A Catholic Journey

Episode Summary
Grief has a way of changing everything — including our relationship with God. In this episode of A Catholic Journey, host Jessica Diaz opens up about losing both of her parents in 2022 and the five small but powerful steps that helped her find her way back to God in the middle of that pain.
These aren't complicated spiritual practices reserved for the super holy. They're real, doable steps that anyone can take — no matter where you are in your faith journey. Whether you're walking through loss, feeling spiritually dry, or quietly wondering how to find your way back to the Church, this episode is for you.
💛 "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." — Psalm 34:18
In This Episode, You'll Discover:
⭐ Step 1 — Sit With God & Come As You Are You don't need the perfect prayer or the right words. Just show up.
⭐ Step 2 — Make Space for the Word How Jessica began reading the Bible for the first time (and why it wasn't as scary as she thought).
⭐ Step 3 — Seek Wisdom in Relationships Why having a friend of faith — or finding your local Catholic community — can change everything.
⭐ Step 4 — Go to Confession The step that took the most courage and brought the deepest healing.
⭐ Step 5 — Commit to Showing Up How attending Mass consistently became one of the greatest gifts of Jessica's faith journey.
Scripture Referenced in This Episode
Psalm 34:18
Matthew 11:28–30
Psalm 119:105
Proverbs 27:17
1 John 1:9
Luke 22:19
Resources Mentioned
🎙️ The Bible in a Year Podcast with Fr. Mike Schmitz
📖 Ascension Press Bible
Listener Reflection Which one small step toward God feels possible for you this week — and what's holding you back from taking it? You don't need a perfect faith. You just need one step. 🙏🏻
Enjoyed This Episode? If this episode touched your heart, it would mean so much if you:
✔️ Subscribed to A Catholic Journey
✔️ Left a review — it helps others who need this find the podcast
✔️ Shared this episode with someone walking through a hard season
Let's Stay Connected
📱 Instagram: instagram.com/mimi.and.manuel
🌐 Newsletter & more: mimiandmanuel.com
💌 Email Jessica: mimiandmanuel@gmail.com
🙏🏻 Where Jesus leads the way, we are called to follow🙏🏻

Episode Summary
After some time away from the microphone, Jessica is back — and she's sharing exactly where God has been leading her heart.
In this episode, Jessica opens up about the season of discernment that led to her pause, what it looks like to choose a relationship with God every single day, and why faith is never about perfection — it's about perseverance. She also revisits her story of losing both parents in 2022 and how grief and faith have become so deeply intertwined in her life that she truly cannot walk one without the other.
One of the most powerful moments in this episode? The image of Jesus standing outside the door of our hearts — waiting. Patiently. Because the door has no handle on His side. It only opens from within.
💛 If you've ever felt alone in your grief, distant from your faith, or unsure of your direction — this episode is for you.
In This Episode, Jessica Shares:
Why she stepped away from the podcast and what brought her back
What it really means to choose God — not just know He exists
How grief cracked her open to finally hearing God's call
The honest truth that growing in faith isn't always peaceful — it's hard work
Why she still considers herself a "newbie Catholic" after four years of walking this journey
A beautiful reflection on God's patience, mercy, and unconditional love
Listener Reflection
Is there a door in your heart that you've been keeping closed? What would it look like to open it — even just a little — this week? 🙏🏻
What's Coming Next Jessica has new episodes and guest speakers in the works — you won't want to miss what's ahead for A Catholic Journey!
Enjoyed This Episode? If this episode touched your heart, it would mean so much if you:
✔️ Subscribed to A Catholic Journey
✔️ Left a review — it helps others who need this find the podcast
✔️ Shared this episode with someone walking through grief or searching for their way back to God
Let's Stay Connected
📱 Instagram: instagram.com/mimi.and.manuel
🌐 Newsletter & more: mimiandmanuel.com
💌 Email Jessica: mimiandmanuel@gmail.com
🙏🏻 Where Jesus leads the way, we are called to follow.
 

