Rosary Army Catholic Podcast

Greg and Jennifer talk with Patti Maguire Armstrong about Servant of God Michelle Duppong, an ordinary young woman whose life, death, simple invitations, deep faith, and surrender to God draw countless people to Jesus.
Greg and Jennifer talk with Patti Maguire Armstrong about writing Michelle Duppong: Hope in the Depths of Suffering and why Michelle's story impacted them so much while narrating Patti's audiobook. We discuss the way Michelle invited people, loved them, and trusted Jesus to do the rest. Patti shares how Michelle's efforts to become a FOCUS missionary, getting turned down, getting little support to do her work, and how God still managed to convert countless others through Michelle's YES.
They also talk about Michelle's temperament, her desire for marriage, her six years as a FOCUS missionary, and the ripple effect of her witness after her death. Greg points out a common problem for many Christians: most of us overthink evangelization when maybe the first step is just an invitation. We talk about Michelle's simple solution to align your will to God's and keep going.
Links from this Episode:
[BOOK] Michelle Duppong: Hope in the Depths of Suffering by Patti Maguire Armstrong
Patti's Website
Free From Rosary Army:
Free All-Twine-Knotted Rosaries
School of Mary
Audio Rosary Podcast
Video Version of this Episode
Subscribe to the Podcast:
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Greg's Latest Book (God Doesn't Hate Me After All – Discovering Louis de Montfort's Love of Eternal Wisdom):
Download Free Sample Chapters
Buy on Amazon
Buy on Audible
Buy from Sophia Institute Press
More From Rosary Army and Greg & Jennifer Willits:
Rosary Army Mobile App
Greg's serialized novel
Contact & Speaking Engagements
Timestamps
00:00 Why this book mattered
02:28 Patti's background and meeting the Duppong family
08:27 Michelle was ordinary and all in
11:29 Greg on Michelle's way of evangelizing
15:03 FOCUS, rejection, and perseverance
21:03 What Michelle's parents gave their kids
24:32 Her vocation, dating, and Jesse
35:25 Would Michelle want this attention?
40:13 Patti on writing only what God asks
48:14 Does impact always show up?

Protestants ask why Catholics pray to Mary. Catholics may ask: when do you pray to Mary, and when do you pray to Jesus?  The answer for both is simpler than you may think.
---
An email from from a men-o-paused man relating to last week's take on menopause, and how it impacts both sides in a marriage. 
Then Greg and Jennifer tackle a question from School of Mary: when should you ask Mary for help, and when should you go straight to Jesus? They break down "to Jesus through Mary," the humility of approaching the King through the Queen Mother, and the communion of saints as a real "we're in this together" way of praying.  It ain't complicated, folks.  In fact, it's quite beautiful.

Free From Rosary Army:
Free All-Twine-Knotted Rosaries
School of Mary
Audio Rosary Podcast
Video Version of this Episode
Subscribe to the Podcast:
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Greg's Latest Book (God Doesn't Hate Me After All – Discovering Louis de Montfort's Love of Eternal Wisdom):
Download Free Sample Chapters
Buy on Amazon
Buy on Audible
Buy from Sophia Institute Press
More From Rosary Army and Greg & Jennifer Willits:
Rosary Army Mobile App
Greg's serialized novel
Contact & Speaking Engagements
Timestamps
 00:00 A husband writes in about menopause
01:33 "Wait… we're on a gravel road"
03:14 Marriage is a sacrament—so we talk about real marriage
04:29 Jennifer: a new way to love your spouse
05:40 Rip the Band-Aid off: hard talks can strengthen marriage
06:09 Big family news: a graduation and a job
11:00 School of Mary is rebuilding from zero
13:20 The question: Mary or Jesus?
15:52 "To Jesus through Mary" (Queen Mother)
24:31 Build your "prayer posse" (communion of saints)

Menopause, marriage, and mental health, and how the Rosary just may be the key to surviving it all.
---
Jennifer shares the unexpected symptoms, disrupted sleep, and other unexpected changes (and crosses) of going through menopause.
This leads to a discussion of how significant life changes can bring real grief, and the difficulties of adjusting when you didn't see it coming. After hearing about recent suicides in the news, he candidly reveals some of his past suffering and the primary thing that got him through the most tenuous period of life, and how that same thing is fine-tuning the focus of Rosary Army for the years to come.
  
