All Roads Lead to Rome: On Becoming Roman Catholic (OCIA)

This podcast is for people interested in the teachings and practices of the Roman Catholic Church. It is especially helpful if you have only heard negative things about it, or if you are in an OCIA class.

021 - Development of Doctrine 11/18/2025

021 - Development of Doctrine Can Church doctrine develop over time? If it does, then does that mean it can change into something different as society changes? John Henry Newman wrote “A Essay On the Development of Christian Doctrine” and this book addresses those specific questions. True doctrine develops over time and brings us into a deeper understanding. A corruption of doctrine brings us to a different or changed belief. To show how this works, Newman developed 7 Notes (or point) to show how doctrine can legitimately develop. This is an complicated episode, but really worth the effort because this is an important understanding of how the Church faces the demands of the world. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, please let us know at: Please follow, subscribe, and leave a review! Also check us out on Facebook, Instagram, and X Please tell A Catholic Curious friend about us! /episode/index/show/1ff7be02-d1b1-4827-ba03-7c8a6a585a03/id/39083890

020 - Pilgrimages 11/11/2025

020 - Pilgrimages Pilgrimages are trips to places that are important to the Faith. They are different from vacations in that they seek to have a deeper encounter with God, experience a healing, or do penance for restoration. They have always been part of the Judeo-Christian experience. This episode explains what a pilgrimage is, why they are important, why it is a Catholic practice more than a Protestant one, and it talks about several pilgrimage destinations. The pilgrimage destinations discussed are Israel, Rome, the Camino, Lourdes, Fatima, Guadalupe, and the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, please let us know at: Please follow, subscribe, and leave a review! Also check us out on Facebook, Instagram, and X Please tell A Catholic Curious friend about us! /episode/index/show/1ff7be02-d1b1-4827-ba03-7c8a6a585a03/id/38986320

019 - Cardinal and Theological Virtues 11/07/2025

019 - Cardinal and Theological Virtues The purpose of the Christian life is to develop holiness. Catholic Virtue Ethics is a big part of the process that helps get us there. There are 4 Cardinal and 3 Theological Virtues that are key. The 4 Cardinal Virtues are Prudence, Justice, Temperance, and Fortitude. Cardinal means “hinge” like on a door and all virtues swing on the hinge of these four. We cultivate them through the development of intentional habits. The 3 Theological Virtues are Faith, Hope, and Charity. These are infused in our lives by God. St. Thomas Aquinas brought them together and the wide swath of the Second Part of the Summa Theologia focuses on them. This episode walks through all of that! If you have questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, please let us know at: Please follow, subscribe, and leave a review! Also check us out on Facebook, Instagram, and X Please tell A Catholic Curious friend about us! /episode/index/show/1ff7be02-d1b1-4827-ba03-7c8a6a585a03/id/38949815

018 - Virtue Ethics 11/04/2025

018 - Virtue Ethics Virtue Ethics is the system of behaviors and actions that allow us to cultivate virtue and become holy. Ethics isn’t just about do’s and don’t’s … its about cultivation of a virtuous and holy life. Some history is given on how Plato and Aristotle wrestled with the questions, but the focus is on the First Part of the Second Part of Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologia If you have questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, please let us know at: Please follow, subscribe, and leave a review! Also check us out on Facebook, Instagram, and X Tell A Catholic Curious friend about us! /episode/index/show/1ff7be02-d1b1-4827-ba03-7c8a6a585a03/id/38915785

017 - Evil 10/30/2025

017 - Evil This episode explores the subject of evil. It focuses on evil as being an effect of Free Will and uses Augustine’s idea of evil being the absence of good. It also talks about demonic attacks on the Christian life. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, please let us know at: Please follow, subscribe, and leave a review! Also check us out on Facebook, Instagram, and X Tell A Catholic Curious friend about us! /episode/index/show/1ff7be02-d1b1-4827-ba03-7c8a6a585a03/id/38853345

016 - Suffering 10/28/2025

016 - Suffering This episode talks about suffering. It explores Tragic Suffering and uses the story of Job from the Bible. It also explores Malevolent Suffering and uses Romans 5:1-5 to explain how we should deal with it. This episode also examines the 1984 Papal Letter, Salvifici Doloris, which can be downloaded here: If you have questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, let me know at Please follow, subscribe, follow us on Social Media, and tell a Catholic Curious friend! /episode/index/show/1ff7be02-d1b1-4827-ba03-7c8a6a585a03/id/38803280

015 - The Nicene Creed 10/24/2025

015 - The Nicene Creed This episode talks about the Nicene Creed. This Creed is recited at every Mass in Catholic and Orthodox Churches. Why is it so important? This episode explains that. We go through the Council of Nicaea in AD325 where it was written and then go through each sentence and talk about what it means. It is a very important part of Catholic Faith! If you have questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, let me know at Please follow, subscribe, follow us on Social Media, and tell a Catholic Curious friend! /episode/index/show/1ff7be02-d1b1-4827-ba03-7c8a6a585a03/id/38774895

