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The following is a transcript of a Raised Catholic podcast episode. To listen to the podcast, click here.

Today is episode 198: Notre Dame: The Raised Catholic Story

Hi friends. As you may have heard, we are in the final stretch (at least for now) of the Raised Catholic podcast. Today we’ll tell the story of the podcast through the lens of the fire and rebuilding of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. And in the last two episodes we’ll chat about my take on the future of the Church, the ongoing second meeting of the Synod on Synodality, and what’s next both for me and for this community. I am honored to have you with me to walk this out together, friend, so thank you, really, from the bottom of my heart.

When I learned of the Notre Dame fire in April 2019, I recognized it immediately as a metaphor for what was happening in our Church. In fact, that day I quickly wrote a poem on that very subject and posted it to Instagram. And I’ll link to that in the show notes in case you’d like to read it, but to me, a fire which took away so much of the rot in the man-made structure of a church, but which revealed the stone foundations, the altar and the cross as undamaged…this fire in which people would be digging in ashes for the things that were worth cleaning, restoring and claiming…this fire which exposed the church to sunlight for the first time in hundreds of years…which would take the combined skills and resources of thousands of craftsmen and everyday people, leaders in government, art, and church and untold amounts of time and care working together as a body to restore the church to a safe, healthy, and prayerful place for people to gather – well, all of this was obviously a metaphor for what was happening in our Church in the wake of abuse, coverups, scandals, politicization, clericalism and more. As a Church, we are being exposed to sunlight and purification and we are digging in ashes for what is worth saving. And that was even before a global pandemic which changed the face of the Church in ways that maybe we could have predicted from sources which were smoldering just under the surface.

As I started to see the fruit of things gone wrong in the American Catholic Church, there were the parallels with our sisters and brothers in Protestant denominations, too. So much of the same rot, the same stories of abuse, the prioritization of the clergy over the people, of church leaders seeking to amass worldly power by aligning themselves with political figures. Of more and more of their words and actions not matching up to the humble and self-sacrificial teachings of Jesus in the Gospels. 

In that time, I would ask God in my prayers to do something, to fix or save this Church that I love so much. But since God is kind of funny like that, I found that I started to feel Him leading me to become a voice that might help. And I wonder if you’ve ever had it happen that God leads you to try and become an answer to your own prayer, but I have had that happen a few times now that I think of it. And in this case, I clearly remember in the summer of 2020 feeling the call to create a podcast. At that time, I had heard ads for a service called Anchor, with which even a totally inexperienced person like me could make and distribute their own podcast. And to this idea I clearly remember saying no thanks, until the day that I said yes.

Author Elizabeth Gilbert in her book Big Magic speaks about creative ideas as living entities which look for makers to land on to bring them to fruition. In the book, Gilbert tells the story of a novel idea that she had worked on for years and then put away, only to find a couple of years later that it was unknowingly picked up by another author with eerily similar context, setting and character details that Gilbert had never shared with a soul somehow making their way into this fellow author’s story without her ever communicating any of it. Gilbert explains that she believes that the idea ‘jumped’ from her when it was clear that she wasn’t going to pick it back up. And isn’t that kind of funny?

In the case of Raised Catholic, I heard this persistent offer from God, said ‘no’ a bunch, and then one day out on a run, I felt the Lord saying that this would be the last time that He would ask – that if I said ‘no’, that it was okay, and that He would just ask someone else to bring this idea to fruition. So, on that day as soon as I walked in the door from that run, I made the Raised Catholic graphic in Canva, and I started the process of learning to do something that I had never even considered doing before.

Sometimes ministries are like this, aren’t they? They kind of rope us in without our knowing what we’re getting into, and there can be quite a lot of fear in a thing like that but as it says in the Book of Mark, “…do not worry beforehand about what to say, but say whatever is given to you [by God] in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit [who will speak through you].” Friend, I do hope that that is the larger part of what has happened here.

As I continued making the Raised Catholic podcast, I felt drawn to the renovation of the Notre Dame Cathedral as a hopeful allegory for our Church, and certain details about that whole story just stood out to me. Like, did you know that the stone foundation, walls and ceilings were not damaged and in fact, it was the stone ceiling that bore the weight of the wood that collapsed, largely protecting the interior. That reminded me of the very firm foundation that we are given in Jesus. And did you know that those roof timbers in the spire were extensively rotted, that church officials and the city of Paris all knew about the extreme fire risk, trained for it even, and they were in the process of renovation when either a cigarette or an electrical short started it all. That made me think of what happens in long-standing institutions, when things tend to get corrupted over time, and how a lack of care can lead to ruin. And did you know that the 13^th century rose windows, altar, cross, pipe organ and bells all survived the fire? That led me to think about the vitally important parts of our faith – the goodness, truth and beauty that remain even in times of struggle in the Church. And did you know that the collapse of the spire created a draft that slammed every one of the doors in the church closed, and that firefighters largely fought from inside because they thought it was safer for the structure that way. And, wow, isn’t this just a perfect metaphor because the people doing the work of saving and restoring our church are doing it at low levels, largely unheralded inside the church and at risk to themselves, too, just like those firefighters. Maybe one day the doors will be open to all of God’s people. Gosh, I hope so. And did you know that the fire contaminated both the site and the surrounding area with high levels of toxic dust and lead, and that they initially did not take safety precautions when working on the site. There were months-long delays in even notifying the public about the health risk, which drew sharp criticism that the structure was being prioritized over the health and well-being of the people. And, oh gosh, that one speaks for itself, don’t you think?

