Fr. Mike Schmitz

Looking for DISTANCE LEARNING resources for your religion classes? I’m here to help! Check out this page for what is currently being offered and make sure to SUBSCRIBE TO MY E-MAIL LIST so that you will be the first to know about all kinds of new and cool stuff! I’ll also hook you up with some freebies as a thank you! Wooo!!!

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Fr. Mike Schmitz is a priest for the Diocese of Duluth, MN (you can hear some of his vocation story here) where he currently runs the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota-Duluth (please check out and support his great work at BulldogCatholic.org!) and is also the Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the diocese.

Known nationally for his inspiring words and wisdom, consistent hilarity, and genuine coolness, Fr. Mike is quickly becoming a Catholic household name in America. Do yourself a favor and check out some of the great homilies, videos, and articles Fr. Mike has to offer (TONS listed and linked below!).

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FATHER MIKE HOMILIES – On iTunes!

This is one of the best kept secrets of the 21st century (yes, I just said that): Since 2007 Father Mike has been posting homilies of his that I guarantee will rock your socks. If you’ve ever wished to hear a better homily while at Mass, well, here you go. 250 homilies and counting… all free and for the taking. Please, do yourself a gigantic favor right now and subscribe to Father Mike’s homilies. Seriously. I triple-dog dare ya.

1. Father Mike Schmitz iTunes page (web link)
2. Father Mike Schmitz Homilies (web link)
3. How to download Father Mike homilies (video web link)
4. A Sampling of Father Mike Homily Reviews (PDF)

My wedding homily:

Christmas homily:

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Ascension Presents Videos:

Ascension Presents videos in iTunes Podcast format – https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fr-mike-schmitz-podcast/id1200915759?mt=2

