The Heart of a Spiritual Father – Fr. Nick Smith – 06/19/2026

The Heart of a Spiritual Father – Fr. Nick Smith – 06/19/2026

A Father's Day conversation between Deacon Mark Campbell and Father Nick Smith, pastor of Saint Patrick's in Perry and the familiar voice of Iowa Catholic Radio's daily Gospel reflection. Father Nick explains how spiritual fatherhood was a central theme throughout his eight years of seminary formation — learning to know God as Father and to model the fatherhood witnessed in his own family. He honors two formative men: his own father, an attorney and judge marked by a hunger for righteousness, and the late Father John Acree, who gave over sixty years to the priesthood and accompanied Father Nick into his vocation. He describes the deep joy of priesthood — being the instrument through whom the faithful receive the Eucharist, absolution, and blessing — and the privilege of seeing spiritual life grow in souls. For those discerning the priesthood, his counsel is direct: if there's any inkling of a call, say yes and give the Lord a chance to work. To parents and grandparents, he offers reassurance that God desires the happiness of their sons and will give the hundredfold. And to all fathers, he encourages perseverance in the ordinary, hidden battles of daily life, where "fatherhood is won and lost." To hear Father Nick's daily Gospel reflection, subscribe wherever you find podcasts or visit IowaCatholicRadio.com [https://IowaCatholicRadio.com/?utm_source=Iowa%20Catholic%20Radio&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=The%20Catholic%20Morning%20Show]. Listen to The Catholic Morning Show weekdays at 7 AM Central on the Iowa Catholic Radio Network or on the Iowa Catholic Radio app. #SpiritualFatherhood #FathersDay #Priesthood #Catholic #Vocations #CatholicPriest #IowaCatholicRadio #CatholicMorningShow #Discernment #FatherNickSmith Credits: Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Ayden Pugh, Alexia Baker, and Brady Grimm.   LINKS You can follow us on Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/iowacatholicradio] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/iacatholicradio/], and Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ_w8fZ51egdFCWFGRSB4xA]! You can also find more information on our website [https://iowacatholicradio.com/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts]. If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! [https://iowacatholicradio.com/giving-options/]   Iowa Catholic Radio Network Shows: * Be Not Afraid [https://iowacatholicradio.com/be-not-afraid/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce Riebe * Be Not Afraid in Spanish [https://be-not-afraid-in-spanish.simplecast.com/] with Fr. Fabian Moncada * Catholic Women Now [https://iowacatholicradio.com/catholic-women-now/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Chris Magruder and Julie Nelson * Making It Personal [https://iowacatholicradio.com/making-it-personal/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Bishop William Joensen * Man Up! [https://iowacatholicradio.com/man-up-podcast/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Joe Stopulos * Sunday Dive [https://sundaydive.simplecast.com/] with Katie Patrizio * The Catholic Morning Show [https://the-catholic-morning-show.simplecast.com] with Dr. Bo Bonner * The Daily Gospel Reflection [https://daily-gospel-reflections-with-fr-nick-smith-46ae5480.simplecast.com/] with Fr. Nick Smith * The Uncommon Good [https://iowacatholicradio.com/the-uncommon-good/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud Marr * Faith and Family Finance [https://iowacatholicradio.com/faith-and-family-finance/] with Gregory Waddle Want to support your favorite show? Click Here [https://forms.donorsnap.com/form?id=7aa8b1f5-937c-412d-9c60-5eff0f4fca2d] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Catholic Morning Show - 06/19/2026

