In this week’s podcast, Fr John sits down with Mike, a longtime campus minister, parish leader, and now diocesan director of the Diocese of Rochester NY, whose story winds through backroads and retreat houses, late-night factory shifts and unexpected holy moments. Together, John and Mike explore what it means to live the Gospel not just as a message, but as a way of being. It’s a conversation about presence, permission, and the quiet courage to follow the Spirit (sometimes a little off-script!)
Recorded the day after Pentecost, the episode explores the call to live authentically in a world that is increasingly mediated by institutions, systems, and narratives that often obscure our deepest spiritual needs.
🔊 Quote Highlights
“We are most ourselves when we are most with others.” — Mike
“Jesus didn’t say ‘learn this content.’ He said, ‘follow me.’” — Mike
"The medium is the message in the form of Jesus Christ"
🌟 Topics Covered
📚 Deeper Dive Resources & References
🔗 Links
🌐 Learn More About the CALLED Initiative
Discover retreats, workshops, courses, and join the digital community:
👉 https://www.preachingjourney.com or www.callcommunity.com
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Receive weekly inspiration, workshop invites, and formation resources.
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Share this episode, rate and review us, and invite a friend into the CALLED journey.
In this episode of The Attentive Heart, Fr. John Gribowich and guest Ryan Pemberton explore how faith, suffering, and embodiment intersect in the journey toward wholeness. Drawing from personal experience and thinkers like C.S. Lewis and Thomas Merton, they reflect on how listening to our wounds, our bodies, and one another opens us to God’s healing love.
✨ Episode Overview
In this deeply moving conversation, Fr. John Gribowich sits down with Paul Fahey, a counselor, catechist, and founder of Third Space, to discuss what it means to stay rooted in Catholicism while lovingly confronting its failures.
From the experience of spiritual abuse to the hope of reconstructing faith, Paul shares how healing, nuance, and honesty are not enemies of the Church—but vital signs of life.
This episode is for anyone who has ever struggled to reconcile their love for the Catholic tradition with the pain caused by instances of institutional brokenness.
👤 Guest Bio: Paul Fahey
Paul Fahey is a limited licensed professional counselor, retreat leader, and catechist who serves those who have been spiritually and sexually abused within the Catholic Church. Through his platform Third Space, Paul offers tools, reflection, and workshops for people who desire to remain Catholic while having the freedom to call out dysfunction. He is a voice of compassionate reform—a true preacher proclaiming the Gospel not just from the pulpit, but from the pew. (as one who yearns for the Church to become who She is—the healing Body of Christ).
🔗 Mentions & Resources
💡 Key Themes
What does it really mean to preach with power and presence in today’s world?
In this deeply inspiring episode of The Attentive Heart, host Fr. John Gribowich welcomes Capuchin Father Edward Foley—a prolific scholar, preacher, and teacher whose work fuses theology, neuroscience, and the art of storytelling.
👤 About the Guest: Fr. Edward Foley, OFM Cap.
Fr. Foley is a Capuchin Franciscan, Catholic priest, theologian, and internationally renowned speaker on liturgy and preaching. A recipient of a Lilly Endowment grant for his work on compelling preaching, he teaches at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and has authored numerous books, including Preaching as Paying Attention. His current research explores the intersection of neuroscience and homiletics.
Their conversation explores:
Fr. Foley offers a wise and pastoral voice—showing us how liturgy, storytelling, and lived experience can become deeply transformational, especially in today’s distracted, digital world.
🔍 Themes
🔗 Resources & Mentions
🕊 Final Reflection
“I don’t want to start with scripture—I want to start with the human condition. That’s where Christ enters.” — Fr. Edward Foley
Empowering the Next Generation of Preachers
This week on the Attentive Heart Podcast, host Fr. John Gribowich sits down with Susan McGurgan, a high school educator, theologian, and spiritual formation leader. They unpack what it means to train teenagers to tell their faith stories—and why that matters more than ever in a noisy, digital-first world.
Their conversation dives into:
Whether you're a teacher, parent, youth minister, or just someone curious about how to reach young people with authenticity and love—this episode offers deep inspiration and actionable insight.
About the Guest: Susan McGurgan
Susan is a spiritual educator and researcher who bridges neuroscience, youth formation, and Catholic preaching. A recipient of the Lilly Endowment Compelling Preaching Grant, she works closely with high school students to help them explore and share their faith through lived testimony. Susan's work blends tradition with innovation—offering new ways for young people to encounter Christ in the everyday.
🔗 Resources & Mentions
Imagine this...our wounds and our suffering are so important that God became one with them in the person of Jesus Christ.
If that is true, then our stories–from the brightest moments to the darkest–suddenly matter more than we ever imagined. They become parables that only we can tell.
In this special episode, host Father John, program director of CALLED, is joined by guests Kathy Lorentz (CALLED Curriculum Team), David Plisky, (DeSales Media/CALLED Alumni) and Jesse Manibusan, (professional musician and CALLED Special Facilitator) to discuss the upcoming Attentive Heart Retreat this October 10-13, 2024 at Thomas Berry Place, Queens NY. At this inaugural retreat, attendees will have a chance to to pause, journey inward, and bravely embrace the wounds, victories and joys that may very well fill the chapters of a story YOU are meant to share. A few spots are still available for resident and local commuters: REGISTER HERE. For details on the concert (open to the public by RSVP) contact us at marketing@sundaytosunday.com.