1. Shame vs. Guilt – Their Meanings and How You Can Heal
2. Bromance, Pizza, & Your Mom
3. How to Quit Porn
4. Loneliness After College – Facing the Quarter Life Crisis
5. Father Mike Reviews The Avengers 2
6. Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.
7. Martha or Mary? – Who Should You Be?
8. Bruce Jenner & the Transgender Question
9. Time to Pray
10. Batman vs. Superman
11. What’s My Vocation?
12. Forgiveness
13. Heaven: You’re Not Good Enough (and why that’s ok)
14. Learning from Judas
15. Love is an Ability
16. TV-MA: America’s Addiction
17. Acceptance
18. Captain America: Superheroes Analyzed
19. What Does God Want Me to Do?
20. Did God Change?
21. Ashley Madison and Crushes on Other People
22. Overwhelmed?
23. Fr. Mike with Fr. Josh Johnson at The World Meeting of Families
24. Padre Pio’s Secret to Holiness
25. Do Catholics Follow All Those Weird Old Testament Laws?
26. Made for Greatness, Not Comfort
27. Jesus is McDonalds on Sandals
28. The Greatest Surprise: Jesus’ Second Coming
29. How to Avoid Being Ungrateful
30. All Saints Day Pep Talk
31. Spiritual Blind Spots
32. Getting a Spiritual Director
33. No Spiritual Director? No Problem!
34. Thanksgiving Special: Squanto
35. What’s Your Bedtime?
36. Making a Good Confession
37. Influencing the World
38. Project Advent – Freedom to Fail
39. An Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy
40. Pregnant and Unmarried
41. A Father Mike Christmas
42. Did the Church Ever Sell Indulgences?
43. Ways to Read the Bible
44. I’m Sorry vs. Thank You
45. #AskFrMike: Lucifer, The Trinity, and Leisurely Sundays
46. Preparing for Lent
47. The Significance of Ash Wednesday
48. 4 Reasons for Fasting
49. 4 Reasons for Almsgiving
50. #AskFrMike: Confirmation Sponsors & Female Priests
51. Tips for Praying
52. Prepare to Die
53. Praying Through Holy Week
54. Easter Special
55. Outdoor Weddings
56. I Ain’t Afraid of No Ghosts!
57. Praying in a State of Mortal Sin
58. Aren’t All Churches the Same?
59. Shifting into a New Relationship
60. Caffeinated Conversation with Fr. Mike Schmitz
61. Will I Ever Find “The One”?
62. Will My Pet Be in Heaven?
63. Can I Go to Confession Over the Phone?
64. Save Yourself from Helplessness
65. Learning to Be Alone
66. Discernment 101
67. Independence Day Special
68. Hope in the Face of Suicide
69. Wanting to Fix People
70. What Constitutes a Practicing Catholic?
71. 3 Reasons Catholics Genuflect
72. Why Does God Let Bad Things Happen?
73. The Value of Silence
74. Procrastination Isn’t Always Laziness
75. Letting God Take His Time
76. Venting or Gossip?
77. Does God Love Some People More?
78. #AskFrMike: Chapel Veils and the Significance of Dreams
79. Will God Heal My Wounds?
80. Dogma, Doctrine, and Meat on Fridays
81. Are All Catholics Hypocrites?
82. Can I Get a Tattoo?
83. Do We Deserve God’s Love?
84. The Power of Prayer
85. What is Sin?
86. Adulting Level: Expert
87. Advent: More than a Chocolate Calendar
88. The Immaculate Conception Explained
89. Waiting for Christmas
90. A Season for Everything
91. The Unpleasant Ancestors of Christmas
92. Learning from Your Past
93. Is Shyness Your Excuse?
94. What Defines You?
95. 3 Steps to Unceasing Prayer
96. Mortal vs. Venial Sin
97. The Real Purpose of Funerals
98. Personal, Not Private
99. That’s Offensive!
100. Why Fast on Ash Wednesday?
101. Fasting Can Change You Forever
102. The Meaning of Suffering
103. Acedia: The Noonday Devil
104. Where Is Lent in the Bible?
105. Hell is for Real
106. Good Friday: The Meaning of the Cross
107. God Doesn’t Owe You Anything
108. What is the Sin of Gluttony?
109. What You Should Know About Purgatory
110. What I Learned Getting Roasted at Seminary
111. How to Face Temptation
112. Why Be Catholic and Not Just Christian?
113. Why We Don’t Drink Coffee at Mass
114. Do Catholics Worship Saints?
115. Are My Sacrifices Working?
116. Generosity: The Greatest Spiritual Gift
117. Why Watching MMA Strips Human Dignity
118. Responding to the MMA Video
119. Let’s Talk Superheroes
120. Be a Hater
121. Talking about Suicide
122. Training vs. Working Out
123. Who Do You Spend Time With?
124. What’s Your Burden?
125. Is it OK to Judge Someone?
126. Avoiding Impurity
127. What is Hope and Why Do You Need It?
128. Finding Balance in Christian Life
129. NFL National Anthem Protests
130. Living in the Present Moment
131. Tolkien’s Leaf
132. Battle of Prayer
133. Decision Making 101
134. How Do Priests Pray?
135. Finding God in Darkness
136. The Problem with Criticism
137. Straightforward Career and Job Advice
138. Learning How to Love from the Bible
139. The Lost Christmas Episode
140. Christmas: A Time for Hope
141. The Secret to Sticking to a New Year’s Resolution
142. The Virgin Mary’s Struggles
143. Inspiration to Stop Complaining
144. Why God Gave Us Bodies (The Theology of the Body)
145. Motivation to Go to Catholic Mass
146. 4 Helpful Rules for Discernment
147. Overcoming Envy and Dealing with Jealousy
148. Should Catholics Call Priests Father?
149. Why Confess My Sins to a Priest?
150. Confessing the Same Sins Over and Over Again
151. What’s the Point of Fasting During Lent?
152. Take Courage!
153. Fr. Mike’s Autobiography
154. The Culture of Netflix and Chill
155. Is It Okay to Spend the Night?
156. 3 Questions to Ask to Prevent Gossiping
157. Do You Present Your True Self to Others?
158. Religion Doesn’t Cause as Many Wars as You Think
159. Can a Catholic Marry a Non-Catholic?
160. How to Be a Good Disciple of Christ
161. Catholics, Alcohol, and Drinking
162. Why Non-Catholics Can’t Receive Communion
163. Consistency Will Make You Holy
164. The Church and Immigration
165. Freedom and Its Consequences
166. What Boredom Can Teach Us
167. Being Flexible to Accept God’s Will
168. Developing a Clear Vision in Life
169. For Those Without a Clear Vocation
170. Is Courtesy Required for Catholics?
171. Anti-Fragile Christianity
172. The Pennsylvania Sex Abuse Scandal
173. Repentance and Church Reform
174. Faith is Not Something You Can Lose
175. Do Catholics Have to Respect Everyone?
176. When Mass Feels Like Going Through the Motions
177. Why Joy Is More Christian Than Happiness
178. We are Not Cosmic Accidents
179. Farmer, Priest, and Martyr
180. Reminder: God Loves You
181. Building Healthy Relationships
182. Don’t Have Any Friends?
183. Why We Need Boundaries
184. Is it Ever OK to Deny Christ? / How Do I Know if I’m Working Out Too Much?
185. Giving Thanks is Necessary
186. The Heart of Sin
187. What Does it Mean to Be Blessed?
188. Why We Say “Memento Mori”
189. Do All Good People Go to Heaven?
190. The Role of Duty in It’s a Wonderful Life
191. The Key to Discernment
192. Am I the Exception to God’s Rule?
193. What is Stopping You From Being a Saint?
194. You are a Burden
195. Getting Involved in Parish Life
196. Picking a Thing for Lent
197. What’s the Purpose of Lent?
198. What NOT to Do During a Breakup
199. Signs that Your Relationship is Falling Apart
200. Why Catholics Call Mary Their Mother
201. Do I Have a Good Conscience?
202. How to Pick Up Your Cross
203. The Role of Hope in Holy Week
204. Do You Want to Be Well?
205. How Does Purification Work?
206. Old Testament God vs. New Testament God
207. Feeling Sorry for Yourself?
208. Fitting In at Church
209. Catholic Teaching on IVF and Contraception Explained
210. How Do We Spend Our Time?
211. Understanding Our Capacity for Evil
212. Why Is It So Hard to Make Friends?
213. Trying to Keep God at a Distance?
214. In the World, But Not Of It
215. Why Catholics Have a Pope
216. Signs that Your Relationship Is Falling Apart, Part 2
217. Does God Make Us with Flaws?
218. Not Everything in the Bible is Morally Good
219. 5 Things the Church Can Learn from CrossFit
220. Can We Joke About God?
221. Why Catholics Use Scripture and Tradition
222. Expressing Your Opinion?
223. Responding to “Expressing Your Opinion” Video
224. How to Handle Spiritual Setbacks
225. Reading the “Signs” from God
226. How to Make Decisions Together
227. What You Can Control
228. Is Curiosity a Vice?
229. How We Use the Word “Should”
230. Does God Want Me to Be Spontaneous?
231. God Is Going to Interrupt You
232. The Pressure of Public Conversion
233. Why Is Prayer So Hard?
234. Battling Dryness in Prayer
235. How to Be a Steward
236. The True Meaning of Advent
237. The Difference Between Jealousy and Envy
238. Having Joy in Uncertainty
239. Hope in the New Year
240. How Catholics Should Connect with Others
241. Why Is Taking the Lord’s Name in Vain Wrong?
242. Is Swearing a Sin?
243. Answering the Internet’s Most Asked Questions About Priests
244. Fr. Mike on Evangelization: Telling the Story of God’s Love
245. Even More Questions from the Internet About Priests
246. When Your Desires and God’s Plans Are Different
247. Why Isn’t Ash Wednesday a Holy Day of Obligation?
248. How to Live This Lent for Others
249. How to Start Strong and Stay Strong
250. Offering Up Your Inconveniences
251. How Should Catholics Respond to the Coronavirus Pandemic?
252. God’s Ways Are Not Our Ways

