In this moving episode of Hope Stories with Sister Josephine, Catholic media pioneer Lisa Wheeler, founder of Carmel Communications in Tyler, Texas, opens her heart about faith, family, and finding God again after walking away from the Church.

Lisa shares her Emmaus moment in Washington, D.C., where a mysterious voice and a miraculous experience at Mass shattered years of spiritual distance. She speaks candidly about adoption, infertility, and the painful search for a faithful Father, both earthly and divine.

Her story weaves through her reversion to the Catholic faith, her work promoting evangelization through film and media (The Passion of the Christ), her devotion to Pope St. John Paul II, and the creation of Veritatis Splendor, an intentional Catholic community born out of the trials of the pandemic.

Together, Sister Josephine and Lisa explore what it means to hurt in the Church and still remain faithful, discovering that true healing comes through surrender, community, and the steadfast love of God the Father.

This episode is sponsored by the University of Dallas.

Get a free college discernment guide and learn more about Sr. Josephine’s alma mater, the University of Dallas. CLICK HERE

Journey to a new depth of hope, even in seemingly impossible circumstances, with Sr. Josephine in her new book HOPE: An Invitation. Available at osvcatholicbookstore.com.

Discover more ways to live, learn, and love your Catholic faith at osvpodcasts.com. Sharing stories, starting conversations.

Learn more about Sr. Josephine at:
https://nazarethcsfn.org/
https://www.instagram.com/sr_josephine/

In this deeply moving episode of Hope Stories, Sister Josephine sits down with Samantha Povlok, founder of FemCatholic, mother of four, and survivor of religious trauma, to explore the raw and courageous journey of healing after childhood abuse that was intertwined with her Catholic formation.

Samantha shares how her experience of trauma, faith, and motherhood pushed her to the edge of her relationship with the Church, and how God is patiently, powerfully, and gently walking with her as she finds her way back. This conversation touches on the power of anger, the need for accountability, and the profound truth that healing doesn’t come from erasure, but from encountering reality with Christ.

If this episode resonated with you, or if you’re walking your own road of healing, please share it with someone who needs to hear:
You’re not a problem. You’re a gift. And you are not alone.

Links:

• FemCatholic
• The GIVEN Forum

Journey to a new depth of hope, even in seemingly impossible circumstances, with Sr. Josephine in her new book HOPE: An Invitation. Available at osvcatholicbookstore.com.

Discover more ways to live, learn, and love your Catholic faith at osvpodcasts.com. Sharing stories, starting conversations.

Learn more about Sr. Josephine at:
https://nazarethcsfn.org/
https://www.instagram.com/sr_josephine/

***This podcast deals with mature topics such as personal struggles, abuse, or trauma. Certain episodes may not be appropriate for sensitive ears.***

In this powerful and deeply moving episode of Hope Stories, Sister Josephine Garrett is joined by June Jameson, a Catholic artist and mother of nine, to share her story of crisis, suffering, and ultimately, spiritual restoration.

From the outside, June’s life appeared “perfect," a faithful Catholic family, a thriving home, and beautiful children. But when one of her pre-teen sons suddenly developed severe and unexplainable psychiatric symptoms, June's entire world unraveled. The suffering of her child and the impact on her entire family led her to step away from Mass and wrestle with deep anger toward God, questioning how a loving Father could allow such pain.

June speaks with rare honesty about what it felt like to scream at God, to feel utterly abandoned, and to be met with silence. Yet, through the compassion of friends, the support of a Catholic community, and an unexpected coffee shop conversation with another mother carrying a similar cross, she began to find her way back—not just to church, but to a radically new understanding of God, the Cross, and herself.

This episode is a testimony to the grace that breaks through in the darkest places, the redemptive power of suffering, and how God uses brokenness to birth beauty, including through June’s now-sacred vocation as an artist whose work touches the hearts of many.

June's Bio:

June Jameson is an independent artist who creates large oils on canvases for galleries, churches, hospitals, and private collections. June has developed a unique style that blends her strong Catholic faith with her impressionist paintings. June earned her bachelor of arts degree from the University of Florida. Many of her original paintings are represented by the Sacred Art Gallery in Arizona and several of her images are available to license for liturgical use through the Diocesan Library of Art. June has had a collection of original works published by Ave Maria Press in a book entitled 'Wilderness Within' by Sister Josephine Garrett. Currently, June has been commissioned to paint all twenty mysteries of the Rosary by a Catholic nonprofit. She lives in Ocala, Florida with her husband and nine children and prints of her work can be found at junejameson.com

Links:

• June's Website
• June's Instagram

Thank you to our episode sponsor, the University of Dallas. Click here for a Free Guide on Discerning College Choices from the University of Dallas

Journey to a new depth of hope, even in seemingly impossible circumstances, with Sr. Josephine in her new book HOPE: An Invitation. Available at osvcatholicbookstore.com.

