Chris Stefanick Catholic Show

Latest Episodes:

Behind the Scenes of the Hallow App with Alex Jones Oct 07, 2025

Show notes

Unless you have been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of the Hallow prayer app. This wildly popular platform has grown exponentially over the past few years to help millions of people to pray—not to mention making a life of prayer more attractive and mainstream.

It’s a simple idea with profound results: use a smartphone app to guide people into a habit of daily prayer. Through monthly prayer challenges, reflections, videos, and music from some of the most recognizable and influential Catholics in the world (and I’m on there, too!), Hallow has recently crossed the incredible milestone of logging ONE BILLION prayers. Praise God!

In this episode of The Chris Stefanick Show, I am thrilled to welcome Hallow co-founder Alex Jones for an in-depth conversation that goes behind the scenes on the inspiration for the app, Alex’s personal faith journey, glory stories of how God is using this app to change lives, and lessons learned from being a Catholic entrepreneur in the secular world of startups.

Highlights:

0:00 Intro
2:50 Alex’s journey from atheism to prayer
7:16 Finding the Hallow app’s name through
Lectio Divina
11:50 Prayer as a gateway to relationship with Christ
30:00 The sacred surge happening in Catholicism
35:54 When the Super Bowl crashed the app
39:46 Mark Wahlberg, Kevin James, and other Catholic celebs
44:50 Working with Jonathan Roumie
49:49 “The Man Helping Silicon Valley Find God”
54:30 Using Smartphone Technology for Good
58:00 Having an Impact Beyond Metrics
1:06:35 Why Hallow Succeeds in Business
1:19:10 Alex’s Prayer Routine
1:27:48 How God Uses Success to Purify Your Soul
1:39:00 Join Chris and Alex in Silent Prayer

Prayer is a fundamental aspect of our faith. If you want to grow in relationship with someone, you have to spend time with them. Same goes for God! I’m so grateful to Alex and everyone at Hallow for creating an app that harnesses modern technology to actually bring us closer to the Lord.

If you haven't tried it yet, click below to get a free three-month trial of the Hallow app: https://bit.ly/4odnzEc

........

Sign up for the Daily Anchor for FREE and receive daily reflections, updates, and encouragement from Chris Stefanick to help you live with the joy you were made for: https://mailchi.mp/reallifecatholic/daily-anchor-landing-page-20

........

Support the creation of this content by becoming a Missionary of Joy with a monthly gift to Real Life Catholic: https://moj.reallifecatholic.com/

........

✈️ Join Chris Stefanick and Fr. Dave Pivonka on pilgrimage to Assisi: https://www.canterburypilgrimages.com/tour/1226/

What Faith IS, What Faith ISN'T, and How to Grow in Faith Oct 05, 2025

Show notes

“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can move mountains.”

But you can't have faith unless you know what it IS. And even a great mind like Jordan Peterson seems to be missing something in his definition. Faith can't be reduced to a moralistic view of obeying the rules and it demands that we let go of any skepticism about the existence of God.

Our relationship with God is not conditional and our faith can't be, either.

In this reflection, I want to set the record straight on what faith is, what faith isn't, and some practical steps we can take to grow in our faith.

At its core, faith is clinging to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, even when we don’t fully understand, even when we fall short, even when we can't prove it.

If you struggle with your faith, pray the powerful words of the man whose son was healed by Jesus: "Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief."

Discussion Questions

1. Have you ever struggled with seeing faith as just “following rules”? How does thinking of faith as a relationship change things for you?

2. Jordan Peterson often says he “acts as if God exists” but avoids saying outright, “I believe.” Why do you think it’s hard for some people (maybe even us) to make that leap from thinking about God to trusting in God and his existence?

3. Chris compares faith to marriage—you can learn about someone, but at some point you have to say “I do.” Where do you see yourself on that threshold with God right now? What would it look like for you to take a step deeper in faith?

4. The fastest way to lose faith is to neglect your relationship with God. What distractions pull you away from God most easily? How can you give more time to your faith?

5. Chris outlined three ways to grow in faith: Ask for it, act as if you believe, and fill your life with holy things. Which of these do you most need to focus on right now?