⚠️ Content Notice This episode discusses grief, trauma, and the loss of a parent to suicide. Some parts may be difficult to hear. Please listen with care.
🆘 If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. Call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or visit 988lifeline.org. You are not alone.
📺 Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NZOnp0t-o8k
Episode Summary
Some grief comes with a clear explanation. Some comes wrapped in shock, silence, and questions that nobody around you knows how to answer.
In this episode of A Catholic Journey, Jessica sits down with artist, educator, and grief advocate Monica Brown to talk about what it's like to lose a parent to suicide at age 11 — and the decades-long journey of learning how to carry that grief with faith, creativity, and community.
Monica shares how she went from a quiet, introverted kid who suddenly felt the pressure to prove everything was fine, to a woman who is now creating intentional space for grief conversations — one honest story at a time. From working with horses on a Montana ranch to leading art therapy workshops for bereaved mothers, Monica's story is a testament to what can grow out of the kind of pain nobody talks about.
💛 "Healing happens in community. We need each other to witness our grief — and sometimes that witness is what allows the next step of healing to happen." — Monica Brown
In This Episode, You'll Hear:
⭐ What it felt like to lose her dad at age 11 — the shock, the confusion, and the question she asked her principal that she'll never forget
⭐ The silence around suicide — why nobody explained it to her as a child, and why she's still learning how to talk about it as an adult
⭐ Compound trauma and the performing child — how Monica became extroverted overnight as a coping mechanism and what that cost her
⭐ Parentification and the lost childhood — changing diapers at 11, living at friends' houses by 12, and finally breaking down at 21
⭐ How horses, art, and solitude became her healing — from a Montana dude ranch to a college gallery, and why getting her body involved was the key
⭐ The gift of faith from a young age — and what it means to believe in and out of season
⭐ Leading an art therapy workshop for bereaved mothers — and the overwhelming, unexpected day that brought her full circle back to her childhood church
⭐ Monica's closing reflection — why we hide our pain like Adam and Eve, and why community is where healing actually happens
Scripture Referenced in This Episode
Psalm 34:18
Romans 8:18
2 Corinthians 1:3–4
About Monica Brown Monica Brown is an artist, elementary educator, and grief advocate from Chester County, Pennsylvania. She is passionate about creating space for honest grief conversations and using creativity as a pathway to healing. Monica has led art therapy workshops for bereaved mothers and is currently exploring ways to bring grief advocacy more intentionally into her work and writing.
Connect with Monica
🌐 Website: studio314mb.wixsite.com/monicabrown
📝 Substack: studio314bymb.substack.com
📱 Instagram: @studio314.mb
📸 Monica's senior thesis show photos: View on Facebook
Listener Reflection Is there a grief in your life that you've been hiding — from others or from yourself? What would it look like to let someone witness it with you? 🙏🏻
Enjoyed This Episode? If this episode touched your heart, it would mean so much if you:
✔️ Subscribed to A Catholic Journey
✔️ Left a review — it helps others who need this find the podcast
✔️ Shared this episode with someone who needs to know they're not alone in their grief
Let's Stay Connected
📱 Instagram: instagram.com/mimi.and.manuel
🌐 Newsletter & more: mimiandmanuel.com
💌 Email Jessica: mimiandmanuel@gmail.com
🙏🏻 Where Jesus leads the way, we are called to follow.🙏🏻

Episode Summary
When you lose a parent, you don't just lose a person. You lose your home base. That safety net. The place you could always go back to — no questions asked, no expectations. Just unconditional love.
In this episode of A Catholic Journey, Jessica opens up about one of the most unspoken parts of losing a parent: the feeling of being orphaned, even as a full-grown adult. The feeling that your home is gone. And how faith became the foundation of a new one.
This episode is for anyone who has lost a parent and felt that strange, hollow ache of having nowhere to go back to anymore.
What You'll Hear in This Episode
✔️ What it really means to feel like you've lost home after losing a parent
✔️ Why even grown adults feel orphaned when their parents pass away
✔️ The sobering moment of realizing the people who helped create you are gone
✔️ Why selling a childhood home hits differently when your parents are no longer in it
✔️ The strange experience of walking into your parents' house after they've passed — and your mind still expecting them to be there
✔️ How God stepped in when the home base disappeared
✔️ Why our Heavenly Father and Our Blessed Mother become a new kind of home in grief
✔️ How faith doesn't take the ache away — but it changes how we carry it
Listener Reflection
If you've lost a parent — did you feel like home was gone? This is not something people talk about enough. Drop a comment or send a message. You are not alone in this.
Let's Stay Connected! ✨
If this episode touched your heart, don't forget to:
✔️ Subscribe to A Catholic Journey
✔️ Leave a kind review (it helps others find the podcast!)
✔️ Share this episode with someone who needs encouragement today
 
