The Pillar

Written by JD Flynn and published October 13, 2026.

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What do we …

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Dr. Scott Powell, JD Flynn, and Kate Olivera look ahead to the readings for the Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time— including the Pharisees and Herodians attempt to entrap Jesus with a question about the Roman tax.

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Already read the readings? Skip ahead to 6:00.

Reading 1 - Isaiah 45: 1, 4-6

Psalm 96: 1, 3-5, 7-10

Reading 2 - 1 Thessalonians 1: 1-5b

Gospel - Matthew 22: 15-21

JD is joined by Father James Martin to talk about his work with Catholics who identify as gay, his new memoir, and more.

Then, Fr. Martin plays a round of bridges ‘Yes or No?’

This conversation was recorded July 8, 2026.

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Work in Progress: Confessions of a busboy, dishwasher, caddy, usher, factory worker, bank teller, corporate tool, and priest by Father James Martin

Many choices are being made.

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Ed’s choice of news this week! He and JD talk about a curial snub and Pope Leo XIV’s meeting to mark the 10th anniversary of Amoris laetitia.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin. Credit: Claude Truong-Ngoc/wikimedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

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Written by Ed Condon and published October 9, 2026.

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Pope Leo at…

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Pope Leo XIV kicks off a weeklong meeting of bishops in Rome to reflect on the 2016 apostolic exhortation Amoris laetitia. An Australian court sentences a Catholic bishop to prison for abusing two Aboriginal men.

The Archdiocese of St. Louis is suing the federal government over sacramental access to detainees at a local immigration detention facility. A…

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Written by JD Flynn and published October 6, 2026.

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Does Pope Le…

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Join Dr. Scott Powell, JD Flynn, and Kate Olivera as they look ahead to the readings for the Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time— including a psalm about a shepherd king and a confusing parable in the Gospel of Matthew.

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Already read the readings? Skip ahead to 6:40.

Reading 1 - Isaiah 25: 6-10a

Psalm 23: 1-6

Reading 2 - Philippians 4: 12-14, 19-20

Gospel - Matthew 22: 1-14

They got the hats, at least!

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JD and Ed talk about the final report issued by the Vatican’s synod on synodality’s commission charged with suggesting changes to the Code of Canon Law, and why they think Pope Leo XIV needs to respond.

Then, they look ahead to Leo’s planned meeting on Amoris laetitia with the heads of international bishops’ conferences.

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Written by Ed Condon and published October 2, 2026.

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Cardinal Zu…

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Pope Leo XIV visits France. The Archdiocese of Palermo affirms its decision to combine First Communion and Confirmation, despite protest from local business owners.

The Archdiocese of Baltimore plans to ordain next year the highest number of priests in a single year in more than a half century. The Diocese of Peoria will soon establish the first-ever pa…

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Dr. Scott Powell, JD Flynn, and Kate Olivera look ahead to the readings for the Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time including a prophesy about the Babylonian exile in Isaiah and Jesus’s harsh parable to the chief priests and scribes in Jerusalem.

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Already read the readings? Skip ahead to 6:10.

Reading 1 - Isaiah 5: 1-7

Psalm 80: 9, 12-16, 19-20

Reading 2 - Philippians 4: 6-9

Gospel - Matthew 21: 33-43

JD Flynn is joined by Bishop Albert Wack, CSC, of Pensacola–Tallahassee to talk about his experience serving in prison ministry and common catalysts for conversion for the incarcerated. Then, Bishop Wack weighs JD and Ed’s idea for a personal ordinariate for prison ministry.

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