SPEAKER_00 0:07

Welcome to Beyond the Beacon with Bishop Kevin Sweeney, a podcast of the Diocese of Patterson, New Jersey. Join us for conversations about our Catholic faith, and together let's strive to live a life of faith, hope, and love. I'm Jay Agnish. With me is Bishop Kevin Sweeney. Bishop Kevin, how are you this morning?

SPEAKER_01 0:25

I'm doing well, Jay. How are you this morning? I'm doing I'm doing just fine. On this uh rainy morning, thanks be to God.

SPEAKER_00 0:31

Yes. Yes. We uh we need some rain to put out those fires, uh those forest fires.

SPEAKER_01 0:38

And fill up the reservoirs as well. It was getting a little concerning there. Um but thanks be to God. Uh the Psalms talk about the rains falling and uh uh watering the earth, so we're grateful for that.

SPEAKER_00 0:51

And I want to wish you a, I guess, an early or happy Thanksgiving. And with your spirit. Uh thank you. By the time this comes out, you'll be it'll be Wednesday or Thursday, right around Thanksgiving.

SPEAKER_01 1:02

Yeah, yeah. Folks might be in their cars. And today is um we're recording on the the 22nd, the Feast of St. Cecilia. So we thank God for all those who help us to sing, the patron saint of uh singers. And uh and I think yesterday was Cecile's birthday. She's not with us today, but I'm wondering if she might have gotten her name from being born the day before the Feast of St. Cecilia. So um Happy birthday, Cecile.

SPEAKER_00 1:26

Yeah, happy birthday, Cecile. All right, good. And uh well, why don't we why don't we open up in prayer and then we'll get into our so I'm gonna use the prayer.

SPEAKER_01 1:35

Um, I as a kid I loved going to Thanksgiving Mass. There was something about it. We always went to Mass on Thanksgiving Day as a priest. I always encourage people, it's not a holy day of obligation, um, but it's the best way to give thanks for us as Christians and Catholics is the Eucharist. It's our prayer of Thanksgiving. And um, what a great way to start Thanksgiving Day. And many of our parishes I know have Mass, maybe even Wednesday night or Thursday morning or both. Um but um so the church gives us prayers uh for Thanksgiving Day, and uh I'll open with the prayer that we use at Mass, the opening prayer for Mass on Thanksgiving Day. 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 give thanks to God for the gifts and blessings of every day, we give thanks for the gift of rain and the gift of the earth and the beauty of God's creation, and as we look forward to Thanksgiving Day, that wonderful day here in our blessed land, this great country, the United States, we continue to pray for our country and for our leaders, for our people, for peace throughout the world. And we have that great tradition of pausing on Thanksgiving Day to give thanks to God, and so let us pray. Father all powerful, your gifts of love are countless and your goodness infinite. As we come before you on Thanksgiving Day with gratitude for your kindness, we ask that you open our hearts to have concern for every man, woman, and child, so that we may share your gifts in loving service. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen. Our Lady's seed of wisdom, pray for us. Our Lady the Immaculate Conception, pray for us, Saint Joseph, pray for us, Saint Cecilia, pray for us. All holy men and women, pray for us, pray for us in the name of the Father and the Son of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Amen.

SPEAKER_00 3:33

All right. Well, um, before we get into our topics, I want to, you know, ask you a fun question. So, what what do you um what do you normally do for Thanksgiving? Are you spending time with with family then?

SPEAKER_01 3:44

For many years now, uh well, uh going back to being uh grammar school, I think, in high school, um I spent some Thanksgivings here in our diocese of Patterson um at a place called Smokerise near Kinalon, uh, where my uh baptismal godmother, my Aunt Noreen and Uncle Jim had a beautiful house. Um my my mom's aunt, my Aunt Mary, was with them for a long time. I celebrated a funeral at um Our Lady Magnificat in Kinalon. So uh as kids, we uh we're often in New Jersey here in in Patterson and Kinelawn. And then um, you know, as uh things um developed, my brother and sister and I went off to college and we're often at home uh with my parents, and it's great to come back to the block and see old friends. Uh but um maybe since uh my brother was married November 8th, I want to say, and my sister November 23rd, my sister and brother-in-law in uh 96, and my brother 97. So um almost since the time that they've been married, um we usually go to my brother's mother-in-law, um Peggy, uh, who gives a great feast and uh and uh and uh um is wonderfully hospitable, and so it's always a nice day to get together with my brother and sister, sister and brother-in-law.