———

✉️ Sign up for Chris’s Daily Anchor for free daily encouragement: https://mailchi.mp/reallifecatholic/daily-anchor-landing-page-20

Help us transform hearts for Jesus! Join the mission as a monthly donor (a Missionary of Joy): https://moj.reallifecatholic.com/

Come on Pilgrimage and Retreat with me in Assisi! https://canterburypilgrimages.com/1226

The Dignity of Dependence: A Feminist Manifesto | Leah Libresco Sargeant Sep 30, 2025

Show notes

The world tells you that dependence is weakness, but it's actually what makes us human. The truth is, you can’t live without being dependent. From the moment we’re born to the moment we die, we’re relying on other people.

And that’s OK! In fact, it’s the way God intended.

In this episode of The Chris Stefanick Show, I sit down with Catholic writer Leah Libresco Sargeant, to discuss her new book "The Dignity of Dependence: A Feminist Manifesto." Leah challenges the lie of autonomy and makes a bold case that dependence isn’t weakness—it’s the key to a thriving society.

Together, we unpack why dependence is not a burden, why our world is literally built for men, what modern feminism gets both right and wrong, and how a Catholic vision of dignity shows us that men and women are equal in worth, but not interchangeable.

This is an important conversation that touches on so many fundamental aspects of human life. Leah is ultimately asking what it would take to build a more caring world where everyone—men, women, the unborn, the elderly, and the disabled—can flourish together.

God doesn’t want us to hide our need for help. He loves us in our weakness and created us to love each other in those weaknesses as well. That's what real love is all about—depending on one another and on God—not pretending we can do it all on our own. This is a Christian reality that secular society loves to ignore.

Living through the lens of interdependence can help us to be a little bit more compassionate and Christ-like in everything we do.

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

0:53 Leah's Tolkien role-playing game

2:48 Why Leah wrote The Dignity of Dependence

3:32 How the world is literally built for men (and why that matters)

10:21 The lie of autonomy vs. the truth of dependence

16:42 Prioritizing interdependence in the workplace

22:18 What mainstream feminism gets right and wrong

30:10 How the cult of autonomy fuels euthanasia

34:39 Why we are obsessed with being independent

37:14 Why men struggle to admit need (and how it’s killing them)

44:06 Leah's hopes for her new book

Get Leah’s book The Dignity of Dependence here: https://amzn.to/4pLjF74

Explore her Tolkien-inspired game Back Again from the Broken Land: https://cloven-pine-games.itch.io/back-again-from-the-broken-land

........

Support the creation of this content by becoming a Missionary of Joy with a monthly gift to Real Life Catholic: https://moj.reallifecatholic.com/

........

The Chris Stefanick Show will soon be premiering on EWTN+ Streaming! You can start watching more great content at: EWTN.com/ondemand/

........

✈️ To learn more about Real Life Catholic Pilgrimages, visit: https://reallifecatholic.com/pilgrimages/

Financial Tips from Jesus (Happiness Guaranteed!) Sep 27, 2025

Show notes

Can money actually buy happiness? Believe it or not—Jesus says yes.

In this reflection, Chris Stefanick unpacks Matthew 25 and Luke 16, where Jesus makes it clear: a big part of our final exam before God will be about whether or not we loved and served the poor.

The story of the rich man and Lazarus is a sobering reminder: if our hearts are closed to the suffering right in front of us, they’re not open enough to receive heaven.

But here’s the twist—modern research actually backs this up! Studies prove that spending money on others brings more joy than spending it on ourselves.

So your money CAN buy you happiness...if you give it away to help others.

What you'll discover:

Why serving the poor is essential preparation for eternal life
How generosity changes your happiness right now
The one thing God will never forget about you
Watch now and start investing in the only thing that lasts: love.

❓DISCUSSION QUESTIONS❓
1. Jesus tells us in Matthew 25 that the “final exam” is about how we serve the poor. How does that challenge or affirm the way you’ve been living your faith?

2. In the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16), the rich man isn’t condemned for being wealthy but for ignoring the suffering at his doorstep. Who are the “Lazaruses” God has placed at your doorstep?

3. God forgets every sin we repent of, but he never forgets a single act of love for the poor. How does that truth change the way you view generosity and service?

4. Research shows that giving money to others brings more joy than spending it on ourselves. Can you share a time when generosity—big or small—brought unexpected joy to your life?

