Old St. Pat's Podcast

Old St. Patrick's Church, Father Bryan Massingale, Fr. Bryan Massingale
  • 5.0 (12)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Old St. Patrick's is a Roman Catholic community in Chicago's bustling West Loop neighborhood, founded by Irish Immigrants on Easter morning in 1846. Since then we have grown into a home to a membership of about 4,000 households and innumerable friends. As we grow, we continually redefine what it means to be an urban church. We are committed to remaining open to new visions and possibilities, seeking broader horizons as we journey into our future. We encourage you to encounter the God who loves you, engage in a community that welcomes you, and serve the world that needs you. This podcast aims to welcome all into a Catholic experience like no other. Welcome to the Old St. Pat's Podcast.

  1. 4D AGO

    Fashion Fades, Forgiveness Endures - Fr. Michael Simone 2.16.26

    Strike a pose. Curate the image. Build the brand. But forgiveness, generosity, and kindness? Those don’t always photograph well. You can’t filter them. You can’t stage it. You can’t hashtag “letting go of resentment” and expect applause. In fact, forgiveness can often looks weak. It can even look like losing. And kindness looks naïve. And yet — Jesus says it’s the way. Living the Gospel often requires us to do things the world doesn’t understand. Things that won’t land us on a magazine cover. Things that may not even make sense in the moment. Like holding your tongue when you want to fire off a cutting remark. Like accepting an apology you didn’t want to receive. Like forgiving someone who will never ask for it. This isn’t about striking a pose. It’s about striking at the root of pride. It’s about loosening the grip of resentment. It’s about choosing love when the ego wants revenge. So while forgiveness may not be in fashion, it is at the very heart of the Gospel. Today, Fr. Michael Simone reminds us that when we dare to forgive, we step off the cover… and into communion with the God who loves us.

    13 min

  2. 6D AGO

    Music Series: From Now On, Seasons of Love, Lullaby of Broadway 2.15.26

    The Old St. Pat's Music Series Is Brought To You By The Old St. Pat's Choir The featured songs today are: From Now On - The Greatest ShowmanSeasons of Love - RentLullaby

    11 min

  3. FEB 10

    Fixer-Upper Faith: The DIY Path to Joy - Fr. Pat McGrath 2.8.26

    In order to renovate a house, you need the new blueprint, the vision… and then you start digging the foundation for the addition—maybe with a shovel or a backhoe. Next comes framing—but you don’t just hammer and hope for the best. You grab a level, a saw, and a measuring tape. You make sure the structure is level, solid and ready to stand. Blue print. Measuring tape. Shovel. Level. Saw. Simple tools. Real results. Now what if creating joy worked the same way? What if deep happiness isn’t mystical or out of reach… but something that can be built with the right tools? The really good news is that there are shockingly practical tools to create joy: Feed the hungry. Care for the poor. Stand up for the voiceless. Heal the sick. Do the good that’s right in front of you. The path to deep joy isn’t self-protection. It’s care for others. In other words, it’s mercy in motion. And when we live that way, something shifts—not just in the world, but in us. This isn’t sentimental spirituality. It’s radical practicality. It’s fixer-upper faith. So today, Father Pat McGrath hands us tools from the spiritual toolbox—because when mercy and love are put into action, they renovate our lives, transforming what feels worn down into something beautifully restored.

    18 min

  4. FEB 8

    Music Series: Rejoice Be Glad, I Saw A Stranger, Canticle of the Turning 2.8.26

    The Old St. Pat's Music Series Is Brought To You By The Old St. Pat's Choir The featured songs today are: Rejoice Be GladI Saw A StrangerCanticle of the Turning

    13 min

  5. FEB 3

    Polishing the Glass: How God’s Light Shines Through an Open Heart - Fr. Joe Simmons, S.J. 2.1.26