SPEAKER_00 5:01

Uh, yeah, and it's really neat that you have this uh connection to the diocese long before becoming a bishop here, and Monsignor Kupke, I remember, pointed that out in one of the Coffee with Kupke episodes. That's pretty neat. How about yourself? Uh we my Annette and I will be going to my parents in Riverdale, spending some time there with my mom and dad, and my sister, brother, and my nephews, and I think my sister will be there as well. So, yeah, it'll be we usually, if the weather's decent, we'll go for a little hike uh down in the this patch of woods over there where they where they live. Um but yeah, looking forward to a little time off. It's been quite a busy time for me, and it's quite a busy time for you as well.

SPEAKER_01 5:44

So I think uh the Giants are playing on Thanksgiving. Football is always a a part of for us and part of Thanksgiving. The games are on. Uh and um uh I think the Giants are playing the Cowboys, which is not much of usually it would be a great rivalry game, but neither team is doing too well. And the Detroit Lions all of a sudden who always play on Thanksgiving Day and uh it usually are not any good, but uh Yeah, they're usually the second game, right? Yeah, uh their first game, I think, is Dallas second, yeah. And now they have a Thursday night game, but uh okay. So uh wonderful traditions, uh a great, great uh American holiday. So looking forward.

SPEAKER_00 6:21

And Christmas is basketball. I think there's a couple games on right here.

SPEAKER_01 6:24

Yeah, sometimes football, but also basketball.

SPEAKER_00 6:26

Okay. Yeah, my devils are doing well. Uh been enjoying hockey with my wife. So it's been a treat. Um all right, so um what do you want to talk about first? So you were you were down in Baltimore last last week and and into last week, the week before. How did those meetings, USCCB meetings, go? What were your expectations coming in? What are your takeaways? Um I I got a chance to I think briefly look at the agenda.

SPEAKER_01 6:55

I read a couple articles, but I some said there wasn't a whole lot of major issues on the agenda, and I guess that's the case. Um so I um you know knew we'd be talking about some things, but um probably the the the two major topics are were those that have been um uh part of our experience over the last couple of years, both nationally and um and as the universal church. So um hearing the report from this those who attended the synod on synodality, uh Archbishop Laurie of Baltimore and Bishop Daniel Flores of Browns Brownsville, I believe, in Texas, who's been kind of the point person on the synod uh process here in the country for since the beginning. Um and uh but also Cardinal McElroy, Cardinal Tobin um uh spoke of their experiences. Oh, they did. Okay. Yes, uh uh Bishop Barron. Um so um uh it was it was a great spirit of enthusiasm. Uh I think um we're getting there in terms of synodality, and even you know, at points there's been some concern that maybe the American bishops weren't so enthusiastic about the Synod on Synodality, but um I think we're getting there. And um uh so a task force was for Right. Bishop Mac Cardinal McElroy uh kind of put Bishop Flores on the spot and said and recommended him to be head of a task force to to help us as a conference to be more synodal, and then uh you know, in our own diocese, um hopefully, and we'll be doing that here. I I have to maybe over the Thanksgiving weekend, I'm hoping to have a little time to do some reading. Uh both um the uh Holy Father's um encyclical on um uh delixit nos on the on the holy uh excuse me, the sacred heart of Jesus. Looking forward to that. And then the final document, which took a while to come out in English, but it was actually during the conference that it came out that uh um I've heard good things and uh and um it's one thing to have a document, it's another thing to uh implement that what the church is asking about. So we'll be doing that um together uh here in the diocese and look forward to that with our leaders and um you know leadership uh I think one of the things that's coming out of the synod of synodality, a lot of what started 60 years ago in the Second Vatican Council is kind of bearing fruit and uh better understood and being implemented um in new ways uh now through the Holy Father's initiative of being that synodal church that that we're being called to be. So um so that was um a really good part of last week's uh meetings.

