Archbishop Thomas Zinkula and Deacon John Robbins of the Archdiocese of Dubuque join Janelle Menz on The Catholic Morning Show to share the early fruits of Journey in Faith, the archdiocese's new pastorate structure. Hear how fuller churches, more vibrant liturgies, and priests serving in teams are already changing parish life, plus the Archbishop's recent Rural Life Mass, relic blessing at St. Raphael's Cathedral, and outreach to young adults and future priests. Recorded during Iowa Catholic Radio's 2026 Fall Fundraiser, "The Harvest is Abundant," this episode invites you to help keep Catholic radio connecting people to Christ across Iowa.
The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few! Be one of those laborers: text GIVE to 515-223-1150 or give online at https://www.iowacatholicradio.com/giving-options/
Archbishop Thomas Zinkula of the Archdiocese of Dubuque and Deacon John Robbins, the archdiocese's director of communications, join Janelle Menz during Iowa Catholic Radio's 2026 Fall Fundraiser for an honest, hopeful look at Journey in Faith, a few months into the new pastorate structure.
IN THIS EPISODE
- A week in the life of an archbishop: the annual Rural Life Mass on a family farm near Waterloo–Cedar Falls (including a John Deere blessing from a Farmall farm kid), a school Mass and student lunch, a priest's funeral, and a school Mass in Webster City
- Young adults and vocations: evening prayer at Romero House, a Catholic Worker house in Ames, and an Andrew Dinner for men discerning the priesthood at St. Thomas Aquinas at Iowa State, followed by the 9:15 p.m. Thursday Mass
- A centennial Mass for a Mercy hospital's 100 years, and the Feast of St. Raphael at St. Raphael's Cathedral, where restored relics of a martyr were blessed and sealed into the altar
- Journey in Faith by the numbers: Mass attendance had fallen about 2% a year since 2006, and early data shows the decline slowing to about 0.5%. In rural areas, the plan keeps a Mass within roughly 20 miles or 20 minutes
- Early fruits: fuller churches, more vibrant liturgies, more singing, and priests working in teams ("no lone rangers anymore")
- Why fuller churches make it easier for someone who has been away to slip back into Mass, plus a Cedar Rapids teen who's now happy to go to Mass on his own
- Deacon John on collaboration: prayer groups from separate parishes in a northern pastorate coming together for a shared community dinner, and priests in the Mason City pastorate supporting one another
- New communications resources for pastorates: the Archbishop's monthly messages, templates, and best practices
- The big picture: the Great Commission, becoming joyful missionary disciples, and the archdiocese's priorities of evangelization, leadership formation, and pastoral planning
- Janelle's Iowa State Fair story about a teen exploring the Catholic faith who decided the extra drive to Mass is worth it
A MESSAGE FROM ARCHBISHOP ZINKULA
"As Jesus says in Matthew 9, the harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few." The Archbishop invites you to commit $25 a month for the next year to help Iowa Catholic Radio keep connecting people to Christ.
HOW TO GIVE
Text: Text GIVE to 515-223-1150
Online: https://www.iowacatholicradio.com/giving-options/
LEARN MORE ABOUT JOURNEY IN FAITH
https://www.dbqjourneyinfaith.org/
Listen to more of The Catholic Morning Show at IowaCatholicRadio.com.
#HarvestIsAbundant #IowaCatholicRadio #CatholicMorningShow #ArchdioceseOfDubuque #JourneyInFaith #ArchbishopZinkula #CatholicPodcast #CatholicRadio #Evangelization #CatholicChurch #IowaCatholic #Vocations