Highlights and Links July 9, 2025 Radio Shows
Saint of the Week: St. Mark Ji Tianxing
On Saints and Sinners Fr. McKay and I talked about St. Maria Goretti and St. Mark Ji Tianxing. Maria Goretti’s story is one of a brutal murder that results in both parties, the murdered AND the murderer, potentially becoming saints. Maria Gorretti was canonized in 1935. Will her murder also be canonized someday? Alessandro Serenelli - the man who murdered her may also one day become a saint. Having paid for his crime with a long prison sentence, he went through a dramatic conversion and became a Franicscan priest! While Maria Goretti was a martyr, the bigger story of God’s and Maria’s mercy on Serenelli are not a small story. Learning of the mercy that Maria had for him as she expressed her desire to spend all of eternity with him in heaven, Serenelli came to believe in God’s mercy and experienced what appears to be a total conversion!
NOTE: I will be interviewing Michael Lichens on August 6 who will be talking about Pietro DiDonato’s book, “I Killed Maria Gorretti: The Life and Repentance of Alessandro Serenelli” on August 6!
We also talked about St. Mark Ji, the 19th century Chinese doctor who was an opium addict. When he could not kick the habit he was told by a priest to stop coming to confession if he wasn’t going to stop using opium. He stops going to communion and believes his only way to heaven will be martyrdom. He gets his wish in 1900 when he and several other family members are rounded up during the Boxer Rebellion and beheaded for their Catholic beliefs.
What the World Needs Now had two great segments today. In the first I am joined by Jim Valois. Jim was on the show on May 22, 2024 to talk about his book, “Our Lady’s Prophecies: God’s Messages for Our Time”. What we talked about today was his latest article on Catholic Exchange, “Defeating Modernism”. The two are closely tied in the book he describes Or Lady’s warnings about the coming struggles and the article provides info about the struggles that came and how the Church has dealt with the heresy of Modernism. Turns out that Modernism is not one heresy but combination of may new and not so new heresies.
In the second segment I am joined by author Susan Joy Bellavance. Her middle name says it all! This joy-filled mother uses her creative mind to write children’s books in the hope of teaching them - and the adults that read the books to them! - the tenets of the Catholic faith. In her latest book, “The Crooked Court Jester and the Last Knight: A Tale of Mercy”, Susan uses a court jester (who is also a thief) to teach us about the sacraments of Reconciliation and Last Rites and, maybe more importantly, God’s mercy. Learn how the jester comes to know Mercy through the help of a wonderful knight!
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Here is a link to the mp3 recording of Saints and Sinners: Saints and Sinners
Here is a link to the recording of the 5:00 hour: What the World Needs Now
And here is a link to the Facebook Live version of the shows
BREAKING NEWS!!! Our Matt Talbot Film will be showing at the Hiway Theater in Jenkintown the morning of Saturday August 9. Use this link to get more information and your free tickets!
Msgr. McHenry will be the retreat director for the Edward J. Friel, Sr. Memorial Retreat, August 15-17, at Malvern. Information and registration here! The retreat group also has a new Facebook page.
For women in recovery, the third annual retreat for Matt Talbot W49 will be held the weekend of September 19-21. Information and registration here!