Father Dave Pivonka, TOR

St. Francis is one of the most loved saints in all the world, but do we really know him? Cities, schools, hospitals, and churches around the globe are dedicated to him, but why? He can be found in gardens across the country, but he must be more than just a birdbath. Francis is known as a lover of peace and of nature, and this is true. But he also went against all social norms. All that the world said would lead to happiness, he abandoned for something else, something more. To the world, he first appeared a fool. He was an outsider, hated and ridiculed by even the people who were supposed to love him the most. Yet, thousands followed him. Why? Francis was a sinner and a saint who was on a lifelong journey animated by grace. He was a real person with real struggles, temptations, and doubts. He was a disciple, perhaps, the greatest disciple. When all the world saw him as a fool, he stood as a sign of contradiction.

The greatest archeological discovery of the 20th century gave the world the Dead Sea Scrolls. As the oldest sacred documents of Judaism, the scrolls have many surprising connections to early Christianity. Biblical scholar Dr. John Bergsma and Franciscan University of Steubenville president Father Dave Pivonka, TOR, discuss the history and mysteries of the scrolls, what they reveal about Jesus Christ, the sacraments, and the early Church, and why they matter to believers and non-believers today.

If you could talk to your younger self, what would you tell her? In this 8-part video series, Fr. Dave Pivonka and Emily Stimpson Chapman engage in an often light-hearted conversation about her latest book, Letters to Myself from the End of the World, while weaving in Catholic theology, biblical wisdom, and life experiences brought up by recent world events. The book, Letters to Myself from the End of the World includes forty-five “letters” from Emily to her twenty-five-year-old self. Both personal and practical, these letters reflect upon sin and grace, the Church’s sacraments and saints, scandals and injustice, social media and prayer, suffering, adoption, motherhood, and much more. This book is a faithful guide for pursuing holiness and spiritual maturity in a world broken by sin. It’s also a testimony to the power of grace to heal our hearts, renew our minds, and transform our lives.