SPEAKER_04 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?

SPEAKER_00 0:24

I'm doing well, Jay. Despite how it might sound, I'm doing well.

SPEAKER_04 0:32

It's a time of year. Well, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 0:36

Yes, yes, yes. We're recording this December 18th, the day after. I know he's watching. 88. 88 uh yesterday. Wow. So um news agency put um eight plus eight things about Pope Francis on his 88th birthday was uh pretty interesting.

SPEAKER_02 1:03

Nice.

SPEAKER_00 1:04

So what sorry, he um he uh wrote an editorial or essay in um the New York Times yesterday. Um there is faith in our humor about the importance of having a sense of humor. And he's coming out with his memoir, I think, in in January. Oh, awesome.

SPEAKER_01 1:21

Yes. They're uh that book called Life, they're also thinking of making it into a movie. So we'll see.

SPEAKER_00 1:29

Yes, um, I've heard a couple times before, but I heard um one of the 16 things they listed was when he got his vocation, he was uh a day off from school in Argentina. He was thirty fifteen, maybe sixteen. And he was on his way to a dance or party and just decided to go to confession, and apparently it was there that he realized he was called to be a priest. So um it's it's a great story.

SPEAKER_01 1:52

I think it was a Salesian confessor. Is that right?

SPEAKER_04 1:55

Wow. So, Bishop, um, when it comes to Christmas, um what do you what do you say to people like, oh, happy holidays?

SPEAKER_00 2:04

Does that does that but does that drive you crazy or uh I think it drives me crazy more than those who let it drive them crazy because I understand we should keep Christ in Christmas. The Knights of Columbus have beautiful signs, and it's sad that on one hand that we can't say, or it seems like it feels we can't say times. Merry Christmas, we have to say. But if it's respectful of other people who might say, well, I don't expect that it's not I don't think it's worse thing in the world to say happy holiday. Uh some may not like that, but okay, uh we can say Merry Christmas as often as possible, and if you're not sure, and if somebody prefers to say happy holidays, um I don't know, our guests may have different opinions, but uh but um uh I think this time of year we gotta focus on what we're all about this time of year, which is peace on earth, goodwill to all people. Well, they say happy holidays or Merry Christmas we.

SPEAKER_04 2:59

Cool. Love it. That's yeah, yeah, yeah. Awesome. Well, um, so why don't we uh why don't we open up in prayer? You know, let's introduce our guest first, um, Sister Teresa Lee.

SPEAKER_00 3:11

If they ever thought on happy holidays or Merry Christmas, that's right.

SPEAKER_04 3:14

Yeah, you can you can tell us what you think. Sister Teresa Lee is our chancellor and our delegate for religious. Brian Hansberger is the director of evangelization for the Diocese of Patterson. Welcome. Thanks for joining us. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 3:26

Thank you so much, Bishop, for having us on this uh podcast.

SPEAKER_00 3:30

Your first time, I think. Yes, yes. And Brian's been on before.

SPEAKER_01 3:34

And he's got a podcast of his own, so he's a pro. Wall Street Journal. Yes.

SPEAKER_04 3:39

Yeah, check it out.

SPEAKER_05 3:40

Um can I can I share holidays things? So I was at the gym yesterday and I was leaving, and without thinking, maybe even clumsily, I just wish everybody a Merry Christmas. And everybody was like, oh they were like scandalized, like, you can't say that. So I'm like, oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:58

I didn't apologize, but did someone actually say you can't say that?

SPEAKER_05 4:01

No, no, everybody just gasped. So that's that's the world that we live in. This is northern New Jersey, if you're watching. You know, if you're in Texas, that's probably not abnormal.

SPEAKER_01 4:12

But I guess dressed like the way I am, when people say happy holidays, I just return the greeting in con and say thank you, Merry Christmas. And people don't blink an eye. Yes, yes. There's a lot of goodwill that's exchanged. And so my response is appropriate for me. So, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 4:30

Love it. Very good. All right. Well, should we pray?

