Episode 69 - Sharing the Faith: The Laity's Right to Be Heard

Episode 69 - Sharing the Faith: The Laity's Right to Be Heard

Dr. Tom Neal talks with Adam Storey, Vice Chancellor of Canonical Affairs for the Diocese of Des Moines, about how canon law, rooted in Vatican II, protects the rights and dignity of the baptized, especially through the laity’s “right to be heard” in Church governance. They also discuss the art of listening, shared responsibility in decision-making, and how a just canonical structure strengthens the Church’s credibility and witness in the world.

Episode 68 - Sharing the Faith: Gift of the Priesthood

Dr. Tom Neal reflects on the gift of the priesthood by honoring several priests who have profoundly shaped his life through their prayer, simplicity, love for the poor, and sacrificial service. Through stories of figures like Fr. Anthony J. Manochio, Fr. Philip Scott, Fr. Michael Champagne, and Fr. Rick Frechette, he highlights how their hidden fidelity and pastoral charity reveal the beauty of Christ’s priestly heart.

Episode 67 - Sharing the Faith: Becoming Christ’s Presence in the World

Dr. Tom Neal talks with theologian Dr. Jordan Wood about St. Maximus the Confessor and how his vision of Christ and creation can reshape how ordinary Catholics see their daily lives. They discuss how work, family, and life in the world—lived with virtue—can become a real participation in Christ’s presence and the transformation of the world.

Episode 66 - Sharing the Faith: Faith in the Family

Dr. Tom Neal reflects on the spirituality of marriage and family, drawing especially from Pope Francis’s "Amoris Laetitia" to show how ordinary family life—its joys, wounds, and daily demands—becomes a path of sanctification and mystical growth. He then offers practical guidance on cultivating prayer in the home, highlighting the parents’ witness, daily intercession for children, and the creative use of sacramentals to root children’s imaginations in a living relationship with God.

Episode 65 - Sharing the Faith: Ordinary Man, Extraordinary Love

Dr. Tom Neal speaks with Chris Vander Woude about the life and heroic death of his father, Tom Vander Woude, Sr., a humble husband, father, farmer, and pilot whose daily faith prepared him for the ultimate sacrifice of giving his life to save his son with Down syndrome. They discuss Tom’s impact on his family and community, the emerging cause for his canonization, and the alleged miracles and devotions that have followed his witness. Learn more about Tom Vander Woude, Sr. and the canonization process: https://tvwguild.org/ [https://tvwguild.org/]