Episodes
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How to Pray the Rosary
Whether you pray the rosary daily or have never tried it before, Bishop Wall has some tips for making the most of this wonderful prayer.
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All About Advent!
Bishop Wall takes an in-depth look at how we can grow in holiness and happiness this Advent season.
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CC094: How to Discern Your Vocation
Bishop Wall thought he would follow in his father's footsteps: get married, have 6 kids, become a football coach. But God was calling him to something different.
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CC093: The Life of a Bishop
Some people may wonder what a Catholic Bishop does from day to day. The answer, in our case, is: lots of travel! Whether leading pilgrimages, attending meetings, or fundraising, Bishop Wall is often racking up the car and airline miles to promote and support our Diocese.
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Holy Week, Easter, and Divine Mercy
How you can make the most of this high point of the liturgical year.
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CC091 - Get Ready for Lent!
Bishop Wall gives advice on how to prepare for Lent in three ways: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
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Don't Let the Jubilee Year Pass You By
Bishop Wall talks about the importance of the Jubilee, and how to make the most of this special year that only occurs every 25 years in the Church.
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CC089: Making the Most of a New Year
Advent marks the beginning of a new liturgical year, and with 2025 around the corner, Bishop Wall gives advice on how to make good resolutions for both.
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Keeping Your Cool During a Contentious Election
Bishop Wall provides tips on how Catholics can form their consciences on candidates and issues, how to maintain hope, and why charity is the most important virtue to cultivate, especially during an election season.
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The Year of Mission
The Catholic Church has now moved into the final year of the Eucharistic Revival: the Year of Mission. Bishop Wall discusses how Catholics can be effective missionaries in the world, especially in promoting an encounter with Christ through the Eucharist.
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An Exciting New Partnership
Bishop Wall and special guest Fr. Burke Masters discuss a new initiative between the Diocese of Gallup and Fr. Burke's Illinois parish, St. Isaac Jogues.
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CC085: What is the Eucharistic Revival?
The Eucharist is Jesus Christ fully present: Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. But why do so many Catholics seem lukewarm about the Eucharist, and why is there a revival across the United States that aims to spread awareness about what the Church teaches about the Eucharist? Bishop James S. Wall...
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A Very Unique Vocation Story
As a young man, Deacon Aaron Alford assumed he'd make a career in comedy or with a sketch group like Second City. But God had other plans, and even before his conversion to Catholicism, Alford realized he was being called to become a priest.
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CC083 - Make the Most of Lent
It's our annual episode on Lent! Whether you've been prepared since before Ash Wednesday, or are still trying to figure out what to give up, Bishop Wall offers some advice for making the most of this season.
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CC082 - How Baseball Led Me To The Priesthood
Fr. Burke Masters is a priest of the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois, and the chaplain for the Chicago Cubs. In this episode, he speaks with Bishop Wall about his conversion to Catholicism and his vocation as a priest - all of which started with his childhood love of baseball.
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How to Make the Most of Advent
For some, the holidays are a time of joy and cheer, while for others, a feeling of isolation or loneliness can set in. But Advent - a season of anticipation - provides an opportunity for everyone to celebrate the birth of Christ and look forward to His second coming.
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How (And Why) You Should Make a Pilgrimage
You don't have to travel halfway across the world or spend a lot of money to make a pilgrimage. Bishop James Wall gives advice on how to undertake one - whether in your own home or to a famous site like Lourdes.
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A Deepdive Into the Sacraments: Confirmation
Confirmation is a familiar rite of passage for most young adult Catholics - but why is it such an important sacrament? Bishop Wall explains the significance.
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The Significance of Holy Week
Holy Week - the week leading up to Easter, is one of the high points of the liturgical year in the Catholic Church. We hear names like Spy Wednesday and Good Friday - but what do they mean, and why are they important? In this episode, Bishop Wall gives a breakdown of the significance of each day…
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How to Make this Lent Spiritually Successful
We're back! In our new episode, Bishop Wall gives advice for Lent: how best to prepare; recommendations for prayer, fasting, and almsgiving; and his favorite spiritual readings.
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Why Freedom of Religion is An Essential Human Right
Originally recorded in July 2021, but the topic is relevant year-round! Along with freedom of speech, assembly, and other guaranteed American rights, freedom of religion is a right inherent to human beings, and not one that should be bestowed or revoked by any government or ruler. For Catholics,...