SPEAKER_00 9:19

And um and then um And this of course the USCCB meetings were held kind of in the shadow of of the election.

SPEAKER_01 9:27

Yes, yes, yes. Um but that you know what there was uh yes some some concerns about the incoming red uh administration, certainly in terms of uh our immigrant communities, um and uh um but also some hopefulness in terms of some of the unfortunately the current administration is um is is not with us on uh many topics and uh and hopefully the there might be some positive changes for us. We're gonna have to monitor it. And um, you know, um I think um uh the there's a sense of relief, I think, in the country that at least the election went smoothly and it was known quickly, and so now um we um we hope and pray for the best for the incoming president, President Trump and his um and and his administration. So um yes. Um we did some reflection on um uh the document uh forming consciences for faithful citizenship, and apparently it it's as much as we might try to promote it, it's uh it's not known by many Catholics or uh a large majority of Catholics. Um but there's some excuse me statistics that people do go to DOS and websites, people do see things um uh And just maybe real quick, what is that document?

SPEAKER_00 10:49

Uh what's the relevancy of that document to the conversation? So that's the kind of the guiding principles that the USCCP lays out for us to help form our consciences when it comes to elections?

SPEAKER_01 11:00

Yes, uh the New Jersey Catholic Conference, uh as we try to encourage uh Catholics here throughout in our diocese throughout the state, um to with the help of the New Jersey Catholic Conference for local issues, and then that forming conscience for faithful citizenship is a document, I think it's since 2008, with updates probably every four years. Um when Catholics go to the to the polls, we don't tell our people who they should vote for, but we do uh review the values uh and and and remind everyone that we have a responsibility to form our consciences and uh and and that responsibility and privilege that we have to vote, we should exercise it. And that's uh part of being a faithful citizen. A faithful disciple is being a faithful citizen. So um, but it's a beautiful document, but it's lengthy and not everybody reads the whole thing, apparently. Um so um we we're I think there's gonna be some effort to um look for ways to um to engage uh um parishioners and people of faith um to encourage that participation in the public square and in uh you know we have the call to be the salt of the earth and light of the world. That means bringing our faith into um our communities and um uh uh our elections and uh the public sphere, right? Right, right. As it were, yeah. Um so it's um um uh work in progress, but we're persevering and gonna keep trying.

SPEAKER_00 12:28

Awesome. And now part of uh I know something you enjoy when you go down to Baltimore for these meetings is the fraternal dialogues. Uh did that happen this time? Yeah. What can you tell us about that? Who were some of the bishops you got to maybe meet for the first time or engage with and uh those conversations like?

SPEAKER_01 12:45

Yeah, the the a number nobody particularly comes to mind, but our our region, um which is the bishops of New Jersey and the bishops of Pennsylvania, we have a meeting as as all the regions do, the whole country is split up into regions. Okay. And um that's always um uh a a good experience for me. There's a wonderful group of bishops um here in our state and in our neighbors in in Pennsylvania, and to be with them together as a large group and to talk about different um experiences and and blessings and challenges um is is very helpful. Um and then interacting with different bishops in the course of the week. Um and uh um we had a meeting this um early this week um with our religious um superiors of our communities and congregations of men and women religious that serve here in the diocese. We meet with them every um year. Sister Teresa Lee, our delegate for religious, uh, does a good job organizing it. And I shared with them some of the um uh experience of um uh uh of be of being with with the bishops and again the uh uh that we now begin with a morning of prayer. Um uh about my first two USCCB meetings were virtual in November of 2020 and the spring of 2021, um and we were beginning the process of the Eucharistic revival at that time, and there were some strong differences of opinions in terms of our approach and a document on the Eucharist, and in that um summer of 21, we were encouraged to meet in regions and look at the document on the Eucharist, and the the the the the work of the committee is real the work of the um conference of 270 bishops is steered by committees, a steering committee, an executive committee, and then different committees on different topics. But um uh there was a change made in the schedule for the week, especially in the November. Um it used to, I think, end with a day of prayer on Thursday, and apparently not all the bishops were able to stay for that day. They would had to get back, and but now it we begin with a morning of prayer on the Monday morning. Uh, and that's been a wonderful experience to to be together in prayer and bl adoration of the blessed sacrament in the morning. One of the usually retired bishops gives a talk. It was on the feast of um St. Charles Barromeo uh this year, and uh he gave the bishop uh retired bishop gave a wonderful talk. And then we go to the uh basilica where the first um uh meetings of bishops in our country were held here in Baltimore. Baltimore was the first diocese, uh, and they would have um the plenary sessions of the um American bishops. Um so it's uh uh a nice historic connection to be in that church um and offer mass together. And then Monday afternoon the meetings kind of get going in terms of the business. Um so um so the chance to pray together in mass every day in the morning prayer and evening prayer, um that that's that's uh that's a a good kind of uh uh um sense uh uh time of support and kind of boost of spiritual energy there. Uh I love that.

