SPEAKER_00 0:07

Welcome to Beyond the Beacon with Bishop Kevin Sweeney, a podcast from the Diocese of Patterson, New Jersey. Join us for weekly conversations about our Catholic faith and submit questions for the Bishop today. I'm Jay Agnish. With me is Bishop Kevin Sweeney. Bishop Kevin, what's going on? How you doing? I'm doing well, Jay. How are you doing? I'm doing well, thanks. What have you been up to?

SPEAKER_01 0:27

Plenty. There's been a lot. It's a busy time of year. Yeah. How's your Lent going? Lent is going okay, thanks be to God, yeah. Um it's uh it's it's the really good a gift from the church and daily masses I've spoken about, and um uh when um when confirmation season is not uh in its full swing. Uh I say mass in the the parish where uh near where I live or uh St. Teresa in Patterson or um sometimes privately. But um uh during Advent and Lent I say Mass here in our offices uh at 8 30 on four mornings a week. Um but uh so it's great to be with uh our coworkers and uh and and celebrate mass to start the day. So and especially during the season of Lent. So um and uh we all need the prayers, so uh that's uh that's a great blessing.

SPEAKER_00 1:27

Well, we're lucky to have you doing daily mass here. Um and uh what's going on with uh with sports? So we got March Madness around the on the corner here starting to be able to do that. This afternoon, St.

SPEAKER_01 1:36

Johns plays Georgetown for the third time. And excuse me, I was at the St. John's Georgetown game this past Saturday. But uh St. John's plays Seton Hall for the third time. Um I'm privileged to be a board member of Seton Hall as one of the bishops in this in the five dioceses in our state. Um but as an alumnus of St. John's, I think I've shared before, it's uh been rooting for them since high school. So uh um so but St. Seton Hall beat them handily the first time and okay, St. John's the lead the second game, and St. Seton Hall came back and won. So we'll see what happens this afternoon. St. John's needs a game a little bit more to get into the national tournament. Uh um I think St. Seton Hall could get in even with a loss. But oh um so St. John's might be able to get in if they if they win this afternoon, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:22

Oh wow, it's a huge game then. Yeah, awesome. All right, we'll go St. John's.

SPEAKER_01 2:25

And two weeks from today is opening day, and the Yankees just got some bad news there. Uh pitcher Garrett Cole is gonna be out at least a couple of months, it looks like so. Oh, geez. But they'll be they'll be fine.

SPEAKER_00 2:36

Yeah, waiting for the Mets injury uh list to come flying in any day now. But uh all right, good. We'll uh want to introduce our our guests here. So um Dennis DeLilio and his family, uh it's Dennis and Eli DeLilio, so good good friends of mine who I've known for many, many a year. Uh Dennis and his family live in the Highland Lakes neighborhood of Vernon, where they attend Our Lady of Fatima. Uh joining us today is Dennis' oldest son, Eli, who's a 17-year-old senior at Sussex County Technical School. Eli was actually confirmed by Bishop Kevin two years ago. He took the confirmation name Albertus Max Magnus. Uh Dennis is a longtime photography teacher at Paramus High School. He also volunteers at his parish taking photos, teaching the faith as an eighth-grade catechist. He also has a great podcast called The Stolen Hours. Check it out. I was I was a guest on there, and you just dropped a few new episodes. Uh Dennis and I have been friends since we were actually two. Um, in many ways, our fair faith journeys kind of mirror each other as reverts who kind of left the church at a younger age and and came back. Uh, we've collaborated on many projects over the years, and Dennis also created the Beyond the Beacon artwork that is behind him now on the uh video version if you're watching. So thank you so much for coming. Yeah, it's a pleasure to be here.

SPEAKER_01 3:55

Thank you, Bishop, for The Stolen Hours. Pleasure.

SPEAKER_05 3:58

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 3:59

Tell us about that.

SPEAKER_05 4:00

All right, the Stolen Hours is a uh podcast about uh those who mostly those who have day jobs, um, maybe have families, um, the whole idea of you know balancing out all those things with also trying to sneak in making art or music or writing or dance, whatever whatever you do that you can't help but do. Um so it's kind of this theme of like uh we're created to create, that's how God made us, and some of us can't help but do it even when we shouldn't we shouldn't, I guess. Um and then sometimes you know artists who made a living or make a living doing it, um, and just them sharing like how they actually pulled it off. And then uh but a lot of just very talented people who, you know, what they maybe they're a carpenter, maybe they're the guy doing your wood floors, but they're brilliantly a musician, brilliantly um, you know, someone who who makes wonderful things. And Jay being a musician, uh, he was on my podcast once upon a time. And uh, you know, and just having multiple things that you're involved with, but also you can't help but keep creating. So that's just the stolen hours. Yeah, the stolen hours are are the hours you steal to and season this theme of season two, right?

