In this episode of the Gotta Be Saints Podcast, I’m joined by Professor James Nolan, sociologist at Williams College and author of Atomic Doctors, for a powerful conversation on memory, martyrdom, and healing—centered on the Catholic history of Nagasaki and his work on the Nagasaki Bell Project.

James shares the remarkable story of his grandfather, Dr. James Nolan, who served as a physician on the Manhattan Project and later traveled to Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the immediate aftermath of the atomic bombings. What began as a family legacy of moral complexity became a personal mission for healing and reconciliation through the gift of a new bell—donated by American Catholics—to replace the one destroyed at Urakami Cathedral.

Together, we explore the deep Catholic roots of Nagasaki, the heroic endurance of the hidden Christians, and how their suffering bore fruit through forgiveness, faith, and restoration.

Topics Covered:

• The forgotten Catholic history of Nagasaki and its "hidden Christians"
• Why Urakami Cathedral was the ground zero for Japan’s Catholic faith
• The life and witness of Takashi Nagai and post-bomb theology of redemptive suffering
• Tensions faced by Catholic doctors during the Manhattan Project
• The story behind the Nagasaki Bell Project and how Catholics today can help
• Why the legacy of martyrdom still speaks to us in a divided and war-torn world
• How the new bell—named The Kateri Bell of Hope—will ring out once again on August 9, 2025

🔔 Learn more and support the Nagasaki Bell Project.

📖 You can also check out Atomic Doctors by James Nolan, available wherever books are sold.

🎙️ Subscribe, share, and leave a review if this conversation moved you or helped you see the past—and your faith—with new eyes.

🙏 Special thanks to this episode’s sponsor, Truthly. Use code gottabesaints for a free trial at truthly.ai

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In this episode of the Gotta Be Saints Podcast, I sit down with Fr. Donald Haggerty, priest of the Archdiocese of New York and renowned spiritual writer, for a sobering and deeply moving conversation on his newest book, The Hour of Testing: Spiritual Depth and Insight in a Time of Ecclesial Uncertainty.

With decades of experience in priestly ministry and a profound relationship with the Missionaries of Charity, Fr. Haggerty offers insight into the spiritual challenges of our time. In this episode, we reflect on the fading of faith, the rise of indifference to God, and how Catholics are called not to panic—but to go deeper into prayer, suffering, and redemptive love.

We explore what it means to live out union with Christ in the 21st century, how suffering can be offered for souls, and why this era—dark as it may seem—can still be a fertile ground for hidden saints and heroic virtue.

Topics Covered:

• Why the indifference to God may be the greatest evil of our time
• How prayer, sacrifice, and Eucharistic devotion sustain us
• The connection between holiness and the dark forces in every age
• How to find meaning in suffering and offer it with Christ
• Whether we may be entering a time foreshadowing the Passion of the Church
• What gives Fr. Haggerty hope in this “hour of testing”
• Why now is a time not for lukewarmness, but heroic sanctity

📖 Pick up a copy of The Hour of Testing by Fr. Donald Haggerty through Ignatius Press.

🎙️ Subscribe, share, and leave a review if this conversation stirred something in your heart or helped you see the spiritual battle in a new way.

🙏 Special thanks to this episode’s sponsor, Truthly. Use code gottabesaints for a free trial at truthly.ai

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In this episode of the Gotta Be Saints Podcast, I share a talk I recently gave to a men’s group at my old parish, centered on The Secret of Holiness: Lessons from Our Lady.

On this special episode, released on the feast of St. Louis de Montfort—a saint who radically shaped my devotion to the Blessed Mother—I dive into the truth that Mary isn’t just a part of our Catholic faith... she’s essential to it. Through Scripture, personal stories, and practical guidance, I explore how Mary’s humility, docility, and courage offer us a model for growing in holiness today.

Holiness must be our primary goal, even before family, career, or comfort. And no one can guide us more surely to Jesus than His mother.

Topics Covered:

• Why Mary is the “safest, easiest, shortest, and most perfect” way to Jesus
• What the Annunciation, Wedding at Cana, and the Cross reveal about Mary’s role in salvation
• The power of her last recorded words in Scripture: “Do whatever He tells you”
• The importance of embracing suffering, obedience, and mission like Our Lady
• Practical ways to grow in holiness today—starting with the Rosary, the sacraments, and Scripture
• How men and women alike can model Mary’s yes in a world of distraction and indifference

📖 Want to grow in holiness? Start by taking Jesus at His word: Behold your mother.

🎙️ Subscribe, share, and leave a review if this episode moved you or helped you see Mary—and your own path to sainthood—with fresh eyes.

🙏 Special thanks to this episode’s sponsor, Truthly. Use code gottabesaints for a free trial at truthly.ai

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