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@thebasiccatholic shares how Instagram is helping spread the faith #37

As Catholics, we strive to live our faith in our homes, parishes and communities. But how do we live our faith in the public and political arena? Hear how the Virginia Catholic Conference advocates for the principles of Catholic social teaching in Richmond -- and Washington -- on behalf of the Virginia bishops. This episode’s host is Diana Sims Snider, Deputy Director of Communications for the Diocese.

Why would three young, talented men give up everything to become priests? Deacon Will Nyce, Deacon Sean Koehr, and Deacon Nicholas Blank share with us their individual calls to the priesthood, and why they are excited to serve our Diocese as new priests very soon. But even though they were called by God to the priesthood, the decision to go through with it, at first was not easy. Hear about their struggles, and eventual transformation.

Mary Lenaburg talks about losing her 22 year-old daughter, Courtney, to a horrific disease that developed at 5 weeks old, and was characterized by seizures and resulted in many permanent, physical limitations. Two years after Courtney’s death, Mary has a ministry in which she encourages people to embrace the story God is writing with their lives and to trust wherever the path leads.  

You might know her as Mrs. Virginia 2019, but what you might not know about Lisa Stover is how she lost her mother and suffered a miscarriage just before the pageant. This, plus her powerful story of conversion to Catholicism, and how she became a leader in the pro-life movement.

In the movie, Unplanned, actress Ashley Bratcher plays the role of a Abby Johnson, a Planned Parenthood facility director. But when she assisted with an ultrasound-guided abortion, Johnson turns into a staunch pro-life advocate. In this podcast episode, Ashley explains how this movie has the power to change the course of the pro-life movement and abortion in the nation.

Many of us take pleasure touring a museum filled with beautiful works of art. For the artist, it is a means of expressing themselves – and in some cases communicating a raw emotion that they would not have been able to express verbally.  See how one mental health expert is using art therapy to assist women and children who have experienced traumatic events and even abuse.

Internationally acclaimed author and speaker, Chris Stefanick, has devoted his life to inspiring people to live a full Catholic faith. In this episode, listen in as Stefanick addresses more than 8,000 people at the EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, reminding us that true joy and strength come only from God.

Many of us don’t need a car to get us to where we’re going, but if you’re a parent with more than two kids, having a car is a necessity! Hear how one car ministry is giving away cars to families... and how you can donate your own car – even if it doesn’t work – to benefit families in need.

If you believe people deserve a chance at redemption, then you’ll want to hear what one counselor is doing to help ex-offenders find their way back into society. For starters, they don’t go home right after jail. Instead, they move into a home for recovering addicts, then dive head first into a rigorous program. Bev Tauke says: "And what they realize is that I’m not this big clump of damaged goods; I’m not this loser. I’m someone that went through something that was very traumatic. Now I have oppo

Eighty-eight-year-old John Buckreis, who was an orphan, grew up calling the Holy Family his family and has been spreading the true meaning of Christmas sitting in Santa Claus’ chair for more than 60 years in Northern Virginia.

For some women, the idea of handing over their baby to an adoptive family is unimaginable, but one mother we spoke to decided to put her baby's needs first.

It's a fact there is no shortage of food in the United States, and yet there are millions of people one pay check away from hunger. Hear how one ministry is providing more than a million pounds of food to people right here in Northern Virginia in this interview with Vince Cannava, Director of the St. Lucy Project of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington.

In 2017, Catholic Charities opened a free medical clinic with just a handful of volunteer doctors. A year later, it has more than 180! Hear about the variety of medical services this clinic offers, and how it plans to expand in the near future.

After a natural disaster, mobile response units deliver basic necessities to victims. But when that same mobile response unit arrives in a rural Virginia town during the week, the need seems just as great. "We don’t start distributing the items until 11, and we already have a line of people waiting for us at 10 o’clock. I’m astonished that anyone would wait that long to walk away with nothing more than some dish soap." Learn how Arlington Charities utilizes a disaster response vehicle to help the poor