About the show

Inspired by Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati’s mantra, “to the heights,” this podcast uses the charism of Frassati's care for the poor and vulnerable to highlight people who are reaching to the heights in their own lives. Host Olivia R. Colombo takes her background in environmental activism and social justice to introduce listeners to people who are making positive change in the world–– activists, religious, journalists, youth ministers, artists, social workers, and everyone in between.

To the Heights on social media

Episodes

  • 44: Spoken Word Poetry, Rejection, and Adventure | Clare McCallan

    March 8th, 2021  |  Season 4  |  27 mins 53 secs
    art, artist, clare mccallan, marathon, poetry, running, spoken word, stations book

    Spoken word artist Clare McCallan joins Olivia to discuss art, adventure, and taking the leap to pursue poetry full time.

  • 43: Give the Church the Best Years of Your Life - "Live" from #SEEK21 with Fr. Cassidy Stinson

    March 1st, 2021  |  Season 4  |  1 hr 18 mins
    askolivia, askoliviatth, focus, fr cassidy stinson, seek21, st therese of lisieux

    The To the Heights Podcast, a production of the Grexly Podcast Network, takes the mantra of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati and interviews changemakers in the Church and the world who are working for social justice in their own communities. In this first episode of season 4, Fr. Cassidy and Olivia reunite for another year of podcasting in the Media Feed at SEEK21. They take questions from listeners on vocations, goat cheese, living in a church, and everything in between––and they’re joined by a special guest… St. Therese of Lisieux?

  • 42: 2.3 Million Americans Without A News Correspondent | The Prison Journalism Project

    November 23rd, 2020  |  Season 3  |  42 mins 55 secs
    incarceration impacted, journalism justice, prison journalism project, shaheen pasha, yukari kane

    Yukari Kane and Shaheen Pasha, co-founders of the Prison Journalism Project, join Olivia to talk about journalism justice and the project they created to extend that justice into prisons.

  • 41: Wholistic Feminism: The Female Body as Good | Leah Jacobson, The Guiding Star Project

    November 9th, 2020  |  Season 3  |  50 mins 56 secs
    ava kelly, catholic healthcare, leah jacobson, the guiding star project, wholistic feminist

    Leah Jacobson, founder of The Guiding Star Project, joins Olivia and cohost Ava to talk about "wholistic feminism", female healthcare, and the overuse and misuse of birth control.

  • 40: A Reflection on Racism, Faith, & Self-Awareness

    October 26th, 2020  |  Season 3  |  26 mins 22 secs
    action plan, anti-racist, catholic, diversity, racism, resources, social work

    Join Olivia this week for a school assignment-turned-podcast about self-awareness on racism and efforts in the faith to become anti-racist.

  • 39: The Irony of Success: How the Solution to Chronic Veteran Homelessness in Boston Perpetuated the Problem

    October 19th, 2020  |  Season 3  |  36 mins 41 secs
    boston homeless, brighton marine, chronic veteran homelessness, investigative journalism, mayor marty walsh

    Join Olivia for an investigative journalism story on Boston's chronically homeless veterans, and get to the bottom of whether or not the city has ended chronic veteran homelessness.

  • 38: Don't Be A Pretend Missionary | Sean Forrest of Haiti180

    October 13th, 2020  |  Season 3  |  54 mins 9 secs
    haiti, haiti180, ministry life balance, missionary, orphanage, sean forrest, wearing many hats

    Sean Forrest, founder and director of Haiti180, joins Olivia to talk about what the journey of starting the orphanage was like, how dangerous our faith can be, and what it's like to wear so many hats.

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    37: Walking to BC to End Homelessness... from Virginia | Gordon Wayne BC '23

    October 5th, 2020  |  Season 3  |  30 mins 46 secs
    550 miles, boston college, gordon wayne, walk to end homelessness

    Boston College Sophomore Gordon Wayne spent 14 months homeless before a combination of "luck and hard work" allowed him to transfer to Boston College. Rather than flying, like the school offered for him to do, he decided to walk all 550 miles and raise money for the homeless along the way. Olivia and Gordon chat about the experience and where he plans to go from here.

