Connecting the Diocese

Host Jack Socha welcomes Fr. Conrad Targonski, OFM, Viterbo University chaplain and campus minister, who explains the meaning of OFM (Order of Friars Minor), the symbolism of the Franciscan habit, and his work on campus and in the community. They discuss how COVID-19 has been a time of grace, adaptation, and spiritual deepening for students and the wider community, including continued masks and precautions even after vaccination. Fr. Targonski shares his 22 years as a Navy chaplain serving Marines, including Iraq and the 2004 Battle of Fallujah, and reflects on post-traumatic stress, faith in battle, and veteran pilgrimages to Assisi inspired by St. Francis. He highlights Viterbo’s veteran outreach, local resources in La Crosse, and recommends daily scriptures, Psalms, and War and the Soul by Ed Tick. The episode closes with a tribute to Captain Tom Moore.

00:00 Show Intro

00:26 Meet Father Conrad

00:49 What OFM Means

01:42 Franciscan Habit Symbols

03:08 Campus Life Stories

04:45 Faith During COVID

08:48 Students and Ministry Adapt

12:09 Zoom and Remote Outreach

13:46 Military Chaplain Journey

16:37 Iraq and Battle Faith

18:24 War and the Soul

19:55 Assisi and Healing Trips

26:06 Franciscan Ethos at Viterbo

27:42 Break and Veterans Next

28:04 Vaccine Caution Update

30:07 Fallujah Aftereffects

31:53 Building Veteran Support

39:50 Real Stories Not TV

42:03 Getting Help Locally

47:35 Faith And Veteran Mission

49:17 Strength In Recovery

51:33 Relevant Radio Thanks

53:27 Books Prayer And Psalms

58:19 Final Farewell Tribute

Host Jack Socha interviews Sister Karen Lueck, a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration and author of "Cheering for the Good: Leading When It Matters," about leading by recognizing goodness in oneself and others. Lueck shares stories from her high-school cheerleading and how it shaped her approach to uniting people’s energy toward shared purpose, emphasizing her belief that “there’s a leader in every chair.” Drawing on her background in pastoral counseling and a Doctor of Ministry focused on women’s psychology and theology, she discusses focusing on strengths, appreciative inquiry, and the difference between guilt and shame, especially as experienced by women and minorities. They reflect on how her pre-COVID message applies during the pandemic, highlighting neighborliness, essential workers, and community cooperation, alongside a brief COVID update on variants and improved masking.

00:00 Show Opens

00:29 Meet Sister Karen

01:53 Book Overview

02:48 Cheerleader Roots

03:31 Price Is Right Story

07:22 Leader In Every Chair

09:02 Faith And Counseling

11:27 COVID And Community

16:01 Goodness And Shame

21:40 Break And COVID Update

24:14 Cheerleading As Leadership

27:26 Purpose And Making Impact

29:11 Purpose Driven Leadership

30:00 Partners In Mission

31:15 Essential Workers And Vaccines

33:32 Panic And Cooperation Lessons

34:55 Using The Book In Groups

35:59 Everyday Power And Cookies

37:54 Diocese Support Message

39:59 Writing The Book Process

43:44 Optimism Shame And Growth

47:45 Divisiveness And Listening

49:19 Learning Across Cultures

51:25 Big Picture And Closing

Jack Socha hosts a “reporter’s notebook” episode of Connecting the Diocese, reflecting on the pre-inauguration and inauguration, including excerpts from Jesuit Fr. Leo O’Donovan’s invocation and comments from Bishop William P. Callahan on faith, life, evangelization, and hope. The program features updates from Monsignor Joseph Hirsch at Casa Hogar Juan Pablo Segundo in Peru, with interviews of boys describing pandemic life and a 17-year-old student balancing studies, breadmaking, and music at Mass. Soscia shares and reacts to a vintage Christmas Eve radio drama about George Frideric Handel’s lost faith and inspiration to compose Messiah, then connects its music to grief and a national COVID-19 memorial, including Bishop Callahan’s Easter Vigil candle reflection. The episode concludes with Bishop Callahan’s remarks on youth and Amanda Gorman’s inaugural poem.

