January 8, 2026 - Hour 2

Segment 1: Minnesota Bishops Plea for PrayerArchbishop Bernard Hebda is pleading for prayers and calm following the shooting of a US citizen by an ICE agent. Matthew Bunson has more on this and other Church news.Segment 2: Join a Pilgrimage to EnglandWhat if you could walk the very halls where priests once hid, stand at the sites where martyrs gave their lives, and trace the conversion of Newman and the faith journeys of Lewis and Tolkien? Join Marcus Peter and Billy Kangas this fall for an amazing pilgrimage! Billy has more details, including about an upcoming info night.Segment 3: “I’m a Lily-White-socialist-MAGA-racist-Obama-voting-Uncle-Tom on the AIPAC Dole.”In comments sections and emails, Marcus has been accused of being both a socialist and a captialist apologist, a MAGA sellout and a Democrat spokesman, and a “lily-white racist” and Uncle Tom. Such accusations are almost inevitable, as Catholic political theology does not fit neatly in with any major American party, but it also shows the levels to which our public discourse has sunk. Marcus has more.Segment 4: Christ’s Peace and the Next New ThingSix years ago, the world was becoming enraptured with the COVID pandemic. In the years since then, there’s been an election, the rise of AI, numerous social media scandals, and other viral stories. Whatever the next “New Thing” will be is anyone’s guess, but we can safely say it will consume our attention and generate fresh anxieties over how it will upend our lives. David Bonagura puts things in perspective. 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