Podcasting Priests
CHARLOTTE — Priests across the Diocese of Charlotte are taking to podcasting, offering homilies, insights on spiritual classics, and practical applications of theology to everyday life. The latest offerings are by priests in Charlotte and Mount Holly, who are working with TAN Books.
Father Timothy Reid has just launched “The Commentaries: The Interior Castle,” an exploration of the spiritual classic by St. Teresa of Ávila.
And TAN Books’ series “From the Rooftop” with Monsignor Patrick Winslow and Father Matthew Kauth will soon celebrate a year on the air. The duo first conceived the idea as a radio show during their seminary days more than 25 years ago as they pondered how to apply what they were learning to the lives of those they would one day shepherd.
Interested? Take an inside look at both podcasts with the Catholic News Herald.
Explore ‘The Interior Castle’
Recording from the rectory of St. Ann Church in Charlotte, Father Timothy Reid helps listeners read and understand St. Teresa of Ávila’s magnum opus in “The Commentaries: The Interior Castle.”
A Third Order Carmelite since 2007 and spiritual director for Charlotte’s Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Secular Carmelite group, Father Reid is well-versed on the spirituality of St. Teresa of Ávila, one of history’s most famous Carmelites. The Spanish nun and mystic reformed Carmelite life in the 16th century, but had previously struggled in the path to sanctity, making her relatable to modern readers.
“I have developed a devotion to all of the Carmelite saints,” Father Reid says. “As part of our formation as secular Carmelites, we study all of the great writings of our saints, including ‘The Interior Castle.’ It made quite an impression on me during my formation, and it’s a book that I’ve often gone back to study.”
Conor Gallagher, CEO of TAN Books, knew of Father Reid’s great love for St. Teresa of Ávila and pitched the idea of the commentary podcast leading listeners through “The Interior Castle.”
The 20-episode series is now available on streaming platforms and at www.tandirection.com/podcasts.
Father Reid says he aims to help people gain a greater understanding of one of the most important books on the spiritual life and a greater love for St. Teresa of Ávila.
“I hope listeners of this podcast will be motivated to really dig into their prayer lives and seek to grow in holiness,” he says. “And I really hope the listeners come to a greater confidence in God’s love for mankind, which becomes so evident as one moves through this book.”
Creating the podcast has been spiritually beneficial for Father Reid, too.
“It has been a great reminder of how seriously I must take my own spiritual life,” he says. “The process of our sanctification isn’t easy. It’s hard to be a saint! But it is God’s will that we each grow in real intimacy with Him so that we can become saints.”
Father Reid, who is also the vicar of education for the Diocese of Charlotte’s Catholic Schools system, strongly recommended that Catholics put aside the myriad forms of media available today, noting that most of it is not edifying.
“I never tire of studying the lives and writings of the saints, for doing so always provides encouragement to persevere in a life of prayer and works of charity, and to persevere in seeking God’s will – no matter what the cost,” he says.
“Watching TikTok videos, scrolling endlessly through Twitter, or binge-watching Netflix won’t get us to heaven. But following the teachings and examples of the saints will.”
View the Church ‘From the Rooftop’
The seeds of “From the Rooftop” were planted long ago when Monsignor Patrick Winslow and Father Matthew Kauth were in the seminary together in Washington, D.C. Now in full bloom more than 25 years later, the podcast has been on the air for a year and features 25 episodes covering a range of topics related to theology, morality, liturgical living and everyday life as a Catholic.
As Monsignor Winslow and Father Kauth prepared for exams in the seminary, they found that they wanted to continue their discussions of eschatology, the life of grace, and moral theology.
They climbed through windows and up ladders to reach the parapet of the seminary’s tower where a beautiful scene unfolded as they looked out over the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, The Catholic University of America, and iconic monuments in the nation’s capital. There, the future priests pondered how they would be able to draw forth discipleship in those they would soon serve – applying what they were learning to the lives of their flocks.
“In a certain sense, the setting – without us knowing at the time – was perfect for this disposition because we were looking out at the world, we were looking out at the people, we were looking out upon the things that were going on at the time, and we were trying to see it all in the light of faith,” Monsignor Winslow recalls in the first episode of the podcast.
Decades after their time in the seminary, Monsignor Winslow, now vicar general and chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte, and Father Kauth, now rector of St. Joseph College Seminary, brought their idea for a radio show to life as a podcast. The priests began partnering with TAN Books to distribute
“From the Rooftop” in August 2022.
Longtime friends and brother priests, the hosts have a natural, easy-going rapport.
“I hope the podcast encourages people to cultivate the spiritual dimension of their friendships,” Monsignor Winslow says.
On the show, the hosts seek to meet listeners where they are and elevate their minds to heavenly things.
