In this episode, the dogs discuss the power of good stories (15:40) and how they can help us make sense of our own lives (36:00). Mike reflects on what can be both consoling and frustrating about belonging to large institutions (18:30).Quotes:"Culture is what is celebrated, tolerated, and presumed." (Connor quoting Dr. Henry Cloud, 28:00)"It's way easier to destroy things than build them." (Connor, 32:30)"The power of narrative helps me see how deeply meaningful this life is." (Rob, 36:10)Media Mentions:Shadow Force (2025)AvengersWilla Cather's Death Comes for the ArchbishopJ.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings: The Return of the KingMaster and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)References: Toulouse, FranceChicago, IL2012 SEC Championship GameT.J. YeldonTrent RichardsonDerrick HenryAlec OgletreeGeorgia BulldogsAlabama Crimson TideThe Big TenWhite ClawBishop Robert BarronBishop Louis William Valnetine DuBourg (1766- 1833)Louisiana PurchaseBishop John Carroll (1735- 1815)Boston, MAPhiladelphia, PANew York, NYBardstown, KentuckyNapoleonSt. Louis, MOSir Ernest ShackletonSt. John Neumann (1811- 1860)St. DominicSt. FrancisTom CruiseThe Dominican OrderSociety of Jesus (Jesuits)St. John Paul II Newman CenterMichelle DuppongFOCUSBlessed Chiara BadanoNASAThe Apollo ProgramShout-Outs:Pat MetzRebecca BerryBenBrother FranciscoEmilie Ann Poletti Kevin MetzFollow us on instagram @threedogsnorthContact us at [email protected]

In this episode, the dogs record their final in-person cast from Maryville (00:08). The guys reflect with gratitude on the trip (3:50) and discuss how joyful it is when different parts of your life intersect (8:10). They also share their experience visiting some of Rob's parishioners (31:40) and discuss "the power of comedic melancholy" (47:30). The episode concludes with their highs, lows, and God moments from the overall trip (48:40).  Emilie Ann Poletti passed away on May 23, 2026. Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray for those who mourn her passing. Quotes:"It grows gratitude in me when people from difference chapters of my life can meet each other.” (Rob, 4:30)“You get this unique part of a person when you are around people that know them from a different lense.” (Rob, 5:05)“They’re part of your life, so we want to know them.” (Rob quoting Emily Hennish, 7:10)"It’s kind of a way to build up the kingdom of God and see the embers get together and create fire, it’s really beautiful.” (Michael Metz, 8:35)“If you have this lady praying for you, you’ve got your butt dipped in butter.” (Connor quoting other priests, 10:40)"I should find friendship upon the way, secret and unlooked for." (Elrond in The Fellowship of the Ring, 15:50)“Christ can call us to the hard good over the easy lie." (Michael Metz, 18:00)“As Christians, it’s so important for us to pursue joy.” (Michael Metz, 19:10)“The crosses that come in life are also unlooked for.” (Connor, 22:40)“Heaven is just wherever Jesus is.” (Connor quoting Rob, 22:50)“I can just be a gift. I don’t have to do anything to make that happen.” (Connor, 31:50)"The very first tear he made was so deep that I thought it had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I've ever felt. The only thing that made me able to bear it was just the pleasure of feeling the stuff peel off." (Eustice from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, 36:30)“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” (Viktor E. Frankl, 38:00)“Life is so full and so rich.” (Rob, 1:00:10)Media Mentions:J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings3DN S11 E70 (live)- Fire! and FriendshipSt. John of the Cross' Dark Night of the SoulC.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of NarniaThomas Nagel's The View from NowhereWalker Percy's "Loss of the Creature"Matthew 18:203DN S11 E73- Cultivating an openness to epiphanyReferences: FOCUSLincoln, NebraskaWalterBishop Mark BartosicSea of GalileeThe Holy FamilySt. Joseph the Worker82nd Airborne DivisionWWIIBlessed Chiara BadanoThe Oh HellosChicagoIPFJiminy CricketTinker BellBraveWilliam Shakespeare (April 23, 1564- April 23, 1616)Adolf HitlerColumbine (April 20, 1999)Maryville, ILCardinals baseballIllinois Fighting IlliniKeaton WaglerShout-Outs:Matthew and Maggie TrutyDrew and Emily HennishMary Margaret MetzCharlieEmilieJoeFollow us on instagram @threedogsnorthContact us at [email protected]

