Three Knights of Columbus from St. Augustine Parish in Des Moines join Julie Nelson on Triple Match Thursday of the Iowa Catholic Radio Fall Fundraiser to talk about contemplative prayer, Lectio Divina, and a young convert's journey into the Catholic Church. Psychologist Dave Sekula explains how to "rest in God" and why Pope Leo XIV calls Brother Lawrence's The Practice of the Presence of God one of the books that most shaped his spiritual life. Hear how Catholic radio connects listeners across Iowa, and become one of the laborers for "The Harvest is Abundant" by supporting Catholic radio today.
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It's Triple Match Thursday of the 2026 Fall Fundraiser, and host Julie Nelson welcomes three Knights of Columbus from St. Augustine Parish in Des Moines: longtime supporter Rob den Hartog, psychologist and contemplative prayer leader Dave Sekula, and recent convert Casey Vieira.
IN THIS EPISODE
- How Rob went from listener to supporter after a 2015 Man Up event, and why local programs like The Catholic Morning Show, Uncommon Good, and Catholic Women Now matter
- Dave on moving from Minneapolis and finding a Catholic radio community unlike anything he'd known, plus his favorite shows: Teresa Tomeo, Catholic Answers Live, More2Life, and Dr. Ray Guarendi
- Casey's journey from non-denominational Protestant to Catholic, confirmed alongside his uncle, followed by his younger brother's baptism and his mother's confirmation
- A surprise gift of books from Catholic Answers for Casey's continuing faith journey
- What contemplative prayer is: discursive prayer vs. "resting in God," as St. John of the Cross put it
- How the St. Augustine Knights pray Lectio Divina with the upcoming Sunday Gospel
- Brother Lawrence's The Practice of the Presence of God and why Pope Leo XIV calls it formative
- St. Thérèse of Lisieux, patron of missions, and how anyone can be a missionary
- St. Augustine's 24/7 adoration chapel, open to anyone in the diocese
- A closing prayer from John 17:21
FUNDRAISER HIGHLIGHTS
- After meeting the goal the hour before, the team reset the goal at 12 new monthly donors at $25/month
- Triple Match Thursday: thanks to the Challenger Club, every gift was tripled, so $25 became $100, $500 became $2,000, and a $5,000 gift the hour before became $20,000
- Thank you to Ron, Paul Mitchell, Paul Martin, Tom and Amy Donnelly, an anonymous $1,000 donor, a $500 donor from Ames, and Rob den Hartog
- Iowa Catholic Radio is entering its 22nd year of connecting people to Christ, now reaching the Spencer area
WAYS TO GIVE
- Online: https://www.iowacatholicradio.com/giving-options
- Text: GIVE to 515-223-1150
- Call: 515-223-1150
EVENTS MENTIONED
- Feast of St. Luke Mass & Dinner (St. Pius X Guild, Catholic Medical Association): Sunday, October 18, Mass at 4 p.m. at St. Augustine Catholic Church, Des Moines, followed by dinner and a presentation by Dr. Matthew Breuninger. Free and open to the public; RSVP required: https://www.iowacatholicradio.com/events
- Women's Gathering: Saturday, November 14, St. Edmond Catholic School, Fort Dodge. Cost is $30. Register: https://scdiocese.org/gathering
- Iowa Catholic Radio Women's Conference: January 23, 2027, St. Boniface. Details at IowaCatholicRadio.com
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