“Sometimes I hear that it isn’t intellectual enough, and sometimes I hear that it is a bit over the heads of the listeners,” Father Kauth says. “Given that I hear both, we are probably hitting where we desire to. Mostly, it has been a joy to have so many tell me how much they enjoy the episodes. They speak of it bringing them just a bit of joy and that they relate and laugh a lot.”
— Annie Ferguson
Three priests in the Diocese of Charlotte have free, not-for-profit podcasts distributed by TAN Books. In the new release, “The Commentaries: The Interior Castle,” Father Timothy Reid leads listeners through the spiritual classic by St. Teresa of Ávila. Monsignor Patrick Winslow and Father Matthew Kauth apply their theological knowledge to everyday life in “From the Rooftop.” (Photos provided by TAN Books)
Listen for yourself
Find these podcasts and others at www.tandirection.com/podcasts. For more podcasts and homily recordings from priests across the Diocese of Charlotte, go to
www.catholicnewsherald.com/viewpoints.
Doctors of the Church are great saints known for their defense and explanation of the truths of the Catholic faith. The original eight Doctors of the Church were named by acclamation, or common acknowledgment; the rest have been named by various popes, starting with the addition of St. Thomas Aquinas to the list by Pope St. Pius V in 1568.
This title indicates that the writings and preachings of such a person are useful to Christians "in any age of the Church." Such men and women are also particularly known for the depth of understanding and the orthodoxy of their theological teachings. While the writings of the Doctors are often considered inspired by the Holy Spirit, this does not mean they are infallible. It does mean that they contributed significantly to the formulation of Christian teaching in at least one area.
Today, there are 35 Doctors of the Church: 27 from the West and 8 from the East; four women; 18 bishops, 12 priests, one deacon, three nuns and one consecrated virgin; 26 from Europe, three from Africa, six from Asia. Who are they? (Follow the links below to read more about each doctor.)
Pictured: A stained-glass image of St. Hildegard of Bingen, the newest Doctor of the Church, depicting her at work composing hymns
LATIN (WESTERN) DOCTORS
1 – St. Ambrose, 340-397 (Pastoral Doctor): Archbishop of Milan, one of the most influential Church figures of the 4th century.
2 – St. Jerome, 345-420 (Doctor of Biblical Science): A Christian apologist, best known as the translator of the Bible from Greek and Hebrew into Latin, what's known as the Vulgate.
3 – St. Augustine, 354-430 (Doctor of Grace): Bishop of Hippo, philosopher and theologian, and one of the most important figures in the Church.
4 – Pope St. Gregory the Great, 540-604 (Doctor of Hymnology): The first pope with a monastic background.
GREEK (EASTERN) DOCTORS
5 – St. Athanasius, 295-373 (Doctor of Orthodoxy): Remembered for his role in the conflict with Arianism and for his affirmation of the Trinity. He argued against political leaders and errant theologians so much and was exiled so often that he earned the nickname "Athanasius Contra Mundum" (Athanasius Against the World").
6 – St. Basil the Great, 330-379 (Doctor of Monasticism): Noted scholar, lawyer and public speaker, he converted from paganism in a dramatic fashion: selling everything he had, giving the money to the poor, and becoming a monk. His Monastic Rule forms the basis of virtually all religious life in the Eastern Churches. He, his brother, St. Gregory of Nyssa, and his best friend, St. Gregory Nazianzus, are known as "the Cappadocian Fathers" after the region of Asia Minor (modern Turkey) from which they came.
7 – St. Gregory Nazianzus, 330-390 (Doctor of Theologians, Doctor of the Trinity): Archbishop of Constantinople who once was attacked during Mass by an Arian mob, which wounded him and killed a fellow bishop. Convened the Ecumenical Council in Constantinople in 381 to resolve questions about the Nicene Creed and help unify the Eastern and Western Churches, but got so frustrated that he resigned in the middle of it.
8 – St. John Chrysostom, 345-407 (Doctor of Preachers): Perhaps the greatest preacher in Church history. Known for his eloquence in preaching and public speaking, he was nicknamed "chrysostomos" (Greek for "golden tongued"). The themes of his talks were always practical, explaining how to apply the Bible in everyday life, and he lived a simple, unpretentious lifestyle even after being pushed into becoming archbishop of Constantinople. There he denounced the lavish lifestyles of local Church and political leaders – making him popular with the laity but causing his exile to a desolate area along the Black Sea, where he died from ill health.
EARLY CHURCH DOCTORS
9 – St. Ephraem, 306-373 (Doctor of Deacons and Poets): Died tending plague victims in 373.
10 – St. Hilary of Poitiers, 315-368 (Doctor of Christ's Divinity): Sometimes called the "Hammer of the Arians," so popular that he was unanimously elected bishop of Poitiers in Gaul (modern France) in about 353.
