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What happens when a young man at a restaurant can't stop talking about his brother's food with pure joy? That's evangelization. Jim and Meghan sit down with Fr. Gale Hammerschmidt, pastor of St. Isidore's Catholic Student Center at Kansas State University, to explore what it means to love the faith so deeply that you can't help but share it. With humor, conviction, and stories from campus ministry, Father Gale reveals how joy becomes the foundation for passing on the faith to the next generation.
What’s in this episode:
- The restaurant story that perfectly captures evangelization
- Why joy must be the cause of faith in every Catholic household
- How St. Isidore's creates a culture where students want to be
- The 9:09 mass and why hundreds of college students attend
- Weekly Bible studies as spaces for checking in with people who love you
- Why Catholic schools and rules alone won't transmit the faith
- The Spirit of St. Andrew and taking the leap of faith immediately
- How St. Andrew brought his brother Peter to Jesus
- The pandemic ministry with 49 days of videos and nightly live streams
- Advice for parents sending kids to college and choosing good Newman Centers
- Focus missionaries and their impact on campus
- Investigating colleges and their Catholic presence before choosing
- The importance of gentleness alongside joy in ministry
- You become the average of the five people you spend the most time with
- One resource every Catholic family should know: Fr. Mike Schmitz's Videos and Ascension
- Book he is currently reading: Personal Prayer by Fr. Thomas Acklin & Fr. Boniface Hicks
- Advice to his younger self: Don't wait so long to take faith seriously
- Final wisdom for listeners: You become the average of the five people you spend the most time with, so choose wisely
Resources Mentioned:
St. Isidore's Catholic Student Center – Kansas State University campus ministry
St. Isidore's Catholic Student Center Facebook – Where Fr. Gale's homilies are posted
The Konza Catholic Podcast – Fr. Gale's podcast
Fr. Mike Schmitz's Videos and Ascension – Catholic teaching and resources
Personal Prayer by Fr. Thomas Acklin & Fr. Boniface Hicks – Fr. Gale's top recommendation on prayer
FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) – Campus missionary organization
Benedictine College – Catholic college in Kansas