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Work to Live - Don't Live To Work
It's easy to find ourselves waffling between two extremes: procrastination on the one hand, or toxic productivity on the other. Hard work, properly ordered, is good, but not when it's focused on chasing material goods or wealth which will never bring true happiness. Rather, like St. Joseph, we...
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Preserving the Sanctity of the Eucharist
When a priest or bishop makes the decision to publicly or privately deny the Eucharist to a Catholic, it is not a gesture motivated by politics. Rather, it is an act of charity which keeps the person from falling into deeper sin, a call to repentance, and an effort to preserve the sanctity of the...
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Jesus, the Good Shepherd | Sunday Homily
A good shepherd is one who seeks to bring each strayed member back to the fold, who concerns himself with each sheep's wellbeing, and who would lay down his life for the good of his flock. A good shepherd is not simply a hired hand, watchful for only a certain period - rather, a good shepherd's...
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The Year of St. Joseph
What is the Year of St. Joseph, and what are the spiritual benefits of a devotion to St. Joseph? Bishop James Wall breaks it down for Catholics.
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10 Suggestions for Faithful Catholics in Electing Public Officials
Following one's moral conscience can be challenging at the best of times, but even more so during election season. How to best combine our religious obligations with our civic duties? In this episode, Bishop Wall gives suggestions on how best to participate in secular and civic life while doing…
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The Importance of Marriage
Marriage is an underrated and often misunderstood vocation, especially within secular societies. What makes this sacrament so beautiful, and how can couples navigate the challenges and joys that come from a lifelong commitment to one another? In this episode, Bishop Wall chats with special guests...
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A Catholic Response to Systems of Injustice
How easy it is to feel powerless, angry, and saddened in the face of oppression, racism and injustice! But to act justly and kindly in response, Catholics must keep in mind the two most powerful commandments: to love God, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. In this episode, Bishop Wall…
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Keeping the Faith During a Pandemic
For most American Catholics, the Coronavirus is unprecedented; no public Masses, suspension of Confirmations, closures of schools - the list goes on. But pandemics, limited access to the Sacraments, and tough times have occurred many times throughout the history of the Church, and so it is up to...
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Make This Lenten Season the Most Fruitful One Yet!
It's time once again for our annual Lenten podcast! In this episode, Bishop Wall shares his personal Lenten habits and gives advice on how to make this your most prayerful and fruitful Lent ever, whether you're just now kickstarting your prayer life or have a solid spiritual life already.
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Meeting the Pope Face to Face
Every 5-8 years, each catholic bishop must go to the Vatican for what is known as an "Ad Limina" visit - Latin for "To the Threshold". The bishop is visiting the "threshold" of the Apostles, and the Pope as the successor of St. Peter. During this visit, a bishop gives an accounting of his…
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You Should Be Praying the Rosary - Here's How to Start
The Rosary is often considered the second most important prayer in Catholicism - the most important, of course, is the sacrifice of the Mass. What makes it so powerful is its connection with the Blessed Mother, and ultimately, how it brings us closer to Christ through her example. Indeed, Mary...
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An Insider Breakdown of the Fall 2019 U.S. Bishops' Meeting
Bishop Wall takes a look at all the important things happening at the annual November meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore.
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John Henry Newman, Part 2: How Catholic Education Can Transform the Church
On October 13, 2019, John Henry Newman was canonized a saint by Pope Francis. A convert from Anglicanism, Newman became one of the most prolific English Catholic writers and teachers of the 19th century. In our 2nd episode on Newman, Dr. John Freeh joins Bishop Wall to discuss why Newman's…
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John Henry Newman, Part 1: Seeking Truth, No Matter the Cost
"Heart Speaks Unto Heart" - this was the motto for Cardinal John Henry Newman, who will be canonized a saint on October 13, 2019. What spoke to Newman's heart was truth, which he followed throughout his life. It was the truth of Catholicism that led to his conversion in 1845, even though it cost...
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The Eucharist, Explained
It's been making the rounds lately: a recent PEW religion survey has found that 7 in 10 American Catholics believe the Eucharist is merely a "symbol". The number starkly falls among weekly Mass-goers, the majority of whom believe in the True Presence, but among fallen away and seldom-attending...