SPEAKER_00 5:07

Maybe you can't.

SPEAKER_05 5:07

Oh yeah, so the theme of season two, which just you know, just hearing all the divisiveness and culture and just you know, um just kind of wanted to say, you know, creating is an act of of community building and creating is an act of healing for individuals, but also communities, and the idea of artists and musicians, you know, often being a source of healing um and and being a community builder. So the idea of um creating to heal and help help communities heal. So that's part of the themes of this this season. So we've kind of tapped that a bit more. Awesome.

SPEAKER_00 5:37

And I realize we forgot forgot to pray. Do you want to? No, we didn't forget. All right, all right.

SPEAKER_01 5:43

Uh when we after the prayer, we'll uh I'm a fan of you two. Uh and um we're getting close to St. Patrick's Day. And um we we as we pray, we pray for peace in the world in Ukraine and the Middle East, um, in Haiti, terrible in Haiti right now. Um and uh but um last year uh was the 25th anniversary, and April will be 26 years of since the Good Friday Agreement in uh in Ireland and thank God there's been peace um relatively for these 25, 26 years now, after so much um and really centuries of violence and war, and uh so um and uh I think you two uh Bono um are uh try to be agents for for God. And so um so there's hope and uh so um that's a good way to uh enter into prayer, I think. So we'll place ourselves in God's presence in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. As we gather in the name of our Lord Jesus who's present here amongst us in these days of Lent, we pray, we adore you, O Christ, and we praise you because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. As we walk this Lenten journey to our prayer and fasting and almsgiving charity, we desire to be closer to Jesus and closer to one another. We as we walk the way of the cross, we walk also with Mary, our blessed mother, who is mother of God, mother of the church, and also our queen of peace. And as we pray for peace in our hearts, in our homes, for peace and healing in our world and for all those who need it in the troubled areas of the world, especially, we ask the help and intercession of Mary, our blessed mother, as together we pray. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Our Lady Queen of Peace, pray for us. Saint Joseph, pray for us, Saint Patrick, pray for us. Pray for us, name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

SPEAKER_00 8:02

So speaking of Saint Joseph and our Queen of Our Lady Queen of Peace, two parishes in our in our home town where Dennis and I grew up in West Milford, but I I wonder if we can uh skip ahead to uh to your current family and Eli and your and your children and your and your wife Kitchen or Kristen.

SPEAKER_01 8:25

Yeah. You might have um it was two years ago you were confirmed, right? Yep. Um I'm not sure at that time I was asking the question, but I often ask uh how many people remember their confirmation and uh and what they remember. But um uh so I'll put you on the spot Eli. How much do you remember from two years ago receiving confirmation?

SPEAKER_02 8:46

Um I was a very different person then. Um I I remember mostly the confirmation retreat, the antioch retreat I had right before. Um the actual day, I I don't really remember it too much. It was uh like I I feel like I kind of just appeared at like the like the the little party we had afterwards. Right, um like just sitting on the couch. Something happened. Yeah, something happened. Um yeah, I don't really remember exactly. Yeah, yeah, that's that's the that's the picture I remember.

SPEAKER_01 9:17

Yeah. And you're a senior in high school now, right? Yeah. So you would have been in um uh sophomore year. Sophomore year. Um and um did um did you go to church growing up with the family the kids go to get it? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Uh it's it's always a challenge.

SPEAKER_02 9:37

Happily or sometimes it's just um we we live like a three-minute drive to the church, um, but we always manage to leave when church starts. Um mostly because we have there's five of us. Stuff to get organized. Yeah. Usually uh he wants to take his last minute shower, you know. Um there's the throwing. Yeah, there's there's a lot of things. My my sister is uh very last minute with things. I wake up. Every girl last minute.

SPEAKER_01 10:09

How many boys and girls? Five children, right? Yeah, so we have uh three boys, two girls. Okay, yeah. Um so um and you say you were a different person than then now. What's the some of the bigger differences?

SPEAKER_02 10:23

Um pretty much just my effort level, like in everything. Um back then I was still like kind of coming off of COVID. Like uh the the whole like online school, can't see friends, it was very like difficult on me. And it kind of pushed me away from the church and my friends and all community. So that really took a toll on a sense of isolation, huh? Yeah, the isolation was not uh not the best for me, but I've I've healed since then through uh faith, sports, friends, everything.

SPEAKER_01 10:57

Uh you said soccer and track? Yeah, I do soccer and track. Right, right. And uh um not so motivated uh two plus years ago, but more motivated now in many ways, huh?

