Stories have the ability to change hearts, minds and lives — which is why Jesus tells parables, the Rev. Mike Schmitz told a packed house at Dickies Arena.
“He’s saying, ‘This is what I need you to know about yourself. This is what I need you to know about my heart. This is what I need you to know about the kingdom, so that your mind and heart and life can be changed,’” Schmitz said, referring to Jesus.
Commonly called Father Mike, hundreds of thousands of people follow the Minnesota-based Catholic priest on Instagram and TikTok for his preachings, teachings and social media trends. His energetic and upbeat personality — or strong Ted Lasso vibes — make him a popular public speaker, podcaster and influencer.
He’s known for his spiritual guidance and online evangelization through the Catholic media platform Ascension. He hosts “The Bible in a Year” and “The Catechism in a Year” podcasts, both of which have earned No. 1 debuts among all podcasts on Apple’s platform.
Schmitz brought his spiritual lessons and sense of meme culture to Fort Worth on Thursday night as about 6,000 attendees listened to him explore four stories in the Bible and reflect on how to apply them in daily lives.
Father Mike Schmitz, youth and young adult ministry director for the Diocese of Duluth and host of “The Bible in a Year” podcast, brought his Parables Tour to Dickies Arena on Oct. 23, 2025. (Courtesy photo | Juan Guajardo, North Texas Catholic)
Father Mike Schmitz, youth and young adult ministry director for the Diocese of Duluth and host of “The Bible in a Year” podcast, brought his Parables Tour to Dickies Arena on Oct. 23, 2025. (Courtesy photo | Juan Guajardo, North Texas Catholic)
A chaplain for the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Schmitz’s videos reading “brain rot” with his students or strutting in his Mass vestments participating in the “throwing a fit” trend have caught the attention of Catholics and non-Catholics across the world.
Schmitz comes to Fort Worth Catholics not as a celebrity but “as an evangelizer who is at heart a good priest,” Bishop Michael F. Olson said.
A common question Schmitz told the Fort Worth Report that he asks himself before participating in a social media trend is: “Do I think this would be helpful, or do I think I’ll just be adding to the noise?”
“When you add fuel to a flame, you get a lot of attention, but you might be adding more heat than light, and so I always wanted to just try to do my best to add light,” Schmitz said.
Father Mike Schmitz, youth and young adult ministry director for the Diocese of Duluth and host of “The Bible in a Year” podcast, brought his Parables Tour to Dickies Arena on Oct. 23, 2025. (Courtesy photo | Juan Guajardo, North Texas Catholic)
Some younger attendees may have anticipated six or seven parables to be read. Schmitz talked about four: the parable of the lost sheep, the sower, the unjust steward and the 10 wise and foolish virgins. His way of weaving biblical lessons and nods to meme slang is what he and others may say is “totally unc.”
All the proceeds from each event go toward funding the construction of a new church and a dedicated space for students to meet, pray, study and grow in their faith at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
Outside of his campus duties and his tours, Schmitz is the director of youth and young adult ministry for the Diocese of Duluth.
Through his experience working with young Catholics, common challenges this particular generation faces are feelings of lacking purpose, loneliness and anxiety, Schmitz said.
While his visit to Fort Worth is a short-term way to share the lessons in the Bible, he hopes the youth in attendance will join a spiritual community where they can continue growing in their faith.
“The only way we really grow spiritually is when we know how to feed ourselves spiritually, no matter where we are,” Schmitz said.
Father Mike Schmitz, youth and young adult ministry director for the Diocese of Duluth and host of “The Bible in a Year” podcast, brought his Parables Tour to Dickies Arena on Oct. 23, 2025. (Courtesy photo | Juan Guajardo, North Texas Catholic)
In the audience was Fort Worth resident Erika Pantoja. She discovered Schmitz’s ministry through TikTok and began listening to his “The Bible in a Year” podcast at the beginning of the year.
Pantoja, 30, said she appreciated Schmitz’s ability to make Bible teachings accessible and relevant to modern times. She resonated with Schmitz in his moments of vulnerability during the event, sharing times in his past he struggled staying connected to his Catholic faith.
She found out she was pregnant with her son when she first started with the podcast and felt challenged juggling being a new mom and staying on top of listening to the daily lessons.
“He’s so open and he’s so vulnerable himself, telling his own testimony and his own truth,” Pantoja said. “I felt like the Holy Spirit was truly present here.”
Marissa Greene is a Report for America corps member, covering faith for the Fort Worth Report. You can contact her at marissa.greene@fortworthreport.org.
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