:

    • Why beauty is essential for building up our characters, homes, and communities
    • How childhood encounters with nature planted seeds for a life of sacred art
    • The journey from fashion design to training in Florence as a sacred artist
    • Kate's painting of Our Lady embracing Eve and the healing encounter that inspired it
    • The spiritual wrestling that happens while painting biblical moments
    • Simple ways families can bring beauty into their homes and deepen their faith
    • Why sacred art in the home invites the saints in and protects against spiritual danger
    • The soulless nature of AI art and why authentic beauty requires prayer
    • How to commission sacred art for your home or parish
    • One resource every Catholic family should know: Bishop Barron's Bibles with sacred art, "A is for Angel" for children, and Dietrich von Hildebrand's books on aesthetics
    • Book she is currently reading: Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist by Brant Pitre
    • Advice to her younger self: Keep looking at Christ and stop focusing on the waves around you
    • Final wisdom for listeners: Don't be afraid to bring beauty into your spaces and answer the Holy Spirit's call to invest in beauty


    Resources Mentioned:

    Visual Grace – Kate's website with calendar, shop, and inquiry form for commissions and events

    Bishop Barron's Bibles – Sacred art, poetry, and quotes from theologians throughout Scripture

    A is for Angel – Sacred art book for young children learning letters

    Aesthetics by Dietrich von Hildebrand– Two-volume deep study on the essence and importance of beauty

    Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist by Brant Pitre – Understanding Scripture through Jewish typology

    He and I – Diary of a French Catholic actress with encounters with Jesus

    Show More Show Less
    50 mins
No reviews yet