SPEAKER_02 11:08

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I uh I had very bad grades. I was not very good at sports. Um but yeah, I mean, through effort, prayer, and everything, it just it's all gotten along with it. And the gifts of the Holy Spirit, right?

SPEAKER_05 11:23

Yeah, exactly, exactly. Well now he's captain of the two sports, you know, as a senior. Wow. He called himself earlier uh a spiritual revert.

SPEAKER_02 11:32

So uh you know Yeah, I uh I was not I I considered myself like an agnostic or atheist during like COVID and all that. Um but my dad made me go to church still, made me go on the confirmation retreat, even though I didn't want to do it originally. Um and that works in mysterious ways. Yeah. I I felt the Holy Spirit on that retreat. Um my uh my sponsor, Ethan Kimball, um, he he really helped me. He was like probably like the the reason why I decided to uh is he family or a friend? Um he's I've I've known him since I since I was really young. Uh he's always been like uh the older kid in church. Um so he uh he kind of like mentored me through uh through like volunteering at the at the church and uh even with um the choir because he's he's a very good singer. So I at one point I was I was like up in the choir a lot because I didn't want to sit down and uh in the pews. Um and I I I I used to I used to sing a lot, but uh after puberty the voice changed and all that. But um yeah, he was always someone I look up looked up to and uh on the retreat he like shared his story um and just everything was very impactful for me uh from there from for me.

SPEAKER_01 12:56

And how about um what's it like as a parent trying to share your face? So yeah, and I say uh raise your children in the face.

SPEAKER_05 13:03

I don't know if I said this to Eli, I say it more to our our our our second oldest um uh Micah. But uh just just that Micah? Micah is our daughter, yeah. M-I-C-A-H-P-C-M-C-E-C-M-S-Mah mercy, yeah. Uh-huh. We have all the biblical names, so we got uh Eli, Micah even got the very Catholics. Eli Micah. And this then we have Caleb. Yep, and then we have Tobi Tobit Tobias is on paper named Tobit. And this is Elijah Eli. And the youngest. And the youngest is Ezra May. Wow. Our little girl. So um, but we just kind of, you know, my wife and I both coming from faith tradition, having Catholic uh faith, you know, she she was someone who never left, you know, and but she definitely uh encouraged me to kind of reconsider Catholicism as she has many people. Um and uh so my return to the church um uh and then and then our marriage, uh, very much so there's a point of discerning priesthood, you know, I think trying to avoid my wife. Um but also just really trying to understand that and um and then really uh in the end, all committing to you know, laying down our lives for each other, being in the sacrament of marriage, and then also committing to certain things. This is my line now. I say to the kids, like, before you were ever born, we knew that we would be a family who hikes together, who makes art together, and who goes to church together. So it's before you were ever born, and we were factoring this equation, that's what we were gonna do. So for Eli, our line was listen, I know you don't want to go anymore, but you have to go all the way through to the end of the confirmation retreat. And I just was praying to God that it was gonna be meaningful and uh and just trusting, trusting, trusting. Because it was a at that point, it was you know, our our conversations were kind of mute because he was like, nah, I don't hear anymore. Um, and just really hoping and praying that God would do a work in him. And so um, yeah, I know the the bit of this theme of having us on is passing on the faith from son to father to son, but really it was almost like okay, we've done this job, but now let's trust and let God do his work. Because you you can't force your kid to believe, you can't force your kid to have faith. And so uh just just kind of stepping back a little bit um and just trusting that God would do the work. And uh it's kind of awesome that yeah, his faith is growing exponentially.

SPEAKER_02 15:17

Um I mean, I I think uh with a lot of things, um when when you stepped back, it was it was like I got to make it my own. Um even with like sports, academics, all that. Once once I made it my own, it was a lot of it wasn't forced. Yeah, it wasn't forced. So I I felt like I could make it my own. Um and I remember vividly uh our conversations um where I would uh I would talk about the faith as if it was like a crutch that I didn't need. Um and like I said earlier, like I was not in a good position in life. But I I guess it was just like the pride that I could do it by myself. And I I I now know that uh everyone has their battles and everyone's weak in some way.

SPEAKER_01 16:06

In in these days in uh during daily mess, uh often we hear Jesus in this tension with the um some of the religious leaders of his time, and he's telling them, just open your heart. Uh you know, your hearts are closed. Come on, give me a chance to get in, right? So the Lord respects our uh God created us uh in God's own image and likeness, male and female, and gave us that gift of free will. So God respects our free will. And parents uh have an obligation to raise the children in faith, and it may not seem like they're respecting your free will when it's gonna go to church, but that's their responsibility. But there comes a time when the each of us has to make that choice, and there is that balance for the parents to say, you need to do this, and as you as you're right and responsibility as a parent, but and as they're growing to find that time where you can say, I really want you to do this, but I know you're gonna have to make your own decisions, right?

