[00:00:00] Jim Jansen: Hey everybody, welcome to the EquipCast. So today I sit down with Father Walter Nolte. Father and I talk about how the Lord is doing something really beautiful and amazing in the lives of the young people in his high school. How just a simple awareness that they are seen and loved by the Lord begins to open up their hearts and minds and change everything so that literally they're seeing the Lord move.

Work miracles in people's lives and it's spilling out into the whole parish and even the the town at large It's a great conversation You're gonna love it. Take a listen Everybody welcome to the equip cast a weekly podcast for the Archdiocese of Omaha. I'm your host Jim Jansen. Let's dive into some encouragement and inspiration to equip you to live your faith and your dreams and to be fruitful in your mission. Let's go.

Father Walter Nolte, welcome to the EquipCast. 

[00:01:04] Fr. Walter: Thanks. Glad to be here. Thanks for inviting me. 

[00:01:05] Jim Jansen: Oh, I am. I am so excited to talk about this. I mean, we've known each other, I guess, not before it, I just had this moment where like, we actually have only probably known each other for seven years since I've been to the archdiocese.

[00:01:17] Fr. Walter: That's right. 

[00:01:17] Jim Jansen: Although it felt it's yeah, it's felt like, felt like longer. Father, give people just a little intro. Who are you? What's your story? 

[00:01:25] Fr. Walter: Uh, Father Walter Nolte, a priest for the Archdiocese of Omaha. I'm originally from Arkansas. I moved here with my brother, Father Mark Nolte, a priest here in Omaha as well at St.

Gerald's in Ralston. We both came up here about the same time to be part of Intercessors of the Lamb. God called us, called us up here from, well, Nashville at the time to here and then My journey went through, through intercessors or lamb. And then after five years of God called me to remain in the archdiocese, but not to remain, remain with the intercessors.

And so, from there, I've been at multiple parishes, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, uh, and then Sacred Heart, then in Creighton, Nebraska, St. Ledger's then it's St. Bernard and now at St. Pat and the family group there. It's been awesome. Research is what I've always wanted to do. Uh, since I was one, one or two, I remember having dreams even one to one or two of being a priest.

And so it's been very, very much in my heart as long as I could remember. And if anyone, anyone who knew me, if you asked, if they were asked what I was going to do with my life, everyone knew he's going to be a priest because so I talked about, so it's, it's been, it's been awesome to be a priest and, and again, to, and, and being the priest just to, to live what God had put in my heart so many years ago and to see some of the.

The words he spoke to me about what he wanted me to do with my life, and how he wanted to live out his priesthood in me, through me, with me, and in me. How it's really bearing, just really a, not just fruit, but abundant fruit now. And then also seeing, Having had the privilege of vesting two of our priests in the Archdiocese who were part of my youth group early on and, and seeing their lives change and how they're changing others’ lives as well.

And so, it's just, God's so good. 

[00:03:02] Jim Jansen: I want to talk about that for those who don't know, right? So, part of the ordination ceremony is a young man who's being ordained can invite another priest to be, correct me if I'm wrong, but the first to put on the stole. 

[00:03:15] Fr. Walter: Right, you take off the Dalmatic and then vest him with the stole and the chasuble, yeah.

[00:03:20] Jim Jansen: Wow. That's awesome. Okay. Just because we're there. Two of you, right? 

[00:03:25] Fr. Walter: Two priests. 

[00:03:26] Jim Jansen: You and your brother, Father Mark, in the same family. What was in the water at home? 

[00:03:31] Fr. Walter: You know, we didn't, we prayed for vocations every night at the end, and we had about 10 minutes of prayers every evening and meals and one of the prayers was a prayer for vocations.

We had relatives who were priests and religious, and they were over the house all the time. 

[00:03:44] Jim Jansen: So, you saw, yeah, it was part of your life. 

[00:03:46] Fr. Walter: Yeah, yeah, you know, just, I was laughing the other day. I was thinking in sixth grade, I probably was the only grade schooler who got called to the office because the bishop was there and wanted to play golf.

Dad golfed with the bishop, and he wasn't free that day, so. The bishop came by to pick me up and, and so like, even that was like, Hey, that's pretty cool. 

[00:04:03] Jim Jansen: Oh, that's fantastic. That's Hey, that's a good strategy. Yes. 

[00:04:08] Fr. Walter: Yes. Yes. Bishop. I can go with you to play golf. I can do that. 

[00:04:12] Jim Jansen: But, but it's math class. I don't want to miss.

[00:04:14] Fr. Walter: Yeah. Right. But I, but mom, dad never pressed pressured us to be priest. We talked about it, but it was never, you should do this or whatever it was. Yeah, if that's what God's calling you to do, very much a family of, if God's asking this of you, then you should do it. But mom and dad lived that. They didn't say that as much as they lived that.

[00:04:31] Jim Jansen: We were talking before we turned on the microphone. My oldest has just decided to be a focus missionary. And as funny as it sounds, I was a little surprised by that. I didn't necessarily see it coming the last couple of years. It's been obvious that there's been a call kind of growing in him. But in retrospect, I was surprised because we didn't talk a lot about it, but we just lived it, right?

I mean, he saw missionary life. 

[00:04:57] Fr. Walter: Makes such a difference, doesn't it? 

[00:04:57] Jim Jansen: Right. We were on mission. And so, people ask, what did you do? It's like, I just lived as a missionary and it kind of rubs off. 

[00:05:05] Fr. Walter: Right, right. 

[00:05:06] Jim Jansen: Yeah. 

[00:05:07] Fr. Walter: I think that if I can live a, be a joyful priest, be a good father, a good son, a good brother, then other priests or other young men are going to hear the call to the priesthood or hear the call to be a good father and a good spouse.

[00:05:18] Jim Jansen: Yeah. Well, it's beautiful. I mean, to have two young men already in your priesthood, you're not that old of a guy to, to recognize the role that you had played. That's a, that's a tremendous honor. Yes. 

[00:05:28] Fr. Walter: A blessing very much so. 

[00:05:29] Jim Jansen: All right. Well, this is, I'm so excited about this conversation because this, we're going to talk about, I mean, I know it's an, it is not an exaggeration to say there's some miraculous things that God has been doing in your high school.

