why are couples not wanting to get married?

Break 1

Brendan

Ureli

Break 2

Paul

Fr. Peter Armenio joins Patrick to discuss Marriage
What is marriage?
(13:40) why are couples not wanting to get married?

(20:56) Break 1
(22:39) Brendan - Anxiety among young people. I'm very anxious. I want to get in a relationship and married, but now I don't have a job and anxiety is causing issues for me. I hear it's good to get married young, but I feel I'm dealing with a road block. What do I do?
(30:45) Ureli – People living together and not married. What if your parents aren't married. IS there something I can do to help them? They both want to marry. I feel I'm a mediator sometimes. Any advice as to what to do? I do pray for them a lot.

(39:07) Break 2
(40:27) Paul - Married 44 years. Work with engaged couples. Biggest challenge is communication. We're all so different. Any advice where to find good communication teaching? Anything out there from a Catholic perspective?
Email from Julie – How do you know if Marriage is your vocation?

Fr. Peter Armenio joins Patrick to discuss&nbsp;Marriage
<ul>
<li>What is marriage?</li>
<li>(13:40) why are couples not wanting to get married?</li>
</ul>
(20:56) Break 1
<ul>
<li>(22:39) Brendan - Anxiety among young people. I'm very anxious. I want to get in a relationship and married, but now I don't have a job and anxiety is causing issues for me. I hear it's good to get married young, but I feel I'm dealing with a road block. What do I do?</li>
<li>(30:45) Ureli &ndash; People living together and not married. What if your parents aren't married. IS there something I can do to help them? They both want to marry. I feel I'm a mediator sometimes. Any advice as to what to do? I do pray for them a lot.</li>
</ul>
(39:07) Break 2
<ul>
<li>(40:27) Paul - Married 44 years. Work with engaged couples. Biggest challenge is communication. We're all so different. Any advice where to find good communication teaching? Anything out there from a Catholic perspective?</li>
<li>Email from Julie &ndash; How do you know if Marriage is your vocation?</li>
</ul>

The Inner Life® with Patrick Conley is one-on-one Spiritual Direction on the radio. Every day, a Catholic priest or religious sister joins listeners to offer spiritual advice and guidance designed to assist you along your faith journey, speaking about a variety of topics to help you overcome sin, grow in virtue, and strengthen your faith.

The Inner Life® with Patrick Conley is one-on-one Spiritual Direction on the radio. Every day, a Catholic priest or religious sister joins listeners to offer spiritual advice and guidance designed to assist you along your faith journey, speaking about a variety of topics to help you overcome sin, grow in virtue, and strengthen your faith.

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The Inner Life

Marriage: A Catholic Perspective on Cohabitation - The Inner Life - January 27, 2026

What makes working with Youth different from m

threats that young people are facing?

Loudes

Helen

Theresa

Fr. Eric Nielsen joins Patrick to discuss Ministering to the Youth
(3:31) What makes working with Youth different from ministering to adults?
Why is ministering t the youth so important for the life of the Church?
(15:59) threats that young people are facing?

(19:15) Break 1
How do we have good boundaries for our children?
(23:26) Lourdes - Resiliency - Fr. is right about it. As a young person, I went to Catholic school and when I complained about getting hit on the knuckles, mom said, 'well, I'm sure you weren't praying the Rosary dear.' But I did well in school.
The danger of self-esteem.
Mary - I think it's never too late to turn it around. Even in their 70's my parents shared that they wished they hadn't sweated the little things. It's ok to make mistakes. God loves everyone.
How do you pray the family rosary?

(36:52) Break 2
(42:29) Helen - I'm a teacher who teaches theology of the body to teens. We need to get down to the middle schoolers and educating them better about our faith and TOB is a wonderful program that ministers to them.
Teresa - I have a new family that moved in next door. Little girl is in 4 or 5th grade. She likes me. We haven't related that much, but I noticed she's doing an exercise and I think she's a cheerleader. Doing suggestive gyrations. How can I be there for her without being judgmental?
(46:10) Theresa - I am a widow with 7 kids. Can't get my kids to go to church. Such a heavy burden on my shoulders. When the father is taken out of the home, it's tragedy. Feel so wounded.

Fr. Eric Nielsen joins Patrick to discuss Ministering to the Youth
<ul>
<li>(3:31) What makes working with Youth different from ministering to adults?</li>
<li>Why is ministering t the youth so important for the life of the Church?</li>
<li>(15:59) threats that young people are facing?</li>
</ul>
(19:15) Break 1
<ul>
<li>How do we have good boundaries for our children?</li>
<li>(23:26) Lourdes - Resiliency - Fr. is right about it. As a young person, I went to Catholic school and when I complained about getting hit on the knuckles, mom said, 'well, I'm sure you weren't praying the Rosary dear.' But I did well in school.</li>
<li>The danger of self-esteem.</li>
<li>Mary - I think it's never too late to turn it around. Even in their 70's my parents shared that they wished they hadn't sweated the little things. It's ok to make mistakes. God loves everyone.</li>
<li>How do you pray the family rosary?</li>
</ul>
(36:52) Break 2
<ul>
<li>(42:29) Helen - I'm a teacher who teaches theology of the body to teens. We need to get down to the middle schoolers and educating them better about our faith and TOB is a wonderful program that ministers to them.</li>
<li>Teresa - I have a new family that moved in next door. Little girl is in 4 or 5th grade. She likes me. We haven't related that much, but I noticed she's doing an exercise and I think she's a cheerleader. Doing suggestive gyrations. How can I be there for her without being judgmental?</li>
<li>(46:10) Theresa - I am a widow with 7 kids. Can't get my kids to go to church. Such a heavy burden on my shoulders. When the father is taken out of the home, it's tragedy. Feel so wounded.</li>
</ul>

Ministering to the Youth - The Iner Life - January 30, 2026

What if someone hasnât been in confession in

Kevin

Lynn

George

Fr. Rob Kroll joins Patrick to discuss Confession
Why do we need the Sacrament of Confession?
What are the parts of confession?
(14:05) What if someone hasn’t been in confession in a long time?
(19:30) Kevin - I was in confession the other day. At the end, I had a feeling to say thank you Jesus, and the priest said you're welcome. He's in persona Christi and sometimes we forget that.

