Fr. Brian Hughes: Why Church Architecture Is a "Sermon in Stone" (+ more) | The Catholic Morning Show - 08/26/2026

Bo Bonner and Deacon Mark Campbell open Wednesday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time, with Mass today at 5:30 p.m. at Saint Mary's in Greene (89.3 FM). It's also the feast of Our Lady of Częstochowa, the Black Madonna icon with deep roots in Polish Catholicism and a special devotion of Pope John Paul II, who visited the shrine four times during his pontificate. The hosts pay tribute to country music icon Dolly Parton, who died Tuesday in Nashville at age 80 after a brief battle with cancer. They reflect on her nearly 60-year marriage to Carl Dean, her eleven Grammy Awards and more than 100 million records sold, her role in bringing country music to a national audience, and her lifelong, unapologetic Christian faith — recommending listeners seek out her gospel music, especially her rendition of "Power in the Blood." Retired Diocese of Sioux City priest Fr. Brian Hughes joins to talk church architecture, explaining why buildings are sometimes called "sermons in stone" and how sacred architecture uses the things of the earth — stone, glass, iron, mosaic — to express the invisible realities of heaven. Fr. Hughes studied architectural history at the University of Virginia at the request of then-Bishop Lawrence Soens, focusing his research on Sioux City architect William L. Steele, and recommends a northwest Iowa church tour that includes the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City, Sacred Heart Church in Fort Dodge, Holy Name Church in Marcus, St. Joseph's Church in Milford, and the contemporary St. Patrick's Church in Estherville. Katie Patrizio previews this Sunday's Gospel, Matthew 16:21-27 — Jesus's first prediction of his passion and Peter's rebuke, "Get behind me, Satan" — unpacking the wordplay between Peter as "rock" (Petros) and "stumbling block" (skandalon) just one paragraph after his confession of faith. Catch the full episode of Sunday Dive at SundayDive.com or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Dr. John Huynh, Director of Social Justice for the Diocese of Des Moines, returns for his monthly segment to unpack Pope Leo XIV's repeated calls for Christian unity, rooted theologically in the Trinity rather than uniformity. Dr. Huynh discusses how polarization turns people inward, and offers practical steps — recovering real conversation, deliberately maintaining relationships across divides, and choosing a "hermeneutics of charity" over suspicion. Learn more about diocesan events at DMDiocese.org. Listen live weekdays at 7 a.m. Central on Iowa Catholic Radio, or catch up anytime at IowaCatholicRadio.com. #CatholicMorningShow #IowaCatholicRadio #SermonsInStone #ChurchArchitecture #PopeLeoXIV #ChristianUnity #DollyParton #DioceseOfSiouxCity #CatholicPodcast #CatholicFaith 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.