Free From Rosary Army:
Free All-Twine-Knotted Rosaries
School of Mary
Audio Rosary Podcast
Video Version of this Episode
Subscribe to the Podcast:
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Greg's Latest Book (God Doesn't Hate Me After All – Discovering Louis de Montfort's Love of Eternal Wisdom):
Download Free Sample Chapters
Buy on Amazon
Buy on Audible
Buy from Sophia Institute Press
More From Rosary Army and Greg & Jennifer Willits:
Rosary Army Mobile App
Greg's serialized novel
Contact & Speaking Engagements
Timestamps
 00:00 It's menopause, not "going crazy"
03:56 Can Catholics use HRTs?
06:59 Menopause and Husbands
11:54 Is it a mental health thing?
13:05 Suicides in the news and the lingering weight of that reality
15:25 "I don't know how you do it without God"
19:21 Pray a Rosary when you don't know what else to do
20:17 The Rosary as a "gateway"
21:35 Sitting with Mary 
23:31 A burst of momentum

We regularly make things more difficult than they need to be.  Carving out actual time for prayer, getting into exercise routines, and even making a simple grocery list all feel harder than they should. Better solutions are often right in front of us, and they start by discovering one simple thing.  
---
Lately, everything feels like a major decision: dinner, errands, routines, even the things we want to do (like exercise and prayer). The problem isn't necessarily laziness or lack of discipline.  It's our tendency to make things more difficult than they need to be. 
Usually, many tasks have a point of friction.  Figure out what that point is, and eliminate it, and tasks that were once drudgery can suddenly have new meaning.  In this episode, we wrestle with the idea of "friction points" and why a small fix often moves the ball faster than focusing on a bigger goal. We share some ideas to stop fighting the same battles every day and make things a little easier by removing the friction
Plus, the all-new School of Mary 2.0 has officially launched!
Free From Rosary Army:
Free All-Twine-Knotted Rosaries
School of Mary
Audio Rosary Podcast
Video Version of this Episode
Subscribe to the Podcast:
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Greg's Latest Book (God Doesn't Hate Me After All – Discovering Louis de Montfort's Love of Eternal Wisdom):
Download Free Sample Chapters
Buy on Amazon
Buy on Audible
Buy from Sophia Institute Press
More From Rosary Army and Greg & Jennifer Willits:
Rosary Army Mobile App
Greg's serialized novel
Contact & Speaking Engagements
Timestamps
00:00 Why everything feels like a big deal
01:27 Identifying friction points
04:53 The "five-minute pause." 
06:51 Checklists, memory, and scatteredness
09:54 Real-life friction traps
12:05 "Friction behind the friction" (the deeper issue)
15:17 Greasing the Wheel
18:10 Stop duplicating efforts
21:18 Friction in the Kitchen
26:34 Small wins and School of Mary 2.0 update

If you've ever thought about Marian consecration, this is the perfect time to begin the 33-day preparation leading into Lent.
---
February always sneaks up on us—and for Jennifer, it also brings that familiar "spiritual antsy" feeling that it's time to reconnect and renew her consecration to Jesus through Mary. We talk through what consecration is (and isn't), why de Montfort's 33-day preparation still matters, and how the slow, steady rhythm of prayer changes you—especially when you do it like it's your first time.
Along the way, we share a practical lens that applies to Lent too: remove the friction points before you begin. Pick your Lenten reading, make your plan, and set yourself up for follow-through now, not later. Whether you're preparing for February 20 or just trying to live more intentionally, this is an invitation to go a little deeper—and to start sooner than you think.
Free From Rosary Army:
Free All-Twine-Knotted Rosaries
School of Mary
Audio Rosary Podcast
Video Version of this Episode
Subscribe to the Podcast:
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Greg's Latest Book (God Doesn't Hate Me After All – Discovering Louis de Montfort's Love of Eternal Wisdom):
Download Free Sample Chapters
Buy on Amazon
Buy on Audible
Buy from Sophia Institute Press
More From Rosary Army and Greg & Jennifer Willits:
Rosary Army Mobile App
Greg's serialized novel
Contact & Speaking Engagements
Timestamps 
00:00 Anniversary banter, and why February matters
02:05 Feeling "spiritually antsy" and needing to reconnect
02:43 What Marian consecration is (and why it's not scary)
05:04 "Handmaid's handmaid": why giving yourself to Mary leads to Jesus
06:51 The 33-day structure: world, self, Mary, Jesus
08:41 Shorter renewals vs. full preparation (and why both can help)
10:09 Renewal can be more frequent than you think
14:48 Jennifer's "do it like it's the first time" approach
19:37 Consecration alongside major life changes (and journaling)
24:21 Removing friction points before Lent begins