Kolbecast

274 Hope & Joy in the Truth at Catholic International University

AMDG. You don’t want to go to a state university, but you don’t want to spend private university money. Where do you go? 
Catholic International University’s Chair of Education and Liberal Arts Ann Brodeur, PhD, has an innovative solution for students who want to opt out of the traditional university approach. Catholic International University is an entirely online program, designed for students who want a college degree that they can pursue anywhere, anytime. For students who want to work more hours than a traditional college program allows or for parents who want to continue their education, Catholic International University has solutions.  
Catholic International University is a partner of Kolbe Academy, allowing students to earn college credit during high school. For more information, explore the links below.  
Relevant links: 
Learn more about Catholic International University
Ann Brodeur, PhD
Liberal Arts & Education
Emerging Technologies
CIU dual enrollment courses (more info for Kolbe students on this page of the CIU website)
The Newman Guide
Dr. Brodeur on the Classic Learning Test’s podcast Anchored
Catholic International University’s president Dr. Maria Sophia Aguierre on the Cardinal Newman Society’s podcast 
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.  
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey! 
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles).  Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast

273 Inspiration for Every Homeschool Journey - Kolbecast Conference 2025

AMDG. What if you could listen to incredible keynote speakers at a conference, without even leaving your home? With the Kolbecast Conference, now you can!  
The Kolbecast Conference is a three-day program of curated episodes covering a range of topics from classical education, homeschooling, faith, mental health, childhood emotional regulation, and so much more. Enjoy lectures from keynote speakers such as University of Mary president Msgr. James Shea, Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Kevin Majeres, as well as writer and translator Dr. Anthony Esolen. Explore breakout-session sessions with guest speakers including the hosts of the "More2Life" podcast and founder of Catholic Counselors Greg Popcak and Lisa Popcak; authors of "The Temperament God Gave You" Laraine and Art Bennett, L.M.F.T.; Catholic podcaster Bobby Angel and his brother Dan; occupational therapist Caitlin Russ; and many others.  
Listen to the episodes all at once or browse them at your own pace; at this conference, you control the schedule! 
Click here for Day 1 of the 2025 Kolbecast Conference. 
Related Kolbecast episodes: 
1 Kolbecast Relaunch
221 A Survey and a Starting Point
249 Stories Crafted with Care featuring Carol, Stasha, and Stephanie from the Kolbe Academy publishing team
32 Reflections of His Light 
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.  
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey! 
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles).  Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast! 

272 Healthy Mom, Healthy Family with Dr. Chris Stroud

AMDG. "I went to medical school because I knew I couldn't get into law school."  
Catholic board-certified OB-GYN and host of the podcast Doctor Doctor Chris Stroud, M.D., wants more Catholics in medical school. "Catholic students are running as fast as they can away from pediatrics," Chris explains. Controversial life and gender issues have led many Catholic students to seek other professions. "People think, 'I'm going to be confronted with contraception on the very first day-- no thanks.’" Potential medical students are afraid that they will be forced to choose between job security and their values, but Chris is here to paint an entirely different picture of a Catholic in the medical field.  
Chris began his career as a music major. After transitioning to medical school -- for an unexpected reason-- Chris also experienced a major transition in his spiritual life. A few years later, Chris's family made the jump from public school to homeschooling and never looked back. "It felt like overnight we were one of those crazy homeschooling families," Chris laughs. Today, Chris runs his own practice in Ft. Wayne, IN, focusing on women's health. Chris’s clinic addresses every issue women experience “from homeschooling to personal training,” in his words. 
Links mentioned & relevant: 
Dr. Stroud and his medical practice Fertility & Midwifery Care Center
All Things Women’s Health podcast
Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy with Nicole Bobay
Brain Death, Abortion, and the Adriana Smith Case
Doctor, Doctor podcast
MyCatholicDoctor.com
Catholic Medical Association 
Related Kolbecast episodes: 
117 Figureoutable with Dr. Andrew Mullally
189 Fit Mind, Fit Body 
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.  
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey! 
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles).  Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast! 

271 Building a Literary Foundation

AMDG. Are you looking for the perfect book to take your child’s reading to the next level? Look no further than Kolbe’s newly updated Literature & Catholic National Reader program for elementary students!  
Originally published in 1895, the Catholic National Readers became a staple in many Catholic homes. “We started with the idea of just redoing them, making the font size appropriate and following standards,” Senior Curriculum Developer Maggie Hayden explains. But the project quickly developed into something more. 
Under the artful guidance of Curriculum Developer Mara Matteoli, the classic texts blossomed into a fully-fledged reading and literature course, integrating comprehension with hands-on activities and a workbook of unique exercises.  
With beautiful pages, engaging and uplifting stories, and an individualized reading pace, this course meets young readers where they are and guides them to the next level. "The children aren't even going to know they are working!" Maggie promises. 
Related Kolbecast episodes: 
249 Stories Crafted with Care featuring Carol Gilpin of Kolbe Academy’s publishing department
267 Time Traveling through History
247 Lightbulb Moments for Young Readers 
Links mentioned & relevant: 
Kolbe Academy recommended reading list 
Catholic National Readers and related materials in the Kolbe Academy bookstore 
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.  
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey! 
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles).  Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast! 