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Tolkien, Part 3: How Middle-Earth Is Infused With Catholicism
In our final episode on Tolkien, Bishop Wall and Dr. Helen Freeh discuss the major differences between the Lord of the Rings books and films, and why reading the books is necessary to understand the themes and true beauty behind the world and stories of Middle-Earth.
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Tolkien, Part 2: The Faith and Friendships That Shaped Middle-Earth
In our second of of three episodes examining the life and legacy of J.R.R. Tolkien, Dr. Helen Freeh joins Bishop Wall to discuss Tolkien's upbringing, faith, and friendships. Tolkien was acquainted with death from an early age, losing his father as a little boy and later 2 close friends in the...
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Tolkien, Part 1: Free Will and Fate in Western Myth
Dr. Helen Freeh joins Bishop Wall for this first in a three-part discussion on the life, legacy and faith of British author J.R.R. Tolkien. Most known for his books "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings", Tolkien was an Oxford Professor and devout Catholic who infused his works with religious...
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The Enduring Legacy of St. Kateri Tekakwitha
Why does the life of a young Algonquin-Mohawk woman from a 17th century mean so much to the Catholics of New Mexico and Arizona? In this episode, Bishop Wall takes a look at St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the first canonized Native American saint. “When we look at the saints, and this our special saint,...
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What Happened at the June 2019 U.S. Bishops' Meeting?
Catholic Bishops from around the United States gathered in June for a meeting with a unique agenda - a continuing need for efforts to combat sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. In response to a recent letter from Pope Francis, and a year of intense scrutiny from the laity and secular media, the...
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The Life of a Santero Artist, with Guest Jerry Montoya
A "santero" is a practitioner of the only Catholic Spanish colonial artform that is indigenous to the American southwest. Many santeros still create art in the same way as their ancestors - from grinding up the shells of the cochineal bug to make red pigment, to depicting patron saints and...
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How to be Loving and Courageous Pro-Life Advocates
As the political and legislative debate around abortion heats up, it can be all too easy to forget the humanity of those on the other side, and to demonize or belittle the human beings on the various sides of the pro-life and pro-abortion spectrum. Our Catholic faith calls us to fight against the...
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Preparing Our Hearts and Minds for Holy Week
Bishop Wall gives more insights into Holy Week, covering everything from the significance of Palm Sunday to the intricate liturgies of the Triduum. Why do we cover statues and paintings? Why is there no Mass on Good Friday? And what kind of mindset will help us to appreciate more fully the end of...
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Restoring the Sacrament of Confirmation to its Original Order
This year, Bishop Wall announced that the Sacrament of Confirmation would be restored to its original order, to be given at the age of reason at around 7-8 years of age. In this episode, he explains his reasons for the restoration, how the sacrament confers grace at a crucial period, and how...
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Virtue vs. Virtue Signalling
"A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes." When a quick video clip emerged in late January that supposedly showed a group of Catholic high school students engaging in harassment of Native Americans, celebrities, news outlets and social media were...
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New Mexicans Must Oppose a Culture of Death
The New Mexico legislature is considering two radically anti-life bills that, if enacted, would carry devastating consequences for the state's citizens. The first, NM HB51, removes conscience protections for doctors, nurses and healthcare workers who refuse to perform or refer for abortions. It...
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35 Years Serving Elders in the Diocese of Gallup, with the Little Sisters of the Poor
The Little Sisters of the Poor is an order of women religious who operate nursing and hospice homes for the elderly poor throughout the world. In December of 2018, they celebrated 150 years of service in the United States. In the Diocese of Gallup, the Little Sisters have operated their home…
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An Inside Perspective on the National Bishops' Meeting
At the National USCCB meeting in November, the American bishops were set to vote on several action items that would address abuse among high-ranking prelates...until a last-minute directive from the Vatican required them to table the voting. So has anything been done to address the improper and...
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The First Days of a New Priest, with Guest Fr. Mitchell Brown
Bishop Wall sits down with his newest priest, Fr. Mitchell Brown, who was ordained in June of 2018 and was born and raised in the Diocese of Gallup. They compare notes on their first days as priests - their first time hearing Confessions, offering the Mass, and having someone address them as...
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Podcast by Diocese of Gallup
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