Listen Now

Happy New Year! This year begins on a joyful, yet somber note. As most of the world knows by now, our Holy Father Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has died, and now his funeral liturgies are impending. Join Father AJ and Father Andy as they remember this man and his importance in our church. Here are […]

Merry Christmas! Every year, the world celebrates Christmas in the weeks preceding the actual day and season, and as soon as it begins, the world ends the joyous season. Not us Catholics! We have just begun this wonderful time of year. As we journey through the Christmas Season, there are very important feasts that take […]

For 2022, we are both blessed and cursed in a way with four full weeks of Advent. While the entire rest of society wants to start Christmas, and some did back on November 1, the Church asks us to participate in the four weeks of Advent. As we continue toward Christmas Day, join Father Andy […]

After the 2019 Pew Poll (Listen here to our discussion on this poll) discussing the fact that very few people believe in the Real Presence in the Eucharist, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have asked the churches of the United States to enter into a time of Eucharistic Revival. This time of revival […]

Blessed Carlo Acutis is the first millennial on the path to Sainthood, and being that our hosts are all millennials, it is rather apropos that we take a week to chat about him. In addition to Carlo being a millennial, he also spent his short life on earth trying to bring others closer to the […]

After a hiatus, Vince and Fr. Andy are back, returning to the basics. Advent is upon us again, offering us a new way to enter into these days of preparation for Christmas. Join them as they chat about where thy have been and where we are going! As always, make sure to send in your […]

Holy Week is the pinnacle of the entire church calendar. During this week, we travel with Christ to Jerusalem, to the upper room where He turned the bread and wine into His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. We travel with Him to the Garden of Gethsemane, to His trial, conviction, and finally His death […]

What exactly is almsgiving, and how do we participate in this act of the Church? Join the guys as they discuss this important task in our Lenten journey.

Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving: the three main tenants of the Lenten journey; but how does one remain faithful to fasting, and understand its purpose? Join the guys as they discuss fasting and ways to remain faithful to your Lenten plan.

The church calls us to three important tasks during the season of Lent: Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving. Our prayer is so important, and needs to be focused on Christ, yet that can be extremely difficult, especially when we feel this pressure to pray. Join the gang as they discuss ways to pray this lent.

As we begin another Lenten Journey, there are many things, activities, undertakings available to us. So how exactly do we make sure this is a “good” Lent? Join us on our first video of our Lenten series where we talk about how to have this “good’ Lent. The Encounter Mercy team talks about prayer, fasting, […]

Welcome back to the Encounter Mercy Podcast! After a long hiatus and a bit of a change studio-wise, the boys are back for a new season of the Encounter Mercy Podcast.

After a hiatus, the guys are back discussing All Souls and All Saints Days. Join Father Andy, Br. Barnabas, and Vince as they discuss these important feast days in our church calendar.

Everyone needs support from time to time. Sometimes that support is from the IT department, sometimes that support is from family, and still other times, that support is from friends. Most importantly, we find support from our brothers and sisters in Christ, or at least we should be able to. Having these kinds of support […]

In the preparation for mass, there are some specific prayers that the priest and deacon should pray as they are vesting. These prayers have a spiritual meaning as well as reminds the priest of his purpose in the celebration of the liturgy. Join Father Andy, Deacon AJ, and Deacon Barnabas as they discuss the preparation […]

A few weeks ago, Vince and Father Andy discussed Baptism in general, but often Catholics are asked why we baptize children, when a child cannot make a decision for themselves really. We recognize in our faith and the scripture and the tradition that the importance of baptism for the protection of all peoples as well […]

If you went to Mass on June 29 and had expected to only hear about Martha, it might have been a surprise to you to hear that we were celebrating Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. Just this past January, Pope Francis decreed that the feast day of Martha would include her siblings with her. This gives […]

After a month hiatus, the gang is back! Between Father Andy moving and starting in a new parish assignment, Deacon AJ starting his summer assignment, Brother Deacon Barnabas settling in for summer at the Monastery, and the changes of life for Mr. Vince Dragone as a father and spouse, we come back together to discuss […]

A few weeks back, we had an episode on Fatherhood and raising Catholic Children. This week, we have a close friend of the Encounter Mercy Podcast, as well as a high school friend of Father Andy, Jillian Zaczyk, to speak on the topic of Catholic Motherhood and how she sees herself as a Catholic Mother, […]

Deacon AJ and Br. Barnabas talk about a favorite book of theirs, He Leadeth Me by Fr. Walter Ciszek, S.J., who was an American missionary to Russia during the onset of the 2nd World War.  Ministering in Eastern Poland during the rise of the Soviet Union, Ciszek is captured and is accused of being a Vatican […]