SPEAKER_05 16:57

Yep. It was a hard lesson.

SPEAKER_01 16:59

Uh but definitely. There was an open heart there, right? Uh and the spirit found its way in. It did. It really did. That's great.

SPEAKER_00 17:05

To the so much so that to the degree that didn't you recently help organize and lead a confirmation retreat? Antioch retreat.

SPEAKER_02 17:13

Over the last like year, I've organized um three confirmation retreats. Wow. So the first one I did was probably around this time last year. I did it with uh my church, um, our Lady of Fatima. Um I just did it for the next class that was coming in. Um they were a small class, but we we really we we made it work. Um and we we just did it out of out of like the uh rectory in our church. So um smaller area than we had during my retreat, but we we tried to make it with the case. Did you go someplace else for your retreat? Yeah, uh we went to like the the Warwick Conference Center. Warwick Conference Center, yeah. Right by up by us.

SPEAKER_05 17:50

Beautiful rolling hills in a beautiful spot.

SPEAKER_02 17:53

Yeah, but uh yeah, we we made that what we could. Um the the candidates seemed to really like it. Um and uh yeah, we we just introduced a bunch of different uh new um even new from like my confirmation year, like different games, different um like uh have you ever heard of chair prayer?

SPEAKER_01 18:13

Chair prayer, yes, sitting in the chair.

SPEAKER_02 18:16

Yeah, it's uh it's it's probably one of the most impactful activities that we do. Um it's basically just everyone goes into a small room with the lights off, and there's a bunch of there's like four or five chairs for whoever wants to sit down to sit down, and then whoever's not sitting in a chair lays hands on them and uh prays. So it's a very impactful experience, especially after the long day that a retreat is. But um yeah, I mean we did that for the first year, and then uh I think like two or three months ago, um, I did one for the uh St. Francis Church down in uh Vernon. Oh yeah, Father Chris Barnett. Yeah, Father Chris. Um yeah, so I'm I'm part of that youth group and the uh good for you. Yeah, so I'm I'm I'm on both, but um yeah, so we we organized that for that they do it in eighth grade, so we did that for the eighth graders and they were a lot more energetic.

SPEAKER_01 19:10

But uh you can tell the difference a couple of years.

SPEAKER_02 19:13

You really can. Um but they were they were really open to it. Um I actually joined pretty late into the into the like planning of that. Um, but so they gave me the uh the group of all uh all athletic boys. Um and that that was necessarily super interested in the world. They wanted to wrestle each other, but um so they were they were great. Um I was really really apprehensive at first, but uh it it just like I I think the Holy Spirit really really touched their hearts. They um they started paying attention, they started uh really opening up, and it was it was a beautiful thing to see. That's great. But yeah, and then um the most recent one we did, uh me and my dad planned it with me. Um and then uh we we I mean the youth group kind of just took the reins from there because they had to teach a uh so we uh we really fought for that retreat. Um we wanted that to happen. Um so it ended up being like a six-hour retreat, so it wasn't too long, but we tried to pack in what we could and uh seems like the the kids got something out of it.

SPEAKER_05 20:21

Yeah, we we tag team the diocesan retreat. The my my daughter's in uh this confirmation class, so they diocesan retreat. Um April 5th, I believe. Okay, so the diocesan week the diocesan retreat was um something the diocese offered. Right. And uh they went on Saturday to that, and then we were you know having our our kids come back for Sunday with us. So I said, I said, Eli, what are the essentials of these retreats that we got to sneak in on Sunday? And he just really helped me kind of like plot it out, and then I woke up uh I think at 4 a.m. one morning and I just Holy Spirit, please Lord, lead me in like leading this tree, and I just bullet pointed out like the the schedule. And then um we had uh some great uh Father Babu at our church.

SPEAKER_01 21:00

Um Father Babu, I was there for his uh installation. Wonderful church was full, yeah, and they put the music industry. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 21:09

Really beautiful. So so he supported us. Um he he met with us, and then we had And you planned the retreat in the stolen hours.

SPEAKER_01 21:16

Yeah, we did. That was stolen.

