The Literary Catholic

Professors Michelle C. Loris and June-Ann Greeley discuss Mary Karr, memoirist, poet, songwriter, professor, convert.Michelle Loris, Ph.D., Psy.D. Author of two books on fiction and several papers on post-traumatic stress, Dr. Loris is the founding director of Sacred Heart University’s first tutoring and writing center and founded and chairs the department of Catholic Studies, the University’s academic signature core seminars—the Human Journey Seminars: Great Books in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, the Human Journey Colloquia series, and the Center for Catholic Studies.June-Ann Greeley, Ph.D.With a focus on classical languages and literature, as well as medieval studies, particularly medieval literature and medieval spirituality, Dr. Greeley's scholarship encompasses late antique and medieval theology, literature, and religious history, as well as the study of women's voices in early Christian and medieval spirituality. Dr. Greeley has presented at numerous conferences and has had research published widely. She teaches in the Department of Languages and Literatures and the Department of Catholic Studies at Sacred Heart University and advises various student organizations.

Author Joseph Pearce and host Rafael Pi Roman discuss C. S. Lewis, the writer and author of Mere Christianity, The Great Divorce, and other great works.Joseph Pearce is an internationally acclaimed author of bestselling books on Shakespeare, Chesterton, Solzhenitsyn, and C.S. Lewis. He serves as editor of the St. Austin Review and has recently launched The Inner Sanctum. This online platform offers courses, podcasts, and lively discourse on literature, the arts, and politics. Learn more at jpearce.coRafael Pi Roman, Program Host, is an acclaimed journalist with extensive experience in public affairs and political news. He has been a key figure at Thirteen/WNET since 1992. His Emmy Award-winning work includes hosting and producing numerous programs, including "New York Voices" and "New Jersey Capitol Report." Pi Roman's deep understanding of media and engaging interviewing style make him an ideal moderator for "The Literary Catholic."

Whether you're a philosophy nerd or simply inquisitive, join reconverted Catholic philosopher and author Patrick Flynn and host Suan Sonna, Director of Apologetics, for a lively conversation.Patrick FlynnPat Flynn is the author of The Best Argument for God Oct. 2023) and How to Be Better at (Almost) Everything. He is a reconverted Catholic, a philosopher (MA), a writer, a musician, a fitness and martial arts enthusiast, and a husband and father of five, living in Waukesha, Wisconsin. He blogs at journalofabsolutetruth.substack.com and hosts the Philosophy for the People podcast.Suan SonnaSuan Sonna is the Director of Apologetics for the Diocese of Bridgeport. Suan has a B.A. in Philosophy from Kansas State University, an M.T.S. in New Testament studies from Harvard Divinity School, and is currently pursuing an M.A.R. in Second Temple Judaism at Yale Divinity School.Suan has appeared on various podcasts and hosts Intellectual Catholicism,    / @intellectualcatholicism  . Suan is a Protestant convert to Catholicism.

Host William Baker discusses Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh with Professor Peter Sinclair.Dr. Peter Sinclair: Dr. Sinclair, Professor and Chair of Languages and Literature at Sacred Heart University, is a frequent panelist and contributor on Christianity in Literature and the Catholic influence on novelists and poets. His academic work has been published in journals such as Christianity and Literature, Religion and Literature, and Renascence. Specializing in twentieth-century British literature, particularly the Catholic influence on novelists and poets, Dr. Sinclair brings a wealth of knowledge, especially to the discussion of Brideshead Revisited. William Baker: Dr. Baker directs the Bernard L. Schwartz Center for Media, Public Policy & Education at Fordham University. He is a Distinguished Professor of media & entertainment at IESE Business School, Barcelona, Spain, and President Emeritus of WNET-Thirteen, New York's public television station. Baker has received 7 Emmy Awards and 2 Columbia DuPont Journalism Awards, and he was honored in 2016 by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center for his work in the performing arts. He is the executive producer of theatrical films and PBS documentaries, including The Face: Jesus in Art and Picturing Mary, and co-author of seven books.

Rafael Pi Roman , Host, and Professor Brent Little discuss Flannery O'Connor.Dr. Brent Little: Dr. Little, an Associate Professor of Catholic Studies at Sacred Heart University, specializes in the relationship between faith and uncertainty in Catholic literature. He co-edited Revelation and Convergence: Flannery O'Connor and Her Catholic Heritage and recently published Acts of Faith and Imagination: Theological Patterns in Catholic Fiction. His research interests include the dynamics of belief in theology and literature.Rafael Pi Roman: An acclaimed journalist with extensive experience in public affairs and political news, Rafael Pi Roman has been a key figure at Thirteen/WNET since 1992. His Emmy award-winning work includes hosting and producing numerous programs, such as "New York Voices" and "New Jersey Capitol Report." Pi Roman's deep understanding of media and engaging interviewing style make him an ideal moderator for "The Literary Catholic."