A faith-filled Father's Day broadcast from the Iowa Catholic Radio Network, hosted by Sam Halligan with co-host Deacon Mark Campbell. Gospel Reflection – 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Matthew 10:26–33) Sam Halligan and Deacon Mark Campbell unpack Jesus' charge to "fear no one" and the danger of living a duplicitous, compartmentalized life. The conversation moves from the duty-driven morality of the Old Testament to the love-driven call of the New, reminding listeners that God counts even the hairs on our head — we follow Him not out of fear, but because we are loved. AJ Brown – Pilgrimage for the Unborn AJ Brown, a parishioner of Saint Pius X in Urbandale, recounts the inaugural Pilgrimage for the Unborn benefiting InnerVisions HealthCare: 67 miles on foot across 34 hours, 20 rosaries prayed at 19 parishes plus stops including the Iowa Catholic Radio Chapel, and more than $12,000 raised. AJ shares the inspiration that came during a Lenten rosary walk, the hardest miles between Saint Luke's and Saint Mary of Nazareth, and the friendships and conversations that defined the journey. He plans to make the pilgrimage an annual event held the last weekend of May. Donations are open through the end of the month at ivhcare.org/pilgrimage [https://ivhcare.org/pilgrimage/?utm_source=Iowa%20Catholic%20Radio&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=The%20Catholic%20Morning%20Show].  Father Nick Smith – Spiritual Fatherhood Father Nick Smith, pastor of Saint Patrick's in Perry and the voice behind Iowa Catholic Radio's Daily Gospel reflection, reflects on the meaning of spiritual fatherhood this Father's Day. He honors the men who formed him — his father, a judge, and the late Father John Acree — and offers encouragement to men discerning the priesthood and to all fathers to persevere "in the trenches" of daily, hidden faithfulness. Listen to The Catholic Morning Show weekdays at 7 AM Central on the Iowa Catholic Radio Network, at IowaCatholicRadio.com [https://IowaCatholicRadio.com/?utm_source=Iowa%20Catholic%20Radio&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=The%20Catholic%20Morning%20Show], or on the Iowa Catholic Radio app. #CatholicPodcast #CatholicMorningShow #IowaCatholicRadio #FathersDay #SpiritualFatherhood #ProLife #PilgrimageForTheUnborn #CatholicRadio #Catholic #GospelReflection   Credits: Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Ayden Pugh, Alexia Baker, and Brady Grimm.   LINKS You can follow us on Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/iowacatholicradio] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/iacatholicradio/], and Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ_w8fZ51egdFCWFGRSB4xA]! You can also find more information on our website [https://iowacatholicradio.com/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts]. If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! [https://iowacatholicradio.com/giving-options/]   Iowa Catholic Radio Network Shows: * Be Not Afraid [https://iowacatholicradio.com/be-not-afraid/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce Riebe * Be Not Afraid in Spanish [https://be-not-afraid-in-spanish.simplecast.com/] with Fr. Fabian Moncada * Catholic Women Now [https://iowacatholicradio.com/catholic-women-now/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Chris Magruder and Julie Nelson * Making It Personal [https://iowacatholicradio.com/making-it-personal/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Bishop William Joensen * Man Up! [https://iowacatholicradio.com/man-up-podcast/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Joe Stopulos * Sunday Dive [https://sundaydive.simplecast.com/] with Katie Patrizio * The Catholic Morning Show [https://the-catholic-morning-show.simplecast.com] with Dr. Bo Bonner * The Daily Gospel Reflection [https://daily-gospel-reflections-with-fr-nick-smith-46ae5480.simplecast.com/] with Fr. Nick Smith * The Uncommon Good [https://iowacatholicradio.com/the-uncommon-good/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud Marr * Faith and Family Finance [https://iowacatholicradio.com/faith-and-family-finance/] with Gregory Waddle Want to support your favorite show? Click Here [https://forms.donorsnap.com/form?id=7aa8b1f5-937c-412d-9c60-5eff0f4fca2d] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

