Today instead of our regular live broadcast of Ask Sister podcast we’d like to try a little something different. We worked with a couple religious communities to test out a new podcast series called “In Their Own Words: Stories about Catholic Religious Life told by those who live it.” We’d love to get your feedback on the pilot podcast we did with the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart. Use the comment box below!

Our guests are Sister Nancy Roberta Schramm, OSF, and Sister Lovina Francis Pammit, OSF.

If you are a member of a religious community of sisters, brothers, monks, nuns, or other form of consecrated life and are interested in having A Nun’s Life Ministry produce a podcast like this for you, contact us at .

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

FP006 Feature Podcast on Discovering Foremothers: Origins of Women’s Religious Life by historian Dr. Margaret Susan Thompson. Published in her 18-lecture series, The History of Women Religious in the United States, through NowYouKnowMedia.com.

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Introduction and Lecture 1: Discovering Foremothers: Origins of Women’s Religious Life

If you are interested in purchasing or learning more about the lecture series, visit Now You Know Media.

Listen to Sister Maxine and Sister Julie’s interview with Dr. Thompson on the In Good Faith program.

FP005 Feature Podcast on IHM Ministry recorded live on May 15, 2010. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Sister Julie Vieira, IHM, discusses what ministry is, the IHM lived experience, the liberating mission of Jesus, and cultivating right relationships.

Catholic sisters and nuns minister in a variety of ways. In fact, the ways they can minister are endless because ministry is not simply what you do (e.g., your job), it’s a way of being.

At a recent discernment retreat for women interested in my IHM community, I gave a little talk on what IHM Ministry is all about. I encourage you to listen and add your thoughts below in the comment box. What struck you? In what ways do you think of ministry in general and in your own lived experience?

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Subscribe to the A Nun’s Life Podcast:

FP004 Feature Podcast on Consecrated Life with IHM Sisters recorded live on February 7, 2010. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include World Day for Consecrated Life, vocations, discernment, Catholic sisters and nuns, prayer, and more.

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Subscribe to the A Nun’s Life Podcast:

Today we celebrated World Day for Consecrated Life by partnering with the IHM Vocations team to offer this hour-long podcast on vocations, discernment, and the lives of Catholic sisters today. We were delighted to be joined by IHM Sisters Carol Quigley, Michele Denton, Joyce Durosko, and Mary Bea Keeley.

Sister Maxine and I are delighted to be home at the IHM Motherhouse. Many of our sisters from near and far are interested in what we do and so we invited them to be part of a podcast tonight! We’d love for you to meet them and for them to meet you too.

Please join us tonight at 6:30 p.m. Central Time (your time zone) which is 7:30 p.m. here in Monroe, Michigan.

Location? Right here at http://anunslife.org/live … we’ll be on air for about an hour, give or take.

We’ll hear from our sisters about their life (how they became a sister, their ministry, and prayer) and take your questions about our life as IHM sisters.

Any preliminary thoughts, questions, or things you’d like us to talk about?

Look forward to seeing you tonight!

Post-show UPDATE: Here’s the recording!

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Happy Feast of Saint Teresa of Avila! I went to bed last night all giddy because of today’s feast. It honestly felt like Christmas Eve morning! I don’t exactly know why I have been feeling so excited about this feast day. As you know, Teresa of Avila is near and dear to my heart. She is one of the few saints that I feel so present to me. And it’s not just Teresa herself. It’s everything she stands for, the way she lived her life, and encouraged her sisters and everyone to seek God through both the contemplative moments of life and the active moments of life.

So I guess for me to celebrate her feast day is also a celebration of my relationship with her and my relationship with God! It’s not a bad way to spend a day!

As part of this day, I invite you to join Sister Maxine and I as we welcome another of Teresa of Avila’s friends, Mirabai Starr. Mirabai will be joining us for a live podcast today at 7:00 p.m. Central Time (time zone converter). Mirabai has spent long hours with Teresa, reading her and getting to know her as she worked on translating The Book of My Life and The Interior Castle. I can’t wait to talk with her about Teresa. More info in yesterday’s blog post. Also visit Mirabai’s website at http://www.mirabaistarr.com/.

This podcast is free and easy to access. All you need to do is visit http://anunslife.org/live any time from about 6:45 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. We’ll start officially at 7:00 p.m. Central Time (time zone converter). Follow the instructions at http://anunslife.org/live. Throughout the podcast we’ll take your comments and questions via the chat room. Use the chat room also to connect with other listeners and with us!

If you want to do a test run, join Sister Maxine and me for prayer at 12 noon Central Time. We pray the reading of the day and take your prayer requests every Monday through Thursday.

Blessings and happy Feast!

Post-show Update: Here’s the recording of the podcast:

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

You are invited to join us today for a LIVE podcast at A Nun’s Life Ministry on vocations and religious life.

Here’s how to join us LIVE.

At 1:00 p.m. CST (time zone converter), visit ANunsLife.org. On the right side of the blog under the photo you’ll see a blue box displaying a green button that says “LIVE NOW” (if you don’t see it click on the A Nun’s Life header at the top of the screen to refresh the page). You won’t see the green button until it’s close to the time the podcast starts. Click the button to start the audio (takes a minute or so).

Another way to listen is by phone. Simply dial 724-444-7444 and enter Call ID number 60385 and then enter the # sign.

