#1 Daily Rosary Podcast
Subscribe
Holy Rosary University

Key Historical Moments that Shaped the Catholic Church

Course Description

Key Historical Moments that Shaped the Catholic Church is a free course on the people, councils, and events that formed the Catholic Church. It follows the story from the apostles to the Church of our own time, so a reader can see how the faith was handed on.

Throughout the course, you will explore key topics such as:

  • The Apostolic Age: The first communities, the mission of the apostles, and the Scriptures they left behind.
  • Councils and Creeds: How the Church named what she believes when teaching was tested.
  • Monks, Parishes, and Missions: The ordinary life that carried the faith across centuries and continents.
  • Reform and Division: The crises that split Western Christianity, and the Catholic response.
  • The Modern World: The Church among revolutions, new nations, and new questions.
  • Our Own Time: The Second Vatican Council and the Church still being formed today.

This course is for anyone who wants a clear path through the Church’s story. Each lesson is short. The course is free, and a certificate is included.

Syllabus

1. The Church in the Apostolic Age

1.1 The Apostolic Age

1.1.1 The Church in the Apostolic Age

Lesson Audio
2. Councils that Named the Faith

2.1 Councils and Creeds

2.1.1 Councils that Named the Faith

Lesson Audio
3. Monasticism, Parishes, and Missions

3.1 Monks, Parishes, and Missions

3.1.1 Monasticism, Parishes, and Missions

Lesson Audio
4. Reformation and Catholic Reform

4.1 Reform and Division

4.1.1 Reformation and Catholic Reform

Lesson Audio
5. The Church in the Modern World

5.1 The Modern World

5.1.1 The Church in the Modern World

Lesson Audio
6. The Second Vatican Council and After

6.1 Our Own Time

6.1.1 The Second Vatican Council and After

Lesson Audio

Saints Who Saw the Invisible: Catholic Mystics through the History of the Church

Course Description

Saints Who Saw the Invisible: Catholic Mystics through the History of the Church introduces the men and women who sought God in prayer and left a record of what they found. The course moves through the history of the Church by way of her mystics, from the desert to the present.

Throughout the course, you will explore key topics such as:

  • What a Mystic Sees: Prayer that goes beyond words, and how the Church discerns it.
  • The Desert: The fathers and mothers who left the cities to seek God in silence.
  • Medieval Visionaries: Saints whose prayer shaped monasteries, parishes, and theology.
  • The Spanish Mystics: Teresa of Ávila, John of the Cross, and the reform of prayer.
  • Modern Saints of Prayer: Thérèse, Faustina, and others who taught a simple way to God.
  • Praying with Them: How to read a mystic without leaving the ordinary duties of life.

This course is for anyone who wants the saints as companions in prayer. It is free, and a certificate is included.

Syllabus

1. What a Mystic Sees

1.1 What a Mystic Sees

1.1.1 What a Mystic Sees

Lesson Audio
2. The Desert Fathers and Mothers

2.1 The Desert

2.1.1 The Desert Fathers and Mothers

Lesson Audio
3. Medieval Visionaries

3.1 Medieval Visionaries

3.1.1 Medieval Visionaries

Lesson Audio
4. The Spanish Mystics

4.1 The Spanish Mystics

4.1.1 The Spanish Mystics

Lesson Audio
5. Modern Saints of Prayer

5.1 Modern Saints of Prayer

5.1.1 Modern Saints of Prayer

Lesson Audio
6. Praying with the Mystics

6.1 Praying with Them

6.1.1 Praying with the Mystics

Lesson Audio

True Happiness: Wisdom from Five Saints

Course Description

True Happiness: Wisdom from Five Saints looks for happiness where five saints found it: in God, rather than in comfort or success. Each lesson stays with one saint and one lesson for ordinary life.

Throughout the course, you will explore key topics such as:

  • Augustine: The restless heart, and why created things cannot be its rest.
  • Francis of Assisi: Poverty, joy, and holding the gifts of God lightly.
  • Thomas Aquinas: Happiness as the good a person is made for.
  • Thérèse of Lisieux: The little way, and fidelity in small things.
  • A Rule for Joy: What these five saints ask of a week of ordinary work and prayer.

This course is for anyone looking for a Christian account of happiness. It is free, and a certificate is included.

Syllabus

1. Augustine and the Restless Heart

1.1 Augustine

1.1.1 Augustine and the Restless Heart

Lesson Audio
2. Francis and Holy Poverty

2.1 Francis of Assisi

2.1.1 Francis and Holy Poverty

Lesson Audio
3. Thomas Aquinas on the Good

3.1 Thomas Aquinas

3.1.1 Thomas Aquinas on the Good

Lesson Audio
4. Thérèse and the Little Way

4.1 Thérèse of Lisieux

4.1.1 Thérèse and the Little Way

Lesson Audio
5. A Rule for a Joyful Life

5.1 A Rule for Joy

5.1.1 A Rule for a Joyful Life

Lesson Audio

Living Stones: The People and Events that Built the Church

Course Description

Living Stones: The People and Events that Built the Church is a free course on the people who built up the Church, parish by parish and age by age. It treats the Church as a people, not only a timeline of dates.

