The Saint Emmelia Podcast

Continuing the conversation about "Mom Guilt," Mindi, Mat. Melissa Naasko, and Pres. Jennifer Souza discuss repentance, forgiveness, boundaries, and how all these things intersect with our feelings of guilt.

In today's episode, Saint Emmelia Ministries Assistant Director Mindi Popovich-Schneider takes over hosting duties and puts Mat. Melissa Naasko in the hot seat. Mat. Melissa and Pres. Jennifer Souza break down the concept of "Mom guilt"-where these feelings come from, how they affect us, and how we, as Orthodox Christians, can combat them.

On today’s episode, Matushka Melissa interviews Presbytera Jennifer Souza about the new Orthodox homeschool health class being offered by the Classical Learning Resource Center often known as CLRC. The course features presentations by well known and respected Orthodox clergy and scholars. Early enrollment will be for live classes and is a unique opportunity to help shape the recorded classes that will be offered later. For more information, visit: https://www.clrconline.com/orthodox-health-course-for-parents/ About today's guest: Presvytera Jennifer Souza is a classical teacher and curriculum developer with over 17 years of teaching experience. Jennifer completed her BA in Interdisciplinary Studies & English from Belmont Abbey College, is a CiRCE certified Classical Teacher, and is currently pursuing her Masters in Theological Studies, with a concentration in Patristics & Pedagogy, at Hellenic College Holy Cross. She has taught humanities, logic, writing, rhetoric, and the fine arts since 2009. She is the founder of Eastern Orthodox Charlotte Mason Homeschoolers Facebook group, was a contributing author for The Lost Tools of Writing Level 1, published by The CiRCE Institute, and is the former co-host of The Classical Homeschool Podcast. Her research interests include Classical Rhetoric, Classical Pedagogy, The Liberal Arts, Literature, Letters, and Fine Art Studies, The Intersection of Education and Healing, Education and Pedagogy through the lives and writings of the Saints, Patristic Fathers, and Iconography.

Christopher talks with Megan Bonynge about the transition from high school to college for Orthodox Christian students, highlighting the importance of support systems, the common struggles of anxiety, depression, relationships, stress, and trauma, and the increase in loneliness.

Presbytera Krista Fedorchak focuses on the shift in responsibility for food decisions from parents to students and the logistical challenges of budgeting and scheduling meals. For Orthodox Christians in particular, this transition can be especially difficult during fasting periods. Pres. Krista shares her ideas for how students can nourish their bodies during these years when there is so much emphasis on the mind.

Christopher talks with Kh. BethAnn Hyatt about the challenges and joys of the high school-to-college transition from a parent's perspective, specifically detailing her family's non-traditional path, which involved homeschooling, a period in public school, and the very different struggles and paths her two oldest sons experienced after high school. Kh. BethAnn offers tips and advice for homeschooled students, especially how to overcome challenges.

In this talk, taken from the Saint Macrina Lecture "Teamwork: Marriage is not 50/50 (It's 100/100)," Fr. Luke Carpenter (St. Philip's Orthodox Church in Souderton, PA) describes a theological understanding of marriage.

Mindi and three of the Saint Emmelia interns--Sophia, Caroline, and Christina--have a roundtable discussion about often overlooked classics, and why they should be read. Books mentioned: Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose Coriolanus by William Shakespeare Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte The Idiot by Fyodr Dostoevsky The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot The Professor by Charlotte Bronte Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery

Saint Emmelia Ministries mom Rachel shares some thoughts on stewardship as we enter the Nativity season of almsgiving.

On today’s episode, we discuss AI and how it originated, how it works, and what it all means. Matushka Melissa Naasko is joined by her husband, Father Benjamin Naasko, who discusses the philosophical aspect not only as an Orthodox priest but also as an instructor of philosophy, and Ronald Stempien, a computer science PhD student who is able to explain how AI functions in clear and concise language that is easy to understand. Referenced links can be found below. (Links must be copy-pasted into browser.) Italian Song intended to sound like English but it’s intentionally gibberish: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisencolinensinainciusol Pareidolia, the tendency of people to find faces and meaning in random patterns and images: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareidolia Eliza Emulator: https://web.njit.edu/~ronkowit/eliza.html Man poisons himself by following ChatGPT medical advice: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna225055 Environmental cost of ChatGPT: https://cee.illinois.edu/news/AIs-Challenging-Waters Google AI chatbot suggests teen could harm parents over restricted screen time: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd605e48q1vo.amp

In today's episode, our Head Intern Londyn narrates her essay "Listening Well," which previously appeared on our blog. Londyn reflects on the importance of being a good listener, and offers suggestions for how to listen well.

