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Dr. Ann Garrido on Redeeming Conflict and Seeking Truth

The Communion Project Podcast

In this episode, host Jonathan Lewis sits down with theologian, preacher, author, and conflict mediator Dr. Ann Garrido to explore how Christians can engage disagreement without damaging their relationships. Ann explains why healthy communities are not free from conflict, how to separate another person’s intentions from the impact of their actions, and why genuine dialogue begins with curiosity rather than persuasion. The conversation also explores truthfulness in an age of misinformation, the limitations of social media, and the Church’s responsibility to model better ways of handling conflict. Ann shares how her experience of living with brain cancer has deepened her understanding of communion, vulnerability, and preaching—not only through words, but through the witness of one’s life. Episode Timestamps 00:57 — Growing up in a large Catholic family in St. Louis 01:42 — The preaching that shaped Ann’s faith as a child 03:36 — Encountering Scripture throughout the week—not only at Sunday Mass 04:19 — Discovering a lifelong vocation to preaching and teaching 05:14 — Thirty years of forming preachers, priests, and deacons 07:33 — What it means to redeem conflict 10:19 — Why conflict avoidance is not the same as peace 12:21 — Healthy relationships require conflict—and the skills to repair them 13:02 — Why people often leave the Church quietly 14:27 — A practical skill for difficult conversations: separating intention from impact 17:55 — “The story I’m telling myself”: questioning our assumptions about others 18:41 — Closing the gap between our internal and external voices 20:49 — Christian habits for communicating online 25:36 — Misinformation, gossip, and our moral responsibility to verify what we share 26:26 — Thomas Aquinas and the difference between honesty and truthfulness 29:06 — Why truth is something we continually seek—not something we possess 32:49 — Dialogue as a spiritual practice of entering more deeply into mystery 33:16 — If you have no questions, you may not be ready for the conversation 34:33 — The bishop who transformed a crisis by coming to listen 38:03 — Living with brain cancer and experiencing communion through prayer and vulnerability 43:08 — Preaching through one’s life when words are no longer enough 44:49 — What gives Ann hope about the Church today 47:59 — Offering the sign of peace across profound differences 50:32 — Why the departure of justice-minded Catholics breaks her heart 52:59 — Communion as seeking truth, speaking truthfully, and being true to one another 55:08 — Three practices for building communion in families, parishes, and online 57:27 — St. Thecla, Catholic agency, and refusing to wait for someone else to build communion 58:27 — The Catholic Church as the biggest umbrella in the rainstorm of life About the Guest Dr. Ann Garrido is associate professor of homiletics and pastoral theology at Aquinas Institute of Theology, where she also directs the Aquinas Children’s Worship Partnership. Her teaching, research, and consulting focus on Catholic preaching, Christian conflict management, leadership, administration, and ministry formation. Ann is the author of ten books, including Redeeming Conflict, Redeeming Administration, Redeeming Power, Let’s Talk About Truth, and #Rules_of_Engagement. She holds a Master of Divinity and a Doctor of Ministry in Preaching from Aquinas Institute and has worked extensively with dioceses, seminaries, ministry organizations, and leaders navigating difficult conversations.