Discover more ways to live, learn, and love your Catholic faith at osvpodcasts.com. Sharing stories, starting conversations.

Learn more about Sr. Josephine at:
https://nazarethcsfn.org/
https://www.instagram.com/sr_josephine/

***This podcast deals with mature topics such as personal struggles, abuse, or trauma. Certain episodes may not be appropriate for sensitive ears.***

In this deeply moving episode of Hope Stories, Sister Josephine Garrett sits down with her lifelong friend Nubia Torres, a Catholic woman and immigration advocate whose life and career have been devoted to serving vulnerable immigrant populations.

With candor, vulnerability, and spiritual insight, Nubia shares her journey of living out her Catholic faith while working in a ministry that has often placed her at odds with prevailing public opinion, even among fellow Catholics. As a first-generation American and daughter of Mexican immigrants, Nubia speaks to the painful tension of loving the Church while struggling to feel loved in return.

Together, Sister Josephine and Nubia explore what it means to stay faithful in the face of alienation, how to foster a life of prayer as a form of spiritual survival, and how the Holy Family, themselves unexpected immigrants, can serve as a guidepost for how we treat others on the margins.

This is a conversation for anyone grappling with their place in the Church, especially those serving in ministries that intersect with justice, controversy, or exclusion. Nubia’s story is one of resilience, stubborn faith, and a profound call to charity.

This episode is sponsored by Sister Josephine's alma mater: The University of Dallas. Free Guide on Discerning College Choices from the University of Dallas

Journey to a new depth of hope, even in seemingly impossible circumstances, with Sr. Josephine in her new book HOPE: An Invitation. Available at osvcatholicbookstore.com.

Discover more ways to live, learn, and love your Catholic faith at osvpodcasts.com. Sharing stories, starting conversations.

Learn more about Sr. Josephine at:
https://nazarethcsfn.org/
https://www.instagram.com/sr_josephine/

***This podcast deals with mature topics such as personal struggles, abuse, or trauma. Certain episodes may not be appropriate for sensitive ears.***

In this episode of Hope Stories, Sr. Josephine Garrett, CSFN, sits down with Kelly Breaux, co-founder of Red Bird Ministries, to share her powerful story of loss, faith, and healing. Kelly and her husband, Ryan, endured the unimaginable pain of losing two of their three children, an experience that left her reeling in grief, angry at God, and distant from the Church. In her honesty, Kelly reveals how being in a state of mortal sin gave the enemy leverage in her life and marriage, deepening her suffering. Yet, through the grace of a Cursillo retreat, she encountered Christ anew, discovering that He had never abandoned her, even in her darkest moments. Out of this journey was born Red Bird Ministries, a Catholic apostolate accompanying grieving parents with holistic care: faith, therapy, peer support, and sacramental life. In this conversation, Kelly’s tears, honesty, and hard-won wisdom testify to the hope that even in the most crushing grief, God is present and healing is possible.

Links:

• Red Bird Ministries – Official Website
• Red Bird Ministries – Founders (Ryan & Kelly Breaux)
• Red Bird Ministries – Instagram

This episode is sponsored by Sister Josephine's alma mater: The University of Dallas. Free Guide on Discerning College Choices from the University of Dallas

Journey to a new depth of hope, even in seemingly impossible circumstances, with Sr. Josephine in her new book HOPE: An Invitation. Available at osvcatholicbookstore.com.

Discover more ways to live, learn, and love your Catholic faith at osvpodcasts.com. Sharing stories, starting conversations.

Learn more about Sr. Josephine at:
https://nazarethcsfn.org/
https://www.instagram.com/sr_josephine/

***This podcast deals with mature topics such as personal struggles, abuse, or trauma. Certain episodes may not be appropriate for sensitive ears.***

When Emily Frase started blogging, she didn’t expect to become one of the boldest voices challenging the way the Catholic Church talks about Natural Family Planning (NFP). In this episode, Emily sits down with Sister Josephine to share the deeply personal story behind her ministry, Total Whine, a story marked by traumatic births, spiritual darkness, raw honesty, and a long road toward healing.