With this episode, we conclude our series, With Humility & Gentleness: Exploring Vocation. Christopher Chiakulas, founder of Orthodox Christian College Counseling and the author of Paving the Road to College Through an Orthodox Christian Perspective, offers insights on different considerations for discerning whether college is the right path. Paving the Road to College…is Saint Emmelia Publishing’s first published book.

Welcome to a special series, With Humility & Gentleness: Exploring Vocation, where we will be exploring topics related to the decisions that young adults face as they transition out of high school. In this episode, Marcy interviews financial advisor and entrepreneur Razvan Mirica, who discusses the pros and cons of college, the tough financial considerations, and steps parents can take to save for college.

Welcome to a special series, With Humility & Gentleness: Exploring Vocation, where we will be exploring topics related to the decisions that young adults face as they transition out of high school. Marcy interviews Denise Yurchak, a certified senior HR specialist who is now getting her master’s degree in Counseling and Pastoral Care from Antiochian House of Studies. Denise shares how personality–and personality classification or typing–can be used in the process of discerning vocation.

Welcome to a special series, With Humility & Gentleness: Exploring Vocation, where we will be exploring topics related to the decisions that young adults face as they transition out of high school. In today’s episode, Brett Schaller and Brennan Nokelby, two admissions counselors from Hillsdale College, talk with Mindi about the importance of relationships–at any college–and offer practical advice for the application process.

Welcome to a special series, With Humility & Gentleness: Exploring Vocation, where we will be exploring topics related to the decisions that young adults face as they transition out of high school. We’re excited to be joined by Noah Hyatt, an alumni of Saint Emmelia Ministries. Noah shares his experiences transitioning to college, and how he came to be a PhD student.

Welcome to our new series in the Saint Emmelia podcast: With Humility & Gentleness: Exploring Vocation, where we will be exploring topics related to the decisions that young adults face as they transition out of high school. Today, Holden Spain from Hellenic College Holy Cross shares how the college experience can shape young people long after they graduate.

We’re excited to introduce a new series in the Saint Emmelia podcast: With Humility & Gentleness: Exploring Vocation, where we will be exploring topics related to the decisions that young adults face as they transition out of high school. In this episode, Mindi Popovich-Schneider, Marcy Fox, and Mat. Melissa Naasko discuss the challenges and great blessings of working while raising children–and how young women can navigate the pressures and expectations of both the secular and religious worlds.

We are so excited and honored to have Autumn Krause join us on the podcast! Autumn is a Kirkus-star winning Young Adult author, homeschool alumna, and Orthodox homeschool mom. Her books, A Dress for the Wicked and Before the Devil Knows You're Here, were published by mainstream companies, with the latter garnering many accolades. Her third book will be published September 2nd, 2025. Autumn shares how she confronts the hardships of life in her books and recounts how homeschooling impacts her work as an author. Books mentioned: A Dress for the Wicked by Autumn Krause Before the Devil Knows You're Here by Autumn Krause Grave Flowers by Autumn Krause Hamlet by William Shakespeare Les Miserables by Victor Hugo Brothers Karamazov by Fyodr Dostoevsky Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

In this episode, we talk to Fr. Theodore Petrides, who draws from his own experience homeschooling his 6 children, to share both practical and spiritual wisdom to homeschooling parents.

Meet Deacon Nicholas Kotar: author, translator, teacher, and fellow homeschool parent. In this un-depth discussion, Deacon Nicholas shares an author's perspective on American Orthodoxy, building culture through folktales, and creating roots of faith through storytelling.

Mat. Melissa Naasko interviews Subdeacon Herman Tyler Ward. A technology expert for a school district in California, Sbdn. Herman shares his insights on AI and internet safety. You can hear his previous episode here: https://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/saintemmelia/081_interview_with_subdeacon_herman_ward/

Mindi is joined by Monica Chilbert, an Orthodox Christian wife, mother, homeschool co-op teacher, and of course, avid reader. Monica and Mindi discuss assessing books for their kids, and the role of monsters in books. Books mentioned: The Inkheart series by Cornelia Funke The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel Stuart Little by E.B. White The Children of the Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson The Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall The Hug Machine by Scott Campbell Curious George by H.A. Rey Hortense and the Shadow by Natalia O'Hara A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond St. George and the Dragon by Jim Forest The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak Fables by Arnold Lobel The Fire Cat by Esther Averill Charlotte's Web by E.B. White Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare Middlemarch by George Eliot Remains of the Day Kazuo Ishiguro Phantastes by George MacDonald The Secrets of Ormdale by Christina Baehr Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus Oedipus Rex by Sophocles

Meet our board of Spiritual Advisors! Fr. Nikolai Meyers is the priest of Sts. Peter and Paul in Topeka, KS and is our advisor for the diocese of Wichita and Mid-America. He has been invaluable to Saint Emmelia's, advising us on communications, helping with the SOUTH conference the past few years, and sharing his wisdom about curriculum in our Saint Macrina Lectures.