SPEAKER_05 21:19

I did so that's been uh yeah, just kind of just really open to what God was doing in our church and just hoping to see this happen. And and then and then it all it was pretty great. Like while I'm having these meetings, I'm realizing like, oh, I'm teaching C C D that way today. So guys, you're a job. And then we had uh Sal Alessio, who's uh youth group leader and um teaches um out of St. Joe's in West Milford. Um he's he lives up by us, so he's starting to help out some things and and so he helped out that day as a real gift. And uh so he kind of supervised his Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:50

He he was like the the supervisor. My dad was the organizer, planner, and then uh guys were the implementers. Yeah, so we we uh we haven't had to like Because of the changes in priests, we haven't had too much of an active like youth group that we're we're trying to build up now. But um I I just called in a bunch of friends that uh did the retreat last year um and they came through. Um great uh Mikey, Michael Levanick, Cole, uh just like a a bunch a bunch of people came through. Uh Noel. Noelle Noel was there the entire time. She was great. Yeah. Um, but yeah, it was it was just amazing seeing everybody come through.

SPEAKER_05 22:27

And it was I think the kids had a good experience as well. You know, not the same experience as a full, like even overnight, uh, like we used to have. But uh, you know, my daughter we're praying still that she makes her confirmation. I make it very clear to my kids that it's their choice, don't do it just for us. This is this is your faith moment. Right, right. Yes. Like decide it for yourself. Um, it's up to you.

SPEAKER_01 22:47

They're making their yes to the faith and wanting to receive the gifts that are.

SPEAKER_05 22:50

As I said, otherwise it's yeah, not authentic. And uh and so she she started saying some yeses, but we're still praying that it happens.

SPEAKER_01 22:57

We had a uh retreat day yesterday for um the priests of the diocese, and we had a great turnout, and uh Father Augustino Torres, uh a Franciscan of the Friars of the Renewal who lives in Patterson. Um but uh just uh as you were talking, Eli, uh I when I was in the seminary, I taught was a catechist and uh worked on a number of confirmation retreats and uh thinking back, you know, that that really helped me and my fate. But I think once we have to, it's fine to hear it all the years growing up, right? And try to take it in and okay, uh, but when you have to try to share it, uh explain it to those who are y a little bit younger, right? It's uh you find out, okay, what is this really about, right? And what do we what do we believe and what does it mean?

SPEAKER_02 23:39

And yeah, I I think uh like my my second confirmation retreat that I like organized, that was even more impactful than my first one. Um it was just super, super cool to spread spread the faith to these uh those uh candidates and um just like even giving a talk was like uh amazing. I uh I think I did the Eucharist talk my first year. So I I talked about the Eucharist, um the building of community. Uh yeah, it was it was very nice.

SPEAKER_01 24:34

We um just had a contest for uh there's a Eucharistic Congress coming up in Indianapolis, and uh we uh uh uh offered two, now it turns out four free trips uh to um young people, to young adults to uh make videos uh about what the Eucharist means to them. And we'll have to get those up. Uh I think them if they're not up already, uh we'll have to check with the other.

SPEAKER_00 24:57

Yeah, Cecil's been uh posting photos of the the winners and I think the actual videos themselves are one has already been posted and and the rest will be posted. So nice.

SPEAKER_01 25:08

So um yeah, in this time of Eucharistic revival, we might have to get you to uh uh redo that talk at some point.

SPEAKER_00 25:16

So uh there's a bunch of places we can go. I I wonder um I don't know, teaching in the secular world in Paramus. Is it is that you're gonna be able to do that.

SPEAKER_05 25:25

Yeah, there's there's uh you know, I've been teaching for 23 years in Pyramus, as as as everybody say, parameters Catholic, and I always say, uh no, parameters secular. Not that it's not that not that God is not working there. I I feel like as a lay person too, often, you know, you have these you kind of get in this mode of like thinking separate worlds. You have your like faith world and you got your your your your work world and your friend world. And I I just have tried really to integrate faith into everything I do. Um I don't know if I always do a great job witnessing the love of Christ as I'm sometimes just trying to teach.

SPEAKER_01 25:56

But uh Is it for do you say photography? Yeah, I teach photography. So but anything to do with the art or seeing the beauty of creation, um the the the God's presence can be there without even being mentioned by name, right?

SPEAKER_05 26:10

Yeah, I mean with the other day we just spent a whole period just looking at the light in the classroom and photographing it. And it was this wonderful moment where um it was a social emotional learning day, so it was just kind of like do something different. So we just photographed the light in the room coming in early morning. And just I said, guys, just try to photograph it in an interesting way. As we're doing it, the light kept changing because if the day was coming, the daylight's hitting, and it just it was there's like kids were like, Oh, this is so beautiful, look at that light. Look at it, it was just kind of awesome to like get in that mindset of uh just seeing the beauty of the. I always say the the camera is the thing that helps you see you know the beauty of life, the beauty that God has made, that God's creation. And so in the end, all yeah, just trying to be in the world very much so, um, that's where God has me, and but to not be of the world entirely and trying to live for remind people of of God's love and pro presence and and also uh you know, the coworkers, it's easier than you know, the students, but sometimes students ask questions and you get to answer them, you know, and share, share what what you believe, and it's kind of great.

