Want a sneak peak into our inaugural Advent series?

Advent is just around the corner (only one week away!) so we decided to give our listeners a sneak peak into our vision for this platform by releasing a teaser episode featuring one of our gifted storytellers, Brittany Calavitta.  Brittany's writing can be found on her website, www.liveinthelonging.com.

Music for Today's Episode:

"In Need of a Savior (feat. Andrea Thomas)". Words and Music by Andrea Thomas and the Vigil Project.

© 2016 Papercastle Records Publishing (ASCAP), VIGIL Publishing (ASCAP). All rights reserved. Used by permission.

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Welcome to Ruah Storytellers, a daily Catholic storytelling podcast to accompany you through the season of Advent. Each day, a different woman of faith will journey with you to the manger through the power of story. Through the gift of poetry, spoken word, oral storytelling, and song, listeners can deepen their faith and find shared purpose and hope this liturgical season. For more information about our mission, theme, and storytellers, please visit our website www.ruahstorytellers.com and please SUBSCRIBE AND DOWNLOAD Ruah Storytellers to listen to your favorite storytellers.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mystery-manners/support

In our final episode of this second season, we discuss the power of the arts to help provide healing, particularly through music. Whether it's the individual, the culture, or the Church, music can enliven our spirits and help us to face big, deep emotions on the journey of faith.

Featured in today's episode:

Shaun Garrison, musician, missionary, founder of Windswept Ministries. You can learn more about Shaun at his website: https://www.shaungarrison.com.

Jimmy Mitchell, founder of Love Good Culture. For more information about how you can support Jimmy and the Love Good Mission, please visit his website here: https://lovegoodculture.com.

Gabby Banzon, podcaster, musician, and music therapist. You can visit Gabby's website for more information about her various projects here: https://www.gabbybanzon.com. In her spare time, Gabby partners with other Catholic musicians in the Novum Collective. You can learn more about their work here: https://www.instagram.com/novumcollective/

Andrea Thomas, co-founder and singer for the Vigil Project. Please visit their website for information about upcoming tour dates and music for the Advent season. https://www.thevigilproject.com

Music for Today's Episode: 

All Shall Be Well

Words and music by Shaun Garrison.

© 2017 Shaun Garrison. As recorded on All Shall be Well. All rights reserved. Used by permission. 

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In today's episode, we dive into the world of beauty through the medium of theater. We talk with experts in the theater, including playwrights, directors, and actors, about how the medium can build bridges in today's fractured world, why storytelling is essential in the Christian life, and how theater can move our hearts perhaps more than any other art form.

Featured guests for today's episode: Dr. David E. King, professor at Kennesaw State University. For more about David and his beautiful writings for the Church, check out the article I discovered for my research on storytelling in the Catholic tradition!

Jeremy Stanbary, executive artistic director of Open Window Theatre.

Cole Matson, Managing director of Open Window Theatre.

For more about Open Window and their beautiful work, please visit their website! (In particular, check out their CORE principles, as referenced in the episode!)

Laura Pittenger, playwright and director living in New York City. For more information about Laura's work, please visit her website and the Sheen Center for information about the theater fellowship program and other talented playwrights putting together beautiful work for the archdiocese.

Music for Today's Episode:

Heave Ho⁠ Words and music by Fr. Tansi.⁠© 2018 Love Good Culture. As recorded on Garden. All rights reserved. Used by permission from the artist. https://lovegoodculture.com/product/garden-2/⁠

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In 2018, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York hosted its annual MET Gala, the kick-off to an exhibit under the same theme. Oh...and the theme for the night? "Heavenly Bodies, and the Catholic Imagination." I mean, was there any chance I WOULDN'T do an episode on it? :)

Featured Guests for the episode:

Dr. Anne Carpenter, associate professor of theology at St. Mary's College

Dr. Jennifer Frey, professor of philosophy at University of South Carolina

Elizabeth Lev, art historian in Rome

Music for today's episode:

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent

Words by Gerard Moultrie. 

© 2015 Sarah Kroger. As recorded on Origin (a beauty initiative within FOCUS). All rights reserved. Used by permission. https://focusoncampus.org/beauty/projects

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Many months ago, as I began to create storylines and episode ideas for an entire season on Beauty, I came across an interesting dilemma: how to talk about beauty when our world has so many ideas about it? It seemed to be that the only way to have an honest and real discussion about the importance of Beauty in our lives, we have to address the ways the culture has weaponized beauty to cause harm and anxiety.

In today's episode, we dive into the heart of our culture's problem with beauty, and how we can better serve as a model for the gift of True Beauty.

Guests for Today's episode:

Amanda Martinez Beck, writer, podcaster, and author of "Lovely: How I Learned to Embrace the Body God Gave Me

Mary Rose Somarriba, managing editor at Verily Magazine. Please visit their website and check out their new subscription service, Verily Yours.

Colleen Carroll Campbell, award-winning journalist, speaker, and author of The Heart of Perfection: How the Saints Taught me to Trade my Dream of Perfection for God's.

