Gotta Be Saints

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Ida Görres is one of the most insightful Catholic writers of the twentieth century—yet many Catholics today have never heard her name. In this episode, Brendan Gotta sits down with Jennifer Bryson to explore the life and legacy of Ida Görres, a fearless German Catholic thinker whose writings on holiness, suffering, and the lives of the saints continue to challenge and inspire readers today.
Jennifer shares how she first discovered Görres and why her work remains so relevant in our modern world. Together they discuss Görres’ reflections on authentic sanctity, her candid approach to the struggles of Christian life, and why her writing offers a refreshing alternative to overly sentimental portrayals of holiness. This conversation invites listeners to rediscover a bold Catholic voice who reminds us that sainthood is lived through real human struggles, grace, and perseverance.
About Jennifer Bryson
Jennifer Bryson, Ph.D., is a Catholic writer, scholar, and translator who has dedicated significant work to introducing English-speaking audiences to the writings of Ida Görres. With a background in theology, languages, and international affairs, Bryson has spent years studying Görres’ thought and helping bring her profound reflections on holiness and the spiritual life to a wider audience.
Learn more about Jennifer Bryson: https://jenniferbryson.net/

📚 Featured Book
The Hidden Face: A Study of St. Thérèse of Lisieux by Ida Görres
https://ignatius.com/the-hidden-face-hfp/

This powerful spiritual classic offers a deeply human and intellectually rich exploration of the life and holiness of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, challenging simplistic views of sainthood and inviting readers into a more mature understanding of the spiritual life.
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Learn more at https://truthly.ai/

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If this episode helped you discover a new Catholic thinker, share it with a friend who loves learning about the saints and the spiritual life.
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Gossip. Lying. Flattery. Crass words. Most of us recognize that sins of speech quietly undermine our pursuit of holiness. In this episode, I sit down with Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P., to discuss his book Training the Tongue and Growing Beyond Sins of Speech and the path toward verbal virtue.
Drawing from Thomistic wisdom and pastoral experience, Fr. Gregory explains why speech is ordered toward communion with God and others, why seemingly “small” faults like exaggeration and gossip are spiritually dangerous, and how cultivating habits of truth-telling, correction, humor, prayer, and restraint can transform our relationships. If you’ve ever struggled with frustration, careless words, or discouragement in trying to change, this conversation offers both clarity and hope.
About Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P.
Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P., is a Dominican friar of the Province of St. Joseph and a well-known preacher and teacher. He serves as an instructor of dogmatic theology at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC, and is a frequent contributor to the Thomistic Institute.
Learn more about Fr. Gregory:

Dominican Friars of the Province of St. Joseph: https://opeast.org/

Thomistic Institute: https://thomisticinstitute.org/

📚 Featured Book
Training the Tongue and Growing Beyond Sins of Speech

This brief but powerful book shows how cultivating healthy habits can crowd out sinful speech and help us reclaim communication as a tool for true communion with God and man alike.
🙌 Sponsored by Truthly
This episode is brought to you by Truthly. 
Truthly helps you grow in clarity, conviction, and confidence by delivering faithful, trustworthy answers grounded in Christian truth. Whether you’re seeking deeper formation or practical guidance for everyday life, Truthly equips you to think clearly and live boldly.
Learn more at https://truthly.ai/

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If this episode encouraged you, share it with a friend who wants to grow in holiness.
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Gottabesaints
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About This Episode
Lent has a way of catching us off guard. One moment we’re settling into the new year, and the next we’re being invited into forty days of prayer, sacrifice, and renewal. In this episode, Brendan Gotta sits down with author and homeschooling mom Colleen Pressprich to discuss her new book Lenten Prayers for Families and how families can enter more intentionally into the Lenten journey.
Colleen shares practical wisdom for cultivating the domestic church, praying with children of all ages, and creating rhythms of Scripture, reflection, and conversation in the home. Whether you are raising little ones, guiding teens, or simply seeking a deeper Lent yourself, this conversation offers encouragement and practical steps to live the season with greater purpose and peace.
About Colleen Pressprich
Colleen Pressprich is a Catholic author, former missionary, Montessori teacher, and homeschooling mother of five. She is passionate about strengthening the domestic church and helping families cultivate holiness in the ordinary rhythms of daily life. Colleen lives in Michigan with her husband and children, where she continues to write and serve families seeking to grow closer to Christ in their homes.
📚 Featured Book
Lenten Prayers for Families
This family-centered devotional offers Scripture, guided prayer, reflection, and conversation starters to help households enter more deeply into the Lenten season together.
🙌 Sponsored by Truthly
This episode is brought to you by Truthly
Truthly helps you grow in clarity, conviction, and confidence by delivering faithful, trustworthy answers grounded in Christian truth. Whether you’re seeking deeper formation or practical guidance for everyday life, Truthly equips you to think clearly and live boldly.
Learn more at https://truthly.ai/

