“At a very early age, I knew I wanted to be in radio,” Goshey said.

Those two loves, radio and Christmas, would eventually come together.

In 2012, Goshey was working for Cool 103.5 in Brainerd when the station was trying to win over the audience of a competing radio station, which was changing its format and whose listeners had not embraced the tradition of all-Christmas music between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. 

Their solution was something entirely different.

They created “This Was Christmas,” a one-hour radio program built around a specific year in history. Beginning with 1940, each episode explored the music, news, movies, advertisements, sports moments and cultural events that defined that year, all woven together with Christmas music and stories.

The original goal was to produce about 20 episodes, but with October already underway, time was not on their side.

As Thanksgiving approached, Goshey wasn’t sure how he would finish in time. While he received a little help with research in the beginning, he knew he’d have to tackle the vast majority of the project himself. The decision reflected his deep enthusiasm for the season. Known by many in the Brainerd area as “Mr. Christmas,” he admits that even during the summer months he has “one foot in Christmas.”

For each episode, Goshey spent hours researching and collecting audio clips that would transport listeners back in time. Rather than simply describing events, he wanted people to hear them. A presidential speech, a memorable commercial, a Super Bowl-winning touchdown call, a hit song or the sound of a product everyone remembered could instantly spark a memory.

Each one-hour program required roughly 10 hours of research, editing and production.

“I wasn’t sure how I was going to pull it off,” he recalled.

The Christmas elements remained central. Goshey featured holiday music from the year being highlighted and shared the stories behind beloved songs. Listeners learned, for example, that “Let It Snow” was written in California during a sweltering heat wave and that “White Christmas” originated in the 1942 film “Holiday Inn.”

The first season produced about 15 episodes and people loved them.

It all began as a strategy to keep listeners tuned in, but its popularity quickly exceeded expectations. Families even drove to the station simply to share how much they enjoyed the program.

“That doesn’t happen in radio,” Goshey said with a laugh.

After that first Christmas season ended, he immediately began preparing for the next. By the end of the show’s second year, he had completed episodes covering 1940 through 1970. Listeners still wanted more.

Today, “This Was Christmas” includes 63 episodes spanning 1940 through 2002 and remains a cherished annual tradition. Listeners continue to write and email the station asking if the series will return each holiday season, and some have even asked to purchase the programs.

Goshey believes the show’s popularity stems from more than Christmas nostalgia alone.

The audio clips often trigger deeply personal memories. A detergent commercial might remind someone of helping their grandmother with laundry. A familiar song may bring back memories of a family gathering decades ago. The show gives listeners space to reconnect with moments that shaped their lives.

“It humbles me to know I’m part of something that brings people so much joy,” he said.

While Goshey’s Christmas radio tradition continues, his life took another significant turn when he discerned a call to the permanent diaconate.

While living in Brainerd and helping his parish with pastoral planning, he became increasingly aware of the demands placed on priests. He saw how much they carried and felt called to support them through friendship, encouragement and service. At the same time, he was driven by a desire to help people understand how deeply God loves them.

Those two desires ultimately led him to discern a vocation as a deacon. In 2017, he was ordained.

Today, Goshey serves as director of the Diocese of Duluth’s Office of Permanent Diaconate while continuing to work part-time in radio from his home in Pengilly.

Whether he is serving the Church or producing another year of “This Was Christmas,” the mission remains remarkably similar: helping people remember what matters most. Through stories, memories and faith, Deacon Dan Goshey continues to bring joy to others, especially during the season he has loved since childhood. And as Christmas approaches once again, thousands of listeners will be ready to take another journey through time with the man who has always kept one foot in Christmas.