They Called Me “Doc”

 

They Called Me “Doc”

Long before I became a deacon, before the years of ministry and everything that followed, there was another chapter of my life that helped shape the man I would become.

I was a United States Navy Hospital Corpsman serving alongside the Marines. To them, I wasn’t just the Navy guy—I was “Doc.”

This song is about those days. It’s about service, sacrifice, brotherhood, and the bond that forms when you know the person beside you is depending on you. It’s about being there for the wounded, sharing the hardships, carrying the same load, and earning a name that, even all these years later, still means something to me.

The young Corpsman in this photo on the left is me. I couldn’t have known then where God would eventually lead my life. But looking back, I can see that the lessons of those years—serve others, stay when things get difficult, care for the person in front of you, and never leave a brother behind—would follow me for the rest of my life.

This is a little piece of that story.

🎵 “They Called Me Doc”

For every Corpsman who ever heard someone yell “DOC!”—and for every Marine who trusted us enough to call us that—this one is for you.

Semper Fi. 

What would our country look like if everyone didn’t just call themselves Catholic—but truly tried to live the Catholic faith?

 

What would our country look like if everyone didn’t just call themselves Catholic—but truly tried to live the Catholic faith?

In this episode of The Catholic Journey, I imagine what might change if we genuinely allowed the Gospel to shape our families, marriages, workplaces, communities, politics, and the way we treat one another.

What if we protected the unborn and walked beside struggling mothers? What if we cared for the poor, elderly, immigrant, prisoner, sick, and forgotten? What if businesses valued human dignity, political disagreements didn’t become hatred, and forgiveness became more common than resentment?

But eventually the question becomes much more personal.

I can’t make an entire country live the Gospel. I can only begin with me.

Maybe changing the world doesn’t begin in Washington. Maybe it begins in our homes, our parishes, our relationships—and in our own hearts.

🎙️ What Would Our Country Look Like If Everyone Was a Practicing Catholic?

The Catholic Journey with Deacon Pat Kearns

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Roots and Wings

 

Some songs are written from imagination. This one came from a letter I have treasured for years.

My daughter wrote this letter to me for Father’s Day while she was serving as a missionary in Guatemala. She couldn’t be home to celebrate with me, so she put into words what was in her heart.

She wrote about faith, family, her missionary calling, and the example she felt Liz and I had given her. One line especially stayed with me—the gratitude she felt for having been given “the permission and the invitation to live in the love of God and serve Him with my whole life.”

I recently took the heart of that letter and turned it into a song called “You Gave Me Wings to Go.”

As a father, there aren't many greater gifts than seeing your child discover who God is calling her to be—and then having the courage to let her go and follow that call.

The letter meant the world to me when I received it.

It means even more to me today.

“You gave me roots to love Him,
You gave me faith to trust Him,
And when He called my name…
You gave me wings to go.”

❤️ A song from a daughter's letter to her dad—and a reminder that sometimes the greatest act of a parent's love is giving our children both roots and wings.

Why Does the Priest or Deacon Mix Water With the Wine at Mass?

 

Why Does the Priest or Deacon Mix Water With the Wine at Mass?

It happens quietly at nearly every Mass.

As the chalice is prepared, the priest or deacon pours in the wine—and then adds just a small amount of water.

Why?

Those few drops may seem insignificant, but they carry a beautiful message about Christ and our relationship with Him.

In this episode of The Hidden Meanings Behind Catholic Traditions, we explore this ancient practice, the prayer said quietly while the water is added, its connection to Christ's humanity and divinity, and the blood and water that flowed from His side on the Cross.

And perhaps most beautifully, those few drops of water can remind us of ourselves.

We bring Christ our weaknesses, our families, our struggles, our hopes, our sins—even the parts of our lives that seem insignificant—and ask Him to unite them completely with Himself.

💧 A few drops of water. A chalice of wine. An incredible mystery of union with Christ.

Join me for another episode of The Catholic Journey with Deacon Pat Kearns as we uncover the deeper meaning behind the Catholic traditions we see every Sunday but may never have understood.

🙏 Helping Catholics see life through the eyes of faith.

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Why Does the Priest or Deacon Kiss the Altar?

 

Why Does the Priest or Deacon Kiss the Altar?

It happens at nearly every Mass.

The priest and deacon enter the sanctuary, approach the altar…and kiss it.

But why?

It isn't simply a formal gesture or an old Catholic custom. The altar holds a profound place in our worship. It points us toward Christ, His sacrifice, the Eucharist, and even the witness of the early martyrs.

In this episode of The Hidden Meanings Behind Catholic Traditions, we uncover what that simple kiss really means—and why understanding it might change the way you look at the altar the next time you attend Mass.

Because the altar isn't just a table.

It points us to Christ—the center of everything.

Join me for another episode of The Catholic Journey with Deacon Pat Kearns as we discover the deeper meaning behind the Catholic traditions we often see but don't always understand.

🙏 Helping Catholics see life through the eyes of faith.

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Take up Your Cross and Follow Me

 

Why Does the Church Use Different Liturgical Colors?

 

Why Does the Church Use Different Liturgical Colors?

Green. Violet. White. Red. Rose. Even black.

We see these colors throughout the Church year—but have you ever wondered why the Church uses them and what they actually mean?

The colors we see at Mass aren't simply decoration. Each one tells part of the story of our faith. They call us to grow, prepare, rejoice, sacrifice, persevere, and hope.

In this episode of The Hidden Meanings Behind Catholic Traditions, we'll explore the meaning behind the Church's liturgical colors and discover how the Church is communicating something to us even before the first word of Mass is spoken.

Sometimes the Church speaks through bells.
Sometimes through incense.
Sometimes through silence.
And sometimes… she speaks through color.

Join me for another episode of The Catholic Journey with Deacon Pat Kearns as we discover the deeper meaning behind the Catholic traditions we often see but don't always understand.

🙏 Helping Catholics see life through the eyes of faith.

#TheCatholicJourney #DeaconPatKearns #CatholicFaith #CatholicTraditions