For 100+ reasons, I love Dr. Matthew Bunson.  No one I know has quite the depth of knowledge that he has and the ability to calmly disseminate it!  His new book, co-authored with Gregory Erlandson, is OUTSTANDING!  Please don’t say you have  formed your final opinion on this tragic period in Church history without reading “Pope Benedict XVI and the Sexual Abuse Crisis: Working for Reform and Renewal”. Don’t count on the secular media (and inparticular the NYT) to educate yourself on this matter.  No one has done a better job chronicling this crisis and our Holy Father’s true response to this matter, then these two writers.  The resources and prayers in the back of the book are excellent!  Thank you Matthew and Gregory.

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Dr. Bunson’s book can found at:
osv.com

Dr. Bunson has been a frequent quest on Spirit Mornings with Bruce and Kris McGregor…check him out on the archives page!  (I have got to him his own page soon…long, long overdue!!!!)

 (Gotta love this guy!  He just has to be a member of the Cloud of Witnesses)

1917-1948  

Take a listen:   The Fr. Flanagan Program show 1 of the award winning series produced by T. Scott Marr 

Taken from the Boystown Website:
“Father Edward J. Flanagan is the founder and visionary for what’s known today as Boys Town. He had a dream that every child could be a productive citizen if given love, a home, an education and a trade. He accepted boys of every race, color and creed. Father Flanagan firmly believed, “There are no bad boys. There is only bad environment, bad training, bad example, bad thinking.”

Father Flanagan was born on July 13, 1886, in County Roscommon, Ireland. In 1904, he set sail for the United States. Following his ordination in 1912, Father Flanagan was assigned to the Diocese of Omaha. On December 12, 1917, Father Flanagan opened his first Boys’ Home in a run-down Victorian mansion in downtown Omaha. In 1921, the Boys’ Home moved to Overlook Farm, its present location near 139th and West Dodge Road. Father Flanagan and Boys Town became internationally known with the help of the 1938 movie, “Boys Town.” He became an acknowledged expert in the field of child care, and toured the United States discussing his views on juvenile delinquency.”

“There are no bad boys. There is only bad environment, bad training, bad example, bad thinking.”

“When parents fail to do their job, when they allow their children to run the streets and keep bad company, when they fail to provide them with good examples in the home, then the parents and not the children are delinquent.”

“The poor, innocent, unfortunate little children belong to us, and it is our problem to give them every chance to develop into good men and good women.”

“Without God at the beginning, there can be only confusion at the end.”

“A true religious training for children is most essential if we are to expect to develop them into good men and good women – worthy citizens of our great country.”

“No race that does not take care of its young can hope to survive – or deserves to survive.”

“Our country needs good men and good women who have learned to love God above all things, and their fellow man for the love of God.”

We love St. Benedict…his rule, his life, his medal, his sister….

Ok, today is Sunday and his day gets trumped, but don’t let that stop you from praying in a special way with this GREAT saint!!!!!   Many of you know that Bruce and I are Benedictine Oblates (along with Dorothy Day and Walker Percy…what inspiring company, wow).  

Here is the interview  we had with Fr. Dan Lenz OSB about this great saint, so today raise a glass of wine to St. Benedict, break some bread and have a listen

Fr. Thomas Euteneuer is one of the most courageous men I know.  He proves that ones again with the release of his book “Exorcism and the Church Militant”.   It is a subject that we shouldn’t fear.  Why is it we are afraid to talk about this?  No one would question the need to talk about tornados and to actually have drills to warn of their arrival and the ways to seek protection; of course we do this, it’s common sense.  And yet with this very real spiritual reality, we hide it away, thereby giving the evil one WAY too much power in the darkness.  Fr. Euteneuer helps us to “flip on the light” of Christ and the teachings of the Church,  to reveal the triumphant victory of the Almighty over the forces of darkness.

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Click here to purchase Fr. Euteneur’s new book online at  http://www.exorcismbook.com/

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For another Fr. Euteneuer interview in the Spirit Mornings Show archives

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For other discussions on exorcisms on Spirit Mornings:
Matt Bagilo “The Rite”

Fr. Fortea “Interview with an Exorcist”

It just doesn’t get much better!  Wow, to be able to have a good sit down chat with Dr. Scott Hahn…what a blessing!  Especially when it’s about topics he loves.  It becomes faith formation rolled into evangelaztion, added with good does of joy and humor.  In this case, our conversation centers around his new book “Many Are Called:  Redicovering the Glory of the Priesthood”!  It’s fantastic…every domestic church should have this in their library.  And Dr. Hahn is ALWAYS a blast to speak with and listen to, what a gift for us all!

