Mike Schmitz

Michael Thomas Schmitz[2] (born December 14, 1974)[3] is an American Roman Catholic priest, speaker, author, and podcaster.

The Reverend Father

Mike Schmitz
ChurchCatholic Church
DioceseDuluth
Orders
OrdinationJune 6, 2003
by Dennis Marion Schnurr
Personal details
Born
Michael Thomas Schmitz

(1974-12-14) December 14, 1974
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
DenominationCatholicism
Alma mater
Ordination history of
Mike Schmitz
History
Priestly ordination
Ordained byDennis Marion Schnurr (Duluth)
DateJune 6, 2003
PlaceCathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary, Duluth, Minnesota
Source(s):[1]

The Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries in the Diocese of Duluth, Minnesota,[4][5] Schmitz is most notable for his social media presence, which mainly consist of his YouTube videos[6][7][8] and The Bible in a Year podcast, both of which are produced by Catholic publisher Ascension Press.[9][10] Schmitz is a public speaker and makes speeches at Catholic events such as the Fellowship of Catholic University Students leadership summit.[11]

Early life and education

Schmitz is the fourth of six children, born to Peter Schmitz, an orthopedic surgeon,[12] and Gudrun "Goodie" Schmitz (née Amundsen).[13][14] Schmitz was born in Oakland, a Chicago neighborhood where his father attended medical school.[15] The family then relocated to Brainerd, Minnesota, where his father practiced medicine.[16] Schmitz is of Irish and German descent; his paternal grandmother comes from County Cork.[17] Schmitz was baptised on the 1st March 1975[18] at the Church of the Assumption,[19] Richmond, Minneapolis. He attended St Francis of the Lakes Catholic School for elementary school,[20] Brainerd High School,[21] and St John's University, where he majored in Theology.[22]

Despite being brought up in a Catholic family, Schmitz was largely indifferent to religion until the age of 15.[23] After spending time as a missionary in South America,[24] Schmitz attended Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity and was ordained in 2003 for the Diocese of Duluth.[25] Schmitz is currently the director of youth and young adult ministry for the diocese[26] as well as the Newman Center chaplain at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

Media career

Since 2015, Schmitz has been the host of Ascension Presents, a YouTube series produced by Ascension Press offering Catholic perspectives on cultural and societal issues. Beginning in 2017, these talks have also been offered as podcasts.

Ascension Presents
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2014-Present
Subscribers867k[27]
Total views133,000,000+[27]

On January 1, 2021, Schmitz and Ascension launched a new podcast, The Bible in a Year, which consists of 365 daily episodes in which he reads and discusses sections of the Bible and adds his own commentary and prayer, which achieved success.[28]

Schmitz was the keynote speaker at the 2022 March for Life rally, an annual pro-life event in Washington, DC.[29][30]

On June 29, 2022, Schmitz and Ascension announced they would be launching another podcast, The Catechism in a Year, which premiered on January 1, 2023.[31][32] The format is similar to The Bible in a Year, consisting of 365 daily episodes where Schmitz reads and discusses sections of the Catechism, adding in his own prayer and commentary.

Books
  • Made for Love: Same-Sex Attraction and the Catholic Church (2018)[33]
  • How to Make Great Decisions (2019)[5]
  • A World Undone (November 20, 2020)
  • Pocket Guide to the Sacrament of Reconciliation (2021)

See also

References
  1. "Priest Jubilees – June 2018". The Northern Cross. Roman Catholic Diocese of Duluth. Archived from the original on July 6, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  2. "Fr. Mike Schmitz: "Lent + Q & A"". Youtube. FOCUS Catholic. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  3. "Michael Schmitz". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  4. "Young Adult Ministry". Dioceseduluth.org. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  5. Sarah Reinhard (2020-01-18). "Discernment 101: Father Mike Schmitz Tackles Decision-Making in Light of God's Will". National Catholic Register. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
  6. Matt Riedl (2020-03-09). "How to be like St. Joseph in a noisy world". Arlington Catholic Herald. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
  7. Carol Zimmermann (2020-03-19). "Lent in the time of coronavirus: More prayer and unexpected penance". Catholic News Service. Archived from the original on March 21, 2020. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
  8. Kristen Bublitz (2020-02-05). "Youtube priest shares vocation journey discernment tips in interview with Sun". The Catholic Sun. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
  9. "Video series for Year of Mercy". Catholic Herald. Diocese of Superior. 18 December 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  10. York, Will Pavia, New. "Catholic priest Father Mike Schmitz's daily podcast of the Bible tops the digital audio charts". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2022-12-26.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. Burkepile, Jacqueline (15 February 2016). "Father Mike Schmitz: Live for Jesus". National Catholic Register. Archived from the original on 6 April 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  12. "Schmitz will miss his patients, their stories". Brainerd Dispatch. 2010-12-20. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  13. "Helen Amundsen". Brainerd Dispatch. 1999-04-02. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  14. Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mass with Fr. Mike Schmitz, retrieved 2022-12-30
  15. Ignite 2020 Conference - Fr. Mike Schmitz, retrieved 2022-12-26
  16. "Schmitz will miss his patients, their stories". Brainerd Dispatch. 2010-12-20. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  17. "Ignite 2020 Conference - Fr. Mike Schmitz". Youtube. Irish Dominicans.
  18. "Why Baptizing Your Baby Is the Most Important Thing You Can Do", retrieved 2023-01-28
  19. "Michael Schmitz on Instagram: "47 years and four days ago…in this very church…God the Father became MY adoptive Father and I became one of His beloved sons. There will never be a way to repay Him for His goodness and His grace. And I will never be able to thank my parents and godparents enough for what they've done. As we have died in Christ, we also now live in Christ."". Instagram. Retrieved 2023-01-28.
  20. Father Mike Schmitz, retrieved 2023-01-28
  21. "Priest Jubilees - June 2018". Diocese of Duluth. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  22. "SJU alum's approach to Bible soars to top of podcast charts". College of Saint Benedict & Saint John's University. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  23. Fraga, Brian (1 December 2015). "Fr. Mike Schmitz, interview". Legatus. Archived from the original on 6 April 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  24. I Will Follow—Two Catholic Priests' Vocation Stories, retrieved 2022-12-26
  25. "Lighthouse Catholic Youth speakers". Archived from the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  26. Pronechen, Joseph (12 March 2015). "Confession Is a Place of Victory". National Catholic Register. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  27. "About Ascension Presents". YouTube.
  28. York, Will Pavia, New. "Catholic priest Father Mike Schmitz's daily podcast of the Bible tops the digital audio charts". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2021-01-10.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  29. CNA. "The powerful message of Fr. Mike Schmitz at 2022 March for Life". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  30. "Helen Amundsen". Brainerd Dispatch. 1999-04-02. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  31. "Ascension Announces for 2023: "The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)" Podcast and New Print Edition of the Catechism". Ascension Press Newsroom. 2022-06-29. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  32. CNA. "Father Mike Schmitz's next podcast, 'Catechism in a Year,' starts Jan. 1". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  33. Daniel Mattson (2018-04-08). "Father Michael Schmitz Tells the Truth in Love About Same-Sex Attraction". National Catholic Register. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
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