SPEAKER_00 4:33

Yes. Um, in these Advent days leading up to Christmas, that beautiful silent holy night on which we meditate, the birth of our Lord in in poverty, in that stable in Bethlehem, but rich in love and the gift of family, we look upon Mary, his blessed mother, and Saint Joseph. Hear the voices of the angels. We place ourselves in God's presence in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. We journey, we're a pilgrim people. And in these days, we're on the road to Bethlehem with Mary and Saint Joseph. And think of those who may be looking for a place to stay, who are alone or don't have shelter or in need. We think of the kindness of the innkeeper opening their home to this young couple. And that child would be born. The angels and shepherds would come in there. The Magi, the three kings. We go there as well in these days. We pray for one another, for our families, that we'll truly find the newborn king in the stable at Bethlehem at Christmas. And we ask Mary to help us as we pray. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed. Blessed are 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, seat of wisdom, Queen of Peace, pray for us. Saint Joseph, pray for us. All holy men and women, pray for us.

SPEAKER_04 6:16

Amen. All right, so what are we doing here today, Bishop? We're talking about Jubilee Year, 2025, right?

SPEAKER_00 6:23

Yes. Um, everyone is aware that we're about to enter into a Jubilee year, a great jubilee of hope, a holy year, um, every 25 years. Uh, we'll hear a little bit more about those details from two of our leaders, this is Teresa and Brian Hansberg, who are with us. Um Brian has been working for the diocese for how many years?

SPEAKER_05 6:44

I stopped counting, but uh uh maybe close to 15, maybe.

SPEAKER_00 6:49

And uh your title is director of the St. Paul's Inside the Walls Evangelization Center? I have a few titles, yes.

SPEAKER_05 6:56

That's one of them. I'm a professor of theology at Seton Hall for the seminary, and then I'm the diocesan director of mission and technology integration. It's a mouthful.

SPEAKER_00 7:05

Right. And um husband and father of three three boys, married for 15 years. And your wife, Annie, is um head led uh the director of our office of family, Lowerge and family, right? Yes. And acting director of our respect life office. Uh for the time being. Yes, yes. Um, Sister, uh Chancellor and um delegate for religious, and how long have you been working with our diocese again?

SPEAKER_01 7:35

Very happily, yes. Um February 1, 2025 will mark two years.

SPEAKER_00 7:40

And um sister is the common name.

SPEAKER_01 7:44

What's the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, um, founded by St. John Bosco and St. Mary Mozzarello? And um St. John Bosco wanted the sisters to be living monuments of his gratitude to Mary Help of Christians because he had just finished building the basilica to Mary Help of Christians in Turin, starting with eight pennies in his pocket, the equivalent of eight pennies.

SPEAKER_00 8:06

So And um the sisters are in our diocese running um Mary Help of Christians High School in North Heldon. Yes. And their formation um uh center in Newton, right? The uh novitiate?

SPEAKER_01 8:21

The novitiate is in Newton. We have our formation house for aspirants in North Heldon at the Mary Help of Christians Academy um community there. We also serve at St. Anthony's in the and uh some other places throughout New Jersey and in the U.S.

SPEAKER_00 8:41

You would be upset if you got thank you for the yeah. So um, you know, we're just finishing the synod on synodality, and one of the things that has come up in that process over these last few years is that really since the Second Vatican Council, in many ways before that, you think of Don Bosco and and the founding of religious communities, um the the call to holiness from baptism is lived out in one's vocation, whether that be um a priest, a religious sister, a brother, married person, single person, um certainly in in family, uh in service to the church, in ministry. Um certainly since the second Vatican Council, there's been that emphasis on the role of the lady in the church and um uh the leadership that they rightly should take, both within a diocese or a parish or the larger church, but also in society. And um but also the call of the Second Vatican Council now, certainly the Synodon Synodali for bishops to um have that uh synodal um leadership, uh co-responsibility, um, that uh all the voices at the table. Um so going back to Bishop Saratelli and Bishop Rodimer and Bishop Casey and the bishops of our diocese, we have a great tradition here in our diocese of both religious and lay leaders um in different ministries. Um yourself, Jay, and uh Cecile behind the camera there, uh in your uh sharing your gifts in in um our our uh communications ministry and um and getting the good news out uh through social media in other ways. Trying our best. Yes, no, doing a great job. And uh so when Pope Francis gave us some more detailed information, we knew that 2025 would be a Jubilee year. We didn't know all the details or plans, and then in May, this past May of 2025. Um the Bull of Vindiction, uh spares non confunded, hope does not disappoint. Uh again, I hope you're familiar with it. You can find it easy online, it's a beautiful read. Um it's short. And it's short, yes. Uh so how are we as a diocese gonna enter into the Jubilee year in um in this late spring and summer, early summer? We had some meetings with some of our leaders, and um I saw that there was a need for some coordination of many different um activities, and I asked Brian and Sister Teresa to take that responsibility of being co-chairs for uh, I guess the steering committee for um our um synodal, not synodal, uh in a synodal way, preparations for the Jubilee year. Uh so um I guess it was in June that that you started officially your leadership role uh and organizing the committees? Seems like it was years ago. I can't I can't remember.

