Advertise on podcast: Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

OCIA is meant to guide people into a living relationship with Jesus Christ, but too often it skips the most important step: real evangelization. Gomer and Dave break down the stages of OCIA, expose the biggest gaps, and explain why many people fall away after entering the Church. They share practical ways to rethink parish evangelization, how to know if someone is truly ready for the sacraments, and why a personal encounter with Christ must come first. We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Are we having a Catholic revival? In this kickoff episode of the new season, Gomer and Dave return to unpack one of the most important, and often misunderstood, processes in the Catholic Church, OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults). They explore why OCIA matters not just for those entering the Church, but for every Catholic, and how it reveals the deeper mission of evangelization in today’s world. We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

As Catholic schools navigate a world increasingly hostile to virtue, Dave VanVickle sits down with Christina Mehaffey, principal of Faustina Academy in Irving, Texas, to explore how a school can authentically live its Catholic mission. From social media policies to forming saints, Christina shares insights on creating a culture where students, families, and teachers work together to evangelize and pursue holiness. We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Dave calls us to finish Lent strong through prayer, especially at abortion clinics, and to respond wisely to evil. Rather than fixating on shocking cases, we should focus on everyday evils like abortion, pornography, and broken families, responding with faith. The true battle is won through ordinary holiness, evangelization, family love, daily faith, and trust in Christ, guided by Mary. We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

In this final episode of the season, Dave offers a clear and compelling roadmap for living as a missionary disciple in everyday life. Drawing from the wisdom of evangelization movements and his own pastoral experience, he unpacks ten essential principles—from a personal encounter with Jesus Christ to bold proclamation, sacramental living, and reliance on the Holy Spirit. We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Evangelization can feel intimidating—but mercy is something we all understand. Dave sits down with Dan Gallagher of Move a Mountain Missions to explore how simple encounters with the vulnerable can transform hearts and become the most powerful form of evangelization. Snippet from the Show We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Most people drive past these inner city neighborhoods—but missionaries from Vagabond Missions walk straight into them. Dave sits down with founder Bob Lenosky and president Andy of Vagabond Missions to talk about evangelizing inner-city teens, the messy reality of conversion, and why simply showing up can change a life. We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

It’s easy to see sports as a distraction from faith, but what if they’re actually a powerful path to it? Dave sits down with Julianna Calzonetti and Alex Ruston, Catholic sports outreach coordinators and missionaries serving athletes. Together, they share how the world of sports can become a mission field and how each of us can evangelize by bringing our passions and our faith together. We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Dave is joined by Jim Beckman, director of Impact Center, to explore what it truly means to be a missionary disciple. Together, they dive into the beautiful messiness of mission and the bold obedience required, even when it challenges comfort or expectations. If you feel God stirring your heart to start a Bible study, lead a mission trip, or step out more boldly in evangelization, this conversation is for you! We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Gomer and Dave will be back next week! In the meantime, please enjoy the episode from the archives: What is your plan for Lent? Is there anything you’ve been avoiding that the Lord is tugging at your heart to revisit? Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle explain where our focus should be and how Lent is a time to become more disciplined, virtuous and free. We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How do you balance the joys and trials of living out your vocation? Dave talks with Gomer and his wife, Shannon to discuss the dynamic of being called to serve, while having a family. They share the good, the bad and the ugly of being on mission for the Lord and detail the sacrifices of daily life. No matter their calling to serve, they remember their first calling is to serve their family. We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What is your true mission here on earth? In this solo episode, Dave dives into what it actually looks like to advance the Kingdom of Heaven in our modern, busy world and also shares his top tips for shifting from a routine faith to a missionary heart. Being a missionary disciple isn't about checking off a religious "to-do list." It’s about a daily, radical rediscovery of Jesus Christ. Dave reminds us that because Heaven is our true home, we should feel a certain "holy discomfort" in this life—a restlessness that drives us to put our daily routines at the foot of the Cross and lean entirely on Him. We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Evangelization requires vulnerability. Fear of rejection often holds us back from inviting others to Christ. Dave and Gomer sit down with Jonathan Cardinal, Senior Regional Director at FOCUS, to discuss the power of one-on-one encounter, confronting the fears that keep us silent, and what it truly means to live as a missionary disciple. Together, they explore how each of us is called to be a living witness, leading others not just by words, but by example. We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How do we truly accompany people into the Catholic Church? This campus minister seems to have cracked the code! Dave and Gomer chat with Kevin Pesek, the Campus Minister at St. Mary's Catholic Center at Texas A&M to talk about the surprising growth they’re seeing in OCIA and what’s driving it. Kevin shares what’s working in their approach to curriculum, why vocation numbers are soaring, and how young people are deeply hungry for an authentic relationship with Jesus in the Catholic Church. We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How can we bring holiness and harmony into our homes? Gomer sits down with Mike DiCosola to guide families in living more like the Holy Family. Mike DiCosola, Director of Mission Engagement for Paradisus Dei and leader of the Missionaries to the Family initiative, shares insights to strengthen marriages and deepen family life. Discover practical ways Jesus wants to meet your family right where you are, even in the mess and brokenness, and lead you toward transformation.  We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow