Father Mike Schmitz: God gives us enough light for the next step
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Saint Kevin’s Church on Harrington Street (Dublin) was filled to capacity on Monday evening, as 800 people gathered for Mass ahead of Father Mike Schmitz’s sold-out Parables Tour event at Dublin’s National Stadium. The tour event later welcomed 1,600 attendees, with the vast majority of those present being young adults.
The special Mass was organised by the Irish Bishops’ Conference’s Council for Evangelisation, Catechetics and Pastoral Renewal and was celebrated by Bishop Fintan Gavin, Bishop of Cork and Ross and Chair of the Council. Father Mike Schmitz preached the homily.
In his message, Father Schmitz encouraged those who may be uncertain in their faith not to wait until they have all the answers before taking the next step. “To anyone standing on the edge of faith – uncertain, hesitant, or searching – the invitation is not to have all the answers before you begin. Throughout Scripture, we see that obedience often comes before understanding.
“Mary is a fantastic example of this. The Archangel Gabriel appears to her and says, ‘You are going to be the mother of the Messiah.’ She then asks, ‘How can this be?’ He gives her a clarifying answer and she says, ‘Let it be done to me.’
“He does not give her understanding; He does not give her a plan; He does not give her a roadmap. He simply gives her enough information to take the next step. That is the invitation for every one of us. God always gives us enough light and enough information to take the next step, and we can trust Him with that next step.”
Those attending came from every corner of Ireland, with young adults making up the overwhelming majority of both the congregation and the audience. Many travelled as part of parish groups, university chaplaincies, ecclesial movements and youth ministries.
Looking ahead to the youth-led Mass, Sarah from the Diocese of Cork and Ross said, “I’m here in Saint Kevin’s Church and eagerly anticipating the youth Mass ahead of Father Mike Schmitz’s Parables Tour. Many of us musicians are familiar faces from the Jubilee of Youth in Rome last summer, and it is wonderful to reconnect and reinvigorate our faith alongside like-minded people. It is so great to be back again – it is like getting the band back together. There is so much joy in the Church today, and we are all looking forward to the Mass and then the Parables Tour later on.”
Welcoming the capacity audience to the National Stadium, Bishop Gavin reflected on the significance of the gathering saying, “There is something remarkable about this gathering. It is seven o’clock on a Monday evening, in the middle of July, and more than 1,600 people have filled this stadium for a sold-out event. Earlier this evening, many of us gathered in Saint Kevin’s Church, Harrington Street, which was filled to capacity for Mass. It was a beautiful liturgy enriched by so many young people from all over the island of Ireland who were involved in the music, readings, serving and the ministry of welcome.
“All of this points to something deeper than the popularity of any one speaker. It speaks of a real hunger for faith, for meaning, for belonging and, above all, for an encounter with Jesus Christ.”
Reflecting on the changing landscape of faith in Ireland, Bishop Gavin acknowledged the challenges facing the Church while expressing hope for the future. “Today, in a rapidly changing and increasingly secular culture in Ireland, faith can no longer simply be assumed. We need to be more intentional, and more ready to speak about our faith with confidence, humility and joy.
“Yet the desire for God has not disappeared. Faith runs deeply in the story of our people – it is, in a sense, in our bones. Many people, particularly our young people, can feel isolated in trying to live their faith. Tonight says very clearly: you are not alone. You belong here. You have a part to play in what is emerging. Perhaps what we are witnessing tonight is not simply the loss of what once was, but the birth of something new.”
Speaking about the mission of the Council for Evangelisation, Catechetics and Pastoral Renewal, Bishop Gavin said the council is committed to listening to those engaged in sharing the Gospel and helping to shape a renewed vision for evangelisation in Ireland.
“We now want to extend that listening to all those interested in sharing the Gospel and helping people to encounter Christ, so that together we can help shape a new vision for evangelisation for the Church in Ireland.
“This means new ways of communicating the Gospel in this changed environment: not simply waiting for people to come to us, but going out with courage to meet them; inviting, accompanying and creating spaces of encounter; sharing the Good News clearly and joyfully; becoming once again a Church on mission.”
Introducing Father Schmitz, Bishop Gavin reminded the audience that although he is known worldwide through his podcasts, videos and social media ministry, “He comes among us tonight first of all as a priest, a preacher of the Gospel and a witness to Jesus Christ, with a remarkable gift for opening the Scriptures and helping people to hear the Gospel afresh.”
Bishop Gavin also reflected on Father Mike’s connection with Ireland through the country’s missionary tradition saying, “In a real sense, his presence among us tonight brings that missionary story full circle. We are receiving back something of the gift which the Church in Ireland once carried out into the world – now returning to us in a new voice and in a new form.”
ENDS
Notes for Editors
- Bishop Fintan Gavin is Bishop of Cork and Ross and Chair of the Council for Evangelisation, Catechetics and Pastoral Renewal of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
- Father Mike Schmitz is a priest of the Diocese of Duluth, Minnesota, internationally recognised for The Bible in a Year and The Catechism in a Year podcasts and for his ministry with Ascension.