Sure. Fremont Bergen Catholic High School, Fremont, Fremont, Nebraska. I just want to set this up like, father, you've been a pastor. You've been involved with schools for years. You've always been very engaged, you know, with the kids and the, and the family, and there've been lots of good. You know, lots of good fruit.

High schoolers, they can be really, they can be challenging to engage with the faith. Give us some context here, like what are the, what are some of the challenges that we face as we're trying to pass, pass the faith on to our young people in Catholic high schools? 

[00:06:16] Fr. Walter: It's a great question. Uh, I don't know if there's any certain order to talk about it, but I think some challenges Uh, one, one would be having time for God, is God real?

I think the question, even, even before is God's real, do I care if God is real? I think there, there's an apathy there as well and, and not that they know it's there. It's not intentional, but, but it's, it's, you know, God may be real, but when I'm older, I'll, I'll check out a God maybe, right? Maybe a lot of young men and women don't see God's presence in the world around them because they've not been taught how to see God's presence, how to recognize when God is blessing us, you know, every day.

Like I tell the kids is if you, if you lose something and find it, God's blessing, you thank God at that moment, cultivate recognizing God's graciousness to you in those little things and you'll see him in the bigger things as well. So, I think, I think that not caring if God exists or not having time to care, but then even getting closer at home, does God see me?

Does God care about me? That is God really a personal God? And then that's, that's what I really see the transition at our parish and how God's changed the culture is that it went from what I saw as kind of apathetic and really not just politely listening to what father says to now, many being actively engaged in their faith and not only is it plausible that God exists, but he sees me, he loves me, he knows me.

And there's a desire now to see him, to know him, and love him. That it's once they know he does for them, they want to for him. And that's, they want to for others as well, is what I've been seeing. And the change, maybe change is not the right word. Maybe I'm noticing this more in their kids, their giftedness to the grace of God, and they're able then to respond to the grace.

[00:07:59] Jim Jansen: Yeah. You know, as you say that, it strikes me. It really is right like kind of like the fundamentals of the gospel or I think about, you know, as we kind of like as we spend time in the epistles of St. John talks about like God loved us first, right? And when we experienced that. Then there's this response of love, but sometimes we skip that part, and we just talk about we try and goad and encourage people to love God, but teaching people to recognize and experience his loving them first, right?

Then, loving him back, comes a little bit, a little bit more natural. 

[00:08:35] Fr. Walter: Right? It's, it's hard for all of us, I think, to, until we learn how to allow God to love us. Because we imagine that the things that we don't like about ourselves, he doesn't like about ourselves. Actually, I told, talked to some kids in North Bend last night about that when God sees you, he doesn't see your sin.

We don't believe you, Father. I said, no, he sees, he knows your sin, but he sees the one that he loves. And I said, that's all, God is love. I think every response that, that, that God makes to our objections of being worthy of his love or being in need of his love is, I love you. I love you. He just keeps saying, I love you.

I love you. I love you again and again and again. And hopefully one day we each hear it. 

[00:09:17] Jim Jansen: Right? Yeah. It's not that he doesn't say it. The problem is we don't believe it. Right? Right. You're reading my journal. 

[00:09:23] Fr. Walter: I know that when I was young, I struggled with feeling worthy of God's love. 

[00:09:26] Jim Jansen: Yeah. 

[00:09:26] Fr. Walter: Yeah. And God had really.

I had to allow God to meet that I wouldn't, I wouldn't have had this language for it at the time I had to allow God to meet me in my unworthiness because all, all my sin and all the things that I thought, well, a Christian doesn't do this, a priest wouldn't do this. All these things are on my mind and God said, I love you.

I love you. And that, that his words, I love you, uh, broke into the upper room of my fear and doubt and self-hatred and shattered it and brought peace. 

[00:09:53] Jim Jansen: And I can't help but think like, I mean, all the data shows that's where young people are wrestling now. I mean, the anxiety, the self-loathing. I mean, just the, the, all of that is this, like, they don't actually, despite how our efforts at a worldly level to try and create affirming environments for them, they don't actually feel lovable.

They don't feel connected. And man, when you help them Experience that with the Lord. Amazing things happen. 

[00:10:26] Fr. Walter: Absolutely. Yeah. And it's when, when you carve out a few minutes of, of time, at least our school for them to hear God speaking because they're, they're everything's, we all have the next thing I think in today's society, there's always the next thing that we need to be at.

And it's very easy to be thinking about the next thing when you're in the midst of the current thing and you miss the grace, the moment you miss the, I am who's there speaking to you. 

[00:10:50] Jim Jansen: Yeah. Okay. So, let's dive into this. Like just give people like what's been happening because the context of the load that young people are carrying and the typical, you know, distance that they maybe have in connecting with, you know, the Lord personally, that's been kind of turned on its head.

Father, what's been happening at your school? 

[00:11:11] Fr. Walter: Quite a bit, actually, thank you. And it's from your encouragement. It took maybe, for Alpha, but it took a couple of years to sink in, for me to hear God's invitation in that. I've been a pastor, I'm protective of my people, of my children, so I'm not going to just bite because someone says bite.

Yes. I want to test the waters. But I think, maybe if I start here, I was thinking, Father Bill, he's one of my associates, Kramers, we were talking last night about Alpha, because he's been very much involved in the whole process. Of God's transformation, the culture, culture at our school and our parish for that matter.

But my first two years there, it was, you know, I was sent there from St. Bernard to St. Pat and Archbishop Bergen, was made president of a school and I said, how do I even do run a parish this size, let alone run a school.

Cause a lot of good people everywhere I had, I was blessed. I'm blessed to have a great staff and people who do everything well, very well.

And so, I had total confidence in it, confidence in them, but I didn't have confidence in myself what I should do. How, how should I act? Where do I start first? It was more than a fire hydrant; it was like five fire hydrants coming at the same time. And I was thirsty all the time. And so, for the first two years, I was really, I was, I knew the Lord wanted to transform the culture of the school.

I wouldn't have had that language at the time, but I knew he wanted to touch hearts, and he wanted to do it through me, with me and in me. I love those words because it's part of the mass. So, it reminds me how to live in the mass when I say those words. About the end of two years and I'm in the chapel. I try to spend about 6 a.m. with the Lord in front of the Blessed Sacrament each morning because I wake up and that's my, that's the first person I want to talk to. In addition to having a cup of coffee or two is the beauty of the Lord. Amen. So 
I'm sitting there in one morning and the Lord said, I want you to go smaller. And what do you mean?