Throughout the course, you will explore key topics such as:

  • Peter and the Apostles: The first stones, and the charge to teach and to baptize.
  • Councils: Meetings that settled disputes and kept one faith.
  • Missions: The men and women who carried the Gospel into new lands.
  • Orders and Parishes: The daily structures that taught, nursed, and prayed.
  • Trials: Persecution, schism, and the people who stayed.
  • Still Being Built: What it means to be a living stone in the Church now.

This course is for anyone who wants to see the Church as a communion of persons. It is free, and a certificate is included.

Syllabus

1. Peter and the Apostolic Church

1.1 Peter and the Apostles

1.1.1 Peter and the Apostolic Church

Lesson Audio
2. Councils and Creeds

2.1 Councils

2.1.1 Councils and Creeds

Lesson Audio
3. Missions that Carried the Faith

3.1 Missions

3.1.1 Missions that Carried the Faith

Lesson Audio
4. Builders, Parishes, and Religious Orders

4.1 Orders and Parishes

4.1.1 Builders, Parishes, and Religious Orders

Lesson Audio
5. Trials that Tested the Church

5.1 Trials

5.1.1 Trials that Tested the Church

Lesson Audio
6. The Church Still Being Built

6.1 Still Being Built

6.1.1 The Church Still Being Built

Lesson Audio

Introduction to the Catholic Faith

Course Description

Introduction to the Catholic Faith is a free first course in what the Catholic Church believes, celebrates, lives, and prays. It follows the shape of the Catechism, in short lessons.

Throughout the course, you will explore key topics such as:

  • The Creed: God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
  • Jesus Christ: His life, death, and resurrection as the center of the faith.
  • The Church: The people Christ gathers, and the Holy Spirit who keeps her.
  • The Sacraments: How the Church celebrates the mysteries she believes.
  • The Moral Life: The commandments, the virtues, and the call to holiness.
  • Prayer: The Our Father, the Rosary, and a daily rule.

This course is for anyone beginning, or beginning again. It is free, and a certificate is included.

Syllabus

1. God and the Creed

1.1 The Creed

1.1.1 God and the Creed

Lesson Audio
2. Jesus Christ

2.1 Jesus Christ

2.1.1 Jesus Christ

Lesson Audio
3. The Holy Spirit and the Church

3.1 The Church

3.1.1 The Holy Spirit and the Church

Lesson Audio
4. The Sacraments

4.1 The Sacraments

4.1.1 The Sacraments

Lesson Audio
5. The Moral Life

5.1 The Moral Life

5.1.1 The Moral Life

Lesson Audio
6. Prayer

6.1 Prayer

6.1.1 Prayer

Lesson Audio

RCIA: The Catholic Faith with a Marian Focus

Course Description

RCIA: The Catholic Faith with a Marian Focus prepares a person for life in the Catholic Church, with Mary as companion on the way. It is the faith of the Creed, read with attention to the Mother of God.

Throughout the course, you will explore key topics such as:

  • The Creed: What the Church professes, in the words of baptism.
  • Scripture and Tradition: How the faith is handed on.
  • Mary: Her place in the life of Christ and of the Church.
  • The Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist.
  • Life in Christ: The moral life that follows from the sacraments.
  • Prayer and the Rosary: A way to stay with Christ through Mary.

This course is for inquirers and for anyone walking with them. It is free, and a certificate is included.

Syllabus

1. The Creed

1.1 The Creed

1.1.1 The Creed

Lesson Audio
2. Scripture and Tradition

2.1 Scripture and Tradition

2.1.1 Scripture and Tradition

Lesson Audio
3. Mary in the Life of the Church

3.1 Mary

3.1.1 Mary in the Life of the Church

Lesson Audio
4. The Sacraments of Initiation

4.1 The Sacraments of Initiation

4.1.1 The Sacraments of Initiation

Lesson Audio
5. Life in Christ

5.1 Life in Christ

5.1.1 Life in Christ

Lesson Audio
6. Prayer and the Rosary

6.1 Prayer and the Rosary

6.1.1 Prayer and the Rosary

Lesson Audio

RCIA: A Classical Catholic Journey

Course Description

RCIA: A Classical Catholic Journey is a short course through the Catholic faith in its classic order: believe, worship, live, and pray. Four lessons cover the path a new Catholic walks.