SPEAKER_04 11:32

For the record, you guys have been doing that.

SPEAKER_00 11:34

So maybe if you can each butt just share a little bit about after you were good enough and generous enough to say yes to my invitation to take this leadership role. Um, what's the experience been like for you and what do our our diocese, what does our diocese have to look forward to as we look uh our plan and these plans for the Jubilee year?

SPEAKER_01 11:51

Can I start? Go ahead.

SPEAKER_05 11:53

Is that all right?

SPEAKER_01 11:53

Go ahead, go ahead.

SPEAKER_05 11:55

Ladies first, you can go for it.

SPEAKER_01 11:56

Oh, I was gonna say go.

unknown 11:58

All right.

SPEAKER_05 11:59

So, first off, thanks for inviting us to do this, Bishop. Sister Teresa and I have had, I think we've had fun working together. I think we work together well and are we're very we have very different gifts, and they're uh complementing each other very well. And I think that the wisdom that you had in choosing the two of us uh was was how uh diverse of a crew you could have made between the two of us. So Sister Teresa is a religious sister, I'm a married man with you know husband and father. Um, you know, I tend to be very academic, Sister Teresa tends to be very pastoral, we have male and female, and then finally, um I don't think there could be a larger height differential between the two of us. So we but we work very well together and it's been a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_01 12:46

Yeah, and it's interesting. I also want to say, first of all, um it's been a wonderful experience working together with Brian, but also I'm just so grateful for the immense trust that you have put in the two of us coming into this, and it really has been wonderful. And Bishop was synodal before the word even became popular again. So um again, thank you. And we will talk about all the different uh priests and lay people in the diocese who have been working with us together. It's a really a huge team effort. Um, it's interesting for me to sit and listen to all the differences that you've just pointed out because since June, all I've been thinking about is how well we work together and how much like how similar we are in some ways. But because we are complementary, um, we can really bring out the best in one another.

SPEAKER_00 13:44

I love as topics where not either or but both of us.

SPEAKER_01 13:48

And I am constantly um so grateful, Brian, actually, umually in any kind of a teamwork, I'm the one like taking the notes and um drafting out the schedule and getting very detail-oriented. Yes, and very detail-oriented. I know you know that from our constant working together. But when Brian and I started working together, I noticed that he really excelled at that, you know, being very detail-oriented, very scheduled, and so it allowed me to kind of like step back from those tasks and that kind of role in team play. And um, it just kind of unleashed in me all the other aspects, I guess, of teamwork. So, where you see me being more pastoral, I guess also because it kind of releases me because I say, Oh, Brian's taking care of that, Brian's thinking of that, and how many times he's had to recall me to this detail or that detail. So it's been really wonderful. And so for me, it's been a synergy of I guess similarities, but highlighting strengths in one another. And that's how the teamwork has been too.

SPEAKER_00 14:59

I know Jay has some questions, and uh, I want to the teamwork will be the second thing that I'm gonna ask about, uh, and then Jay can take it from there. But before we get into the committees, and uh, I think something I've my own experience really since the seminary in early priesthood, one of the things about um responding to the Lord's call and and serving in whether it be a parish, diocese, leadership, um, the people that God brings into our lives. And sometimes it's through kind of projects like this that we get to know people on a different level. This is the yours, two years in now, you've gotten to know many in our Brian, 15 or so uh years, and but I'm sure even you've come to know uh either um got to work more closely with some uh leaders you've already known. And and so I want to talk about the committees, but before that, um there's a reason why we're doing this today or in the at this time, right? Because our celebration of the Jubilee year, the Jubilee of Hope, at Pope Francis' invitation to every diocese in the world is to celebrate an opening mass on the Sunday between Christmas and New Year's, which is practically not the moment, but it's the Feast of the Holy Family, and hopefully many will be saying, what are we gonna do on the Sunday between uh Christmas and New Year's and uh and do something completely different? Only happens once every 25 years, have an opening mass of the so uh a little bit about uh plans for the opening mass uh on Sunday, December 29th, 3 p.m.

