The Catholic Woman Podcast

Claire Swinarski's Catholic podcast was working. Big guests, real income, four years in. Then she felt God asking her to walk away from all of it, and she said yes without knowing what came next.

This conversation is about how to discern when God is closing a door you love, why setting something down is not the same as failing, and what she found on the other side.

Get the free episode recap library at https://catholicwoman.co/episode-recaps

In this episode:
- What Saint John Paul II meant when he called for a new feminism in Evangelium Vitae
- Why so many Catholic women flinch at the word feminist and whether they should
- How the Catholic view of women differs from the evangelical teaching on women's roles
- What Claire says is genuinely evil about secular feminism and what she refuses to give up
- How she wrote the Fiat Girls book series about Saint Therese, Saint Rose of Lima, and Mother Teresa as nine year old girls
- What Pope Leo XIV teaches about artificial intelligence in Magnifica Humanitas and how Catholic writers should think about AI
- How to know when God is asking you to set down something successful and fruitful
- Why she walked away from a profitable Catholic podcast at its peak instead of building a Catholic media empire

Connect with Claire Swinarski:
Website: https://claireswinarski.com
Substack: Letters from a Catholic Feminist
Instagram: @claireswinarski
Preorder The Fiat Girls: https://ascensionpress.com/collections/fiat-girls

The Catholic Woman Podcast:
Show notifications: https://catholicwoman.co/newsletter
Substack: https://substack.com/@thecatholicwoman
Facebook Group: https://facebook.com/share/g/1GeKDTt7WA/
Website: https://catholicwoman.co
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thecatholicwomanpodcast
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@TheCatholicWomanPodcast

Thank you to our sponsors:
- The Heavenly Post, a monthly Catholic mail subscription with a devotional letter, art print, prayer card, and more, built around the liturgical calendar. Use code TCW15 for 15% off all gift subscriptions at https://theheavenlypost.com
- Black Cassock Coffee, Catholic owned and veteran owned, roasted to order, and every bag supports Catholic education. https://blackcassockcoffee.com/CWP
- Helena House Therapy, a virtual Catholic integrated therapy practice specializing in perinatal mental health. First consultation is free. https://helenahouse.janeapp.com/#/staff_member/1

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Venus Morris Griffin was the family in the front pew every Sunday. Then one phone call from a woman blackmailing her husband unraveled the life she thought she had, and she found herself a single mother of six children in a two-bedroom home, over a hundred thousand dollars in debt, with her husband facing a 45-year prison sentence. 
This is the story of how she rebuilt through faith, forgiveness, and the discipline of doing one right thing every single day.

In this episode:
- How Venus Morris Griffin discovered her husband's addiction and betrayal through a stranger's phone call
- Rebuilding as a single Catholic mother of six children after her husband's 45-year prison sentence
- How growing up with a parent's addiction shaped Venus's approach to marriage and motherhood
- The three daily habits that held her family together: morning runs, daily Mass, and a nightly gratitude practice at the dinner table
- Finding compassion and forgiveness for the woman connected to her husband's betrayal
- Starting a scholarship nonprofit for children of incarcerated parents
- Why her memoir, “The Other Side of Perfect,” went viral through Humans of New York, with all proceeds going to charity

If this conversation gave you hope today, please subscribe to the show and share it with a woman in your life who needs to hear it.

Connect with Venus Morris Griffin:
- Book (preorder, out September 22): The Other Side of Perfect: A True Story of Love, Lies, and Learning to Forgive — https://www.amazon.com/Other-Side-Perfect-Learning-Forgive/dp/1637634773
- Instagram: @venusmorrisgriffin — https://www.instagram.com/venusmorrisgriffin
- Website: https://www.venusmorrisgriffin.com

The Catholic Woman Podcast:
- Website: https://catholicwoman.co
- YouTube: https://youtube.com/@TheCatholicWomanPodcast
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/thecatholicwomanpodcast 
- Facebook Community: https://facebook.com/share/g/1GeKDTt7WA/

Thank you to our sponsors:
- Little House — Catholic home goods for the domestic church, including the Sacred Heart Loaf Pan and children's prayer pouches. Use code CatholicWoman10 for 10% off at https://littlehouse.family
- Black Cassock Coffee — Catholic-owned, veteran-owned coffee, roasted to order, supporting Catholic education. Use code CWP at https://blackcassockcoffee.com/CWP
- The Heavenly Post — A monthly devotional mail subscription with art, prayer cards, and a playlist built around the liturgical calendar. Use code TCW15 for 15% off at https://theheavenlypost.com

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Most people think yoga is just stretching. Linda Carl thought so too, for almost twenty years, right up until the night she came face to face with something she couldn't explain away.
This week she joins Marie to unpack what yoga actually is at its root, what happened to her and her daughter that finally broke it open, and why intention doesn't change what a practice is designed to do.

This week we discuss:
- what yoga actually means in Sanskrit and why every posture is aligned to Hindu gods
- the real meaning behind sun salutations and why namaskar means to worship
- why saying I'm just doing it for exercise doesn't change what the practice is spiritually
- the frightening encounter that made Linda realize what she'd opened her family up to
- how confession and the sacraments offer real spiritual protection the world doesn't talk about
- what to know about Catholic yoga alternatives like SoulCore and Pietra Fitness
- how to gently talk to a friend or family member who's still practicing without pushing them away

If this one made you rethink your Tuesday night class, hit subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next.