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Click here to purchase Dr. Hahn’s new book online at  http://www.scotthahn.com/new-releases.html

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Other Dr. Scott Hahn interviews in the Spirit Mornings Show archives:
Scott Hahn 01-25-07.mp3
Scott Hahn EWTN 25 Segment.mp3
10-02-07 Scott Hahn – Hour 1 Segment 1.mp3
10-02-07 Scott Hahn – Hour 1 Segment 2.mp3
10-02-07 Scott Hahn – Hour 2 Segment 1.mp3
10-02-07 Scott Hahn – Hour 2 Segment 2.mp3
Scott Hahn 07-07-09.mp3
08-04-09 Scott Hahn.mp3
Scott Hahn Signs of Life.mp3

John Allen, sums up a rough week for the Roman Catholic Church,

“Taken together, the police raids in Belgium, the refusal by the Supreme Court in the United States to block a sex abuse lawsuit against the Vatican, and the European Court of Human Rights challenge to display of Catholic symbols in Italy all suggest that the final pillars of deference by civil authorities to the Catholic church are crumbling.”

“… I’m inclined to think the past week does mean something, and here’s my first-blush stab at expressing it: Collectively, I think these events both symbolize and advance the collapse of Catholicism as a culture-shaping majority in the West. When the dust settles, policy-makers in the church, particularly in the Vatican, will be ever more committed to what social theorists call “identity politics,” a traditional defense mechanism relied upon by minorities when facing what they perceive as a hostile cultural majority.”

But don’t despair kids, “The gates of hell shall not prevail aginst it”.  John’s article is thought (and prayer) provoking.  Definitely read his whole article “Seven Days that Shook the Vatican”   (for the record:  my discerning heart loves John…NCR, not so much)  and then visit Mike Aquilina’s blog and remember that the Church has been challenged in tougher ways than this (and she’s still here).   

Just remember the sage instruction of Padre Pio “Pray, Hope, Don’t Worry”, but the key I think…pray, and for the Church Militant…to stand.

John’s book “The Future Church”  is one of my favorites, check out the interview we had with him on it:

Many, Many, MANY of you have asked for these, so here are just some of them….have fun

Just click the shiny faces below

 

Long before Glenn Beck heard of “George Washington’s Sacred Fire”, which would eventually propel it now to the top of the book charts…..

Spirit Mornings w/Bruce and Kris McGregor brought this important book forward to our listeners, and boy did our great listeners respond (as the nation is now)….

Happy 4th of July (here’s hoping we can celebrate many more…)

Dr. Lilliback is wonderful,,,take a listen….

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You can pick up the book at AMAZON

What a joy to speak with Michael O’Brien.  He has that beautifully tender heart of an artist.  When he writes it’s as though he is painting with words…it’s just lovely.  This is a wonderful read for all you fiction lovers (and non-fiction readers as well)!

Click here to purchase Michael’s book online at   http://www.ignatius.com/Products/THEO-H/theophilos.aspx

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It was great to talk with Sr. Ann Shields, of “Food for the Journey”, about her new book “To Be Like Jesus – Inspiration From the Gospel of Luke”  .  In her maternal nuturing way she encourages us to “feed” on the great gift of God’s Holy Word.

She really deserves the title “Beloved”.

Click here to purchase Sr. Ann’s book online at www.servantbooks.org

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My Podcast Alley feed!

It was a delight to talk with Fr. Michael Manning.  He truly has a loving priestly heart which desires to direct all hearts to the Father’s great love…he is the REAL deal!  What a blessing for all of us. You’ll love “Fifteen Faces of God – A Quest To Know God Through The Parables of Jesus”.

Visit Fr. Manning’s website to pick up a copy of the book and find out more about his important ministry at http://www.wordnet.tv/index.html

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What a blessing to have my first “Inside the Pages” show be with Kimberly Hahn!  She is such an inspiration on so many levels.  The enitre “Life Nurturing Love” series is awesome (book and DVD).  When you read Kimberly Hahn you can’t help but feel you are receiving the best advice from a wise and cherished friend.  With good humor and joy, Kimberly offers Christ-centered teaching from the heart of the Church in her unique maternal-nuturing way. Beloved and Blessed is one of the most important witnesses in recent times on how to truly live out God’s design for marriage.

Click here to purchase Kimberly’s book online at www.servantbooks.org

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Here are the Spirit Morning Show interview we have had with Kimberly:

Kimberly Hahn Chosen and Cherished.mp3
10-04-07 Kimberly Hahn – Segment 1.mp3
10-04-07 Kimberly Hahn – Segment 2.mp3

Show 7 – The Truth About Contraception part 1

“Your Fertility Care Consult”
with Dr. Thomas Hilgers, founder of the Pope Paul VI Institute
for The Study of Human Reproduction
hosted by Kris McGregor

http://www.popepaulvi.com/

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 (or is that Bruce and me…I forget)

By Mark Sullivan

One faith, many channels        

Catholics use arts, media and literature to transmit the Good News

When Bruce McGregor, the former program director of a secular radio station, quit his secure job to work for a Catholic radio station and return to Omaha, Neb., everyone thought he was crazy. Just like everyone thought Sts. Peter and Andrew were crazy to leave their fishing business and follow Jesus.