It was just out of the blue. And I said, what do you mean? He goes, I want you to go smaller. I want to do what you want to do, but it's going to start small to become big. I go, all right, Lord, what's that mean? I've learned to ask questions. And so, what's that mean, Lord? He goes, I want you just to focus on the seventh grade.

And then through the seventh grade, I will change the culture. So it's still, it's still interact with everyone else, engage them, but only be with the seventh grade. And so, I began. So, for a year, I taught seventh grade theology thinking, this is what it is, or this is what you want. And that was fun. I enjoyed it.

Uh, those kids are still in the school there. They're maybe seniors this year. I think this isn't it either. This is too much. I'm not, I'm not able to be here every day because of demands and I, of, of the parish. And then I wound up doing a sabbatical. One year home and that then sabbatical you invited me.

I think Jody Phillips invited me to do it to an alpha conference in Tempe, Arizona. It was down there at youth track listening listening and they showed a promo for alpha youth and and Laura said this is it. It was very clear that it was a father saying this is it so I watched so I think even left the presentation Go out to the entryway and call father Kramer's and say we're gonna do this.

I'd called Mr. Canning, our principal and now president said, we're going to do this. What do you think? What do you think about this? We'll start next week. And, and then texted Mr. I had a head of campus ministry, and everyone was on board, and we just launched alpha use in the classroom. And it's very simple.

I, you know, I was kind of back up a little bit. I was hesitant for alpha in general. I think you and your team were at on a retreat at Mariana and you came to our new mass. Wow. You're right. And that was a while ago. It was. Yeah. As you came in, you said, what do you think about this? About alpha? I said, well, it's not Catholic.

I said, I said, what our community needs is something that's Catholic right now because they're hurting, and they need something that's Catholic. And, and, and you were so, well, it is just give it a chance. Give it a chance. I said, well, I, I'll think about it. I had no intention of thinking about it. I was, it was, I already knew my answer for us, Lord.

About a week or two later, two parishioners came up and they said, Hey, we've father, we want to do a Christ life. And so that was a Catholic component of, of how far the, uh, very similar, similar acid. All right. And so, they, they ran it for two sessions, I think. And I think, and then COVID hit, and I think we tried to do one online and then it just never picked up again.

But then, then fast forward again, I'm on sabbatical, I'm at this alpha conference and God puts clearly on my heart to do the alpha youth. And I didn't know it would lead into having Alpha in the parish, Alpha as part of RCA, and all these other things, which it did, but, all right, we're going to do Alpha Youth, and immediately the kids responded to the videos, they loved the videos, and I went from teaching every day a week, or four days a week, To visiting for a third and fourth period, seventh grade once a week.

And then I could, then if I could make it Tuesday, I'd go Wednesday. So, it was a very fluid schedule. So, if I had a funeral, something to pop up. Yeah. It was very easy. That's brilliant. You didn't lose time. You just, Oh, we're just going to adjust. And the beautiful thing is, is that. Mr. Vanik and the other one needed, he needed a planning period.

And so by me saying, Hey, I'll take one period, uh, two sessions, one period, third and fourth, one day a week that gave him a whole hour and a half of free time to have coffee, to he, he loves being in chapel. So, to be in chapel and pray plan today that way. And it just, it opened up. Host of things that I never would have never would imagine.

So, is it saying? Yes. Yes, to God's I want this Immediately that opened up so much other stuff that we couldn't have imagined. 

[00:16:38] Jim Jansen: Yeah, I I love I mean, there's so many things in here But I mean first off, it's clearly starting with just as very honest conversational prayer with the Lord And then there's this kind of like, I don't know how to describe it.

This like lightning quick of like, okay, that's how he works with me. You're like, okay, here we go. And then it falls in place because you're freeing up, you know, one of your teachers to have a planning period to get Some, you know, respite prayer time to connect and like all of these things are falling into place.

Like the Lord had it arranged all along. 

[00:17:10] Fr. Walter: Right. So, so like when you presented it to me, it wasn't that it wasn't the right timing. 

[00:17:14] Jim Jansen: Yeah. 

[00:17:14] Fr. Walter: We couldn't have started with alpha and then gone to apple youth. It wasn't God's plan. 

[00:17:18] Jim Jansen: Right. Yeah. Yeah. 

[00:17:19] Fr. Walter: But then from that, you know, I'll quick share some other stories.

Um, then I'll talk about the youth a little bit, but then from alpha youth. We say, Hey, this is so successful. We should do a citywide alpha. So, we did a citywide Alpha. Had five or six other, other congregations come and join us. We had about 90 people at times for alpha. And then those, then those groups did it in their parishes and their homes.

So, it's, so alpha youth brought alpha to the whole city of Fremont. It's, it was very cool how God did it. And it was very, and they continue to offer it, and we've offered it once or twice, but now we've moved it where we offer it for our, as the opening parts of RCIA. And people love it who are just, and then they, yeah, I do want to do this.

And so, it's making them more hungry. Oh, my goodness. So, it's just really cool to see how, how simple it is. And And, you know, I, I know that my concern early on was it's not Catholic, but, and what I've seen and that, that has dissipated, I'm not worried about being that it's not Catholic. I see it's Christian, it's disciple.

It's very much Holy Spirit centered and the Holy Spirit has been the driver in all of this. I, we start every, every homily at our parish with come Holy Spirit and have people. And so, we're, we're very much. We don't want that to him to be the forgotten person, the Trinity. So, we, we, we actively engaged him in our school and our parish, the Holy Spirit.

And so that's, that's who's been the driver in this. Yeah. 

[00:18:41] Jim Jansen: Gosh, father, I love, I mean, a couple of things that just like, as I, as I hear this story, cause I've heard this story, we've talked before. I mean, that's why I was like, Oh, you got to come on the podcast and tell the story. I've heard this story before, but a couple of things are just hitting me as you talk.

One. One is this beautiful, I don't know, there's just this realization that like, okay, the spirits at work, he's kind of laid all the foundation and then boom, it like it, it lights up a couple of things like one, this focus on the basic message of the gospel, right? I, I really appreciate the way Cardinal Cantalamessa talks about alpha, you know, use the Preacher to the people household from John Paul, the second on, but talks about like, you know, it's the kerygma.

