Recommended by Thad Cardine
I’m happy to recommend Keith Graves and Christian Warrior Training. Keith offers practical, grounded resources for church safety teams and Christians who want to stay alert, prepared, and responsible. If you care about protecting your congregation while keeping faith at the center, I think you’ll appreciate his work.
I’m happy to recommend Jenny duBay’s work. Jenny writes for wounded hearts with a rare mix of Catholic depth, trauma-informed wisdom, and love for St. Catherine of Siena. If you’re looking for writing that is gentle but not shallow, prayerful but still very real, I think you’ll appreciate her.
I’m happy to recommend Dr. Roger McFillin’s Radically Genuine. He writes honestly and directly about mental health, therapy culture, and what it means to live well. If you appreciate thoughtful, challenging writing that asks hard questions instead of just repeating the usual lines, I think you’ll find his work worth reading.
I’m glad to recommend Fr Calvin Robinson’s Substack. He writes and speaks with a clear voice on faith, culture, and the challenges facing Christians today. If you appreciate thoughtful, direct commentary rooted in Christian conviction, I think you’ll find his work worth following.
I’m happy to recommend Matt Fradd’s Terrifying Ruminations. Matt writes articles, short stories, and other reflections with his usual mix of wit, faith, curiosity, and honesty. If you enjoy Catholic thinking that doesn’t feel stiff or overly polished, I think you’ll appreciate following him here.
I’m happy to recommend Karen Swallow Prior’s The Priory. Karen writes like someone who still believes reading, beauty, attention, and the inner life matter. If you enjoy thoughtful Christian reflection that slows you down and helps you notice what is good, true, and beautiful, I think you’ll appreciate her work.
I’m happy to recommend Sisters of the Little Way. Their writing is quiet, serious, and deeply needed. They live a mission of listening and solidarity with people on the edges of the Church, especially those who have been wounded or abused, and they do it with a rare mix of tenderness, truth, and courage.
I’m happy to recommend O. Alan Noble’s You Are Not Your Own Substack. He writes with real depth about faith, culture, mental health, identity, and what it means to live as a whole person in a noisy age. If you appreciate thoughtful Christian reflection that slows you down and makes you think, I think you’ll value his work.
I’m happy to recommend the Catholic League’s Substack. They keep a close eye on culture, media, education, and public life where Catholic civil rights and religious liberty are on the line. If you want direct Catholic commentary from an organization that has been doing this work for a long time, I think you’ll appreciate following them.
I’m happy to recommend Tanner Olson’s Poems, Prayers, and Stories. Tanner has a simple, honest way of using poetry and storytelling to offer hope without making things feel tidy or forced. If you appreciate short, thoughtful pieces that help you breathe a little and keep going, I think you’ll enjoy his work.
I’m happy to recommend Silas Mahner’s Substack. Silas brings together faith, entrepreneurship, Catholic founders, and real-world business building in a way that feels practical and grounded. If you’re interested in people trying to build meaningful work without separating it from their faith, I think you’ll appreciate following him.
I’m happy to recommend Elizabeth Gilbert’s Letters From Love. She writes with warmth, honesty, and a real gift for helping people slow down and listen more deeply to what’s going on inside. If you enjoy reflective, heart-level writing about creativity, healing, and being human, I think you’ll appreciate her work.
I’m happy to recommend The Diary of a Single Catholic Writer. Jocelyn writes with a quiet, sincere love for Jesus and a gentle invitation to draw closer to God. If you enjoy thoughtful Catholic reflections that feel personal, prayerful, and encouraging, I think you’ll appreciate her work.
I’m happy to recommend Dr. Peter Kwasniewski’s Tradition and Sanity. He writes with depth and clarity about Catholic tradition, liturgy, culture, and the life of the Church. If you appreciate serious Catholic reflection that is thoughtful, rooted, and unafraid to go against the grain, I think you’ll value his work.
Big thanks to Candice Hohenwald for recommending my Substack. Candice writes with a gentle, honest heart about finding rest and healing in Jesus. I think many of you will appreciate the warmth, faith, and quiet encouragement she brings through The Swallow’s Home.
Big thanks to Harp from Good Trouble for recommending my Substack. I also had the pleasure of being a guest on his podcast, and I really appreciate the way he creates space for honest, thoughtful, necessary conversations. His line says it well: “If you’re going to be trouble... be good trouble.” I think many of you will appreciate his courage, curiosity, and willingness to stir things up for the right reasons.
I’m happy to recommend Dead Hidden. Their focus is “the Bible beyond the verses everyone quotes,” and I really appreciate that angle. If you enjoy Scripture, but also like being pushed to notice the overlooked, strange, and deeper parts of the text, I think you’ll enjoy following them.
