30 Min Monthly Conversations:
Discussing Love, Family, and Faith
Upcoming Conversations
4/2/25
A New Dawn for Ministry: Transforming Lebanon through the Theology of the Body
Adeline Khouri
Past Conversations
12/11/24
Navigating Media with a Catholic Lens: Responding Faithfully in a Digital World
Stephanie Van Koevering
11/13/24
Celebrating Marriage at National Marriage Week: How to advance a marriage movement in America.
Carl Caton
UPCOMING CONVERSATIONS
Tending the Garden:
Marriage, Infertility, and the Fruitful Cross
REGISTER NOW ›
January 22nd, 2025
This will be hosted by Ashley Ruybal, with special guest speaker, Ann M. Koshute.
Marriage is like a garden, which husband and wife tend together alongside God, the Divine Gardener. When the cross of infertility plants itself in the midst of this garden, the couple may find themselves feeling ill-equipped to handle this new-found dryness. They may question whether the Gardener has deserted them, or why He is choosing to prune their garden in this way. And they may find it spiritually, emotionally, and physically difficult to find any seeds of hope.
Through personal and ministry experience, Ann Koshute, M.T.S., co-founder and Executive Director of Springs in the Desert, shares about the complexity of emotions associated with infertility, how it can negatively affect one’s sense of identity, and the importance for couples to cultivate the garden of marriage, so that they can reap the abundant – and unexpected – fruitfulness God is bringing forth from them.
Please start registering by entering your name and email address. For those who can’t attend our live session, we’ll provide a recording.
Details:
- We will be using GoToWebinar.
- You can join our session by using a Mac, PC or a mobile device.
Why Young People
Need Theology of the Body
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February 5th, 2024
This will be hosted by Ashley Ruybal, with special guest speaker, Nick Koeppe.
In today’s culture, our youth are inundated with misleading messages about the true meanings of masculinity and femininity, especially through social media. It is crucial that we empower parents and educators with the Church’s teachings on sexuality, masculinity, femininity, marriage, and family.
These profound teachings, rooted in the Theology of the Body from Pope St. John Paul II and other Church documents, provide essential guidance for nurturing a healthy understanding of these concepts.
Please start registering by entering your name and email address. For those who can’t attend our live session, we’ll provide a recording.
Details:
- We will be using GoToWebinar.
- You can join our session by using a Mac, PC or a mobile device.
Finding Faith
Online Dating for Catholics in the Digital Age
REGISTER NOW ›
March 12th, 2025
This will be hosted by Ashley Ruybal, with special guest speaker, Mariette Rintoul.
Mariette will discuss the growing significance of online dating as a meaningful way to find a spouse who shares your faith. In a world where technology connects us more than ever, online platforms offer an important avenue for individuals with shared beliefs and values to build lasting, faith-centered relationships.
Please start registering by entering your name and email address. For those who can’t attend our live session, we’ll provide a recording.
Details:
- We will be using GoToWebinar.
- You can join our session by using a Mac, PC or a mobile device.
A New Dawn for Ministry:
Transforming Lebanon through the Theology of the Body
REGISTER NOW ›
April 2nd, 2024
This will be hosted by Ashley Ruybal, with special guest speaker, Adeline Khouri.
As Christopher West beautifully expresses, “Oh, if the men and women of Lebanon could rise up in a great chorus, singing the Song of Songs—surely that redemptive melody could reach the ends of the earth! Let it be, Lord, according to Your will!”
In this spirit, the Theology of the Body (TOB)—a profound teaching by St. John Paul II on human dignity, love, and sexuality—has taken root in Lebanon, the land of the Song of Songs, where its essence is deeply embodied despite enduring wars and crises. TOB provides essential insights for clergy and alumni, illuminating the significance of the human body in reflecting God’s love. This teaching resonates with the cultural and spiritual values of the Lebanese Church, offering practical and spiritual tools to address contemporary challenges related to relationships, identity, and pastoral care. It empowers participants to minister effectively while upholding Christian teachings in their daily lives.
Please start registering by entering your name and email address. For those who can’t attend our live session, we’ll provide a recording.
Details:
- We will be using GoToWebinar.
- You can join our session by using a Mac, PC or a mobile device.
PAST CONVERSATIONS
Did you miss a past conversation?
Click on a past conversation below to listen to the recording.
