Rebel Saints: Catholic Faith & Spiritual Growth Podcast for Christians
There is nothing more punk than Catholicism. Rebel Saints is a Catholic podcast exploring Christian discipleship, spiritual growth, and Catholic theology for restless hearts trying to follow Jesus Christ in a modern world. In an age of algorithms, anxiety, artificial intelligence, and endless scrolling, how do we live out our Christian faith? St. Augustine wrote, "Our hearts are restless until they rest in You." Sixteen hundred years later, we're still restless — we just have smartphones now. Hosted by Catholic journalist, youth minister, and mother Nicole Olea, this show offers a fresh laywoman’s perspective on the ancient Church. Whether you are a cradle Catholic, a recent convert, a scripture seeker, or a skeptic, this podcast tackles the hard questions about faith and culture. Through thoughtful interviews, compelling storytelling, Catholic Church history, Scripture reflections, and the inspiring lives of the saints, Nicole dives into what it actually means to build a daily prayer life today. The Church has outlived empires, revolutions, and pandemics. She isn't afraid of modernity, and you don't need a perfect life hack or another political hot take to find peace. Maybe the most rebellious thing you can do isn't reinvent yourself. Maybe it's discovering Catholic spirituality and becoming the saint you were created to be. Restless hearts: You are welcome here. Join the Rebellion: Connect with the Restless Heart Society! Ready to connect with fellow rebels living out the Catholic faith? Find us, follow us, and join the community: Restless Hearts Social Club: facebook.com/groups/rebelsaintspodcast Instagram & TikTok: @rebelsaintspodcast / @RebelSaintsPodcast Restless Hearts Society: (Patreon Support the Show): patreon.com/RebelSaintsPodcast Email: rebelsaintspodcast@gmail.com Website: rebelsaintspodcast.com Rebel Saint - this podcast is for you!
Episodes
What do Catholics believe about saints? Do Catholics worship saints? Why do Catholics pray to saints? What is the Communion of Saints? What does the Bible say about asking the saints in heaven to pray for us?
In this episode of Rebel Saints, Catholic journalist Nicole Olea explores one of the most misunderstood teachings of the Catholic Church. You'll discover what Catholics believe about saints, relics, intercessory praye...
Catholic AI is reshaping how we interact with technology. In this episode, Peter Cooney co-founder, reveals how Acutis AI is building an artificial intelligence platform rooted in Catholic teaching, protecting human dignity, encouraging authentic faith, and offering a compelling alternative to mainstream AI tools. Discover why Catholic social teaching matters in the age of ChatGPT.
What is Acutis AI? Acutis AI is an innovative, fait...
What do Catholics actually believe about Purgatory?
In this Catholicism Explained episode of the Rebel Saints Podcast, Nicole unpacks the beautiful, often misunderstood doctrine of purgatory, the redemptive purpose of suffering, and the reality of the Communion of Saints. Far from a place of punishment, this ancient teaching speaks to final healing, belonging, and why your prayers for the deceased truly matte...
In this episode of Rebel Saints, explore why America's bishops consecrated the nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in June 2026, and what this radical act of spiritual surrender means for your faith today. Tracing the pierced heart of Christ through St. Margaret Mary Alacoque's mystical visions to this historic moment, we ask: what does Catholic spirituality teach us about vulnerability, sacrifice, and belonging in a restless age?&...
How do Catholic faith, spiritual growth, and modern crises collide? I
In Part 2 of our Magnifica Humanitas breakdown, we look at Chapters 3, 4, and 5 to see how Pope Leo XIV tackles how to "disarm AI" and reclaim your freedom. This is a practical guide to Catholic discipleship in a digital age, focusing on the three battles reshaping our daily lives: Truth, Work, and Freedom.
READ Magnifica Humanitas: https://www.vatican.va/content/l...
In this episode of Rebel Saints, host Nicole dives into Pope Leo XIV’s groundbreaking new encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas ("Magnificent Humanity"), signed on May 15, 2026. Strikingly relevant to our digital age, this document marks the first time Catholic social teaching directly confronts the world of artificial intelligence, automation, and algorithmic life. Nicole breaks down the foundational concepts of the letter, explor...
On Mother's Day, we're answering the question Catholics get asked constantly: Do we worship Mary? No fluff, no stained-glass stereotypes, just real talk about what the Catholic faith actually teaches about the Virgin Mary. As a Catholic mom, I know how much we need her example—and why her story of radical obedience and belonging matters to every mama, spiritual seeker, and woman navigating Christianity in a secular world. Wel...
As a catholic christian have you ever went to pray and immediately started thinking about literally everything else?
Your grocery list. That awkward conversation from three days ago. The email you forgot to answer. Whether everyone else in adoration is having some profound saint-level encounter with God while you’re mentally reorganizing your kitchen cabinets.