I said in the beginning of this episode that I viewed the Raised Catholic podcast as a means of rebuilding faith. Together, we were sifting through ashes, finding what was valuable and working together to build a structure that was a safe place for our faith to flourish. The very first episodes, ‘Who are you?’ and ‘Who is God?’ episodes on grace, the Gospel, sin, the Bible, the person of Jesus – these were all meant to be foundational, and I hope that each episode has represented one brick toward rebuilding a faith that we can safely live in as our Home. And also, I’m so grateful to my friend Peter Vaughan-Vail for immediately offering the harp music that has so beautifully accompanied each episode of Raised Catholic. Every home needs a good soundtrack, and this one is full of grace.

When I found the official Instagram account for the rebuilding of the Notre Dame Cathedral, and all of the many facets, experts, artisans and construction workers that they featured on their page, I began to align my hope with the symbols that I saw there. The many hands working together, the intricate pipe organ which was completely disassembled, cleaned and carefully put back in place, the massive bells each engraved with a name, which found their place once again in the bell tower, the massive chandeliers that would bring light, the intricate work of uncovering and restoring damaged art throughout the Cathedral, the tedious and painstaking work of that, the incredible ‘befores’ and ‘afters’, but most importantly, the people – the hundreds of humans lending their expertise, time, and resources, working together to make Notre Dame a safe and beautiful place for people once again. And as the Cathedral is set to open again at the end of 2024, with the work not yet complete but ongoing as all work is, I couldn’t help but think of the parallel with the timing of the Synod and I dared to hope for the work, the hard-fought, meticulous, and long, but still miraculous work that God might do in and through His people for His Church as He makes all things new.

Because as the workers in Paris have painstakingly sifted, sorted, cleaned and restored, I hope, friend, that we have, too. As they have used their tools and expertise, I hope that we have learned to use the tools of questioning, wrestling, study and contemplation as we build our relationship with a living God and His Church. And as we’ve gained knowledge and perspective, I hope that we are different in this home that we’re building that is the life of faith that makes its home in us. And I hope that we are more intentional about what we are building and why with this one wild and precious life that we’re given. And I have sort of a sneaking suspicion along with a deep hope that one day we will look back and see that at Notre Dame, in our Church, in this little podcast and yes, in you and me, that we might just find that it was a very good God who was doing the building all along. 

Well friend, as always thanks for listening. If you need me, you can find me on Instagram @kerrycampbellwrites, at Substack at kerrycampbellwrites.substack.com, or on my website at kerrycampbell.org. Thank you so much for rating, reviewing, subscribing and most importantly, sharing this podcast with a friend.  Yes, still, because that makes a real difference in growing this community which I hope will live on, so thanks. If you would like to support this podcast financially, there are a couple of ways for you to do that in the show notes, along with some resources related to today’s episode. One thing for sure, friend, you will want to subscribe over on substack, so once again that’s kerrycampbellwrites.substack.com for updates on what’s next. But for now, let’s pray together.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen.

Oh God, thank you for the many ways in which you guide and direct us, and how you work in your people to make all things new. Please bless us, the work of our hands, and our dear ones too in the name of Jesus and wrapped in the mantle of our Mother Mary, amen.

Thanks so much for listening today, friend. And for your kindness, too. I really appreciate that! I’ll see you next time. 

Show Notes

As I mentioned in the last couple of episodes, we’re in the home stretch (at least for now) of the Raised Catholic podcast. Today I’ll tell the story of the podcast through the lens of the Notre Dame Cathedral fire as an allegory for the state of the Church and as a model for how an unlikely ministry sometimes finds us.

If you’d like to connect with me, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠find me on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠at my website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you’d like to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠help support this podcast financially⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, there’s a way to do just that ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on my page at buymeacoffee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Thanks for sharing, subscribing, rating, and reviewing, as this helps our community to grow.

Thanks as always to my friend, Peter Vaughan-Vail, for providing the beautiful harp music you hear in this and every episode.

Here are some resources I hope will help you to engage with this week’s topic in a deeper way for yourself:

1. The poem I wrote when I learned of the Notre Dame fire, ⁠”The Church is on Fire”⁠

2. ⁠Instagram account⁠ for the rebuilding of the Notre Dame Cathedral – a must follow for anyone who loves a good metaphor!

3. Book: ⁠Big Magic – Creative Living Beyond Fear⁠, by Elizabeth Gilbert

4. Podcast: ⁠Magic Lessons with Elizabeth Gilbert⁠

5. ⁠Synod coverage⁠ from America Magazine

6. Notre Dame Cathedral ⁠official website⁠

7. Song: ⁠You Are Good Medley⁠, by Todd Galberth

8. Song: ⁠The House that Love is Building⁠, by Sarah Hart

9. Song: ⁠If the Lord Builds the House⁠, by Hope Darst

10: Song: ⁠House on a Hill⁠, by Amanda Cook