The Catholic Morning Show – 06/29/2026

The Catholic Morning Show – 06/29/2026

Bo Bonner is back. After roughly six weeks away — including travel in the UK during the World Cup — Bo Bonner returns to the host chair alongside Alexia Baker, Brady Grimm, and Ayden Pugh on the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. Segment 1 – The Value of Sports with Fr. Reed Flood. Dowling Catholic High School chaplain and Diocese of Des Moines assistant vocations director Fr. Reed Flood joins the show to unpack Pope Leo XIV's June prayer intention "for the values of sports," timed to the FIFA World Cup. Fr. Flood reflects on sport as a school of virtue, the Greek idea of eutrapelia (good play), the link between play and the liturgy (drawing on Josef Pieper and Romano Guardini), and practical ways families can pray through their fandom — including praying for athletes to become saints. He also points listeners to the upcoming Ad Astra high school youth conference hosted by Serva Fidem: servafidem.org [https://www.servafidem.org/?utm_source=Iowa%20Catholic%20Radio&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=The%20Catholic%20Morning%20Show]. Learn more about the Holy Father's monthly intentions through the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network. Segment 2 – Catholic Saints of America with John Paul Brissette. John Paul Brissette, director of communications for the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion in Wisconsin — the first and only approved Marian apparition site in the United States — previews the Catholic Saints of America exhibit, July 1–9, honoring 76 saints, blesseds, venerables, and servants of God for the nation's 250th anniversary. Highlights include 14 relics available for public veneration, daily speakers, a children's scavenger hunt, an All-American picnic hosted by the Knights of Columbus (July 5), and a Novena for Our Nation beginning July 1. The shrine is about four to six hours from most of Iowa, roughly 20 minutes outside Green Bay. Full details and novena sign-up: championshrine.org/AmericanSaints [https://championshrine.org/AmericanSaints?utm_source=Iowa%20Catholic%20Radio&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=The%20Catholic%20Morning%20Show]. Also on the show: daily headlines and diocesan news, a Monday sports update, an extreme-heat-warning weather forecast, the Saint of the Day for Saints Peter and Paul, and a gospel reflection from Fr. Nick Smith, pastor of St. Patrick's in Perry. Miss a segment? Catch the full show and every interview on the Catholic Morning Show podcast page at IowaCatholicRadio.com [https://www.iowacatholicradio.com/?utm_source=Iowa%20Catholic%20Radio&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=The%20Catholic%20Morning%20Show]. #CatholicPodcast #CatholicMorningShow #IowaCatholicRadio #PopeLeoXIV #CatholicSaints #Catholic #Catholicism #SaintsPeterAndPaul Credits: Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Ayden Pugh, Alexia Baker, and Brady Grimm.   LINKS You can follow us on Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/iowacatholicradio] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/iacatholicradio/], and Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ_w8fZ51egdFCWFGRSB4xA]! You can also find more information on our website [https://iowacatholicradio.com/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts]. If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! [https://iowacatholicradio.com/giving-options/]   Iowa Catholic Radio Network Shows: * Be Not Afraid [https://iowacatholicradio.com/be-not-afraid/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce Riebe * Be Not Afraid in Spanish [https://be-not-afraid-in-spanish.simplecast.com/] with Fr. Fabian Moncada * Catholic Women Now [https://iowacatholicradio.com/catholic-women-now/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Chris Magruder and Julie Nelson * Making It Personal [https://iowacatholicradio.com/making-it-personal/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Bishop William Joensen * Man Up! [https://iowacatholicradio.com/man-up-podcast/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Joe Stopulos * Sunday Dive [https://sundaydive.simplecast.com/] with Katie Patrizio * The Catholic Morning Show [https://the-catholic-morning-show.simplecast.com] with Dr. Bo Bonner * The Daily Gospel Reflection [https://daily-gospel-reflections-with-fr-nick-smith-46ae5480.simplecast.com/] with Fr. Nick Smith * The Uncommon Good [https://iowacatholicradio.com/the-uncommon-good/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud Marr * Faith and Family Finance [https://iowacatholicradio.com/faith-and-family-finance/] with Gregory Waddle Want to support your favorite show? Click Here [https://forms.donorsnap.com/form?id=7aa8b1f5-937c-412d-9c60-5eff0f4fca2d] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Catholic Saints of America Exhibit at Our Lady of Champion – John Paul Brissette – 06/29/2026

