SPEAKER_03 0:08

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_05 0:24

I'm good, Jay. How are you doing?

SPEAKER_03 0:25

I'm doing well. Thank you. Uh welcome back from Retreat. Thank you.

SPEAKER_05 0:33

And I I really enjoyed your column, which spoke about your retreat and the uh idea of hope and Bishop Frank Caggiano, um originally from Brooklyn, now the Bishop of Bridgeport, uh, was a retreat director, and it's a wonderful thing since I've been bishop that the uh bishops of New Jersey and Pennsylvania usually take a week sometime in January, early February. Uh that it's in Florida at this time of year was a very nice blessing. But uh Bishop Caggiano gave beautiful reflection on um this year of hope, the Jubilee of Hope, the gift of hope, the virtue of hope. Uh wrote a little bit about it in the column column, so hopefully uh viewers can check that out. And uh it feels like it's been a while since uh and I'm excited to uh uh talk with some of our religious brothers and sisters today um on the topic of religious life. And just before I went on retreat, we had uh the Jubilee of Religious, because um uh February 2nd, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, which this year fell on a Sunday, um, is World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life. So we'll talk more about that.

SPEAKER_03 1:34

But um you know Yeah, and so before you went on retreat, you wrote another column, uh really heartfelt column about immigration and some of the political happenings that are going on. So a lot of current events while you're away that week, a lot of stuff happened.

SPEAKER_05 1:49

And even before uh the week I before I left was Catholic Schools Week, which was wonderful and got to visit a lot of schools. And um, you know, after the inauguration, um uh I wrote what I wrote in a column about my own immigrants experience as a son of an immigrant, but maybe even especially serving as a pastor in an immigrant community um in Sunset Park in Brooklyn and how difficult things were in the early years of 20 the early months of 2017 when President Trump f served his first term. And um uh, you know, I think of those who have written to me and others um in terms of maybe even questioning some of the church's stance. Um uh the work of Catholic charities sometimes is questioned, we're not encouraging illegal immigration, we're serving those who are here. And um, and so um, you know, I thought about um maybe even doing a special podcast, uh, but we've we're trying to discern our way uh with the new administration as as many are, and uh just tonight we're gonna have a uh a mass, an evening of prayer and solidarity with our immigrant communities, but maybe to listeners, um, maybe especially those who might, you know, uh be concerned about as the phrase is illegal immigration, and uh the Holy Father, Pope Francis, wrote a letter yesterday or or Monday to all the bishops of the United States, the church of the United States, um, expressing his concern about mass deportations and just trying to remind us that we have to respect the dignity of every person. We do that on behalf of the unborn child, on behalf of life at every stage. And and um yes, uh country and government has a responsibility to keep us safe, to uh in enforce laws, and um and and no no one's arguing with that. Country has a responsibility to protect its borders. Um that that's in the Holy Father's letter, it's again. But um something I shared in the column that maybe not everyone is aware of if they haven't lived in an immigrant community um where um people get here in different ways. And many people who um maybe don't have papers or document have been trying sometimes for years and sometimes losing money to lawyers that were not maybe made promises that they couldn't keep. And so many of our undocumented brothers and sisters would like to be documented, but they've also been living here 10, 15, 20 years. No nobody's said you shouldn't be here because you don't have proper document, they're working, they're paying taxes, they're raining ch raising children. And when you get to know some of those people, it's upsetting to think that, you know, right now um hopefully it's getting a little bit less.

SPEAKER_03 4:41

And what was that phrase your your mentor, the Monsignor, used would say, like something about the the faces of the people?