Navigating Media with a Catholic Lens:
Responding Faithfully in a Digital World
December 11th, 2024
Hosted by Ashley Ruybal, with special guest speaker, Stephanie Van Koevering.
This month’s featured guest is Stephanie Van Koevering. In today’s fast-paced world, Catholics are inundated with information from countless media sources—both print and digital. But how do we discern truth amid all the noise? This presentation will provide practical tools to help Catholics critically evaluate the media they consume, with a focus on recognizing bias and understanding how it shapes narratives. Drawing on key principles from Catholic social teaching, we’ll explore how to develop a well-formed conscience and make informed choices that reflect our faith.
Additionally, we’ll discuss how Catholics can respond to others on social media with both charity and truth. Learn how to engage in respectful dialogue while staying true to your values, becoming a faithful witness of the faith in the digital age. Together, we can foster meaningful conversations and promote the common good.
NFP and FemTech
Learning Habits of the next Generation
November 20th, 2024
Hosted by Ashley Ruybal, with special guest speaker, Katie Zulanas.
The rapid expansion of FemTech has created an opportunity for those who take the time to understand the perceptions and learning habits of these new generations.
Celebrating Marriage at National Marriage Week
How to Advance a Marriage Movement in America
November 13th, 2024
Hosted by Ashley Ruybal, with special guest Carl Caton, President - Marriage Initiative.
National Marriage Week is February 7-14, the week leading up to Valentine’s Day. It is a week that we celebrate and promote marriage because marriage is good for you and it's good for America. The social sciences highlight that married couples have greater health, financial stability, and personal happiness. And it is the best scenario for raising children, to give them a better chance at life.
In God We Trust
How Faith Matters for American Families
October 16th, 2024
Hosted by Ashley Ruybal, with special guest speaker, Brad Wilcox.
In this lecture, University of Virginia Professor Wilcox discusses the ways in which religion shapes the quality and stability of American family life. He shows how and why Americans who attend religious services enjoy higher levels of marital quality, greater sexual satisfaction, and dramatically lower risks of divorce. And he shares these happily married men and women’s best practices.
Eucharist...
A Challenging Truth to Swallow
September 18th, 2024
Hosted by Ashley Ruybal, with special guest speaker, Trapper Jack (Philip Keller)
All the signs, as well as John 6, tell us the Eucharist is Jesus.
Yet, 70% of Catholics do not believe that anything miraculous happens on the altar during mass. Despite the dozens of cases of Eucharistic miracles, where bread is transformed into heart tissue, Catholics continue to doubt.
Perhaps we have been trained to doubt. Perhaps we have placed a giant invisibility cloak over all the Catholic approved supernatural events that are still part of the everyday collisions of heaven and earth.
Choosing a School
How Developmental Stages Can Guide Parenting
August 21st, 2024
Hosted by Ashley Ruybal, with special guest speaker, Pauline Meert.
Learn about Maria Montessori 4 planes of development from Pauline Meert.
Discover how knowing about these planes of development can help you better understand your child and adjust your parenting according to your children's needs.
Spiritual Direction
Pursuing Intimacy with Christ
July 31st, 2024
Hosted by Ashley Ruybal, with special guest speaker, Amanda Zurface.
What is spiritual direction and how can it help me?
To attune our hearts to become more attentive to the Lord’s presence in our life, spiritual direction can help foster our awareness of God and ready us for what the Lord desires to give us. Spiritual direction provides the forum to articulate our experience, we can hear and listen to the inner movements of our hearts and learn to receive the Lord more fully and respond to His promptings.
In this podcast, Amanda Zurface, JCL, Spiritual Director and Canon Lawyer, explore the great gift of spiritual direction and how to pursue it for yourself.
Renew the Church from Within
How a Marriage Catechumenate will Renew the Church from Within
July 3rd, 2024
Hosted by Ashley Ruybal, with special guest speaker, Julia Dezelski.
The new guidelines for marriage preparation and enrichment provided by Catechumenal Pathways for Married Life is forging a new vision for how the Church prepares couples for the sacrament of marriage and accompanies them for a lifelong commitment of love.
What does the document say and how will it impact the way future couples are prepared for marriage?
How can our parishes form and support holy marriages?
Evangelization and formation by way of marriages and families are the surest way forward for the mission of the Church.