On today’s episode, Matushka Melissa talks with St Emmilia Ministries financial officer about the scholarship programs funded by our organization as well as managing homeschooling when you have lots of small children at home. It’s a fun and informative interview that will give the listener lots of ideas to make homeschooling easier.

On this special episode, Matushka Melissa talks with her oldest daughter, Maria Ross. Maria is a former homeschooler and a 2023 graduate with honors from Michigan State University with a double major in Math and Secondary Math Education with a minor in Biology. Maria uses her personal experience as a formerly math resistant student to give advice and guidance on teaching math in general but especially to struggling students. https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Three_R_s.html?id=vRqGAAAACAAJ&source=kp_book_description https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1614165.You_Can_Teach_Your_Child_Successfully https://hewittlearning.org/curriculum-home/math-it/ https://youtube.com/watch?v=yXNG6GKFhQM&si=kUugCpC_QqV2eNXq

Some of the Summer '24 Interns--Cecilia, Caroline, Londyn, and Sevastiane--are joined by Fr. Noah Bushelli to discuss issues around modesty and peer interactions that teens encounter.

On this episode, Dr Philip Mamalakis shares advice and reflections as well as his motivation for writing Parenting Towards the Kingdom which Matushka Melissa and her husband, Fr Benjamin, recommend as THE parenting book every Orthodox Christian needs. The companion book is spiral bound making it infinitely easy to work with for independent study, book clubs, and church school groups. It was co-authored with Kendra Hunter, Kristina Tartara, and Stephanie Patrides. https://store.ancientfaith.com/parenting-toward-the-kingdom/ https://store.ancientfaith.com/parenting-toward-the-kingdom-a-companion-guide/ https://www.instagram.com/krusaderkendra40?igsh=MW9rcnZwd3Y0M2p4dA== https://www.kristinatartara.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaaxW-Rix9_OleGAvhUraG0Ze13zYyj_FSamng6ps68XCPgxYO7Pl-Lkg3s_aem_XRSfBOEvDZpxNu4ZjhEh2Q

Taken from the Saint Emmelia Ministries Vocation Fair event, Fr. Noah Bushelli talks about what vocation means and how we can go about discerning what God intends for our lives.

In this episode, Summer '24 interns Juliana, Sevastiane, and Londyn join Mindi to talk about their reading habits, as well as why certain stories have such a strong pull on readers. Books and Authors mentioned in this episode: Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh The End of the Affair - Graham Greene El coronel no tiene quien le escribe - Gabriel Garcia Marquez The Anxious Generation - Jonathan Haidt Constantina R. Palmer - The Scent of Holiness & The Sweetness of Grace The Idiot - Dostoevsky Ruta Sepetys (all books, especially I Must Betray You) Susan Meissner Rilla of Ingleside - L.M. Montgomery The Light in Hidden Places, Bluebird - Sharon Cameron The Hired Girl - Laura Amy Schlitz Within These Lines - Stephanie Morrill Traitor, The Silent Unseen - Amanda McCrina Shakespeare The Aeneid - Virgil T.S. Eliot Jane Austen David Copperfield - Charles Dickens Agatha Christie

On this episode, we talk with Summer Kinard about creating accessible environments at home and in church school. Summer has both a masters of theology and a masters of divinity and she speaks and writes on disability access as an Orthodox Christian. She also owns Park End Books publishing. Summer shares her experiences and her joys on working with challenging situations and teaching us how it is that accessibility is accessible for everyone. https://summerkinard.com/ https://parkendbooks.com/shop/ https://summerkinard.com/welcome-disabled-children-to-church/

Mindi is joined by her husband, Calvin Schneider, to discuss how his unique educational experience impacted his relationship to reading, as well as how books reveal the Incarnation. Books mentioned: Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury The Unsettling of America by Wendell Berry The Miraculous Pigness of Pigs by Joe Salatin 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C Clarke Perelandra by C.S. Lewis The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis Other media mentioned: Arrival (2016 film)

Today on the podcast, Melissa Elizabeth Naasko talks technology with Subdeacon Herman Ward. Subdeacon Herman is a husband and father and holds his masters degree in library science. He works as a technology expert with a public school district in California. His wife works as a teacher with St Athanasius Online School and he gives parents advices based on both his professional experience and his faith. Today’s show will be extraordinarily useful for parents but there will be references to some of the specific temptations facing children today. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/family-tech-planners

Fr. Peter Kavanaugh offers guidance on how to address some of the challenging questions with which parents will be faced.