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More Fr. Mike Videos:

1. I Will Follow (vocation video)
2. OLG Shoutout
3. Phil 4:13 Inspiration
4. They’re Playing My Song
5. Disney World
6. Eucharist
7. Word Became Flesh
8. Chinese Punk Rock
9. Transformation – Loon
10. Theology of the Body 1
11. Theology of the Body 2
12. How to Discern
13. Homily at Steubenville
14. Be Not Afraid
15. Theology of the Body talk
16. Chosen – Confirmation Video by Ascension Press
17. Saturday Homily, Steubenville 2013
18. I Love You, Too
19. The Truth
20. Steubenville northwest, 2013 – Saturday adoration homily
21. Steubenville northwest, 2013 – Saturday homily
22. Steubenville St. Louis, 2014 – Saturday workshop
23. Steubenville St. Louis, 2014 – Saturday homily
24. Steubenville main campus, 2014 – Saturday night general session
25. SEEK 2015 – The Hour that Will Change Your Life
26. Talk at McHenry County Catholic Prayer Breakfast
27. What’s Your Why?
28. Finishing Strong
29. Altaration – 3 Things to Know About the Sign of the Cross
30. Altaration – You’re Worth Dying For
31. Altaration – I Will Follow
32. Fr. Mike with Fr. Josh Johnson at The World Meeting of Families
33. Building a Legacy 2016 – Talk #1
34. Building a Legacy 2016 – Talk #2
35. Steubenville St. Louis, 2016 – Love, Same-Sex Attraction, and Tolerance
36. Steubenville on the Lake, 2016 – Love and Same-Sex Attraction
37. FOCUS – Lent + Q&A
38. Belonging – Baptism in the Family of God trailer
39. Belonging – Liar, Lunatic, or Lord?
40. Belonging – What’s in a Name?
41. SEEK 2017 – More than Words
42. Surprised by Truth
43. Nurturing Vocations in the Family
44. Elevate Social Media
45. The Marks of a True Christian Man
46. God’s Plan Revealed
47. The Cross Revealed
48. Why Can’t We Be Friends?
49. Pray the Mass Like Never Before
50. Anti-Fragile Faith

