Lights, Catholic, Action!

A lesson in relentless prayer. Author and speaker Tim Francis shares how his mother’s relentless prayers pulled him from addiction and a reversion to the Catholic Church. Through hard evidence, debates in his living room, and a startling documentary on modern miracles, his belief in the Eucharist was ignited. Now a nationwide speaker, he explains practical ways to “pray the Mass,” why daily sacraments change lives, and how his parish missions spark real returns to Confession, Adoration, and Sunday worship.

What if your Catholic high school sent you to work in corporate America one day a week while preparing you for college and deepening your faith? Cristo Rey Fort Worth President Dani Ray Barton shares how the school has grown since its 2018 launch. The school has over 300 students, 75 corporate partners, a new STEAM center, and alumni have landed full-time offers and generous scholarships. Additionally, Barton discusses concrete ways families and businesses can get involved.

From a haunting childhood tale in Honduras to an unexpected conversion at the University of Dallas, Oscar Ortiz—now the Diocese of Fort Worth’s Executive Director of Strategic Outreach and Educational Access—shares a riveting journey that reframes faith as “the strangeness of life” and sets the stage for why he believes wonder leads to Christ. He then lays out how Catholic education forms that wonder, and how Texas’ new school-choice program—through the diocese’s Camino initiative—aims to open Catholic schools to more families, with clear next steps for parents and ways listeners can volunteer and spread the word.
Learn more about the Texas Education Freedom Accounts in the Diocese of Fort Worth: https://catholicschoolsfwdioc.org/tefa-school-choice
 

Sharing her journey from public-school educator to diocesan leader, Dr. Melissa Millard is a champion for Catholic schools as places that form joyful disciples—not just strong students—by weaving faith into every moment of the day. In her new role, she focuses on growing enrollment and funding (especially tuition support and safety), so more North Texas families can access Catholic education and “set the world on fire."

From flaming batons and Miss America pageants to breaking some of DFW’s biggest stories, CBS 11 reporter Amelia Mugavero shares how God used rejection, late nights, and even the Dallas police ambush to lead her into a vocation of telling hard stories with courage and compassion. Hear how her Catholic faith sustains her through tragic events like the Kerrville flooding, the pressures of social media, and the chaos of live TV — and why she tries to live as a modern-day Esther, “born for such a time as this.

Growing up in a lively Catholic family of seven, siblings Julia and Michael Marincel share how their parents’ late conversion, homeschooling, vibrant Maronite parish life, and quirky traditions (like epic Easter confetti-egg wars) formed them into a sign-language interpreter for the Deaf community and a seminarian for the Diocese of Fort Worth. Hear how they wrestled with college, vocation, community, and staying faithful in secular spaces—and how God keeps surprising them as they learn to serve the Church in very different but beautifully connected ways.

Some of us are formed in the faith from a young age, while others come into the Church later in life. Behind it all are faithful staff and volunteers at parishes helping guide others to the truth of the faith and ultimately a relationship with Jesus. Behind them is Laura Nelson, diocesan Director of Faith Formation and OCIA and our guest for this episode. She talks about how she dove deeper into her faith and how the diocese encourages others to do the same.

In this special episode, actress and writer Siobhan Fallon Hogan reflects on how her Irish Catholic upbringing and strong, lifelong faith shape her family life, career choices, and creative work—including her play "Mother’s Farewell" and the films "Rushed" and "Shelter in Solitude," which blend serious themes with Catholic moral vision. She also discusses involving her children in both faith and film, her new EWTN podcast "Catholics and Cappuccino", and the growing network of Catholic and Christian storytellers in the entertainment industry.

This episode features Carlos Zamora, a cradle Catholic who shares how he drifted from the faith and then returned through a deep encounter with the Eucharist, confession, and the writings of the early Church Fathers. He and host Sissel talk about his Catholic rap ministry, speaking and performing for youth (including incarcerated teens), and his passion for using his creative gifts—and devotion to Mary—to draw people back to the sacraments and a living relationship with Jesus.

In this special edition of Lights, Catholic, Action! Deacon Bernie Nojadera, Executive Director of the USCCB’s Secretariat for Child and Youth Protection, reflects on a faith-formed life—spanning social work, military service, and the permanent diaconate—and explains how the Charter (with audits, training, background checks, and zero-tolerance norms) has shaped a nationwide culture of safeguarding across dioceses and continues to evolve. Dcn. Bernie also emphasizes survivor accompaniment, collaboration with experts and global Church bodies, practical parish-level vigilance amid sobering abuse statistics, and a hope rooted in renewed family and ecclesial commitment to protecting the vulnerable.