11 – St. Cyril of Jerusalem, 315-387 (Doctor of Faith and against Heresy): Bishop of Jerusalem who was deposed and exiled more than once by jealous opponents. Disagreed at first with the Nicene Creed's clause that Jesus is "consubstantial with the Father," but by the Ecumenical Council of 381 he voted for the wording, seeing no better alternative to unifying the Eastern and Western Churches.
12 – St. Cyril of Alexandria, 376-444 (Doctor of the Incarnation): Bishop of Alexandria when the city was at its height of influence and power within the Roman Empire. He wrote extensively and was a leading defender of Christ's identity as fully divine and fully human.
13 – Pope St. Leo the Great, 390-461 (Doctor of Doctrine): First pope to have been called "the Great," reaffirmed papal authority, perhaps best known for having met Attila the Hun in 452 and persuading him to turn back from his invasion of Italy.
14 – St. Peter Chrysologus, 400-450 (Doctor of Homilies): Made Bishop of Ravenna, Italy, in about 433 by Pope Sixtus III, after Sixtus had a vision of St. Peter and St. Apollinaris (the first bishops of Rome and Ravenna) showed him a young man and said he would be the next Bishop of Ravenna. When Sixtus met Peter shortly afterwards, he recognized him as the young man in his vision and consecrated him as bishop even though he was only a deacon at the time.
15 – St. Isidore, 560-636 (Doctor of Education): Archbishop of Seville for more than three decades. At a time when the remnants of the Roman Empire were crumbling and aristocratic violence and illiteracy were spreading, he helped convert the royal Visigothic Arians to Catholicism and played a prominent role in developing Visigothic legislation – regarded by historians as having influenced the beginnings of representative government.
16 – St. Bede the Venerable, 673-735 (Doctor of English History)
17 – St. John Damascene, 676-749 (The Icon or Image Doctor, or Doctor of the Assumption): A Syrian Christian monk and priest, and the last of the Church Fathers. Wrote extensively on the Assumption of Mary.
18 – St. Peter Damian, 1007-1072 (Doctor of Reform and Renewal)
MIDDLE AGE CHURCH DOCTORS
19 – St. Anselm, 1033-1109 (Doctor of Scholasticism)
20 – St. Bernard of Clairvaux, 1090-1153 (Devotional and Eloquent Doctor)
21 – St. Anthony of Padua, 1195-1231 (Evangelical Doctor)
22 – St. Albertus Magnus, 1200-1280 (Doctor of Science)
23 – St. Bonaventure, 1217-1274 (Seraphic Doctor)
24 – St. Thomas Aquinas, 1225-1274 (Angelic Doctor)
25 – St. Catherine of Siena, 1347-1379 (Doctor of Unity)
COUNTER REFORMATION CHURCH DOCTORS
26 –Teresa of Avila 1515-1582 (Doctor of Prayer): The first woman to be named a Doctor, in 1970.
27 – St. Peter Canisius, 1521-1597 (Doctor of Catechetical Studies)
28 – St. John of the Cross, 1542-1591 (Mystical Doctor)
29 – St. Robert Bellarmine, 1542-1621 (Doctor of Church State Relations)
30 – St. Lawrence of Brindisi, 1559-1622 (Doctor of Conversions and Missions)
31 – St. Francis de Sales, 1567-1622 (Doctor of Authors and the Press)
MODERN ERA CHURCH DOCTORS
32 – St. Alphonsus Liguori, 1696-1787 (Morality and Marian Doctor)
33 – St. Thérèse of Lisieux, 1873-1897 (Doctor of Confidence and Missionaries)
34 – St. John of Avila, 1500-1569: Missionary, preacher, and reformer of clerical life in Spain. Pope Benedict said he was a "profound expert on the sacred Scriptures ... a man of God, he united constant prayer to apostolic action. He dedicated himself to preaching and to the more frequent practice of the sacraments, concentrating his commitment on improving the formation of candidates for the priesthood, of religious and of lay people, with a view to a fruitful reform of the Church."
35 – St. Hildegard of Bingen, 1098-1179: German Benedictine nun who was a named composer when most music was anonymous, a visionary who wrote three books describing the mystical visions she had since the age of 3, a preacher at a time when canon law forbade women to preach, prolific letter-writer to popes, and early scientist, botanist, herbalist, physician and healer. Even invented her own coded language.
— Sources: The Catholic Encyclopedia, www.catholiconline.com, www.doctorsofthecatholicchurch.com
More online
At www.annusfidei.va: Read Pope Benedict XVI's take on Doctors of the Church including St. Augustine, St. Thérese of Lisieux, St. Jerome, St. John Chrysostom, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Ambrose and others. (Click on "We Believe.")