William Baker, Host, and Professor Callie Tabor discuss Muriel Spark's The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.Dr. Callie Tabor: Dr. Tabor is a lecturer of Catholic Studies at Sacred Heart University. Previously, Dr. Tabor was Associate Director of the Aquinas Center of Theology in Georgia.William Baker: Dr. Baker directs the Bernard L. Schwartz Center for Media, Public Policy & Education at Fordham University. He is a Distinguished Professor of media & entertainment at IESE Business School, Barcelona, Spain, and President Emeritus of WNET-Thirteen, New York's public television station. Baker has received 7 Emmy Awards and 2 Columbia DuPont Journalism Awards, and he was honored in 2016 by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center for his work in the performing arts. He is the executive producer of theatrical films and PBS documentaries, including The Face: Jesus in Art and Picturing Mary, and co-author of seven books.

Host William Baker discusses The End of the Affair by Graham Greene with Professors Peter Sinclair and Brent Little.Dr. Peter Sinclair: Dr. Sinclair, Professor and Chair of Languages and Literature at Sacred Heart University, is a frequent panelist and contributor on Christianity in Literature and the Catholic influence on novelists and poets. His academic work has been published in journals such as Christianity and Literature, Religion and Literature, and Renascence. Specializing in twentieth-century British literature, particularly the Catholic influence on novelists and poets, Dr. Sinclair brings a wealth of knowledge, especially to the discussion of Brideshead Revisited. Dr. Brent Little: Dr. Little, an Associate Professor of Catholic Studies at Sacred Heart University, specializes in the relationship between faith and uncertainty in Catholic literature. He co-edited Revelation and Convergence: Flannery O'Connor and Her Catholic Heritage and recently published Acts of Faith and Imagination: Theological Patterns in Catholic Fiction. His research interests include the dynamics of belief in theology and literature.William Baker: Dr. Baker directs the Bernard L. Schwartz Center for Media, Public Policy & Education at Fordham University. He is a Distinguished Professor of media & entertainment at IESE Business School, Barcelona, Spain, and President Emeritus of WNET-Thirteen, New York's public television station. Baker has received 7 Emmy Awards and 2 Columbia DuPont Journalism Awards, and he was honored in 2016 by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center for his work in the performing arts. He is the executive producer of theatrical films and PBS documentaries, including The Face: Jesus in Art and Picturing Mary, and co-author of seven books.

An in-depth conversation with Joseph Pearce and host Rafael Pi Roman.Joseph Pearce, originally from England, is an internationally acclaimed author with 30 published books, including bestsellers The Quest for Shakespeare, Tolkien: Man and Myth, and the most recent, Classic Literature Made Simple: Fifty Great Books in a Nutshell. He is the editor of the St. Austin Review. Pearce has given lectures at many international literary events. He serves as a Visiting Professor of Literature at Ave Maria University and a Visiting Fellow at Thomas More College of Liberal Arts in Merrimack, New Hampshire. He was recently the guest lecturer in Bishop Caggiano’s Bishop’s Lecture Series at Fairfield University.Rafael Pi Roman, host, is an acclaimed journalist with extensive experience in public affairs and political news. He has been a key figure at Thirteen/WNET since 1992. His Emmy award-winning work includes hosting and producing numerous programs, including "New York Voices" and "New Jersey Capitol Report." Pi Roman's deep understanding of media and engaging interviewing style make him an ideal moderator for "The Literary Catholic."

Professor Emeritus Paul Lakeland and Professor Callie Tabor discuss Endo's Silence.

Dr. Michelle Loris and Host William Baker discuss The Road by Cormac McCarthy.Michelle Loris, Ph.D., Psy.D. Author of two books on fiction and several papers on post-traumatic stress, Dr. Loris is the founding director of Sacred Heart University’s first tutoring and writing center and founded and chairs the department of Catholic Studies, the University’s academic signature core seminars—the Human Journey Seminars: Great Books in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, the Human Journey Colloquia series, and the Center for Catholic Studies.

A conversation with Rev. Damian Ference and host Rafael Pi Roman.Rev. Damian Ference PhD, Diocese of Cleveland, Vicar for Evangelization, Secretary for Parish Life and Special Ministries, Professor of Philosophy at Borromeo Seminary, author of award-winning books The Strangeness of Truth and Understanding the Hillbilly Thomist.Rafael Pi Roman is an acclaimed journalist with extensive experience in public affairs and political news. He has been a key figure at Thirteen/WNET since 1992. His Emmy award-winning work includes hosting and producing numerous programs, including "New York Voices" and "New Jersey Capitol Report." Pi Roman's deep understanding of media and engaging interviewing style make him an ideal moderator for "The Literary Catholic."

