Deacon Randy Kiel returns to The Catholic Morning Show to discuss his Catholic Mirror column, Let's Get Psyched, which received an Honorable Mention in the 2026 Catholic Media Association awards. Kiel explains how the column weaves together mental health and Catholic spirituality, drawing on his background as a permanent deacon and a licensed mental health counselor in the Diocese of Des Moines. He also shares a personal story about conscience and confession that captures the heart of his award-recognized writing.
Deacon Randy Kiel — a Thursday regular on the show — stops by to celebrate some big news: his Catholic Mirror column, "Let's Get Psyched," earned an Honorable Mention in the 2026 Catholic Media Association's newspaper awards. Deacon Kiel, a permanent deacon at Christ the King Parish in Des Moines and a licensed mental health counselor who founded Kardia Counseling, explains how the column's title plays on both "getting psyched" and the Greek root of "psychology" — the study of the soul — reflecting his effort to integrate mental health and spirituality for readers.
Highlights from the conversation:
Read the column and see the full awards list:
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