Guest host Sam Halligan closes the show with John Huynh, director of social justice for Catholic Charities of Des Moines, on what the 2026 FIFA World Cup reveals about our deep human longing for community and belonging. Drawing on Catholic social teaching and G.K. Chesterton, Huynh explains why healthy societies are built from the bottom up — through families, parishes, neighborhoods, and even youth sports — rather than from large top-down institutions. The conversation turns inspiration into action with a concrete vision of what it means to love your neighbor by embedding yourself in real, local community.
Soccer, hospitality, and a world brought together A self-described skeptic of the expanded 48-team format, Huynh admits the 2026 FIFA World Cup has won him over. What's captured his attention isn't only the matches but the atmosphere — Scotland's "Tartan Army" singing through the stands, Japanese fans sharing Texas barbecue, strangers meeting across cultures. Events like this, he says, remind us that human beings delight in gathering, in song, in shared ritual — signs that we belong to something larger than ourselves. (Tournament note for fans: the World Cup runs across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico through the July 19 final, with the group stage wrapping up June 27.)
From "warm fuzzy" to action: Catholic social teaching Catholic social teaching begins with the dignity of the human person — but never as an isolated individual. Citing Chesterton's line that "tradition is the democracy of the dead," Huynh argues that healthy societies are built from the bottom up: before we are citizens, we belong to a family; before we grasp justice, we learn to share. Neighborhoods, schools, parishes, and even youth sports form us — teaching, as any young player learns, that talent isn't enough, that discipline matters, and that you can face "disappointment without despair."
Loving your neighbor in real community Turning to the second half of the greatest commandment, Huynh offers a concrete picture of loving your neighbor: embed yourself in the small, local communities you already belong to. He shares how an invitation from fellow parents into a simple faith-sharing group became exactly that kind of community — a place to carry the "weals and woes" of life together. Love of neighbor, he says, flows naturally from love of God.
Connect with Catholic Charities of Des Moines John Huynh leads social justice ministry at Catholic Charities of Des Moines, whose work across southwest Iowa is rooted in the themes of Catholic social teaching — dignity, justice, and care for neighbor.
Listen & connect The Catholic Morning Show airs weekdays at 7 AM Central on the Catholic Radio Network. Listen live or find more at IowaCatholicRadio.com.
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