Emily speaks candidly about:

• Leaving the Church as a college student and her return
• Feeling abandoned by God after two traumatic C-sections
• How well-meaning NFP messaging left her feeling ashamed, isolated, and broken
• Her struggle with a distorted image of God as a “sadist”
• Finding healing through therapy, community, and a powerful encounter with the Blessed Mother

This is not a neat testimony. It’s messy. It’s honest. And it’s full of the kind of grace that only comes when shame is scattered by the light of truth.

Whether you’ve wrestled with NFP, struggled with Church teaching, or sat in the ache of unanswered prayers, this story will stay with you.

Links:

• Website: totalwhine.com
• Substack: totalwhine.substack.com
• Instagram: @totalwhine_
• Coaching and NFP Resources: totalwhine.com/coaching, USCCB NFP Resources
• Listen to Emily on Like A Mother with Katie McGrady

This episode is sponsored by Sister Josephine's alma mater: The University of Dallas. Click here to listen to Sister Josephine’s Commencement Address and for more information from the University of Dallas.

Journey to a new depth of hope, even in seemingly impossible circumstances, with Sr. Josephine in her new book HOPE: An Invitation. Available at osvcatholicbookstore.com.

Discover more ways to live, learn, and love your Catholic faith at osvpodcasts.com. Sharing stories, starting conversations.

Learn more about Sr. Josephine at:
https://nazarethcsfn.org/
https://www.instagram.com/sr_josephine/

***This podcast deals with mature topics such as personal struggles, abuse, or trauma. Certain episodes may not be appropriate for sensitive ears.***

In this heartfelt episode of Hope Stories, Sister Josephine welcomes Noelle Garcia, Catholic speaker, mom of six, and ministry veteran, for a powerful conversation about worship, wounds, and staying when it would have been easier to walk away.

Noelle opens up about experiencing deep pain and disillusionment while working in the Church, from parish silence in the face of her vulnerability to the pressures of tying her livelihood to ministry. She shares how she and her husband David wrestled with the decision to stay Catholic, how they redefined worship, and how the grace to “keep showing up” has shaped their faith journey.

Together, they dive into:

• What happens when Church wounds break your trust
• Rebuilding community when the parish falls short
• Being a disciple who creates Christian community—intentionally
• The tension between ministry and financial survival
• How worship is making a gift of yourself—even in pain
• Forgiveness, friendship, and faith in the broken Body of Christ

Noelle reminds us: You are not less of a gift because you’ve been wounded. Her story is an offering of hope for anyone who’s ever been hurt by the Church—and stayed anyway.

Journey to a new depth of hope, even in seemingly impossible circumstances, with Sr. Josephine in her new book HOPE: An Invitation. Available at osvcatholicbookstore.com.

Discover more ways to live, learn, and love your Catholic faith at osvpodcasts.com. Sharing stories, starting conversations.

Learn more about Sr. Josephine at:
https://nazarethcsfn.org/
https://www.instagram.com/sr_josephine/

***This podcast deals with mature topics such as personal struggles, abuse, or trauma. Certain episodes may not be appropriate for sensitive ears.***

In this powerful episode, Sister Josephine welcomes Father Thomas Berg, Ph.D., priest of the Archdiocese of New York, professor, author, and former member of the Legionaries of Christ. His deeply personal and courageous testimony explores what it means to stay in the Church after profound betrayal, spiritual abuse, and disillusionment.

Together, Sister Josephine and Fr. Berg unpack the realities of suffering within the Church, what happens when trust is broken, and how healing can begin. This conversation explores how the Church, wounded and wounded others, can still become a source of hope, charity, and joy. Fr. Berg shares what nearly caused him to leave the priesthood and why he stayed, reminding all of us that Christ’s resurrected body still bears wounds, and so can we.

If you've been hurt in the Church, or know someone who has, this episode is for you.

We ask the intercession of St. Thomas the Apostle, patron of this season of Hope Stories, to pray for all those who have experienced pain in the Church.

Links:

• Hurting in the Church by Fr. Thomas Berg (OSV Books)
• Fr. Berg’s Writings at Catholic Digest
• Fr. Berg on X
• Fr. Thomas Berg – St. Joseph’s Seminary Faculty
• Fr. Berg – McGrath Institute at Notre Dame

Journey to a new depth of hope, even in seemingly impossible circumstances, with Sr. Josephine in her new book HOPE: An Invitation. Available at osvcatholicbookstore.com.

Discover more ways to live, learn, and love your Catholic faith at osvpodcasts.com. Sharing stories, starting conversations.

Learn more about Sr. Josephine at:
https://nazarethcsfn.org/
https://www.instagram.com/sr_josephine/