In 2006, Rob Kaczmark made a song that went viral – which was tough to do, because YouTube was only starting to become popular, Facebook was in its infancy, and most cell phones still flipped.
The twenty-something Kaczmark hosted a weekly radio show and very early podcast that was popular in Catholic online circles. For a segment on vocations, he had mixed an electronic dance beat and sound bites of a high-profile priest at the time. “Answer the call of the Lord!” the priest’s voice boomed over the pulsing backing track. The song was catchy, quirky, Catholic, and unlike anything I had ever heard.
I met Rob for the first time in downtown Chicago, where he worked for a corporate software company. He explained how he was quitting his job and selling his sports car and dirt bikes. He had just purchased a $20,000 cinema camera and, with an investor, was launching a Catholic media production company called Spirit Juice Studios. (The name came from a poor phone connection and a misunderstanding of the Latin word “spiritus.”)
Rob wanted to create high-end media for the Church that matched and exceeded the quality of professional studios. He wanted the Gospel to be shared and the Catholic voice to be taken seriously in modern media. His aim was to elevate Catholic evangelization and inspire audiences through powerful visuals and storytelling. Spirit Juice wanted to not only reach non-Catholics, but specifically to surprise, engage, and enliven lifelong Catholics who had grown passive and indifferent.
From the fourth to 18th century, the Catholic Church was the leading patron of art in the Western world and beyond. The finest music, paintings, sculptures, and literature were all created to proclaim the Gospel and lead hearts and minds to the Lord through the Catholic Church. While Catholic art has never gone away, by the late 20th century, much of the art and media produced by and for the Church had lost this cultural prestige.
In 1983, St. John Paul II invited the faithful to answer the call of the “New Evangelization,” a missionary mandate to proclaim the Gospel with new ardor, methods, and expressions. The call is for every baptized Catholic to think outside the box and share the Gospel in new ways. Importantly, the New Evangelization is not aimed at reaching the unchurched or fallen away. It is specifically aimed at engaging those who are in the pews, but have become complacent and uninspired in their relationship with the Lord.
Today, Catholics are engaging the culture and proclaiming the Gospel using social media, podcasts, videos, graphic design, fine art and more. In the past 20 years, revolutionary ministries have emerged to serve the needs of youth, young adults, couples, widows, the bereaved, and the addicted. We’ve seen an incredible surge in popularity of Catholic media online – some examples include the Hallow app and “Bible in a Year” podcast. Each has repeatedly reached their respective #1 spots – not just among faith-based media, but all media on the Apple ecosystem.
Similarly, Spirit Juice’s answer to the New Evangelization has reached over one billion souls through feature films, documentaries, children’s programming, short stories, and more. Rob has won 12 Emmy Awards and dozens of other accolades. The awards are not the point of the New Evangelization, but they are evidence that the call is being answered and people are listening.
So, what is your response to the invitation of the New Evangelization? How has God equipped you to think outside the box and share the Gospel uniquely in your life? Locally, I know of scientists, programmers, rock climbers, runners, wine lovers, and gardeners who have all found ways to use their talents and gifts to share the Gospel and their love of the faith in creative and inspiring ways.
This fall, at the diocesan Catholic Fest in Richmond, we will offer two stages and dozens of exhibition booths for performers, creatives, and ministries to share their response to the New Evangelization. Even if you don’t have an immediate idea, consider pointing others toward the remarkable resources and media that have emerged from the New Evangelization. If you have social media, a friend group, a parish community, or a family – you can participate in the New Evangelization.
To learn how to share your talent at Catholic Fest on Oct. 11, or to learn more about this day of celebration, visit catholicfest.richmonddiocese.org.
Check out the Everyday Evangelization podcast.
Daniel Harms has worked for the Diocese of Richmond since 2012 and served as Associate Director for Marriage, Family, and Life Ministries since 2023. As a speaker and musician, Dan has presented to Catholic audiences in 46 states and seven countries. He and his family are parishioners at St. Edward the Confessor, Richmond.