📱 Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/mimi.and.manuel
🌐 Learn more or get on the newsletter: https://mimiandmanuel.com
💻 I would love to hear from you, email me: mimiandmanuel@gmail.com
🙏🏻 Remember, where Jesus leads the way, we are called to follow. 🙏🏻

Episode Summary
What happens when you come off the high of a faith milestone and suddenly feel... nothing? The fire that was burning so bright just weeks ago feels like a wet log. You know God is there. You just don't feel Him the way you used to.
In this episode of A Catholic Journey, recorded from a car in a parking lot during a 45-minute wait, Jessica gets real about the dry season she's been walking through after completing her confirmation. The excitement is gone. The routine is gone. And the enemy is using the silence to creep in.
This one is honest, unfiltered, and something a lot of us need to hear — especially if you've ever wondered why faith can feel like work even when you love God.
What You'll Hear in This Episode
✔️ What a faith dry season actually feels like — and why it's more common than we admit✔️ How the enemy uses overwhelm and confusion to keep us from taking any action at all✔️ Why coming off a faith high like confirmation or OCIA can leave you feeling unexpectedly lost✔️ The difference between God pulling away from us and us pulling away from God✔️ How your vocation as a mom and wife is not a distraction from God — it is your calling from God✔️ Why God is not a God of confusion — and what to do when your head is full of it✔️ The honest truth about making promises to God and what to do when we break them✔️ Why staying still is exactly what the enemy wants — and how to take just one step forward
Listener Reflection
Have you ever felt like you were on fire for your faith and then just... lost it? You are not alone. Drop a comment or send a message — this is a safe space to be honest about where you are in your journey.
Let's Stay Connected! ✨
If this episode touched your heart, don't forget to:✔️ Subscribe to A Catholic Journey✔️ Leave a kind review (it helps others find the podcast!)✔️ Share this episode with someone who needs encouragement today
📱 Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/mimi.and.manuel🌐 Learn more or get on the newsletter: https://mimiandmanuel.com💻 I would love to hear from you, email me: mimiandmanuel@gmail.com
🙏🏻 Remember, where Jesus leads the way, we are called to follow. 🙏🏻
 

📺 Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/s5OBQ0UXWvQ
Episode Summary
There are losses that come with a funeral — and losses that don't. Losses that have a name — and losses nobody ever taught us to grieve.
In this episode of A Catholic Journey, Jessica sits down with trauma-informed writer and grief coach Katy Parker to talk about the kind of grief that often goes unseen. Katy opens up about the accident that changed her life, the PTSD diagnosis that followed, and how a pen and paper in a hospital room — during the height of COVID lockdowns, with no visitors allowed — became the beginning of her healing journey.
Together, Jessica and Katy get into the weight of guilt in grief, the secondary losses nobody talks about, and why awareness is the first step toward healing. This is a conversation for anyone who has ever felt like their grief didn't count — or didn't know what to call what they were carrying.
💛 "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." — 2 Corinthians 12:9
In This Episode, You'll Hear:
⭐ How a traumatic accident led Katy back to writing — and how Journey of Smiley was born in a hospital room during COVID lockdowns
⭐ What PTSD actually looks like — and why it isn't just something soldiers experience
⭐ The guilt that follows grief — and why both Jessica and Katy carried it for years in very different ways
⭐ Secondary losses and unmet expectations — grieving the life you thought you'd have, not just the person you lost
⭐ Living losses — grieving someone who is still here but not the same (dementia, addiction, illness, and more)
⭐ Why your loss counts — no matter what anyone has told you
⭐ Katy's upcoming solo book — on living losses and the grief we don't have a name for
Scripture Referenced in This Episode
2 Corinthians 12:9
About Katy Parker Katy Parker is a grief and loss coach, trauma survivor, and mental health mentor dedicated to helping people heal from invisible grief and trauma through storytelling and community. She is the creator of the Journey of Smiley blog and the PTSD: My Story project — a community where people from around the world share their stories so no one has to feel alone in their pain.
Connect with Katy & Access Her Free Resources
🌐 Blog: www.journeyofsmiley.com
💻 Substack: katyparker.substack.com
✉️ Email: smiley@journeyofsmiley.com
📱 Instagram: @journeyofsmiley
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/journeyofsmiley
📌 Pinterest: pinterest.co.uk/journeyofsmiley
🎵 TikTok: @journeyofsmiley
📚 Free Guide: 7 Keys to Self-Healing: A Trauma Survivor's Guide
Listener Reflection Is there a loss in your life that you've never given yourself permission to grieve — because it didn't come with a funeral? What would it look like to name it? 🙏🏻
Enjoyed This Episode? If this episode touched your heart, it would mean so much if you:
✔️ Subscribed to A Catholic Journey
✔️ Left a review — it helps others who need this find the podcast
✔️ Shared this episode with someone carrying grief they don't have a name for
Let's Stay Connected
📱 Instagram: instagram.com/mimi.and.manuel
🌐 Newsletter & more: mimiandmanuel.com
💌 Email Jessica: mimiandmanuel@gmail.com
🙏🏻 Where Jesus leads the way, we are called to follow.