But the KVSS Catholic radio program director summed up his decision by saying: “I got tired of chasing ratings. I wanted to chase souls.”

It’s one of the mysteries of Catholic life. God calls most people to follow him from right where they are in life. Call it the little way of St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

In “The Story of a Soul” St. Thérèse writes: “The splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not rob the little violet of its scent nor the daisy of its simple charm. I realized that if every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its loveliness and there would be no wild flowers to make the meadows gay.”

In other words, we all have qualities uniquely designed to bring glory to God. No one has to compete with anyone else. And each person displays those gifts in his or her own way — even if sometimes they come across as being offbeat.

Call them radical, weird, funky or whatever else, but these people are looking to stand out and share their faith with others, and they are using multiple outlets — the arts, literature, media — to do it. 

Defining characteristics

Two general observations about the people profiled on the following pages.

First, all had a prayer life. They didn’t need to be asked about it. References to daily Mass, confession, spiritual direction, praying of the Rosary and devotion to the pope were the punctuation marks of their sentences.

Second, all mentioned the word “professional” at some point during the interview. Trying to do something for God was not enough. The details had to be taken care of like in any other professional endeavor.

These are only a few of the many Catholics who are putting their faith into action. Our Sunday Visitor looks forward to hearing about more. 

Over the airwaves KVSS Catholic Radio

Their transition back from a commercial break says it all.

“Spirit Catholic Radio, KVSS, Catholic Radio for the Christian community. Good morning and welcome to Spirit Mornings. I’m your host Bruce McGregor.”

“And I’m Kris McGregor.”

“And we’re delighted…”

The husband and wife team has been doing the morning show on KVSS in Omaha, Neb., for the past four years.

“We give our listeners what every other radio station would give them. News, weather, sports, and ‘what am I waking up to,’” Kris told OSV.

“It’s also extreme adult faith formation. In most parishes, if you get 50-100 people to come to a program to hear about the Church Fathers or some other topic, you consider that successful. We could potentially have 100,000 people listening at any given time. You’ve got them right there in their cars with a nice strong signal learning how to articulate the Catholic faith to the people they are working with and their family. That is what builds the Catholic culture — people talking in a school parking lot,” Kris said.

Until taking the job at KVSS, Bruce had been the program director for a number of rock radio stations around the country. Chasing ratings on secular radio for 30 years proved to be good training, and explains why KVSS has been so successful.

“We put time and effort into crafting what goes on the air. It gives it that good produced feel. It doesn’t sound like a radio station that is run by people who don’t know anything about radio,” he told OSV.

The McGregors regularly interview national and local Catholic figures who talk about their books and other topics of interest for their listeners. One of their most popular features is an interview with Mike Aquilina about the Fathers of the Church on their feast days.

“Kris is a ravenous reader. Any book that she reads, she really gets into. That is why the show works. Our guests know that they are really going to have a chance to talk about the book. I sit on the side and push the buttons and quip,” Bruce said.

Kris also has worked in parish ministry for the last 20 years.

“I think the beauty of it is that we’re pew people. We’re the everyday people who are curious. I try to ask the questions that our listeners would ask,” Kris said.

KVSS started in 1999 as a 1,500-watt station at 88.9 FM, but last January it moved to 102.7 FM, a 50,000-watt station. Instead of being able to reach 660,000 people around Omaha, it can reach 1.1 million people in a 110-mile radius that includes Nebraska, western Iowa, and parts of South Dakota, Kansas and Missouri.

The cost of the new signal was $4.5 million — an amazing accomplishment considering the station is completely supported by listeners and underwriters.

KVSS is also on the Internet at www.kvss.com. Podcasts of interviews with guests such as fertility specialist Dr. Thomas Hilgers, Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz of the Diocese of Lincoln, Neb., and “The Bible Geek” Mark Hart are available to download for free.

Spirit Mornings runs 7-9:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. “We have slots for regular guests. In the 7 a.m. hour we focus on family catechesis, because that is when people are in their cars on the way to school. In the 8 a.m. hour we go into some deeper subjects. A “best of show” runs in the evening and on Saturday morning,” Bruce said.

The McGregor’s optimism and rapid comic exchanges, both on and off the air, provide the encouragement that everyone needs as they go out to face the day.

“People like to see a married couple. They know we’ve had our bumps,” Kris said.

“Hey, we’re sinners,” Bruce interjects.

“We have challenges,” Kris said. “You can make it through all of this because Jesus is with us. He provides for us. It’s gonna be OK; God brings good out of all these things.”

“Even if it looks like he’s in the stern of the boat asleep, he’s not!” Bruce said.