Listen Up: Morning Glory

Gloria Purvis, Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers, Msgr. Charles Pope, Fr. Bjorn Lundberg, Fr. Vincent De Rosa are talking about everything important to today's Catholic: Prayer, Life, the Church, Family, and the Culture.

This is essentially an hour-long Catholic morning show, hosted by Gloria Purvis and Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers. There is always a third person joining them, usually a priest. They will discuss a current news topic including things like statues being removed, Black Lives Matter protests, and the Supreme Court decision for the Little Sisters of the Poor. Sometimes the current topic is not specifically tied to a headline, such as discussions about food deserts, authentic feminism, or Catholic responses to immigration.

They also will have brief psalm readings to open each half hour (the show is an hour long) and talk about Catholic stuff like devotions to help Monday morning back-to-work stress, how to talk to fallen away friends about the faith, or why nuns wear habits. Often there is a "saint of the day" discussion and they are good about tying them into real life issues or that day's topics. It is a really nice blend and I enjoy the hosts, who are very personable.

I first heard of Morning Glory via an editorial at Our Sunday Visitor after the show was dropped by a major Catholic radio network for being "uncomfortable to listen to." I'd never heard of the show and even if I had this wasn't one I would have tried. I don't love morning shows, news talk, or Catholic talk shows and I don't have a lot of listening time. I mean, how am I going to fit in Rachel Watches Star Trek if I spend all my time listening to EWTN? Priorities, people!

However, I was intrigued by an EWTN show that was so topical (and controversial?) that it was dropped like a hot potato. So I tried an episode about statues being removed. And was pleasantly surprised by the nuanced response, the informed give-and-take of the discussion, and the Catholic take on everything. I might not always agree in the details with someone's take but for the big picture, I was in agreement. They also don't talk everything to death. There is just enough coverage to give food for thought and then they're on to something different.

So I tried another. And then another. With each show my liking grew. I may not keep up with each and every day's show, but there is always a Morning Glory on my iPod for easy access.

Their website is here. It's available as a daily podcast through iTunes or various podcast providers.