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Fr. Hal Weidner with his rescue dog Roo. Among the topics Fr. Hal explores on the show: his ministry to Wesleyan’s Catholics (“They’re liberal but devout”, and his experience serving elsewhere; the relevance to today of 19th-century Catholic figure John Catholic Newman; the differences between the two popes about to be canonized — John XXIII and John Paul II; and his advice for making spiritual progress. Hint: the keys are probably already in your house.

Mass at Wesleyan’s Memorial Chapel is at 8 p.m. on Sundays.

Wes students Julian Theseira and Erin Chase (heard on the show talking about Fr. Hal; Erin first, then Julian.)

One of Fr. Hal’s books.

Tonight at Connecticut College:

Paul Baumann, editor of Commonweal magazine, will speak at 7 p.m. on Tues., Oct. 29, at Connecticut College’s Harkness Chapel, 270 Mohegan Ave., in New London. His talk is titled: “Liberal, Conservative, or Just Catholic: Religious Identity in a Pluralistic Age.” For information, go to www.connecticutcollege.edu.

Listen to the episode:

Part 1

Part 2

Fiction writer and essayist Sergio Troncoso was born to immigrant Mexican parents and grew up Catholic. He was educated at Harvard and Yale, but finds himself calling on the values he learned in childhood — as well as his outsider status — in his writing. His wife Laura is Jewish, and they raised their two sons in both traditions. During our interview, he reads excerpts from his essays and fiction, illuminating his ideas about immigration reform and the resilience of families in a multicultural society. Go to http://www.sergiotroncoso.com to learn more about him and his writing.

Listen to a portion of the interview — about Sergio and Laura’s journey with breast cancer — that had to be trimmed from the show for reasons of time.

In the news:

Lesus?! The Vatican had to recall commemorative medals celebrating Pope Francis after the name of Jesus was spelled with an L.

Of interest:

Paul Baumann, editor of Commonweal magazine, will speak at 7 p.m. on Tues., Oct. 29, at Connecticut College’s Harkness Chapel, 270 Mohegan Ave., in New London. His talk is titled: “Liberal, Conservative, or Just Catholic: Religious Identity in a Pluralistic Age.” For information, go to www.connecticutcollege.edu.

Listen to the episode

Walkers and runners in the Hoof it for Haiti 5K at St. Elizabeth Seton Church in Rocky Hill, CT, react to the Pope’s recent statement that the Church is too obsessed with birth control, abortion and homosexuality. Suffice it to say, they like him, they really like him.

Theologians Paul Lakeland (of Fairfield University) and Phyllis Zagano (of Hofstra University. Prof Zagano will be speaking at Yale University’s St. Thomas More Chapel at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 13. Her topic: Women in Ministry: Which Way to the Future?

Denise Stankovics

Fr. John Baptist Pesce

Thanks, Colin, for having me on your show!

Bishop Emeritus Peter Rosazza and I appeared on The Colin McEnroe Show on WNPR, 90.5-FM, last week. Our topic: What else? The unusual appeal of Pope Francis. Click the link below to hear the show:

http://wnpr.org/post/catholics-perk-pope-francis