Building Stronger Family Bonds
Uniting Through Weekly Rituals
May 29th, 2024
This will be hosted by Ashley Ruybal, with special guest speaker, Jordan Langdon.
Your family is the most important TEAM you will ever be a part of. However, many of our families do not actually function as a true team, which causes division in relationships, kids looking to peers over parents for support and an overall lack of belonging. This session will give you a taste of how getting 1 simple Weekly Ritual going in your family can have you feeling like the united team you were meant to be!
familiesofcharacter.com, familiesofcharacter.com/podcast
Tender Loving Care
For Marriage Ministry
April 17th, 2024
Hosted by Ashley Ruybal, with special guest speaker, Tere Johnson
Marriage prep and marriage enrichment teams are the best people in the world. They give and share their personal stories and their time!
But who is taking care of their marriage? Long time Family Life Ministry leader Teresita Johnson will share ways you can give your volunteers (and yourselves) some TLC!
Standing Strong
As a parent or grandparent
March 6th, 2024
Hosted by Ashley Ruybal, with special guest speaker, Dr. Ray Guarendi
Dr. Ray is an experienced clinical psychologist with 40+ years of expertise.
As a special guest, he'll discuss "Standing Strong as a Parent and Grandparent," drawing from his extensive background in family dynamics. Dr. Ray, a practicing Catholic, advocates for empowering parents to trust their instincts in raising children for a fulfilling life.
Gain valuable insights and proven parenting techniques from the author of "You're A Better Parent Than You Think." Practical advice on raising happy, well-adjusted children.
Marriage & the Eucharist
The supreme sacrament of the redemption of the body
February 21st, 2024
Hosted by Ashley Ruybal with Christopher West
Dr. Christopher West explores St. John Paul II’s teaching that the Eucharist is the consummation of the mystical marriage of Christ and the Church: “the Sacrament of the Bridegroom and of the Bride.” You will never see your marriage, the Mass and this most Holy Sacrament the same way again!
Choosing a School
Discerning Education as a Family
February 7th, 2024
Hosted by Ashley Ruybal with Pauline Meert from Sophia Montessori Academy
It is never too early to discuss education for your future or new children.
Sophia Montessori Academy founder, Pauline Meert, discusses the state of education, how to learn more about various educational approaches, and how to discern your school path as a family.
Supporting Couples
In choosing and using Natural Family Planning
January 17th, 2024
Hosted by Ashley Ruybal with Ellen Holloway | Catholic Sexuality and NFP Mindset Coach
We have a huge chasm in our church when it comes to teaching about Natural Family Planning (NFP). Many marriage preparation programs provide an introduction or even a full course of instruction in a method of fertility awareness, but roughly 2% of Catholic married couples report actually using NFP in their marriage.
What is it that parishes need to do in order to help couples choose to use NFP and then support them in continuing to use this natural method of fertility regulation even when things get hard?
Ellen Holloway discusses what couples really need and how we can implement solutions to support marriages in this way.
Empowering Moms and Daughters
Navigating Puberty together with our Mothers of (Pre) Teens program
October 11th, 2023
Hosted by Ashley Ruybal with Jackie Aguilar from Natural Womanhood
Girls entering puberty need to be taught about puberty and cycles. What are some of the roadblocks or fears for moms when it comes to discussing these topics? Our Mothers of (Pre) Teens program is a tool for moms to help them be the primary educator of their daughter and to build closeness and trust in their relationship.
We will take you on a short tour of the Mothers of (Pre) Teens course and discuss the impact that it is having on moms and daughters.
HOW CAN THE CHURCH SUPPORT FAMILIES OF CHILD LOSS?
August 30th, 2023
Hosted by Ashley Ruybal with Special Guest Kelly Breaux from Red Bird Ministries
When a parent experiences the loss of a child, they often don't know where to turn. For many, our first reach is not to the Church. Holy Mother Church desires to support families of loss.
In this webisode, we talk about the challenges parents face in losing a child and ways to support families beyond the funeral.
MY DELIGHT
New Resources for Catholic Married Couples
Hosted by Ashley Ruybal with Dr. Sarah Bartel from Cana Feast
When a couple is struggling in their marital intimacy, what resources are there to help them with practical guidance that is in line with Catholic teaching?
Hear from moral theologian Dr. Sarah Bartel about her work helping married Catholic women grow in their experience of the marital embrace. Hear about the common problems women face and the kinds of support and guidance that can help.
