The Ranch — A Song of Brothers, Faith, and Purpose

 

The Ranch — A Song of Brothers, Faith, and Purpose

I wrote The Ranch as a spiritual adventure novel, but at its heart, it has always been a story about brotherhood, loss, faith, and discovering that God can give purpose even to our deepest pain.

The story begins with brothers grieving the loss of one of their own and eventually discovering a calling they never expected—to create a place where wounded young people can find healing, family, faith, and hope.

I recently took the heart of that story and turned it into this song, “The Ranch.”

There is also something very personal behind the novel. I dedicated The Ranch to my own brothers—the Kearns Boys—because pieces of each of them helped inspire the characters and the bond between the brothers in the story.

Maybe that is the message behind both the book and the song: God wastes nothing—not our struggles, our losses, our gifts, or the roads we've traveled. He can use all of it for something greater.

🎵 The Ranch
Inspired by the novel by Deacon Patrick Kearns

Faith. Family. Brotherhood. Purpose. Healing.

Saying Goodbye — and Going Home

 

Saying Goodbye — and Going Home

This weekend marks the end of a special chapter for Liz and me as I say goodbye to Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish after three years of serving this wonderful community.

In this episode of The Catholic Journey, I reflect on the people, the memories, the privilege of preaching and serving, and the many ways God has been present throughout these years.

Now, we begin a new chapter as we move back to Redding—the community where we raised our family and called home for nearly twenty years. There is sadness in saying goodbye, but also gratitude for what has been and excitement for what God may have waiting ahead.

Life is filled with seasons. Some we choose, and some God chooses for us. The challenge is to remain grateful for yesterday, present to today, and trusting of tomorrow.

Thank you, Presentation Parish, for allowing me to be part of your journey. You will remain part of mine.

This isn't just goodbye. It's another step along The Catholic Journey.

— Deacon Pat Kearns
The Catholic Journey

The Man Beside That Truck

 

The Man Beside That Truck

I came across this old photograph of myself standing beside a little pickup truck that, at the time, I thought was about the greatest thing in the world.

But when I looked at the picture again, I realized I wasn’t really looking at the truck. I was looking at the young man standing beside it—young, healthy, energetic, and completely unaware of everything life still had waiting for him.

He didn’t know about the love, family, faith, joys, struggles, losses, accomplishments, and countless miles that would eventually become his story.

That thought inspired this song, “The Man Beside That Truck.”

There are times I miss that younger version of myself. But I wouldn’t trade all the years I’ve lived just to be young again. That young man had his whole future ahead of him.

I have the memories of the ride.

And maybe that’s the real lesson: no matter our age, there is still some road ahead of us. Keep driving. Keep loving. Keep believing. And thank God for every mile.

Why Does the Priest Pause at the Beginning of Mass?

 

Why Does the Priest Pause at the Beginning of Mass?

You've heard it hundreds of times.

The priest says, “Let us pray.”

And then… silence.

Have you ever wondered why he pauses?

That silence isn't empty space, and the priest isn't simply finding his place in the Roman Missal. That moment is actually there for you.

In this episode of The Catholic Journey, we explore the beautiful meaning behind those few seconds of silence and the prayer that follows—the Collect.

It's a moment when we become aware of God's presence, bring Him the intentions we carried into Mass, and then join those individual prayers to the prayer of the whole Church.

The next time you hear “Let us pray,” you may never experience that silence the same way again.

🎙️ The Catholic Journey with Deacon Pat Kearns

Helping Catholics see life through the eyes of faith.

#TheCatholicJourney #CatholicPodcast #CatholicMass #TheMass #CatholicFaith #LetUsPray #CatholicTradition #DeaconPatKearns

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

#TheCatholicJourney #CatholicFaith #CatholicPodcast #LiveTheFaith #DeaconPatKearns #JesusChrist #CatholicLife #FaithInAction

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.