Show Notes
How can beauty rebuild a broken community?
In this episode of Called, Fr. Mike Schmitz sits down with acclaimed actor Harry Lennix to explore faith, storytelling, and the power of the arts to transform culture.
From growing up Catholic on Chicago’s South Side to discerning the priesthood, to performing on Broadway and in film, Harry shares how his vocation has always been rooted in service. Inspired by Pope John Paul II’s Letter to Artists, he explains why creativity images the Creator—and why investing in beauty is essential, especially in under-resourced neighborhoods.
They discuss:
🔸How art reveals truth
🔸Why culture shapes communities
🔸Mercy, justice, and the human heart
🔸The vision behind the Lillian Marcie Center for the Performing Arts
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More from Called (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
When disaster strikes, where do we find hope—and how does God call us to respond?In this episode of Called, Fr. Mike Schmitz sits down with civil engineer Tracy Kijewski-Correa, Director of the Pulte Institute for Global Development at the University of Notre Dame. Tracy shares her journey from building some of the world's tallest skyscrapers to studying structural disasters and helping vulnerable communities rebuild after catastrophic events.
In this episode of Called, Father Mike Schmitz sits down with Mark Rienzi, the President and CEO of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. Mark has led an extraordinary, unbroken string of landmark victories at the US Supreme Court—defending everyone from the Little Sisters of the Poor and Hobby Lobby to everyday parents and ministries. But his journey didn't start with massive victories. It started with a 13-year string of losses.
What does true hospitality look like? It’s more than hosting a dinner party or planning a great trip—it’s creating space for others to encounter love, joy, beauty, and ultimately, God.
What does it mean to answer God’s call—especially when it leads you somewhere unexpected?
What do you do when suffering hits your family—and there’s no cure?