In this episode, the dogs continue their in-person visit in Maryville, Illinois (00:13). They discuss how the trip is going so far (2:30) and swap stories from trips to Alaska (9:50), Lyon (24:30), Paris (29:40), and elsewhere. Michael Metz frames the discussion around the difference between approaching travel with authentic receptivity versus consumerist self-indulgence (13:10), setting the stage for reflections on leisure (14:50) and the nature of authentic self-care (21:15).  Quotes:“Who I am is a gift; to God, and to myself, and to other people.” (Connor, 17:18)“Every baptized person is bringing the light of Christ wherever they go.” (Connor, 20:20)"My take on reality is so tiny and yet I have access to the totality in God.” (Connor, 28:00)“... It’s not through transcending our humanity that we then feel full; it’s through recognizing our limitedness and embracing it. Where is the glory? It’s in the simple encounter.” (Connor, 29:00)Media Mentions:Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)3DN S3 E1 "The one where the sound is better." 3DN S3 E3 "The one with Fr. Barron (part 1 of 2)"3DN S3 E4 "The one with Fr. Barron (part 2 of 2)"3DN The Ocho 25 "Something else (with Bp. Barron)"Bishop Barron's What Christians Believe: Understanding the Nicene CreedCarnivoresMario Kart 64New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe"I hit bombs!"Josef Pieper's Leisure: The Basis of CultureJohn 17:24 "Father, they are your gift to me."Father Willard F. Jabusch's "Whatsoever You Do"Parks and Recreation ("Treat yo self")References: Maryville, ILBishop Robert BarronNintendo SwitchFOCUSSouthern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE)Todd PetersonLSU baseballPhil MickelsonPost hoc ergo propter hocAlaskaMount Saint EliasSt. PatrickIrelandLourdes, FranceOur Lady of Lourdes, Virgin MarySt. Thérèse of LisieuxThe Camino de SantiagoThe Holy FamilyHaitiLyon, FranceMother of Perpetual Help Catholic ChurchBobby's Frozen CustardNotre- Dame CathedralBabelBanks of the SeineAnalogy of Being (Thomas Aquinas)Shout-Outs:Joseph DeckertWalterScott (and the whole crew)Sister AgapeFollow us on instagram @threedogsnorthContact us at [email protected]

In this episode, the dogs discuss why their time in seminary was both uniquely formative (4:00) and deeply universal (10:28). Connor highlights the importance of lifelong formation (16:00) and the dogs reflect on how that has played out in different parishes (24:50). They close the cast by pondering the eschatological tension of God's "already and not yet" kingdom (43:40)... and loud SunChips bags (49:45). Quotes:"It was what it should be." (Rob on seminary, 6:00)“I think our experience of life is abnormal compared to most of human history. The seminary is artificial... but there is something kinda more normal about it too.” (Connor, 15:10)“I’m not in control, ultimately. Everything I build could be destroyed in a night and that's okay because Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Connor, 32:30) "Catholicism stands on it’s own and it feeds hungry people.” (Michael Metz, 35:40)"Wait... did Barron kill new athiesm?" (Connor, 37:00)"Stanley Rother didn't go to Guatemala to do things. He went to Guatemala and things happened around him." (Connor, 39:50)"The whole point of celibacy is that you are forgoing created beauty for the source of beauty.” (Connor quoting Deacon James Keating, 40:00)Media Mentions:Saint Augustine's ConfessionsCatholic Stuff You Should Know's What is a Parish?Act 3:6Michael Metz on creatineReferences: Baked LaysFr. Isaac CoulterFr. Michael BrungardtFr. Michael SteffesMichigan State SpartansMichigan Wolverines ("Go Blue!")Carmelite MonasteryDes Plaines, ILAll Saints Catholic CemeteryBishop Robert BarronSt. John's Catholic Newman CenterUniversity of Illinois (UIUC)Fr. Larry HennessyFr. Daniel SiwekThe Institute for Priestly FormationFOCUSRenew My ChurchChicago, ILFr. Thomas ByrneSt. Francis Xavier of Our Lady of Mercy ParishFr. Thomas ByrneWin. Build. Send.COVIDJeff BezosMark ZuckerbergBurger KingFOCUS parishNew AtheismFriedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche Vatican IIDeacon James KeatingBlessed Stanley RotherGuatemalaOklahomaThe Catechesis of the Good ShepherdFr. Victor MoseleSierra LeoneSt. John Paul II Newman CenterSpiral NebulaSun ChipscreatineChatGPTRussiaCrimeaThorMegamindFollow us on instagram @threedogsnorthContact us at [email protected]

