Sharon Strus: Selfless Mother, Former Catholic Nun, & Polka Accordion Star. The story of a life of humble choices & great outcomes.

Sharon's storied life starts in Michigan, shipping off to the convent at age 13, finding herself in her 20s, then marrying a Polish bus driver in her 30s, and starting a new life chapter. Gain the wisdom of a woman...

A creative–and a priest

Growing up as an only child afforded Paulist Fr. Tom Holahan a huge imaginary world, where his creativity was nurtured. He loved the creative life and exploring the world so much that he couldn't see himself taking on the responsibility...

Inspired by the healing ministry of Jesus Christ

"My dad was a carpenter, my mother's name is Mary and I have no illusions that I'm Jesus Christ," says Paulist Father Frank Desiderio in this interview with Jennifer Szweda Jordan conducted for The Paulist Fathers in Lake George, New...

"The Prophetic Push"

Evan Cummings, C.S.P., made his final promises to life with the Paulist Fathers in late 2018. Just before that, he spoke about how wikipedia led him to the community, how some of his most profound spiritual moments come while kneading...

“It was a better use of my life.”

Father Frank DeSiano calls himself a "lifer." He entered the Paulist junior seminary as a teenager. That was more than 45 years ago. He's a noted leader in evangelization or sharing of the Catholic faith. Father Frank has been the...

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Carla Saavedra and Alice Hill

Carla Saavedra (56) talks with her mother, Alice Hill (85), who was born in Tampa in 1936 at an immigrant Spanish hospital. They talk of family members working in the cigar factory, migrating from Spain and her great aunt being...

“It was as if I never heard that before…”

Father Steve Petroff is a kind of survivor on the spiritual journey--a model for anyone who believes that if you work hard and stay close to God, doors that appeared closed will open. Just before his ordination as a Paulist...

"There's just no greater privilege."

Paulist Father Steve Bell speaks about his conversion story, his love of music, and the pains and pleasures of being a priest. His recorded conversation with Jennifer Szweda Jordan was produced for The Paulist Fathers. (Photo by Ryan Haggerty.)

Father Patrick Philbin and Joseph Dao

Joseph speaks with his pastor and mentor Father Patrick Philbin about his work as an English teacher and missionary in Vietnam and the impact it has had on his life and ministry. Father Patrick also talks about having kidney failure...

“People remember the simple human touch.”

(Photo by Ryan Haggerty) Fr. Vinny McKiernan's worked at the Newman Center on the Ohio State University campus for 26 years. Over the course of his life and work, he’s been a novice director with the Paulist Fathers. He’s also...

"A Journey of Surprises" -Heather Kinney, with The Paulist Fathers

The Paulist Fathers serve in campus and hospital ministries, administrative roles, evangelization, and other pursuits. Heather Kinney helps Paulist seminarians hone in on the direction God may be guiding them toward. She’s the community’s Associate Director of Formation for Academics...

"Priesthood? No way, no how, not a chance, never…"

When Paulist Father Don Andrie consider changing from tech worker to priest, he asked his best friends to tell him how crazy he was. They thought it was a great idea. Though he was long involved in ministry, the idea...

A Spirited Faith: Paulist Father Thomas "Tomaso" Kane

He once wore roller skates and a Pilgrim costume to serve a turkey with sparklers. And he taught the movements of the Catholic Mass to dancers for a major production of a Bernstein musical. Paulist Father Thomas "Tomaso" Kane has...

“I really loved the preaching…I just kept coming back.”

Once, when Father Matt Berrios was a teen, he missed joining his family for Mass. He looked up an alternative and ended up at the Catholic Information Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It's run by the Paulist Fathers. It was...

Collin Green and his Grandmother Mimi talk about life growing up and Collin’s father.

In this interview conducted on November 21, 2017 in Gordon, Texas, Collin Green interviews Jaime Green about life growing up and raising children. She talked about how she was an only child and that she like her alone time as...

“Gratitude never gets us in trouble.”

I'm not proud of anything I've done," Paulist Father Tom Hall told the crowd gathered at his retirement party after 30 years as a Navy chaplain. He says that the room was silent. "I'm just overwhelmed with gratitude. Pride--no. There's...

Interview with MaMaw ❤️

We talked about an array of different life experiences. We shed a few tears were shed and I loved every moment of it.

Proud Papa to New Priests

Paulist Fr. Rich Colgan’s ministries have addressed some of the modern era’s most pressing needs. He's journeyed with and buried AIDS patients in the 1980s in New York. He's listened to Catholics reeling from clergy sex abuse in Boston. He...

Acting Justly with our God

Paulist Fr. Tim Sullivan has been a social justice-minded community type from the start. His upbringing is deeply influential on his ministry. His youth included extensive involvement in the Christian Family Movement that works to make parishes a "family of...

“I was looking for…adventure…”

Service is always at the core of Father Stuart Wilson-Smith's adventures and musical pursuits. He says that from the time he was young, he wanted his life to be focused on helping others. It was later that he decided that...

Praying at the Piano

Paulist Father Ricky Manalo's main ministry is music. But he's also a teacher at Santa Clara University, and around the world, about liturgy and culture. He writes reflections in the devotional book "Give Us This Day." Fr. Ricky is of...

Dave and Maureen’s Love Story (01/08/23)

This love story of David Island (1931) and Maureen Munger Island (1948), married in 1970 was recorded on Sunday, January 8, 2023 in Battleground, Washington by their son, Tom Island.