5. What is one way you could “reorder your dreams” to align more closely with how Jesus calls us to use our resources?

------

Living Joy by Chris Stefanick: https://real-life-catholic.myshopify.com/products/living-joy-hardcover

✉️ Sign up for Chris’s Daily Anchor for free daily encouragement: https://mailchi.mp/reallifecatholic/daily-anchor-landing-page-20

Help us transform hearts for Jesus! Join the mission as a monthly donor (a Missionary of Joy): https://moj.reallifecatholic.com/

Come on Pilgrimage and Retreat with me in Assisi! https://canterburypilgrimages.com/1226

How Screens Are Rewiring Our Brains (and How to Fight Back) Sep 23, 2025

Show notes

Are TikTok and endless scrolling killing our ability to think, pray, and even enjoy life? The truth: yes. And it’s worse than you think. Entertainment isn’t entertaining anymore, it’s addicting. And it’s rewiring an entire generation.

What used to refresh us—stories, music, and conversation—has been replaced with noise that is designed to keep us hooked. The result? Shorter attention spans, weaker relationships, and a creeping emptiness that no amount of scrolling can fix.

In this episode of The Chris Stefanick Show, I sit down with Deacon Kyle Washut, president of Wyoming Catholic College (and a real-life cowboy ), to talk about what’s really happening to us and how to fight back with faith, beauty, and real human connection.

Deacon Kyle also talks about the unorthodox and refreshing ways that Wyoming Catholic College forces students to unplug from screens and plug back into the world around them.

We weren’t created to be slaves to our screens. We were made for freedom. And the good news is you don’t have to stay stuck in dopamine culture. With small, intentional choices, you can retrain your heart to savor and wonder at life again. So put the phone down, seek out something real, and be present with the people God has put in your life.

----------------

Kauai Pilgrimage: https://www.canterburypilgrimages.com/tour/kauai/

Wyoming Catholic College: https://wyomingcatholic.edu/

Help us transform hearts for Jesus! Join the mission and become a monthly donor (A Missionary of JOY!): https://moj.reallifecatholic.com/

✈️ To learn more about all of Real Life Catholic Pilgrimages, visit: https://reallifecatholic.com/pilgrimages/

Why God Keeps You Waiting (and how that prepares you for greatness) Sep 20, 2025

Show notes

We live in a culture that wants everything fast—success, influence, recognition. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but that's not always how God works. He grows things slowly, starting small and hidden, so they’re strong enough to last.

In this Sunday reflection, I’m sharing why being faithful in the “small things” matters more than you'll ever know. We’ll talk about David’s hidden years as a shepherd, the power of a simple slingshot, and what bamboo plants can teach us about waiting (yes, really ).

What You’ll Discover:

Why God grows things slowly, starting small and hidden

How David’s years with sheep and a slingshot prepared him for Goliath

What the moso bamboo plant can teach you about waiting on God

Why no one, not even the people overlooking you, can block God’s plan

How your faithfulness in ordinary tasks sets the stage for extraordinary impact

So if you feel stuck or unseen, take heart. Be faithful with the little things God has put in front of you today. He does some of his best work in hidden seasons. It's not just waiting. It's formation for the greatness to come—in this life or the next.

....

Help us transform hearts for Jesus! Join the mission and become a monthly donor (A Missionary of JOY!): https://moj.reallifecatholic.com/

From Abortion to Mission: January Donovan’s Story of Redemption Sep 17, 2025

Show notes

What if God is so powerful that he can take your biggest mistakes and deepest wounds and turn them into your greatest strengths!? Good news: He really IS that powerful.

That is what today’s story is all about. In this episode, I sit down with January Donovan, founder of The Women’s School, international life coach, and most importantly, mom. Her whole mission to bless women flows from her deepest wound: walking through the pain of abortion and letting God transform her life into a testimony of HOPE and FREEDOM!

January’s story is proof that God doesn’t waste a single wound. What should have been the most painful, destructive part of her life became the very place He poured out His mercy and power. And out of that healing, He didn’t just restore her, He gave her a mission. The brokenness that could have defined her became the catalyst for a new chapter in her story that is now lifting up thousands of women.

Timestamps:

00:00 What if your biggest wound became your greatest gift?

8:35 From poverty to living with a billionaire

20:50 The day January’s abortion nearly crushed her life at 16

23:29 How your wound can become your greatest contribution

26:36 From shame to mission: how God turned it all around

33:49 Why beautiful marriages save the world

37:58 Training in discipleship with Sister Elaina

45:22 Letting your wounds become the compass to other courage

52:10 Can you be a world-changer AND a mom?

56:18 The lie that keeps women stuck (and how to break it)

1:04:13 Why healed women change the world

1:11:03 Study the desires God puts on your heart and then pursue it

1:12:22 Be a student of your husband

The Women's School: https://thewomanschool.com/januarydonovan

........

