Ave Explores Series

The Jubilee Year of Hope 2025 began on December 24, 2024, with the opening of the Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica—a powerful symbol of grace, renewal, and revival for the Church.Ave Exploresbrings the spirit of this extraordinary year to you through compelling conversations and reflections.

Join Heather Khym, cohost from the Abiding Together podcast, on a transformative multimedia Advent journey using the Encountering Emmanuel journal, as she extends a heartfelt invitation to embrace stillness and silence amid life’s chaos, allowing God to dwell in the depths of your being.

Join Katie McGrady and special guests for the next Ave Explores series as we uncover the weird, wild, and wonderful side of Catholicism! From relics and exhumed saints to Eucharistic miracles, Marian apparitions, and beyond, we’ll make sense of the mysteries and share the stories that often leave people scratching their heads. By the end, you'll be the one impressing friends with fun facts and newfound knowledge. Get ready to explore the Church’s most intriguing oddities—it's going to be a fascinating ride!

Discover the rich tapestry of Catholicism in the United States with this Ave Explores series. Hosted by Katie McGrady and featuring notable guests such as Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan; Kerry Robinson, CEO of Catholic Charities, and Brian Caulfield, vice postulator of the Bl. Micahel McGivney cause; this series delves into the fascinating history of Catholicism in the US and its enduring influence on contemporary society.

Join us this Lent as Fr. Agustino Torres, CFR takes us on a journey inspired by St. Francis with the Made for Heaven Lenten journal.  Begin the season with a vow of poverty and end at Easter with a heart free from the desert of sin and open to love, serve, and care for others.

Join us this Advent as we prepare for the birth of Christ through prayer, charity, and joyful acts of service with Fr. Agustino Torres, CFR, and his new book Prepare Your Heart. 

The Church's liturgical calendar offers an abundance of meaningful practices and traditions that guide us through seasons of preparation, celebration, feasting, fasting, and remembrance, among others.

 “If angels could be jealous of men, they would be so for one reason: Holy Communion.” - St. Maximillian Kolbe

Catholics believe that the Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith, but what does this really mean and what difference does it make in our lives?


In the liturgy’s first reading on Ash Wednesday, the prophet Joel calls us to wholehearted conversion: “Even now, says the Lord, return to me, with your whole heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning, rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God” (Jl 2:12–13).

In this special Ave Explores series for Advent 2022, Sr. Miriam James Heidalnd, SOLT, author of the bestselling book Restore, will walk with you as you explore familial wounds with the help of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

Ave Explores will help you experience a more meaningful Lent than ever before!Rather than give up chocolate or alcohol this Lent, what if you explored the areas in your life that are in need of healing and are holding you back from living in right relationship with God, yourself, and others? 

The Advent 2021 Adventure

Healing—of body, mind, and spirit—is the heart of Jesus's teaching. There are a number of accounts in the gospels about encounters Jesus had with people seeking his healing love, including the woman at the well, Bartimaeus the blind man, the woman caught in adultery, and the rich young man.

Do you want to read the Bible but you're not sure where to begin? Are you concerned that you won't understand it or don't have the time to commit to reading it?

Do you need a good podcast playlist for a road trip, a day at the beach, or a hike at your favorite national park?

Each week, Catholics all over the world fill the pews of their parishes to listen to the Word of God and receive the Body and Blood of Christ—the Eucharist. Even though we are present and participate in the Mass, we may not be fully aware of why the sacred liturgy is the most important act of worship we do as Catholics.

“Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Mt. 25:40)

Families of all sizes and types make up the backbone, not only of society but also the Church. The term “domestic church” dates back to the first century and relates to the home—the place where Catholics first learn about the faith and how to be a witness to God’s love.

“Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.”
—Pope Paul VI

Families of all sizes and types make up the backbone, not only of society but also the Church. The term “domestic church” dates back to the first century and relates to the home—the place where Catholics first learn about the faith and how to be a witness to God’s love.

“Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Mt. 25:40)

Can a Catholic believe in evolution and the Genesis creation story? What does the Church teach about global warming and stewardship of the earth’s natural resources? What options are there for Catholic couples who are experiencing infertility?

Join Katie Prejean McGrady as she walks with you through Lent, sharing reflections on the Sunday gospel, interviews with Ave Maria Press authors, and inspiring stories of faith.

Do you feel stressed out, anxious, or depressed? Are you afraid to talk with a professional because you’re worried that someone will find out and think less of you? What steps can you take to regain a sense of balance and peace?

In the Apostles’ Creed we profess our belief in the Communion of Saints. But do we really know who the saints are and why the Church makes such a big deal about them? 

In the fall of 2018, Ave Maria Press began a new initiative called Ave Explores, which takes an in-depth look at issues facing the Catholic Church. The first topic in the series was the Synod on Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment, which was held in Rome from Oct. 3–28.

Have you ever wondered why Mary holds such a prominent place in the Catholic Church, but not in other Christian churches? Perhaps you want to learn more about who Mary is and why she matters? Or how you can grow to love her more?

On April 15, 2019, millions of people from around the world watched in horror as the grand spire of the iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris burned to the ground. The Gothic masterpiece, which dates to the twelfth century, became a rallying point for people of all faiths. Millions of dollars were raised for the cathedral’s restoration in the weeks following the fire.