Meet the guest. John Paul Brissette is director of communications for the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion near Green Bay, Wisconsin — the first and only Church-approved Marian apparition site in the United States, where Our Lady appeared to Servant of God Adele Brice in 1859. The event: Catholic Saints of America, July 1–9. A "hall of fame of holiness" honoring 76 saints, blesseds, venerables, and servants of God who helped shape America, timed to the country's 250th anniversary. More than 35 of the 76 causes and shrines will be represented in person. What you'll find: * 14 relics for public veneration, including St. Kateri Tekakwitha, St. Damien of Molokai, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Marianne Cope, St. Théodore Guérin, St. Teresa of Calcutta (an honorary U.S. citizen), and blesseds Stanley Rother, Solanus Casey, Michael McGivney, and Francis Xavier Seelos. * Daily speakers representing sainthood causes, including miracle researcher Michael O'Neill of EWTN (July 5). * All-American picnic hosted by the Knights of Columbus on July 5. * Family-friendly scavenger hunt and activities for children of all ages. Novena for Our Nation — begins July 1. Written by the shrine's rector, Fr. Anthony Stephens, the nine-day novena invokes Mary under the titles of the Immaculate Conception, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Our Lady of Champion. Anyone can sign up to pray along and receive daily notifications. Plan your visit. The shrine is about 20 minutes outside Green Bay and roughly four to six hours from most Iowa listeners — no plane required. Full details, exhibit schedule, and novena sign-up: championshrine.org/AmericanSaints [https://championshrine.org/AmericanSaints?utm_source=Iowa%20Catholic%20Radio&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=The%20Catholic%20Morning%20Show]. More from the show at IowaCatholicRadio.com [https://www.iowacatholicradio.com/?utm_source=Iowa%20Catholic%20Radio&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=The%20Catholic%20Morning%20Show]. #CatholicSaints #OurLadyOfChampion #America250 #CatholicPodcast #CatholicMorningShow #IowaCatholicRadio #Catholic #MarianApparition #NovenaForOurNation #AmericanSaints Credits: Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Ayden Pugh, Alexia Baker, and Brady Grimm.   LINKS You can follow us on Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/iowacatholicradio] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/iacatholicradio/], and Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ_w8fZ51egdFCWFGRSB4xA]! You can also find more information on our website [https://iowacatholicradio.com/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts]. If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! [https://iowacatholicradio.com/giving-options/]   Iowa Catholic Radio Network Shows: * Be Not Afraid [https://iowacatholicradio.com/be-not-afraid/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce Riebe * Be Not Afraid in Spanish [https://be-not-afraid-in-spanish.simplecast.com/] with Fr. Fabian Moncada * Catholic Women Now [https://iowacatholicradio.com/catholic-women-now/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Chris Magruder and Julie Nelson * Making It Personal [https://iowacatholicradio.com/making-it-personal/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Bishop William Joensen * Man Up! [https://iowacatholicradio.com/man-up-podcast/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Joe Stopulos * Sunday Dive [https://sundaydive.simplecast.com/] with Katie Patrizio * The Catholic Morning Show [https://the-catholic-morning-show.simplecast.com] with Dr. Bo Bonner * The Daily Gospel Reflection [https://daily-gospel-reflections-with-fr-nick-smith-46ae5480.simplecast.com/] with Fr. Nick Smith * The Uncommon Good [https://iowacatholicradio.com/the-uncommon-good/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud Marr * Faith and Family Finance [https://iowacatholicradio.com/faith-and-family-finance/] with Gregory Waddle Want to support your favorite show? Click Here [https://forms.donorsnap.com/form?id=7aa8b1f5-937c-412d-9c60-5eff0f4fca2d] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Value of Sports: Pope Leo's June Intention – Fr. Reed Flood – 06/29/2026

