Idaho Catholic Podcast

What’s the real difference between Catholic priests, Protestant pastors, deacons, and elders? In this episode of The Catholic Journey, Deacon Pat Kearns explores the deeper meaning behind Holy Orders, Apostolic Succession, the laying on of hands, and the sacraments handed down from the time of Christ and the Apostles. This conversation isn’t about attacking other Christians—it’s about understanding what the Catholic Church believes about authority, the Eucharist, confession, and the unbroken line of ordination that stretches back over 2,000 years. If you’ve ever wondered: Why Catholics have priests What makes the Eucharist unique Why deacons are ordained Or what Apostolic Succession really means …this episode is for you.

Most people say, “Just follow your conscience.” But what if your conscience is wrong? In this episode of The Catholic Journey, Deacon Pat dives into one of the most misunderstood teachings of our faith—how conscience works, how it can be misled, and why it must be formed in truth. This might challenge you… but it could also change everything.

He couldn’t forgive himself… and it was destroying him. In this powerful episode of The Catholic Journey, we enter the heart of a man carrying a burden many of us know too well—the weight of past sin, regret, and the quiet belief that “God may forgive… but I can’t forgive myself.” But what happens when mercy is real… and we refuse to receive it? This story will take you into a deeply human struggle—one that challenges pride, exposes wounds, and ultimately reveals a truth we often resist:

“Do not let your hearts be troubled…” In a world filled with uncertainty, anxiety, and questions about the future, Jesus offers us something deeper than answers—He offers us Himself. In this homily for the 5th Sunday of Easter, we reflect on one of the most powerful truths in Scripture: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) If you’ve ever felt unsure about where life is heading… If you’ve ever wished for clarity, direction, or peace… This message is for you.

Some losses are carried quietly… A child you never got to hold. A goodbye you never got to say. A love that had nowhere to go. If you’ve ever walked through miscarriage… or love someone who has… this reflection was made with you in mind. Not as an answer… but as a gentle reminder of hope. That your child is known. That your love matters. And that in God… nothing is ever lost.

They thought it was just a game… Ten minutes. Two teams. Build the tallest snow tower. But when the whistle blew… everything changed. At the top of each tower… something no one could explain appeared. One… Christ the King. The other… Our Lady. No one had carved them. No one had time. And yet… they were there. What happened on that mountain didn’t just surprise these men… It transformed them. This is a story about brotherhood, effort, surrender… and what happens when God meets us in the middle of it all.

He went to Mount Shasta searching for clarity… But what he found… was something far deeper. Blake was strong. Disciplined. A former military man who knew how to push through anything. But on that frozen climb—crampons biting into ice, wind cutting through him—he came face to face with something he couldn’t outwork… The weight he had been carrying for years. Halfway up the mountain… he broke. Not physically. Spiritually. And in the silence… when everything finally stopped… God met him there. This is a story about pain… surrender… and the moment everything changes. If you’ve ever felt like you’re carrying too much… This one is for you.

What if the greatest miracle… wasn’t healing in an instant— but healing that happens step by step? A father and daughter… years of distance between them… set out on an ancient pilgrimage from Florence to Rome. They don’t talk much. They don’t know how. But somewhere along the road… through silence, struggle, and unexpected grace… everything begins to change. This is a powerful story of: • Broken relationships • Unspoken wounds • Forgiveness that feels impossible • And a God who walks with us… even when we don’t feel Him If you’ve ever: • Felt distant from someone you love • Carried regret as a parent or as a child • Wondered if it’s too late to heal This story is for you.

What if the deepest confusion in our lives… isn’t the truth about who we are— but the result of wounds we’ve never healed? In this powerful episode of The Catholic Journey, I share a story that has stayed with me for years… A young boy… lost in pain, rejection, and identity confusion… searching for peace in all the wrong places. Until one moment—alone, broken, and ready to give up— he encountered something… or Someone… that changed everything. This isn’t a story about judgment. It’s a story about being seen. About being loved. About discovering that our identity is not something we create… but something we receive.

