January 2, 2026 - Hour 2

Ave Maria in the Afternoon Year in Review Segment 1: Let the Leo RoarFrom the minute Pope Leo was introduced, some people tried to frame him in the context of former popes. But we can only judge him based on what he actually says and does – and there was a lot to like about his first homily as pope. We look back on Marcus’ first commentary after his election as our year in review continues.Segment 2: Why we had confessions at my father’s wake (3 segments)Shannon Salter’s father recently died following a battle with cancer. Though he was relatively young, his life was an example of joyous service to Christ – so when the family was planning his wake, Shannon felt the call from Jesus to make the Sacrament of Confession available. She shares the story. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit avemariapm.substack.com