67 Miles, 34 Hours, 20 Rosaries: The Pilgrimage for the Unborn – AJ Brown – 06/19/2026

Hosts Sam Halligan and Deacon Mark Campbell welcome AJ Brown, a parishioner of Saint Pius X in Urbandale, to share the story behind the inaugural Pilgrimage for the Unborn benefiting InnerVisions HealthCare. The journey by the numbers: 67 miles on foot, 34 straight hours, 20 rosaries prayed, 19 parishes visited plus stops at the Iowa Catholic Radio Chapel and beyond, and more than $12,000 raised — including many first-time donors. AJ describes how the inspiration struck during a Lenten rosary walk as part of Saint Michael's Lent, the doubters who said he wouldn't make it, and the support of his wife and children, who walked the final legs with him. He recalls the most powerful moments — a tearful exchange about rain as "the tears of the children in heaven" — and the darkest stretch between Saint Luke's and Saint Mary of Nazareth, where pain became a prayer to walk each step with the Lord. He's joined throughout by Austin Kane, who walked the entire route one mile at a time. Get involved: AJ plans to make this an annual pilgrimage on the last weekend of May. Donations remain open through the end of the month at ivhcare.org/pilgrimage [https://ivhcare.org/pilgrimage/?utm_source=Iowa%20Catholic%20Radio&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=The%20Catholic%20Morning%20Show]. You can also reach AJ on Facebook, or email Deacon Mark at deaconmark@IowaCatholicRadio.com [https://IowaCatholicRadio.com/?utm_source=Iowa%20Catholic%20Radio&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=The%20Catholic%20Morning%20Show] to connect. Listen to The Catholic Morning Show weekdays at 7 AM Central on the Iowa Catholic Radio Network, at IowaCatholicRadio.com [https://IowaCatholicRadio.com/?utm_source=Iowa%20Catholic%20Radio&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=The%20Catholic%20Morning%20Show], or on the Iowa Catholic Radio app. #PilgrimageForTheUnborn #ProLife #InnerVisionsHealthCare #Catholic #ProLifeWalk #Rosary #DesMoines #IowaCatholicRadio #CatholicMorningShow #ProLifeIowa #Pilgrimage   Credits: Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Ayden Pugh, Alexia Baker, and Brady Grimm.   LINKS You can follow us on Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/iowacatholicradio] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/iacatholicradio/], and Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ_w8fZ51egdFCWFGRSB4xA]! You can also find more information on our website [https://iowacatholicradio.com/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts]. If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! [https://iowacatholicradio.com/giving-options/]   Iowa Catholic Radio Network Shows: * Be Not Afraid [https://iowacatholicradio.com/be-not-afraid/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce Riebe * Be Not Afraid in Spanish [https://be-not-afraid-in-spanish.simplecast.com/] with Fr. Fabian Moncada * Catholic Women Now [https://iowacatholicradio.com/catholic-women-now/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Chris Magruder and Julie Nelson * Making It Personal [https://iowacatholicradio.com/making-it-personal/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Bishop William Joensen * Man Up! [https://iowacatholicradio.com/man-up-podcast/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Joe Stopulos * Sunday Dive [https://sundaydive.simplecast.com/] with Katie Patrizio * The Catholic Morning Show [https://the-catholic-morning-show.simplecast.com] with Dr. Bo Bonner * The Daily Gospel Reflection [https://daily-gospel-reflections-with-fr-nick-smith-46ae5480.simplecast.com/] with Fr. Nick Smith * The Uncommon Good [https://iowacatholicradio.com/the-uncommon-good/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud Marr * Faith and Family Finance [https://iowacatholicradio.com/faith-and-family-finance/] with Gregory Waddle Want to support your favorite show? Click Here [https://forms.donorsnap.com/form?id=7aa8b1f5-937c-412d-9c60-5eff0f4fca2d] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Live Undivided: A Gospel Reflection on Fearing No One – 06/19/2026

A Gospel reflection for the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, drawn from Matthew 10:26–33. Sam Halligan and Deacon Mark Campbell wrestle with the modern temptation to keep faith in a "God box" — pulling it out on Sunday and putting it away for the rest of the week. The challenge of the Gospel is congruency: if a camera followed you all day, your life would look the same in every setting. The hosts trace the movement from the duty-driven (deontological) morality of the Old Testament to the love-driven (teleological) call of the New Testament, where obedience flows from filial love rather than mere obligation. The reflection lands on the assurance that "even all the hairs on your head are counted" — we live with integrity not out of fear of judgment, but because we are infinitely loved by the Father. Listen to The Catholic Morning Show weekdays at 7 AM Central on the Iowa Catholic Radio Network, at IowaCatholicRadio.com [https://IowaCatholicRadio.com/?utm_source=Iowa%20Catholic%20Radio&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=The%20Catholic%20Morning%20Show], or on the Iowa Catholic Radio app. #GospelReflection #Catholic #SundayGospel #Matthew10 #CatholicPodcast #IowaCatholicRadio #OrdinaryTime #FaithAndIntegrity #CatholicMorningShow   Credits: Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Ayden Pugh, Alexia Baker, and Brady Grimm.   LINKS You can follow us on Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/iowacatholicradio] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/iacatholicradio/], and Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ_w8fZ51egdFCWFGRSB4xA]! You can also find more information on our website [https://iowacatholicradio.com/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts]. If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! [https://iowacatholicradio.com/giving-options/]   Iowa Catholic Radio Network Shows: * Be Not Afraid [https://iowacatholicradio.com/be-not-afraid/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce Riebe * Be Not Afraid in Spanish [https://be-not-afraid-in-spanish.simplecast.com/] with Fr. Fabian Moncada * Catholic Women Now [https://iowacatholicradio.com/catholic-women-now/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Chris Magruder and Julie Nelson * Making It Personal [https://iowacatholicradio.com/making-it-personal/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Bishop William Joensen * Man Up! [https://iowacatholicradio.com/man-up-podcast/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Joe Stopulos * Sunday Dive [https://sundaydive.simplecast.com/] with Katie Patrizio * The Catholic Morning Show [https://the-catholic-morning-show.simplecast.com] with Dr. Bo Bonner * The Daily Gospel Reflection [https://daily-gospel-reflections-with-fr-nick-smith-46ae5480.simplecast.com/] with Fr. Nick Smith * The Uncommon Good [https://iowacatholicradio.com/the-uncommon-good/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud Marr * Faith and Family Finance [https://iowacatholicradio.com/faith-and-family-finance/] with Gregory Waddle Want to support your favorite show? Click Here [https://forms.donorsnap.com/form?id=7aa8b1f5-937c-412d-9c60-5eff0f4fca2d] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Catholic Morning Show - 06/18/2026