SPEAKER_05 16:23

at the end at the Cathedral in Patterson. Yeah. So you want to go for that?

SPEAKER_01 16:28

Sure. At 3 p.m., we'll start with the procession at Father English Center, and we've really strongly encouraged every parish in the diocese, every community organization to show up. Um, line up at the Father English Center with your banner and make a short pilgrimage from Father English Center to the Cathedral, and then we'll enter and um Bishop will celebrate the Mass. For those who cannot make that short walk, you're most welcome to already be seated in the cathedral. And uh Father Jared Brogan and Monsignor Gino Silva are really coordinating this opening mass for us. So we're very grateful to them for taking care of all the details. Yeah, the hope is the hope.

SPEAKER_05 17:12

Uh it might even be stronger than a hope.

SPEAKER_00 17:15

Hope doesn't disappoint you.

SPEAKER_05 17:18

Uh who hopes and what one sees. But um uh the hope is that everybody, every parish is represented and well. So we're hoping that each each other community schools, right?

SPEAKER_00 17:29

Religious communities.

SPEAKER_01 17:30

Um Yeah, we already have over 70 religious uh sisters, priests, and brothers who have um signed on to be present. So I'm just gonna be able to do that.

SPEAKER_05 17:41

That's right. Yeah, I I think I saw a number of religious communities and uh like Benedictine Benedictine monks coming, so forth. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:49

So uh so Jay's gonna get in next, but just before that, tell us about the committees that have been formed. Sure.

SPEAKER_05 18:36

So uh it looks like we have about seven committees, and each committee has two people and as the co-chairs. As co-chairs, but then they build their own team. So we're talking about concentric circles, you know, wider and wider circles, many people involved, and they've all taken on certain components of the Jubilee. As you will see in the calendar of events, there are many components of the Jubilee.

SPEAKER_01 19:02

Yeah, to say that Rome has 34 jubilees, and in our diocese of Patterson, we have 26 Jubilee events planned. And it's really through your generosity and availability. So I do have a story about the local pilgrimages when we get there.

SPEAKER_00 19:19

But uh briefly, then you want to just tell us what subcommittees are?

SPEAKER_01 19:24

Yes, yes. Um for catechesis, it's Father Joanator Garcia and Father Paul Manning.

SPEAKER_00 19:29

So catechesis, um everybody knows what indulgences are all about, right?

SPEAKER_01 19:33

Uh and if not, you can go to their videos. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 19:37

Uh catechesis, uh and the what is it, what's the importance of a jubilee? Um so catechesis, very important.

SPEAKER_01 19:45

And all of this is posted on our diocesan website, the videos in English and Spanish.

SPEAKER_04 19:51

Check the show notes for the yeah.

SPEAKER_05 19:53

We also have Christian Unity, which is Monsignor George Hunt and Monsignor Raymond Kupke, some of the most beloved pastors of our diocese, and also very good with ecumenism and and uh kind of bringing together different Christian faiths, non-Catholic Christians, and uh creating some sort of sense of unity and goodwill with the hope of at least relationship, but ideally even over the course of time reconciliation, right? So uh so we're gonna be doing at least four different events throughout the year for Christian unity.

SPEAKER_01 20:26

So it'll be three round tables leading up to the Jubilee itself. So opportunity for conversation and getting to know. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 20:33

And um Christian Unity, so 2025 um yeah, the year 325, the Council of Nicaea. Nicaea formed the the Creed. We believe in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, um that we pray at Mass every Sunday, and that is a is a source of unity for all Christians. Um other things have unfortunately separated us, but all Christians can celebrate that formation of the creed at Nicaea uh 1700 years ago. Yeah.

unknown 21:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:10

And our communications team has been phenomenal. Jay, Cecile. We also have to point out um the background people who never possibly get mentioned, but Mary Lennon, our director of IT and Fabio, and Mary Drashev over at St. Paul Inside the Walls, who have been phenomenal in helping to get all the information out on social media, podcast, website, everywhere.