It's the basic gospel message one. It paves the way for then the dedicate the teaching, right? All the full unfolding of what it means to live, which, you know, is, of course, the Eucharist and sacramental reality and all of the church. But it's also the foundation for ecumenism. Like you, you get this like beautiful citywide, multiple denominations, congregations coming together around the gospel.

And, and then it's like we could do a whole conversation, I'm sure about like what God's doing to bring all of his children together.

[00:20:04] Fr. Walter: It's beautiful. And I still see these folks out in the community who remember that. 

[00:20:08] Jim Jansen: Yeah. 

[00:20:09] Fr. Walter: Yeah. And we prayed because we, I prayed with, uh, one of the couples there who the wife had dementia and it was just, they had just found out.

And she, she was cognizant enough at that time to know, pray with me father. Cause I will remember this tomorrow. And so just how people hard to be an open. Right. As a community, you know, it's just, it's been so awesome to see, uh, the transformation. 

[00:20:31] Jim Jansen: I mean, it really is. I feel like there's, I mean, again, it's a whole nother conversation, but like rediscovering the spirit, rediscovering the core gospel message and to being the foundation for evangelization, for ecumenism, for, again, RCIA, all the adult.

Formation and what it means in the faith. 

[00:20:49] Fr. Walter: Yeah, it's been awesome to see. I'm just thinking where to start next, what to share, because there's so much that's gone on that really, I attribute to, to bringing Alpha Youth into school, the transformation of the culture, of the kids hearts, of their, of their openness to new things.

You shared a little bit, I shared this story with you, um, as far as what took place within Alpha itself and that, and that first. cohort offering that Father Kramers and I did for the seventh graders. And we go through the whole, the whole, you know, all the different, different teaching lessons that they have in the video series.

And what the kids love most about it was that they could say anything. And then we didn't, we didn't respond, even if their opinion differed from what church teaching was. Right. Right. There was, all right, what do you think? What do you think? And we, and we knew, great. Thanks for sharing. Thanks for sharing.

[00:21:39] Jim Jansen: Yeah. Explore that more because that. I understand why that is hard for people to wrap their minds around. It's like, wait a minute. This is a school. I'm a teacher. I'm a pastor, a priest. I need it. You know, I I have to like Get the information across. This is a very different exercise. It is theology class Expand that like why is it helpful to let people say things that are frankly wrong?

Why do you let them do that? 

[00:22:06] Fr. Walter: Yeah, I think this what Jesus did as well He would engage people where they were in conversation Yes So you can't engage them where they are if you don't let them say what they're thinking and so it also was very freeing for Me as a priest and father Kramer's as well. We didn't have to be apologist And say, no, the church teaches this or that.

We had to be a father who was there listening to their son, their daughter speak their heart and say, interesting, tell me more, tell me more. And then as they would tell more and they felt heard, they felt loved, and they felt seen. And they, they may not have the language at the time. I think the older, the kids we started with do now, they're being loved and seen by God.

Yes. Yeah. It was raw what they were sharing. It wasn't, it wasn't just like, you know, uh, bubblegum type of shootings, you know, but it was. Yeah. It was awesome to hear. And what was also awesome is, you know, sometimes in schools, there can be clicks, there can be, there can be bullying and things that go on and person that feel free to speak their mind here.

They did. And no one would say the, the stronger personalities wouldn't say, well, you're so stupid. You're wrong. 

They'd listened. They heard each other because then the person who may have said that out of the world, a lot of things was just felt listened to as well until they, there was this mutual respect going on because everyone was being heard and that was amazing.

Just as well to see. Of course, of course, I brought great snacks because they love, they love that as well. 

[00:23:26] Jim Jansen: Yeah, I'm glad you talked, talked about that because that is not like, right, like it was the Holy Spirit, but it was also, so. Great snacks like there's something natural to like creating a space where people can say things and they're like, all right I don't know what father's gonna bring this week, but I know it's gonna be good. 

[00:23:42] Fr. Walter: And I and and I let them pick The next snack so that was always I'd have certain questions about the Catholic questions about faith about the faith that if they got it Right, they could pick the snack.

And so, I kind of made some trivial, uh, some trivia out of it and they had a great time doing that. That's awesome. Something I should mention too. You mentioned, um, ecumenism, but we're 40 percent other, 60 percent Catholic and 40 percent other faith at our school. 

[00:24:06] Jim Jansen: Wow. That is, that is higher than I would have expected.

[00:24:09] Fr. Walter: It's higher. It keeps increasing as well. 

[00:24:11] Jim Jansen: Wow. 

[00:24:11] Fr. Walter: And so that's made a difference as well as that, uh, in many things that we're doing, uh, and some new initiatives and trying to, to bring, uh, to be able to talk about the faith collectively. Absolutely. within our school. And so that's cool to see. You just kind of get back to the series and I don't know which series it was, was, but it was when the Holy Spirit showed up.

And so, we were just teaching the class how to pray for another person. I think it might, it might've been, and we kind of modified like the snacks, the snacks wasn't part of, we kind of said, well, there's food at the other alphas. So, we're going to have snacks for the kids. Kids love snacks. It can't, you can't go wrong.

You can't be wrong. High schoolers are always hungry. Right. And so, and so, but, but we were praying, um, teaching them how to, how to be a prayer Sharing the prophetic role of Christ basically is what it was. We didn't use that language, but that's what it was. We paired them up in twos, and they paired up however they were seated.

So, we didn't want any commotion, but you know, so we wanted a little movement. And so, this young man, young woman were paired together just to say, and all right, we want to show you that you can hear God's voice was what we're saying. The Holy Spirit, we've called upon the Holy Spirit. Now ask the Holy Spirit, what is on your heart for him?

What's on your, what's on your heart? For her and just, and this was what was phenomenal to see how God did this. And I think this was a catalyst that changed everything. So, we led with this prayer and the young man started, he said, Holy spirits, what's on your, on your heart for, uh, he said, the girl's name.

And I watched and watched and watched as he prayed, and I watched how his face started just to contort. And I said, right there, I stopped, and I said, you just heard something, you just saw something. Tell me what it was. He goes, it wasn't anything. I said, no, no. I said, I've been around long enough. I know, I know you, I know there's something there and you just don't know if you should say it or not.