Fr. Reed Flood is chaplain at Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines and assistant vocations director for the Diocese of Des Moines. What the Pope is asking. Pope Leo XIV's June prayer intention is "for the values of sports" — that sport may be an instrument of peace, encounter, and dialogue among cultures and nations, promoting respect, solidarity, and personal growth. Fr. Flood frames sport as a genuine good meant to point us toward the worship of God, and as a training ground for virtue, echoing St. Paul's athletic imagery. Key takeaways: * Sanctify your fandom – Rather than praying for a team to win, pray that the athletes you admire become saints. * Eutrapelia / "good play" – Take sport seriously without being severe; aim for the virtue in the middle, marked by delight, camaraderie, and growth. * Play and the liturgy – Drawing on Josef Pieper (Leisure: The Basis of Culture) and Romano Guardini, Fr. Flood describes how both sport and the liturgy lift us beyond mere necessity into something greater. * Keep Sunday for the Lord – His simplest practical advice: don't schedule sports over Sunday Mass. For high school students: Fr. Flood invites teens to Ad Astra, the summer youth conference hosted by Serva Fidem ("Keep the Faith") in partnership with the Diocese of Des Moines, alongside Fr. Max Carson and others. Details and registration: servafidem.org [https://www.servafidem.org/?utm_source=Iowa%20Catholic%20Radio&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=The%20Catholic%20Morning%20Show]. Explore the Holy Father's monthly intentions through the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network. Catch more at IowaCatholicRadio.com [https://www.iowacatholicradio.com/?utm_source=Iowa%20Catholic%20Radio&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=The%20Catholic%20Morning%20Show]. #PopeLeoXIV #ValueOfSports #CatholicPodcast #FrReedFlood #DowlingCatholic #CatholicMorningShow #IowaCatholicRadio #Catholic #WorldCup #ServaFidem Credits: Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Ayden Pugh, Alexia Baker, and Brady Grimm.   LINKS You can follow us on Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/iowacatholicradio] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/iacatholicradio/], and Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ_w8fZ51egdFCWFGRSB4xA]! You can also find more information on our website [https://iowacatholicradio.com/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts]. If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! [https://iowacatholicradio.com/giving-options/]   Iowa Catholic Radio Network Shows: * Be Not Afraid [https://iowacatholicradio.com/be-not-afraid/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce Riebe * Be Not Afraid in Spanish [https://be-not-afraid-in-spanish.simplecast.com/] with Fr. Fabian Moncada * Catholic Women Now [https://iowacatholicradio.com/catholic-women-now/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Chris Magruder and Julie Nelson * Making It Personal [https://iowacatholicradio.com/making-it-personal/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Bishop William Joensen * Man Up! [https://iowacatholicradio.com/man-up-podcast/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Joe Stopulos * Sunday Dive [https://sundaydive.simplecast.com/] with Katie Patrizio * The Catholic Morning Show [https://the-catholic-morning-show.simplecast.com] with Dr. Bo Bonner * The Daily Gospel Reflection [https://daily-gospel-reflections-with-fr-nick-smith-46ae5480.simplecast.com/] with Fr. Nick Smith * The Uncommon Good [https://iowacatholicradio.com/the-uncommon-good/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud Marr * Faith and Family Finance [https://iowacatholicradio.com/faith-and-family-finance/] with Gregory Waddle Want to support your favorite show? Click Here [https://forms.donorsnap.com/form?id=7aa8b1f5-937c-412d-9c60-5eff0f4fca2d] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Catholic Morning Show – 06/26/2026

Sam Halligan hosts his final Friday show alongside Alexia Baker and Brady Grimm before Bo Bonner returns Monday, delivering Catholic news, sports, weather, and three standout conversations. Sunday Gospel Reflection — Fr. Nick Stark Fr. Nick Stark breaks open this Sunday's Gospel, warning against the cultural default of "moralistic therapeutic deism" — a term coined in 2005 by sociologists Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton — and calling listeners to anchor true goodness in a real relationship with Jesus Christ rather than vague niceness. Biking for Babies — Todd Clancy Todd Clancy, board member at Martha's House of Hope, previews the Biking for Babies Central Iowa Ride on Saturday, June 27 at St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church, 1102 NW Weigel Dr., Ankeny. Choose a family-friendly 5-mile ride, a mid-distance ride, or the long route on the High Trestle Trail. Proceeds stay local, supporting Innervisions Healthcare, Agape Pregnancy Resource Center, Ruth Harbor, and Martha's House of Hope. Register or volunteer at bikingforbabies.com [https://www.bikingforbabies.com/?utm_source=Iowa%20Catholic%20Radio&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=The%20Catholic%20Morning%20Show] or IowaCatholicRadio.com/events [https://iowacatholicradio.com/events?utm_source=Iowa%20Catholic%20Radio&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=The%20Catholic%20Morning%20Show]. Everyday Mission — Dan DeMatte Dan DeMatte, founder and executive director of Damascus, shares how a small Catholic youth camp grew into a national missionary movement reaching roughly 50,000 people a year, and offers practical encouragement to love like Jesus right where you are. Learn more at damascus.net [https://www.damascus.net/?utm_source=Iowa%20Catholic%20Radio&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=The%20Catholic%20Morning%20Show]. Also This Weekend Jeanne Thill previews "Making It Personal with Bishop William Joensen," airing 8 a.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday. Sam also notes the Forge Hog Roast (couples event) on Thursday, July 31, 6–9 p.m. at the Wills Family Orchard — details at myforge.org/events [https://myforge.org/events/?utm_source=Iowa%20Catholic%20Radio&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=The%20Catholic%20Morning%20Show]. Listen live or stream past episodes at IowaCatholicRadio.com [https://iowacatholicradio.com/?utm_source=Iowa%20Catholic%20Radio&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=The%20Catholic%20Morning%20Show] or on the Iowa Catholic Radio app. #CatholicPodcast #CatholicRadio #IowaCatholicRadio #CatholicMorningShow #Catholic #Catholicism #ProLife #Evangelization #Damascus #BikingForBabies Credits: Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Ayden Pugh, Alexia Baker, and Brady Grimm.   LINKS You can follow us on Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/iowacatholicradio] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/iacatholicradio/], and Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ_w8fZ51egdFCWFGRSB4xA]! You can also find more information on our website [https://iowacatholicradio.com/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts]. If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! [https://iowacatholicradio.com/giving-options/]   Iowa Catholic Radio Network Shows: * Be Not Afraid [https://iowacatholicradio.com/be-not-afraid/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce Riebe * Be Not Afraid in Spanish [https://be-not-afraid-in-spanish.simplecast.com/] with Fr. Fabian Moncada * Catholic Women Now [https://iowacatholicradio.com/catholic-women-now/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Chris Magruder and Julie Nelson * Making It Personal [https://iowacatholicradio.com/making-it-personal/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Bishop William Joensen * Man Up! [https://iowacatholicradio.com/man-up-podcast/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Joe Stopulos * Sunday Dive [https://sundaydive.simplecast.com/] with Katie Patrizio * The Catholic Morning Show [https://the-catholic-morning-show.simplecast.com] with Dr. Bo Bonner * The Daily Gospel Reflection [https://daily-gospel-reflections-with-fr-nick-smith-46ae5480.simplecast.com/] with Fr. Nick Smith * The Uncommon Good [https://iowacatholicradio.com/the-uncommon-good/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud Marr * Faith and Family Finance [https://iowacatholicradio.com/faith-and-family-finance/] with Gregory Waddle Want to support your favorite show? Click Here [https://forms.donorsnap.com/form?id=7aa8b1f5-937c-412d-9c60-5eff0f4fca2d] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