Episode Summary
Have you ever experienced something that felt like too much of a coincidence to actually be a coincidence? A whisper. A nudge. A door that opened at exactly the right moment?
In this episode of A Catholic Journey, Jessica Diaz shares three personal God moments from her own life — moments where what looked like coincidence was actually God speaking, guiding, and leading her toward something greater than she could have planned on her own.
From hearing a gentle whisper that gave her business its name, to finding a printing course on the anniversary of her father's death, to a text message that changed the entire course of her confirmation journey — Jessica walks through each moment and invites listeners to look at their own lives through the same lens.
God doesn't always speak in big, dramatic ways. Sometimes He speaks in a whisper. And that is all our hearts need to hear Him.
What You'll Hear in This Episode
✔️ What a God moment actually is and how to recognize one in your own life✔️ The story behind the name Mimi and Manuel — and the whisper Jessica heard that she will never forget✔️ How a sponsored Instagram ad on her father's death anniversary led her to the printing course she had been searching for for months✔️ Why the company she found that day being Christian-led was not a coincidence✔️ How a single text message to Audrey led Jessica to the OCIA class that changed her faith✔️ Why God sometimes makes us wait — and what He is actually doing in that waiting✔️ John 10:27 and what it means to truly hear God's voice
Scripture in This Episode
John 10:27
A Note on OCIA
OCIA stands for Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. It was formerly known as RCIA. It is the adult formation process for those entering or returning to full communion with the Catholic Church — including receiving sacraments like Confirmation. Jessica shares more about her own OCIA experience in this episode.
Listener Reflection
Have you ever had a God moment in your own life? A moment where you knew something bigger was at work? Jessica would love to hear about it. Share in the comments or send her a message directly.
Let's Stay Connected! ✨
If this episode touched your heart, don't forget to:✔️ Subscribe to A Catholic Journey✔️ Leave a kind review (it helps others find the podcast!)✔️ Share this episode with someone who needs encouragement today
📱 Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/mimi.and.manuel🌐 Learn more or get on the newsletter: https://mimiandmanuel.com💻 I would love to hear from you, email me: mimiandmanuel@gmail.com
🙏🏻 Remember, where Jesus leads the way, we are called to follow. 🙏🏻
 

Episode Summary
Grief doesn't end when the funeral does. The condolences stop, the flowers die, the world goes back to normal — but you're not normal. You're still in it. And nobody really talks about that part.
In this episode of A Catholic Journey, Jessica Diaz sits down with her good friend Alicia Corvin for one of the most honest conversations about what grief actually looks like in real life. Not the stages. Not the textbook version. The raw, everyday experience of carrying loss while still showing up for your kids, your job, and your life.
Alicia has navigated over 15 years of loss — her mom, her grandparents, a cousin, and most recently her dad. Together, Jessica and Alicia talk about the panic attacks, the grief triggers, what it looks like to grieve differently from the people around you, and why grief isn't something you heal from. It's something you learn to carry.
What You'll Hear in This Episode
✔️ Why grief doesn't end after the funeral and what it actually looks like to grieve while life keeps moving✔️ The panic attacks, anxiety, and physical grief responses that no one warns you about✔️ Why grief isn't stages — it's cycles, and there's a big difference✔️ What it looks like to grieve differently from the people around you, including your own family✔️ How grief can transmute into purpose, drive, and even career clarity✔️ Explaining death to your children and navigating their grief alongside your own✔️ Finding signs from loved ones who have passed✔️ The healing power of dark humor in grief✔️ How grief led Jessica to rename her creative business Mimi and Manuel in honor of her parents✔️ Why numbing and detachment are the biggest dangers in the grief journey and what to do instead✔️ One powerful thing a priest said that changed how Jessica prays for her parents
Listener Reflection
Has grief ever shown up in your life in a way you didn't expect — in your body, your relationships, your career? Share in the comments or send Jessica a message. She would love to hear from you.
Enjoyed This Episode?
If this episode touched your heart, don't forget to:✔️ Subscribe to A Catholic Journey✔️ Leave a kind review — it helps others who need this find the podcast✔️ Share this episode with someone walking through grief or a heavy season right now
Let's Stay Connected! ✨
📱 Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/mimi.and.manuel🌐 Learn more or get on the newsletter: https://mimiandmanuel.com💻 I would love to hear from you, email me: mimiandmanuel@gmail.com
🙏🏻 Remember, where Jesus leads the way, we are called to follow. 🙏🏻