Just say it. Remember, it doesn't matter. No one's going to judge. Just say what you saw. Well, I just saw a redbird. I said, even like a cardinal? He goes, yeah, I saw a cardinal. I go, okay. Now tell her, so I saw a Cardinal and now say this, does that mean anything to you? So, he does that. She starts to sob. Her grandmother had died, had died two weeks ago, uh, prior to that prayer.

And it said that if you're missing me, just know I'll send the Cardinal to let you know I'm still with you. I live in your heart. That morning on the way to school, she had seen a Cardinal and that seems like, oh, that's, that's just unreal or whatever, however you would phrase it. But what it did was. That was particular to her.

It was unique to her and God saw her. So immediately she knew this was real. She knew God was real. Knew God saw her. And she began to cry. He began to cry. Seventh grade boy sobbing in the middle of class. Right. Like, I just heard God. Right. Right. And the other boys, everyone was, there was, there was tears because they, they all love each other.

They've, they've been to school together for years and they knew she had lost her, her grandmother. And so, then she goes, and said, our Holy Spirit, what's on your heart for him? Her face says the same thing, and I said, alright, what did you see? Well, I didn't see anything. I said, alright, what did you hear? I heard the, I think something like this, don't worry about it, it's all gonna be okay.

He starts to cry. So good. His grandfather had died, and we had buried, he said, Father, you had my, my grandfather's funeral last week. I said, yes, that's right. He goes. Uh, the last, the last words my grandfather said to me was, don't worry about it. It's going to be okay. Everything's going to be okay. And when you incensed the casket and we, and we left, I touched the casket, and I heard him say it to me again.

And so that exact words, there's no point to be God paired them together. They both had loss and they both needed to know that they were seen in their loss and what that did, everyone, this is real. And so, we've seen tremendous fruit just from that. That's where I mentioned either moving to. It's maybe God exists or it to, oh my gosh, God exists, and he sees me, he knows me, he, he knows intimate details about me, and he loves me.

[00:28:16] Jim Jansen: Yeah. Yeah. He liked, he actually likes me. Yeah. Yeah. Gosh. Yeah. I mean, I'm weeping a little bit as you, as you share that story and. I mean, that was just the start. I mean, that was just a spark where suddenly they're like, Oh, God, God sees me. God loves me. I can hear him, and he uses me as I pray for others.

[00:28:37] Fr. Walter: Yeah. And I think Father Bill had led one of the classes in his class that same day and they weren't praying for healing, but they said, Holy Spirit, what's on your heart? And I don't remember what they got, but the young lady had a sprained ankle, an ankle that was in bad shape. That was healed during the prayer, the swelling went down and Father Bill just said, maybe didn't get any word.

Did anyone get any healing or anything? She goes, my ankle doesn't hurt anymore. And so, it was just, it was just kind of, you know, and we weren't even praying for that, but the Holy Spirit knew her need and took care of it. 

[00:29:12] Jim Jansen: Well, this is, you know, so we're, we're sitting here, we have this book, uh, in, in front of us, which I wasn't planning on talking about, but it's Susan Windley Doust.

It's called the four ways forward. Great book. We can cite it in the show notes. But one of the things that she talks about, and many, many church leaders have talked about, frankly, only a few of us have experienced, is that the Holy Spirit still wants to do signs and wonders. 

[00:29:39] Fr. Walter: Absolutely. Absolutely. 

[00:29:40] Jim Jansen: As a confirmation, right, of the truth of the gospel.

Yeah. Not to like, not to like, you know, manipulate people or trick people, but All through Christian history, God's prophets in the Old Testament, and then, you know, the Apostles, Jesus and the Apostles of the New Testament, when they proclaim God's truth. The Lord comes and does something to confirm the authenticity of the message.

Right. And, and he's still doing it. Absolutely. Right. In fourth period or whatever. Yeah. Yeah. 

[00:30:10] Fr. Walter: Whatever it was. Both. Yeah. Both third and fourth. And in seventh graders who aren't seeking it, they're just, they're just doing what father asked them to do. 

[00:30:16] Jim Jansen: Yeah. Yeah. But openness. I mean, you can see there's this fatherly, I mean, you were guiding them.

So, you're, you're there. You're personally there. You're really engaged and you. You can see, hey, something just happened there. They just heard something, and they're probably a little embarrassed to say it, and you just gently drew it out of them. I mean, this beautiful moment unfolds from there. 

[00:30:39] Fr. Walter: Yeah, it's been awesome.

Yeah. And so, it's, it's amazing what, what responding with yes, when God prompts the fruit that can bear that we can ever plan. Yeah, orchestrate. Yeah, I need this. I could have made that happen. 

[00:30:54] Jim Jansen: Talk about the culture because again, like, you know, culture is a topic, you know, in the business world, there's that famous phrase, right?

You know, culture, each strategy for breakfast. And I mean, anybody who's had teenagers, anybody who's had to work or serve. any kind of parish, but I think, you know, a high school context, all the stuff we plan sometimes, right? Retreats and this and that, and the great information and heroic theology teachers.

Sometimes it feels like that stuff just gets eaten up by a culture that says, not explicitly, but implicitly, God isn't real. He doesn't see you. He doesn't care. And Somehow you managed to flip that. I mean, take this question wherever you want, but like, what have you seen Changed in the culture of your school.

[00:31:45] Fr. Walter: Great question. Yeah, I've seen um, a greater receptivity to the Holy Spirit Absolutely, and and I they would they would not use those words, but that's what it is And so a great let me just jump around time wise as far as my answer, but we have peer ministers At our parish, uh, about 20, 25 between juniors and seniors who lead all of our retreats for our seventh through twelfth graders.

And we formed them, Father Bill and I and Mr. Vanik formed them. This year was the first year this has happened. And this, I think this is the group that, that I first had with seventh grade. So we start the year off giving a peer ministers retreat as a plan to lead others. And so, we said, we're praying with them, we're teaching them how to pray over people and with people and all those different things.

That that are important for retreat ministry. Yeah, and I asked him I say so what do you want from this? I said, what do you want that? Maybe something we don't have. What do you want? And almost to the person They said we want less activities and more time for prayer. 

[00:32:50] Jim Jansen: Wow. I was just saying because like A high school retreat.

I mean, you said just kind of offhandedly. It's like, of course, you know, the, the prayer ministry is an important part. It's like, well, that is not typical for most high school retreats. 

