Hi, My Name is Fr. Mike Schmitz!

I became a priest in 2003 and for the last 19 years, I’ve been at the University of Minnesota Duluth and serve as chaplain of our Newman Center.

I grew up in Minnesota with five other siblings and went to Mass every Sunday. But it wasn’t until I was 15 that I encountered God’s love in a way that made me think, “This is real.” After that, everything changed. In the end, God called me to the priesthood.

You might know me from an online ministry like The Bible in a Year podcast or my videos with Ascension Presents. But believe it or not, I have a “day job.” More than a job, but a full-time ministry working with college students at the University of Minnesota Duluth, and none of these online ministries would exist without our students.

Every homily I’ve recorded, each topic I’ve tackled in an Ascension video, and each reflection in a podcast is the direct result of a conversation I’ve had with a student. By God’s grace, our online ministries have reached hundreds of millions. 

To support our students, and in turn, support millions around the world, we’ve started Seeds of Faith, to revitalize our ministry and build a Newman Center on campus to reach everyone: near and far. Will you help us?