Julie Nelson and Chris Magruder welcome Stephanie Parks, Director of Campus Ministry at Dowling Catholic High School and co-author of Michelle Duppong: Hope in the Depths of Suffering. Michelle Duppong was a FOCUS missionary who died of stage four cancer on Christmas Day 2015 and has since been named a Servant of God — the first step toward canonization. The episode explores Michelle's extraordinary witness of joy amid suffering, her path toward sainthood, and the June 11th consecration of America to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Julie Nelson and Chris Magruder sit down with Stephanie Parks — Director of Campus Ministry at Dowling Catholic High School in Des Moines and co-author of Michelle Duppong: Hope in the Depths of Suffering (written with Patti Armstrong) — to tell the story of a modern woman whose life and death are captivating the Church.
Who Was Michelle Duppong? Born in 1984 and raised on a North Dakota farm, Michelle was a faithful Catholic who experienced a powerful conversion through FOCUS and Eagle Eye Ministries summer camp. After graduating from North Dakota State University in Fargo, she served six years as a FOCUS missionary — opening campuses and discipling students — before joining the Diocese of Bismarck for adult faith formation. In late 2014, she was diagnosed with stage four cancer and given two months to live. She lived a full year more, transforming everyone around her — hospital staff, nurses, cafeteria workers — through her contagious joy. She died on Christmas Day, 2015, surrounded by her family. Her cause for canonization was officially opened in 2022, and she now holds the title Servant of God.
The Book Stephanie co-authored Michelle Duppong: Hope in the Depths of Suffering with Patti Armstrong, whose connection to Michelle's family in Bismarck perfectly complemented Stephanie's perspective from inside FOCUS. The book covers Michelle's life, her heroic suffering, and the signs of hope her family experienced after her death — including a beautiful account from her sister Lisa.
How to Support Michelle's Cause Prayer cards are available. If you experience a grace through Michelle's intercession, report it to the Guild overseeing her cause.
Also in This Episode — Sacred Heart of Jesus, June 2026
Julie Nelson, Chris Magruder, Stephanie Parks
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