Posts by Bridget Richardson
Lacrosse and Life Lessons
This summer Sean Sheikh, Assistant Director of Media Relations for Athletics at the University of St. Thomas - Houston, got the chance of a lifetime, to represent the Philippines in the World Lacrosse Championships!
In this episode of BOLD, Isabel Garcia, Host, sits down to talk to Sean about the winding journey that led him to the championships, how this brought him closer to God and how the entire experience was one of healing and joy.
They also talk about the history of lacrosse and the fundamentals of playing.
2023 Men's World Lacrosse Championship
Passing Torches and Breaking Records w/ Coach Anthony Medina | BOLD
Engaging the Imagination through Children’s Literature w/ Haley Stewart
What is the purpose of story and art? More specifically, what is the purpose of children's literature? These are the questions that Darnell Miller, Creative Director of MAX Studios, seeks to answer as he sits down with Haley Stewart, Editor of Word on Fire Spark.
At Word on Fire Spark, Stewart seeks to shepherd into publication stories for children intended to engage their sense, inspire wonder and push them toward sanctification.
In this conversation, they talk about the importance of story and art in the Church and its evangelization efforts, they dig into the idea of vocation, and finally, they discuss the interplay of limitation and freedom.
To learn more about Haley, follow her on Instagram.
Learn more about Word on Fire Spark.
See the latest book featured in the conversation: Saintly Creatures
Coming Home to UST w/ Fr. Eduardo Rivera
This is a profoundly University of St. Thomas-Houston (UST) story! Fr. Eduardo Rivera, CSB, ’14, M.Div. ’20, was a UST student, became a seminarian, was a Parochial Vicar at St. Anne Catholic Community in Houston, and is now the Campus Chaplain for UST.
In this conversation, Dr. Richard Ludwick, president of UST, sits down with Fr. Eduardo to welcome him home. Fr. Eduardo talks about discerning his vocation and gives the lay of the land when it comes to entering religious life. He shares about how innovation is key to reaching the diverse student population at UST and why he hopes to interface with as many students as he can. A certified personal trainer, Fr. Eduardo also talks a little bit about what he does for fun.
Fr. Eduardo Rivera comes ‘home’ to University of St. Thomas as Chaplain
Forever Love: Ricardo Medina
Ricardo Medina understands the complexity of culture. In Houston and Galveston, with its 1.7 million Catholics, he knows that, even with countless cultures to minister to, an understanding of the love of Christ binds us together as a universal Church body.
In this final conversation of the bonus interview series of the Marriage Catechumenate Summit, we focus on the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Darnell Miller, Creative Director of MAX Studios, sits down with Ricardo Medina, Director of the Office of Family Life for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. They discuss the vast number of cultural groups in Houston, how Ricardo believes that simple works of mercy will engage people in Church life more profoundly, and the value of family life as the place where faith becomes real.
This interview is bonus content from the Marriage Catechumenate Summit that took place at Circle Lake Retreat Center near Houston, Texas in June 2023. This continues a series of interviews with Catholic marriage experts in North America who attended the summit. A mini-documentary of the summit will be released at the end of the interview series.
Forever Love: Fr. Paul Hartmann
We have a plan, but let's divert from the plan - thoughtfully and with intention. Fr. Paul Hartmann encourages people to use a plan or program as a foundation - from there, allow the Holy Spirit to help welcome and engage people however fitting to their situation.
In this conversation, Fr. Paul Hartmann, Associate General Secretary of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and priest in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, sits down with Bridget Richardson, Executive Producer of MAX Studios at University of St. Thomas-Houston, to discuss the Marriage Catechumenate Summit. A Catholic canon lawyer, Fr. Paul expresses his unique vantage point in attending the summit and how Catholic Christians should embrace the both/and of ministry work. Fr. Paul, who creates programs at the USCCB, tells people to use a program as a framework for adaption.
Fr. Paul gave the closing keynote for the summit.
This interview is bonus content from the Marriage Catechumenate Summit that took place at Circle Lake Retreat Center near Houston, Texas in June 2023. This continues a series of interviews with Catholic marriage experts in North America who attended the summit. A mini-documentary of the summit will be released at the end of the interview series.
Rev. Paul B.R. Hartmann | U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
Father Paul Hartmann Named New Associate General Secretary of U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
Forever Love: Deacon Jim and Christy Wright
Deacon Jim and Christy Wright have been forming married couples for a long time. They know that engaging couples spiritually in the life of the church is the only way to make them feel like they belong.