On today’s episode, Melissa Elizabeth Naasko interviews Casey Kassiani Newman, an iconographer, mother, and wife of a deacon . She maintains her studio, Kassiani’s Art Studio from which she produces icons and children’s art and iconography educational materials. She is the creator of the incredibly helpful Sparks4Orthodox materials for children. Kassiani’s Art Studio on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kassianis.art.studio?igsh=M3g3emZ3dDBveWh4 Sparks4Orthodox Website https://sparks4orthodoxkids.com/ Sparks4Orthodox on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sparks4orthodox?igsh=cnlyamFodnlnajRn

Fr. Ignatius Green reflects on the importance of and need for beauty. Fr. Green is St. Emmelia's Spiritual Advisor for the OCA.

Amanda Chagnon is a wife and mother of three who is now using her professional experience as a nurse to care for her medically fragile child. She talks with Melissa Elizabeth Naasko about the joys and challenges in homeschooling with chronic illness.

In this episode, Fr. Noah Bushelli (Saint Emmelia Ministries Director) joins Mindi to discuss the spiritual aspects of reading, especially selecting books. Books mentioned: Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery The Cosmere series (and other works) by Brandon Sanderson The Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien Laurus by Eugene Vodolazkin The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

Fr. Peter Kavanaugh offers suggestions for helping our children to form good Orthodox friendships.

On today’s episode, Melissa talks with Steve Christoforou. Steve’s smile and friendly voice is familiar to Orthodox youth and their families because of his incredibly popular Be the Bee internet series and the accompanying Bee Retreats. Melissa and Steve talk about the positive and the many negatives of engagement with social media. Recently, Steve has made an intentional effort to reduce the role that social media plays in his life and he shares the way he’s managed it and the positive effect this had in his life. These days, Steve is the Director of Operations and Community Engagement of FOCUS North America, an organization dedicated to helping Orthodox Christians serve the needy.

Among the many books mentioned are: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte Wave Kings by Brandon Sanderson Billy Summers by Stephen King How Should We Then Live? by Francis Schaeffer Total Truth by Nancy Pearcey Dracula by Bram Stoker Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevski Les Miserables by Victor Hugo A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens AND MANY MORE!

Fr. Peter Kavanaugh offers suggestions for the challenges of Orthodox dating.

Two of our Summer 2023 interns join Mindi for a discussion about favorite books and how their parents helped them learn how to love good literature. The books discussed are: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodr Dostoevsky The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander Fahrenheit 451 and Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury Screwtape Letters, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

Fr. Nikolai Meyers reflects on loving ways to address moments when parents are faced with disobedience and disrespect.

Today’s podcast with Melissa Elizabeth Naasko features the new financial coordinator for St Emmelia Ministries, Marcy Fox. Marcy is a mother of three and she and her husband own a small business. As music teachers with a studio, they incorporate their business life with their homeschooling life. Marcy is also a dedicated life long adult learner and she inspires others to always keep learning and to not let the fear of failure deprive of us the opportunity to do new things. One of her tasks is to distribute scholarship funds to clergy families enrolled in online education, a program which is funded through the generous donations of the faithful. You can find out more about this and other scholarship programs offered by St Emmelia by clicking through here. https://www.saintemmelia.com/scholarships-grants

The interns discuss some of the challenges they've faced in their homeschool journey, and how they have faced those challenges.

The Saint Emmelia interns discuss what they've loved about their homeschool experience.

In this introductory episode of the "Growing With Grace" series, we meet the hosts: Three homeschooled teens who have been interning with St. Emmelia Ministries. They get to know each other a little better and discuss their respective homeschool backgrounds.

Today Melissa Naasko sits down with Deacon Nicholas Kotar. Father is an author and publisher and an expert on Russian folklore as well as an accomplished musician and director. Father discusses storytelling and the role that stories play in our lives. He also discusses the right and wrong ways to introduce them. Deacon Nicholas’ website: https://nicholaskotar.com Deacon Nicholas’ vlog episode with reading recommendations that can be found here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJ9tfs0naVbzTKzxMzv6X-1mxX0bJhRYf Deacon Nicholas’ upcoming writer’s webinar: https://www.subscribepage.com/guidepostswebinar Melissa’s suggested book for learning to analyze what our children read: https://ignatius.com/a-landscape-with-dragons-lwdp/ Jonathan Pageau’s Snow White Project: https://youtu.be/DgaCikt1hSg