Awaken Catholic

05/22/2026

Jesus breathed on His disciples and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.' That breath wasn't just for twelve men in a locked room — it was the beginning of something meant for you.

On Pentecost Sunday, May 24, 2026, the Church celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit — but most Catholics never connect that ancient event to their own Monday morning. In this solo episode, Nick De La Torre breaks open the Pentecost Gospel (John 20:19-23, NABRE), explores what the Spirit's arrival actually meant for the Church, and makes the case that lay people are not passengers on the Holy Spirit's mission — they are the front line of it. This is one of the most misunderstood distinctions in Catholic life, and Nick won't let it slide another year.

What we cover
• The Pentecost Gospel: Jesus appears behind locked doors, breathes on the disciples, and gives them the Holy Spirit — what this moment means for every baptized person
• What Pentecost accomplished for the Church as a whole, not just the ordained
• The critical difference between how the Holy Spirit works in sacramental clergy versus how He works in lay faithful — and why that distinction sets you free
• What the Catechism (CCC 737, 739, 1302, 1303) says about the Spirit's mission in every member of the Body of Christ
• Why Lumen Gentium 31 and Christifideles Laici call lay people to sanctify the world from the inside — and what that looks like on a Tuesday
• One concrete act of faith you can take this weekend to open yourself to the Spirit who is already in you
Scripture & sources
• John 20:19-23 (NABRE) — Pentecost Sunday Gospel
• Acts 2:1-11 (NABRE) — First Reading, Pentecost Sunday
• 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13 (NABRE) — Second Reading, Pentecost Sunday
• CCC 737, 739, 1302, 1303
• Lumen Gentium 31 (Vatican II)
• Christifideles Laici (St. John Paul II, 1988)

05/08/2026

Feel'n cute... might bring back "The Nick De La Torre Show" weekly Friday lunch hour live stream. 👀

02/11/2026

Please pray for me and the beautiful community of The Pastorate of St. John & St. Joseph in Frederick, Maryland!
The Pastorate of St John & St Joseph

10/24/2025

Today at 2pm ET on the Katie Prejean McGrady show, it's my final day of filling in for her and we're gonna have way too much fun! Halloween is around the corner... so obviously we have to talk Halloween through a Catholic lens (which we'll do with Plating Grace with Fr. Leo) as well as discussing The Occult in Our Lives (& How to Defeat it), and I'll be taking your calls about your own supernatural or paranormal experiences! Tune in to SiriusXM The Catholic Channel channel 129.

PS. If you're not already a subscriber to SiriusXM, you can still tune in by downloading the app and joining for FREE with the free 3 month trial subscription! That's also a great way to go back and listen to my last two days of filling in for Katie (we've had some awesome discussions, and it's worth it). Note though, the recordings of past shows only remain available for a handful of days. Honestly, all of the content there on The Catholic Channel and even EWTN Radio make the subscription well worth it even after the trial period.

I hope you'll join me!

Your brother on the journey,
Nick

10/22/2025

Nick is super excited to step in this week to help Katie Prejean McGrady out, humbly attempting to fill her shoes! At the very least, He'll attempt not to burn the house down while house-sitting 😅. Let's have some fun with it! Nick would love for you to join him on SiriusXM The Catholic Channel 2-4pm ET. Call in to the show and join the conversation! 888-322-8465

10/01/2025

Materials might seem superficial… but really, they connect us to God’s creation and the humanity of the makers.

09/26/2025

I call upon thee, O Lord; make haste to me! Give ear to my voice, when I call to thee! Let my prayer be counted as incense before thee, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice.
- Psalm 141:1-2

09/21/2025

Awaken Catholic has been silently working behind the scenes… brewing up some epic glory… one of the things we’ve been eagerly anticipating getting to announce is that we’re locking arms with the Guadalupe Radio Network! As of September 22, Nick De La Torre will be the new host of “Morning Joy”!!! Morning Joy broadcasts globally Monday through Friday, 6:00-8:00 AM Central/ 7:00-9:00 AM Eastern.

