Called to Care for the Vulnerable w/ Elizabeth Marcolini and Fr. Mike Schmitz
Called (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)Show Notes
In this episode of Called, Fr. Mike Schmitz is joined by Catholic author and speaker Elizabeth Santorum Marcolini to share powerful stories of faith and radical trust in God. Elizabeth reflects on her sister Bella and her daughter Zelie—two lives that reveal the beauty, dignity, and purpose of every human person.
Together, they explore Catholic social teaching, the meaning of mercy, and why love always requires sacrifice. This conversation offers hope to parents facing difficult diagnoses, encouragement to families caring for loved ones with special needs, and a reminder that Jesus does not call us to sufficiency—but to surrender.
As Jesus teaches in Matthew 25, when we love the most vulnerable, we love Him.
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More from Called (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
When disaster strikes, where do we find hope—and how does God call us to respond?In this episode of Called, Fr. Mike Schmitz sits down with civil engineer Tracy Kijewski-Correa, Director of the Pulte Institute for Global Development at the University of Notre Dame. Tracy shares her journey from building some of the world's tallest skyscrapers to studying structural disasters and helping vulnerable communities rebuild after catastrophic events.
In this episode of Called, Father Mike Schmitz sits down with Mark Rienzi, the President and CEO of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. Mark has led an extraordinary, unbroken string of landmark victories at the US Supreme Court—defending everyone from the Little Sisters of the Poor and Hobby Lobby to everyday parents and ministries. But his journey didn't start with massive victories. It started with a 13-year string of losses.
What does true hospitality look like? It’s more than hosting a dinner party or planning a great trip—it’s creating space for others to encounter love, joy, beauty, and ultimately, God.
What does it mean to answer God’s call—especially when it leads you somewhere unexpected?
What do you do when suffering hits your family—and there’s no cure?