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Thursday Night Streams

Thursday Night Streams

By GMU Catholic Patriots

Thursday Night Steams is a weekly speaker series where we tackle a wide range of topics such as social justice issues, being known and loved by God, Church teaching on human sexuality, and everything in between. This podcast is a recording of Thursday Night Supper, a dinner and talk series that fosters an environment for fellowship and faith formation at George Mason University. Every Thursday evening we have mass at 5pm followed by a dinner and the talk starts at 6pm. GMU & NOVA students come join us in person every Thursday night at St. Robert Bellarmine chapel!
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The Imago Dei and Human Dignity w/Fr. Jacob Bertrand Janczyk

Thursday Night Streams May 08, 2022

00:00
44:05
The Imago Dei and Human Dignity w/Fr. Jacob Bertrand Janczyk
May 08, 202244:05
Franciscan Roots and Shoots of Laudato Si w/Brother Cristofer Fernández

Franciscan Roots and Shoots of Laudato Si w/Brother Cristofer Fernández

Franciscan Roots and Shoots of Laudato Si: Ecotheology, Catholic Social Teaching, & Caring for our Common Home Do Catholic Christians care about non-human creation? What about environmental justice concerns? Who was Francis of Assisi, and what does he have to do with Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si'? Was he an environmentalist? How does Franciscan ecotheology inform Church Social Teaching on the environment? In this talk, our speaker will offer us an overview of a Catholic cosmological vision for the 21st century. Brother Cristofer Fernández, OFM Conv., as a GMU alum, brings his professional and religious background to this discussion about the promise of nature and how the Catholic understanding of creation invites us to consider the Earth as our common home. Retrieving from Franciscan sources the riches of the theological tradition, this talk will elaborate on why we are in one sense both in the world and of the world, and tie the tenants of faith in revelation, creation, and eschatology together in the Pope's 2015 contribution to Catholic Social Doctrine. The speaker for this episode is a Conventual Franciscan Friar of the East Coast/Our Lady of the Angels Province. Hailing from Lorton, VA, Friar Cristofer Fernández is a fellow Patriot and alumnus of GMU! In 2017, he obtained his Bachelors of Science in Environmental & Conservation Biology from Mason...As an undergrad he was greatly involved in CCM (student ministry team), FOCUS bible studies, and other extracurriculars on campus; he was a student of the Honors College and the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, and a research scholar and teaching assistant in the College of Science. Prior to entering religious life, Friar had worked for the Department of the Interior, conducted tropical ecology research in Costa Rica, and served on the Alumni Council of the Student Conservation Association (SCA). He is a religious brother completing his graduate studies at the Catholic University of America in Theology, Religion, and Culture. What A Wonderful World With David Attenborough The Shrine of St. Anthony in Ellicott City - HD Drone Video
Apr 09, 202201:02:03
Spiritual Warfare: Warnings & Weapons w/Terry Riggins

Spiritual Warfare: Warnings & Weapons w/Terry Riggins

Terry Riggins will speak on the nature of the battle with evil in our lives, how to recognize the tactics of the enemy and what are our spiritual weapons, without which we cannot overcome.
For over 10 yrs, Terry Riggins has been Coordinator of the Diocesan Spiritual Assistance Ministry, appointed by the bishop to assist those who feel they are suffering from demonic affliction. She has attended national and international conferences on Deliverance Ministry and works to train and develop lay deliverance prayer teams that offer the Unbound model of deliverance prayer for our Diocese. She is a graduate of the Masters Catechist program and an RCIA catechist at Nativity Catholic Church. She has been on mission trips to Ukraine, China and Mexico, and even at the local strip mall, sharing the truth that God’s ways work and His promises are true!
Apr 02, 202252:29
Integrating our professional work with our vocational missions w/The Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist

Integrating our professional work with our vocational missions w/The Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist

The Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist Sister Mary Kolbe and Sister Paula Jean Miller
The Mission of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist flows from our consecration to the Church within the Mystery of the Eucharist as the “Source and Summit” of the Christian Life. “In a world that knows the rupture between the Sacred and the secular, the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist endeavor in all their apostolic works to lead the people they serve to a restored sense of the Sacred. As a means to this end the Sisters’ apostolic efforts in education, counseling, health care, care of the aging and manual work are directed to increasing a sense of the full meaning of the sacramental life of the Church.”
Sister Paula Jean Miller, F.S.E., is a member of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist, whose motherhouse is in Meriden, Connecticut. Sister Paula Jean received her license and doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Lateran in Rome, through the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Washington, D.C., in 1993. Her teaching of marriage and family studies, the theology of the body, moral theology, sexuality, bioethics, and the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, has spanned over 30 years in five seminaries, as well as the University of St. Thomas in Houston TX, where she founded, directed, and taught in a Catholic Studies Program. She now works in the Office of Canonical Affairs in the Diocese of Arlington, as Administrative Assistant to the Chancellor. Her research has focused on St. Bonaventure, communion ecclesiology, semiotics, and the thoughts of John Paul II, Benedict XVI., von Balthasar, and Maximus the Confessor. Publications include four books and numerous articles in theological journals. Books:
Religious Life: A New and Special Bond, Chapter II: “The Spousal Bond”, Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame, Indiana, 2009.
Members of One Body, Prophets, Priests and Kings: An Ecclesiology of Mission, Alba House, 1999.
Marriage: The Sacrament of Divine-Human Communion, A Commentary on St. Bonaventure's Theology of Marriage, Franciscan Press, 1996.
Mapping the Catholic Cultural Landscape, (editor), Rowman and Littlefield (Sheed and Ward), 2004.
Sister Mary Kolbe Heffern, F.S.E, is a Franciscan Sister of the Eucharist. After completing her undergraduate degree at the University of St. Thomas in Houston (where she was a student of Sister Paula Jean Miller, FSE), she entered the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist. She completed an MA in Theology at Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Connecticut and is a Montessori-trained Elementary guide. She has taught Religion, Spanish and Fourth Grade in Catholic elementary schools and currently teaches six-to-twelve-year-olds in the Montessori Elementary Environment at Siena Academy in Great Falls
Mar 05, 202258:02
How Self-Care & Mindfulness lead to Holiness w/Kara Lilly