In this episode, the dogs discuss Walter's upcoming 101st birthday (3:44). Inspired by Walter's wisdom on perseverance, the conversation shifts to celibacy (7:30) and the "problem of evil" as it confront individuals (29:10). In the midst of it all, Michael Metz reenacts a self-titled "genius" homily (19:00) which is admittedly beautiful. Quotes:"The self-possession to be able to see goods that you can't have, to be moved by the beauty of things you cannot possess.” (Connor, 10:40)"You cannot have everything you want." (Connor, 12:40)“If the grass is always greaner on the other side, it’s time to water your lawn." (Connor quoting Hennessy, 14:24)"We get to see the examples of the disciples (in the Acts of the Apostles). They are people living in the reality of the full promises of God in the midst of a fallen world; that's the church, that's what the church looks like." (Michael Metz, 21:20)"When you see a guy (Walter) who goes through suffering like that, it's a form of worship." (Michael Metz 24:30)"Suffering is not victorious, Jesus is victorious." (Michael Metz, 24:45)"You know how it is, Mose." (Connor 27:35)"Angels can’t suffer. The highest drama in being is in the human heart because we are so vulnerable and yet called to image God in our freedom.” (Connor, 29:55)Media Mentions:Fulton Sheen's Life of ChristJohn 6Acts of the ApostlesJ.R.R. Tolkien's The SilmarillionBenedict XVI/ Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger ("God writes straight on crooked lines")Joshua 24:15Not Dead Yet podcastRoss Douthat's "How Ben Sasse Is Living Now That He Is Dying"John 14:13Psalm 23References: JumpmasterFort Benning82nd Airborne DivisionD-Day (Normandy)Fr. Patrick J. BoyleSt. Thérèse of LisieuxAaron (Moses' brother)Ben Sasse (former United States Senator)NebraskaUniversity of FloridaNew York TimesShout-Outs:WalterFr. John KartjeFr. Larry HennessyFollow us on instagram @threedogsnorthContact us at [email protected]

In this episode, the dogs answer the following questions (live): Question #1: Do you have a karaoke song that you like to sing? (Emily, 12:28) Question #2: What is the most memorable seminary story? (Nate, 14:00) Question #3: How many years were you together? (28:10) Question #4: How did you decide to become priests? (John, 29:00) Question #5: With the richness of the Catholic faith and so many things to learn, where do you even start? (Jill, 49:00) Question #6: What is the hardest part of being a priest? (58:35) Quotes: ”All that we wanted to maintain is that we would spend time in friendship together.” (Michael Metz, 9:10) “We’re not good enough at life to give solid advice.” (Rob, 11:25) “The Holy Spirit had brought us together.” (Connor, 16:00) “The environment that we were formed in began to shape you.” (Michael Metz on Mundelein’s campus, 21:40) “Jesus called and asked me to be his priest.” (Michael Metz, 29:30) “The more I lived out the Catholic faith the happier I was.” (Rob, 32:20) “In trusting Jesus is how we become who we’re supposed to be.” (Rob, 34:25) “You are trying to love me way more than I am trying to love you.” (Connor on God, 47:00) “It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” (Rob trying to quote Rocky, 50:45) “You have to be in love with the Christ of the Gospels.” (Connor, 52:00) “Catholicism is all relational, it’s all from Christ and toward Christ.” (Michael Metz, 56:20) “Living with a relentless integrity and never letting that go.” (Michael Metz on the hardest part of the priesthood, 58:40) “Our lives are hidden with Christ in God.” (Connor quoting St. Paul, 1:00:30) “I believe God’s love is so real, I’m going to stake my whole life on it.” (Michael Metz, 1:03:20) Media Mentions: 3DN S7 Episode 10 (LIVE at SEEK2019) Bohemian Rhapsody Don’t Stop Believin’ Wagon Wheel Rocky movie franchise Luke 4:14- 30, John 8:59, John 10:31- 39 (“His hour had not yet arrived”) John 20:11-18 (Mary seeing Jesus in the garden after the Resurrection) Psalm 63 Colossians 3:3 (“For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”) References: SEEK 2019 Newman Center at UIC FOCUS Archdiocese of Atlanta Bishop Robert Barron Fort Bragg Pope St. John Paul II Chapel Mundelein Seminary St. Mary’s Lake Holy Land canonical retreat The Mount of Beatitudes Sea of Galilee Jameson Irish Whiskey John Paul II St. Louis, Missouri Lincoln, Nebraska 30- Day Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola Bethany Jerusalem Aristotle John Henry Newman Shout- outs: Willie Jansen Bryan Roberts Follow us on instagram @threedogsnorth Contact us at [email protected]