014 - How Authority Works 10/22/2025

014 - How Authority Works This episode explores how the Church believes in Absolute Truth and sets various levels of authority to dogmas, doctrines, and church documents. It covers Papal Infallibility, Classical Theism, Nominalism, and all those documents with Latin names that get published by the Vatican. If you have questions or suggestions for future episodes, let me know at MSBickford@AllRoadsLeadToRome.net /episode/index/show/1ff7be02-d1b1-4827-ba03-7c8a6a585a03/id/38748475

013 - The Rosary 10/17/2025

013 - The Rosary This episode explores the history and development of the Rosary, including its presence in Marian Apparitions as well as at the Battle of Lepanto. It then walks through how to pray it and why it is a powerful Prayer Discipline as well as a Spiritual Growth Discipline. /episode/index/show/1ff7be02-d1b1-4827-ba03-7c8a6a585a03/id/38626030

012 - The Saints 10/14/2025

012 - The Saints This episode explains who the saints are, how they get named saints, and why this is the goal all of us have in life. It also shows how the supernatural surrounds them. Stigmata, Levitation, and Bi-Location examples are given. /episode/index/show/1ff7be02-d1b1-4827-ba03-7c8a6a585a03/id/38584960

011 - Purgatory 10/10/2025

011 - Purgatory What happens if we are destined for heaven, but still have bad habits, character, or behavior. We must be purified before getting to heaven, or else our presence will not make heaven perfect for everyone else. What is that purification? Catholics call it Purgatory. This episode walks us through it /episode/index/show/1ff7be02-d1b1-4827-ba03-7c8a6a585a03/id/38545420

010 - The Eucharist 10/08/2025

010 - The Eucharist The Eucharist is "The Source and Summit of the Christian Life." This episode explains why. It also explores the Biblical understanding (drawing from John 6 and I Corinthians 11), what the early Church Fathers believed, how Thomas Aquinas wrestled with it, and how the Catechism describes it today. Both "Real Presence" and "Transubstantiation" are explained as well. /episode/index/show/1ff7be02-d1b1-4827-ba03-7c8a6a585a03/id/38504040

009 - Sacraments Part 2 10/02/2025

009 - Sacraments Part 2 This episode explores the Sacraments of the Sick, of Holy Orders, and of holy Matrimony. It also explores Sacramentals and the role they play in the Christian life /episode/index/show/1ff7be02-d1b1-4827-ba03-7c8a6a585a03/id/38448610

008 - Sacraments - Part I 09/30/2025

008 - Sacraments - Part I The Church hs 7 Sacraments. This episode explores what a Sacrament is and then walks through Baptism, Confirmation, and the Sacrament of Penance. Episodes 9 and 10 will explore the rest. /episode/index/show/1ff7be02-d1b1-4827-ba03-7c8a6a585a03/id/38415440

007 - The Mass 09/27/2025

007 - The Mass There are many aspects to the Roman Catholic Mass that can be confusing. This episode walks through all of it to show what is being said, what is being done, and what miracle is talking place. /episode/index/show/1ff7be02-d1b1-4827-ba03-7c8a6a585a03/id/38378085

006 - The Early Church 09/22/2025

006 - The Early Church The early church encountered all sorts of challenges and problems. How they addressed them defined the Catholic Church then and defines the Catholic Church today. /episode/index/show/1ff7be02-d1b1-4827-ba03-7c8a6a585a03/id/38318445

005 - The Pope and the Hierarchy 09/18/2025

005 - The Pope and the Hierarchy This episode explores the origin and function of the Papacy. It also walks through Canon Law and the role of the Curia (bureaucracy of the Church) /episode/index/show/1ff7be02-d1b1-4827-ba03-7c8a6a585a03/id/38271175

004 - Mary 09/17/2025

004 - Mary Mary plays a very important role in the life of the Catholic Church. This episode explores why she does and how the Church came to see this role. /episode/index/show/1ff7be02-d1b1-4827-ba03-7c8a6a585a03/id/38260210

Episode 003 - Faith and Reason 09/16/2025

Episode 003 - Faith and Reason The war between religions and science is a lie. This episode explains why. /episode/index/show/1ff7be02-d1b1-4827-ba03-7c8a6a585a03/id/38246255

Episode 002 - The Water We Swim In 09/16/2025

Episode 002 - The Water We Swim In Are you a Nominalist? Are you an Epistemic Realist? Your answer to this destermines how you make many decisions in life. If you have no idea what they are, then they are directing your decisoons in ways that you don't even know. We look at all of this in this episode. /episode/index/show/1ff7be02-d1b1-4827-ba03-7c8a6a585a03/id/38243200

001 - Introduction 09/12/2025

001 - Introduction Welcome to the All Roads Lead To Rome Podcast. We are here to explore the teachings and beleifs of the Catholic Church and help you gain a true understanding of them. Please visit us at to learn more! /episode/index/show/1ff7be02-d1b1-4827-ba03-7c8a6a585a03/id/38199295

All Roads Lead to Rome: On Becoming Roman Catholic (OCIA)

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