A full morning of Catholic teaching, Scripture, and conversation on The Catholic Morning Show. Sam Halligan fills in as guest host this week and next while Bo Bonner is away (Bo returns a week from Monday, and Alexia Baker is back next week). Gospel Reflection with Deacon Randy Kiel — Deacon and licensed mental health counselor Deacon Randy Kiel unpacks the readings for the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time on the theme of the abundance of God's grace. He draws on the persecution of the prophet Jeremiah, the contrast in Romans 5 between the death that came through one man and the salvation that comes through Christ, and the Psalm refrain "Lord, in your great love, answer me," closing the segment in prayer. Canon Law & Theology with Adam Storey — Adam Storey offers a thirty-thousand-foot view of canon law, describing it as "applied theology" and a tool that orders the community around the triple munera of teaching, governing, and sanctifying. Rooted in ecclesiology — that the Church is a visible, communal, and wounded Body of Christ — he explains why "rules without relationship breed rebellion" and how the law serves as a means to an end, never an end in itself. The Eighth Commandment with Ed Van Buskirk — Continuing the walk through the Ten Commandments, Ed Van Buskirk explores "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." Using the memorable image of a lie as a wind-blown dandelion that scatters and multiplies, he leans on St. Thomas Aquinas and Christ's words "I am the way, the truth, and the life" to show how truth restores relationships and how humility and honesty bring us back into the light. Learn more at GodsRecipe.org [https://GodsRecipe.org/?utm_source=Iowa%20Catholic%20Radio&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=The%20Catholic%20Morning%20Show]. Listen to The Catholic Morning Show weekdays at 7:00 a.m. Central on the Iowa Catholic Radio Network, at IowaCatholicRadio.com [https://IowaCatholicRadio.com/?utm_source=Iowa%20Catholic%20Radio&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=The%20Catholic%20Morning%20Show], or on the Iowa Catholic Radio app. #CatholicMorningShow #IowaCatholicRadio #CatholicPodcast #CatholicRadio #GospelReflection #CanonLaw #TenCommandments #CatholicFaith #SundayReadings #Catholic Credits: Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Ayden Pugh, Alexia Baker, and Brady Grimm.   LINKS You can follow us on Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/iowacatholicradio] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/iacatholicradio/], and Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ_w8fZ51egdFCWFGRSB4xA]! You can also find more information on our website [https://iowacatholicradio.com/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts]. If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! [https://iowacatholicradio.com/giving-options/]   Iowa Catholic Radio Network Shows: * Be Not Afraid [https://iowacatholicradio.com/be-not-afraid/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce Riebe * Be Not Afraid in Spanish [https://be-not-afraid-in-spanish.simplecast.com/] with Fr. Fabian Moncada * Catholic Women Now [https://iowacatholicradio.com/catholic-women-now/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Chris Magruder and Julie Nelson * Making It Personal [https://iowacatholicradio.com/making-it-personal/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Bishop William Joensen * Man Up! [https://iowacatholicradio.com/man-up-podcast/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Joe Stopulos * Sunday Dive [https://sundaydive.simplecast.com/] with Katie Patrizio * The Catholic Morning Show [https://the-catholic-morning-show.simplecast.com] with Dr. Bo Bonner * The Daily Gospel Reflection [https://daily-gospel-reflections-with-fr-nick-smith-46ae5480.simplecast.com/] with Fr. Nick Smith * The Uncommon Good [https://iowacatholicradio.com/the-uncommon-good/?utm_source=podcast%20foot%20notes&utm_medium=podcasts&utm_campaign=podcasts] with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud Marr * Faith and Family Finance [https://iowacatholicradio.com/faith-and-family-finance/] with Gregory Waddle Want to support your favorite show? Click Here [https://forms.donorsnap.com/form?id=7aa8b1f5-937c-412d-9c60-5eff0f4fca2d] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.