A conversation with Michael Higgins, Ph.D. author and academic, and host Rafael Pi Roman.Michael Higgins, Ph.D., President and Vice-Chancellor Emeritus, St. Jerome’s University in the University of Waterloo; Basilian Distinguished Fellow in Contemporary Catholic Thought, St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto; and Distinguished Professor of Catholic Thought Emeritus, Sacred Heart University, Connecticut. His most recent book, The Jesuit Disruptor: A Personal Portrait of Pope Francis, was published in 2024.Rafael Pi Roman: An acclaimed journalist with extensive experience in public affairs and political news, Rafael Pi Roman has been a key figure at Thirteen/WNET since 1992. His Emmy award-winning work includes hosting and producing numerous programs such as "New York Voices" and "New Jersey Capitol Report". Pi Roman’s deep understanding of media and his engaging interviewing style make him an ideal moderator for "The Literary Catholic".

Pär Lagerkvist, Nobel laureate, little known to American readers, imagines Barabbas, drawn to the believers, struggling to understand and believe. June-Ann Greeley, Ph.D., With a focus on Classical languages and literature and Medieval Studies, especially medieval literature and medieval spirituality, Dr. Greeley's scholarship includes late antique and medieval theology, literature, and religious history, as well as the study of women's voices in early Christian and medieval spirituality. Dr. Greeley has presented at numerous conferences, and her research has been published widely. She teaches in the Department of Languages and Literatures and the Department of Catholic Studies at Sacred Heart University and advises various student organizations.William Baker, Program Host, Dr. Baker directs the Bernard L. Schwartz Center for Media, Public Policy & Education at Fordham University. He is a Distinguished Professor of media & entertainment at IESE Business School, Barcelona, Spain, and President Emeritus of WNET-Thirteen, New York's public television station. Baker has received 7 Emmy Awards and 2 Columbia DuPont Journalism Awards, and he was honored in 2016 by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center for his work in the performing arts. He is the executive producer of theatrical films and PBS documentaries, including The Face: Jesus in Art and Picturing Mary, and co-author of seven books.

Host Rafael Pi Roman and Dr. Alan Perry discuss author Giovannino Guareschi and the Catholic imagination.Professor Alan Perry is Gettysburg College’s inaugural Mahan Professor of Christian Studies. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame and Middlebury College and has a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His scholarly interests focus on the commemoration and representation of Italy in World War II and the Cold War. He has published extensively on Giovannino Guareschi, including his book Don Camillo Stories of Giovannino Guareschi: A Humorist Portrays the Sacred.Rafael Pi Roman, Program Host, is an acclaimed journalist with extensive experience in public affairs and political news. He has been a key figure at Thirteen/WNET since 1992. His Emmy award-winning work includes hosting and producing numerous programs, such as "New York Voices" and "New Jersey Capitol Report." Pi Roman's deep understanding of media and engaging interviewing style make him an ideal moderator for "The Literary Catholic."

In an age hungry for meaning, can poetry point you to God? A conversation with award-winning poet James Matthew Wilson and host June-Ann Greeley.James Matthew Wilson is the Cullen Foundation Chair in English Literature and the founding director of the MFA program in Creative Writing at the University of Saint Thomas. He serves as poet-in-residence of the Benedict XVI Institute, scholar-in-residence of Aquinas College, editor of Colosseum Books, and Modern Age magazine poetry editor. His book The Strangeness of the Good won the poetry book of the year award from the Catholic Media Awards, and his most recent collection of poems, Saint Thomas and the Forbidden Birds, was published by Word on Fire in 2024. Dr. June-Ann Greeley, host, is a professor at Sacred Heart University. With a focus on classical languages and literature and Medieval Studies, her scholarship includes late antique and medieval theology, literature, and religious history. She explores medieval mystics, sacred art and architecture, and feminist theory. Dr. Greeley has presented at numerous conferences, and her research has been published widely. She also directs the Middle Eastern Studies program at Sacred Heart University and advises various student organizations.

Can a cloth prove the Resurrection? Patrick Riley and Rafael Pi Roman explore the history, science, and theology of the Shroud of Turin.Patrick Riley is a Connecticut resident currently enrolled in Postgraduate Shroud Studies at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, Othonia in Rome. Rafael Pi Roman, Program Host, is an acclaimed journalist with extensive experience in public affairs and political news. He has been a key figure at Thirteen/WNET since 1992. His Emmy award-winning work includes hosting and producing numerous programs, such as "New York Voices" and "New Jersey Capitol Report." Pi Roman's deep understanding of media and engaging interviewing style make him an ideal moderator for "The Literary Catholic.Shroud Picture: © Vernon Miller, 1978