SPEAKER_05 4:48

Well he would see his parents um and the people coming up because his parents were immigrants from Ireland during the Depression. Um and then I had that ex similar experience. Um you know, my mom and dad came here from Ireland and uh my mom had some education, my dad didn't. Um they worked hard, um, they had their faith and they raised their children, they struggled to raise their children, and uh, but the church was at the center of their lives, and um, and and and they gave back, you know, um in in in the parish and the community, and and and so many are doing that all over our country. And um and and and and they they deserve respect too um uh as as members of our community. And so just to be careful, I'd say, um, if there's any um advice or or request that to call someone illegal is um we should be careful about that. We have to have respect for the law, yes, but let's think about how we're doing what we do and we pray for the president and our elected officials and um It's a complicated complicated uh issue. Yeah. Yeah. So um and I as I said I didn't do a special podcast on that and and speak on it sooner in this way, because um uh we're while we as a as a church of the Holy Father yesterday, as bishops, as Catholics and Christians, we we do have that responsibility to uh advocate that every person be treated with dignity and respect, no matter their status or documentation or um and um but we are trying to also be respectful of um the president and the government's responsibility to enforce laws and and and yes, we're you know violent criminals, they they they they they need to be brought to justice. We don't we don't want innocent people being hurt um in any way. So um it's a fine line, it's complicated, but um we ask for that um second thought, maybe, or breath, or um reflection to are we treating each and every person like Jesus um as our as our sister and brother, as Mary and Joseph with their child Jesus were refugees and uh in in Egypt, right? They had to flee from their homeland. They didn't want to leave where they but they had because they were afraid for the life of their child. There's a lot of people in our country who have been through similar experiences to our neighbors, and um so um uh we're gonna talk about religious life today. And uh but but you know, we all have a vocation uh from baptism uh and and we want to uh ask the Lord to guide us in who we are as citizens and and members of communities and um and and thank God for the blessings we have in this wonderful country of ours that um you know allows us to choose our leaders and and has been the the the American dream, you know, for generations of welcoming people from all over the world. Uh and uh, you know, that Statue of Liberty and who we are, that we welcome the masses, those who are struggling. Um okay, we with yes, protecting borders, absolutely. Um, but um we hope and pray uh we have a lot to pray for for peace in our world, for our country, and uh and so um I think we're gonna do the prayer with uh our our religious uh sister and brother. Thanks for sharing that, Bishop.

SPEAKER_03 8:08

I'm sure I appreciate that. I'm sure many of our listeners and viewers do. So okay, so I'm gonna step off and then we're gonna have a little host of the host by yourself here. And uh all right, so we'll be right back with our with our guests. Great.

SPEAKER_05 8:29

We're back. I think this is the first time I'm sitting in this chair. Uh the the host chair, Jay's chair, usually here, or Cecile who's sometimes with us, but um welcome to our sister and brothers as we um are celebrating religious life. And before I ask uh sister and brother and father, father Isaac uh to uh introduce themselves, uh we're gonna begin with a prayer. And in this Jubilee year, we're trying to promote the Jubilee prayer, so uh we'll pray together the Jubilee prayer. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Giving thanks to God for the gifts and blessings of every day, the gifts of faith, hope, and love, our families, our loved ones, our church, in this Jubilee of hope we pray together this Jubilee prayer.

SPEAKER_04 9:10

Father in heaven, may the faith you have given us in your Son, Jesus Christ, our Brother, and the flame of charity be kindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your kingdom. May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the gospel. May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the pure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth.

SPEAKER_02 9:42

When with the powers of evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally.

SPEAKER_04 9:48

May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, pilgrims of hope, of yearning for the treasures of heaven. May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth. To you, our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise forever. Amen.

SPEAKER_05 10:08

Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. And our Lady Seat of Wisdom, the Mother of the Church, praise you. And Saint Francis, pray for us, pray for us and Saint Mother Pauline. Mother Pauline, pray for us, pray for us. Amen. Welcome, welcome. Thank you for being here. So uh we're a little after um our Jubilee uh for religious life, but the Jubilee is the whole year, and uh um we had World Day of Consecrated Life, and uh we'll talk a little bit about that, but maybe first um if each of you can introduce yourself, we're gonna start with Sister uh Kiara Kiara Marie Stimpel.