Connect with Linda Carl:
Book — Yoga Unveiled: My Spiritual Journey from Darkness to Light
Instagram — @yoga.unveiled

The Catholic Woman:
Newsletter: https://catholicwoman.co/newsletter
Substack: https://substack.com/@thecatholicwoman
Facebook Group: https://facebook.com/share/g/1GeKDTt7WA/
Website: https://catholicwoman.co
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thecatholicwomanpodcast
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@TheCatholicWomanPodcast

Thank you to our sponsors:
Jacqueline Brown — clean, faith-filled fiction across three series (The Light Series, The Awakening Trilogy, The Altered Series). Use code EVE10 at https://jacqueline-brown.com
The Heavenly Post — a monthly devotional gift box built around the liturgical calendar. Use code TCW15 for 15% off gift subscriptions at https://theheavenlypost.com
The Catholic Sobriety Coach — Sober-ish Summer, a 62-day challenge to break free from automatic drinking habits, rooted in your identity as a daughter of God. $62 for 62 days at https://www.thecatholicsobrietycoach.com

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We've all been taught that Jesus' yoke is easy and His burden is light. So why does grief feel like neither? This week Marie Hanson sits down with licensed mental health counselor Samantha Stefaniak, founder of Rooted Soul Grounded Mind, for an honest conversation about what it actually looks like to grieve as a Catholic woman without losing your faith or faking your peace.

In this episode:
- Why questioning God in grief isn't a lack of faith, it's how He built us
- The difference between healthy grieving and grief that's turned spiritually harmful
- What to do in the first ten minutes when grief hits and you don't know how to cope
 -How to support a grieving friend without having the right words
- Why two feelings can be true at once: disappointment and gratitude
- What the Glorious Mysteries teach us about grief that isn't final
- How to validate grief that isn't tied to losing a person

If this episode meets you somewhere heavy today, hit subscribe so you don't miss what's coming.

The Catholic Woman:
Newsletter and show notifications: https://catholicwoman.co/newsletter
Substack: https://substack.com/@thecatholicwoman
Facebook Group: https://facebook.com/share/g/1GeKDTt7WA/
Website: https://catholicwoman.co
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thecatholicwomanpodcast
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@TheCatholicWomanPodcast

Connect with Samantha Stefaniak:
Website: https://rootedsoulgroundedmind.com
Instagram and Facebook: @RootedSoulGroundedMind

Thank you to our sponsors:
Sole Atelier — the first professional planner built for Catholic women, weaving prayer and productivity into one. Get 10% off with code CATHOLICWOMAN10 at https://soleatelier.com
Salt and Light by Sami — toxin-free candles, diffusers, and perfume made without carcinogens or phthalates. Use code CATHOLICWOMAN at https://saltandlightbysami.com/CATHOLICWOMAN
Raising Well Mannered Children — faith-built resources for forming virtue in your kids. Use code FAMILY5 at https://raisingwellmanneredchildren.com

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How to plan a Catholic wedding step by step: what makes a marriage sacramental, how to book a Catholic church for a wedding, what documents you need for a Catholic wedding, and how to navigate convalidation or a mixed marriage in the Catholic Church. Taught by Marie Hanson, Catholic wedding planner of five years.

This episode covers:
- What is the difference between validity, licitness, and sacramentality in a Catholic marriage
- How far in advance to book a Catholic church wedding and why parishes take longer than reception venues
- What is pre-cana and how do Catholic marriage prep requirements vary by diocese
- What paperwork is needed for a Catholic wedding, including baptismal certificates, letters of freedom to marry, and marriage dispensations
- What is convalidation and how to convalidate a marriage in the Catholic Church
- Mixed marriage vs disparity of cult in Catholic weddings, and which one requires a dispensation
- Full nuptial mass vs rite of marriage outside of Mass, and how to decide which one is right for your wedding
- Catholic wedding dress code and modesty guidelines, plus photography and music rules during a Catholic wedding Mass
- A complete Catholic wedding planning checklist and timeline, from guest list to reception

Grab the free Catholic wedding planning checklist with 350+ to-do’s: https://catholicwoman.co/catholic-wedding-planning-checklist

Join Presence for weekly texts and journal reflections with Marie. Code CWP for your first month free at catholicwoman.co/present.

Free resources from Marie:
- Free Wedding Planning Checklist (350+ to-dos): https://catholicwoman.co/catholic-wedding-planning-checklist
- Catholic wedding templates (mass programs, invitations, stationery, and more), code CWP30 for 30% off: https://catholicweddingshop.etsy.com?coupon=CWP30

The Catholic Woman Podcast:
- Presence Texts: https://catholicwoman.co/present
- Newsletter: https://catholicwoman.co/newsletter
- Substack: https://substack.com/@thecatholicwoman
- Facebook Group: https://facebook.com/share/g/1GeKDTt7WA/
- Website: https://catholicwoman.co
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/thecatholicwomanpodcast
- YouTube: https://youtube.com/@TheCatholicWomanPodcast

Thank you to our sponsors:
- Catholic Sobriety Coach, Sober-ish Summer: https://www.thecatholicsobrietycoach.com
- St. Joseph's House of Repose mentorship, mention "The Catholic Woman Podcast" for a free third month: https://stjosephshouseofrepose.com
- Salt and Light by Sami, code CATHOLICWOMAN: https://saltandlightbysami.com/CATHOLICWOMAN

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