Music for Today's Episode:

Beautiful Love

Words and music by Dana Catherine. 

© 2018 Dana Catherine EP. As recorded on Nothing in the World. All rights reserved. Used by permission. http://www.danacatherinemusic.com/shop

Today's Sponsor: Annunciation Designs.

Looking for gifts for those you love, especially as we approach the Fall and Holiday gift-buying season? Please visit www.annunciationdesigns.com and use PROMO code MANNERS for 10% off your next purchase (keep in mind the store will be closed in the month of September). 

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Throughout this season, we've explored the Catholic arts and the gift of beauty through visuals, and the power of creating alongside our Creator. In today's episode, we'll jump into what happens when our BODIES are engaged in the careful beauty of pen to paper.

Featured in today's episode:⁠
Sybil MacBeth, bestselling author of "Praying in Color". https://prayingincolor.com
Ali Hoffman, curator of the Instagram page The Oodles of Doodles. https://www.instagram.com/theoodlesofdoodles/
⁠Katerina Deem, curator of The Little Way Design Company. https://www.littlewaydesign.co
⁠Christie Peters, founder of Every Sacred Sunday. https://everysacredsunday.com

Music for Today's Episode:

Invitation 

Words and music by Rita West. https://ritawest.com

© 2019 Novum Records. As recorded on Invitation. All rights reserved. Used by permission. https://www.novumrecords.com

We're halfway through the season and will be taking our mid-season break! Our next episode will be released On the Feast of the Assumption (August 15).

Exceeding 

Words and music by Shaun Garrison. 

© 2015 Shaun Garrison. As recorded on Exceeding. All rights reserved. Used by permission. 

⁠Blessings, Jules⁠

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In this week's episode, we dive into the world of the graphic arts through one of the most popular mediums: T-shirt design. Through the stories of the three most popular designs of our artists, we get at the heart of why the graphic arts are so important, and what these simple and beautiful designs can teach us about the role of the arts in our spiritual life.

Music for today's episode:
Skyscrapers 
Words and music by Connor Flanagan. 
© 2019 Connor. As recorded on Skyscrapers
All rights reserved. Used by permission. 
http://www.connorflanaganmusic.com

Curious about the designs of our episode? Check out the websites below for more information.

Jurrell Sison, The Living Person: https://thelivingperson.com

Lauren Winter, Brick House in the City: www.brickhouseinthecity.com

Joe Kim, PAL Campaign: www.palcampaign.com

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In the second part of our two-part series on creating, Jules tries to answer a question central to her own journey: what now? Now that we understand the spiritual significance of creating with our Creator, what are we to do with the creation itself? How can the creative works of artists also aid us in our spiritual journeys?

In today's episode, we journey with Laurence Pierson, an artist we featured last episode, to understand the spiritual significance of icons, why praying with images is so central to certain Christian traditions, and how we each can integrate the arts into our prayer lives.

Music for today's episode:

"Humble Host,"
Music and Lyrics by Corrie Marie Music. SINGLE RELEASE. Used with Permission.

Check out the incredible work of Behold! Visio Divina at their website https://www.beholdvisiodivina.com. 

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Why are we drawn to create? Why do we spend so much time, money, and dedication to a craft which may (or may not!) end up the way we envision?  In today's episode, we dive into the idea that we were made to participate in the creative act alongside our Good Creator. In fact, when we do this, we may be even more of who we were called to be. Music for today's episode: Surrender Words and Music by Francis Cabildo  © 2018 Francis Cabildo. Released as Single. All rights reserved. Used by permission.  https://www.franciscabildomusic.com Guests featured for today's episode: Laurence Pierson: Check out Laurence's Facebook page for information about her works and just to be in awe of the incredible gift she is to the Church. Fr. Gerard Alba: Follow Father Alba on Instagram for a glimpse at some of his extraordinary work Interested in the Created Book? Check out Cory's website for more information. They make wonderful coffee table books and spiritual reading! :) And visit Cory's organization's website for more information about his work and how you can be involved.  David Clayton has a brilliant new book, The Way of Beauty, which discusses everything from art to education. Make sure you check it out!  Elizabeth Levis brilliant and has amazing insights on the importance of art in the faith. Please visit her website for more information about her writings, and if you're ever in Rome, for tour information!  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mystery-manners/support

SEASON 2 STARTS TODAY!

In the first episode of our new season,  we start with a simple question: "WHY DOES BEAUTY MATTER?"  Under the guidance of three experts, David Clayton, Elizabeth Lev, and Cory Heimann, we seek to answer that question and why beauty is important in our spiritual journeys. We also tell the story of an amazing couple, Ennie and Cana Hickman, about how they integrate beauty into their everyday lives. 

Music for Today's episode:

"For the Beauty of the Earth"

Words and music by Conrad Kocher and Folliot S. Pierpoint (PUBLIC DOMAIN)

Instrumentals Shawn Williams, Leah Sedelack

© 2015  As recorded on Origin (a beauty initiative within FOCUS). All rights reserved. Used by permission. https://focusoncampus.org/beauty/projects

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