The purpose of this episode is to introduce the podcast series. I’ll provide an overview of what this podcast is all about and the approach that it will take, to give you an idea of what to expect from upcoming episodes.

Helpful notes and references for this episode (links underlined):

1. US Conference of Catholic Bishops Overview of Catholic Social Teaching Great place to start if you’re new to the idea of Catholic Social Teaching.
2. Key Principles of Catholic Social Teaching This is a very helpful online resource from the Office for Social Justice of the Archdiocese of St Paul and Minneapolis MN. Scroll down the page for an extensive “Frequently Asked Questions” section about Catholic Social Teaching.
3. Catholic Social Teaching 101 is a collaborative 7-part video and discussion guide series presented by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Catholic Relief Services on Catholic social teaching principles. The videos highlight the core Catholic Values and inspire us to put our faith into action.
4. The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church This is a comprehensive Vatican document published in 2004. It is not light reading. However, if you want a deeper dive into Catholic Social Teaching up to 2004, you’ll find it here. The Church's social doctrine has continued to develop since 2004, and more recent teachings are found in later papal documents and revisions to other foundational documents like the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
5. Tom Mulhern LinkedIn Profile