Strength Training for the Soul

Replay 2: Diving Deeper Into the Saints w/Al McCauley

What role do saints play in our spiritual lives? In this episode replay, Director of Adult Faith Formation Al McCauley shares his extensive knowledge about saints and their significance in Catholic tradition. Through engaging stories and examples like Saint Veronica, Al explains how saints serve as spiritual guides, showing us that holiness is achievable despite our human struggles. Learn why saints aren't just figures in stained glass windows, but relatable role models who demonstrate courage, empathy, and humility. Whether you're Catholic or simply curious about saints, this conversation offers fresh insights into how these extraordinary individuals can inspire our own faith journeys today.

Replay: God's Outdoor Classroom w/Joe Meyer

Joe Meyer, director of the Catholic Ecology Center and science teacher, shares how his passion for faith and nature led to creating a unique ministry. From his personal journey to the founding of the CEC, Meyer discusses how spending time in nature can deepen our spiritual lives and help us hear God's voice more clearly. He offers practical wisdom for answering God's call and finding divine beauty in the natural world.

EP 52:The Retreat Reset w/ Bernadette Trucco

Join me for the Season 1 finale as I sit down with my good friend and retreat regular, Bernadette Trucco, to take the mystery out of spiritual retreats.
Bernadette calls them her “spiritual reset sessions,” essential soul maintenance that keeps her on God’s path and helps her show up as her best self. From the nerves of her very first retreat to now scheduling them as non-negotiables, she shares how these sacred pauses have carried her through life’s toughest decisions and deepest joys.

EP 51: The Psalm That Found Me: A 1966 Story

What happens when Scripture suddenly feels like it was written just for you?
The responsorial psalm at a recent Mass I attended hit different; it seemed so special and personal to me. Then I noticed it was Psalm 66, and I was born in 1966. Coincidence? There’s no such thing. When I got home to dig deeper, what I discovered just clicked with me and helped me better understand my path and the role of God's word.
Those verses became my roadmap for the life I'm building now. And by the end of this episode, you'll have a challenge that might just reveal the psalm God's been saving for you your whole life.

EP 50: Choosing Service Over Career. A GenZ Graduate's Year of Purpose

What happens when a brand-new college grad walks away from the “safe” career path to take a year of service with no teaching degree, a modest stipend and a classroom full of teenagers who think he’s ancient at 22?
In this special episode closing out my Gen Z series, I sit down with my son, Ben Kujawa. Fresh out of Iowa State with a forestry degree and a minor in wildlife ecology, he’s back at his old high school teaching environmental science and coaching football, basketball and lacrosse.
We talk about choosing service over career advancement, holding onto faith through loss and setbacks, and how simply living authentically can become quiet but powerful evangelization. Ben shares why “all things must pass” has become a life motto, for the highs as much as the lows, and why sometimes the best foundation is the one you build at rock bottom.

EP 49: Pope Leo Hijacked My Plans!

Pope Leo totally changed my episode plans when he delivered an incredible homily to a million young people at the Jubilee of Youth in Rome. They're calling it a "Catholic Woodstock," and honestly, that energy comes through even in a foreign language. His message made me want to share it: aspire to something more, find joy in what you give (not what you get), and stop settling for less than the holiness you were made for. Sure, he was talking to Gen Z, but this message is for all of us who feel that tug toward something bigger. I break down three key reflections that'll make you stop thinking your life is small - because it's not. Come for the Pope content, stay for the permission slip to live fully.

EP 48: Kylie's Digital Catholic Toolkit

I like free and I like easy, so Kylie Flores came back for a second episode with her honest take on the apps, podcasts, and playlists that are actually helping her Catholic journey. Struggling with confession anxiety or looking for daily prayer habits that actually stick? This episode delivers practical, Gen Z-tested tools for staying connected to faith in the digital age.

EP 47: Unbroken: Kylie's Story of Faith After Trauma

At just 26, Kylie Flores has lived a story marked by deep wounds—an abortion she was pressured into, and the devastating loss of her father to suicide. But through RCIA, confession, and community, she discovered that the Catholic Church had what she needed: mercy, healing, and a way home. If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re too far gone or too broken for faith—this conversation will meet you right where you are.Trigger warnings: suicide, abortion

EP 46: The Evangelist You Didn’t Know You Were

You probably already evangelize—without even realizing it. You recommend books, share songs, rave about restaurants, and invite friends to your favorite workout class. So why do we clam up when it comes to our faith?
In this episode, I explore what everyday evangelization really looks like, what’s holding us back, and how Gen Z Catholics are modeling a bold, beautiful way forward. And yes—we’ll even talk about how to share Jesus like you’d share your favorite salad dressing.
No pressure. No bullhorns. Just small, honest steps to build your evangelical muscle.

EP 45: Locked In. A 15-Year-Old's Guide to Faith

What does a real relationship with Christ look like when you're 15? Meet Sami Jones—a Gen Z Catholic who's choosing adoration over scrolling, and kindness over judgment. Sami shares her journey from outright skepticism to baptism, her devotion to St. Veronica (patron saint of kindness), and how she's learning to "do her part" in building her faith. With wisdom that puts most adults to shame, Sami reminds us that spiritual strength isn't about age—it's about intention. This conversation will challenge you to reflect on what it means to truly grow in faith, and how Gen Z might be showing the rest of us a new way forward.