Flicker and Burn

Fr. Steve Grunow has spent decades helping shape how Catholic media reaches the culture. As CEO and executive producer of Word on Fire, he has worked alongside Bishop Robert Barron through the rise of digital media, the creation of the Catholicism series, the growth of Word on Fire, and a changing media landscape that has made evangelization both more accessible and more complicated. In this episode of Flicker & Burn , Fr. Steve joins Rob Kaczmark for a wide-ranging conversation about faith, creativity, Catholic media, film, beauty, social media, and what it means to evangelize in a culture driven by conflict. He argues that Catholics cannot retreat into safe, internal conversations. The Church has to take risks, tell better stories, create serious art, and bring Christ into the places where people actually are. Fr. Steve also reflects on why beauty can draw people toward truth, why Catholic storytelling cannot sanitize the human condition, and why some of the strongest images of redemption can emerge from unexpected places in film and culture. The conversation turns sharply toward social media, where he warns that accusation, division, envy, and outrage can become spiritually corrosive, even when they are wrapped in religious language. The episode also looks ahead to Heaven in Stone and Glass , Word on Fire’s first feature film, and the larger question behind it: can the Church once again become a serious force in art, cinema, and culture? For Fr. Steve, that requires courage, artistic excellence, and a willingness to tell the Christian story in ways the wider world cannot ignore. This is a conversation about Catholic media, evangelization, storytelling, beauty, social media, film, culture, and the responsibility Christians have to create rather than retreat. Follow Flicker & Burn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Join the F&B Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe so you never miss a conversation. This season of Flicker & Burn is made possible by our sponsors, ⁠⁠ SundayMass ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Underground, faith-based gym and streetwear — Christian gymwear forged by faith and iron.Learn more at: ⁠⁠https://sundaymass.store/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Carmel Communications ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For nearly two decades, Carmel Communications has helped Catholic organizations, ministries, and nonprofits tell stories that inspire, educate, and evangelize through strategic public relations and communications. Learn more at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://carmelcommunications.com/⁠⁠

Josue Barron grew up in Los Angeles surrounded by gangs, violence, and the pressure to become something tougher than he really was. Raised by a single mother and searching for direction, he joined the Marine Corps at 17, eventually deploying to Afghanistan as an infantry Marine. Then, on October 21, 2010, everything changed. During a patrol, Josue stepped on an IED. He lost his left leg, suffered severe shrapnel injuries to his face, and temporarily lost his vision. At 21 years old, lying in a hospital bed and unsure what his future would look like, he found himself asking God why He had kept him alive. In this episode of Flicker & Burn, Josue joins Rob Kaczmark to talk about war, trauma, recovery, faith, marriage, fatherhood, discipline, and what it takes to rebuild a life after everything changes. He shares why he chose to stop living in the “what ifs,” how his wife helped carry him through recovery, and why he believes suffering can either make you bitter or make you better. Josue also reflects on what it means to be a father after growing up without one, why showing up for his four sons has become one of the central missions of his life, and how cycling gave him a new sense of purpose. Now a member of the USA team in para cycling, he is working toward one of his biggest goals yet: competing in the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles, the same city where his story began. This is a conversation about surviving war, overcoming trauma, finding purpose after injury, rebuilding faith, becoming a husband and father, and refusing to let suffering define the rest of your life. Follow Flicker & Burn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join the F&B Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe so you never miss a conversation. This season of Flicker & Burn is made possible by our sponsors, ⁠ SundayMass ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Underground, faith-based gym and streetwear — Christian gymwear forged by faith and iron.Learn more at: ⁠https://sundaymass.store/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠ Carmel Communications ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For nearly two decades, Carmel Communications has helped Catholic organizations, ministries, and nonprofits tell stories that inspire, educate, and evangelize through strategic public relations and communications. Learn more at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://carmelcommunications.com/⁠⁠