SPEAKER_00 15:44

I know you're big into uh retreats and prayer, and I know you for diocesan leadership, you you have a yearly retreat that I get to participate in with you and the other leaders of the diocese and folks, and uh and that's that's special, and I think it draws us together, and I I think it's important.

SPEAKER_01 15:59

Yeah, we need to, as Jesus said to his apostles, especially when we're busy, you know, come and take some time away in quiet prayer and uh and and um and to do that together. Uh when we work together a lot, um it's good to take some downtime and um both maybe for some recreation, recreation, but also some time in prayer and and reflection. Uh so yeah, those opportunities are very, very important.

SPEAKER_00 16:21

Awesome. Okay, well, should we move on to our next topic or one other thing in terms of the uh uh conference?

SPEAKER_01 16:28

It was the first time we were together since um the um the Eucharistic Congress. Um so there was an opportunity to uh share some experiences and I think really to just um thank um uh Bishop Charles Thompson, the Bishop of Indianapolis, who was the host, and uh Bishop and uh uh Bishop Cousins uh who organized it uh and his committee, uh, you know, it was just such a blessing for the church in our country. And uh and now um we're looking at um when the next Eucharistic Congress would would be. Originally it was thought it might be in tw uh 2033, the 2000th anniversary of the death and resurrection of our Lord. But um we're thinking it might be better to do it even sooner, um, maybe in the next four or five years to have another National Eucharistic Congress. So um stay tuned for details, but looking forward to that.

SPEAKER_00 17:17

All right. Another pilgrimage to Indianapolis, sounds like um or maybe another or somewhere else, yeah. Possibly, yeah. Change it up, that'd be cool. Um Okay, well, thanks for sharing sharing that and welcome back um from uh to the to the Diocese of Patterson here where there's been some some news of uh di different varieties of news here. So why don't we talk about the uh the Beacon print edition? So of course part of my role as communications director is I'm the editor of the Beacon newspaper. The bishop serves as the publisher of the the Beacon, and uh you follow a line of, I guess, three other bishops before you who were the publishers, and I follow a line of a number of editors, which I tried to figure out the number, but I I couldn't. But uh just to say that um there's a long tradition here uh with the Beacon newspaper that I've uh been a little more awakened to over over the past year or so, which is which is good. Um but we and we announced recently that we will be closing we will cease printing the uh the print edition of the Beacon at the end of the year. So this has uh been uh uh something that the IOCs have been produce has been producing since 1967. So it's uh a decision that comes uh amid mixed emotion and uh after much uh uh thought and consideration and research. Um so yeah, it's a big it's a big uh week for us, and uh we're looking forward to where we go from here, focusing our emphasis on beaconnj.org, uh the digital online news and information version of the beacon, which has been growing, and I want to encourage everyone to check that website out and subscribe to the newsletter that is uh associated with the website for weekly updates about the the news and information of the diocese. So what are you on?