I’m happy to recommend Missio Dei Catholic. I write for them as well, and I appreciate the way they bring together faith, thoughtful Catholic teaching, and a real desire to help people grow closer to Christ. If that’s the kind of thing you enjoy, I think you’ll feel right at home there.
I’m happy to recommend Judson Carroll’s Substack. Judson brings together Catholic reflection, Appalachian wisdom, herbal knowledge, music, and old-fashioned practical skill in a way that feels refreshingly different. If you enjoy faith, tradition, and thoughtful writing with a strong sense of place, I think you’ll appreciate his work.
I’m happy to recommend The Pillar. They do serious, thoughtful Catholic news and analysis without a lot of noise. If you want to stay better informed about what’s happening in the Church, with reporting that takes the faith seriously, I think you’ll appreciate their work.
I’m happy to recommend Forever Peculiar. This is a warm, Christ-centered space for people who are trying to understand their identity, purpose, and calling without pretending they have it all figured out. If you’ve ever felt a little different and wondered how God might use that, I think you’ll feel encouraged here.
I’m happy to recommend Tsh Oxenreider’s The Commonplace. Tsh has a lovely way of pointing back to what is still good, true, and beautiful, even when the world feels noisy and hard to read. If you enjoy thoughtful Catholic writing with a sense of place, wonder, and steadiness, I think you’ll appreciate her work.
I’m happy to recommend Michelle Bolanger’s Risen Fiction. Michelle writes as a creative writer, artist, and columnist, and her work has a thoughtful, personal feel to it. If you enjoy following someone’s creative journey and seeing faith, imagination, and reflection come together, I think you’ll appreciate her Substack.
Big thanks to Mark Eitel for recommending my Substack. Mark has a thoughtful, down-to-earth way of writing about life, faith, and the little things that help us notice God’s goodness. I think many of you will enjoy the honest, reflective feel of Eitel Thoughts.
I’m happy to recommend Dr. Sean Tobin’s The Inner Exodus. He writes at the intersection of psychology, healing, deliverance, and what it means to stay fully human in the age of AI. If you appreciate thoughtful writing that takes both the soul and the modern world seriously, I think you’ll connect with his work.
I’m happy to recommend Josh Nadeau’s Every Day Saints. Josh writes about fiction, craft, culture, and the life of faith in a way that feels thoughtful and grounded. If you enjoy writing that pays attention to ordinary life without losing sight of God, I think you’ll appreciate his work.
I’m happy to recommend How To Be Catholic. D.M. Randle brings the perspective of an apologist, farmer, and lawyer, which makes the writing feel practical, grounded, and a little refreshingly hard to categorize. If you enjoy Catholic thought with some wit, grit, and real-world common sense, I think you’ll appreciate his work.
I’m happy to recommend Eliza Monts’ Substack, Eliza Writes Things. Eliza writes thoughtfully about Catholic faith, daily life, culture, and bringing Christ more fully into ordinary moments. If you enjoy honest, practical Catholic reflection without a lot of noise, I think you’ll appreciate her work.
I’m happy to recommend Mike Donio’s Still in the Storm. Mike writes at the intersection of Christianity and science, and I appreciate the way he brings faith, conviction, and thoughtful questions into the same conversation. If that interests you, I think you’ll enjoy following his work.
Big thanks to Sergio DeSoto for recommending my Substack. I appreciate the way Sergio writes with curiosity, conviction, and a willingness to dig beneath the surface. If you enjoy thoughtful reflections on faith, culture, personal growth, and seeing familiar things from a different angle, I think you’ll appreciate his work.
I’m happy to recommend T.J. Haines’ Stoking the Embers. T.J. writes about building Catholic fire in the fog of the modern world, and I appreciate the steady, thoughtful way he points readers back toward faith and clarity. If that kind of honest Catholic reflection speaks to you, I think you’ll enjoy his work.
I’m grateful to Coach Jon McLernon for recommending my Substack. Jon writes with honesty, courage, and real-life wisdom about faith, growth, and the hard work of change. I think many of you will appreciate his voice because it feels grounded, sincere, and deeply human.
I’m happy to recommend Jonathon M. Seidl’s The Veritas Daily. Jon writes honestly about faith, mental health, addiction, hope, and ordinary life with a lot of truth and grace. If you appreciate Christian writing that is practical, encouraging, and willing to deal with real struggles, I think you’ll connect with his work.
I’m happy to recommend Uriah Fracassi’s Hungry & Curious. Uriah writes for people who want more than quick answers and easy inspiration. He brings a thoughtful, practical love for Scripture and discipleship, and if you’re trying to walk with Jesus in real life, I think you’ll appreciate his work.
I’m happy to recommend Mark Lambert’s Substack. Mark offers clear, faithful Catholic commentary on Church news, theology, and culture, with the kind of depth and context you usually don’t get from quick headlines. If you want thoughtful Catholic insight without a lot of noise, I think you’ll appreciate his work.