Catholic Connection – June 26, 2023 – Hr 1
Kelly Wahlquist from Women in the New Evangelization speaks with Teresa about pilgrimage and loneliness. Moral theologian Dr. Pia de Solenni talks about Pope Francis’ comments on birth rate and hope.
Segment 1 – Intro and News
Segment 2 & 3 – Loneliness, WINE and Pilgrimage
Kelly and Teresa discuss America’s loneliness problem and the ‘Wine and Shrine‘ trip to Italy coming up in October. (Originally aired May 9, 2023)

Kelly Wahlquist is the founder of Women In the New Evangelization (WINE). Co-editor of “Called by Name.”
Segment 4 – Pope Francis: Birth rate is a key indicator of a country’s hope
“Pope Francis said Friday a society’s birth rate is a key indicator of the hope people have in the future. The pope shared the stage on May 12 with Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during a two-day conference on ‘The General State of the Birth Rate,’ held at Conciliazione Auditorium close to the Vatican. ‘The birth of children, in fact, is the main indicator for measuring the hope of a people,’ Pope Francis said. ‘If few are born it means there is little hope. And this not only has repercussions from an economic and social point of view but also undermines confidence in the future.’” (Originally aired May 30, 2023)

An ethicist and theologian, Dr. Pia de Solenni is an expert on life issues, issues relating to women’s health, the new feminism, and culture. After graduating from Thomas Aquinas College, she earned a Sacred Theology Baccalaureate from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) and a Sacred Theology Doctorate, summa cum laude, from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome.