Show up for some awesome queer Latine BookTok gossip, stick around for the excellent #catholicgrandma content. Curl up with your beverage of choice and listen in as literary enthusiast and TikTok-er Lupita Aquino spills the tea about skipping out on catechism classes for the thrills of the mall, the trials and tribulations of celebrating your birthday on the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe (and sharing her name!), and what it means to sometimes feels like a Secret Catholic.  WHERE TO FIND...

Listen in as Steph and Anne catch up Catholicism in the News. Topics include limbo, the devil holding Jesus ransom, a song that cuts down on Purgatory time, the AI-generated papal puffer coat that launched a thousand tweets, diocese on the Moon, and Jesus’s DNA. Weirdly, this episode includes two references to the decidedly non-Catholic British Royal Family.  Links: The Catholic Church can never admit that something it taught for centuries was dumb Ransom Theory of Salvation Singing This...

Anne and Steph chat with Dani, (she/they) a writer, illustrator, Costa Rican, femme lesbian, and devout catholic who spends most of her time reminding everybody of those last two facts. Dani runs the blog and subsequent store “And Her Saints”, which seeks to illustrate the holy in an affirming and inclusive way. Topics include accidentally denying the virgin Mary as a child (omglol so sorry Our Lady!), surviving a hellish Catholic education experience, and finding queer Catholic community...

Beyond the green beer and corned beef, what is the actual deal with Saint Patrick?  Grab a pint of Guinness and listen in as Anne and Steph learn the truth (maybe?) about shamrocks, banished snakes, and the true origins of corned beef of St. Paddy's Day.  There’s also some deer-related pagan-esque magicky stuff which they totally did not expect. #themoreyouknow 🌈 🍀🦌 Links: Rabbi & 11-year-old son testify against anti-trans legislation Francis on his BS about “idiolotical colonization” and...

As #transdayofvisibility approaches, we are honored to share our conversation with @comebacktocare founder Nat Vikitsreth, a dot connector, norm agitator, and lover of liberation who supports social justice curious parents to practice social justice in their parenting while re-parenting their inner child. Listen in as Nat talks about what it was like attending an all boys' #catholicschool as a Catholic-Buddhist trans kid growing up in Thailand. Highlights include altar boy Spice Girl fashion...

Anne quizzes Stephanie on Ash Wednesday facts. Spoiler alert: as far as Catholic stuff goes, this may be the most loosey goosey day of the liturgical year! The hosts also talk Catholic toxic masculinity (gross) and about how the Sisters of Mercy are actually kind of rad when it comes to social justice stuff. Sidebars include 80’s Ballroom drag culture and recreational squirrel feeding. LINKS Pope Francis’s Ash Wednesday HomilyCatholic Bishop Shot and Killed in Los Angeles Home Lentformen.com...

Steph and Anne engage in a much needed catch-up session on ***Catholicism In The News*****. College students are sharing dorms with nuns. The FBI is targeting Catholics (but in a needed way). Francis extolls the virtues of....flipping the bird (?!??!). The hosts know an embarrassing number of lyrics to Billy Joel’s “Only The Good Die Young.” LINKS Neumann University needed housing. A local convent had space. Now, nuns and students share a 'dorm’The FBI has their eye on radical traditionalist...

This week we bring you something a little different: a story Anne recently performed live at A Very Serious Gallery in Chicago. Listen in as Anne grapples with the question of whether you really can’t go home again. (Related: Are the Bill Swerski’s Superfans of early ‘90’s SNL fame Catholic?  Discuss.  Write in and tell us.  Anne has thoughts.) Share your stories, thoughts, and questions with us at [email protected] or at www.lapsedpodcast.com or call us and leave a message at...

Anne and Stephanie have the pleasure of sitting down with Abby Rampone of Left Catholic. Abby has lived at two Catholic Worker houses and the Women’s Interfaith Residency Program at Union Theological Seminary. She currently lives at the Fireplace Community, an intentional community on the south side of Chicago, and works as a Ministry Coordinator at DePaul University. Abby and Tess Gallagher Clancy are the co-creators of Left Catholic, a zine which draws on a variety of traditions to...

Many thanks to listeners who shared their stories! The hosts enjoy the heck out of your funny stories about growing up Catholic, from altar server mishaps to altercations with nuns to giggling and church. Additionally, Stephanie has some intel on a rather mysterious calendar of dreamboat priests, while Anne ponders Catholicism as she watches too much TV. This episode contains a Megan Markle reference. LINKS A history of Christmas in America Anti-abortion US priest Frank Pavone defrocked by...

What’s the deal with nativity scenes? That’s what the hosts want to know. A young Steph leveraged her family’s nativity set as a chance at her directorial debut. Little Anne coveted her best friend’s family’s nativity set (there was real hay!). The hosts learn about a rather shocking Catalan nativity tradition and how some Catholics are super smug about Protestants’ veneration of statues during Advent. LINKS Jesus Was Probably Born in a Relative’s House, Not an Inn Salty Article about...

We'll have a new episode ready for you in a couple weeks, but for now we’d love to invite you to share your stories! In the past we have asked you to share your experiences, and you have come through. From questions about navigating Catholic family to stories about how you chose your confirmation name, we are so appreciative of the ways you have contributed your voices to the podcast. While we’re certainly never afraid to shy away from the bleaker parts of Catholicism, this week’s call for...

