Sam Halligan, Des Moines city director for Forge, sits down with Deacon Mark Campbell to share his journey from a Eucharistic adoration breakthrough in Nashville to a decade of full-time missionary work with Damascus — and now back home to Iowa to build a network of Catholic men's small groups across the Diocese of Des Moines. Sam speaks candidly about what it means to be called to evangelization, the formation he received through Damascus Ministries, and why every baptized Catholic is called to be a missionary. This is a conversation about total abandonment to Christ, the genius of small group discipleship, and what it looks like to build the Church from the ground up in central Io
Who Is Sam Halligan?
Sam Halligan grew up in Urbandale, Iowa, attended Saint Pius X Catholic School K–8 and Dowling Catholic High School (Class of 2013), then went on to Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. After college, he spent ten years in full-time missionary work with Damascus Ministries — running youth and young adult camps, conferences, and retreats — before returning to Des Moines in February with his wife Whitney and their three children to serve as city director for Forge.
Forge — Fighting for the Family Through Men's Discipleship
Forge was founded in 2023 by John Bishop with a mission to fight for the family with a strategic emphasis on men. Sam's role in Des Moines centers on building and expanding a network of men's small groups throughout the city and diocese.
🔗 Learn more about Forge and connect with the Des Moines chapter at My Forge Des Moines
Sam's Conversion Moment
Sophomore year of college (2016), Sam attended a young adult Catholic conference in Nashville, Tennessee. During a time of Eucharistic adoration, he experienced the presence of Jesus in a profound and personal way — and immediately felt the call to share that love with others. That moment launched what became a 14-year journey of evangelization.
"If Jesus loved me in this way, then he loves everyone in this way. And if that's the case, someone's got to go do that." — Sam Halligan
Damascus Ministries: Formation for Mission
Upon graduating from Benedictine College, Sam signed on for what he thought would be one year with Damascus Ministries — and stayed for ten. Damascus grew from serving 1,200 kids per summer to a much larger operation, with Sam rising in leadership along the way. Weekly formation in the interior life, prayer, and discipleship equipped him for the hands-on work of retreat ministry — a model he credits for shaping the missionary he is today.
Sam & Whitney: A Missionary Love Story
Sam and his wife Whitney — married seven years with three children — started dating their senior year of high school, when Whitney attended Ankeny and Sam attended Dowling. Whitney was actually the first to commit to Damascus Ministries, sparking Sam's own discernment. Sam credits their shared history — from high school through missionary life — as one of God's greatest gifts in his vocation.
On Total Abandonment
Deacon Mark Campbell shared a personal reflection: years ago, a young Sam approached him for missionary support while engaged to be married. Deacon Mark's private reaction was skepticism — but Sam's unwavering faith that "God will provide" became a formative witness of total abandonment to the Gospel. "I just want to say thank you for being that witness to me," Deacon Mark said on air.
Pope Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi: "The Church exists in order to evangelize."
📻 Sam Halligan is with us all week on The Catholic Morning Show. Tune in at 7 AM on the Iowa Catholic Radio Network or listen on demand at IowaCatholicRadio.com
#SamHalligan #Forge #CatholicMen #MensDiscipleship #DesMoines #Iowa #CatholicEvangelization #Damascus #MissionaryLife #BenedictineCollege #CatholicSmallGroups #EucharisticAdoration #CatholicConversion #FightForTheFamily #DiocesDesMoines #JohnBishop #CatholicMorningShow #IowaCatholicRadio #DeaconMarkCampbell #CatholicFaith #TotalAbandonment #EvangeliiNuntiandi #PopePaulVI #CatholicPodcast #CatholicRadio #IowaFaith