For this special podcast edition we feature the music of guest Jesse Manibusan whose incredible faith filled music can be found at https://jessemanibusan.com/music .
In this week's episode Father John meets with his good friend and colleague Father O'Shea, a priest of the three hundred year old order the Passionists. Together they discuss the state of how we "church" in the twentieth century and how they intend to launch a new program called CALLED to help lay people, seminarians, nuns, priests - you name it- find time in our busy lives to find time for God in our lives, to recognized our lives as the homily it is, and to invite listeners to join the CALLED community and register for the CALLED program for this Fall and next Spring!
TO REGISTER FOR CALLED: More about Called!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CALLED PROGRAM
Michael McCord is a Buddhist priest based at the San Francisco Zen Center. In this conversation, Michael and John discuss the vocational call to priesthood, the similarities found within the Christian and Buddhist mystical traditions, and how to best address the “shadow side” in one’s life.
In this episode, John talks with Julie Larkin, the founder and executive director of Girl Talk, an organization committed to walking with high school and college-age female students who may be experiencing loneliness and the lack of self-worth. Based on personal experience and storytelling, Julie and the Girl Talk team offer hope to those struggling in an age of mental and emotional anxiety.
This week Fr. John chats with his dear friend Keith about their admiration and inspiration drawn from the iconic singer/songwriter, Bob Dylan. They share memories of how their lives were impacted by the stories and music of one of the most legendary poets of our time.
All Rights Reserved by Sunday to Sunday Productions 2024.
In this episode, John speaks with Sebastian Gomes, the executive editor of audio and video at America Media. John and Sebastian talk about growing up in the post-Vatican II Church. (Vatican II was a major council held in Rome from 1962-65 that dealt with ways that the Catholic Church could both become more true to its essential mission as given to the first apostles and better engage with the concerns of the modern age.) They also talk about how to prayerfully read Scripture and how to navigate in a highly polarized Church. Sebastian’s last major podcast project Hark! can been accessed here.
Merry Christmas, Fr. John shares his Christmas homily captured live from St. Matthew's Parish in San Mateo, California.
All Rights Reserved by Sunday to Sunday Productions 2024.
In this week's episode, we welcome back Fr. Matt Pennington. Fr. Matt talks about how we can all use our gifts and power for service. He touches on how Jesus is the ultimate example of dedicating ourselves to service and the impact it can have on the world around us.
For more homilies from Father Matt Pennington, visit Podcast People at http://frmattshomilies.podcastpeople.com/
All Rights Reserved By Sunday To Sunday Productions 2023.
In this week's episode, we return with another homily from Fr. Matt Pennington. Fr. Matt talks about learning from failure and how seeking humility urges us to learn from our mistakes.
For more homilies from Father Matt Pennington, visit Podcast People at http://frmattshomilies.podcastpeople.com/
All Rights Reserved By Sunday to Sunday Productions 2023.
This week we continue our special Flip the Script episode with Fr. John. John tells more about his journey to the priesthood and following his calling as well as dives into some of his guiding ideas in the way he practices his faith.
All Rights Reserved by Sunday to Sunday Productions 2023.
This week we bring you a special Flip the Script episode interviewing Fr. John. John sits down with long-time friend Dave to talk about his ideas of faith as well as his journey to priesthood. In this episode, John shares about his early childhood and how his journey to priesthood began in first grade.
All Rights Reserved by Sunday to Sunday Productions 2023.
This week on the Witness podcast, we welcome back guest podcaster Roseann Bonadia. In this episode, Roseann reflects on the current Israel-Hamas conflict. As she grapples with her own feelings about the violent situation she recalls her time spent in Israel in the mid-1990s and what it was like encountering the diversity of faiths while visiting.
All Rights Reserved by Sunday to Sunday Productions 2023.
In this episode of the Attentive Heart, John continues his conversation with Steve. The two discuss how different people in our lives shape our ideas of God and faith. Steve also talks about his product and company Monk Manual and the impact he hopes to create by offering a tool for deeper contemplation.
Check out Monk Manual:
"We’re on a mission to fix modern productivity and help people live full(er) lives. Inspired by the wisdom of monks, and rooted in psychology, we design practical tools for peaceful being and purposeful doing."
All Rights Reserved by Sunday to Sunday Productions 2023.
In this episode of the Attentive Heart, John sits down with friend and founder of Monk Manual, Steve. The two begin talking about Steve's faith journey and how we form our relationships with God throughout the different phases of adolescence.
Check out Monk Manual:
"We’re on a mission to fix modern productivity and help people live full(er) lives. Inspired by the wisdom of monks, and rooted in psychology, we design practical tools for peaceful being and purposeful doing."
All Rights Reserved by Sunday to Sunday Productions 2023.
In this week's episode of The Attentive Heart, John sits down with a friend and youth minister Greg. The two discuss abuse scandals of the Catholic church, personal experiences with anxiety, and ways to cope with anxiety.
Content warning, this episode contains discussions of abuse and mental health.
All Rights Reserved by Sunday to Sunday Productions 2023.
