Little did Patrick Conley know that, while studying to be an Anglican priest and working his first broadcasting position with BBC Radio in Oxford, he would end up being the host for two different Relevant Radio shows. The first being “Practicing Catholic,” produced by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and Relevant Radio, and, as of March 13, a Relevant Radio national show, “The Inner Life.”

Conley, 52, and his wife, Kendra, 46, are members of St. Bernard-St. Hedwig parish near their home in Thorp, Wisconsin, Kendra’s hometown. They are actively involved; Patrick is the director of religious education for the parish and a religion teacher at the parish’s Thorp Catholic School where Kendra is principal. Patrick often works from a sound studio he set up in his home.

Patrick grew up in the Wisconsin Dells but moved to Minnesota while obtaining a physics degree from the University of Minnesota. He graduated in 1994.

After marrying, the Conleys moved to England, where Patrick began studying at the Anglican seminary Wycliffe Hall, which is affiliated with the University of Oxford.

“After three years there studying, I thought I was preparing for ministry in the Anglican community,” Patrick said. “Turns out, that’s where God really put the screws (to) me, in terms of really, honestly considering the Catholic Church.”

The moment Patrick realized he was not going to be an Anglican minister, he was angry. “I was letting the Lord have it, yelling at him from the tiny kitchen in our tiny flat in Oxford. Finally, when I shut up and just silently sobbed, I heard his voice. It wasn’t an audible voice, but I knew what he was saying to me. He asked me two questions. He said, ‘If I’m not the one who’s leading you into the Catholic Church, why would you even think about doing it?’ and ‘If I am the one who’s leading you into the Catholic Church, why don’t you trust that I’ll take care of you?’ Thanks be to God; he’s come through so much. I have never applied for a job in the Church; they’ve always just come to me. That’s not anything to do with me, it’s all the goodness of God.”

After Patrick earned a bachelor’s degree in theology from the University of Oxford, he and Kendra moved back to Minnesota, where Patrick began doctoral-level theological studies. He left the program in the spring of 2013 for full-time ministry as director of faith formation at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. The Cathedral is where he and Kendra — who, with Patrick, had been Episcopalian — entered full communion with the Catholic Church in 2010. “I felt that God had prepared me for more of a pastoral role than an academic one,” Patrick said.

Conley said he never expected that his position with BBC radio, which he volunteered for as part of his seminary formation, would be such helpful preparation for his work in radio today. Conley hadn’t planned to work in broadcasting. Yet when he started working at the Cathedral, he was asked to start recording ads for Relevant Radio.

Just a few years later, in October 2016, Conley was asked by the archdiocese to be the host of “The Rediscover: Hour,” now “Practicing Catholic,” which highlights current events and the faith lives of people in the local Church and beyond. He didn’t seek these positions, but was offered them, Conley said.

In addition to his radio and parish work, Conley serves as a traveling presenter with the Catherine of Siena Institute, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which coordinates Called and Gifted workshops in the archdiocese. And he is in his second year of formation for the permanent diaconate.

Paul Sadek, technical producer of “Practicing Catholic” and network producer of Illinois-based Relevant Radio, said he was thrilled to have Conley join the network. “I’ve always been impressed not only with his on-air presence, but with his knowledge of Scripture and the Church, and his deep faith.”

In February 2023, executives at Relevant Radio asked Conley to host “The Inner Life,” an hour-long, weekday program that launched in 2006 and is dedicated to spiritual direction. It airs at 11 a.m. Central Time on Relevant Radio stations in all 50 states and 15 countries.

Conley said a favorite thing for him about Catholic radio is that people can anonymously hear more about the faith, on their own schedule, without feeling pressured. When he was director of faith formation at the Cathedral of St. Paul, Conley said he heard from many people seeking full communion with the Church that listening to Relevant Radio was one reason they were converting to Catholicism.

When it came time to find a new host for “The Inner Life,” Father Francis Hoffman, “Father Rocky,” CEO and chairman of Relevant Radio, said he had Conley in mind. “Patrick came to our attention through his work with the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. His intelligence, wit, formation and zeal for the Catholic faith have prepared him to be an excellent host of this program,” Father Hoffman said.

“Although I’m not the ‘answer man’ on “The Inner Life,” but rather, the conversation facilitator,” Conley said, “I am grateful for the theological knowledge I’ve gained through my studies to help the conversation remain pertinent, consistent with Catholic teaching, and practically applicable.”

Topics have included family prayer, charity to the poor and living the Resurrection. Guests are invited from all around the country. Each show features a priest or religious sister. Regulars include Father Joseph Johnson, pastor of Holy Family in St. Louis Park, and Father Tom Wilson, pastor of All Saints in Lakeville.

“We’re all about inspiring and encouraging people in their walk of faith, just to go a little bit deeper into their life with Jesus,” Conley said.