From Encounter to Mission: Becoming an Everyday Missionary – Dan DeMatte – 06/26/2026

Dan DeMatte, founder and executive director of Damascus, joins guest host and former Damascus missionary Sam Halligan for a conversation on mission, discipleship, and revival in the Church. Key Highlights * The origin of Damascus — from youth ministry done in community to a national movement built on encounter with Jesus * Why Damascus says they're "not camp people who talk about Jesus, but Jesus people who run camp ministry," using camps to draw middle schoolers and high schoolers into life-changing encounter * The scope today: roughly 450 full-time summer missionaries serving campers across Ohio, Michigan, and Maryland, plus year-round retreats, a worship collective, and traveling speakers — reaching an estimated 50,000 people annually * How the Church after Vatican II emphasized the universal call to holiness, and why Damascus aims to add the equally essential call to mission * A practical challenge for every listener: love like Jesus in your home, workplace, and community; ask questions, truly listen, and then share the name of Jesus Learn more, listen to the podcast, and connect with Damascus at damascus.net [https://www.damascus.net/?utm_source=Iowa%20Catholic%20Radio&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=The%20Catholic%20Morning%20Show]. #Damascus #CatholicMissionary #Evangelization #CatholicPodcast #IowaCatholicRadio #DanDeMatte #Discipleship #Catholic #NewEvangelization #Catholicism Credits: Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Ayden Pugh, Alexia Baker, and Brady Grimm.   LINKS You can follow us on Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/iowacatholicradio] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/iacatholicradio/], and Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ_w8fZ51egdFCWFGRSB4xA]! You can also find more information on our website [https://iowacatholicradio.com/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts]. If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! [https://iowacatholicradio.com/giving-options/]   Iowa Catholic Radio Network Shows: * Be Not Afraid [https://iowacatholicradio.com/be-not-afraid/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce Riebe * Be Not Afraid in Spanish [https://be-not-afraid-in-spanish.simplecast.com/] with Fr. Fabian Moncada * Catholic Women Now [https://iowacatholicradio.com/catholic-women-now/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Chris Magruder and Julie Nelson * Making It Personal [https://iowacatholicradio.com/making-it-personal/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Bishop William Joensen * Man Up! [https://iowacatholicradio.com/man-up-podcast/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Joe Stopulos * Sunday Dive [https://sundaydive.simplecast.com/] with Katie Patrizio * The Catholic Morning Show [https://the-catholic-morning-show.simplecast.com] with Dr. Bo Bonner * The Daily Gospel Reflection [https://daily-gospel-reflections-with-fr-nick-smith-46ae5480.simplecast.com/] with Fr. Nick Smith * The Uncommon Good [https://iowacatholicradio.com/the-uncommon-good/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud Marr * Faith and Family Finance [https://iowacatholicradio.com/faith-and-family-finance/] with Gregory Waddle Want to support your favorite show? Click Here [https://forms.donorsnap.com/form?id=7aa8b1f5-937c-412d-9c60-5eff0f4fca2d] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.