Episode Summary
What does it take to truly find your faith? For Jessica Diaz, it took losing both of her parents — 30 days apart — in January 2022.
In this very first episode of A Catholic Journey, Jessica shares her personal testimony. She grew up Catholic in name but never really practiced the faith — Easter Mass here, Ash Wednesday there, no Bible, no real relationship with God. It wasn't until grief brought her to her knees that she finally heard Him calling.
She shares the moment she walked into her church alone for the very first time, lit two candles in front of the Blessed Mother, sat down in a pew, and just cried — and how that one quiet act set off a chain reaction that changed everything.
 
If you've ever felt distant from God, distant from your faith, or like grief has completely hollowed you out — this episode is where the journey begins.
In This Episode, You'll Hear:
⭐ Jessica's testimony — growing up as a surface-level Catholic and what that really looked like ⭐ The moment grief cracked her open — losing both parents 30 days apart and feeling like an orphan at 41
⭐ The quiet nudge that changed everything — how God called her back to church one school drop-off morning at a time
⭐ Why she decided to complete her Confirmation as an adult — and why she once couldn't wait to skip it
⭐ How faith and grief intertwine — and why finding God didn't cancel out her grief, it just changed how she carries it
Scripture Referenced in This Episode
Psalm 34:18
Matthew 11:28
Resources Mentioned
🎙️ The Bible in a Year Podcast with Fr. Mike Schmitz
📖 Ascension Press Bible (affiliate link — Jessica receives a small commission at no cost to you)
Listener Reflection Is there a nudge on your heart that you've been ignoring? What would happen if you just showed up — even if you didn't know what to say or do? 🙏🏻
Enjoyed This Episode? If this episode touched your heart, it would mean so much if you:
✔️ Subscribed to A Catholic Journey
✔️ Left a review — it helps others who need this find the podcast
✔️ Shared this episode with someone walking through grief or searching for their way back to God
Let's Stay Connected
📱 Instagram: instagram.com/mimi.and.manuel
🌐 Newsletter & more: mimiandmanuel.com
💌 Email Jessica: mimiandmanuel@gmail.com
🙏🏻 Where Jesus leads the way, we are called to follow.

Episode Summary
Life after grief can feel overwhelming — but faith gives us hope.
Welcome to A Catholic Journey, a podcast hosted by Jessica Diaz where honest conversations about loss, faith, and healing take center stage. This is a space to explore what it means to lean on God in tough times, deepen your understanding of the Catholic faith, and find grace in the journey — even when the path forward feels unclear.
Whether Jessica is navigating loss, seeking truth, or simply looking to grow in faith, one thing is certain: no one has to walk this road alone. Together, we learn, we heal, and we surrender to God's plan — one step at a time.
💛 "Where Jesus leads the way, we are called to follow."
What to Expect on A Catholic Journey:
🙏🏻 Real, honest conversations about grief and faith
📖 Scripture-based encouragement rooted in the Catholic tradition
💛 Practical steps for growing closer to God in hard seasons
🤝 A community of fellow travelers on this faith journey
Subscribe now so you never miss a new episode!
Let's Stay Connected
📱 Instagram: instagram.com/mimi.and.manuel
🌐 Newsletter & more: mimiandmanuel.com
💌 Email Jessica: mimiandmanuel@gmail.com
🙏🏻 Where Jesus leads the way, we are called to follow.
Keywords Catholic podcast, faith after grief, Catholic faith journey, leaning on God, hope after loss, Catholic woman podcast, growing in faith, grief and healing, surrendering to God, Catholic encouragement podcast