You can also participate by signing on to the chat room with Sister Maxine and me. This the place where you can interact with other listeners and with us. During the broadcast you can ask your questions and offer comments to our guests which Sister Maxine and I will, if possible, read on the air. Click the link that says “Join Now To Participate”. A new window will open with a chat box and a list of other participants.

Our discussion will be on vocations in general as well as the newly released 2009 NRVC/CARA Study on Recent Vocations.

We will be interviewing two folks who have a good deal of experience in the field of vocations, Patrice Tuohy and Brother Paul Bednarczyk. Here are some links to their ministries.

Patrice Tuohy, Executive Editor of VISION Vocation Guide and Founder of TrueQuest Communications

TrueQuest Communications – “award-winning publishers of Vision Vocation Guide, Prepare the Word Homily Service, and Take Five for Faith“

VISION Vocation Guide – “insightful articles, resources, and interactive features online to assist you as you discern your life’s calling and explore religious life.”

VocationMatch.com – part of the VISION website

Brother Paul Bednarczyk, CSC, Executive Director of the National Religious Vocation Conference and former CSC Vocation Director

National Religious Vocation Conference (NRVC) – “a professional organization of men and women committed to vocation awareness, invitation, and discernment to consecrated life as brothers, sisters, and priests”

Holy Cross Brothers (CSC) – Eastern Province

Post-show Update: Here is a recording of the podcast:

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

FP0004 The sisters of aNunsLife.org discuss the book Lying Awake by Mark Salzman. The topic is Sister John’s decision to become a nun, how she was influenced by her family, mentor, and God. Original air date: August 12, 2009. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org.

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Did she say AUDIO?? That’s right folks. Today’s live discussion of the book Lying Awake by Mark Salzman is going to be in audio form. There will text as well. Sister Maxine and I are experimenting with audio formats (podcasts) and thought we’d try it out for this live discussion. We also recognize that the forum format for live discussion is a bit wonky which can prevent some folks from joining in.

Time: 1 p.m. EST — for about 45 minutes

Location: Right here on at anunslife.org

Topic: Deciding to Become a Nun – We’re going to look at Sister John’s decision to become a nun, how she was influenced by her family, mentor, and God. To see relevant pages and questions click on the link which will take you to the original discussion from Sunday. We’ll start with this topic and see where it leads!

In terms of logistics, you can participate in several different ways.

At 1 p.m. EST, come back to ANunsLife.org. On the right side of the blog under the photo you’ll see a blue box displaying a green button that says “LIVE NOW” (if you don’t see it click on the A Nun’s Life header at the top of the screen to refresh the page).

1. Streaming Audio – Listen Only. Click the button to start the audio. It will take a minute or two for the audio to start streaming. If you have trouble with streaming audio, then try #2.
2. Audio via Phone Line – Listen Only. Call into the show by phone to listen. Dial 724-444-7444 and enter Call ID number 60385 and then enter the # sign.

You can also participate in the conversation. Click the link that says “Join Now To Participate”. A new window will open on your screen that says “TalkShoe Web Client” at the top. This screen allows you to see a chat box and also to see a list of other participants.

1. Text Chat.  You can ask questions or make comments in the chat box. These may or may not be picked up on air.
2. Phone Chat. You’ll see a box with instructions to call into the show (if you are not already connected by phone). Dial 724-444-7444 and enter Call ID number 60385 and then enter the # sign. Sister Maxine or I can “unmute” you so that you can be heard by all when you have a question or comment.

It’s actually quite easy to use. Try it out. Once you familiarize yourself with the basics, you are ready to go. Since we’ve not done this before, we’re not sure how smoothly we’ll be able to handle phone questions/comments/responses, but we’re counting on you to bear with us and offer helpful feedback!

Thanks for being part of this live discussion and new format! We think that this will have great possibility and allow for more fruitful, adventurous discussion!

P.S. The discussion forum will be open for any ongoing conversations on the book.

Here is the last podcast about my trip with Sister Maxine Kollasch, IHM, to Manhattan. In this podcast we have clips from our visit to the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the New York Public Library in Manhattan. We also talk about our trip to the World Trade Center site which defies any kind of commentary.

Of random note, the podcast includes an actual conversation with Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, the French sculptor of Lady Liberty — who apparently does time travel too.

Tomorrow we’ll be leaving this great city and heading back to the midwest. Enjoy, and let me know what you think.

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Sister Maxine Kollasch and I spent our second day in Manhattan visiting with Sister Marie Pappas and Jackie LoFaro who star in and produce the “Pathways of Learning” radio show on The Catholic Channel on Sirius Radio. You may remember me writing about Sister Marie awhile back when she interviewed me for the show.

We had a great time with Sister Marie and Jackie. You can hear about our visit on our second A Nun’s Life podcast. As noted earlier, we are just beginning to experiment with podcasting so it’s a bit rough but it works!

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Here are a few pictures from the day.

Behold the mic!

Raven the radio technician extraordinaire!

Sister Marie, Jackie, and Father Miles

Sirius art

Sirius ornament

Today is a first for A Nun’s Life. We are trying out podcasting! Take a listen to our first podcast ever. Prepare yourself, however. It is a very low-tech production and kind of rough, but I think you’ll enjoy it. It chronicles our trip to and first day in New York City which is where we currently are.

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Please comment below with your feedback and perhaps what ideas you have for A Nun’s Life podcasting.