SPEAKER_00 21:32

So we start with the three C's, catechesis. Um Christian Unity and community.

SPEAKER_01 21:38

You'll see that it goes in alphabetical order, so as to that's true.

SPEAKER_05 21:43

We have a diocesan jubilee days committee. So in a perfect world, everybody would go to Rome for a a pilgrimage uh for the Jubilee, but that's not gonna be possible for a lot of people. And uh the papal bull that Pope Francis provided gives tons of ideas and and recommendation for people to receive the indulgences and to go on pilgrimage locally. And we as a diocese have so many opportunities, it's gonna be really exciting. So we'll get into that later. And and it's uh uh uh local pilgrimages is local pilgrimage. Who's doing it?

SPEAKER_01 22:19

Oh, we'll get down pilgrimages. Oh yeah, and please mention uh Yeah, it's yeah Maria Moncaleano and Father Alex Nevett have really been spearheading putting together at least two thirds of the twenty six events that are happening in the diocese. So a lot of uh credit to them for their hard work and organization and networking throughout the diocese.

SPEAKER_05 22:44

Maybe the hardest working committee. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:47

I think everybody's working really hard. Yeah. Everybody's working really hard, you know, bringing their own gifts and talents. We have probably the most pro-life bishop and pro-family bishop. I say this all the time to people I meet. And so the Jubilee of Families actually has its own committee and it's and it'll be a whole day.

SPEAKER_00 23:09

Who's heading up that committee?

SPEAKER_01 23:10

Enniola Annie Hansberger, a hardworking couple. And Father Ed Rama, our vocation director and new pastor administrator of St. Bernard's in Mount Hope.

SPEAKER_00 23:24

Yes, that's right.

SPEAKER_01 23:26

Yeah. So more information on the Jubilee of families will be coming and you don't want to miss it because it'll be an exciting, fantastic day for everybody, Jubilee of families, grandparents and elderly at the shrine of St. Joseph.

SPEAKER_05 23:38

In Sterling.

SPEAKER_01 23:39

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_05 23:41

For for main liturgies, we're just the opening mass and the closing mass. We have Father Jared Brogan and Monsignor Gino Sova. There's going to be many events happening at the cathedral, but the the big one coming up is the December 29th opening mass.

SPEAKER_01 23:56

That's right.

SPEAKER_05 23:56

Lots of hard work on that committee too.

SPEAKER_01 23:58

Yes a lot of details and logistics. And finally we have the Pilgrimages committee and actually that's uh two subsets. The local pilgrimage with Father Chris Barkhausen who's been doing a phenomenal job of just reaching out to all the different parishes and he has um really come up with this great plan for a designated site because that's one of the things that Pope Francis asked is that every local ordinary designate a site or sites. Or sites yes so that people could go to pray to gain the indulgences especially as Brian had mentioned can't get to Rome. So he's looked at our diocese and um pinpointed north south east west and central. So all this information can be found on the website and for those who may be able to go to Rome and it's easy. And Father Stephen Prisk thank you very much for getting this started and Bishop and Father John Calibro will be the chaplains for this and shall we say this? Put a little plug in for the first 24 to register will enjoy a private reception with Bishop Kevin Sweeney at his residence.

SPEAKER_00 25:09

The dates I should know are September 26th to October 4th. We'll be coming home on the Feast of St. Francis.

SPEAKER_01 25:14

Yes and it's almost filled so if you want to get a spot with Bishop Sweeney you got a book now okay um and I think you pick these dates specifically Bishop why?

SPEAKER_00 25:26

Well it's it's a good time of year from what I hear but also we have a seminary in Lucas Fulan who God willing will be ordained a deacon at St. Peter's Basilica in those days maybe September 28th I think that's right. So good shepherd that he is able to um attend that ordination. Yep so Jay what are we what are we missing?

SPEAKER_04 25:45

Local pilgrimages so tell us more about that.