[00:33:00] Fr. Walter: I really, I did. That's, that's what I've grown up with and what I've always. 

[00:33:03] Jim Jansen: Yeah. No, I mean, I think it should be, but it's not typical.

[00:33:06] Fr. Walter: And now they're asking for less activity and more prayer to pray with each other. 

[00:33:11] Jim Jansen: Yeah. 

[00:33:11] Fr. Walter: And so, and so it's just because we pray over the kids. Yeah. Yeah. So that's, which has been a fruit of, that's one of the things I'll get to. It's been a fruit of. Of alpha is that now they're open to having prayer teams.

We, I think by the bill sets up twice a year that that every student receives prayer. 

[00:33:25] Jim Jansen: Yeah. 

[00:33:26] Fr. Walter: And in a group and they pray with each other. And so I have groups of 3 or 4 and we have adults who are trained in it come in from the parish community and parents and and they say, well, The same thing, Holy Spirit, what's on your heart for so and so today?

Because they're accustomed to that question now. So, it's not foreign to them. Right. So, we're reinforcing the prayer. 

[00:33:44] Jim Jansen: Well, and it's such a, I mean, it's such a humble question too. Like there's a, there's a deep kind of like, uh, I don't know if you'd call it a formation even in that prayer that like, Hey, the Spirit's the one in charge.

He's the one with the plan. He's the one who's going to be working and moving. I'm just kind of asking him, Hey, what are you up to? How can I help? 

[00:34:02] Fr. Walter: Right. And it's amazing how, when these kids get images or words or thoughts and we, and we taught them to pay, how to pay attention. They are, I'd say if you had a rating system of 75 to 100 percent of accuracy, that's where they're at.

That the person, you know, will say, Oh yeah. I mean, that, that's, yeah, that's what I'm going through. 

[00:34:20] Jim Jansen: Meaning like, like an image pops in their mind. 

[00:34:23] Fr. Walter: In someone's head who's praying. So, you're receiving prayer, and I have an image for you, and I share it. And. And you say, Oh my gosh, that's exactly what's going on in my life.

[00:34:32] Jim Jansen: The person who hears the, the, the message from the person pregnant with him is like, yes, that does mean something to me. Right. And thank you. 

[00:34:40] Fr. Walter: Yeah. And these kids are carrying so much. I was talking to Mr. Kaney this morning after mass. I said, he's carries, kids carry so much weight, so much burden. And they're, they're so busy.

They don't have time. They don't have time to stop and listen because they're right there. Next thing I said, and that's what we've been talking about. How do, how do we carve out time during our year and things like that for them to listen and just to receive and, and to receive prayer. And so, we're, what God's been doing, I think through alpha and through some other experiences that father bill and I have experienced, um, training wise ministerially that, that has become in commonplace to receive prayer.

to want prayer and ask for prayer. I get stopped in the hallway quite often by kids. Father, can I come to the office and pray with you? Yeah. Can you receive prayers? Absolutely. 

[00:35:25] Jim Jansen: No, make an appointment like that. It's so good. I mean, it's probably worth, I mean, giving a shout out, you know, you're involved with the encounter school of ministry.

We have one here, Father Voithoffer, uh, and the ablaze movement. That's part of what the encounter ministry does is it teaches adults about prayer, how to particularly Listen to the spirit and then pray with others as a means of evangelism, just because prayer is good, but then also as a means of evangelization, right?

[00:35:56] Fr. Walter: Absolutely. It's about cultivating the gifts we already have within us. And that's what we're gonna talk about at school lately. Hearing the voice of God, we have to cultivate hearing God's voice to understand it, you know, and it's in activating these gifts that we have by nature of our confirmation and baptism that are there.

Well, you got to use them, cultivate them, activate them, whatever word you want to use. Basically, we have to employ the gifts we've been given if they're going to increase within us. 

[00:36:22] Jim Jansen: Yeah. Oh, so good. I want to, I want to pivot a little bit. Like, how have the parents And the faculty and the larger community responded because, you know, I can imagine somebody listening is like, okay, well, this is great.

Actually, the apostles is coming to life for your young people. Of course, young people are receptive. I don't know if that's always true, but fine. Mostly. How's it like? How has this begun to spill out to the larger faith community? The larger parish? 

[00:36:50] Fr. Walter: It's a good question. Uh, I would say that The parents are very appreciative.

They, they, I think it's filling out is that now parents who maybe five years ago would never consider being on a prayer team have been trained to be on prayer teams. And so, they come in, they pray with their kids. So beautiful. It's filled out to one of the things that we've done as part of the outgrowth of alpha.

Is we, we now have a life and spirit seminar for seventh and eighth graders who are preparing for confirmation, either as eighth grader or what a red, red, they and their parents have to come to three weeks of training of hearing the Holy Spirit and just listening. So, and the parents, all the parents are coming.

No, one's bowing out and said, I can't make it. We're not doing this. They're getting, they're getting invested in praying with their kids. And what's cool is we, we employ some of the. The prayer language of encounter, but also for what alpha has, we pair them together. And so, one, here's one thing we do for the kids and the parents, they're all tabled together, a plan table.

So that they're together, a small group and the kid will, all right, kids, I want you to tell your mom and dad. How you see Jesus in them. Wow. And then now parents tell your kids how you see Jesus in them. Now pray over each other. And so, we lead them through guided prayer as they're engaging each other.

And so, the goal is that at their tables, then their homes, they're learning to disciples are learning, you know, and tell their story. So, we've, like recently said, remember the word ETA, tell your story, your encounter, the transformation and how you apply it to your life. And so we, so we had even had the parents.

Who had never told their story before, and it's a safe place because with their kid, right? Tell your child the first time you encountered God's love. I said, now this is not that you, I don't, you could say easily the Eucharist confession, your own confirmation. 

[00:38:35] Jim Jansen: You're wedding.

[00:38:35] Fr. Walter: Yes. Those are all great points.

You can do it. But when did you encounter God's love? Where you knew you were seen, you knew you were heard, you knew you were loved. And so, the kids, the parents and the kids tell those stories. And so, the coolest thing I saw was the first year we did it and always praying, God, are you calling me to do this?