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ASK FATHER MIKE

Father Mike is a frequent columnist for the Diocese of Duluth’s newspaper, The Northern Cross. He’s written dozens of articles answering questions sent his way. Check ’em out here or browse below!

1. Who does it hurt?
2. Receiving the Eucharist
3. Distractions in prayer
4. Married without children
5. “O.M.G.”
6. Is Christmas a pagan holiday?
7. Do I have to raise my kids in the Catholic faith?
8. Why don’t Catholics eat meat during Lent?
9. Will there be animals in Heaven?
10. Why do Catholics venerate the body of dead saints?
11. Do we need Confession?
12. God a “He”?
13. Remorse vs. repentance
14. Do not judge?
15. Cremation
16. Formula prayers give us words when we need them
17. Satan
18. Old Testament laws
19. Discerning your vocation
20. Defining homosexuality
21. Where to draw the line in the media
22. Keeping holy the Sabbath day
23. Is Heaven really “Heaven” if even one person is not there?
24. Do I have faith?
25. Mean God?
26. The Shack
27. Conservative Catholic?
28. The precepts of the Church
29. The Church and suicide
30. The “One, True Church”?
31. Choosing God, not blaming Him
32. Centering Prayer
33. Going deeper in prayer
34. What to do when prayer feels more like work
35. The need for purgatory
36. Tattoos and Christians
37. Can a Christian fight in war?
38. Pro-choice Catholic?
39. Can we get married outside?
40. “God made me this way”
41. American Catholic
42. “I Believe…”
43. Why don’t same-sex couples have a right to marry?
44. Same-Sex Marriage Laws force the Church to ‘Fuss’
45. What’s the problem with contraception?
46. How is Natural Family Planning different from contraception?
47. “Love your enemies and pray for those who hate you…”
48. Mind Wandering at Mass? Try being more active.
49. Before You Go to “Communion” at Another Church…
50. Examining the Role of Conscience in Making Moral Decisions
51. Being “Spiritual But Not Religious” Carries Consequences
52. Angry With God? Tell Him How You Feel
53. You Can Bring Someone Back to the Faith–But First…
54. How to Make the Most of the Christmas Season
55. Opposing Same-Sex Marriage Does Not Make One a Bigot
56. Struggling to Believe is Not the Same Thing as Doubting
57. Forgiveness Might Not Erase Pain, But It Sets You Free
58. “Don’t Worry, Be Happy?” – Prayer, Action Help Ease Anxiety
59. In Confession, Priest Sees Mercy, Love, and Humility
60. Contraception Turns Acts of Love Into Lie
61. “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” – Far From Founding Fathers’ Call for Happiness
62. Why Does God Allow People to Commit Evil Acts?
63. What If God Revealed Himself Completely to Us?
64. Advice for When the Unexpected Happens
65. Annulment criteria – Did a sacramental marriage exist?
66. Marriage and annulments – Continuing the discussion
67. Despair errs because of one thought – Life is worth living
68. Don’t fear that your prayers don’t make a difference
69. God’s will includes complex process of making choices
70. Guilt and shame can lead to changing for the good
71. Horoscopes and fortune cookies – All in good fun?
72. Indulgences? Yep. Remedies to bring us back to God
73. It’s time to get serious about halting the porn epidemic
74. Must I ‘fess up’ to a person I’ve wronged?
75. Q&A – Penance isn’t to punish, but to heal and strengthen
76. Seeking Answers
77. Sin isn’t a necessary evil; aim to know goodness well
78. There’s much to consider before offering an opinion
79. Tips to help you go to confession
80. To break bad habits, we need God’s grace, people’s support
81. What did Jesus look like, and does it matter?
82. What’s wrong with playing violent video games?
83. Who is in heaven? Answer is — ‘We just don’t know’
84. 8 Tips for an Awesome Confession

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FATHER MIKE PICS

 

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