SPEAKER_01 27:11

Summer is my favorite time of year. Uh spring and fall are fine. I'm not a big fan of winter and the cold. And I have a friend who says uh you gotta get through to St. Patrick's Day. Once you get to mid-March, you're pretty in pretty good shape. But we've gotten hopefully a little early this year. The last couple of days, the the weather's been so beautiful. You said your family um hikes, go to church, and what was the third thing?

SPEAKER_05 27:33

Uh so we make art together, create together. Create together.

SPEAKER_01 27:37

You live in the right place to hike. Um I can only imagine how beautiful it's gonna be in the coming weeks, right? When everything starts to bloom there in Highland Lakes in those um mountains and lakes, and there's great spots, I guess, for hiking up there.

SPEAKER_05 27:49

Yeah, I mean, the great thing about this season too, there's there's no leaves on the trees yet, so you get this immense amount of light. We're so used to in New Jersey, just light and shadow, but there's this immense amount of light, winter light with the warmth of some springtime a little early, which has been great. So we we were like desperate, like let's stop making dinner and let's go for a walk the other night.

SPEAKER_01 28:06

So we still the last couple of days just have been magnificent.

SPEAKER_00 28:10

Yeah, our annual vocations uh uh retreat or hike is is coming up. Nothing. Oh, that was away from where you live, the uh stairway to the stairway to heaven.

SPEAKER_01 28:22

Oh, in April, right, yeah, right. That was great. Did you go last year?

SPEAKER_05 28:26

No, that's something that uh we should see. We should go. Yeah, that's great. I was excited to see it was happening. I was like, oh, this is the diocese doing some good stuff. Father Ed Rama, our vocation director, yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:38

We had a story in the beacon. And um excuse me, Dennis is also a visual artist. Um I wonder, so uh with the stolen hours of your podcast, um you explore um so you don't always have um Christian Catholic guests, but you'll have to be there's there's amazing artists, amazing creators.

SPEAKER_05 28:58

I I feel like, you know, unless someone is like blatantly opposed to God, there's this at least this understanding that they've been given a gift as a creator from somewhere. They don't always know where, they don't always name it, but there's a lot of the conversations on there are that kind of thing where I I just can't help it but create. And you know, I I I don't always push it too hard, but it's just the idea that we're created to create and that and that you know, uh you know, I'm just thinking of my friend Dylan Clark, great musician, you know, he's it's not someone who talks about faith um as his thing, but but for sure, you know, the last uh album is called The Call, and it was about just feeling called to do this thing, you know, and and it's it's a call that everybody has in some level to do something.

SPEAKER_01 29:40

And so that an album, you said? Yeah, music.

SPEAKER_05 29:42

Yeah. Uh-huh. And uh so the the idea behind that is like what we can both agree with is that we feel called to do this thing, you know, and uh and and you know, not everybody wants to name that as God, um, but for for sure I believe it is, and and it you know, there's some uh just great podcasts I've been listening to. There's um Pat Linchoni's a business crew, you know this guy? He's got his new podcast with uh Chris Chris uh Stefanik. Three minute reset. It's great, it's just three minutes of them talking about like how God, you know, your God-given talents, you know, you tell us this thing called the working genius. And it's like your God-given talents are the things you get the most joy out of when you're at work. And I think everybody can agree there's some things they get great joy out of, yeah. They don't feel like they're working. And that's kind of for a lot of people it's their creative endeavors. But second level, uh it's it's the thing that that you yeah, it's just really something that you can get joy out of and not feel like you're working. He's like, you know, you can retire early just by tapping it in. Yeah. Say it again. Creativity in work. Yeah, well, and that and and just also like you might have a gift to like be a task runner. Like, I love a checklist. Some people have that gift, I you know, some people have the the gift of finishing things. I don't have that gift. Some people have the gift of invention, you know. And just like that God-given gift is a thing that you will excel in and do well in, but also just be aware, like if you're not doing it, that's why you're burning out at work, you know, or burning out in your life, you know. And so that idea um is something I try to encourage in the podcast. And and for my own life, it's it's a thing that I think keeps me sane, is like creating, and there's seasons of my life I give up like for Lent. Often it's like I give up not making art for Lent. That was like a theme. I honestly gave up not making the podcast for Lent because I stopped about seven months ago.

SPEAKER_01 31:26

I hadn't put an episode out, and then Lent, I'm just popping them out weekly, which is kind of like Lent Lent is not only about what we give up, but it's also about what we do. And uh trying to find extra time in prayer, acts of charity, and certainly uh the creative um part of us and created in God's image and likeness, uh trying to use what God has given us to to share with others.