SPEAKER_01 19:15

You know, I think the first uh my first thought is uh it's a sad day, you know, um because uh I really it's the beloved beacon. I mean uh parishioners and priests uh uh and and especially maybe some of our priests and parishioners who have been uh here in the diocese since the beacon started in 1967. Bishop Lawrence Casey um started it and uh and and it it it received national awards and I think was something that we could be proud of, and uh it local news and also national and the the larger church, um and it it's really a tool of evangelization. Uh and then um Bishop Rodimer after Bishop Casey and and and Bishop Saratelli after Bishop Rodimer, uh all of the bishops writing a weekly column, uh which I've tried to follow in that um practice. And uh so to think that um, you know, um we're gonna have to end the print version is is is a sad, sad day. But um the reality is, you know, we're called to be good stewards um of the gifts that God gives us. And um uh as I shared in my column, uh, you know, our pastors uh with finance committees and other parish leaders um look at the costs and um expenses and um and uh we we heard from many pastors that over the years that uh you know there'd be a lot of beacons that would be coming in on a weekend and yes, some people would take it home, but many others wouldn't take it home. You know, uh mail subscriptions by mail has gone down steadily. Um so we're paying for that printing and and postage uh and uh and mailing them to the parishes and and to individual homes, and uh, you know, the expense was just going up and up, the income was going down. Uh it's as we shared again in the column, um the the the the parishes really are the uh is it more than 70 percent I think of the income, right? That's the thing.

SPEAKER_00 21:08

Yeah, I mean it's it well it's stran you know it's it's a unique situation, a diocesan newspaper, because you think of a newspaper, newspapers are really supposed, you know, the the kind of the vision of uh funding for a newspaper is circulation, subscribers, and also advertisers, right? Which the beacon ha had and has to some degree still, but the the subscriber base and the advertisers have just fallen precipitously over the years. And so that funding is made up, the difference of funding is made up by the the parishes contributing to um you know this this product of evangelization that serves the parishes and serves the diocese, but it just became uh you know a greater and greater expense for the parishes.

SPEAKER_01 21:57

You know, I think um many of our Seniors, um, whether it be priests or parishioners, um, are very computer savvy and can can find the the beacon and um optimistic and and hopeful and excited about uh what the online version of of the paper is gonna be. The beacon's gonna continue, but in an online form rather than in in the print version. But I think of um my aunt Nora who I often mention in uh um confirmation homilies and lives in Tennefly, but since I arrived, she gets the beacon in the mail each week and she's happy to read it. And unfortunately, she's not probably gonna, I'm gonna maybe try with my phone or tablet or something to get her to be able to uh uh access it online. But um there will be some seniors out there who would need some help with that. So one thing I would say maybe if you know a senior who doesn't uh use the internet or or you're one of those seniors um uh who may not who you love love reading the newspaper but wouldn't necessarily go online on the computer to or your phone or tablet, um now's a good opportunity to look for someone to help or to offer some help in the family or excuse me, in the parish to say, okay, we can still get the beacon uh here and we'll do it together, you know, and uh and so uh I'm hopeful that many will be able to do that uh because there's so much good news in our diocese and our parishes, um you know, Catholic charities and um our schools and uh just so many um wonderful things that take place week by week. Um to be able to see that I think is a sign of encouragement for all of us. So hopefully um will um the the the uh subscribers and readership will grow um with beacon uh beaconnj.org, right? Yeah, yes, right. Or also as I do usually, you can just go dias of Patterson to the website and click on the beacon, right? And yes, there you are.

SPEAKER_00 23:40

Yeah. You can also just go to Google and put in the beacon or Patterson Diocese News and it should come up. Um But yeah, and you reference this is you know, one of the the a few of the benefits of going to a digital uh platform versus uh a print newspaper platform is that um we can you know reduce the amount of money spent on printing and producing the paper, and we could take some of that money, not only you know that we're gonna cut the costs, the expenses to the parishes, but we'll be able to focus our emphasis on to me the things that really matter, which is producing the news and information and the articles and uh that that are you know that's occurring in the Diocese of Patterson and in our parishes and schools and religious communities. Spend more time on presenting that as opposed to uh you know just printing something. But uh yeah, I'm excited. I mean we have so many great stories to tell and to the point where it doesn't all fit in the newspaper every week. So we'll be able to tell more stories more often faster. And uh yeah, really looking forward to to how this grows and where we go from here.

SPEAKER_01 25:34

Um we we wish maybe in some ways it could be different, but we have to uh be aware of the world that we're living in and uh and and so um again being that good steward, trying to make the best decisions and being responsible with um the resources that we have and the donations that we receive, um trying to be as uh economical as responsibly as possible. Um we you know some would have said we should have made this decision two or three years ago, but we tried to kind of hang in there as long as we could, and uh, you know, it just um uh became um uh more and more uh impractical and and and just um the the costs were we we couldn't keep going. So um yeah so um we ask you everyone to keep us in your prayers as we move forward and uh and hopefully we'll share together the good news and the Holy Spirit will uh bless our efforts uh as we go to the beaconnj.org. Uh the print version will still be around until the end of December, right? Till the end of the calendar year.

