U.S. Catholic is launching its inaugural podcast on February 16. Hosted by Jeannie Gaffigan, writer and executive producer of The Jim Gaffigan Show, and Mike Lewis, editor of the website Where Peter Is, Field Hospital explores how to heal the wounds of the church today.
“During the early days of the pandemic I was cut off from my parish community and was consistently shocked by the hostile and violent divisions among Catholics on social media. I realized that this was a church I no longer recognized,” says Gaffigan. “What disturbed me the most was the growing faction of so-called devout Catholics speaking out publicly against Pope Francis, the Spirit-inspired leader of our church who illuminates the gospel message of love and mercy. Knowing how many of my brothers and sisters were being badly hurt by these destructive forces, I found peace and healing in the brilliant and sane voices ringing from the pages of places like U.S. Catholic and Where Peter Is. I found myself driven to amplify the visionary voices dedicated to healing a broken church.”
Guided by Pope Francis’ vision of the church as a field hospital, Gaffigan and Lewis speak with a variety of Catholics about issues dividing the church.
“Over the last nine years, Pope Francis has repeatedly challenged all of us to examine ourselves, our assumptions, and our relationships with God and each other. For many Catholics, his message has been a wakeup call,” says Lewis. “At times, the message of Pope Francis can be both penetrating and disarming and can open our eyes to the movement of the Holy Spirit, leading us to places we never thought we’d go. My hope is that through Field Hospital, Jeannie and I can help our listeners understand the vision of Pope Francis at a deeper level and enrich their faith.”
With episodes on topics ranging from racism in the church to the sex abuse crisis to LGBTQ Catholics, Field Hospital does not shy away from the hard questions that Catholics around the nation are grappling with.
“Jeannie and Mike’s approach to shining light on the issues Catholics face today is perfectly in line with our mission,” says Emily Sanna, managing editor of U.S. Catholic. “They bring open-minded curiosity and generosity of spirit to even the most divisive topics and their interviews are grounded in the realities of people’s faith lives and spiritualities.”
“I am so grateful to U.S. Catholic for giving Mike Lewis and me this opportunity with the Field Hospital podcast,” says Gaffigan. “I hope that everyone learns as much as I am from our incredible guests and that we can be a part of a larger movement to follow the positive direction where God is leading us.”
A new episode of Field Hospital will be released every two weeks starting February 16. Subscribe for email updates at uscatholic.org/podcasts and look for new episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
In January of 2022, Jeannie appeared on the talk show, The Gist (CatholicTV’s show for Catholic Women).
Jeannie talks with Rachel about the aftermath of writing her book, how her experiences changed her outlook on life, and where all of this fits in with being a Catholic wife and mom. Check it out here!
On April 21, 2021 Jeannie was featured on the cover of her alma mater Marquette University’s Marquette Magazine. See the full story written by Steve Filmanowicz here.
The annual Bowery Mission Winter Benefit went virtual this year! With Keynote Speaker Jeannie Gaffigan and Host Katie Couric, over 300 guests came together virtually — raising over $120,000 to support The Bowery Mission’s women’s centers!
How would network execs in 2019 react if the story of the year 2020 was pitched as a series? Greg Iwinski (Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert) and Jeannie have some ideas in their notes session for New York Encounter Roast of 2020.
Jeannie and Jim were guests on Kevin Hart’s new game show! Kevin hosts a night of fun and games with celebrity couples, all playing remotely from their own homes; from trivia questions to physical challenges.
Streaming now on nbc.com with a cable subscription.
The Gaffigans showed off their famous holiday culinary skills as special guests of celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakarian and his family as they virtually celebrated the holidays with some friends at home for the holidays.
The 14th annual Stand Up for Heroes event went virtual this year! Jeannie was honored to be be invited to join the show to raise money for The Bob Woodruff Foundation, an organization that provides resources and support for veterans and military families.
Part of America Magazine’s series of articles on the 2020 presidential election, Jeannie Gaffigan writes an essay detailing the aftermath of her husband, the comedian Jim Gaffigan’s highly uncharacteristic, profanity-laden Twitter rant against President Trump, and how some of her critics questioned her own commitment to her Catholic faith. Read Jeannie’s response below.
Michael Ian Black, comedian, actor, author and creator of the informative podcast, “How to Be Amazing” is bringing back his popular in-depth interview program – this time in a virtual visual broadcast to benefit the Mark Twain Library.
On Sunday, July 5th Michael Ian Black reunited with Jeannie Gaffigan after working together on The Jim Gaffigan Show to discuss Jeannie’s book When Life Gives You Pears.
Quarantining with family can be tricky business; lots of light treading on the eternal quest to find a scrap of alone time. But imagine throwing five kids into the mix!
Comedian Jim Gaffigan, and wife Jeannie, are living this reality.
Bowery Boogie thought there was no better family to ask about surviving lockdown than the Gaffigans, and what they’re doing to pass the time. Not only are they normalizing pandemic isolation for everyone with their recent YouTube programming, but they’re using the drummed-up popularity to directly support frontline workers.
Bowery Boogie reached out to Jeannie Gaffigan to hear more about charity efforts, the best family movies they’ve watched during quarantine, and some sound advice that all parents could probably use.
The Christopher Awards, generally presented each spring, are being delayed until October. The Christophers, though, did announce April 15 the winners in the book category of the awards, which recognize outstanding storytelling that lifts the spirit and shows how every individual has worth and can make a difference.
“Each of these special books can provide a welcome break from today’s troubling headlines while transporting you to a different place or time, to see the world from another perspective that can offer insight, hope and solace,” said an April 15 statement by Tony Rossi, director of communications for The Christophers, founded in 1945 by Maryknoll Father James Keller. “Books allow us to travel, in place, in time and in thought, without leaving home.”
Jeannie Gaffigan joins The Sheen Center’s Interim Executive Director David Di Certo for a conversation about the importance of faith, family and laughter in getting us through these difficult times. She will also share how her own life-threatening health scare has given her a new perspective on the redemptive power of suffering, recounted in her latest book, When Life Gives You Pears: The Healing Power of Family, Faith and Funny People.
In late April 2020, Jeannie Gaffigan and Interim CEO James Winans had a conversation about the impact of COVID-19 on the homeless community and how The Bowery Mission is still serving New York’s most vulnerable neighbors.
The Story Collider is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that has been working since 2010 with storytellers to develop and share stories dedicated to true, personal stories about science. On March 9th Jeannie joined Story Collider at their annual Brain Show to read excerpts from her book and share stories about her brain tumor. She detailed her thoughts during the uncertain time before undergoing brain surgery and facing the fact that she could have brain damage upon waking up. She asks the question: My brain is “me”, am I “me” without it?
Jeannie was invited to speak at the sold out Marquette Women’s Luncheon, part of Marquette University’s Mission Week 2020. Mission Week encourages students to open themselves up to gratitude, to give gratitude, and to focus on the goodness all around. Prior to a book signing, Jeannie sat down with Acting Dean in the College of Communication Sarah Feldner to share her stories in front of 350 Marquette staff, faculty, students and alumni.
Jeannie’s Book When Life Gives You Pears, The Healing Power of Family, Faith and Funny People is going to be released October 1st. Join her and Jim for a conversation about their Journey at Symphony Space. Click here to purchase tickets
