Dr. Italy

The sign of the cross is one of the hallmarks of Catholic life and prayer.  Yet often it is made mechanically, even unconsciously.  And if many were asked what it means, where it came from, and why it matters, they wouldn’t really have much to say.

Peter and Paul died in the persecution of the emperor Nero.  Peter was crucified and buried on Vatican hill – the present St. Peter’s basilica was erected over his tomb.  Paul was beheaded and buried outside the walls of the city.  The basilica of St. Paul’s outside the walls covers Paul’s tomb.  The tombs of these two apostles in Rome made Rome the pre-eminent site of Christian pilgrimage from the 4th century to the present, second only to Jerusalem in importance.

7 minute podcast by Dr. Italy focusing on the true meaning of the Sacred Heart of Jesus based on the chief scriptural text connected with this feast and devotion.

On June 24, the Church observes a solemn feast in honor of the birth or nativity of John the Baptist.  No other saint's birthday is celebrated with such solemnity.  The unique role of the Forerunner, the Voice crying out in the Wilderness, in the history of salvation is part of the reason.  But also the Church wants to draw our attention to the witness of John's character.  It teaches us much about the path to holiness and the Kingdom of God.

Holy Thursday, the night of the Last Supper aka the Lord's Supper, the institution of the Holy Eucharist -- why did Jesus do what he did and say what he said? What did he mean when he said "This is my body and this is my blood" and "Do this in Memory of Me"?  And what does the Catholic Church mean by talking about transubstantiation and the body of Christ?  All this is remembered & celebrated on the Feast of Corpus Christi.

Father's Day brings up a very good question -- in this post-feminist era, why should we stick to calling God "Father"??  Isn't this just a relic from a bygone, patriarchal culture.  After all, if God is spirit, he is neither male nor female.  Sonrise Morning show host, Anna Mitchell asks such questions of Dr. Italy who shares from the bible, the Tradition, and the teaching of the Catholic Church just what it means when we say God is Father as well as what we don't mean.  You'll love his insights into the fatherhood of God communicated with energy and conciseness in this ten minute podcast.

In this 13 minute podcast, Catholic Connection show host Teresa Tomeo interviews Dr. Italy about the election of Pope Leo XIV since he was there in St. Peter's square on May 8th, 2025, when the white smoke rose from the chimney.

The Trinity is the central dogma of the Catholic faith and is equally important to Orthodox and most Protestant Christians.  Yet it is a mystery, something that we as limited human beings can never understand. So does that mean we can just believe it but basically forget about it and focus on more practical things, like morality? Not at all, says Marcellino D'Ambrosio (Dr. Italy) on this episode of the SonRise Morning show.  If we fail to make progress in understanding the Trinity, we will never understand ourselves or understand what love is all about.  In this age in which marriages and families are falling apart, we need more than ever to understanding Trinity since this mystery of loving unity is the key to recovering unity, love and stability in our families.

6 minute podcast in which Dr. Italy explains why Jesus called the Holy Spirit “the Promise of the Father” and how God’s promises are fulfilled in the gift of Pentecost which is repeated in every baptism and confirmation.

Without the Pentecost, the gospel is not really "Good News."  Many people actually experience Christianity as bad news.  The Ten Commandments were impossible for even King David to keep.  Though Christians are justified by grace through faith and receive friendship with God as a pure gift, they are still called to live the gospel lifestyle, as portrayed by the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount.  Trying to do this on will-power alone is a pure recipe for guilt and frustration.

In this 7 minute podcast, Anna Mitchell of the Sonrise Morning show interviews Dr. Italy on the profound meaning of the Magnificat, Mary's canticle uttered on the occasion of the Visitation, and how it manifests her as the Queen of Humility and the Queen of Praise.  Also discussed is the beautiful place where this event took place, Ein Karem and the Church built there to commemorate this blessed event.

The famous American author and humorist, Mark Twain, is best known for his best-selling, classic novels Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.  But of all his books, Twain most loved the historical novel he wrote on St. Joan of Arc.  Though he was himself not a Catholic, he saw Joan to be one of the most amazing and inspiring figures of human history.  From her fifteenth year to her death at age 19, she was a living, walking miracle, and her remarkable deeds are not a matter of pious legend, knowable by faith, but are a matter of indisputable public record, meticulously documented by testimony given under oath at three separate inquiries, two during her lifetime and one after her death.  An illiterate country girl, with no military experience, demanded and was given complete control of the French army and turned around a hundred years of military losses if not overnight, in the space of about a week.  She demonstrated a supernatural ability to lead, inspire, and strategize that left everyone, French and English, sh

The Solemnity of the Ascension celebrates many things, among them the Great Commission to preach the gospel to all nations.  Thus, it is a fitting time to ponder the call of Pope John Paul II to a “new evangelization.”

6 minute podcast on the Ascension of Jesus Christ as the illustration of Jesus' words - he who exalts himself shall be humbled and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.  Featuring Dr. Italy and Sonrise Morning show hostess Anna Mitchell.

A thorough understanding of the world Jesus lived in is vital to a thorough understanding of Jesus himself.  Mike talking to Marcellino D’Ambrosio, a.k.a. “Dr. Italy” founder of Crossroads Initiative and co-author of Jesus: The Way, The Truth, and The Life about the historical context of the Old Testament, the world in which Jesus began his ministry. 

In this 7 minute podcast, Dr. Italy tells why no visit to Assisi is complete without a visit to the secred hideout of Francis and the friars, the Carceri hermitage.  To visit the Carceri, it is actually necessary to leave the town of Assisi, which is located about 1/3 of the way up the slope of Mt. Subasio, and ascend much higher, away from the hustle and bustle of the town, to a place where all one can hear is the leaves rustling in the leaves and the songs of Francis's friends, the birds.

It's been a long time that travel and freedom have been restricted due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  But restrictions are about to be lifted so it will be soon time to celebrate.

6 minute Podcast by Dr. Italy showing the connection between Easter, the resurrection, and the Eucharist through an examination of the road to Emmaus story from Luke 24.

14 minute podcast in which Dr. Italy discusses St. Joseph as an often overlooked hero of the Advent – Christmas story.  He shows how St. Matthew’s gospel presents him as a model of faith. In the Advent and Christmas season, all eyes turn to the Holy Family.  Jesus is the primary, focus, of course, with Mary getting secondary attention.  Often, Joseph remains for us a background figure in the Nativity scene, getting less attention than even the Magi.

Divine Mercy Sunday or the Octave of Easter presents us with one of the most famous of gospel stories -- the story of Doubting Thomas. But it shows us how and when the sacrament of penance and reconciliation, aka "confession," was instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ -- and why.