Broadcasting spiritual refreshment
In 1987, a seasoned commercial radio broadcaster stood sweating in the Texas heat in San Antonio, alongside tens of thousands of other onlookers. Providing the only audio for the entire country during this most important and historic event, Jack Socha hoped the radio station’s microphone would not fail. At that moment, the heavily guarded motorcade was driving a circuit around the large area where the outdoor Mass would occur.
“I had absolutely no expectations about the pope. At that time, frankly, I didn’t care. I was just doing my job,” Jack recalls, reflecting on one of the most remarkable turning points of his life. “When the popemobile drove by me, I was suddenly hit with a wave of what I can only describe as ‘refreshment.’ I felt an overwhelming sense of joy—it was palpable and not something I imagined. It was God, and it truly happened. It was real.”
From New Jersey to the Pentagon
Born to protestant parents in Newark, NJ, Jack, an only child, attended public schools and lived in a house where he could see the Empire State Building from his back window. Jack and his family were active members of a nearby Methodist church, where they practiced their Christian faith. Jack was involved in youth ministry clubs throughout middle and high school and was anchored in Christianity.
Then, six days after high school graduation, Jack left New Jersey for the Army. He was fascinated with his studies at an Army intelligence school in Baltimore, and successfully completed his training to become an intelligence analyst. During the Vietnam War, he was only one of 100 graduating men selected to work at the Pentagon for the Army Chief of Staff in a top-secret office where they processed urgent documents 24/7. At that time, he was the youngest person ever to work in that office.
Religion and Radio
No one in his family held a college degree, but a fellow colleague planted the seed that Jack could study religion in college without the intent to become a minister or priest. Inspired, Jack studied comparative religion at the University of California-Santa Barbara. There, he took more religion classes, enough to receive a minor, but then dropped out, realizing that unless he pursued a doctorate in religion, he might struggle to turn his studies into a profitable career.
Jack later moved to Minnesota and worked briefly in graphics and advertising. At that time, special training programs were being offered for Vietnam-era veterans, so Jack took a one-year broadcasting course and began working as a disc jockey in Wisconsin. After a few years of commercial radio work, Jack took on a more significant role, moving to WTMJ in Milwaukee. Jack’s boss at the time, a former Catholic missionary, was selected for a promotion at a major radio station in San Antonio. His boss assumed the new role in San Antonio and in 1984, he offered Jack the morning news host position.
Darshan to Catholicism
In San Antonio, shortly after Jack had the profound experience of being in the presence of Pope St. John Paul II, he noticed a small gold cross pin lying on the ground. Jack picked it up and placed it in his shirt pocket. Years later, that cross still holds special meaning and symbolism for him.
on the ground as Pope St. John Paul II
visited San Antonio and traveled nearby.
“I studied religions of the world, and in India, there is an expression called darshan, which means being in the presence of a holy person and feeling something. This is what I experienced, and I hadn’t even expected it,” he explained. “That cross represents how sometimes we are surprised by joy, and sometimes God hits us over the head. I wasn’t focused on anything in particular at that time, but this experience changed everything.”
After a few more years working at the San Antonio station, Jack decided to leave commercial radio to begin self-publishing a series of how-to audiobooks for new computer users. He and his wife, Alice, had been married for seven years then, moved back to the La Crosse area and began searching for a church they both liked. They attended a Catholic Mass, enjoyed it and soon enrolled in Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) classes—now known as Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA). They both became Catholics in 1998.
At the time, Jack was writing for photo magazines, appearing on a business talk network, and publishing audiobooks on technology like Microsoft Windows. “Then 9/11 happened,” Jack says. “The recession wiped out my business, so I took an 18-month contract in La Crosse training people on computers and hotel reservations. Three days after the contract ended, on April Fools’ Day, Relevant Radio contacted me after learning about my radio background through a diocesan newspaper.”
Jack was offered the opportunity to run a Catholic radio station. “I told my wife, you won’t believe who contacted me. God is looking out for us,’” he said.
Explaining vs. Listening
Jack spent several years happily managing the La Crosse Catholic station, but when Relevant Radio decided to centralize its resources in Green Bay, Jack again wondered what his next steps would be. During this transition, the Diocese of La Crosse and the leadership of the soon-to-be-built Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe were seeking someone to assist with general communications regarding the construction of the new shrine. They needed someone to explain to the secular media what was being built and its significance.
“Connecting the Diocese” episode.
As a result, all parties formed a short-term cooperative agreement. This allowed Jack to continue sharing his religious expertise and his gift for communicating over the radio—both things he distinctly enjoyed. “My father used to say I had been vaccinated with a phonograph needle,” Jack chuckles.
With the completion of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Jack approaching retirement, he became an independent contractor and began hosting a weekly radio program called “Connecting the Diocese.” “One thing I had never done in my radio career was host a talk show. I went from a professional explainer to a professional listener!” Jack reflects with a hint of irony.
For several years now, Jack’s role has been recording, editing and sending off the show once a week to two Catholic networks. He recalls many memorable moments and inspiring stories. “What has amazed me from day one is how these people of faith (guests on “Connecting the Diocese”) contribute to the world simply by being Catholic.”
“Remember your listeners”
Today, at the age of 76, Jack has more years of experience producing Catholic radio than commercial radio, and he considers it the most interesting and satisfying work of his career. “The golden rule of radio is to remember your listeners. I strive to give my audience what they want to hear, not just what I think they want.”
As he reflects on his remarkable career, Jack humbly offers one final insight: “Faith is caught, not taught. Keep sharing, keep inviting and trust that something will resonate.” It’s a lesson he has lived by—a testament to the grace of God working through a willing heart and a microphone.
Story by Marcy Stenstrom
Published in the Spring 2025 issue of Catholic Life Magazine