STM Podcast Archive

Jeth Fogg, a sophomore at Yale, shares his journey to the Catholic Church, sparked by engaging with the Church’s intellectual tradition alongside friends. From the thought-provoking texts of Aristotle and Augustine to the supportive community at Saint Thomas More, Jeff’s story is a testament to the transformative power of intellectual and spiritual exploration. We uncover how his intellectual curiosity guided him to ask questions about the meaning of life, which ultimately led him home to the Church.

Imagine viewing yourself as part of a worshiping community that includes trees and animals, not just the people in the church pews with you. Join us on Finding God on Park Street as we sit down with Teresa Berger, a distinguished professor at Yale Divinity School and the Institute of Sacred Music (ISM), who gives us insight into how she worships God, and with whom. Her faith and scholarship explore questions surrounding creation and communion, which she lays out in her forthcoming book Benedicite.

Assistant Chaplain David Rivera shares his faith journey, from growing up immersed in Mexican-American Catholic culture in California, to experiencing the strength of community life during college, and ultimately to New Haven, a city he’s called home for a decade. Together with student co-host Zach Moynihan, we celebrate the vibrant start of the academic year, the joy of new and returning students, and the dynamism of life at Saint Thomas More.

Join us as Kacie Barrett, a passionate graduate student at Yale Divinity School, shares her remarkable journey from a childhood on the ice in Montana to the study of theology here at Yale. Although she may not have seen it coming for herself, Kacie has been asking theological questions and honing her skills of critical analysis from a young age as a Catholic school student and teen youth ministry leader. Now, she’s putting them to practice as a budding theologian.

Growing up in a secular household to becoming a dedicated Catholic catechist is a journey sure to be full of unexpected twists and turns. Join us as alum, Kay Perdue Meadows, takes us through her remarkable journey of falling in love with Christ and seeing the beauty of this world with the eyes of faith, especially as a current producer at Yale Repertory Theatre. Raised in an intellectually curious, non-religious environment, Kay discovered the world of theater as a means to overcome her shyness. Her love of stories played out in a new way on stage, cultivating compassion and empathy for others’ struggles and experiences.

Have you ever wondered how to keep a place like Saint Thomas More up and running? Join us as we sit down with Joe Connolly, the Executive Director of Saint Thomas More Chapel & Center at Yale University, who shares more about his day-to-day work leading Saint Thomas More and the providential path that led him here. Discover how he sees his work as part of his vocational call to serve God and serve the Church, which is a call that he's been discerning for most of his life. Joe regales us with heartfelt and humorous stories that shaped his spiritual path.

We are honored to welcome Professor Paul Kennedy, the esteemed 2024 recipient of the Saint Thomas More Medal, as our guest on this special bonus episode before the premiere of Season 3 of Finding God on Park Street. Sharing stories from his four decades at STM, Paul reflects on the role of this faith community in his life as a father, professor, and believer. Journey with us as we explore a central theme of Paul’s life of faith and service.

Dive into the life story of author and professor Liam Callanan, a Yale College alumnus from the Class of 1990. As we sit down with Liam, listeners will traverse Yale's hallowed halls (and some of the lesser-known spots on campus!), where his daughters now leave their mark as students. After Yale, Liam found professional success before personal tragedy changed the trajectory of his life. He and his wife turned to faith as they ventured into the unknown, trusting God's call. To this day, Liam trusts that call and continues to follow it as he writes, teaches, parents, and grows in faith.

When resilience meets unwavering faith, life's unexpected twists and turns can bring occasions of remarkable grace. Our guest, the First Secretary at the Embassy of Cameroon in Washington, D.C., Ines-Cyd Oyono, unveils the path that led her to a life of service and diplomacy anchored in her Catholic faith. Each day, in the sacred quiet of her morning time with the Word of God, Ines recalls the role of her father's devotion in her life and the eternal truths contained in Scripture that continue to serve as beacons for her amidst the bustling halls of the Embassy and the demands of her life as a diplomat.

Have you ever stepped off the familiar path and found your faith to be the compass that guides you through uncharted territories of life? Muriel Wang, a Yale graduate, shares her compelling story of maintaining her Catholic faith amidst the skyscrapers of New York City and the rigors of a high-stress career. Her narrative is a stark reflection of the transition from a close-knit collegiate community to the isolation that often comes with professional life. She invites us into her world, recounting the profound influence her mother and spiritual leaders like Father Bob Beloin had on her journey, and how these role models helped her navigate through life's unexpected twists and turns.

Join our hosts, Assistant Chaplain Grace Klise, Mary Margaret Schroeder '24, and Zach Moynihan '25, as they share more about their own lives, relationships with one another, and faith journeys on this special bonus episode. Although you've heard them on the mics with our guests, tune in to learn more about the people who are bringing Finding God on Park Street to life. Hear more about their academic interests, paths to Yale, and behind-the-scenes podcast insights in this lively, dynamic conversation.

