Episode Zero: Welcome to Working Man, from Harmel Academy of the Trades
Welcome to Working Man, the official podcast of Harmel Academy of the Trades. Harmel Academy is a Catholic, residential trade school in Grand Rapids, MI, and our mission is to share the Catholic Church's teaching on the human enterprise of work, and to provide to the Church and to the world men of integrity, men formed in holiness and skilled in their trade, working men who stand in solidarity with one another and with Jesus Christ. We do this through a unique blend of robust skilled trades training, job-site experience with collaborating businesses, and academic and spiritual formation that’s delivered through a custom-built humanities curriculum. Our inaugural program, Machine Systems and Technology, launches this fall, and future programs will include construction trades, electrician training, and more. So even though we’re busy preparing for our first class, we’ve decided to fast track another initiative of Harmel Academy—namely, extending what we do out into the public square. And this podcast, Working Man, will be the first step in doing just that. Eventually, Harmel will host conferences, lectures, and publications of various sorts, but since so much of what we do is about taking the deep insights of the Gospel and making them practical to working men, we thought we might as well start right here, in your earbuds, as we face what is turning out to be a very interesting 2020. Perhaps you are a man already established in your career. Or perhaps you’re looking to change careers. Or perhaps you’re a younger man in the middle of discerning your life’s vocation. Perhaps you’re a mom or dad looking for post-high school options for your son, or you’re a priest looking to better connect with the working men of your parish. Regardless, Working Man will share what the Church teaches about the very human enterprise of work, to dive into centuries of prayerful insight about the essential role work plays in our human existence, to learn how Christ, in revealing man to man, teaches us, and exemplifies for us, the true meaning of our work. We’ll be chatting with working men of all stripes — electricians, machinists, builders, designers, — as well as with theologians, philosophers, and priests— all to help set the stage for a new conversation that’s sorely needed in our world— a new conversation which is, in fact, a very old conversation, a conversation that started the day God gave man a garden to tend and a world over which to exercise his dominion. So, there’s lots to say, and lots to learn, and we’re excited to get started. So we hope you’ll listen and subscribe on your favorite podcast app. In the meantime, if you’re interested in learning more about Harmel Academy of the Trades, please pop over to harmelacademy.org, and poke around our website. Or reach out to us directly—you can contact me at dmp@harmelacademy.org. Our theme music is "The Grind" by Justin Mahar.