SPEAKER_00 26:29

Yeah, we're planning a special uh tribute issue for the last edition. So yeah, look for that. So um all right, good. And I know there was another topic that we wanted to talk about.

SPEAKER_01 26:41

Um speaking of Thanksgiving and good news and um Catholic charities and um uh feeding the poor at the and the and those who are in need of not only the the poor these days, but uh those who are struggling to pay rent and struggling to pay for groceries, uh the lines um at our uh food pantries are growing, and um so uh the work of our Catholic charities not only in feeding the hungry but caring for uh the the sick and um the the sheltering the homeless and um helping in straight and narrow those struggling with addictions and DPD or developmentally disabled adults who find homes in our um DPD homes and uh all the work of our Catholic charities and also um praying for vocations and supporting the men studying for the priesthood uh um our Catholic schools which are facing their own challenges, but thanks be to God, so many of them are are doing so well, um, especially in the inner city. Um uh they need support and um and our senior priests. Um I hopefully you know you know I'm talking about the Austin Ministries Appeal by now, which does that great job of supporting all of those ministries of our diocese. And uh and and you, the people of our diocese, have been so generous, our priests, our pastors. Um it's been a blessing for me as bishop to see the incredible generosity. And and again, uh Tim Potter, who's been on the podcast with us, who does such a great job leading our development efforts and running the the ministries appeal each year. Um, you know, he often says we couldn't do the work that we do without the generosity of our donors. Um and so um uh uh hopefully everyone has heard by this point the sad news that we were victims of a crime, you know. Um the um uh some of our um uh um uh donations that we've received, um, which for 10 years we've been uh putting in a FedEx box that would send it to a company that um uh uh uh processes the the pledges um uh um on Wednesday uh October 30th and the morning of Thursday, October 31st. Uh three packages that were put in a FedEx drop box um somehow were stolen. Um they when the driver got there, apparently they weren't there, so they never got a tracking number. And um, you know, two of those three boxes were from inPew's returns from our parishes, so they didn't have any checks or cash or um credit card numbers, and but one one of those boxes came through uh mail-in returns that come to a PO box that we again according to best practices, uh as Tim says arm's length. Uh um hopefully you've seen the letter um that explains it. It's um it's available, our parishes um have shared it. Uh and we just are now sending out a second letter to say, you know, we at the first letter we said we expected foul play. Now it's been confirmed that unfortunately some credit cards were of I think four people uh had there, which is four too many, but um yeah, but um uh uh so it's it's it's been really difficult to deal with, but we've been trying to um again follow uh uh other organizations that have experienced this and have been transparent. And while only a fraction of our donors may have been impacted, we wanted to let everybody know that this happened. It's only uh it and and in hindsight you could say whether or not we maybe should have been using the drop box, but we we never had a problem and millions of people use FedEx drop boxes uh every every day. But just to be sure that um we're not targeted in that way again, um we're now gonna bring those FedEx boxes to uh uh a store and you know have them scanned and receive a receipt. Um so um we're we're very upset by it. Um but um uh all the more reason to ask for that uh generosity and if you haven't made yet a gift or a pledge to the ministry's appeal, uh please consider doing it because we need that help. The appeal is is doing well. I mean, uh we'd be last year I think was the first time we went over five million dollars, um, and we were headed, I think, to do even better than that, and we still might. Um but um uh and I want to thank also those who have been impacted by um uh the loss of information or or not a check not being cashed. Um our people have been very understanding and we've received a lot of help. Our law enforcement um has been engaged, the Clifton Police Department, Passaic Prosecutor, um they're uh working on it. Um we'll see what might happen. But um uh many have said, you know, that this is unfortunately something that's happening more and more in our um in our culture and and society, and uh, you know, bad actors, as they say out there, uh sadly. Um but um we're we're gonna keep working to be as safe and as secure as possible, and uh we thank everybody for their understanding and and and generosity and just know that we still need your help.

