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How the Catholic Church Shaped Modern Education

Do you know how our educational system came to be? And did you know that the Catholic Church played a key role in its existence? Modern Catholic education traces its roots back centuries.

To help us understand, we talked to Kyle Washut, President of Wyoming Catholic College, about how the Catholic Church has formed our understanding of education in the west. He explains the history of Catholic thinkers emphasizing both learning about God in traditional learning and also learning about him in the natural world He created. Then he takes us through the history of some of the most important teachers in the history of the Catholic Church and how we can still see their ideas in modern Catholic education.

Next, we talk to Dr. Helena Orellana, a licensed clinical psychologist and an assistant professor at the Institute for Psychological Science at Divine Mercy University, about the role mental health plays in our education system today. She explains how important it is to understand who we are as people, and how we learn. Dr. Orellana also shares how our capacity for attention, reflection, and curiosity is what allows us to learn.

Both were visiting for the Cardinal Newman Society Leaders Summit at the University of St. Thomas - Houston in June 2024. 

Find out more about the Cardinal Newman Society.

Learn More about Kyle Washut.

Learn More about Dr. Helena Orllana.

Is College Still Worth It?

Is it still worth it to go to college?

That is an important point of discernment in anybody's life and it is an important question that does not have an easy answer.

To help with that discernment process, we talked to Kevin Murphy, the Vice President for Marketing and Communications for The Cardinal Newman Society at the Cardinal Newman Leaders Summit on the University of St. Thomas campus in June 2024.

Kevin shared a simple and insightful framework to help us think about whether college is worth it, not only for our own journeys or the young people we know, but also in the broader context of God's call for our lives.

We also talk to Mark Brumley, the President and CEO of Ignatius Press about some of the key things to think about for those who are specifically looking at a Catholic institution.

Ultimately, the decision to go to college or not is deeply personal and should be made with careful thought about each person's individual goals, values, and circumstances. Seeking guidance from trusted sources and reflecting on God's call for our lives can help us make informed choices that lead to the future we're looking for in this world.

For more insight about deciding if a Catholic college is right for you, check out The Cardinal Newman Society's Newman Guide.

Does travel make you a better person?

Billions of people travel internationally every year. We wondered, is it a need to authentically know a new place and people, or, is it all for the 'gram, aka an Instagram post?

On this episode of Can Anyone Tell Me, University of St. Thomas-Houston student Nhung Phan asks, "Does travel make you a better person?"

Host and MAX Studios Creative Director Darnell Miller talks with Dr. Hans Stockton, UST Associate Vice President of International Relations and Engagement, about travel and it's ultimate value for a person. In their conversation, they break open the difference between tourism and traveling internationally to stay for a while. Dr. Stockton tells about the importance of experience, reflection and allowing travel to surprise you. He mentions approaching it with curiosity and compassion while trying to immerse yourself in the culture around you. Finally, he shares who is his ideal celebrity traveler (spoiler alert, it's Keanu Reeves).

Learn more about Dr. Stockton.

Forever Love: A Mini-Documentary about the Marriage Catechumenate Summit in 2023

MAX Studios attended the Marriage Catechumenate Summit that took place at Circle Lake Retreat Center near Houston, Texas in June 2023. This is a mini-documentary about the summit and key takeaways for use by newlyweds, married couples and those preparing couples for marriage in the Catholic Church in North America.

This mini-doc is the final piece of a series of interviews with Catholic marriage experts in North America who attended the summit. See all the bonus interviews from the Marriage Catechumenate Summit.

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.

Office of Family Life | Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

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

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

Forever Love: Fr. Victor Perez

Fr. Victor Perez's best dating advice - no matter the circumstances, love like Jesus Christ.

In this conversation, Darnell Miller, Creative Director of MAX Studios at University of St. Thomas-Houston, sits down with Fr. Victor Perez, Pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Houston to talk about his parish. They discuss the unique cultures at St. Joseph and how they integrate marriage preparation and formation into everything they do. With a large young adult population who call St. Joseph home, Fr. Victor shares some thoughts on what he's seen with regard to dating and marriage.

Fr. Victor was a featured speaker at the Marriage Catechumenate 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.

St. Joseph Catholic Church

Witness to Love

Forever Love: Jake Samour

If you've experienced the gift of padrinos and madrinas, you'll enjoy this conversation.

Jake Samour, Director of the Office of Marriage and Family Life in the Diocese of Wichita, Kansas, talks with Darnell Miller, Creative Director of MAX Studios at University of St. Thomas-Houston about his experience being mentored by others and leading people in marriage ministry.

Originally from El Salvador, Jake shares how the richness of Hispanic culture in the U.S. is already vibrant with Catholic tradition, but many faithful Catholics need to overcome "Juan Diego Syndrome" and recognize their call to lead. They also discuss Jake's reflections on meeting his wife and how he pays forward the mentorship he received from other people in the Church.

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.

Marriage and Family | Diocese of Wichita, Kansas

Catholic Diocese of Wichita, Kansas

Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at The Catholic University of America

Forever Love: Sr. John Mary Sullivan

Sr. John Mary Sullivan witnessed the fullness of lived vocation through the marriage of her parents. It was their loving example that spurred in her a desire for religious life.

In this interview from the Marriage Catechumenate Summit in Houston, Texas, Darnell Miller, Creative Director of MAX Studios, sits down with Sr. John Mary Sullivan, Associate Director of Ministries and Outreach with the Archdiocese of Vancouver. They discuss the importance of accompaniment after couples are married and how the church can better assist couples in navigating that vocational call. Sr. John Mary also shares her vocation story and why it's important to leave the summit with practical steps to take home to her Archdiocese in Canada.

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.

Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist

Archdiocese of Vancouver

Witness to Love

Forever Love: Sal and Josephine Caruso

Literally right before their flight, Sal and Josephine Caruso wanted to share about marriage in their area of San Jose, California. As advocates for marriage and family life, Josephine and Sal have seen firsthand what newly married couples need to thrive - they need to hear what they experience is normal and that marriage is incredible.

In this conversation, Josephine and Sal talk with Darnell Miller, Creative Director of MAX Studios at University of St. Thomas-Houston, about what the marriage landscape in California and what they thought about the summit overall. They share personal reflections and why it's important to reach out for newly married couples.

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.

Witness to Love

Diocese of San Jose

Forever Love: Sharon Goh

maxstudios@stthom.edu
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