In this episode, the dogs regroup after an 18 month hiatus (3:10). They talk about Connor’s keynote address at Rob’s parish (4:30) and the crucified Christ as the ultimate idol smasher (9:55). Connor reminisces about riding into Luquillo on a horse (13:30) and Mike shares his favorite part of the Palm Sunday liturgy (21:30). They all contemplate how unsettling Holy Week can be and the humility of the priesthood (23:00). Quotes: “Do you wanna control the future?” (Connor, 7:40) “Creating a Eucharistic culture- it will bear fruit- but if you aim at the fruit you will make it something weird.” (Connor, 8:00) “When you start reaching and grasping for joy is when you can’t find it.” (Connor quoting C.S. Lewis, 8:18) “A lot of what we do is thinly veiled control of the future.” (Mike, 8:40) “Idols always promise control and a better future and no more suffering.” (Connor, 10:20) “I love that Palm Sunday is one of the days you get to say ass during the liturgy.” (Mike, 21:39) “The sacraments are visible signs of the invisible reality. We cannot make invisible things visible by our strategies and teaching methods.” (Connor, 27:00) “In a world that’s full of death, you have to shout.” (Mike quoting Flannery O’Connor, 27:40) “My job is not to be a teacher; my job is to be a priest, to offer sacrifice and worship.” (Mike, 28:40) “I am not God and yet he lives in me in a way that the people need to accept in order that he may do his work.” (Connor, 30:30) Media Mentions: Matthew 16:22 Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls References: SEEK Fort Bragg Mundelein Seminary SIUE UIC C.S. Lewis Bishop Robert Barron San Juan, Peurto Rico Dominican Republic Cuba Haiti Juan Ponce de Leon Luquillo, Peurto Rico Hanoi, Vietnam Paris, France Buenos Aires, Argentina Cancun, Mexico Bebop Rocksteady J.R.R. Tolkien Flannery O’Connor Missionaries of Charity Shout- Outs: The bash bros. (Paul and Anthony) Glossary: kerygma moral therapeutic deism intersticial paso fino Orcinus orca (derived from Orcus, Roman god of the underworld) clericalism Follow us on instagram @threedogsnorth Contact us at [email protected]

In this episode, the dogs talk about their recent meet-up at Rob’s parish (01:00). The dogs gush over Rob (9:00), Mike cries at a wedding (2:20), and Connor shares a childhood story about his dad (5:50). They discuss the best video games from when they were kids (11:50), which leads to a discussion of dopamine culture (23:45). Connor closes out with parenting insights from Dr. Becky (38:30) and how to “sit in the tension” of being human with Jesus (41:00). Quotes: “High fives all around for friendship.” (Rob, 4:20) “Rob’s a really good priest.” (Mike, 9:00) “I wish I could cry.” (Connor, 10:15) “I would be ready and willing to accept from God a life of suffering.” (Connor, 28:00) “Being grown-up is being willing to be interrupted and be put-upon.” (Connor, 30:45) “Here is a man that words cannot describe. Death could not defeat him nor toil dismay him. He did not fear death, nor did he refuse to live.” (Breviary, 36:45) “Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.” (Psalm 24, 38:00) “Sitting in the tension of the longing is one of the most frustrating things about being a person.” (Connor, 40:40) “The only way to Heaven is, we have to die.” (Connor, 41:41) “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21, 42:00) Media Mentions: Napoleon Dynamite Super Mario Bros. NHL ’94 (Sega Genesis) NHL 94 REWIND (Xbox One) Super Nintendo Blades of Steel (NES) Madden NFL NBA Jam (1993) Guitar Hero Halo GoldenEye 007 (Nintendo 64) Zelda Tony Hawk Pro Skater Fortnite Call of Duty: Warzone Dr. Becky Kennedy’s Good Inside References: Blockbuster NHL Facebook Link St. Thérèse of Lisieux St. Martin de Tours Shout-Outs: Hess Family Drew and Emily Hines Matthew and Maggie Truty Fr. Tim Anastos Fr. Nick Blaha Ethan Danstrom Kevin Metz The bash brothers Follow us on instagram @threedogsnorth Contact us at [email protected]

