Old St. Pat's Podcast

By Old St. Patrick's Church, Father Bryan Massingale, Fr. Bryan MassingaleSociety & Culture Religion & Spirituality Christianity Education Self-Improvement Philosophy

Old St. Pat's Podcast episodes

August 10, 2025Special Music Episode Featuring Michael Boschert 8.10.25
Today’s special music episode features Michael Boschert, accompanied by Mark Scozzafave on piano.
The featured songs in today’s episode, performed solo by Michael Boschert, include:
Con Te Partirò
Where You Go
Panis Angelicus
Holy Is Your Name
Ave Maria
To learn more about Michael Boschert, or to book Michael as a cantor for your wedding, click HERE.
15 min
August 05, 2025 Rich in the Things God Loves - Fr. Pat McGrath 8.3.25
Have you ever found yourself clinging to a title, a job, a situation, a lifestyle—or even an identity—that deep down isn’t giving you life? Maybe it feels empty, like you’re wearing a mask just to keep up a charade. Or you find yourself constantly busy with activities that drain you, not fill you, all in an effort to maintain an image or a certain status.
God invites us to confront the illusions we so often chase—wealth, security, status, success—and instead ask ourselves: What really matters? Are we willing to loosen our grip on the things that leave us feeling empty in order to receive the things that truly last? Things like love, purpose, and connection.
God wants us to listen to that tug in our hearts—that quiet sense that something deeper is calling—and to respond. We don’t have to wait until life is perfect to take a leap. In fact, that desire for perfection is often just fear in disguise. But when we step out in faith and take action anyway, our efforts are met with grace.
Because ultimately, no amount of planning, storing, or striving can protect us from the truth: we can’t take our things with us. What lasts isn’t what we accumulate—but how we love, how we give, and the communities we build that help heal and carry one another.
Today, Father Pat urges us to focus on what really matters—so that we may become truly rich in the things God loves.
18 min
July 29, 2025 Prayer That Transforms - Fr. Jack Wall 7.27.25
Have you ever tried to pray and wondered if you’re doing it right? You're not alone—and the good news is, you don’t need to have it all figured out. Prayer isn’t about perfection. Jesus gave us the Our Father as a simple, tender way to speak to God—like a loving parent who sees you as absolutely perfect, just as you are.
And if that’s true—if God really sees us with that kind of unconditional love—how would it change the way we treat others?
The ones who annoy us. Our enemies. The outsider, the competitor, the person who doesn’t fit into our circle. The person on the opposite end of the political spectrum. The ones who challenge us, frustrate us, or are just hard to be around. The people we judge. The vulnerable. The immigrant. The poor. What if we saw them as beloved, too?
In today’s episode, Father Jack Wall wants you to remember that you are deeply loved and, through prayer, you're invited to become that love for someone else.
17 min
July 27, 2025Music Series: My Soul Is Filled With Joy, How Can I Keep From Singing, Canticle of the Turning 7.27.25
The Old St. Pat's Music Series Is Brought To You By The Old St. Pat's Choir
The featured songs today are:
My Soul Is Filled With Joy
How Can I Keep From Singing
Canticle of Turning
14 min
July 22, 2025 Sacred Encounters, Simple Moments - Fr. Pat McGrath 7.20.25
Have you ever stopped to think—when was the last time you truly encountered someone in need? We may say we support the poor, or care about those who are struggling… but support from a distance is different than standing face to face. As Dale Carnegie once said, "The sweetest sound to someone’s ears is the sound of their own name." It’s a reminder that at the heart of every person—regardless of what they have or don’t have—is the desire to be seen.
In today’s episode, we explore the sacred act of encounter—what it means to move beyond service into real presence. Because the truth is, everyone needs something. And sometimes, the people who seem the strongest on the outside are the ones quietly hoping to be noticed, to be heard, or to be healed.
Today, Father Pat McGrath offers a powerful reflection on the dignity we owe one another—not just through our actions, but through our relationships. Because in true encounter, we don’t simply offer help—we honor the soul standing before us.
14 min
July 20, 2025Music Series: Lord You Have the Words, Here I Am Lord, Amazing Love 7.20.25
The Old St. Pat's Music Series Is Brought To You By The Old St. Pat's Choir
The featured songs today are:
Lord, You Have the Words
Here I Am Lord
Amazing Love
13 min
July 15, 2025 The Sitcom of the Soul - Fr. Joe Simmons 7.13.25
Have you ever felt like you’re living inside a sitcom? You know—those moments where you’re faced with a decision and you know the right thing to do… and yet somehow, you still don’t do it? Maybe you delay, make excuses, dodge the situation entirely, and then things spiral
into full-on Seinfeld-style chaos?
Maybe it’s that idea you had to help a neighbor or a cause, but you never followed through. Maybe you meant to check in on a friend, volunteer, speak up, give a little more—but you didn’t. Why? Because you were tired. Or busy. Or unsure. Or you figured someone else would handle it. Or maybe you just really didn’t want to deal with that one prickly person.
You’re not alone. Even comedy legends like Larry David and the cast of Seinfeld have made entire careers poking fun at our very human struggle: the gap between good intentions and actual follow-through.
But what if that gap… is where our faith is meant to come alive?
In today’s episode, Fr. Joe Simmons uses both Scripture and sitcoms to shine a light on this everyday dilemma—and invites us to move from passive empathy to compassionate action.
14 min
July 13, 2025Music Series: Gathered As One, May God Guide You, Go Be Justice 7.13.25
The Old St. Pat's Music Series Is Brought To You By The Old St. Pat's Choir
The featured songs today are:
Gathered As One
May God Guide You
Go, Be Justice
11 min
July 08, 2025 Walking Without a Map: Trusting God in the Unknown - Fr. Pat McGrath 7.6.25
Do you ever feel the need to be in control? Maybe you like to have a plan—or three—before stepping into the unknown. Whether it’s a job interview, a first date, or a financial investment we all crave certainty. We want the outcome before we even take the risk.
But life—and faith—doesn’t work that way. In today’s episode, we explore the tension between our desire for control and God’s invitation to trust. Sometimes, we’re called to step forward without a map, to move even when the path is unclear. And yes, it can feel like being sent out as lambs among wolves in a harsh, often unkind world.
But here’s the good news: God never sends us alone. Jesus sends us out two by two—because the journey of faith is meant to be shared.
So don’t wait for the perfect plan—take the next step. Find a partner or a community like Old St. Pat’s, and trust that God will guide the way.
15 min
July 06, 2025Music Series: Grateful, American Anthem, This Is My Song 7.6.25
The Old St. Pat's Music Series Is Brought To You By The Old St. Pat's Choir
The featured songs today are:
Grateful
American Anthem
This Is My Song
14 min

About Old St. Pat's Podcast

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Old St. Patrick's is a Roman Catholic community in Chicago's bustling West Loop neighborhood, founded by Irish Immigrants on Easter morning in 1846. Since then we have grown into a home to a…