270 Dr. Peter Kreeft on Joy, Suffering, Conversion, and Truth

AMDG. “It’s almost as if I pity God because he has to choose between giving us more sufferings and making us sorrowful but wiser or giving us less sufferings and making us happier but more foolish.”  
Professor of Philosophy at Boston College and author of over 100 books Dr. Peter Kreeft shares his reflection on today’s academic culture, emphasizing the importance of the Socratic method and a sturdy foundation in Thomistic philosophy. Dr. Kreeft dives deep into the themes of faith, happiness, and truth as he shares his conversion story, retold in his book From Calvinist to Catholic.  
Relevant links: 
A few of Dr. Kreeft’s books:
From Calvinist to Catholic
The Mystery of Joy
Jesus Shock
Socratic Logic textbook in the Kolbe Academy bookstore
Dr. Kreeft on the Being Human Podcast with Dr. Greg Bottaro 
Related Kolbecast episodes: 
144 The Word Made Known with Mark Brumley of Ignatius Press
93 Good Thinking
166 Dr. John Cuddeback on Dwelling Together Richly 
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.  
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey! 
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles).  Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast! 

269 Resources & Road Maps - Student Support Services

AMDG. “Catholic schools should help all students— we should serve you and help you.”  
How can Kolbe Academy help a child who has learning disabilities? Student Services Director Karen Allgood and special education teachers Karen Painter and Emmanuelle Wilhelm share their experiences as parents, teachers, and mentors of students with learning differences. The trio provides a step-by-step guide for parents hoping to utilize Kolbe's services, from interpreting assessment results to individualized course planning and tutoring services. Whatever level of support you need, Kolbe has options. See the link below to learn more. 
Links mentioned & relevant: 
Kolbe Academy's Student Support Services
Webinar: Setting Up for Success: A Guide for Homeschooling Special Needs Students 
Related Kolbecast episodes 
137 Remember Your Whys
197 Tools in a Toolbox: Kolbe Academy’s Student Support Services
247 Lightbulb Moments for Young Readers
190 The School of Patience 
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.  
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey! 
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles).  Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast! 

268 Pilgrimage & Jubilee with Our Lady of Champion

AMDG. Have you ever wanted to see a Marian apparition site? You don't even have to leave the country to do so-- Champion, WI, is home to the only approved Marian apparition site in the U.S.  
Fr. Nathan Mudd, chaplain at Our Lady of Champion Shrine, shares the story of Our Lady of Champion and Adele Brise, a woman Fr. Mudd hopes to see canonized soon. Fr. Mudd discusses his life as travelling missionary and how his background as a Kolbe graduate influences him today. As a member of the Fathers of Mercy, Fr. Mudd has devoted his life to bringing souls back to God and inviting people to experience a spiritual resurrection. In his missionary work, Fr. Mudd lives out Mary’s calling at Champion: “Gather the children in this wild country and teach them what they should know for salvation.” 
Learn more about the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion: 
Website: championshrine.org
Shrine Newsroom for images, history timeline and more
On social media 
Instagram: @championshrine
Facebook: @ChampionShrine
X: @ChampionShrine
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChampionShrine  
Related Kolbecast episodes: 
119 The Hope Throughout with Tom and Noelle Crowe of The American Catholic History Podcast
235 The Disposition of Pilgrimage with Joan Watson 
Links mentioned & relevant: 
Fathers of Mercy
Kolbe Academy Recommended Reading List
Episode of the American Catholic History about Our Lady of Champion 
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.  
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey! 
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles).  Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast! 

267 Time Travel through History - Bringing the Past to Life for Young Learners

AMDG. How do you teach history to elementary school students? Kolbe’s new elementary history program has everything you need and more!  
The developers and editors of the elementary history course, Stephanie Foley and Heather Griffin, want the stories of history to come alive in your living room, creating a spark of lasting wonder in every young reader. 
An integrative and interactive course, Kolbe’s elementary history helps students contextualize major historical events using familiar Bible stories and encourages students to draw connections between historical characters and their own lives.  
The history texts cater to a variety of topics and interests, including art, architecture, culture, and geography, with immersive activities to engage young students. 
Check out the reading materials for elementary grades in the Kolbe Academy bookstore. 
Related Kolbecast episodes: 
249 Stories Crafted with Care from Kolbe Academy Press and 259 Seeing the Story: Classical Reflections on Art with Stephanie Foley 
259 Seeing the Story: Classical Reflections on Art 
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.  
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey! 
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles).  Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!