In this episode, the dogs welcome Mike back to the states (01:05), Rob visits an older priest with a friend (13:40), and Connor shares his summer reading (16:55). They all talk about coming to terms with aging (28:05) and the inspirational people they love who have aged with grace (32:50). Quotes: “I try to integrate and circulate each day.” (Connor, 1:47) “It’s an aspirational thing, to be able to look back at life and realize, ‘God is the author of that story.”’ (Rob, 16:35) “It’s something really beautiful because he’s allowing himself to be pierced by reality.” (Connor, 20:55) “John Paull II, the way that he entered into eternal life, it was a real example of how to die well… He kept coming out and being a father and loving on people until the day he died. That’s how you do that.” (Mike, 25:10) “I am both the one choosing, but I’m also being chosen… God’s choice of me is the one truth that can always be relied on.” (Connor, 31:10) “Life has continued to get richer… There’s a hope in me that will continue.” (Rob, 37:55) Media Mentions: Dietrich von Hildebrand’s The Heart John Mark Falkenhain’s How We Love Herman Melville’s Moby Dick References: BFC (Battlefield Circulation) West Point Walter Reed Peyton Manning Fort Bragg (Fort Liberty) Memphis Sisters of Life Arizona West Point Parachute Team Springfield, IL Fr. John Kartje Plato’s theory of the soul St. Peter’s Basilica energized affectivity and tender affectivity Douglas MacArthur Dwight D. Eisenhower Mundelein Seminary Hudson River Pope John Paul II Korean War Vietnam War Ultimate frisbee Captain Ahab North Carolina Yadkin Road 82nd Airborne Division Shout- Outs: Teresa Metz Sister Bethany Madonna Fr. James D. O’Shea Fr. Marty Smith Fr. Gus Belauskas Fr. Raymond Webb Fr. Larry Hennessy Fr. Matt Follow us on instagram @threedogsnorth Contact us at [email protected]

In this episode, the dogs catch up and reminisce (4:00) before a long summer break from the pod. Connor shares his new assignment at Mundelein (10:50) and Mike discusses his new position (26:53). They all speak about finding their identity in Jesus (35:00), especially in times of transition. They stress the importance of vulnerability (20:22) and surrender (23:25) for living a life of true freedom. Quotes: “I’m more into being than doing.” (Connor, 13:47) “The priesthood is an identity, it’s not a job.” (Connor, 13:47) “You’re a Christian with people and you’re a priest for people.” (Mike quoting Barron quoting Augustine, 19:20) “I’m not excited, but I feel the capacity to go and give myself to it in a faithful way… That’s what freedom looks like.” (Rob, 19:40) “You have to choose vulnerability in life. You have to consistently choose that.” (Rob, 20:10) “I’ve been given this gift of priesthood and that’s why I have the capacity to interact in these ways with you.” (Rob, 21:00) “I am not what I do.” (Connor, 23:55) “The three people who don’t leave me are Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” (Rob quoting Bremer, 26:26) “The reality of my priesthood is not just a collar that I put on and off. It’s something that I believe Christ marked in my heart forever, so that no matter what I’m doing, I’m still doing chaplain stuff.” (Mike, 29:11) “There’s no need to justify my existence.” (Mike, 30:40) “God didn’t create us because he needed some outcomes from us. He made us so we could be in relationship.” (Connor, 35:10) “When I treat myself as someone who matters, then I start doing what I want…. which is often, things that are generous.” (Connor, 36:00) “The cult of busyness is selfish.” (Connor, 39:57) “I feel totally loved and secure in who I am, so I want to share it.” (Connor, 40:00) “Charitas Christi Urget Nos (The Love of Christ Urges Us Forward).” (42:00) Gallery: Fr. Mike and Fr. Rob canonical retreat with Bishop Robert Barron Archdiocese of Atlanta Holy Land Grocery Shopping Phone Case Media Mentions: Seinfeld Colossians 2:12 John 14: 2-4 Patrick M. Lencioni’s The 6 Types of Working Genius: A Better Way to Understand Your Gifts, Your Frustrations, and Your Team References: Archdiocese of Atlanta SEEK 2019 Mundelein Seminary St. John Paul II Newman Center Augustine of Hippo IPF (The Institute for Priestly Formation) RIM (Relationship. Identity. Mission.) The Camino de Santiago Abraham Ur of the Chaldeans Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Adam and Eve Shout- Outs: Fr. Robbie Cotta Bishop Robert Barron Fr. Michael Bremer Bromides: “Be church.” “As church, be church.” “As church you are to church.” Follow us on instagram @threedogsnorth Contact us at [email protected]