Ed Morse has spent his life asking big questions about faith, truth, work, family, and what it means to become the person God is calling you to be. In this episode of Flicker & Burn , Ed sits down with Rob Kaczmark to reflect on growing up on a family farm in rural Iowa, the faith and work ethic passed down by his parents, and the long spiritual journey that eventually led him into the Catholic Church at age 47. Along the way, he wrestled seriously with Protestant theology, Calvinism, the early Church Fathers, Catholic intellectual tradition, and the question of how we can know what is actually true. Ed also shares how beauty, liturgy, the Eucharist, and the witness of faithful Catholics helped move him from curiosity to conversion. He talks about marriage, fatherhood, sacrifice, the importance of intergenerational faith, and why real transformation is not a one-time event but a lifelong cooperation with grace. The conversation also turns to Ed’s work with the Father Flanagan League , the legacy of Boys Town, and why Father Flanagan’s belief in the dignity and redeemability of every person still matters. For Ed, the through line of the entire story is gratitude: gratitude for the people who formed him, the truth that kept drawing him forward, and the grace that continues to shape his life. Follow Flicker & Burn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the F&B Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe so you never miss a conversation. This season of Flicker & Burn is made possible by our sponsors, SundayMass ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Underground, faith-based gym and streetwear — Christian gymwear forged by faith and iron. Learn more at: https://sundaymass.store/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Carmel Communications ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For nearly two decades, Carmel Communications has helped Catholic organizations, ministries, and nonprofits tell stories that inspire, educate, and evangelize through strategic public relations and communications. Learn more at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://carmelcommunications.com/⁠

Kristen Harris spent years searching for a faith that felt grounded and true. Raised around Jehovah’s Witness beliefs but without a strong spiritual foundation, she later encountered Christianity in college and began moving through Baptist, non-denominational, Episcopal, and Methodist communities. Still restless and searching, she eventually stepped away from Christianity and immersed herself in New Age spirituality, including tarot, crystals, divination, and paid tarot readings. Then everything changed. After a vivid dream in which Kristen says the Blessed Mother told her to “follow my son,” she stopped practicing tarot and began turning back toward Jesus. What followed was a gradual discovery of Catholicism, the Eucharist, the Rosary, Church history, and a faith she says finally brought together the pieces she had been searching for. In this episode of Flicker & Burn , Kristen joins Rob Kaczmark to talk about the wounds that shaped her spiritual search, why she walked away from Christianity, what drew her into New Age spirituality, and why she ultimately left it behind. She also shares how she nearly backed out of becoming Catholic, what changed her mind, how she navigates faith with a husband who is not Catholic, and why living the faith can be more powerful than trying to force someone else to believe. Now known online through A Sacred Faith , Kristen uses her own conversion story to help Catholics and non-Catholics better understand the Church. Her story is ultimately about searching, surrender, and discovering that even through wrong turns, God was still drawing her toward Him. Follow Flicker & Burn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Join the F&B Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe so you never miss a conversation. This season of Flicker & Burn is made possible by our sponsors, ⁠⁠⁠⁠ SundayMass ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Underground, faith-based gym and streetwear — Christian gymwear forged by faith and iron. ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sundaymass.store/⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ Carmel Communications ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For nearly two decades, Carmel Communications has helped Catholic organizations, ministries, and nonprofits tell stories that inspire, educate, and evangelize through strategic public relations and communications. Learn more at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://carmelcommunications.com/⁠