    Have you ever seen pictures of—or maybe even stood inside—Sainte-Chapelle in Paris? It’s one of those places that almost doesn’t feel real. Towering stained-glass windows flood the space with color and light. And when you stand at the center of the chapel and watch that light pour through the glass, something stirs in your soul. You don’t just see it—you feel it. What makes that beauty even more remarkable is its history. Sainte-Chapelle was built in 1248. It survived the French Revolution, world wars, and centuries of wear and tear. At one point in the 18th century, it was vandalized and even used as a warehouse. The windows became darkened, dirty, and nearly unrecognizable. But then came restoration—first in the 1800s, and again beginning in 2008, with a painstaking seven-year effort to clean, preserve, and repair the glass. Today, Sainte-Chapelle stands as a jewel once more. The light still shines—but only because the glass was carefully cleared so that the light could pass through. And in many ways, we are like stained glass. God’s light is always shining—but how clearly it passes through us depends on the condition of our hearts. When our hearts are simple, open, and loving, that light moves through us more freely, more beautifully. Today, Father Joe Simmons invites us to examine what might be clouding our own glass—and to rediscover the quiet, radiant beauty that emerges when we allow God’s light to shine through us once again. To see images of Sainte-Chapelle, visit: https://www.sainte-chapelle.fr/en

    13 min

  6. FEB 1

    Music Series: I Am For You, Gather Us In, Love Endures 2.1.26

    The Old St. Pat's Music Series Is Brought To You By The Old St. Pat's Choir The featured songs today are: I Am For YouGather Us InLove Endures

    10 min

  7. JAN 27

    Peace: It’s an Inside Job - Fr. Pat McGrath 1.25.26

    How many times a day does a thought of fear or irritation toward another person—or even an entire group—pop into your head? And how often does that thought quietly start to become part of who you are? Picture this: you’re driving along, minding your own business, when a Ford pickup cuts you off. Your shoulders tense, your jaw tightens. Suddenly, it’s not just a bad driver—it’s a Ford F-150. And then the story grows. You decide that all Ford F-150 drivers are terrible. Before long, every Ford pickup you spot on the road sends your heart racing and gets you worked up… even when they haven’t done anything yet. What started as a split-second moment has now turned into a full-blown narrative—one that adds stress, tension, and a little unnecessary suffering to your daily commute. But what if, the very first time that thought popped up, you caught it—and let it go? What if you realized there’s no link between the type of truck someone drives and how they behave behind the wheel? Odds are, your drive to work would feel a lot more peaceful. And the funny thing is—this little traffic drama is a perfect metaphor for so much more than vehicles. When we identify too closely with our thoughts—especially thoughts rooted in fear or anger—they begin to shape how we see others. And conflict thrives in that space. The ego wants to be right, to defend itself, to stay in control. Violence and division feed on judgment and “us versus them” thinking. And when those inner divisions take root, they inevitably show up as outer divisions. But here’s the good news: there’s another way. When we learn to observe our thoughts rather than become them—when we anchor ourselves in the present moment—anger, fear, and judgment begin to lose their grip. From that place of inner peace, we’re able to see others not as threats, but as fellow human beings. This doesn’t mean ignoring injustice or pain. It means responding from love rather than fear. This movement—from inner awareness to outward action—is deeply rooted in the Gospel: when Jesus calls us to repent —to turn inward —to reorient our hearts, this is what He means: to find peace inside. In other words, peace in the world starts as an inside job. So today, Father Pat McGrath invites us to cultivate inner awareness and let love, clarity, and presence guide our actions—so we can become people who bring light into darkness and help heal a divided world.

    18 min

  8. JAN 25

    Music Episode: Spirit of Life, I The Lord of Sea & Sky, We Have A Dream 1.25.26

    The Old St. Pat's Music Series Is Brought To You By The Old St. Pat's Choir The featured songs today are: Spirit of LifeI The Lord of Sea & SkyWe Have A Dream

    14 min
See All (600)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

Old St. Patrick's is a Roman Catholic community in Chicago's bustling West Loop neighborhood, founded by Irish Immigrants on Easter morning in 1846. Since then we have grown into a home to a membership of about 4,000 households and innumerable friends. As we grow, we continually redefine what it means to be an urban church. We are committed to remaining open to new visions and possibilities, seeking broader horizons as we journey into our future. We encourage you to encounter the God who loves you, engage in a community that welcomes you, and serve the world that needs you. This podcast aims to welcome all into a Catholic experience like no other. Welcome to the Old St. Pat's Podcast.

Information

  • Creator
    Old St. Patrick's Church, Father Bryan Massingale, Fr. Bryan Massingale
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    600
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2019 Old St. Patrick's Church
  • Show Website
    Old St. Pat's Podcast

You Might Also Like