The Iron Range mission field that includes the parishes of St. Joseph in Gilbert, Resurrection in Eveleth, Our Lady of Hope in Aurora, and Holy Spirit in Virginia, has been rapidly moving into a new reality, using a mission field model in light of Bishop Daniel Felton’s pastoral letter. The four parishes have four priests and four deacons assigned to them, and 24 staff members working among them.
That presents opportunity but also a challenge: How could that mission field best communicate information to all those parishes and the many generations found in them?
“Mass announcements just didn’t seem like the best route,” said Father Brandon Moravitz.
But a staff member suggested doing a mission field podcast, and that got the wheels turning. Podcasts are like broadcasts, often something like a radio show, that can be accessed and played for free from a variety of Internet services, listened to on mobile or computer or similar devices. The idea of doing a podcast for the mission field was to enhance a sense of unity and get information out and to help form all of its people.
Father Moravitz said the inspiration is something like the Apostles in the early church when God was doing good things through their mission work: “They came back and told everybody about it and built up the church.”
With the help of staff member Josh Milani and using equipment they had available, Father Moravitz and co-host Naomi Ringhand launched the podcast, "Rebuild My Church," on Sept. 19. They are now three episodes in. The content contains both spiritual inspiration and practical, on the ground information that is local to the four parishes.
Father Moravitz said the intention is to have one episode a week that will run no longer than half an hour “so it’s listenable for people.” It’s now available on the most popular places people find podcasts, including Apple, Spotify, and Podbean.
Father Moravitz is no stranger to using technology in his ministry. During the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting lockdown, he was quick to adopt social media livestreams as a means of staying in touch with his parishioners and trying to keep the broader community together.
But he said the podcast seems like a better alternative, and he sees it as “incredibly unifying.” Unlike those social media posts, you don’t need an account to hear them, he said. “Anybody can access podcasts.”
He noted that the podcasts are also much more intentional than random social media posts that go live when inspiration hits. The podcasts are recorded Wednesday mornings before Mass, and he and Ringhand have the opportunity to pray and think about the content and put a plan together.
It’s also very easy for people to share with friends and family.
“It seems like a really beautiful communication tool” that so far has “been pretty amazing,” Father Moravitz said.
He noted that people of all ages are listening to the podcast, from young parents to retired people. Of the latter, he said he’s received more messages from them than from any other group. “They listen to more podcasts than anybody,” he said. “It’s unbelievable.”
Currently, the format is a simple conversation, and Father Moravitz said it will remain that way at least until Christmas, but it’s possible that guest appearances, testimonies, events, and so on could become part of it in the future.