The hosts learn about the Church’s beef with birth control. Anne shares some rather racy Catholicism in the News. Steph points out some colorful language used to describe contraception in the bible. There’s also a Steve Carrell reference, and really, who doesn’t love Steve Carrell?  LINKS Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly Being Weird  The Pope Urges Priests and Nuns to Delete Porn from Their Phones RECOMMENDATIONS: Marcus Mumford’s Awkward Interaction with the Pope COLLECTION...

The hosts do a deep dive (pun only kind of intended) into Catholic baptism. Anne realizes her older son’s baptism involved a lot of fibbing. Steph is freaked out by all the Satan talk. This episode also involves some fangirling over one of our very favorite lapsed celebrities, Melissa McCarthy. LINKS Test scores show Catholic schools largely escaped COVID-induced ‘learning loss’ Collapse: Inside Ireland’s stunning rebuke of Catholicism Pilsen Parishioners Camping Outside Former Catholic...

Things get unexpectedly spooky as Stephanie and Anne talk murdered saints, postmortem popes, and the occult in this Halloween season-appropriate episode. Join the hosts as they dive into feast days, patrons, canonization, and martyrdom. Steph is still proud to be the only Chavara cousin who got $3 instead of $2 on her patron saint’s feast day. Little Anne dreamed of being one day canonized but never totally worked out the details. The hosts also get macabre as they talk ouija boards and...

Stephanie and Anne take a deep dive into what Catholic school and CCD taught them about life after death. A young Steph imagined a cloudy heaven that was harp-filled and toga-forward. Anne realizes how the Wizard of Oz impacted her early view of the afterlife. The hosts also launch into their own lapsed Catholic version of #yesyesno as they struggle to make sense of a Catholic-adjacent tweet involving #depop, #coquettegirlies and #cleangirlaesthetic (#eldermillenialsareconfused). This episode...

Steph and Anne are back with Season 2 of Lapsed!  Steph discusses one rather big development in her life (hint: he’s adorable and shares a name with a very Jesuit saint). The hosts also catch up on several months of Catholic news, including Francis updates, newly Catholic celebrities (we’re looking at you, Shia LaBeouf), and Catholic references in the media (oh hey, A League of Their Own). This episode may or may not be peppered with some super cute baby noises. LINKS Pope Francis says he...

The hosts grapple with their feelings around the recent Dobbs ruling. Steph dishes on the Kardashian’s recent brush with Catholic aesthetics even though by all accounts they practice…Kardashianism? Anne recalls that one time as a kid when she accidentally stumbled into a Protestant Vacation Bible School. The hosts announce they’re going extra lapsed for summer. LINKS How Catholicism Became a Meme Bishop says school flying BLM, LGBTQ flags can no longer call itself Catholic COLLECTION...

The hosts catch up on ***Catholicism IN THE NEWS****. Steph dishes on Francis’s drink of choice. Anne is jazzed that some Catholic bishops are starting to speak out about gun control legislation…until Steph totally (rightfully) harshes her mellow. Anne also fangirls over a fellow progressive, midwestern, redhead “straight, white, Christian, suburban mom" and does her best to sniff out Catholic influences in Disney. The hosts come to the striking realization that no one in the Western world...

An Interview With Nate Tinner-Williams of Black Catholic Messenger You’ve probably heard of a pandemic marriage or a pandemic move, but what about a pandemic Catholic convert/seminarian/nonprofit founder/writer? In this episode, the hosts chat with someone who checks all of these boxes and more. Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger, a nonprofit media publication covering stories of interest to African-American Catholics. He is also a seminarian with the...

Hey listeners. Some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that we don't have a new episode this week. The good news? We want to hear from you! So much of what we talk about on this show is rooted in parts of the Catholic church we've had trouble making sense of. So now it’s your turn. Which parts of Catholicism did you or do you find confusing or difficult to understand?  This could be a funny story from childhood, or a right-now story about a part of the Church that you'll just never...

There are scary things happening in US politics right now, and Anne and Steph are working on unpacking it, lapsed Catholic style. Listen in as they recount what they were and weren’t taught in Catholic school about a pregnant person's right to control their own body. Along the way they do manage some levity….like when they learn of the 9 sins that will get you kicked out of the church (hint: don’t punch the pope). The hosts also learn some fun new definitions. COLLECTION...

Ruler-wielding tyrants or holy social justice warriors?  Join the Anne and Steph as they attempt to sort out their feelings about nuns and religious sisters (and the difference between the two). COLLECTION BASKET: This week we invite you to support Kina Collins for Congress. Share your stories, thoughts, and questions with us at [email protected] or at www.lapsedpodcast.com Follow us on Twitter (@lapsedpodcast) Instagram (@lapsedpodcast) and Facebook.Subscribe. Rate. Review. Tell your...

Anne and Steph serve up some Holy Week and Easter realness as they talk palms, confession, stations of the cross, itchy tights and egg hunts. Grab a chocolate bunny and tune in. COLLECTION BASKET: This week we invite you to donate to the Chi Nations Youth Council. Share your stories, thoughts, and questions with us at [email protected] or at www.lapsedpodcast.com Follow us on Twitter (@lapsedpodcast) Instagram (@lapsedpodcast) and Facebook.Subscribe. Rate. Review. Tell your...

It’s our 20th Episode! Stephanie and Anne take some time to reflect on what they’ve learned, what has surprised them, and what they dream of moving forward.  The hosts also talk wordle and a Dan Brown-eque conspiracy theory involving the Pope, Russia, and the Virgin Mary.  It’s a doozy. COLLECTION BASKET: We invite you to donate to the UN Refugee Agency.  Share your stories, thoughts, and questions with us at [email protected] or at www.lapsedpodcast.com Follow us on Twitter...