Throughout the course, you will explore key topics such as:

  • Believe: The Creed, said and understood.
  • Worship: The Mass and the sacraments.
  • Live: The commandments and the virtues.
  • Pray: Vocal prayer, the Rosary, and the life of the Church’s year.

This course is a compact companion for anyone entering the Church. It is free, and a certificate is included.

Syllabus

1. The Creed in Brief

1.1 Believe

1.1.1 The Creed in Brief

Lesson Audio
2. Worship and the Sacraments

2.1 Worship

2.1.1 Worship and the Sacraments

Lesson Audio
3. The Moral Life

3.1 Live

3.1.1 The Moral Life

Lesson Audio
4. Prayer

4.1 Pray

4.1.1 Prayer

Lesson Audio

The Sacraments: God's Grace in Action

Course Description

The Sacraments: God's Grace in Action walks through the seven sacraments as the ordinary ways Christ gives his grace. Each lesson stays with one sacrament: what it is, and what it asks of the person who receives it.

Throughout the course, you will explore key topics such as:

  • Baptism: New birth, and entrance into the Church.
  • Confirmation: The strengthening gift of the Holy Spirit.
  • The Eucharist: The sacrifice and the meal at the center of Catholic life.
  • Penance: Confession, contrition, and the return to grace.
  • Anointing of the Sick: Christ’s care for the ill and the dying.
  • Holy Orders: The ministry of bishops, priests, and deacons.
  • Matrimony: The covenant of husband and wife as a sign of Christ and the Church.

This course is for anyone who wants the sacraments explained plainly. It is free, and a certificate is included.

Syllabus

1. Baptism

1.1 Baptism

1.1.1 Baptism

Lesson Audio
2. Confirmation

2.1 Confirmation

2.1.1 Confirmation

Lesson Audio
3. The Eucharist

3.1 The Eucharist

3.1.1 The Eucharist

Lesson Audio
4. Penance

4.1 Penance

4.1.1 Penance

Lesson Audio
5. Anointing of the Sick

5.1 Anointing of the Sick

5.1.1 Anointing of the Sick

Lesson Audio
6. Holy Orders

6.1 Holy Orders

6.1.1 Holy Orders

Lesson Audio
7. Matrimony

7.1 Matrimony

7.1.1 Matrimony

Lesson Audio

Everything You Wanted to Know About the Rosary

Course Description

Everything You Wanted to Know About the Rosary is a free course on the prayer at the heart of Holy Rosary University. It covers where the Rosary comes from, how to pray it, and how to stay with the mysteries.

Throughout the course, you will explore key topics such as:

  • Origins: From the Psalms of Mary to the devotion the Church prays today.
  • How to Pray: The beads, the prayers, and a pace that can be kept.
  • The Joyful Mysteries: The early life of Christ, prayed with Mary.
  • The Sorrowful Mysteries: The Passion, prayed without hurry.
  • Glorious and Luminous: The Resurrection, and the public life of Christ.
  • A Daily Rosary: Fitting the prayer into an ordinary day.

This course is for anyone learning the Rosary or returning to it. It is free, and a certificate is included.

Syllabus

1. Where the Rosary Comes From

1.1 Origins

1.1.1 Where the Rosary Comes From

Lesson Audio
2. How to Pray It

2.1 How to Pray

2.1.1 How to Pray It

Lesson Audio
3. The Joyful Mysteries

3.1 The Joyful Mysteries

3.1.1 The Joyful Mysteries

Lesson Audio
4. The Sorrowful Mysteries

4.1 The Sorrowful Mysteries

4.1.1 The Sorrowful Mysteries

Lesson Audio
5. The Glorious and Luminous Mysteries

5.1 Glorious and Luminous

5.1.1 The Glorious and Luminous Mysteries

Lesson Audio
6. The Rosary in Daily Life

6.1 A Daily Rosary

6.1.1 The Rosary in Daily Life

Lesson Audio

Combating Anxiety, Uncertainty, and Fear in the Age of AI

Course Description

Combating Anxiety, Uncertainty, and Fear in the Age of AI is a free course on fear, prayer, and a Christian use of attention. It does not treat anxiety as a mere technique. It treats it as a place where faith is practiced.

Throughout the course, you will explore key topics such as:

  • Fear: What Scripture and the saints say about being afraid.
  • Prayer: A way to pray when the mind will not be still.
  • The Saints: How holy men and women lived with worry.
  • Attention: Machines that demand the mind, and a rule for putting them down.
  • A Small Peace: A week’s practice of prayer, work, and limit.

This course is for anyone carrying anxiety into prayer. It is free, and a certificate is included.

