Franciscan Media's "Off the Page" podcast brings listeners insightful conversations with authors, artists, and educators who explore faith, spirituality, and the human experience through a Franciscan lens. Each episode delves into thought-provoking topics, drawing inspiration from the values of St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi, to inspire a deeper connection with God and the world. Featuring a diverse range of guests, the ...
... Read more
Darleen Pryds, PhD, is the academic director of the Master of Theological Studies-Franciscan Theology online degree at the Franciscan School of Theology (FST) in San Diego, California. She has taught at FST since 2001 and has a special interest in lay Franciscan spirituality and leadership. She is a historian, scholar, and author of Women of the Streets, Enduring Presence, and The King Embodies the Word. Please consider donating to help us create more content like this. With an 800-year legacy steeped in the values of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi, your Franciscan Media community embraces its mission of spreading the message of love, compassion, and understanding through books, St. Anthony Messenger magazine, Franciscan Media’s website, online events, videos, and daily emails like Saint of the Day. (00:00:01) Introduction (00:02:43) How the Background of the Canticle Leads to Deeper Appreciation (00:12:30) Collision of Suffering and Beauty (00:19:47) A Spirituality of Letting Go (00:28:03) Learning to Let Go (00:34:13) St. Francis, Thich Nhat Hanh, and Plum Village Buddhism (00:43:35) Interbeing, Relationality, and Integration (00:50:35) Encounter and Spaciousness (00:57:38) Invitation: Live Into the Depth of Your Experience (01:03:24) Honoring Stillness (01:09:25) Benediction (01:11:14) Conclusion Show Notes Read Darleen Pryds' April 2025 cover story in the St. Anthony Messenger titled "Living 'The Canticle of the Creatures'" Enjoy more writings by Darleen Pryds View the photograph discussed in the episode. Subscribe here to the St. Anthony Messenger.
Sister Rosemary Stets, OSF, is a Bernardine Franciscan Sister and author of the book Franciscan Field Guide: People, Places, Practices, and Prayers. She has served on the congregational leadership team since 2011. Previously, Sister Rosemary served as Vice-President for Mission at Alvernia University in Reading, PA, and earlier was a member of the faculty in the Department of English and Communications. Reflections in this episode are provided by Darleen Pryds, PhD, Franciscan Media's acquisitions editor. She is also a professor at the Franciscan School of Theology, a scholar and historian on lay Franciscans, and author of Women of the Streets: Early Franciscan Women and their Mendicant Vocation. Please consider donating to help us create more content like this. With an 800-year legacy steeped in the values of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi, your Franciscan Media community embraces its mission of spreading the message of love, compassion, and understanding through books, St. Anthony Messenger magazine, Franciscan Media’s website, online events, videos, and daily emails like Saint of the Day. (00:00:01) Introduction (00:01:24) Background (00:06:26) Franciscan Field Guide (00:11:17) Rediscovering God with Francis as a Guide (00:16:40) Reflection (by Darleen Pryds): Presence and Curiosity (00:25:18) Gazing on Ordinary Human Life (00:30:10) Rebuilding the Church: Enraptured in Love (00:35:24) Reflection (by Darleen Pryds): Our Ever-Deepening Conversion (00:39:21) Poverty of Being (00:47:29) Scotus and the Incarnation (00:51:04) Reflection (by Darleen Pryds): Contemplating the Incarnation (00:53:32) Relationality in a Love-Saturated Universe (00:58:50) Mission: Learn, Love, and Serve (01:03:13) Podcasting and Media as Mission (01:05:21) Benediction (01:08:01) Conclusion Show notes: Read this blog post from Sr. Rosemary Stets, titled “Francis and Clare: Where the Tradition Begins” Order Sister Rosemary's book in print or e-book: Enjoy more writings by Sister Rosemary
