Saint Benedict & the Benedictines, Stability Amidst Chaos
Catholic Heritage with Dr. Italy
In this 14 minute podcast recorded on the occasion of the Feast of St. Benedict on July 11, host Sonrise Morning show host Anna Mitchell interviews Dr. Italy about the significance that Benedict and the Benedictine way of life holds for Christians today.
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Sign_of_the_Cross_SRMS_7-3-19
Catholic Heritage with Dr. Italy
The sign of the cross is one of the hallmarks of Catholic life and prayer. Yet often it is made mechanically, even unconsciously. And if many were asked what it means, where it came from, and why it matters, they wouldn’t really have much to say.
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Peter, Paul & the Church of Rome
Catholic Heritage with Dr. Italy
Peter and Paul died in the persecution of the emperor Nero. Peter was crucified and buried on Vatican hill – the present St. Peter’s basilica was erected over his tomb. Paul was beheaded and buried outside the walls of the city. The basilica of St. Paul’s outside the walls covers Paul’s tomb. The tombs of these two apostles in Rome made Rome the pre-eminent site of Christian pilgrimage from the 4th century to the present, second only to Jerusalem in importance.
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Meaning of the Sacred Heart
Catholic Heritage with Dr. Italy
7 minute podcast by Dr. Italy focusing on the true meaning of the Sacred Heart of Jesus based on the chief scriptural text connected with this feast and devotion.
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John the Baptist's Birthday - Cause for Celebration
Catholic Heritage with Dr. Italy
On June 24, the Church observes a solemn feast in honor of the birth or nativity of John the Baptist. No other saint's birthday is celebrated with such solemnity. The unique role of the Forerunner, the Voice crying out in the Wilderness, in the history of salvation is part of the reason. But also the Church wants to draw our attention to the witness of John's character. It teaches us much about the path to holiness and the Kingdom of God.
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Holy Thursday - Eucharist, The Body of Christ
Catholic Heritage with Dr. Italy
Holy Thursday, the night of the Last Supper aka the Lord's Supper, the institution of the Holy Eucharist -- why did Jesus do what he did and say what he said? What did he mean when he said "This is my body and this is my blood" and "Do this in Memory of Me"? And what does the Catholic Church mean by talking about transubstantiation and the body of Christ? All this is remembered & celebrated on the Feast of Corpus Christi.
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Why Call God "Father"?
Catholic Heritage with Dr. Italy
Father's Day brings up a very good question -- in this post-feminist era, why should we stick to calling God "Father"?? Isn't this just a relic from a bygone, patriarchal culture. After all, if God is spirit, he is neither male nor female. Sonrise Morning show host, Anna Mitchell asks such questions of Dr. Italy who shares from the bible, the Tradition, and the teaching of the Catholic Church just what it means when we say God is Father as well as what we don't mean. You'll love his insights into the fatherhood of God communicated with energy and conciseness in this ten...
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White Smoke: On the Election of Pope Leo XIV
Catholic Heritage with Dr. Italy
In this 13 minute podcast, Catholic Connection show host Teresa Tomeo interviews Dr. Italy about the election of Pope Leo XIV. Providentially, Dr. Italy was leading a pilgrimage in Rome and was in St. Peter's square on May 8, 2025, when the white smoke rose from the chimney.
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Why the Trinity Matters
Catholic Heritage with Dr. Italy
The Trinity is the central dogma of the Catholic faith and is equally important to Orthodox and most Protestant Christians. Yet it is a mystery, something that we as limited human beings can never understand. So does that mean we can just believe it but basically forget about it and focus on more practical things, like morality? Not at all, says Marcellino D'Ambrosio (Dr. Italy) on this episode of the . If we fail to make progress in understanding the Trinity, we will never understand ourselves or understand what love is all about. In this age in which marriages and families...
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Holy Spirit, Promise of the Father
Catholic Heritage with Dr. Italy
6 minute podcast in which Dr. Italy explains why Jesus called the Holy Spirit “the Promise of the Father” and how God’s promises are fulfilled in the gift of Pentecost which is repeated in every baptism and confirmation.
info_outlineIn this podcast from the Sonrise Morning Show, host Anna Mitchell begins by observing that virtually half the Gospel of Luke is taken up by Jesus and disciples journey from Galilee to Jerusalem. Holy Land Pilgrimage host and theologian Marcellino D'Ambrosio (Dr. Italy) describes what this journey would have been like for the Lord and his followers and what Jerusalem would have been like in the days before the Passover. He goes on to explain the distinctive location of the Last Supper high in the Essene Quarter of Jerusalem and the strenuous downhill walk of Jesus and the Twelve from the Cenacle to the Kidron valley, and then up to the Garden of Gethsemane a third the way up the slopes of the Mount of Olives. Jesus capture is described as well as "the sacred Pit," the maximum security cell in Caiaphas' palace complex where Jesus most probably spent the last night of his earthly life.