SPEAKER_01 25:48

Okay so this is exciting so when we went to Bishop and said you know um Father Chris Barkhausen is uh looking at these sites and he's picked five now of these five bishop which one do you want to make the pilgrimage that's for the local diocese? And you gave me this look and you were like and you were like oh five of them like the of course like how long have you known me and yet you still do not know and I said oh okay so again um our bishops got legs oh is that okay to say that on the podcast the 60s get this deficit ready to so it's not just one local pilgrimage in this diocese but we all have the opportunity five times during this year specifically 65 times. Yes yes but specifically in a pilgrimage with with bishop but um indulgences is another whole other topic that we'll probably want to hit on but just want to say for those of you who do all five pilgrimages and masses with bishop you get a little stamp on your passport and yeah that'll be kind of like your Camino de Santiago but and again that information is on the website.

SPEAKER_00 27:07

We can mention the five sites I think right excuse me. So the first that we can maybe do it chronologically if I can think of it. First pilgrimage will be um as you say shorter in distance but filled with life and faith and the generosity of our people our Catholic charities Father English food pantry is being renovated and so right now it's a large open space so we're gonna gather there and process through the streets of Patterson into our cathedral for the opening mass. So the cathedral is one of the pilgrimage sites and that's the first one on the opening mass then is May oh here we go is May 31st the next one yes the family uh family pilgrimage um uh and Brian's got a post on that will be available uh and so May 31st the feast of the visitation right when Mary went on pilgrimage to um visit uh Elizabeth and um we'll go on pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Joseph Holy Family and have that day of Jubilee for family but again any of these sites throughout the year you can go on pilgrimage we'll give you information kind of indulgence um on the western uh frontera uh uh periphery of the diocese is the parish of St. Luke in Long Valley and uh I'll be going there looking forward to celebrating the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul um this is all about the church right and the church is founded on those saints and um a 5 p.m pilgrimage and a 6 p.m mass we should never forget I I say one of the groups in the church that is underestimated is the daily mass crowd those who are mass every day but another group that maybe sometimes doesn't get its full appreciation is the Sunday evening mass crowd right there are many people of great faith whether it be on college campuses or in parishes or the last camps mass so we thought it would be good to have uh highlight one of those uh Sunday evening masses with a pilgrimage at the end of June the longest long days of the year uh so we'll be looking forward to that um north I was just talking to him yesterday we all know the patron saint of pilgrims Santiago St. James Compostela um we have our own St. James up in the northwest corner all the way up near where New York meets Pennsylvania meets New Jersey St. James and Montague Father Wayne Varga and we're gonna go on the Feast of St. James on pilgrimage up north more information.

SPEAKER_01 29:36

I believe that's a Friday.

SPEAKER_00 29:37

That's right, that's right, July 25th.

SPEAKER_01 29:40

And if you're gonna go on pilgrimage during the Jubilee year of hope.

SPEAKER_00 29:45

Of hope, where would you go? Mount Hope maybe Mount Hope. St.

SPEAKER_01 29:49

Bernard in Mount Hope where there's a shrine to our lady of the very exciting a lot of blessings.

SPEAKER_00 30:00

Indulgences could be another word for blessing and uh and that's what we all need in our own lives, our families, our diocese, um, our country, the the larger church and that's what this year is going to be all about. Jay, you have some other questions.

SPEAKER_04 30:15

Exciting stuff. Yeah I mean I guess that's maybe short short answer indulgences if there is a short answer.

SPEAKER_05 30:22

Well the the shortest answer is that we have provided long answers with videos. So our catechesis committee has done a great job of trying to answer what is an indulgence. Of course you can't answer that without answering the question what is purgatory? Right? So all of these questions come to be through the the indulgences and uh and we created great videos on our Jubilee website where you could watch them. And depending on your attention span we have one minute versions and then like seven to fifteen minute versions.

SPEAKER_00 30:57

Does it mention that we don't sell them anymore? We got into a little trouble around the time of Martin Luther where we would lost track and maybe fundraising whatever it was good intentions in many ways but bad uh practice and uh we've fixed that uh but it doesn't um you know the human level right um our unfortunate weakness and falling in sin and messing things up at times it doesn't take away from the beauty of of the truth of God of who God is and God's love and God's mercy and the way that God sending us his son who's born at Christmas takes on our flesh um yes carries the cross but leads us to the resurrection and how do we participate in that and um what's our connection on earth with those who are in heaven?

SPEAKER_01 31:43

How do we need to pray for those who have gone before us in faith that little word indulgence which yes has some tough history um also has a beautiful spiritual history which can be renewed and and and better understood right in the Jubilee Yeah and I think that's really Pope Francis's um hope is that when he um proclaimed 2015 as the Jubilee year of mercy it was really kind of preparing us for this incredible Jubilee this ordinary Jubilee of hope.