And it was first. Session of the first year we did life and spirit seminar. I saw this five-foot one young man praying over his, his dad is a farmer about six, eight and just reaching up and has his hand on his dad's heart praying, praying with the Holy spirit. Wow. And the dad is sobbing, and the kid is sobbing.

Yeah, that's what we're seeing is these parents know this is now the parents because the kids are seeing being seen by God and they're being changed. They're, they're beginning to see it as well. 

[00:39:19] Jim Jansen: Right? Yeah. I feel like you are. The Lord is unlocking for you, like kind of like the secret potential of our Catholic schools for evangelizing our whole parish in that, you know, all the data shows.

Okay. Parents are actually the number one. Like they have this grace of office. They have this call by God to transmit the faith to the young people, but it's hard to reach parents. The busyness, the schedule, but what parent doesn't love someone who loves their kids, right? Right. What parent isn't willing to?

I mean, that's the, that's the thing. Most parents feel a deep inadequacy. They, they don't feel like they're connecting with their kids the way they want. They don't, they know they're not sharing their faith with their kids. They don't know how. And when we give them a chance to do that, you bring them together, share your story, pray together.

Suddenly All of this pent-up grace of office that they have all the years of love and service that maybe never quite got expressed. I mean, you can see it. It's just like exploding out and beautiful things are happening. 

[00:40:25] Fr. Walter: Yeah, it's awesome. Awesome to see it. You know, actually at our last, just thinking of some of the fruits at our last, uh, uh, life spirit seminar session last December.

I think it was two of our senior men shared their faith story with all the parents and kids and they had, they had only done it once or twice. And I asked them. Like two days before I say, yeah, guys, you guys are on fire. I said, so would you just tell your story? Yeah, sure. Father, whatever, whatever you need, we'll do.

[00:40:50] Jim Jansen: Well, yeah, that's what I was thinking with the ETA, right? Encounter, transform, apply. Let's just, that's, that's a simple formula for how to share your testimony. 

[00:40:58] Fr. Walter: You don't have to think about it. So, we started teaching at fifth grade up how to do that. Just here it is. Here it is. Here it is. It doesn't have to be anything profound or, you know, I felt, I felt the wind hit my face and, you know, and then the light, it's like, no, it's just an ordinary story.

[00:41:15] Jim Jansen: Yeah. 

[00:41:17] Fr. Walter: Some of the kids, we have some kids who are mystics. I, I know, I think, right. Yeah, we're, I mean, we're not ruling out the miraculous, but it's the ordinary that just teaching how, how God is in the ordinary. Yes. 

[00:41:27] Jim Jansen: Well, it is one of those, you know, I mean, I'm, I'm like an evangelization strategy nerd. It's, there's a handful of things that I think you find deeply rooted in church history and the, you know, in the scriptures that are methods.

Of evangelization, gathering people together around the word of God, small groups and the sharing of our testimony, the proclamation of the gospel. All those things are happening, right? I mean, there's a small group dynamic. There's a there's a sharing of testimony. There's a proclamation of the gospel. And then the Lord shows up and he does things that confirm the message, right?

[00:42:03] Fr. Walter: He does. And the end. It's amazing. God's plan. They said, work with the seventh graders and I'll do the rest. 

[00:42:09] Jim Jansen: Yeah. 

[00:42:09] Fr. Walter: And how that is changing everything. It's spilling out into all avenues of our faith. I have no idea where it's going to go, but I know God's in charge. And so, and so I think I mentioned to you, he asked me to do it.

[00:42:21] Jim Jansen: Okay. 

[00:42:21] Fr. Walter: The initiative now that God has moved me to do. And, and I'm going to once a semester, I'm going to meet with Every one of the middle school, high school kids for 15 minutes and just cause I'm a father. God's given me, I know he's given me a father's heart and I have to act from that, from that positive posture.

And so, each kid, I'm going to say, what's going well, what could go better and how can I pray with you now? And I've, and I just kind of beta tested in the classroom. Yes, because the brand-new idea and I just kind of got it approved through the president and the. Campus minister and I talked to the seventh and eighth graders yesterday and some seniors, they go, absolutely.

We would love that father. Yeah. And so just so good. I mean, and that's, and I guess I, any priest who would listen to this and you're considering alpha youth, I'd say just dive in. You don't have to have everything figured out. Just, it's, it's really, there's a brand-new series. We just launched it. Last month in November, I guess, and we just launched it as far as our at our school last week.

And so we're in session two this week, but it's very simple and it's hitting play and it's bringing snacks or if you can't pick them up or bake snacks on your own. Someone someone can buy them for you. 

[00:43:29] Jim Jansen: I want to be careful. I'm going to use a word here. It's easy. Yeah, like which, which I mean, I want to give you a chance to talk about like maybe the challenging parts, but you're like.

Jesus said, try this. So, I did and then I got snacks because I love getting snacks and then I hit play and then I was there, and I watched when he was doing something. I, I, I helped the students recognize what he was doing and say yes to it. I mean, is it, is it too much to say? 

[00:43:58] Fr. Walter: It was easy. Like I said, hit play hit pause.

Ask the question out loud and then, and then have them respond, 

[00:44:04] Jim Jansen: But so, people don't start rolling their eyes. Like what was, I mean, was there anything that was hard? Are there like pitfalls that you would warn people to avoid, you know, in our own hearts, in, in the way we work with others? Because I do believe you it was easy, and I think it's probably the fruit of obedience and the spirit leading the way.

Were there parts that were challenging that you want to warn people about? 

[00:44:28] Fr. Walter: I tend not to notice the challenging. I tend to push past them if God's called me into something. So uh, it's a good question. I'm not saying there was anything challenging, but there's, there's nothing that I saw because you know.

Every, every door I knocked on said, can we do this? Will you help me? Was a yes. 

[00:44:45] Jim Jansen: Yeah. 

[00:44:45] Fr. Walter: And then when parents saw, I'm thinking of one or two in particular parents who saw the transformation, then they started offering father, you, you shouldn't always be getting snacks. Let me get them for you. And so, people without me even asking for help.

So that'd be one way the parents became engaged. Maybe they couldn't be part of the show and their thing, but they, the film, but they could bring snacks. To this point, no, I've not hit any, any kind of, any kind of, um, pushback on that. 

[00:45:12] Jim Jansen: I mean, you know, I think that's probably instructive too, because I mean, for those of us, if we're honest, right, when we're trying to do some sort of initiative, we're trying to serve the Lord.