00:00 Opening Prayer

02:16 Patriotism and Wisdom

03:56 Lord's Prayer

04:32 Church and Human Dignity

07:06 St Patrick Blessing

08:31 Host Update

10:43 Between Christmas and Lent

12:27 Mission Visit Peru

14:43 Handel Loses Faith

17:07 A Mysterious Stranger

19:00 Bridge Confrontation

20:02 Home for Christmas

20:41 A Desperate Letter

21:17 The Messiah Manuscript

22:24 Music Returns

23:41 Nativity In Scripture

29:48 Four Weeks Of Fever

31:11 Thanksgiving At The Altar

35:25 COVID Candle Memorial

37:15 Trumpet Shall Sound

49:13 Show Wrap And Tease

49:26 Casa Hogar Update

51:27 Bishop On Youth

52:18 Amanda Gorman Poem

57:52 Light And Farewell

Host Jack Socha introduces a “patchwork” episode of Connecting the Diocese amid a fast-changing national climate, winter weather, and COVID-19, urging prayer for the country and even those causing unrest. Bishop William P. Callahan explains how to begin a prayer life as simple, ongoing dialogue with God—starting with a greeting, practicing small acts of reverence, speaking honestly in any circumstance, and growing trust—while drawing parallels to how talking helps people work through problems. An excerpt from Professor Tom Thibodeau frames the pandemic as a collective life transition. Roberto Partarrieu of Catholic Charities shares updates on adoption (including 37 placements in 2020 and statewide post-adoption support), homelessness services and shelter adaptations for distancing, immigration cases, volunteer shortages, and expectations of increased homelessness after eviction moratoriums end. Socha closes with veterans’ cleanup efforts in Washington, D.C., and a history of Fort McHenry and the origins of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

00:00 Show Opens

00:32 Week In Review

01:15 Why Prayer Matters

02:04 Bishop Prayer Preview

04:14 Common Sense Break

04:50 Life Quakes And Change

06:16 Defining Prayer Life

08:37 Simple Daily Prayer

11:18 God Always Listens

12:14 Talking It Through

14:45 Morning Prayer Habits

15:54 Trust And Confidence

17:12 Mask Story And Warning

19:10 Catholic Charities Update

21:38 Adoption Program Overview

23:33 How To Place A Child

26:57 Winter Homeless Outreach

28:51 Homelessness Trends

30:48 Youth Addiction Cycle

32:58 Agency Collaboration

34:14 Evictions and Financial Help

36:04 Contact and Counseling

37:24 Shelter Operations Update

40:03 Immigration Casework

42:16 Volunteers and Vaccines

45:03 2021 Plans and Donations

49:33 Snowstorm and Good News

51:38 Star Spangled Banner Story

56:59 Closing Thoughts

Host Jack Socha welcomes Bishop William Patrick Callahan for a New Year episode of “Connecting the Diocese” focused on hope and resilience amid COVID-19 disruptions. They discuss how the Diocese of La Crosse has served parishioners through livestreams, print, and radio, and encourage vaccination while addressing fears about needles and noting medical advances. Jack offers a COVID-19 update about a more transmissible variant and warns that overwhelmed hospitals affect all emergencies, urging masks, distancing, and hygiene. They reflect on religious figures who died in 2020, including Latin scholar Fr. Reginald Foster, and explore mentors who act as “moral compasses,” highlighting youth ministry. Bishop recaps Christmas liturgies at the cathedral under Monsignor Richard Gillis and shares encouragement about new priests and seminarians. The show also features stories of community ingenuity and compassion, commentary on fast-moving news and reporting, a closing prayer and blessing, and a final reflection on hate as rooted in pain.

00:00 Show Intro

00:21 New Year Greetings

01:11 Church Outreach During Lockdowns

03:08 Choosing Hope in 2021

04:48 Vaccines and Needle Fears

07:51 Winter Beauty and Hoar Frost

09:51 Remembering Faith Leaders Lost

14:46 Moral Compass Mentors

21:32 Weekly COVID-19 Report

23:33 Christmas Season Recap

24:26 Cathedral Updates and Young Families

27:18 New Priests in a Tough Year

28:29 Checking on Seminarians

30:13 Finding Home in La Crosse

31:41 Generosity in a Snowstorm

34:51 Pandemic Help Through Charities

36:53 Ingenuity and Moral Compass

39:49 Hope After DC Chaos

45:34 Media Decline and Critical Thinking

49:58 Vaccines and Staying Hopeful

52:11 Prayer Blessing and Signoff

53:17 Final Reflection and Closing Hymn