Ave Spotlight
with Oscar Rivera
Displaying 2 items of Ave Spotlight with the tag "podcast for catholics".
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Episode 197: Step Up to the Plate feat. Fr. John Garabedian
August 18th, 2026 | 37 mins 15 secs
ave maria press, ave spotlight, diocese of fall river, faith and baseball, fr. john garabedian, free catholic podcast, massachusetts, oscar rivera, podcast for catholics, trusting god's call, vocations
Fr. John Garabedian, associate director of vocations for the Diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts, talks with Oscar about baseball, priesthood, creativity, and learning to trust God’s call. A former college baseball player and graphic designer, Fr. John reflects on how the highs and lows of athletics taught him to keep success and failure in perspective, and how these lessons transfer to the spiritual life. He also shares his journey from recognizing a possible call to priesthood, and eventually surrendering to the vocation God had been placing on his heart all along.
Three takeaways:
Use the tools without losing the human touch.
Your identity is bigger than your performance.
God’s call requires a response. -
Episode 184: Influencers, Algorithms, and the Psalms with Emily Mentock
February 2nd, 2026 | 34 mins 42 secs
2026, ave maria press, ave spotlight, catholic church, catholicism, digital evangelization, easter, lent, oscar rivera, podcast for catholics, praying with the psalms, psalms
Emily Mentock joins Oscar for an honest conversation about faith, influence, and a changing digital era. As the Catholic Church discerns how to navigate influencer culture, we explore what it means to cultivate an authentic online presence rooted in digital mission—not personal branding.
Together, we discuss the importance of resisting the pressure to “perform” as influencers by staying grounded in prayer, humility, and parish life. We also look to King David as a surprising model of influence and reflect on why the Psalms remain one of the Church’s most powerful—and underused—spiritual treasures.