Dr. Kristopher Kahle, a neurosurgeon and neurodevelopmental researcher with a background that's as rich in faith as it is in academia, joins us to share a remarkable narrative that bridges faith and science. Raised on a Wisconsin farm in a Lutheran family and later shaped by his Jesuit teachers, Dr. Kahle's life story is a testament to the profound ways in which spirituality can coexist with, and enhance, a scientific career. With each patient he encounters and every complex mystery of the brain he unravels, his Catholic faith remains a grounding force, imbuing his work with compassion and purpose.

In this episode, Sr. Mary Ellen Burns, ASCJ, takes host, Grace Klise, and student co-host, Mary Margaret Schroeder '24, on her journey through the sacred and legal. An alumna of Yale Law School (YLS) and a sister of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Sr. Mary Ellen begins with her early days noticing the lives of religious sisters around her and the ways in which her vocational call continues to reverberate in her heart. In her own life in a religious community and in the lives of the many people she works with at Apostle Immigrant Services (AIS), Sr. Mary Ellen stands as a living witness of a life of justice, mercy, and love grounded in the Gospel message.

Here, at Saint Thomas More, we love our priests. And when one of those priests is carrying a backpack and going to classes and pulling all-nighters to finish a paper, we love them even more! Fr. Pat Reidy, a priest from the Congregation of Holy Cross, has spent a lot of time around Yale and Saint Thomas More the last five years. Before he moved away from New Haven to return to the University of Notre Dame this past summer, we spent time with him reflecting on his life as a priest and law student/now lawyer. Fr. Pat’s “call within a call” to study law as a professed religious has not been without its challenges, some of which he describes in this conversation.

Have you ever considered how a love for language, literature, and music could be a gateway to spiritual growth? Join host, Grace Klise, and student co-host, Mary Margaret Schroeder ’24, as they talk with Katie Painter, a bright scholar from Yale’s Class of 2023 who is now studying theology at Oxford University. During Katie’s time at Yale she graced the halls of STM and the sidewalks of campus with her peaceful and inquisitive mind that helped launch her on an unimaginable spiritual journey.

Join us as we talk about creation with our guest, Dr. Maureen Long, a trailblazer in the field of observational seismology who calls Yale and Saint Thomas More home. From Peru to the Pacific Northwest to the Appalachian Mountains, Dr. Long's work transcends borders, capturing earthquake waves from around the globe. Listen to her love for plate tectonics as she unravels the mysteries lying deep within our Earth.

Meet Jack Barsody, a remarkable individual who graduated in May 2023 with dual degrees from Yale Divinity School, focusing on ethics, and the School of Public Health, specializing in healthcare management. Before heading out from New Haven to begin a new chapter working in Catholic healthcare in Spokane, WA, Jack generously took time to reflect on what led him to where he is now. Join host Grace Klise and her student co-host Mary Margaret Schroeder ‘24 as they discover how Jack stumbled upon this unique career trajectory and the exciting detours he encountered along the way. From bartending to powerlifting, and even time living in a monastery, Jack's stories are captivating and inspiring.

When we see images of displaced refugees around the world, we rarely think about the processes and people involved in the successful resettlement of those refugees. The hurdles of enrolling children in school, securing housing and jobs, getting them up to date on their immunizations, and securing the legal protections they need to stay in their new home...today's guest, Kathleen Cooney, knows all about these efforts as she has spearheaded Saint Thomas More's Refugee Resettlement Initiative with Assistant Chaplain, Allan Esteron, who also joins the podcast today as a co-host.

Host: Grace Klise Guest: April Pruitt What happens when a bubbly and brilliant scientist lets her faith and passion for justice animate her life? Join host, Grace Klise, and student co-host, Mary Margaret Schroeder ’24, as they chat with the incredible April Pruitt, a Ph.D. student in neuroscience who is making waves in autism genetics research. April takes us on a riveting journey from her science-loving childhood in Louisiana to conducting groundbreaking research at Yale where she proudly wears her STM shirt in the lab and marvels at the divine mysteries of brain development. For April, there is no conflict between science and faith.

In today’s episode, we're sitting down with Nevin George, a recent Yale College graduate, Class of 2023, who's now serving in a maximum-security prison in Northern California with Jesuit Volunteer Corps, or JVC. His journey there is marked by faith and fortitude, as host, Grace Klise, and co-host, Mary Margaret Schroeder ’24, discover in this conversation. Listen in as he shares his passion for math and music, as well as his experiences as a member of the Yale Symphony Orchestra, a volunteer with Math Counts Outreach, and a pilgrim at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.