Welcome to "Discerning Hearts": A spiritual retreat stop for those who travel on the digital sea.
"Discerning Hearts is a trusted resource for Catholic spirituality and teaching. I support it as an apostolate for the new evangelization that brings the Good News to every corner of the world through the internet."
- Most Reverend George J. Lucas, Archbishop of Omaha
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Discerning Hearts ® became an official non-profit apostolate in 2011. It is dedicated to evangelization and spiritual formation through new media. Discerning Hearts creates engaging multi-media, specializing in audio productions (known as podcasts and radio broadcasts) faithful to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and its rich, authentic spiritual tradition. Its mission responds to the Church’s call to use the media for evangelization, catechesis, and spiritual renewal.
Pope Benedict XVI spoke to the US Bishops from Region 2 in 2010 saying, “Only through interior renewal will we be able to discern and meet the spiritual needs of our age with the ageless truth of the Gospel”…that is our goal.
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Thanks to the generosity of its large online community over this past year, Discerning Hearts has grown both the sizes of its audiences and the number of shows it produces. As a ministry, Discerning Hearts makes real contributions to the use of new media in the Catholic Church. Many of our series are produced and formatted so they may be used freely on Catholic radio stations (such as the Spirit Catholic Radio Network, as well as other new media outlets in their various forms….allowing broadcasting to occur in its “broadest” sense.
With a consistent and growing number of podcasts in its line-up, Discerning Hearts is looking forward to the upcoming year of 2021:
new series dedicated to prayer and formation by Archbishop George Lucas, Fr. Timothy Gallagher, Dr. Anthony Lilles (Beginning to Prayer and St. Teresa of Avila’s Interior Castle), Fr. Mauritius Wilde O.S.B., Sharon Doran, Adrian Walker (Mariology), Omar F. A. Gutierrez, Msgr. John Esseff and so much more.
audiobooks will supply the best teachings from the Saints, as well as more prayers and devotionals set to the highest of audio productions standard which will be available to all freely around the world.
The production of “Inside the Pages” will expand in three different directions:
1. For current writings
2. The best of Spiritual Writing
3. The Great Works of Modern Literature.
In 2011, Discerning Hearts was an invited participant in the first Vatican Bloggers Meeting, held in Rome on May 2nd. Additionally, a new social media strategy gave Discerning Hearts a wider online presence on sites such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo and Google Plus, allowing it to build a stronger online community and to reach out to the secular world in new ways.
Our dream is to one day offer conferences featuring Discerning Hearts contributors, and possibly expanding into areas of video and electronic publishing production. We are discerning, pondering, and asking for the Father’s guidance for the future. Please pray for us and for that clarity.
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For many people all around the world, Discerning Hearts is a daily source of inspiration, spiritual nourishment, and encouragement. We can only do this thanks to the generous financial support of our friends and benefactors.
The world is looking for answers, for spiritual guidance and authentic discernment, for relationship and community. Your support is very much needed and appreciated. Please keep our mission in your prayers.
May the Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
May the Immaculate Heart of Mary, nurture and pray for us.