Jim Wahlberg’s story is one of addiction, prison, recovery, and redemption. In this episode of Flicker & Burn , Jim sits down with Rob Kaczmark to share how a childhood marked by instability, shame, and a desperate need for approval led him into alcoholism, homelessness, juvenile detention, and eventually state prison. While serving time in a maximum-security prison, an unexpected encounter with Mother Teresa became a turning point in his life and opened the door to a relationship with Jesus Christ. Jim also speaks candidly about what happened after that conversion, including recovery, relapse in his spiritual life, marriage, fatherhood, and the long work of becoming the man he believes God was calling him to be. He reflects on what families should understand about addiction, why sobriety alone is not the same as healing, and why he continues to return to Christ after every failure. In this conversation: Jim Wahlberg’s childhood and early struggles with alcohol and drugs Homelessness, juvenile detention, and life in prison His encounter with Mother Teresa in a maximum-security prison How he began rebuilding his Catholic faith The difference between sobriety and true recovery Marriage, fatherhood, and repairing his relationship with his mother What parents should know when a child is struggling with addiction Why prayer, service, and faith remain central to his recovery His work as an author, filmmaker, and advocate Jim’s story is a powerful reminder that no life is beyond redemption and that, in his words, nothing is too big for Jesus . Follow Flicker & Burn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Spotify⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠YouTube⁠ ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Join the F&B Community⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe so you never miss a conversation. Thank you to our Episode Sponsor Motherboards Motherboards specializes in the design and fabrication of high-end Catholic themed skateboards and snowboards. Manufactured in the USA, our boards incorporate unique Catholic-inspired artwork with premium builds. Ave Maria! https://loveyourmotherboard.com/ This season of Flicker & Burn is made possible by our sponsors, ⁠⁠⁠ SundayMass ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Underground, faith-based gym and streetwear — Christian gymwear forged by faith and iron. ⁠⁠⁠https://sundaymass.store/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Carmel Communications ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For nearly two decades, Carmel Communications has helped Catholic organizations, ministries, and nonprofits tell stories that inspire, educate, and evangelize through strategic public relations and communications. Learn more at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://carmelcommunications.com/⁠

In Part 2 of Rob Kaczmark's conversation with Colleen Scariano and Diane Miller , the founders of SoulCore share how a simple "yes" to God became a global Catholic movement rooted in the Rosary. They discuss their Marian devotion, the role of obedience in the spiritual life, and how SoulCore was born from personal suffering, prayer, and a desire to unite movement with meditation on the mysteries of the Rosary. They also explain why engaging the body in prayer has become central to their mission and how SoulCore has helped people encounter peace, healing, and a deeper relationship with Christ. This conversation explores: How Marian devotion shaped the mission of SoulCore The connection between prayer, movement, and the whole person Why obedience often comes before understanding The role of virtue in everyday life The story behind SoulCore's founding and growth How God brings restoration through suffering and faithful perseverance If you've ever wondered how God works through ordinary people willing to offer a simple "yes," this conversation is an invitation to trust His slow work in your own life. Follow Flicker & Burn ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Join the F&B Community⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe so you never miss a conversation. This season of Flicker & Burn is made possible by our sponsors, ⁠⁠ SundayMass ⁠⁠ Underground, faith-based gym and streetwear — Christian gymwear forged by faith and iron. ⁠⁠https://sundaymass.store/⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ Carmel Communications ⁠⁠⁠⁠ For nearly two decades, Carmel Communications has helped Catholic organizations, ministries, and nonprofits tell stories that inspire, educate, and evangelize through strategic public relations and communications. Learn more at: ⁠⁠⁠https://carmelcommunications.com/⁠