In this short interview, Deacon Jim and Christy share their hopes for the Marriage Catechumenate Summit. They talk about why it's important that we welcome newly engaged and married couples into the church. They were also judges on the Shark Tank - style pitch session the conference attendees competed in, so they tell how they chose the winning team.
This interview is bonus content from the Marriage Catechumenate Summit that took place at Circle Lake Retreat Center near Houston, Texas in June 2023. This continues a series of interviews with Catholic marriage experts in North America who attended the summit. A mini-documentary of the summit will be released at the end of the interview series.
Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church
Forever Love: Dr. Daniel and Bethany Meola
Recognizing the baggage you bring into a marriage is huge. Healing those wounds is, as Dr. Daniel Meola says, part of the good life.
In this conversation, MAX Studios Executive Producer Bridget Richardson sits down with Dr. Daniel and Bethany Meola, co-founders of Life-Giving Wounds. Their ministry helps young adults and adults with divorced and separated parents give voice to their pain and find transformative healing in Christ. They discuss the ministry and how they work with people to begin healing the wounds of parental divorce or separation, they share their own experiences with this, and they talk about their hope of personalizing the marriage preparation process so that it speaks directly to the difficulties of each couple.
One of the longer conversations in the interview series, the Meola's ministry speaks directly to repairing the brokenness of marriage that people have seen in their life, and using that healed pain to solidify marriages and families with the mercy of Christ. If you know someone who has experienced this (or you yourself have gone through parental divorce or separation) this conversation is for you.
This interview is bonus content from the Marriage Catechumenate Summit that took place at Circle Lake Retreat Center near Houston, Texas in June 2023. This continues a series of interviews with Catholic marriage experts in North America who attended the summit. A mini-documentary of the summit will be released at the end of the interview series.
Forever Love: Dr. Ellen Roderick
Expression of your Catholic faith in Canada is very different from the United States. Dr. Ellen Roderick and her team meet these opportunities for evangelization with openness, hospitality and love.
In this interview, MAX Studios Creative Director Darnell Miller sits down with Dr. Ellen Roderick, Co-Director of the Diocesan Centre for Marriage, Life and Family in the Archdiocese of Montreal in Canada. Dr. Roderick talks about the main differences in the Catholic landscape in Montreal and the U.S., how she and her team try to evangelization by being a welcoming presence to engaged couples, and how refreshing it was to meet other Catholic leaders in the marriage and family space at the Marriage Catechumenate Summit. Dr. Roderick also imparts how teaching the foundations of Christianity in marriage preparation is beneficial to couples wanting to understand more deeply about their Catholic faith.
This interview is bonus content from the Marriage Catechumenate Summit that took place at Circle Lake Retreat Center near Houston, Texas in June 2023. This continues a series of interviews with Catholic marriage experts in North America who attended the summit. A mini-documentary of the summit will be released at the end of the interview series.
Diocesan Centre for Marriage, Life and Family at the Archdiocese of Montreal
Why Theology is a Big Deal w/ Dr. Tom Harmon
At University of St. Thomas-Houston, a deep understanding of theology and what it means to be human underscores everything - various areas of study and collegiate exploration.
Dr. Richard Ludwick, President of University of St. Thomas-Houston (UST), talks with Dr. Tom Harmon, UST Associate Professor of Theology and Assistant Director of Catholic Studies at UST, about the areas where theology, humanity and innovation connect. A scholar of St. Augustine, Dr. Harmon discusses how theology at UST it meant to ground students and attempts to bring the various disciplines of study together in a cohesive way. He also breaks down the gravity of understanding of what a human is and how it affects society, and he touches on innovation and its main goal of serving humanity. Dr. Harmon also has a funny story about St. Thomas Aquinas and how he might think about Chat GPT.
Forever Love: Michael and Deanna Johnston
Diving into specific areas where marriage and family leaders can help newly married couples is very exciting for Deanna Johnston.
In this short interview, we meet Michael and Deanna Johnston from Tyler, Texas. Deanna is the Director of Family Life for the Diocese of Tyler and was one of the judges on the Shark Tank - style pitch session the conference attendees competed in. Deanna shares her gratefulness for the conference attendees and her hopes for the future of marriage prep.
This interview is bonus content from the Marriage Catechumenate Summit that took place at Circle Lake Retreat Center near Houston, Texas in June 2023. This continues a series of interviews with Catholic marriage experts in North America who attended the summit. A mini-documentary of the summit will be released at the end of the interview series.
Department of Family Life | Diocese of Tyler
Couple meets pope on honeymoon, finds joy in their theology careers