In retrospect, the times that it is hard, where I maybe I encounter resistance from others or whatever, or, or resistance in my own heart, I'm going to kind of read my own journal here, but it's like, well, part of the resistance that I've gotten from others is I was just a little bit ahead of the Lord, right?

He hadn't quite gotten them ready yet, right? And the resistance in my own heart where I would lose confidence or I'd be, you know, the, the whispers and the lies in my head would keep me from asking from help. Sure. Sure. The door was open, but I imagined that it was closed and locked and guarded. I didn't ask, and I was vulnerable to those, you know, those whispers and lies.

Because I wasn't as deeply rooted in prayer from the beginning, right? So, I mean, again, not that everything, we're certainly not saying everything's easy, but, man, when you really do begin by hearing from the Lord, and you, you really let his timing lead the way, it is easier. 

[00:46:18] Fr. Walter: I mean, that was, uh If it took time, it was a four-year, four-year time period from your invitation.

[00:46:25] Jim Jansen: Yeah. Thank you. Yeah. This was not an overnight. That's helpful. Thank you. It was, this was, this was not a three week endeavor. 

[00:46:32] Fr. Walter: Right. But it, but you know, once I knew, I knew I'm not someone who does anything slow. Once I ripped the bandaid off, once I know it's God, God, you're going to take care of me. Now he has taught me to ask the question when more often than I have in the past.

I'm learning that. But as far as in, in this, in this context for alpha and then for all the, uh, the outgrowth of it, you know, I, I'm blessed to to have, it's, it's been seamless as if God planned it. I mean, I'm blessed to have Father Kramer's who's brilliant and how he plans things, uh, and is able that's 1 of the blessings of a parish life of delegating of collaborative leadership is.

I know that I'm gifted in, in having a vision and having ideas. And I have so many sometimes that I can't ever get one off the ground completely until another one's coming my way. He's great at putting, putting into paper what the plan is and invite people. And that helps us even be more collaborative as a pair and say, here's the idea you think you guys can do this.

And then we step into a new idea. And so, it's been very, that's been bearing a lot of fruit as well. 

[00:47:35] Jim Jansen: That's fantastic. Father, this is our time is totally flown. This has been, uh, such a fun conversation. You just, I mean, in closing, right? For those who people, I mean, I'm hoping, I don't know how you could listen and not be inspired by this.

And maybe they're, you know, maybe they've been taking notes. If you just were to give people kind of one or two things, they're like, okay, I want to do this. I want to get started. Where, where do they get started? 

[00:47:59] Fr. Walter: Okay. As far as the launch alpha youth, you mean something like something like sure. Yeah. Yeah.

Well, it's pretty tough. You got to go online to the alpha youth. org. I think it is. Sign up for an account. Yeah. It is free. It's free. And then pick a launch date. And then when that launch date comes. Hit play and then have snacks, but invite people if it sounds easy. So, some things I would suggest if maybe you don't have access to a classroom, but maybe you're a God parent, one of the God parent group or a faith formation, just decide to do it.

Your kids are going to learn more in a, in a faith formation setting over the, I can't have eight or nine sessions of alpha that engage them then maybe less than plans you have planned in place. So maybe decide in, in the parishes for faith formation, decide what we're going to, we're going to launch the year in seventh grade by doing alpha youth for the first nine weeks of class and not, and not plan anything else.

And then beyond that, we'll have the other lessons plans that are important. But I think that once a kid encounters the truth that God loves them and sees them, they're going to find out all the information about God that they can ever want to learn because they'll have the hunger. Yeah. Other things are important.

Don't get me wrong. Um, but it's, it's once you have the encounter. You'll go and see where he lives, and you'll go and see more about him. Yes. 

[00:49:13] Jim Jansen: Well, we have to acknowledge, right, like, that leading the way with information all about Jesus hasn't been working until people have had that encounter and fallen in love with him.

I use a silly example. My lovely wife, Kim, did competitive jump roping in high school. Yeah, I remember that. Yeah. And I was like, I had like zero interest in competitive jump roping. But when I met her. And I fell in love. Suddenly, my interest in competitive jump roping increased. 

[00:49:40] Fr. Walter: I heard you're a double Dutch king. Is that right? 

[00:49:43] Jim Jansen: You know, you know, it's funny. Uh, I'm interested in watching her do it. I'm my coordination. It didn't, it did not transfer. 

[00:49:50] Fr. Walter: I guess first back a little bit. God, are you calling me to do this? God's calling you to do it. Don't let, don't let anything get in, get in your way. You know, I think of Monsignor Dunn, who was a good friend of mine and a priest of the archdiocese.

He said, if you're ever feeling odd, know that that's Satan at work. And so, by that he said, if you're ever feeling offended, discouraged, or disappointed, act against it. So, if you get disappointed or discouraged about God's calling you to the alpha youth uh, with, with uh, your kids. Know that it's the right path because Satan is pressing against it and just say, God, open the doors, God, open the doors, you know, one of the, one of my prayers that I do that, that our lady is so to our lady is so effective is, so our lady, you, you organize the home in Nazareth, organize my calendar or make, make this all work out and.

She, she always brings a new wine of Canada to anything that we do in the parish because she's a mother, you know, she knows when we, when we're dry, we need help. So, if God's calling you to do it, do it, it will bear fruit. And it really takes a team of, of one to decide to do it and to bring and find where the kids are.

If you, again, if you have a, or bring kids to your home, if you have a group of five or six kids that typically hanging out your house, do alpha. It's simple. 

[00:51:05] Jim Jansen: That's awesome. Father, thank you. Thank you for sharing. Thank you for your priesthood, your yes to the Lord. Way back and now again, again and again.

[00:51:14] Fr. Walter: Absolutely. My pleasure. Thanks for asking. 

[00:51:16] Jim Jansen: All right, everybody, you know, somebody who needs to hear the conversation today. So, when you're in a safe place where you can, uh, share this out with a friend, go ahead and do that. Share that out. Tell them, tell them why you take a moment. You let the Lord tell you.

What he has for them in this conversation and then share it out with a friend. Thanks everybody. Thanks for listening to the equip cast We hope this episode has inspired you to live your faith and equip you to be fruitful in your mission Stay connected with us by going to equip dot arch Omaha dot org. God bless and see you next time.