Stay Connected
If this episode encouraged you, share it with a friend who wants to live Lent more intentionally. Follow Gotta Be Saints:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gottabesaints/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Gottabesaints
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In this episode of the Gotta Be Saints Podcast, I sit down with Steph Stampfer, a Catholic writer and podcaster living in Vienna, to share her powerful and honest journey to the Catholic faith. Steph’s story moves through spiritual searching, travel, Eastern spirituality, New Age practices, and deep interior brokenness—before ultimately leading her home to Christ and the Catholic Church.
This conversation is a testimony to the patience of God, the power of intercessory prayer, the role of Our Lady in conversion, and the beauty of simply sitting with Jesus and allowing Him to do the work.
In This Episode, We Discuss:
Growing up in Germany and early questions about love, belonging, and meaning
Searching for truth through travel, Buddhism, and meditation
Life in Berlin and immersion in New Age and esoteric spirituality
The danger of blending spiritualities and creating a “custom” faith
Psychedelic experiences and the reality of the spiritual world
Hitting rock bottom and feeling deeply lost
A providential move into the home of a faithful Catholic woman
The quiet power of the Rosary and intercessory prayer
Marian consecration and the breaking of spiritual strongholds
Encountering Jesus as a Person—not an idea
Healing from loneliness, confusion, and interior unrest
Falling in love with Scripture, the Eucharist, and adoration
Embracing the Catholic Church as home
Learning to let God work rather than striving on our own
Why silence and time before the Lord changes everything
About the Guest
Steph Stampfer lives in Vienna, Austria, where she works as a Catholic writer and hosts a podcast focused on sharing the faith boldly and without apology. Her work centers on authentic conversion, prayer, and helping others encounter Jesus Christ in a real and personal way.
Episode Sponsor — Truthly
This episode is sponsored by Truthly, the Catholic app that helps you reflect, learn, and share your faith with confidence.
Start your free trial with code gottabesaints at Truthly’s website: Truthly

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In this episode of the Gotta Be Saints Podcast, I sit down with Dr. George Delgado, a family physician and one of the pioneers of abortion pill reversal (APR), to talk about the science, the stories, and the hope behind a medical protocol that gives women a second chance after beginning a chemical abortion.
Dr. Delgado is the founder of the Abortion Pill Reversal Network and the author of Abortion Pill Reversal: A Second Chance at Choice. As chemical abortions now account for the majority of abortions in the United States, APR has become an increasingly urgent and misunderstood topic. This conversation walks through what APR actually is, how it works medically, why it is opposed by powerful institutions, and what’s at stake for women and children.
Most importantly, this episode centers the human reality: women who regret their decision, reach out for help, and discover that it is not too late.
In This Episode, We Discuss
What a chemical (medication) abortion is and how it works
The role of progesterone in sustaining pregnancy
How abortion pill reversal works medically and why it makes sense biologically
Why regret often sets in immediately after taking the first abortion pill
Common misconceptions about APR and what the peer-reviewed evidence actually shows
Claims that APR is “unproven” or “dangerous” and how the data responds
The growing risks of telehealth and mail-order abortions
Why abortion pill reversal threatens the abortion industry’s narrative
How APR can be a redemptive turning point in a woman’s life
Why APR may be the “tip of the spear” in the pro-life movement today
What needs to change in medicine, policy, and public awareness going forward
About the Guest
Dr. George Delgado is a family physician based in California and one of the earliest doctors to develop and study abortion pill reversal. He has published multiple peer-reviewed studies on APR and founded the Steno Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to education, awareness, and research around abortion pill reversal. The Institute is named after Blessed Nicholas Steno, a physician and Catholic convert.
Get the Book
📘 Abortion Pill Reversal: A Second Chance at Choice
Published by Ignatius Press
Available at:
Ignatius Press
Amazon
StenoInstitute.org
Grab it here.
Episode Sponsor — Truthly
This episode is sponsored by Truthly, the Catholic app that helps you reflect, learn, and share your faith with confidence.
Start your free trial with code gottabesaints at Truthly’s website: Truthly
Support the show