EPISODE · Aug 18, 2026 · 10 MIN
Back to School, Back to the Classroom: A Parochial Vicar's New Chapter – Fr. Mike Mahoney – 08/18/2026
from The Catholic Morning Show · host Bo Bonner, Deacon Mark Campbell, Fr. Mike Mahoney
Fr. Mike Mahoney serves as parochial vicar at St. Theresa Parish, 1230 Merle Hay Road in Des Moines, where he assists with both the sacramental and administrative life of the parish and its school. On this episode, he explains what a parochial vicar does day-to-day, how he gets to know students and staff each year — including new faculty joining the building this fall — and what's changing for him personally: for the first time since entering the priesthood, he'll be teaching a class of his own, middle school religion, alongside his regular parish duties. Fr. Mahoney also reflects on how quickly students opened up to him as a new priest a few years ago, what that's taught him about representing Christ to the kids in his care, and the advice he'd give any student — new to a school or moving up a grade — heading into the fall: authenticity over image, and confidence in the gifts God gave you. Learn more about the parish at SaintTheresaIowa.org. Hashtags #CatholicSchools #BackToSchool #CatholicPriest #DesMoinesCatholic #ParochialVicar #StTheresaParish #CatholicEducation #FrMikeMahoney Credits: Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Ayden Pugh, Alexia Baker, and Brady Grimm. ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Catholic Morning Show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you never miss an episode — and if this one was worth your time, please leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating. It takes ten seconds and it's the single best way to help more people find the show. 🎧 LISTEN LIVE Catch The Catholic Morning Show live, weekday mornings on Iowa Catholic Radio. Listen Live · Program Schedule · Our Stations LINKSYou can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok! More on our website.If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! More from Iowa Catholic Radio:Sunday Dive with Katie PatrizioMan Up! with Joe StopulosCatholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie NelsonThe Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud MarrBe Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce RiebeBe Not Afraid en Español con el P. Fabián MoncadaMaking it Personal with Bishop William JoensenFaith and Family Finance with Gregory WaddleThe Great Men of the Bible with Joe Stopulos Liturgy & DevotionsThe Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick SmithThe Daily Mass from St. Francis of AssisiThe Daily Mass from St. Pius XThe Daily Mass from St. TheresaSunday Mass from the Basilica of Saint JohnWant to support your favorite show? Click Here Iowa Catholic Radio - Connecting People to Christ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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What this episode covers
Fr. Mike Mahoney, parochial vicar at St. Theresa Parish in Des Moines, joins The Catholic Morning Show to talk about entering his third school year and the biggest change yet: teaching middle school religion for the first time in ten years. He shares how he builds relationships with students through classroom visits, car-line greetings, and lunch with different grades throughout the year. Fr. Mahoney closes with encouragement for students and families navigating a new school year, urging them not to be afraid to be authentically themselves.
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Back to School, Back to the Classroom: A Parochial Vicar's New Chapter – Fr. Mike Mahoney – 08/18/2026
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