Looking for something meaningful on TV or radio? Here are some options:
On air
The Bishop’s Hour — 11 a.m. Mondays on 1310 AM with an encore 9 p.m. Thursdays. Archived shows online.
Join host Michael Dixon as he takes a look at Church news and discusses the faith and spiritual life with expert guests in this weekly radio podcast.
- The July 16 episode looks at confession, Natural Family Planning and life with the “Cooking Priest.” (Note: “Catholic Answers Live” devoted an hour to the topic of confession on its July 16 show too. Listen here).
- The July 9 episode discusses Marian apparitions, Eastern Catholic churches and the work of the Benedictine sisters who run a west Phoenix monastery, thrift store and organic community garden.
- The July 2 episode discusses religious freedom and transitional deacons. It also offers a legislative update.
Catholic Answers Live — 4-6 p.m. Monday-Friday on 1310AM or online. Call 1-888-31-TRUTH with your question. Upcoming shows:
- July 18 — “The Chaplain is In” and “From the Heart”
- July 19 — Open forum
- July 20 — “Reel Life: Movies reviewed” and “The Bible and Homosexuality”
On TV
Times are Pacific Time. Adjust accordingly. Online EWTN viewing also available.
“Into Great Silence” — 10 a.m.-1 p.m. July 18 on EWTN. (2007). Poetically filmed documentary about a Carthusian monastery in the French Alps, which follows the cloistered monks in their daily — mostly silent and solitary — routines. German filmmaker Philip Groning’s respectful no-frills approach utilizes no narration or background music, but by combining alternately a painterly formality and a verite intimacy, skillfully captures the textures and rhythms of their highly structured existence, resulting in a rewarding — and, given the film’s austerity and nearly three-hour length — somewhat demanding cinematic and spiritual experience. In French and Latin. Subtitles. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-I — general patronage. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.
Repeated 2 p.m. July 21.
Available on DVD
“Sacred, Beautiful and Universal: Colloquium XIX.” — 7-8 p.m. July 20 on EWTN. This special presents highlights of the Church Music Association of America’s 2009 colloquium, which focused on the value of sacred music within the church.
“Homeland: Immigration in America.” — 7-8 p.m. July 20 on PBS. First episode of a two-part series probing the issue of immigration. This episode, “Jobs,” surveys the spectrum of jobs immigrants have and the complex maze of rules, regulations, caps and quotas affecting these workers. The series concludes Friday, July 27, 10-11 p.m. EDT (TV-PG — parental guidance suggested).
View video promo
Related episode on refugees has various air dates. Check show page and local listing.
“Come to the Stable” — 8 -9:45 p.m. July 25 on TCM. (1949). Sentimental but amusing picture from Clare Booth Luce’s story of two French nuns (Loretta Young and Celeste Holm) trying to establish a hospital in New England with some help from an eccentric artist (Elsa Lanchester) and a cynical songwriter (Hugh Marlowe). Director Henry Koster gets some smiles from the nuns’ adapting to American ways and the bemused reactions of the locals to the newcomers’ otherworldly simplicity, with mostly heartwarming results. Unpretentious, generally high-minded fun. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-I — general patronage. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.
“Franciscan University: Science and Faith Conference” — 7-8 p.m. July 22 on EWTN. This episode of the series “EWTN on Location” presents talks from the 2012 Science and Faith Conference at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, which examines the question, “Can Science Inform Our Understanding of God?”
“I Believe: The Heart of the Catholic Church” — 3:30-4 p.m. July 26 on EWTN. First episode of a four-part series exploring the essentials of the faith. In this episode, host Marcellino D’Ambrosio discusses the nature of belief as distinct from, and related to, faith. The series continues weeknights through Tuesday, July 31, 6:30-7 p.m. EDT each night.
“Up Heartbreak Hill” — 7-8 p.m. July 26 on PBS. Filmmaker Erica Scharf’s documentary profiles a new generation of Americans struggling to be both Native and modern. Part of the series “POV” (TV-PG — parental guidance suggested).
