Podcast episodes and YouTube videos featuring Father Michael Schmitz rack up thousands, even millions, of views. His latest project, “The Bible in a Year,” has even made it to the top of the Apple Podcast charts since it debuted in 2021. But for students at the University of Minnesota Duluth, Father Mike isn’t just another celebrity priest. He’s their chaplain.

This week, we talk to Father Mike about the big questions Catholics (and non-Catholics) on campus are asking today, the challenges and opportunities of ministering at a big state school and how he balances life in the public eye and being present to his students.

And in Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley chat with Colleen Dulle about Inside the Vatican’s latest deep dive into the synod on synodality. The global church has just finished up the listening phase of the synod and reports from at least 112 of the 114 bishops’ conferences around the world are in. What have we learned so far from this yearlong consultation? And what comes next?

Topics:

04:10 - Colleen Dulle of "Inside the Vatican" breaks down the Synod on Synodality at the end of phase one

14:55 - A day in the life of Fr. Mike Schmitz

20:55 - The joys and challenges of doing campus ministry on a secular university campus

32:53 - How 'The Bible in a Year' project changed Fr. Mike's engagement with Scripture

42:07 - How Fr. Mike balances being a celebrity priest and a chaplain to his students

Links from the show:

Podcast: Synod reports from all over the world are in. What happens next?

The Bible in a Year podcast

Watch America’s new documentary, People of God: How Catholic Parish Life is Changing in the United States

What’s on tap?

An IPA that was not made in Father Mike’s brother’s brewery

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