He helped shape Hollywood’s Golden Age — then vanished from memory. Myles Connolly, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter and advisor to Frank Capra on It’s a Wonderful Life and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, once captivated the nation with his novel Mr. Blue — a radiant counterblast to cynicism just as Dorothy Day’s Catholic Worker movement was born. So what inspired him? And what does his vision say to us now? Dr. Stephen Mirarchi is an Associate Professor at Benedictine College with a research specialty in Catholic fiction. He is the editor of Myles Connolly's works from Cluny Classics and the author of scholarly introductions to several Catholic books, including Mr. Blue and The Great Gatsby, forthcoming from Ignatius Press. He has published extensively in journals, including the St. Austin Review and Christianity and Literature. William Baker, Program Host, Dr. Baker directs the Bernard L. Schwartz Center for Media, Public Policy & Education at Fordham University. He is a Distinguished Professor of media & entertainment at IESE Business School, Barcelona, Spain, and President Emeritus of WNET-Thirteen, New York's public television station. Baker has received seven Emmy Awards and two Columbia DuPont Journalism Awards, and he was honored in 2016 by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center for his contributions to the performing arts. He is the executive producer of theatrical films and PBS documentaries, including "The Face: Jesus in Art" and "Picturing Mary," and co-author of seven books.

A conversation with Author and Professor Josh Rasmussen and host Suan Sonna on How Reason Can Lead to God - A Philosopher’s Bridge to Faith.Josh Rasmussen, Ph.D.With a Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame, Josh Rasmussen is Professor of Philosophy at Baylor University, where he specializes in metaphysics and philosophy of religion. He is the author of several thoughtful and accessible books, including How Reason Can Lead to God - A Philosopher’s Bridge to Faith. His work explores whether reason can serve as a bridge to truth and faith. He also shares ideas and conversations on his YouTube channel, @WorldviewDesignOfficial.Suan SonnaSuan Sonna is the Director of Apologetics and the Forum for Catholic Discipleship for the Diocese of Bridgeport. Suan has a B.A. in Philosophy from Kansas State University, an M.T.S. in New Testament studies from Harvard Divinity School, and is currently pursuing an M.A.R. in Second Temple Judaism at Yale Divinity School. Suan has appeared on various podcasts and hosts Intellectual Catholicism,    / @intellectualcatholicism  .

A deep dive into what Catholics believe - Mary as Mother of God, Ever Virgin, and Queen, with professor and author Robert Fastiggi and host Suan Sonna. Suan Sonna Suan Sonna is the Director of Apologetics and the Forum for Catholic Discipleship for the Diocese of Bridgeport. Suan has a B.A. in Philosophy from Kansas State University, an M.T.S. in New Testament studies from Harvard Divinity School, and is currently pursuing an M.A.R. in Second Temple Judaism at Yale Divinity School. Suan has appeared on various podcasts and hosts Intellectual Catholicism,    / @intellectualcatholicism  . Robert Fastiggi, Ph.D. Professor Fastiggi is the Bishop Kevin M. Britt Chair of Dogmatic Theology and Christology at Sacred Heart Major Seminary. He is a member of the Society for Catholic Liturgy, the Mariological Society of America, the International Marian Association, and an ordinary member of the Pontifical Marian Academy International (P.A.M.I). He has authored, co-authored, edited, and co-edited numerous publications, including the New Catholic Encyclopedia, the 43rd edition of the Denzinger-Hünermann compendium, and Ludwig Ott’s Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma.

Explore the spiritual battle in an ordinary parish, and the meaning of "All is grace."Brent Little, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Catholic Studies at Sacred Heart University, and author of Acts of Faith and Imagination: Theological Patterns in Catholic Fiction, published by the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.Rafael Pi Roman, Program Host, is an acclaimed journalist with extensive experience in public affairs and political news. He has been a key figure at Thirteen/WNET since 1992. His Emmy award-winning work includes hosting and producing numerous programs, such as "New York Voices" and "New Jersey Capitol Report." Pi Roman's deep understanding of media and engaging interviewing style make him an ideal moderator for "The Literary Catholic."

Rafael Pi Roman and Professor June Ann Greeley discuss Dante.With a focus on Classical languages and literatureand Medieval Studies, Dr. Greeley's scholarship includes late antique and medieval theology, literature, and religious history. She explores medieval mystics, sacred art and architecture, and feminist theory. Dr. Greeley has presented at numerous conferences, and her research has been published widely. She also directs the Middle Eastern Studies program at Sacred Heart University and advises various student organizations.An acclaimed journalist with extensive experience inpublic affairs and political news, Rafael Pi Roman has been a key figure at Thirteen/WNET since 1992. His Emmy award-winning work includes hosting and producing numerous programs, such as "New York Voices" and "NewJersey Capitol Report." Pi Roman's deep understanding of media and engaging interviewing style make him an ideal moderator for "The Literary Catholic."