Inquiry: the OCIA Podcast of the Church of St. Paul the Apostle

Mass Transit: Finding God in City Life

Dr. Dave hosts a conversation with Fr. Chris Lawton CSP, Associate Pastor of St. Paul's, and Heather Kinney, Associate Director of Formation at Hecker House on the theme Mass Transit. We discuss Pope Francis's spirituality of the city and share about the ways that we have learned to find God in the rhythm of city life. By this episode we invite you to perceive, with Pope Francis and with the assistance of many saints and spiritual charisms, that God lives in the city.

From the Altar to the A Train, and Back Again

Dr. Dave, Chris from the catechist team catch up with three neophytes: Sean, Gospel, and Nathalie. We unpack our experiences of journeying to and from the Eucharist and how the graces of our celebration of the liturgy ripple out into our daily lives as New Yorkers. Our inspiration is drawn from this beautiful passage from the Catechism: "In the sacramental liturgy of the Church, the mission of Christ and of the Holy Spirit proclaims, makes present, and communicates the mystery of salvation, which is continued in the heart that prays. The spiritual writers sometimes compare the heart to an altar. Prayer internalizes and assimilates the liturgy during and after its celebration. Even when it is lived out 'in secret,' prayer is always prayer of the Church; it is a communion with the Holy Trinity" (CCC 2655).

The Table of the Word, Part 2: The Transfiguration, Elijah, Lectio Divina, and Finding the Verbs

Co-hosts Dr. Dave and Fr. Frank go deeper into the theme of the Table of the Word, exploring memorable passages ranging from Elijah at Horeb to the Transfiguration, how to pray using the technique of Lectio Divina, the power of the Liturgy of the Hours, and we offer suggestions to facilitate praying with Scripture by simplifying a scary word ("hermeneutics"). Scriptures give us language to interpret the world around us, and one invitation is to find a mantra, note the verbs, and then fully enter into the Scriptural story so that we are living in tune with God's love and grace. You'll also get some tidbits about the interpretation of the Bible in the Church, translations, and some banter about whether Dr. Dave can get more books or not. See what Fr. says!

The Table of the Word, Part 1: OCIA Live from Chicago

Live from the hotel lobby, Dr. Dave, Fr. Frank, and catechists Elizabeth and Rich take a break from our participation in the 2025 National Gathering on Christian Initiation to discuss the place of Scripture in our lives, making reference to a new parish ministry for young parents, Sacrosanctum Concilium and Dei Verbum, Pope Francis, Bernard Lonergan SJ on conversion, the Gospel of Luke (especially Martha and Mary), and showing up for others as we make our way through New York City. We ponder how Scripture fosters conversion, share about favorite passages, and gather insights about Scripture in the liturgy and in our lives in order to respond to Pope Francis's call to open the door of Scripture to every believer (EG 175)—especially through our OCIA ministry efforts. We are preserving a degree of realism in our podcast, so we have not edited out every extraneous sound. It is good to try to find God amidst the noise!