SPEAKER_00 32:14

For those yeah the indulgences are free the videos are free and for the host and for those who like something in hand this trifold is free too every parish um hopefully will also make available something in hand and on this panel it's just a quick explainer on the plenary indulgence the designated sites the whole diocesan calendar and um it's something that you can put kind of fold up and put in your pocket of course and this is the Jubilee prayer it can look a little lengthy right um and when we first were we had prayer cards and I said it's gonna be hard to maybe pray this at mass maybe that's the point maybe we need to maybe we can take the time to pray the full prayer reflective with reflection and um why speaking for myself we we can be in a rush right and busy you gotta get okay jubilee what are we about you know and so there's a beautiful Jubilee prayer that we'll be praying throughout the year. It might be a challenge for some with its length but I think that's an invitation to say okay I need to take the time to be able to pray uh the full Jubilee prayer.

SPEAKER_05 33:29

One of the primary components of Jubilee from the book of Leviticus until now is rest. So rest as you pray that long long prayer.

SPEAKER_04 33:43

So there's uh a lot of awesome events that are also included on the calendar on the website is there any one in particular that either of you are excited about more than another or looking forward to in a special way or you could speak to you.

SPEAKER_05 33:57

The one I'm most excited about and the the one that I think will will bear lots of fruits will be going with Bishop Kevin to Rome. You're gonna get on an airplane you're gonna spend time in multiple cities in Italy and you'll you'll be able to uh walk through the holy doors there's a scavvy tour that's uh we plan on scheduling so you get to see the tomb of St. Peter and then finally uh uh Lucas Fulan's uh diacon ordination to to be at St. Peter's Basilica is that where it would happen and to and to see an ordination there would be spectacular so that's gonna that's what I'm most excited about and you've been to Rome and you've actually written a column for the beacon about about this what uh what do you like about Rome? What do I like about Rome? Uh read the column yeah read the column uh the the the Vatican is a is a very special place and and if you're a Catholic it's it's it's like going home.

SPEAKER_00 35:01

And apparently they've been doing incredible uh preparations in the city of Rome for the Jubilee and both the city secular government and and and the church of the Vatican um and on the last day of the synod Pope Francis they had this chair that they believe Saint Peter actually used that they found way down in where the tomb was and uh and they talk about the chair of Peter there's a feast um and uh um so um those things can connect us right back to the to the time of our Lord and the and the first apostles yeah yeah one of the weirdest things about being in Rome last time was that uh I saw a bunch of people I knew and at first I'm like all right well what are the chances of that and then I thought well pretty high right because it's home like of course you're gonna go home and see people you know right yeah Sister Teresa Yeah um I know the Jubilee we've been talking a lot about events and things to do but I like to pick up on something you said about indulgences really because the divine grace is always there even if humanity sometimes um muddies it up so for me the most um the most exciting thing about the Jubilee coming up that I'm really looking forward to is actually the the encounters that people all of us faithful and fallen away and those who might just kind of accidentally or coincidentally or God providentially might happen upon a Jubilee event.