Franciscan University Steubenville: https://franciscan.edu/

........

Help us transform hearts for Jesus! Join the mission and become a monthly donor (A Missionary of JOY!): https://moj.reallifecatholic.com/

........

The Chris Stefanick Show will soon be premiering on EWTN+ Streaming! You can start watching more great content at: EWTN.com/ondemand/

........

✈️ To learn more about all of Real Life Catholic Pilgrimages, visit: https://reallifecatholic.com/pilgrimages/

........

✉️ Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration in your inbox. https://mailchi.mp/reallifecatholic/daily-anchor-landing-page-20

A Response to Charlie Kirk's Assassination Sep 15, 2025

Show notes

Where do we go from here?

Even in the darkest of times, Christ remains our hope and there is a path forward.

I offer my reflections on the assassination of Charlie Kirk and some suggestions for a Christian response to the violence and hatred that are engulfing our country.

Please continue to pray for all the victims and families affected by these recent tragedies. Lord have mercy.

How the Cross Rewrites Today’s Headlines | Charlie Kirk Assassination, 9/11, Arena Zerutska Sep 13, 2025

Show notes

What if I told you the Cross, the most brutal symbol of defeat in history, is actually the greatest sign of victory the world has ever seen?

In this episode, I’m unpacking the Triumph of the Cross and what it means for YOUR life right now. From the assassination of Charlie Kirk, to 9/11, to violence filling our headlines, we’ll see how the Cross rewrites every story of death with hope and glory.

What You’ll Discover:

Why death dominates today’s headlines—and why it doesn’t win
The shocking truth behind the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross
How Jesus turned Rome’s weapon of humiliation into victory
St. Patrick’s kidnapping and slavery—and how God used it for glory
Why your suffering might be the very thing God is using to bless others
The hope that outshouts even the darkest news

The Cross doesn’t mean you won’t suffer. It means your suffering isn’t wasted. God flips the script. He turns pain into power, tragedy into triumph, defeat into victory. That’s why we can face the darkest headlines and our own daily crosses, with HOPE.

Come on a pilgrimage and retreat with me in Assisi! https://reallifecatholic.com/pilgrimages/

....

Help us transform hearts for Jesus! Join the mission and become a monthly donor (A Missionary of JOY!): https://moj.reallifecatholic.com/

Inside the Monastery: Life Advice from a Monk Sep 10, 2025

Show notes

Ever wonder what really happens behind the walls of a monastery?

In this week’s episode, I welcome back our favorite Benedictine monk with a surfboard, Fr. Augustine Wetta. We’re stepping into a hidden world that’s been quietly defying the noise and chaos of modern life for over 1,500 years with silence, prayer, community, and a whole lot of humility.

But don’t expect some dreamy fairy tale. This is real life behind the habit: petty arguments over pens, broken irons held together with the wrong glue, and golf cart joy rides. It’s raw, funny, and surprisingly relatable. Turns out, becoming a monk doesn’t make you perfect; it just means you’ve committed to growing in love.

00:00 Intro

6:24 Why Fr. Augustine became a monk

12:11 What Fr. Augustine discovered about himself in his 1st years as a monk

13:24 Why silence isn’t scary; it’s clarifying

14:44 The monastic trick to handling distractions during prayer

17:49 The unexpected joys of Monastic life

19:22 And... the surprisingly holy story of a broken iron (short)

22:00 What monks fight about (spoiler: it’s hilariously petty and deeply human)

28:07 Why doing the dishes for someone who annoys you can be sanctifying

28:37 The power of apologizing even when you think you're right (short)

32:22 Settlers of Catan and golf carts in the monastery!?

35:51 Three simple ways to make your house more monastic (yes, even with kids running around)

36:26 Deliberately lose your next argument

This episode reminded me that monastic life isn’t about escape, it’s about living with radical intentionality. And that’s something every one of us is called to, whether you’re in a habit or a hoodie.

........

Help us transform hearts for Jesus! Join the mission and become a monthly donor (A Missionary of JOY!): https://moj.reallifecatholic.com/

........

The Chris Stefanick Show will soon be premiering on EWTN+ Streaming! You can start watching more great content at: EWTN.com/ondemand/

........

✈️ To learn more about all of Real Life Catholic Pilgrimages, visit: https://reallifecatholic.com/pilgrimages/

........

✉️ Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration in your inbox. https://mailchi.mp/reallifecatholic/daily-anchor-landing-page-20

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Chris Stefanick Catholic Show

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected