Story Secrets - Cooking Monsters and Exorcising Spirits

Story Secrets - Cooking Monsters and Exorcising Spirits

Author: Fr. Roderick Vonhögen February 19, 2025 Duration: 13:32

Editing my footage from the Elfia fantasy fair feels like stepping into a time machine. It’s freezing outside, but watching those warm, sunny September days again? Pure joy. Events like these are more than just fun—they create lasting memories.

One of my favorite encounters was with a German cosplayer dressed as Senshi, the mustachioed dwarven cook from Delicious in Dungeon. If you haven’t seen it, it’s a delightful anime about adventurers who literally cook and eat the monsters they fight. Think Dungeons & Dragons meets a cooking show. Strange? Yes. Entertaining? Absolutely.

During our chat, she mentioned another anime: Mononoke (not to be confused with Princess Mononoke). This visually stunning series follows a mysterious medicine seller who exorcises spirits by uncovering their form, truth, and motivation. It’s a deep, metaphorical take on human nature—and now, I need to watch it.

Cosplay, conventions, and unexpected anime recommendations—this is why I love these events. Have you seen Delicious in Dungeon or Mononoke? Let me know what you think!


Ever notice how a great film or television show can linger in your mind long after the credits roll? There’s often something more happening beneath the surface, a resonance that feels almost spiritual. Story Secrets is where we pull on those threads. Hosted by Fr. Roderick Vonhögen, this podcast sits at a unique crossroads, weaving together discussions on faith, popular culture, and pure entertainment. Each episode takes a familiar story-whether from a beloved movie, a gripping TV series, or even a timeless tale-and gently uncovers the themes of meaning, purpose, and humanity hidden within. You won’t find dry lectures here; instead, Fr. Roderick brings a conversational and insightful perspective, revealing how narratives we enjoy in our leisure time can unexpectedly illuminate deeper questions about life, virtue, and connection. It’s for anyone who loves a good story and has ever wondered why it sticks with them. Tuning into this podcast feels like joining a thoughtful friend for a coffee after seeing a fantastic film, where the conversation naturally drifts from plot points to the profound. You’ll come away with a richer appreciation for the craft of storytelling and, perhaps, a new lens through which to view your own journey.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Story Secrets
Podcast Episodes
Story Secrets - Saint Brendan's First Voyage [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:00
This week, on May 16, we celebrated the feast of Saint Brendan the Navigator, the Irish monk whose sea voyages became the stuff of both Christian devotion and mythic imagination. He’s often remembered for his legendary j…
Story Secrets - The Hollow Game [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:32
Why I came up with this story. I worry about what we’re handing our children. Not just phones and tablets, but the digital realms they open: worlds that begin by adding to life, but slowly start to replace it. Curated, a…
Story Secrets - Bello and the Colossus [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:53
Remember Pico, the fluffy seagull chick who crash-landed on the roof of the Sistine Chapel during the Conclave? This story takes us back in time—way back—to ancient Rome, during the reign of Emperor Nero. Meet Bello, one…
Story Secrets - The Druid and the Fogmaker [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:27
Two rival druids. One village. A battle between enchantment and healing. This week’s story takes us deep into a misty glen in early medieval Ireland, where a kind old druid brews gentle potions to help the sick and sorro…
Story Secrets - Bob's Roman Holiday [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:43
In times of transition, it's often the smallest voices that carry the clearest songs. I created this short story in the days following the election of Pope Leo XIV, inspired by the quiet courage and gentle presence of Ca…
Story Secrets - The Sisters of the Forbidden Fruit [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:39
What happens when faith becomes a hunger strike? In today’s story, we follow the journey of a young nun who enters a monastery dreaming of a different life—one rooted in silence, simplicity, and God. But as she rises thr…
Story Secrets - The Hunter and the Angel [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:15
What would you do if you stumbled on a sign warning you not to pass? Not a flimsy warning—but one carved in stone, written in Latin, perched above a crumbling gate that leads deep into a dark and ancient forest. Would yo…
Story Secrets - The Magician’s Cat [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:19
In today’s story, a quiet monastery hides a restless hunter—and a secret dream of claws, courage, and transformation. “The Magician’s Cat” follows a feisty orange tabby named Magnus who’s not content with the peaceful li…
Story Secrets - The Lion, the Bridge and the Wardrobe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:32
What happens when the Room of Tears hides more than just vestments—and opens into a world of snow, silence, and saints? In this magical and deeply symbolic short story, “The Lion, the Bridge, and the Wardrobe,” I reimagi…
Story Secrets - A Tale Of Soot And Spirit [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:34
What if the black and white smoke signals from the Sistine Chapel weren’t just symbols… but sentient? In this short story, I reimagine the smoke of the papal conclave as two ancient beings—mystical smoke-spirits locked i…