Emma Lynch: The Young Catholics Reviving Sacred Music (+ more) | The Catholic Morning Show - 09/04/2026

Bo Bonner and Deacon Mark Campbell open a quiet Friday morning in the Des Moines metro as central Iowa heads into Labor Day weekend, with Mass at 9 a.m. at Saint Mary Magdalene in Bloomfield (105.3 FM). Today's saint of the day is Moses the Prophet — lawgiver, leader, and the great figure of the Old Testament who met God on Mount Sinai.Deacon Dan Rouse of Saint Patrick's Parish in Cedar Rapids (Archdiocese of Dubuque) returns for the Sunday Gospel reflection on Matthew 18:15-20, walking through the gradual process Jesus gives for restoring a broken relationship. Deacon Dan names the three ways we usually botch conflict — fight, flight, or quietly ignoring it — and points to prayer as the first move instead. Drawing on Saint Vincent de Paul, who struggled with harshness and sharp mood swings his whole life, he leaves listeners with a harder question than "who has wronged me?": have I wronged someone, and is there something in my own behavior that needs to change?Eileen Denner, co-founder and chief servant officer of the Iowa Christian Generosity Council, joins Deacon Mark for her first appearance on the show. Eileen traces ICGC from a small prayer group of Christian business leaders to a network of more than 47 Christ-centered nonprofits that meet for quarterly luncheons and workshops — and never, at any event, ask for money. She previews Ignite Your Legacy, ICGC's annual thank-you dinner for nonprofit mission partners, on Monday, September 14 at the Ron Pearson Center in West Des Moines: a nonprofit fair and reception from 4 to 5:45 p.m., dinner and program from 6 to 8 p.m., roughly 475 to 500 guests expected, and this year's theme, Shine Your Light. Author and biblical stewardship advocate Chris McDaniel is the featured speaker. Iowa Catholic Radio has a listener table this year — the first five people to text ICGC to 515-223-1150 win a pair of tickets. More about the council at ICGC Iowa and event details here.Jeanne Thill previews this weekend's Making It Personal with Bishop William M. Joensen, featuring a conversation with seminarian Connor Lynch before he headed back to Rome. Connor will be ordained to the diaconate on October 1, the Feast of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, and ordained a priest next year at the cathedral. Making It Personal airs Saturday at 8 a.m. and Sunday at 11 a.m.Emma Lynch, the new music director at Saint Thomas Aquinas in Indianola and a former student of Bo's, closes the show with a look at what a parish music director actually does — and why music is ministry rather than a soundtrack. A 2026 graduate of the University of Mary with a bachelor's degree in sacred music, Emma explains why music is an incarnational, whole-body form of worship, why the spiritual formation of musicians matters as much as their musicianship, and how Vatican II's Sacrosanctum Concilium calls sacred music a treasure of inestimable value. Mass times at Saint Thomas Aquinas are Saturday at 4:30 p.m. and Sunday at 8 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. — mysta.org.Also today: First Friday Mass at 11:30 a.m. in the Saint Gabriel the Archangel Chapel at the Iowa Catholic Radio studio — staff, family, and friends welcome.Join us Monday at 7 a.m. Central for a special Labor Day edition. Listen live weekdays at 7 a.m. Central on Iowa Catholic Radio, or catch up anytime at IowaCatholicRadio.com.#CatholicMorningShow #IowaCatholicRadio #SacredMusic #EmmaLynch #IgniteYourLegacy #BiblicalGenerosity #CatholicMusic #SundayGospel #DowlingCatholic #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.