Sister Margaret Carney, OSF, is a member of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities. Her education in theology and Franciscan studies took place at Duquesne University, the Franciscan Institute of St. Bonaventure University, and she was the first woman to graduate from the Franciscan University of Rome at the doctoral level. She was the president of St. Bonaventure University from 2004-2016. Her biography on Saint Clare of Assisi, Light of Assisi, is available in the Franciscan Media store, Amazon, or wherever books are sold. Please consider donating to help us create more content like this. With an 800-year legacy steeped in the values of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi, your Franciscan Media community embraces its mission of spreading the message of love, compassion, and understanding through books, St. Anthony Messenger magazine, Franciscan Media’s website, online events, videos, and daily emails like Saint of the Day. (00:00:01) Introduction (00:05:06) Genesis of the Episode (00:07:29) Pillars of St. Clare's Life and Historical Context (00:13:19) Downward Mobility (00:15:04) Pause & Pray: Downward Mobility (00:19:49) Teaching Downward Mobility (00:24:11) Good Ambition (00:28:39) Lessons in Leadership from St. Clare (00:45:23) Clarion Leadership: Primacy of Relationship (00:48:46) Pause & Pray: Primacy of Relationship (00:52:33) How to Live Out Clarion Leadership (00:56:09) Culture at San Damiano (00:59:35) Creating the Structure to Hear Others (01:04:31) Christ in the Other (01:09:40) Encounter: Cultivating Listening and Dialogue (01:13:34) St. Clare’s Personal Impact on Sr. Margaret Today (01:16:28) Conclusion Show notes: Read this blog post from Sr. Margaret Carney on St. Clare’s life and legacy Order Sr. Margaret Carney’s biography on St. Clare, available in print, e-book, or audiobook Enjoy our St. Clare of Assisi playlist on YouTube Explore our hub of content on St. Clare of Assisi
Dr. Elizabeth Bookser-Barkley, known by her loved ones and students as "Buffy," is an English professor and chair of the Department of Liberal Arts at Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati, Ohio. She has her PhD in English and is also the author of four books and numerous articles for St. Anthony Messenger magazine. Barkley has taught the St. Anthony Messenger's editorial director, Chris Heffron, and its executive editor, Susan Hines-Brigger. Barkley joins Off the Page to discuss her January 2025 cover story, "Dead Man Walking at 30," and March 2025 feature, "The Nuns Are OK." If you are curious what the Catholic Church teaches on capital punishment, see the new revision of 2267 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Please consider donating to help us create more content like this. With an 800-year legacy steeped in the values of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi, your Franciscan Media community embraces its mission of spreading the message of love, compassion, and understanding through books, St. Anthony Messenger magazine, Franciscan Media’s website, online events, videos, and daily emails like Saint of the Day. Click here to subscribe to the St. Anthony Messenger. (00:00:01) Introduction (00:04:05) Buffy's Background (00:10:11) Buffy's Love for Teaching and Feature Writing (00:15:00) Who is Sr. Helen Prejean? (00:19:08) Dead Man Walking at 30 (00:23:48) The Nuances of Capital Punishment (00:38:22) The Nuns are OK (00:44:53) Exploring the Decline of Religious Life (00:47:45) Road to Renewal: Contemplative Dialogue (00:52:47) Interviewing and Covering the Sisters of Charity (00:55:57) Conclusion
Dr. Daniel P. Horan is a Professor of Philosophy, Religious Studies, and Theology and Director of the Center for the Study of Spirituality at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana. He is also Affiliated Professor of Spirituality at the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas. A columnist for the National Catholic Reporter, he is the author or editor of more than fourteen books. Three of those books were published by Franciscan Media and are available in our store: God is Not Fair and Other Reasons for Gratitude, Dating God, and The Last Words of Jesus. Please consider donating (https://www.franciscanmedia.org/donate/) to help us create more content like this. With an 800-year legacy steeped in the values of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi, your Franciscan Media community embraces its mission of spreading the message of love, compassion, and understanding through books, St. Anthony Messenger magazine, Franciscan Media’s website, online events, videos, and daily emails like Saint of the Day. (00:00:01) Introduction (00:03:52) Leaving Religious Life (00:10:29) Understanding the Transitus (00:14:59) Listening to God in Transition, Liminality, and Change (00:23:06) Discernment: Getting Beneath the Layers (00:31:32) Learning to See Ourselves How God Sees Us (00:35:09) God Is Not Fair (00:41:07) The Challenge in Accepting God's Love (00:50:55) Reflections on the Last Decade and the True Self (00:55:41) Conclusion