  • 36: Changing the World One Diaper at a Time: Friends of the Unborn | Joan Bailey

    September 28th, 2020  |  Season 3  |  49 mins 3 secs
    friends of the unborn, pregnancy shelter, pro-life ministry

    Here's a look at a maternity home in Quincy, MA, called Friends of the Unborn. If you feel called to support the home and its wonderful moms and babies, the wish-list talked about in the episode can be found here: //gt.gifts/friendsoftheunborn.

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    35: Hiking Banter / Being Grateful for the Climb | Olivia & Faith

    August 24th, 2020  |  Season 3  |  1 hr 12 mins
    dietitian anna, health at every size, st. francis of assisi

    This week Olivia & Faith bring you a chit-chat, banter-style podcast as they drive home from a hike in New Hampshire. Listen for some silly stories, topics from Twitter, things they've been loving, and other randomness.

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    34: Hug the Challenge: Childhood Cancer, Trusting Jesus, and Building Churches | Monica Lacouture

    August 17th, 2020  |  Season 3  |  49 mins 20 secs
    build the faith, monica lacouture

    Monica Lacouture shares the story of her family and how their faith was strengthened through the inspiration of their daughter Christina, who passed from an aggressive form of cancer a few years ago. With Christina's help and now in her memory, they run the non-profit "Build the Faith," which builds churches in impoverished communities.

  • 33: What We Wish the Church Knew about Mental Health | Tommy Tighe

    August 3rd, 2020  |  Season 3  |  1 hr 5 mins
    mental health, saint dymphna's playbook, tommy tighe

    Tommy Tighe, host of St. Dymphna's Playbook on Grexly, comes back to To the Heights to discuss his journey to becoming a therapist, what he's learned from running SDP, and what we both hope the Church can do to better support and address mental health.

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    32: The Power of Your Voice & Story | Activist Abby Abrahamson

    July 27th, 2020  |  Season 3  |  54 mins 26 secs
    roots & shoots, youth activism

    A beautiful friend from the Roots & Shoots National Youth Leadership Council swings by to talk about service projects, finding her voice, telling our stories, and her favorite books.

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    31: What Teen Activism is *Really* Like: the Good, the Bad, & the... Angry | Sarah Ryan

    July 20th, 2020  |  Season 3  |  1 hr 32 mins
    activism

    One of Olivia's closest friends swings by the show again (after her first appearance in the third-ever episode of TTH!) to chat about her experience as a youth and teen activist. You'll hear what Olivia and Sarah wished people knew about being activists and public figures so early in their lives––what they learned, what they're grateful for, what went wrong, what they got fired up about, and what they wish others would know.

  • 30: Catholic Social Teaching, Slow Fashion, and Toxic Gear Culture | Annabelle Larnard

    July 13th, 2020  |  Season 3  |  1 hr 18 mins
    catholic social teaching, slow fashion, toxic gear culture

    This week Olivia and her hiking buddy Annabelle break down the seven principles of Catholic Social Teaching; something they believe all Catholics should know and live by. Listen in for a weekly challenge from Olivia as well as lots of practical tips for living more justly.

  • 29: Say A Prayer & Jump | Ambassador Ken Hackett

    July 6th, 2020  |  Season 3  |  58 mins 8 secs
    boston college church in the 21st century center, catholic diplomacy, catholic relief services, peace corp

    Ambassador Ken Hackett has had a wild ride–– from BC, to the Peace Corps, to CEO of Catholic Relief Services, and then to US Ambassador to the Holy See. Hear Olivia explore what it's like to be a Catholic diplomat in this episode recorded in partnership with the Church in the 21st Century Center at Boston College.