SPEAKER_05 31:49

Yeah, it's like a time of discernment, Lent always for me. I'm just like, God, what do you want me to do? With my time. I have a pretty good routine. I got my exercise and my prayer, my daily readings, but you know, uh sure I'll try to go to daily mass, this land, but what do you want me to do?

SPEAKER_01 32:02

Have you heard of the Hallow app? Yeah, yeah. Um they have this uh pray 40, this Lenton um daily kind of meditation or um and this this morning a testimony of a parent um from New Jersey um whose daughter was sick um at a very young age with some terrible cancer, and um a beautiful testimony for those who have an opportunity to uh hear it. Um uh she at some point got connected, got to meet Mother Teresa, and Mother Teresa gave her miraculous medals and uh really uh a beautiful, beautiful testimony. So there's a lot out there that's uh that that can lift our our spirits and uh um and inspire uh our own creativity and help us to uh find that joy in the midst of the cross, which we know is there, but uh um but yes, you're right, Lent really helps us in in some of those opportunities.

SPEAKER_00 33:00

So Eli, where where are you being called?

SPEAKER_02 33:03

Um I I I'm really searching for that. You know, that's that I I think that's what I should be doing right now is like especially before I go to college, um just like finding what I'm good at, finding what I'm called to do. Um I think right now what I know I'm called to do is uh be with people. Like people, I I'm good with people. I like people. I um this guy's good with people too. Um he's uh yeah, it it's just it's something I I feel called to. I want to uh I want to be able to be there for people. I want to be able to um share the love of God with people.

SPEAKER_01 33:47

And that's I think that's really one way we can do that, obviously, is um uh within the community of faith, the powers community service, leadership uh retreats, cat r teaching catechism. Um and I found another way we can do that uh is um um through the experience of of athletics and competition, right? Uh did you say you're captain of your uh two teams? Uh I'm captain of the soccer and track team. So when you say good with people, right? Uh the that's a little affirmation that your teammates um see something in you and your coaches, right? And that uh that's a responsibility as well. But um, but when uh when it kind of comes from the heart, it's it's it's it's not like oh I have all this pressure on me, but I want to uh I'm grateful for my teammates and I want to inspire inspire my teammates at the same time, right?

SPEAKER_02 34:37

Yeah, I mean uh one thing that I really like uh like a realization I had during uh my soccer season uh this fall um was just like doing something you can be proud of. Because our team was very young, very so I I was the only returning varsity defender. So I had to I had to train a bunch of the uh junior varsity defenders to become up to the varsity level level. Um so that was r that was difficult for me, but I really I I took the challenge and I ran with it. I uh but eventually there was this problem we were having with the midfield where um people wouldn't come back play defense, they would just kind of act like it. Um and there was this one thing that I I I said, I I I really felt like I wasn't even saying it, it was kind of like the Holy Spirit speaking through me. But it was uh it was about how I go onto the field, and even if we lose, I come off that field and I think I did everything I could. That's right. Uh so yeah, just putting in as much effort as you can into everything is really one.

SPEAKER_01 35:47

The connection between athletics, I think, and the spiritual life is the results aren't up to us, right? What what we can control is our best effort, uh learning, practicing, putting the work in uh and uh and giving 100%. Okay, we do that as individuals and as a team, then what if we win, fantastic. If we if we don't, as you say, right, we we can know that we gave it our all, right? Yeah, and there's there's there's something in that right?

SPEAKER_02 36:13

It's it's very different. Like uh in my sophomore year, I was really like trying to go to college for track because I was good at it at that point. Freshman year, I was the worst one on the team. But uh sophomore year I I thought like this is gonna be my avenue to go to college. Um and now I I I don't really want to go to s uh to school for sports, I want to move more focus on my academics and uh all that. But I think doing sports without the expectation of reward for it is something that's taught me a lot. It's like that that like being part of a team and not expecting like if I do good, then I can do this. It's just if I do good, I can be proud of myself and I can grow in discipline.

SPEAKER_01 37:00

Not focused on some kind of exterior reward, but uh the the value of doing the thing in the value of the experience, right?

SPEAKER_02 37:07

The value of if I push myself today in practice, then even if I don't do well in the next track meet, I pushed myself, and that heightened my mind, heightened my spirit, and really helped like it'll it'll help me throughout my life, I think.