MALE FEMALE OTHER?
A Catholic Guide to Understanding Gender
Hosted by: Ashley Ruybal with Special Guest Presenter Jason Evert with Chastity Project
- How many genders are there?
- What if my daughter says she’s trans?
- Should I use their preferred pronouns?
- Is gender a social construct?
- Are puberty blockers safe?
- What if I experience gender dysphoria?
From Ashes to Life:
A testament to God's healing power and grace after an affair
Hosted by: Ashley Ruybal with Special Guest Presenters: Deano and Karen Gonzales, Marriage Prep Instructors for CMP.
Tragically, many couples find themselves in despair, without hope, and filing for a divorce after an affair. This webisode will provide some insight and real life experience of how the love of Jesus led Deano and Karen through the pain and suffering of a 2 year affair and restored their marriage.
Listen in on how they hope to help other couples who find themselves in a similar crisis and journey with them to navigate the waters to freedom and a restored marriage.
Helping Adult Children of Divorce
Who are Preparing for Marriage
Hosted by: Ashley Ruybal with Special Guest Presenters: Dr. Daniel and Bethany Meola of Life-Giving Wounds
Men and women whose parents are divorced or separated are statistically at more risk of divorcing themselves. What can clergy and pastoral leaders do to help adult children of divorce (ACODs) marry with greater confidence and success? Dr. Daniel and Bethany Meola are the founders of Life-Giving Wounds, an apostolate dedicated to giving voice to the pain of ACODs and helping them find healing. The Meolas discuss the particular wounds and needs of those preparing for marriage after not seeing their parents' marriages last, including anxiety about conflict, difficulty with genuine intimacy, fears about parenting, and more. This webisode will help those in marriage preparation ministry be more aware of the particular needs of ACODs and help them overcome the challenges they face, in order to marry joyfully and confidently.
Supporting Couples
in Healing from Pornography Use
Hosted by: Ashley Ruybal with Special Guest Presenter: Dan Spadaro
It is clear that both husband and wife are impacted when there is a discovery of pornography use in the marriage. How can we help support a couple when there is a discovery? Dan Spadaro, a licensed counselor, offers some practical and theoretic ideas related to issues that come up in this process and possible guidance and resources for growth.
Catholic Quinceañeras Celebrations
November 2nd, 2022
Hosted by: Ashley Ruybal with Special Guest Presenter: Carmen Chavez-Lopez
Previously recorded on November 2nd, 2022. In this short presentation, you will learn how our online Quince course provides a wonderful opportunity to bring teens and their families back to church and, more importantly, to God. Please note - this webisode will be presented in English and focus on supporting the Hispanic community in parishes through the Quinceañeras Celebrations.
Formation of Conscience
September 28th, 2022
Hosted by: Ashley Ruybal with Special Guest Presenter: Christian Meert
Previously recorded on September 28th, 2022. Take 30 minutes to learn more about why it is so important to have a well-formed conscience, the difference between opinions and conscience, and how CatholicMarriageprep.com deals with this in our marriage preparation course with engaged couples.
Is Your Parish Mission - Driven or Budget - Driven?
July 20th, 2022
Hosted by: Ashley Ruybal with Special Guest Presenter: Jonathan Teixeira from Wallet Win
Previously recorded on July 20th, 2022. How do you offer your parishioners the tools and strategies they need to live as the good stewards they’re called to be? In this webisode, you’ll learn how to start designing a budget around your mission.
Handling Tough Topics in Catholic Marriage Prep:
Addressing Gender Dysphoria, Catholic Anthropology, and Transgenderism
June 1st, 2022
Hosted by: Ashley Ruybal with Special Guest Presenter: Patrick Hernandez
Previously recorded on June 1st, 2022. Destructive gender ideologies are rapidly on the rise, so how do we prepare engaged couples for marriage in a world where genders are blurred? Learn how we help couples understand God's plan for men and women, and embrace the God-given missions that our world is currently trying to redefine.
Online Solutions for Marriage Convalidations
March 26, 2022
Hosted by: Ashley Ruybal with Special Guest Speaker: Christian Meert
Previously recorded on March 26, 2022. Unsure how to handle marriage convalidations? Learn how CatholicMarriageprep.com can help you and your parish in these unique situations.