Morning Joy is Growing!

We’ve got some exciting news to share with you. Morning Joy, Where Truth Matters is expanding, going bigger and wider than ever before!

Keith isn’t going anywhere, you’ll still hear his voice, but he’ll be focusing more on social media to help bring Morning Joy to a global audience.

And we’re thrilled to welcome Nick De La Torre to the hosting team! You’ll be hearing him in the hot seat as we continue to bring truth, faith, and joy to your mornings.

Thank you for being part of the Guadalupe Radio Network family. The best is yet to come!

09/20/2025

I’m blessed to serve the Lord in any way he asks me to. My favorite way is as a husband and father. I also passionately love serving Him as an evangelist. The work of evangelism often has me flying around to different parts of the country (and occasionally even beyond). The hardest part of that work is being away from my wife and children. This weekend I have an event in Pennsylvania - driving distance. They’re coming with me! ROAD TRIPPPPP!!! Blessed be God.

We’ll be praying a rosary this evening while driving. Leave any intentions you’d like us to offer up in the comments

07/23/2025

K-Pop Demon Hunters is a better Christian movie than Christian movies.

I’d dare say that someone behind the scenes was deliberately instilling Catholic values throughout it.

Frankly I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the movie since watching it.

It’s a powerful depiction of…
(If you are considering watching the movie, I’d recommend watching it before reading this list)

- one half of the reality of Spiritual Warfare https://youtu.be/cWppAbqm9I8?si=ZjLHnzpCAziuWvHt
- the way the enemy leverages shame against us when we don’t turn it into repentance
- how sin can lead us to the darkness of hatred and a pseudo “righteous anger” and “holier than thou” attitude without ever accessing the healing we actually need—which, inevitably, the enemy uses against us https://youtu.be/l8Dr7vzMSVE?si=o79SpOYH7gGbGDrA
- the effects of keeping sin hidden instead of bringing sin into the light—and convincing ourselves that if we keep it hidden, we’re perfectly good https://youtu.be/yebNIHKAC4A?si=h7zZe5XCL4yogZ_J
- the power of the Sacrament of Confession https://youtu.be/fjOeJssZX_Q?si=qaNcSVCeTSGTFlqM
- the power of living in truth—in the light https://youtu.be/TbMEMCvFbZk?si=KMtUrcKTWHH8gTaA

… also the music is amazing.

The only thing this film is missing is the other half of Spiritual Warfare. Frankly though, I think there’s a sense in which this movie can be positioned to have a much broader impact because of it.

No mention of God. No mention of the notion of salvation or Christianity. There’s a whole world of people that will avail themselves to some powerful and important ideas because of this movie—people who would otherwise never watch a “Christian movie.”

I think K-Pop Demon Hunters can become a powerful on-ramp for deeper searching, and potentially lead people into the arms of Christ and his Church.

PS.
I am DYING to be a guest on the
Pop Culture Catechism with Mike Tenney show to discuss this at greater length.

Your brother on the journey,
Nick De La Torre

06/17/2025

A message from Nick: "As a podcaster, I’m usually the one asking the questions and learning about other people’s stories. It was truly a blessing to sit with my dear friend, JonMarc Grodi, on his "Deep in Christ" show for the The Coming Home Network International.

We went super deep into my journey through “cradle-Catholicism”, Protestantism, the Occult, Atheism, Protestantism, and finally, home to the Catholic Church.

We also had great discussions about the Virtues, philosophy, prayer, and the Eucharist.

I’ve experienced profound, supernatural healing and power in the treasure trove that is Catholicism.

I pray that listening to this dialogue blesses you.

Your brother on the journey,
Nick"

Nick De La Torre was raised in a Catholic family, but through his teenage years into young adulthood, he wandered through something of a spiritual desert, sa...