SPEAKER_01 36:31

And for me I am most excited really about how lives will be touched and changed in an encounter with Jesus Christ whether somebody is seeking it or not but I think that hunger is really there. And for us to be able to provide through Bishop's generosity and leadership and the hard work of all the committee members and actually the enthusiasm of so many people around the diocese as I've been traveling and talking to people just how this will be such an opportunity for people to experience as you were saying that sense of coming home and if our diocese can provide that for people through these encounters I'm just really excited about that and um yeah whether it's through this long prayer I think before the Jubilee asks us to do and that's always the temptation to do more and do it quickly the Jubilee really calls us to be and to really remember who we are yes yes uh thank you so I didn't mean to cut you off you good um period that was great thank you for sharing two things that you said uh made me think of two important um in the bull um or in the letter that I wrote um uh talking about the Jubilee sites and plans um we can make it available I went back to the to the bull of addiction and the Holy Father talks about towards the beginning um those who will go to Rome and those who are unable to go to Rome but together pilgrims of hope um leading to the personal encounter with Jesus Christ the Holy Father speaks so excuse me beautifully about that personal encounter as you just talked about sister so important for all of us and and the Jubilee is an opportunity to have that deep encounter and in addition to that personal encounter with Christ um the Jubilee for artists and the jubilee for young people the jubilee for athletes um we also want to reach out to those who may not be in church every Sunday maybe those not even Catholic but to say this is who we are as a church in the diocese and we want to welcome everyone to to know the love of and mercy of God and um many of the events planned there will be opportunities for that right exactly exactly so again you can always go to our website our social media and if you are plugged in with us you can help spread the word you know first through prayer and then just also by invitation in addition to the five designated sites we also are so blessed in our diocese to have monasteries and shrines run by religious and people can also go there to pray and to have that encounter with Jesus Christ. So we have the Carmelites in Morristown Holy Face Monastery in Clifton St. Paul's Abbey in Newton and Saint Mary's Abbey where the Benedicts where the Benedictines are in Morrison's with Del Barton. We also have the Shrine of St. Joseph which we already mentioned run by the Trinitarians and St.

SPEAKER_00 39:45

Justin and Sanctuary of Mary in Branchville and the two hermitages in Chester so um many many places to go to spend some quiet time and prayer um alone or as a group and I think you know the connection of these days of Nazareth of Nazareth of um Advent leading up to Christmas we're on the road we're a pilgrim people so we travel each year to Bethlehem and then as uh the wise men sometimes we need to go home by a different route um we uh we come to the Eucharist and then we're sent out um as that pilgrim people and so we're on this journey together and now as we celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas and those beautiful days afterwards um we'll begin on the Feast of the Holy Family that Sunday after Christmas to enter into this Jubilee year. Sister O'Brien one word final word to um encourage those listening to take part in the opening mass and in the activities and and rest uh and uh and spirit of the Jubilee year.

SPEAKER_01 40:52

Merry Christmas and see you there.

SPEAKER_05 40:55

Thank you sister thank you bishop and thank you Jay for having us my only uh words are to are to take a look for something like this at your parish or wherever you worship you'll see one of these hanging up hopefully and it gives everything you could be part participating in for the whole year. This is also available on the website. And a QR code?

SPEAKER_04 41:16

Many QR codes local pilgrimages uh one-time events and so forth and because this is printed um the QR codes will give you the most updated information on the website because again thanks to our IT team they'll be keeping that fresh and updated so modern I love it um all right great well well thank you both for being on it's it's really nice to have you on Sister Teresa for your first episode with us and um bishop before we we wind down uh any any final thoughts on Jubilees or anything that we heard today that you maybe want to comment on or uh I think you know these days just to really try to focus our our prayer our thought um the coming to this last Sunday fourth Sunday of Advent and um Monday the 23rd and Christmas Eve and Christmas um that we not miss the opportunity to really be there with Mary Joseph and the newborn king at the stable in Bethlehem hearing the voices of the angels the message of peace taking advantage if we can to be together with our families praying for those who might not have family right there physically present but um we're connected as God's family and so let us be united in prayer in a special way to celebrate as we do each year the birth of Jesus at Christmas and then look forward to the great Jubilee beginning on the Feast of the Holy Family.

SPEAKER_00 42:55

Okay perfect and are you are you like pumping the Christmas music in the in the car when you're driving around or what are you singing out loud with a more sonorous voice flipping sometimes yeah um uh I love uh I was the the handle's messiah is uh um something I enjoy listening to at this time of year. Any recommendations for uh our listeners or if you like Christmas Carol's the uh podcast Hark um I was saying to um Cecile on the way in um they do four episodes at this time of year it's only at this time of year they do this podcast Hark. It's um connected to American Media um America magazine but um they did two episodes this year that were very good one on the Little Drummond Boy and one on um What Child Is This Greensleeves they give the history of the Christmas Carol and um it's I think very well done. If you like Christmas music check out the podcast Hark.

SPEAKER_04 43:51

All right awesome you're the best promoter of other people's podcasts what a generous guy Bishop okay well great well thank you again and uh 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 patternsdiocese.org and discover our other podcasts Coffee with Kupke and the Paul Street Journal. See you next time.

SPEAKER_00 44:23

Thanks everybody Merry Christmas in the new year and see you on the 29th Cardwilling God bless