This episode contains a deeply personal and moving conversation with Father Mark Soehner, a Franciscan friar whose life has been shaped by decades of living the Gospel in community, among the poor, and through profound personal trials.
From his early rebellion and brief season of atheism, to discovering a God who doesn’t love us because we’re good—but makes us good because God loves us—Father Mark takes us through his journey into religious life. He shares stories of living with the homeless in Cincinnati, the healing power of brotherhood, and how the downward path of descent has continually drawn him closer to the heart of God.
We also walk with him through one of life’s darkest valleys: the murder of his sister and the long road of rage, grief, and forgiveness. And in a spirit of courageous honesty, Father Mark opens up about his recent diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s—and how he is learning, even now, to entrust every detail of his life into the hands of a humble, accompanying God. This is a conversation about expanding our view of God, embracing our full humanity, and daring to bring everything—our anger, our fear, our limitations—before the One who never leaves us.
Mark Soehner, OFM is a Franciscan friar and priest with over four decades of pastoral, formation, and leadership experience in the Order of Friars Minor. Throughout his ministry, Fr. Mark has served in diverse settings including homeless shelters (St. Vincent Hotel in Dayton and Zacchaeus Friary), campus ministry at the University of Cincinnati, and parish leadership.
From 1995 to 2008 he served as Pastor of St. Aloysius Parish in Detroit, guiding the community through significant change while also maintaining a licensed professional counseling practice (M.S. in Pastoral Counseling from Loyola University Maryland). He has been deeply involved in Franciscan formation as a formator in Chicago and Cincinnati/Detroit, and served on the Provincial Council.
In 2017 he was elected Provincial Minister of St. John the Baptist Province, and in 2023 was elected Vicar Provincial of the newly formed Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Known for his compassionate presence, commitment to those on the margins, and dedication to Franciscan life, Fr. Mark brings a wealth of wisdom, lived experience, and spiritual insight to conversations on faith, service, leadership, and community.
Show Notes for Grief, Grace, and Letting Go
– “How does this incredible experience of God have expression in a person’s life? Always it leads us to some kind of communion with others,” writes Father Mark Soehner in his article, “Becoming Church,” which he wrote in reflecting on this episode.
– Learn more about Tender Mercies, which formed as friars served the poor in Cincinnati.
– Father Mark on the gratitude of letting go.
– What does it look like to become our true selves? Father Mark explains.
– We are all God’s beloved, Father Mark explains, yet we must consent to be loved.
– How do we find the freedom to forgive? Father Mark shares his journey.
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