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The Reason to Stay Catholic (with Colleen Dulle)

In this episode of the Gotta Be Saints Podcast, I sit down with Colleen Dulle — wife, mother, Vatican reporter, and author of Struck Down, Not Destroyed: Keeping the Faith as a Vatican Reporter.

We talk honestly about why we remain Catholic in a wounded Church: how to stay when you’ve seen the worst, how to wrestle with God without walking away, and where real hope is found when scandals, hypocrisy, and disappointment hit close to home.

From covering the clerical abuse crisis as a young journalist, to processing the revelations about Jean Vanier and L’Arche, to a powerful moment of grace at the tomb of Christ in the Holy Sepulchre, Colleen shares how the Lord has met her in the mess — and why, despite everything, she’s convinced the Gospel really is our only hope.

About Colleen Dulle

• Vatican reporter and longtime journalist with America Magazine
• Author of Struck Down, Not Destroyed: Keeping the Faith as a Vatican Reporter
• Has covered some of the Church’s most painful scandals up close
• Wife and mother, soon moving with her family to Rome to cover the Vatican full-time

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why stay Catholic at all?
• Colleen’s story & vocation as a Vatican reporter
• Beauty and brokenness in the Church
• The Jean Vanier / L’Arche revelations
• The clerical abuse crisis and a crisis of faith
• Learning to “yell at God” & wrestle in prayer
• A moment of grace at the Holy Sepulchre
• Madeleine Delbrêl and a “heart stripped of trust in all things human”
• The Church that moves slowly (and why that matters)
• Hope for ordinary Catholics
• Colleen’s “Mount Rushmore of saints”
• If she becomes a saint one day… and
• How you can pray for her
  

Get the Book

📘 Struck Down, Not Destroyed: Keeping the Faith as a Vatican Reporter by Colleen Dulle

• Find purchase options and more at Colleen’s website: colleendulle.com
• Prefer audio? Look for the audiobook version narrated by Colleen on major audiobook platforms.

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👉 Follow Gotta Be Saints on Instagram: @gottabesaints

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With Truthly, you can:

• Take short, practical actions to live your faith each day
• Deepen your understanding of Catholic teaching
• Share truth online without feeling overwhelmed or underprepared

🎁 Start your free trial with code gottabesaints at truthly.ai
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In this episode of the Gotta Be Saints Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Michael Pakaluk — husband, father of 15, philosopher, and author of The Shock of Holiness: Finding the Romance of Everyday Life.

We talk about the beauty of the Catholic faith, why holiness is both deeply attractive and deeply demanding, and how God meets us in the very ordinary, sometimes messy, details of daily life.

From stories about daily Mass with small children, to reflections on his late wife Ruth (now a Servant of God), to a mind-blowing insight into Jesus walking on water and the Eucharist, this conversation will help you see your own life with new eyes.

About Dr. Michael Pakaluk

• Professor of Political Economy at the Catholic University of America (Bush School of Business)
• Philosopher and scholar, especially in the thought of Aristotle
• Author of 14 books (with more on the way!) and father of 15 children
• Widower of Ruth Pakaluk, whose cause for canonization has begun, and husband of Catherine Pakaluk, author of Hannah’s Children

In this episode, we talk about:

• The beauty of the Catholic faith
• Why holiness is so attractive — and so uncomfortable
• Ruth’s story and the reality of heroic holiness
• The universal call to holiness in ordinary life
• The romance of everyday life
• A fresh look at the Eucharist and transubstantiation
• How to actually live this out

Get the Book

📘 The Shock of Holiness: Finding the Romance of Everyday Life

• Order from Ignatius Press
• Or ask your local Catholic bookstore to order it (and put a copy on the shelf!)

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👉 Follow Gotta Be Saints on Instagram: @gottabesaints

If this episode encouraged you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend who needs the reminder that holiness is possible — right in the middle of ordinary life.

Episode Sponsor — Truthly

This episode is sponsored by Truthly, the first Catholic action app helping you reflect, learn, and share your faith confidently.

Start your free trial with code gottabesaints: truthly.ai

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In this powerful and timely episode of the Gotta Be Saints Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Charles “Charlie” Camosy — moral theologian, bioethicist, and author of Living and Dying Well (order here).

Charlie shares deep insights into the cultural push toward physician-assisted killing, why our society is at a “tipping point,” and how the Catholic vision of life and death offers a radically hopeful alternative rooted in dignity, community, and love. Drawing from Church teaching, real-world data, and his father’s own end-of-life journey, Charlie shows how we can resist the throwaway culture and accompany the sick and elderly with compassion and purpose.

Whether you’re caring for aging parents, worried about dementia, or simply wondering what it means to “die well” as a disciple of Jesus, this conversation reframes aging and dying as invitations to deeper love.

In this episode, Charlie shares:

• Why some states are pushing physician-assisted killing — and why others still strongly resist
• What “autonomy” really means in our cultural moment
• Why the poor, disabled, and marginalized are most at risk
• How consumerism distorts our view of productivity and worth
• What it truly means to live and die well in Christian community
• How demographic trends and the dementia crisis complicate end-of-life care
• How Catholics can build a counterculture of hospitality, encounter, and hope

If you’ve ever asked yourself…

How do I support a loved one who fears being a burden?
What does the Church actually teach about assisted suicide?
How do I walk with aging parents with dignity and charity?
What does resisting the throwaway culture look like at the end of life?
…then this episode is for you.

Learn More

Explore more of Charlie’s work: charlescamosy.com

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Instagram: @gottabesaints

Subscribe and leave a review to help others discover the call to holiness.

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