She was 25… and already felt like her life was over. Broken family. Painful choices. Addiction. Life on the streets… And a quiet belief that she was no longer worth saving. But one night… in the silence… everything changed. In this episode of The Catholic Journey, I share a powerful story inspired by real lives— a story of brokenness, encounter, and radical transformation.

There’s often someone in our family… Someone we just can’t seem to get along with. Over time, the tension becomes distance… The distance becomes normal… And before we know it, years have passed. In this episode of The Catholic Journey, I explore a difficult—but freeing—question:

I wasn’t planning on finding anyone that day… I was just hiking alone in the mountains of Northern California—trying to clear my head. But something told me to step off the trail. And that’s when I found him. A man lying in the forest… barely alive… who had come there to die after losing his wife and two daughters just weeks before. What followed was a conversation I will never forget. A moment of grace. A moment of truth. And a vision that changed everything. In this episode of The Catholic Journey, I share a powerful story about grief, faith, and the mysterious way God meets us in our darkest moments. If you’ve ever struggled with loss… If you’ve ever questioned God… If you’ve ever felt like giving up… This story is for you. Because sometimes… we are not meant to disappear. We are meant to be found.

Do I need counseling… or do I need spiritual direction? It’s a question more people are asking—especially in a world that tells us to “fix how we feel” but rarely asks why we feel the way we do. In this episode of The Catholic Journey, I speak not only as a Deacon… but as someone who has spent over 40 years working in mental health. Here’s what I’ve seen:

What if happiness isn’t something you have to chase… but something you can begin creating today? In this episode of The Catholic Journey, I reflect on a simple but powerful truth:

There are moments in life when words feel too small… and yet, they are all we have. In this deeply personal episode of The Catholic Journey, I share a graveside committal service offered in Montana for my mother-in-law, Kathy, and her brother, Camilo. This is more than a homily. It is a reflection on love, loss, and the quiet hope that remains when we say goodbye. At the graveside, we are reminded of something profound— we don’t grieve deeply unless we have loved deeply. And while death brings real sorrow… our faith invites us to see beyond it. In this episode, we reflect on: Why grief is not weakness, but love revealed How the lives of those we lose continue to shape us The Christian hope that death is not the end… but a transformation What it means to say goodbye… and still hold on to hope If you have ever stood at a graveside… If you have ever felt the ache of loss… If you have ever wondered what remains after goodbye… This reflection is for you.

Not Republican. Not Democrat. Catholic. In a world that demands we pick a side, the Gospel calls us higher. In this episode of The Catholic Journey, Deacon Pat explores why a faithful Catholic can never be fully aligned with any political party—and why that tension is not a weakness, but a sign of a well-formed conscience. This isn’t about rejecting politics. It’s about putting Christ above it.

Not all journeys are joyful. Some take us to places of goodbye… In this deeply personal episode, Deacon Pat reflects on traveling with his wife to lay her mother and uncle to rest—exploring what happens in our minds, hearts, emotions, and spirit when we lose someone we love. A powerful reflection on grief, love, and the hope we carry as people of faith.

You don’t always have to ask if someone is Catholic… sometimes, you just know.

War is not just politics—it’s a moral question. As tensions rise between the United States and Iran, how should Catholics respond? What does the Church really teach about Just War… and could this conflict meet those conditions? In this powerful episode of The Catholic Journey, Deacon Pat—Navy veteran who served alongside Marines—walks through the reality of war, the weight of conscience, and the tension between strength and peace. This is not about taking sides. This is about forming your conscience before God.

Have you ever felt like God went quiet? Like you used to feel His presence… in the small moments… in the stillness… but now… it just feels empty? In this powerful story, we follow a woman who slowly drifted—not away from belief, but away from listening. What she discovers in the silence… will hit closer to home than you expect. This episode is for anyone who feels distant, distracted, or spiritually dry… Because maybe God hasn’t stopped speaking. Maybe… we’ve just been surrounded by too much noise.