(22:27) Break 1
(23:58) Lynn - Not Catholic yet, going through the OCIA program. Through that process, there's the first confession. Am I supposed to make a list of every sin in my life, or how am I supposed to do that?
(32:54) Paul - 40 years as a Baptist, I felt the need to go to confession which lead me to RCIA and into the church. How should non-Catholics feel about confession and approach the sacrament?
(37:51) George - I'm having a little trouble with confession. Every day I can't forgive myself. Am I doing something wrong by doing that?

(43:12) Break 2
Barbara - I'm in a parish that had a priest who was moved several years back due to behaviors. I wonder sometimes if the confessions or baptisms were valid because of what was going on with him.

Fr. Rob Kroll joins Patrick to discuss&nbsp;Confession
<ul>
<li>Why do we need the Sacrament of Confession?</li>
<li>What are the parts of confession?</li>
<li>(14:05) What if someone hasn&rsquo;t been in confession in a long time?</li>
<li>(19:30) Kevin - I was in confession the other day. At the end, I had a feeling to say thank you Jesus, and the priest said you're welcome. He's in persona Christi and sometimes we forget that.</li>
</ul>
(22:27) Break 1
<ul>
<li>(23:58) Lynn - Not Catholic yet, going through the OCIA program. Through that process, there's the first confession. Am I supposed to make a list of every sin in my life, or how am I supposed to do that?</li>
<li>(32:54) Paul - 40 years as a Baptist, I felt the need to go to confession which lead me to RCIA and into the church. How should non-Catholics feel about confession and approach the sacrament?</li>
<li>(37:51) George - I'm having a little trouble with confession. Every day I can't forgive myself. Am I doing something wrong by doing that?</li>
</ul>
(43:12) Break 2
<ul>
<li>Barbara - I'm in a parish that had a priest who was moved several years back due to behaviors. I wonder sometimes if the confessions or baptisms were valid because of what was going on with him.</li>
</ul>

Confession - The Inner Life - January 29, 2026

who was St. Thomas Aquinas

what is the Albigensian heresy?

Role of Reason in our Life

Jean

Regina

Thomas Aquinasâ Devotional life

Fr. Michael Hurley joins Patrick to discuss St. Thomas Aquinas
(4:43) who was St. Thomas Aquinas
(11:15) what is the Albigensian heresy?
(18:19) Brendan - The one that impacted me was Thomas Aquinas' 5 proofs. I saw a video in middle school that challenged atheists. I didn't know there were such intellectual people in the church. It really shook my faith and eased my anxieties in it and have more faith in God.

(25:05) Break 1
Madeline - He's not my saint...I'm trying to love him as a brother and I don't know how to reconcile. I love St. Faustina. I don't like him because he said pets don't go to heaven and that's why I left the faith. I'm back in the faith now because of St. Faustina and St. Maximilian Kolbe.
(32:53) Role of Reason in our life today
(34:47) Jean - My most favorite thing about him...he admitted at the end of his conversations that all of his writings meant nothing. He found what he was writing was useless. Once he spoke to the Lord, he found that he was so inadequate from what he learned from the Lord.

(39:48) Break 2
(40:52) Regina - He taught that women are defective. I want to know how to get around that. It's offensive. I have a reference from Summa Theologica.
(45:03) Thomas Aquinas’ Devotional life
Where should people start when reading about St. Thomas Aquinas?

Fr. Michael Hurley joins Patrick to discuss&nbsp;St. Thomas Aquinas
<ul>
<li>(4:43) who was St. Thomas Aquinas</li>
<li>(11:15) what is the Albigensian heresy?</li>
<li>(18:19) Brendan - The one that impacted me was Thomas Aquinas' 5 proofs. I saw a video in middle school that challenged atheists. I didn't know there were such intellectual people in the church. It really shook my faith and eased my anxieties in it and have more faith in God.</li>
</ul>
(25:05) Break 1
<ul>
<li>Madeline - He's not my saint...I'm trying to love him as a brother and I don't know how to reconcile. I love St. Faustina. I don't like him because he said pets don't go to heaven and that's why I left the faith. I'm back in the faith now because of St. Faustina and St. Maximilian Kolbe.</li>
<li>(32:53) Role of Reason in our life today</li>
<li>(34:47) Jean - My most favorite thing about him...he admitted at the end of his conversations that all of his writings meant nothing. He found what he was writing was useless. Once he spoke to the Lord, he found that he was so inadequate from what he learned from the Lord.</li>
</ul>
(39:48) Break 2
<ul>
<li>(40:52) Regina - He taught that women are defective. I want to know how to get around that. It's offensive. I have a reference from Summa Theologica.</li>
<li>(45:03) Thomas Aquinas&rsquo; Devotional life</li>
<li>Where should people start when reading about St. Thomas Aquinas?</li>
</ul>

Marriage: A Catholic Perspective on Cohabitation - The Inner Life - January 27, 2026

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