Syllabus

1. Fear and the Christian Life

1.1 Fear

1.1.1 Fear and the Christian Life

Lesson Audio
2. Prayer When You Are Anxious

2.1 Prayer

2.1.1 Prayer When You Are Anxious

Lesson Audio
3. What the Saints Did with Worry

3.1 The Saints

3.1.1 What the Saints Did with Worry

Lesson Audio
4. Attention in an Age of Machines

4.1 Attention

4.1.1 Attention in an Age of Machines

Lesson Audio
5. A Small Rule of Peace

5.1 A Small Peace

5.1.1 A Small Rule of Peace

Lesson Audio

September 2026: Daily Reflections on Marian Sorrows

Course Description

September 2026: Daily Reflections on Marian Sorrows is a free set of reflections on the seven sorrows of Mary, for September 2026. Each lesson stays with one sorrow and one way to pray it.

Throughout the course, you will explore key topics such as:

  • Simeon’s Prophecy: Mary hears that a sword will pierce her soul.
  • The Flight into Egypt: The Holy Family leaves in the night.
  • The Loss in the Temple: Three days of searching for the child Jesus.
  • The Way of the Cross: Mary meets her Son on the road.
  • The Crucifixion: She stands by the cross.
  • The Descent: She receives his body.
  • The Burial: She waits by the tomb.

This course is for anyone keeping Mary company in her sorrows. It is free, and a certificate is included.

Syllabus

1. The Prophecy of Simeon

1.1 Simeon’s Prophecy

1.1.1 The Prophecy of Simeon

Lesson Audio
2. The Flight into Egypt

2.1 The Flight into Egypt

2.1.1 The Flight into Egypt

Lesson Audio
3. The Loss of the Child Jesus

3.1 The Loss in the Temple

3.1.1 The Loss of the Child Jesus

Lesson Audio
4. Mary Meets Jesus on the Way of the Cross

4.1 The Way of the Cross

4.1.1 Mary Meets Jesus on the Way of the Cross

Lesson Audio
5. The Crucifixion

5.1 The Crucifixion

5.1.1 The Crucifixion

Lesson Audio
6. The Descent from the Cross

6.1 The Descent

6.1.1 The Descent from the Cross

Lesson Audio
7. The Burial of Jesus

7.1 The Burial

7.1.1 The Burial of Jesus

Lesson Audio

Prayers and Reflections for Lent 2026

Course Description

Prayers and Reflections for Lent 2026 is a free course of prayer for Lent 2026: repentance, fasting, and the road to Easter. The lessons follow the classic works of the season.

Throughout the course, you will explore key topics such as:

  • Ash Wednesday: The call to repent, and the meaning of the ashes.
  • Prayer: A Lenten rule that can be kept on a working day.
  • Fasting: Hunger as a way of making room for God.
  • Almsgiving: Mercy toward the neighbor as part of the fast.
  • The Way of the Cross: Praying the Passion with the Church.
  • Holy Week: From Palm Sunday to the Easter Vigil.

This course is a companion for Lent 2026. It is free, and a certificate is included.

Syllabus

1. Ash Wednesday and the Call to Repent

1.1 Ash Wednesday

1.1.1 Ash Wednesday and the Call to Repent

Lesson Audio
2. Prayer

2.1 Prayer

2.1.1 Prayer

Lesson Audio
3. Fasting

3.1 Fasting

3.1.1 Fasting

Lesson Audio
4. Almsgiving

4.1 Almsgiving

4.1.1 Almsgiving

Lesson Audio
5. The Way of the Cross

5.1 The Way of the Cross

5.1.1 The Way of the Cross

Lesson Audio
6. Holy Week

6.1 Holy Week

6.1.1 Holy Week

Lesson Audio

Truth in Charity: The Blueprint of Pope Leo XIV

Course Description

Truth in Charity: The Blueprint of Pope Leo XIV is a free course on the teaching of Pope Leo XIV, read under the title he has given it: truth in charity. The lessons ask how a pope teaches, and how a Catholic receives that teaching.

Throughout the course, you will explore key topics such as:

  • The Pope: Who Leo XIV is, and the office he holds.
  • Truth and Charity: Why the two belong in one act of teaching.
  • The Family: Marriage, children, and the domestic church.
  • The Mission: What the Church is sent to do in the world.
  • How to Read a Pope: A sober way to follow the Holy Father without noise.

This course is for anyone who wants the pope’s teaching in a short, ordered form. It is free, and a certificate is included.

Syllabus

1. Who Pope Leo XIV Is

1.1 The Pope

1.1.1 Who Pope Leo XIV Is

Lesson Audio
2. Truth and Charity Together

2.1 Truth and Charity

2.1.1 Truth and Charity Together

Lesson Audio
3. Teaching on the Family

3.1 The Family

3.1.1 Teaching on the Family

Lesson Audio
4. The Church’s Mission

4.1 The Mission

4.1.1 The Church’s Mission

Lesson Audio
5. How to Read a Pope

5.1 How to Read a Pope

5.1.1 How to Read a Pope

Lesson Audio