SPEAKER_05 37:23

This is something I brought up recently in a meeting of catechists, um, because everybody's complaining like how come kids are going to sports practice instead of coming to the CCD and we gotta find the best time and the best date. Used to be that towns would recognize like kids might have CCD on a certain day, or like at least they're gonna go to church Sunday. Now that doesn't always nobody's considering that as much. But um just and I I I got kind of choked up about it thinking about his life, that uh I said, you know, I just ever everybody just needs you to know that like sports may have on some level saved my kids' life, you know, not that you were that dark, but but it really was a thing that helped him understand perseverance, why it was worth fighting, you know, because because school it during the pandemic, like the worth fighting thing kind of disappeared. And I was like, like, what's it worth? It was I remember our conversation. I was very like, oh, okay. It's worth it's worth it, just because it's worth it. Like just the dignity of working, the dignity of community. But community had fallen apart. He had no mentors besides us. It was like I was desperate for Ethan to come back into your life, you know, and just thinking about like what a mentor meant to me as a kid. My parents were great, but a mentor meant a lot. It made me appreciate my parents even because at that time I was just thinking uh rebelling from my parents because I was of that of that age. To have someone tell me to respect my parents as a mentor made me like see the world.

SPEAKER_02 38:43

Yeah, I think it's it's also a little different for me because I am the oldest sibling. A little bit of so I think that's that's like a factor. Like if I if I had had an older sibling that might have been like even if I hadn't like latched on, that's my mentor, like I think that could have helped. Um but in in that situation, I was the oldest sibling, and my only mentors are my parents who most uh most freshmen or sophomores in high school are very contrarian to their parents.

SPEAKER_05 39:14

So it's it's that individuation. You're in the need to become your own self. Exactly. But in the end, though, that beautiful thing. I just I thank his friend who made him do track. I'm like, just thank you so much for that. I don't know, but thank you, Brian.

SPEAKER_00 39:25

Thank God for good friends, absolutely. Yes, yes. All right. And Dennis, you were a bit of a rebel yourself in high school. Were you in high school? Yes, we've known each other since two years old. One grade above, yeah. But uh all right, good. Well, well, why don't we leave it there? Thank you both so much for for being on and we'll see each other, God willing, in the first week of April, right?

SPEAKER_01 39:49

I think I'm there for confirmation. Uh uh Easter week, beautiful, awesome, beautiful time uh as we start looking um as we celebrate the resurrection, though, especially over those eight days of Easter, but that whole Easter season of 50 days leading up to Pentecost, so uh the Holy Spirit becomes a focus. And uh the I had a few confirmations so far, but now uh this weekend I think I have three, so uh the the season is kind of heating up. And uh but um we uh wish everybody uh happy St. Patrick's Day on Sunday. Uh the parade in Manhattan will be on Saturday, and there's um the Grand Marshal this year is from my mom's hometown, a place called Balinat in Mayo. So um I'm actually hoping to get to the mass in in St. Patrick's Cathedral for at the beginning of the day and then have a confirmation. But uh um also uh this coming Tuesday um is the Feast of St. Joseph, uh patron of the Universal Church, husband of Mary. And uh I'll be going to the shrine in Sterling. St. Joseph's the beautiful shrine um run by um the Trinitarian Fathers. Uh and um so I'm looking forward to that. And um I forgot to mention last night we had our first, well, our first uh general uh listening session for this interim phase of the synod. We had had one with high school students uh at St. Paul's Inside the Walls last week and um one with priests before that, and they've been great, wonderful blessings. And last night was really uh Pope John High School um or Reverend Brown uh Grammar School Elementary School uh was our host there in Sparta. And we had well over 50 people and just a wonderful conversation in the spirit. Uh it's not too late if to be part of the synod. Uh this coming Monday here in Passaic uh at our Darson Center at 7 o'clock. You can register online, see the information. And then a week from Saturday, Saturday the 23rd, we'll be at St. Paul's Inside the Walls in Morris County on the Saturday morning. So uh it's um uh we thank uh Dennis and Eli for being here with us today. And one of the things about the Synod on Synodali is Pope Francis telling us that uh you know we all have a role to play in the church, and uh and and the church should be listening to our young people and her parents and uh as we uh discern what how the Holy Spirit is calling us to be church, so we keep that in our prayers in in these coming days.

SPEAKER_00 42:20

All right, good stuff. Thank you, thank you, thanks again. Okay, thanks, Bishop. And thank you all for spending time with us. Get to know us a little better by following Beyond the Beacon on Facebook or Instagram. I hope you'll join us for the next episode. Don't forget to subscribe, comment, and leave us a positive rating. If you're watching on Bishop Kevin Sweeney's YouTube channel, be sure to like, subscribe, and ring the bell for notifications. Email questions and podcast topic ideas for the bishop to beyond at pattersondioces.org. And check out our other podcasts as well. Thank you for joining us.

SPEAKER_01 42:58

Thank you, everybody. God bless you. Thanks, Dennis. Thanks, Eli. Thank you. Thanks, Jay.