Deacon Robb Stark: A Catholic Reflection on 9/11, 25 Years Later (+ more) | The Catholic Morning Show - 09/11/2026

Bo Bonner and Deacon Mark Campbell close out the week on the Friday of the Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time and the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, with Mass this morning at 8 a.m. at Saint Augustine in Des Moines (105.5 FM). Today's saints of the day are Saints Protus and Hyacinth, brothers martyred in Rome in the third century.Fr. PJ McManus, back on the air after a lengthy sabbatical and now serving at Saint Catherine of Siena in the Drake neighborhood of Des Moines, previews this Sunday's readings — Sirach 27–28 and Matthew 18:21–35, where Peter asks how often he must forgive and Jesus answers, "not seven times but seventy-seven times." Fr. PJ explains that Jesus is really telling us to quit counting, unpacks Saint John Cassian's image of anger as a covering over the eye of the soul, and shares a moving personal story of seeing someone who had deeply hurt him come forward in his own Communion line.Sister M. Karolyn Nunes, vocations director for the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George (the Alton Franciscans), explains why discernment is a way of life rooted in relationship with Jesus, not just a one-time big decision. She shares simple daily habits for learning to hear God's voice, why silence matters in a noisy world, and her own story of entering the community 21 years ago. Single Catholic women ages 18–30 are invited to the Veni Si Amas discernment retreat, September 25–27, 2026, hosted by the sisters in Alton, Illinois — details and registration at AltonFranciscans.org. Sister Karolyn also previews Love's Reply, a November discernment weekend for young women at Prairie Star Ranch in Williamsburg, Kansas, sponsored by the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, with sisters from ten religious communities.Deacon Robb Stark, a military veteran, offers a Catholic reflection on 9/11 twenty-five years later. He recalls watching the second plane strike the World Trade Center from a classroom at the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and reflects on the first responders, passengers of Flight 93, and chaplains who gave of themselves that day. Drawing on Christ's words at every Mass — "Do this in memory of me" — Deacon Robb explains how Catholic remembrance is rooted in the Eucharist, calls listeners to choose courage over fear, mercy over hatred, and unity over division, and closes with a prayer for the victims, their families, first responders, and all who serve.Also in this episode: Bo, an Oklahoma native, and Deacon Mark, a Hawkeye fan, trade good-natured takes on the famously "Iowa nice" Cy-Hawk rivalry compared to Bedlam and Ohio State–Michigan, and the hosts remember Hawkeye Marching Band member Derek Phillips.Listen live weekdays at 7 a.m. Central on Iowa Catholic Radio, or catch up anytime at IowaCatholicRadio.com.#CatholicMorningShow #IowaCatholicRadio #September11 #NeverForget #911Anniversary #Forgiveness #Discernment #ReligiousLife #CyHawk #CatholicPodcast 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.