Father Sam Martin hosts Connecting the Diocese with guest Natalie Elskamp, newly hired as Coordinator of Healing Ministry for the Diocese of La Crosse. Natalie shares her Catholic upbringing, homeschooling and homesteading family life, and her path into healing ministry. She explains her role supporting parish offerings of Healing the Whole Person, forming and mentoring prayer ministers, and ensuring healing efforts remain safe, trauma-informed, and aligned with Church teaching and diocesan guidelines. The conversation covers common experiences of healing through the sacraments and prayer, details about the John Paul II Healing Center programs and I AM training, and the importance of priests pursuing their own healing. The episode also includes a reflection with Father Steven Weller on the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time readings, emphasizing God’s abundance and spiritual fulfillment.

00:49 Meet Natalie Elskamp

01:49 Faith and Family Roots

03:18 Homesteading Life Explained

04:46 New Healing Ministry Role

07:22 What Healing Feels Like

11:17 Healing the Whole Person

14:15 JP II Healing Center Resources

17:13 I AM Training for Prayer Ministers

21:50 Priests and Parish Healing

27:28 Guardrails and Discernment

30:36 Trauma Informed Prayer

31:36 Healing Ministry Guardrails

33:05 Everyone Carries Wounds

36:05 Practical Ministry Plans

39:05 Supporting Priests Families

40:44 Making Healing Mainstream

42:33 Fears And Fruits

45:47 Sunday Readings Overview

49:09 Abundance Not Scarcity

51:14 Eucharist Desert Place

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