Vatican Insider

I’m calling this segment INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW because I’m going to bring you some trivia, that is, some little known and often unusual facts about the Vatican – some fun stories about bells and flags and basilica floors. It might be trivia but it is not trivial! (Originally aired on 7/20/18)

My guest this week in the interview segment of “Vatican Insider” is a longtime friend, Fr. Frank Phillips, former pastor for 30 years at Chicago’s well-known St. John Cantius Church. After a number of years, we met serendipitously over my vacation at a pre-investiture ceremony for the Order of the Holy Sepulchre that was held at St. John Cantius. (Originally aired on 10/14/22)

Welcome to Vatican Insider on this mid-September weekend. I hope the weather is as beautiful where you are as it is here in Rome! For the interview segment this weekend, please join me for Part II of a Special on the papal residence of Castelgandolfo and its centuries-long history where I look at the main palace and other buildings, the extensive land and magnificent gardens and the papal farm that actually occupies most of the land.

Welcome to Vatican Insider on a very important weekend for the Catholic Church and especially for young people everywhere! As you surely know, this Sunday, September 7, two young men, Blesseds Carlo Acutis and Piergiorgio Frassati, will be canonized by Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter’s Square during Mass. In this week’s new segment, in addition to the top stories in the Vatican, I offer brief biographies of our two future saints. For the interview segment this weekend, I prepared a Special on the papal residence of Castelgandolfo and its centuries-long history. Join us!

Welcome to Vatican Insider on this final weekend of August. Is summer really almost over! I have yet to go on vacation but that’s coming soon. No interview this weekend, rather, I’ve prepared a Special on the two very special saints we celebrated this week – St. Monica on August 27th and her famous son, St. Augustine, on the 28th. Join us!

Welcome to Vatican Insider on this August weekend as summer winds down for so many people and schools are about to reopen or already have reopened in many cases. My guest in the interview segment this week is Dr. Blythe Kaufman, founder of the Children’s Rosary®, an International Prayer group movement for children. This week we look at how the Children’s Rosary has grown throughout the world and Blythe explains how to create such a prayer group of your parish or school. Join us for Vatican Insider!

Welcome to Vatican Insider at this halfway mark of August. August might be the 8th month of the year for most people but for Italians, it is THE month of the year! It is the month of ferragosto – August holidays. In place of an interview segment this weekend, I have prepared a special I’ve called The Lazy, Hazy Days of August in Rome. I think you’ll get a kick out of it and learn a few things as well. Join us!

Welcome to Vatican Insider on a quiet August weekend – at least in Italy as August is the month of the so-called Great Exodus when Italians leave big cities, small towns and everywhere in between for some vacation time at a summer home in the mountains or at the seashore. Be sure to stay tuned after the news report for the interview segment and Part II of my conversation with Johnny Vrba, creator of the now famous 1000-piece, 3 x 4 foot mosaic that depicts the future Saint Carlo Acutis.

Welcome to Vatican Insider on this exciting weekend in Rome when the Jubilee of Youth that started July 28 continues with a vigil Saturday night and a Mass on Sunday on the Tor Vergata esplanade to conclude the weeklong event. My young guest in the interview segment is Johnny Vrba, creator of the now-famous 1000-piece mosaic that depicts the future Saint Carlo Acutis. He spent some days in Rome during the Jubilee, sharing the mosaic and its story with young people. Join us for this edition of Vatican Insider!

Welcome to Vatican Insider on the weekend that precedes the arrival in Rome of half a million youth from over 140 countries to celebrate the weeklong Jubilee of Youth that starts Monday, July 28! Exciting days ahead, for sure! And an exciting Special report this weekend in what is normally the interview segment of VI. I prepared a Special program because this is such a special weekend! Saturday is the feast of Sts. Anne and Joachim, parents of our Blessed Mother and grandparents of Jesus, and Sunday marks the 5th World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly.

In Part II of our conversation, we talk about the years of filming The Chosen, how he was chosen for his role as Jesus, and the extraordinary time spent in Matera for the Crucifixion. Jonathan explains when and how that season will air. I asked if he felt this role had changed him in any way over all these years of filming? I also asked an almost impossible question to answer: Did he have a favorite segment (or two)?

This week and next, Jonathan talks about how he and the cast rejoiced over meeting a fellow American, Pope Leo XIV, and he also offered a perceptive analysis of the new Pope. We talk about the years of filming The Chosen, how he was chosen for his role as Jesus, and the time spent in Matera. I asked if he felt this role had changed him in any way over all these years of filming? I also asked an almost impossible question to answer: Did he have a favorite segment (or two)?

This week we continue with the second part of the interview of 3 amazing cast members of the TV series, THE CHOSEN – Vanessa Benavente Mother Mary, Elizabeth Tabish -Mary Magdalen and George Xanthus as John The Apostle as they visited Rome after filming the Crucifixion and Season 6 in Matera, Italy. Join us for Vatican Insider!

This week I was blessed to interview 3 amazing cast members of the TV series, THE CHOSEN – Vanessa Benavente Mother Mary, Elizabeth Tabish -Mary Magdalen and George Xanthus as John The Apostle as they visited Rome after filming the Crucifixion and Season 6 in Matera, Italy. Join us for Vatican Insider!

Welcome to Vatican Insider on another hot summer weekend in Rome and so many parts of the world! Relax, enjoy a cool drink and let me bring you the news and a great interview! After the news segment, stay tuned for Part II of my conversation with Catherine Wiley and Marilyn Henry of the Catholic Grandparents Association as we continue our talk about the first international conference that CGA recently held in Rocca di Papa, near Rome, attended by grandparents from Ireland, England, Australia, the U.S., Malta, Gibraltar and the Philippines.