Host of media platform Ascension Presents Fr Mike Schmitz has brought his Parables Tour to Ireland, filling a church with mostly young adults to maximum capacity and speaking to 1,600 attendees at the Dublin National Stadium – with bishops pointing to a renewed interest in the Faith amongst young people.
Fr Schmitz hosts the Bible in a Year Podcast, which has consistently garnered high ratings since its launch in 2021, becoming iTunes’ most popular podcast for multiple days in 2021 and 2022. Ascension Presents has more than 1.3 million subscribers on YouTube. His Parables Tour last year sold out across the US and Ireland.
In his homily during the Mass at St Kevin’s Church, Dublin, Fr Schmitz encouraged the congregation to pursue the faith without requiring complete understanding. He said: “To anyone standing on the edge of faith - uncertain, hesitant, or searching - the invitation is not to have all the answers before you begin. Throughout Scripture, we see that obedience often comes before understanding.
He cited Mary’s response at the Annunciation, stating: "He does not give her understanding; He does not give her a plan; He does not give her a roadmap. He simply gives her enough information to take the next step. That is the invitation for every one of us. God always gives us enough light and enough information to take the next step, and we can trust Him with that next step."
Bishop Fintan Gavin of Cork and Ross, chair of the Council for Evangelisation, Catechetics and Pastoral Renewal of the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference, told the capacity audience at Dublin National Stadium that there was “something remarkable” about the gathering, which drew crowds of young people to hear Fr Schmitz speak.
He said: “It is seven o'clock on a Monday evening, in the middle of July, and more than 1,600 people have filled this stadium for a sold-out event. Earlier this evening, many of us gathered in Saint Kevin's Church, Harrington Street, which was filled to capacity for Mass. It was a beautiful liturgy enriched by so many young people from all over the island of Ireland who were involved in the music, readings, serving and the ministry of welcome.”
Bishop Gavin stated that the event pointed to “something deeper than the popularity of any one speaker”, but a hunger for faith, meaning, and an encounter with Christ.
He said: “Today, in a rapidly changing and increasingly secular culture in Ireland, faith can no longer simply be assumed. We need to be more intentional, and more ready to speak about our faith with confidence, humility and joy.”
Speaking about the mission of the Council for Evangelisation, Catechetics and Pastoral Renewal, Bishop Gavin said the Council was committed to helping shape a renewed vision for evangelisation in Ireland.
The Bishop said: "We now want to extend that listening to all those interested in sharing the Gospel and helping people to encounter Christ, so that together we can help shape a new vision for evangelisation for the Church in Ireland.
"This means new ways of communicating the Gospel in this changed environment: not simply waiting for people to come to us, but going out with courage to meet them; inviting, accompanying and creating spaces of encounter; sharing the Good News clearly and joyfully; becoming once again a Church on mission."