Yeah. Same.
In this episode of Rebel Saints, Nicole Olea talks about...
One year into the papacy of the first American pope, Nicole reflects on why Pope Leo XIV's message of peace cuts through our outrage-driven culture. How does Catholic faith and spiritual growth flourish when we resist the constant noise? In this heartfelt episode, she explores what an Augustinian missionary's simple, repeated call to peace reveals about discipleship in a restless, divided world—and why choosing peace might be...
In April 2026, Pope Leo XIV made headlines, and enemies, by choosing humility over ideology. In this Catholic news roundup, we're breaking down the biggest stories shaping Catholic faith today, from the Pope's peacemaking in Africa to the White House's religious tensions.
Discover how Catholic spiritual growth happens not through winning arguments, but through the ancient practice of true dialogue. Perfect for Catholics seeking to...
St. Catherine of Siena wasn't a nun or theologian, yet she shaped the Catholic Church itself. In this episode, Nicole Olea explores how one woman's spiritual growth and radical interior conviction became contagious—inspiring bishops, popes, and ordinary believers. Discover what Catherine's fearless faith teaches us about discipleship in a polarized world.
We unpack:
- Her radical devotion to Christ
- Her role in ending the Avign...
Can small acts of faith change the world?
On this Easter Sunday 2026, we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ by looking at the "forgotten co-conspirators" of the Paschal Mystery. While the world focused on the powerful, God was working through an underground network of Catholic women, children, and social "nobodies" to make the Resurrection known.
In this episode of Rebel Saints, Nicole Olea dives into the live...
On this solemn Good Friday 2026, we try to silence the noise around us to stand at the foot of the cross with Jesus. As Catholics do, there will be no rushing to Easter. No sanitizing the blood, the nails, or the agony.
In this Catholic reflection for Good Friday Nicole takes her fellow restless hearts to Golgotha: the scourging, crown of thorns, the heavy beam, the nails piercing wrists and feet, the labored b...
Are you following the real Jesus—or just your idea of Him? As we enter Holy Week, Nicole explores the shift from "Hosanna" to "Crucify Him," and what this collision reveals about Catholic faith, discipleship, and the cost of actually following Jesus beyond our expectations.
In This Episode
- Holy Week 2026: Navigating the transition from the triumphal entry to the silence of the Cross.
- The Passion of Christ: Why the expectatio...
Why don't Roman Catholic priests get married? Nicole explores the "why" behind priestly celibacy as a total gift of self to Christ and the Church.
This week on Rebel Saints, Nicole dives deep into the "why" behind priestly celibacy in the Roman Catholic Church. Moving past the modern "hot takes" about power or money, we explore the priesthood not as a restriction, but as a relationship: a total gift of self to Christ...
In this Rebel Saints episode, Nicole explores the Raising of Lazarus (John 11) for the Fifth Sunday of Lent, Year A. Jesus declares, "I am the resurrection and the life," confronting the tombs in our lives: spiritual dryness, shame, sin, broken relationships, or feeling hope is gone.
No situation is beyond God's reach. From Ezekiel's promise to rise from graves to Romans' Spirit alive in us, discover real hope this L...
St. Patrick wasn't Irish—and that's exactly why his story matters for your Catholic faith. In this episode of Rebel Saints, we uncover the real St. Patrick: a British missionary, former slave, and saint whose life transformed Ireland from a pagan land into the Isle of Saints and Scholars. Discover how spiritual growth and redemption happen through prayer, and what this ancient Catholic saint teaches us about faith today.
In th...
What if the real blindness in your life isn’t physical, but spiritual?
In this episode of Rebel Saints, we reflect on the Fourth Sunday of Lent (Laetare Sunday, Year A) and the powerful Gospel of the man born blind (John 9:1–41). Jesus declares, “I am the light of the world,” and reveals that true sight comes not just from seeing—but from encountering Him.
We also dive into the life of Sa...
Are you drawing from broken wells? On the 3rd Sunday of Lent, we meet the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well. Nicole explores John 4, isolation, and finding living water.
In this episode for the Third Sunday of Lent (Cycle A), we dive into John 4. Jesus sits at Jacob’s well in the noon heat, tired and waiting for a Samaritan woman whom society avoided. He asks for a drink: she receives living water.
This isn'...
Did you forget it was Friday and eat meat? Nicole explains Catholic Lent rules, the difference between a slip-up and a sin, and how to handle Good Friday birthdays.
It is Friday during Lent. You forget and eat a burger. Or perhaps your child’s birthday falls on Good Friday. You find yourself holding a slice of pizza thinking: "Wait, did I just commit a mortal sin?"
In this episode, Nicole walks through what the ...
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