SPEAKER_00 31:29

Yeah, and there's been lots of communication that's gone out from us about this. Um we've also been uh sharing this these letters uh with members of the the media who have been publishing articles, so plenty out there uh to learn more. And uh do want to encourage anyone uh who would like to, they can reach out to uh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:53

If you sent in a mailed in a check somewhere around that last week of October, um if you haven't heard yet or uh just call our office, our ministry's appeal office, and uh uh they can check that we received the check and it was cashed. You can check if it was cashed, but uh if if it hasn't been cashed, then uh we can uh let you know uh whether or not we received it.

SPEAKER_00 32:15

Yeah. So check the show notes there. I'll put the phone number in there. And uh Okay. Well, uh what else?

SPEAKER_01 32:24

Um Thanksgiving weekend as it often does um leads us uh to the first Sunday of Advent. Uh so it's amazing how time flies, but here we are. This coming Sunday will be the Feast of Christ the King, um, and the last Sunday of the liturgical year calendar, and then uh the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend, December 1st, will be uh the first Sunday of Advent. So a wonderful time in our church year, uh our liturgical calendar as we'll begin that preparation for Christmas. So um we'll all uh think about how well we're gonna give up for Advent. No, that's for Lent, right? Uh so uh what are we gonna do for Advent to prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas? So uh uh the busy time of year that December uh will be, uh but a wonderful time of year as well. So we wish everyone um a very, very happy Thanksgiving. Hopefully you'll be with your family and be able to share a good meal and maybe watch some football or do what you f do with your family. We are aware of those who might be alone or um you're not alone. We're with you in prayer and uh we try to look out for our neighbors and uh and check in on people. Um so we thank those who are Catholic charities and others, parishes who are so generous helping our brothers and sisters in need at this time of year as we look forward to Christmas. Um uh the generosity is always uh such an inspiration. Um so hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and day by day uh we'll look forward to entering that season of Advent and preparing to celebrate Christmas. But that's a little ways down the line.

SPEAKER_00 33:53

And I understand you'll be giving some turkeys away in uh Patterson with uh Catholic charity Scott Milliken.

SPEAKER_01 33:59

Right, and St. Joseph's Health I think has been very helpful to us in the temporary building for our Father English food pantry. So yeah, we're gonna be that doing that in the coming week. Uh Tuesday, I think.

SPEAKER_00 34:09

Tuesday, yeah. So um, all right, great. So before we we wind down, Bishop, any recommendations for our listeners or or uh viewers about maybe uh podcast episode you've been listening to or a YouTube video you've seen recently? Anything come to mind?

SPEAKER_01 34:28

Uh I'll go back to I think to um the Halo app and uh uh the Saints in Seven Days. I've been wanting to um get there, but um uh Saint Sebastian, who celebrating confirmation, many of the young men take uh Sebastian as their confirmation name. He's the patron saint of athletes. And uh I was excited to see that Halo App has uh Saints in Seven Days on Saint Sebastian. He was a Roman soldier and uh he would end up being martyred for uh by being shot with arrows. Um and the narrator is it's hard to say as a Knicks fan, but uh the coach of the uh Boston Celtics, who I believe is a New Jersey guy, Joe Mazzulo, um uh and uh a man of faith, um, as again hard to say when the Celtics won the championship again last year. Uh he he was uh he got some coverage for his Praise the Rosary and he's a man of prayer and and so um he narrates the St. Sebastian story on the uh Hallow App. So uh check that out at school.

SPEAKER_00 35:23

My wife's been uh listening to the those Saints, uh the Daily Saint uh informational readings. Um and we've been doing night prayer on the Hallow App. It's been awesome. Yeah. All right. Well, thanks, Bishop. My pleasure. And thank you all for joining us. Please subscribe, comment, and leave a positive rating. Get to know us better by following Beyond the Beacon on Facebook or Instagram. Email questions and podcast topic ideas to beyond at pattersondioces.org and discover our other podcasts Coffee with Cupkey and the Paul Street Journal. See you next time.

SPEAKER_01 35:59

Thanks, everybody. Happy Thanksgiving.