The Gaudium et Spes Podcast

Bishop Wack continues his discussion of St. Francis of Assisi by unpacking his enduring legacy and how Francis' simplicity, love of the poor and commitment to peace continues to live on in the Church. He also reflects on Francis' impact — from universities to Pope Francis himself — and how his example still calls Christians back to the basics of the gospel today.

Chez Filippini continues the series on Saint Francis by talking with J. Frank Pate, OFS from Tallahassee about his journey from Catholicism through evangelical and Anglican ministry back to the Catholic Church, and into life as a Secular Franciscan. Frank shares how the Franciscan rule, love for the Eucharist, and a vocation to simplicity, fraternity, and chastity shape his daily life and service to the poor.

St. Francis of Assisi—one of the most influential saints of the last millennium—is introduced in this first of a two-part series, as Bishop Wack explores the historical context of his life, his conversion from wealthy merchant’s son to penniless disciple, and the early growth of the Franciscan movement. He also highlights Francis’s love for the Church and the Eucharist, his call to reform through poverty and humility, and the enduring impact that led to his rapid canonization and an 800-year ...

Chez Filippini and Dr. Luke Arredondo resume their Catholic Social Teaching series by discussing Pope St. John Paul II’s encyclical, "Centesimus Annus", in the context of the fall of communism, the rise of consumerist capitalism, and the Church’s insistence on a true Christian anthropology of the human person.

Fr. Tim Holeda, rector of the Co-Cathedral of St. Thomas More and Vocations Director for the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, shares his vocation story, key priestly influences, and the unique pastoral challenges of serving a parish situated among Florida State University, state government, and a diverse local community. He reflects on the growth of vocations, the parish’s shift toward more reverent and transcendent liturgy, and his vision of the Co-Cathedral as “Tallahassee’s church” and a ...