How Self-Care & Mindfulness lead to Holiness w/Kara Lilly

As Catholic Christians we are called to love God with our whole selves, body, mind and soul. However, in the Christian journey, we often find ourselves neglecting our own health and well-being at the service of our God-given mission. Kara will share her story of how she has navigated her spiritual, mental, and physical health through her many years in ministry work and as she has stepped into her primary vocation of wife and mother.
Kara Lilly is a George Mason University and Catholic Patriot Alum. She graduated with a B.A. in music and theater in 2015. She served as a student leader within the Catholic Campus Ministry all four years including two years as Student Campus Minister. Upon graduating, she entered into full-time youth ministry in the Diocese of Arlington at the Basilica of St. Mary in Alexandria and St. Bernadette in Springfield. She married her CCM sweetheart, John Lilly, in May 2017 and gave birth to her daughter, Bella Therese, in April 2020. After leaving her full-time ministry work, she strives to continue her mission in leading others to Jesus through her entrepreneurial pursuits. She is the owner of Kara Loryn Photography LLC helping Catholic Christian couples, families and individuals capture sacred moments in their lives and she helps others experience freedom in their health journey as an Independent Optavia Health Coach.
Mar 01, 202235:57
Pizza, Pasta, & Prescriptions w/Dr. Bruchalski

Pizza, Pasta, & Prescriptions w/Dr. Bruchalski

Pizza, Pasta and Prescription: Go Out and Set the World Ablaze.
Dr. Bruchalski earned his medical degree from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in 1987. He completed his OB/GYN residency at Eastern Virginia Medical Center and the Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine in Norfolk, Virginia in 1991. He received board certification in 1993.
During his residency, Dr. Bruchalski performed abortions out of a desire to help women, but realized abortion was not achieving the freedom, health, and happiness they sought. Dr. Bruchalski returned to the Catholic faith and felt God’s call to start a medical specialty practice that truly helped women. In 1994, Dr. Bruchalski founded Tepeyac in Fairfax, VA, committed to serving all women regardless of their beliefs, background, or financial situation.
In 2000, he founded Divine Mercy Care that raises funds to cover the cost of prenatal care for approximately 30% of Tepeyac’s pregnant patients who are in financial need.
Feb 12, 202201:13:47
Fiat: Responding with Mary to God’s Call w/China Briceño
Feb 05, 202253:50
Does Anybody Know That You’re A Christian? w/Ricky Malebranche

Does Anybody Know That You’re A Christian? w/Ricky Malebranche

How do we live joyfully when anger, loneliness, and confusion seem to surround us? Scripture makes it clear – true joy only comes from living for Christ. The talk aims to answer three questions: What is stealing our joy and how do we stop it? What specific role does our Christian faith play in causing our joy? How do we share that joy and our faith with others who do not seem to want it?
Ricky was born and raised in the Diocese of Arlington. Fast forward to college – he attended Mason as an undergrad and worked for the Admissions office for 4 years after graduating in 2010. God brought him to Saint John Paul the Great High School in Dumfries, VA as a school counselor for the next five years. During the summer of 2018 God made his next step known in adoration at the Diocesan WorkCamp and in the fall of 2019 he began his studies at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, MD. God-willing he will be ordained to the transitional diaconate in 2024 and to the priesthood in 2025.
Nov 16, 202133:14
Thinking About Your Vocation in College w/Derek Rogers

Thinking About Your Vocation in College w/Derek Rogers

Things You Learn About Your Vocation in College and Why it Matters!

Derek was born and raised outside of Buffalo, NY where he lived on a farm with his family. He met his beautiful wife Bethany while attending Christendom College. After getting married, they started youth ministry programs for their tiny parish before moving to the Diocese of Arlington to serve in youth ministry full time. Since 2010, Derek and Bethany have served as Directors of Youth Ministers at two different parishes and continue to grow their own family of future youth group members. They write and perform music together and find time to watch movies and play games as often as possible.