How do you keep your faith when life falls apart? Before SoulCore became a movement helping thousands encounter Christ through prayer and movement, its founders walked through seasons of profound suffering. In Part 1 of this conversation, Rob Kaczmark sits down with lifelong friends Colleen and Deanna , the founders of SoulCore, to hear the deeply personal stories that shaped their faith. Deanna shares her battle with an eating disorder, how the search for control nearly consumed her, and the conversation with her father that became the turning point toward healing. Colleen reflects on unimaginable family tragedy, the loss of loved ones, addiction within her family, and how witnessing her mother's unwavering faith taught her to trust God even in the darkest moments. This episode is a powerful reminder that God doesn't waste our wounds. Even our deepest suffering can become the place where He begins something new. In this episode: Deanna's journey through an eating disorder and recovery Why control is often a symptom, not the root problem How parents can lovingly walk with children through suffering Colleen's family's story of loss, addiction, and hope Why God can bring redemption from even our deepest wounds Next week, in Part 2, Colleen and Deanna share how these experiences eventually led to the founding of SoulCore and how prayer and movement became a path to healing for thousands. Follow Flicker & Burn ⁠⁠ Spotify⁠⁠ ⁠ ⁠ YouTube ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Join the F&B Community⁠⁠ Subscribe so you never miss a conversation. This season of Flicker & Burn is made possible by our sponsors, ⁠ SundayMass ⁠ Underground, faith-based gym and streetwear — Christian gymwear forged by faith and iron. ⁠https://sundaymass.store/⁠ ⁠⁠ Carmel Communications ⁠⁠⁠ For nearly two decades, Carmel Communications has helped Catholic organizations, ministries, and nonprofits tell stories that inspire, educate, and evangelize through strategic public relations and communications. Learn more at: ⁠⁠https://carmelcommunications.com/⁠

What happens when one encounter with God changes the direction of your entire life? In this episode of Flicker & Burn , Rob Kaczmark sits down with Joe Melendrez to talk about the retreat experience that transformed him from an ordinary teenager into one of the most recognizable Catholic musicians and youth speakers in the country. Joe shares the moment he encountered the overwhelming love of God, why he said "yes" without looking back, and how that decision eventually led him to create Rosary Rap, blending hip-hop, prayer, and evangelization in a way that challenged expectations both inside and outside the Church. Together they explore what it really takes to reach young people today, why authenticity matters more than performance, and why helping the next generation discover Christ requires more than one event or one speaker. Whether you're a parent, youth minister, catechist, or someone wondering how faith can meet culture without compromising the Gospel, this conversation offers encouragement, practical insight, and hope. Follow Flicker & Burn ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠ YouTube⁠ ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠Join the F&B Community⁠ Subscribe so you never miss a conversation. This season of Flicker & Burn is made possible by our sponsors, SundayMass Underground, faith-based gym and streetwear — Christian gymwear forged by faith and iron. https://sundaymass.store/ ⁠ Carmel Communications ⁠⁠ For nearly two decades, Carmel Communications has helped Catholic organizations, ministries, and nonprofits tell stories that inspire, educate, and evangelize through strategic public relations and communications. Learn more at: ⁠https://carmelcommunications.com/⁠

Why does God allow suffering? Can emotional wounds actually heal? And what led a lifelong Baptist to become Catholic? In this episode of Flicker & Burn , Rob Kaczmark sits down with Catholic author, Bible teacher, and speaker Sonja Corbitt for an honest conversation about suffering, healing, conversion, and discovering God's love in life's hardest moments. Known as the Bible Study Evangelista , Sonja shares how Mark 12:30 became the foundation of her ministry, why she believes our deepest wounds shape the way we see God, and how Scripture became the path to emotional, spiritual, and even physical healing. She also opens up about: Her journey from Southern Baptist to the Catholic Church The Eucharist and the moment everything changed Wrestling with feelings of worthlessness How St. John of the Cross transformed her understanding of suffering The difficult road that eventually led her husband into the Catholic Church What it looks like to find hope after years of hardship Whether you're searching for answers about suffering, healing, faith, or conversion, this conversation offers an honest look at how God can meet us in our deepest pain. Follow Flicker & Burn Spotify YouTube Apple Podcasts Join the F&B Community Subscribe so you never miss a conversation. This season of Flicker & Burn is made possible by our sponsor, Carmel Communications . For nearly two decades, Carmel Communications has helped Catholic organizations, ministries, and nonprofits tell stories that inspire, educate, and evangelize through strategic public relations and communications. Learn more at: https://carmelcommunications.com/

A new long-form interview podcast from Spirit Juice Studios, hosted by Rob Kaczmark: Flicker & Burn. Each episode features honest conversations with people who have leaned on faith through some of the hardest moments of their lives.