Nov 10, 202153:41
The Rosary: Our Lady's Call to Battle w/Mary Lenaburg

The Rosary: Our Lady's Call to Battle w/Mary Lenaburg

As we celebrate the feast day of Our Lady of Victory, Mary will share how the Rosary has been a crucial part of her ongoing faith journey as a wife and mother. Through her storytelling, she will show how Our Lady has walked with her through great celebration and unimaginable grief, always pointing her home to her Son. The Rosary is Our Lady’s call to battle, one that we should all keep in our arsenal of prayer.

Mary Lenaburg is a full-time Catholic speaker and author of Be Brave in the Scared, which earned a 2020 Excellence in Publishing Award from the Association of Catholic Publishers. Her second book Be Bold in the Broken, was published March 12, 2021. She has given keynotes at conferences internationally, including The Edel Gathering, the Genius Women’s Conference, the Fiat Conference in Pasadena, CA,  Military Council for Catholic Women European Retreat, and at the Women of the Word Conference in Toronto, Canada. A writer with Take Up & Read, her work has appeared in five meditation books. She also has contributed to two other books. She has appeared on Catholic radio, TV, and podcasts, including The Jennifer Fulwiler Show, EWTN’s Pro-Life Weekly, The Hallie Lord Show, The Gist, Busted Halo, and Fountains of Carrots. Her mission is to accompany women to be brave in the scared and bold in the broken as they embrace their God-given purpose.

Nov 06, 202139:46
Honoring the Giver by Loving His Gifts: How the Temperaments Teach Us Gratitude and Patience w/Sr Ann Dominic

Honoring the Giver by Loving His Gifts: How the Temperaments Teach Us Gratitude and Patience w/Sr Ann Dominic


Knowing and understanding the four temperaments provides a context in how to best grow in personal holiness and be patient with ourselves during the process of becoming saints. This talk aims to help young people recognize more clearly their God given strengths and weaknesses and provide practical tools on how to navigate challenges that occur when working with people with contrary gifts. The goal of studying the four temperaments leads us to greater freedom to be who God made us to be and to give thanks to God for making us who we are.

Sister Ann Dominic is a native of Minnesota. She met the Dominican Sisters at a "Come and See Pizza Night" as a Freshman in college at CUA. She remembers the pizza was delicious and the sisters were filled with joy. The Lord worked in her life over the next six years and in 2010 she entered The Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecilia in Nashville, TN. Sister has taught French and Religion, grades 7-12 and currently serves as the Assistant Principal of Student Life at Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School. One fun fact is that Sister loves to sing and play the guitar.
Nov 02, 202141:51
Faith & Fashion: How Your Style Tells Your Story w/Michaela Robinson

Faith & Fashion: How Your Style Tells Your Story w/Michaela Robinson

This talk is going to be approaching the topic of fashion through the lens of faith and breaking down three ways in which the two intersect: personal style, modesty, and ethical fashion. Through personal experience, scripture, Church teaching, and historical events, she's going to be inviting everyone to take a more critical look at how we dress, shop, and feel in our clothing and what God has to say about it all.

Michaela is the new Campus Minister here at George Mason after working for a Catholic Clothing line in NYC as well as serving as a FOCUS missionary prior to that. She recently moved to the area after getting married to my husband, Dan. She's an avid thrift shopper, and she runs an online second-hand clothing shop with her twin sister.
Oct 30, 202139:54
Courageous Catholicism w/David Bereit

Courageous Catholicism w/David Bereit

Courageous Catholicism: How to Thrive and Make a Difference Amidst Change and Challenge
David Bereit is a passionate Catholic convert, founder and former CEO of the global 40 Days for Life movement, international speaker, and strategic advisor to Catholic and pro-life leaders and organizations. He is married to his best friend and wife of 29 years, Margaret, and is father to Sister Gloria Christi, a Nashville Dominican novice, and Patrick, a sophomore at George Mason University.
Oct 26, 202152:48
Kim Zember Part 2: Finding Freedom Living as a Christian with Same-Sex Attraction (Q&A)

Kim Zember Part 2: Finding Freedom Living as a Christian with Same-Sex Attraction (Q&A)

Kim will expose details of her life that many wouldn't dare to admit. Her desires for women, money, and comfort lead her down a path far from that of her Christian upbringing. Her impulsive lifestyle, coupled with an underlying fear of being alone, constantly drive her to drown out the small whisper of God she hears in moments of silence and stillness. Kim's transparency about her life offers encouragement to those seeking peace and joy for their own restless hearts. In the end, love wins. 

Feb 11, 202130:35
Kim Zember Part 1: Finding Freedom Living as a Christian with Same-Sex Attraction

Kim Zember Part 1: Finding Freedom Living as a Christian with Same-Sex Attraction

Kim will expose details of her life that many wouldn't dare to admit. Her desires for women, money, and comfort lead her down a path far from that of her Christian upbringing. Her impulsive lifestyle, coupled with an underlying fear of being alone, constantly drive her to drown out the small whisper of God she hears in moments of silence and stillness. Kim's transparency about her life offers encouragement to those seeking peace and joy for their own restless hearts. In the end, love wins.

Feb 11, 202139:50
February 10, 2021

February 10, 2021

Feb 10, 202100:43