SPEAKER_00 10:45

Very good. Thank you for the case. Welcome.

SPEAKER_05 10:47

Maybe just uh if you could tell us where you're from, where you grew up, how you got to know your community, discern your vocation, and maybe what you're doing at the moment in as a as a religious uh in what stage?

SPEAKER_00 10:59

I am a temporary professor. Great, great. Great. Um so yeah, my name is Sister Kiara Marie. I am a sister of Christian charity, and I grew up in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. Um right now I'm teaching fifth grade at Divine Mercy Academy in Rockaway. Special shout out to my 19 awesome fifth graders. Oh, great. And um I came to know the community when I was a senior in high school. They came to visit.

SPEAKER_05 11:22

And what was the name of your high school?

SPEAKER_00 11:24

High school is Bethlehem High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Um we had lunch with a few of them, and uh they were a few years older than me, graduates from our rival high school. And I thought, I think I could do this. Um maybe not right after high school. I went to college first, but then I think I could do this. And I kept doing that. Did you go to college? I went to college at DeSales University.

SPEAKER_05 11:46

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 11:47

In um Allentown. Okay. Or Center Valley, Pennsylvania.

SPEAKER_05 11:51

Sorry, when you said I don't know if you get this question off in Quaker Town, is that actually where the Quakers are?

SPEAKER_00 11:56

No, no, no. We we get that question off. There is a school.

SPEAKER_05 11:58

I'm thinking of the well, uh maybe I'm thinking of the Amish actually in Pennsylvania, but there's not as many Quakers there anymore.

SPEAKER_00 12:04

There's a large Mennonite population, but um there is a school, a Christian school there. I forget what year it was established, but it's United Friends School. So it started off as a Quaker school.

SPEAKER_05 12:14

So there's a connection, right? For sure. The name didn't came from someplace, right?

SPEAKER_00 12:18

The the Catholic Church there is St. Isidore for the farmer.

SPEAKER_05 12:21

Okay. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:22

But it's it's a little bit more built up now.

SPEAKER_05 12:23

Isidro Labador in Spanish, right? Right, right. Habla español.

SPEAKER_00 12:27

Um poco.

SPEAKER_05 12:28

Muy bien. Uh and uh so um Sisters of Christian Charity. Christian Charity.

SPEAKER_00 12:34

We're founded by Mother Pauline in 1849 in Germany.

SPEAKER_05 12:38

And you have um is it the motherhouse here in the diocese?

SPEAKER_00 12:42

Yes, our our um motherhouse for our North American province is in Mendham, New Jersey.

SPEAKER_05 12:47

Uh but you live, I guess, uh closer in in Rockaway, in the convent? Yes. Of um St. Cecilia's. Of St. Cecilia's. Okay. With a few other sisters.

SPEAKER_00 12:55

Yep, with three other sisters.

SPEAKER_05 12:56

And uh Father Zig and Father Matt, right?

SPEAKER_00 12:58

Father Zig and Father, they're awesome. We are so blessed there.

SPEAKER_05 13:02

Great, great.

SPEAKER_02 13:03

Um so maybe uh Father John Ahern. Sure, yeah, I'm uh Father John Ahern, uh OFM, Order of Friars Minor. Uh I first uh became acquainted with uh Franciscan spirituality uh when I was in high school. I thought about becoming a priest when I was very young, but I had been going to public school, so I said, you know what, if I'm gonna become a priest, let's go to a Catholic high school. Uh so I went to St. Francis Prep in Queens, New York, uh, where I grew up, uh, was first introduced to the Franciscan charism then. Uh at that point, didn't decided it wasn't for me, so I went to NYU, got a degree in uh English literature, uh worked in book publishing for a while, and then kind of when I rediscovered my faith in my mid-20s, uh, I came across uh St. Francis of Assisi Church uh in 31st Street in Manhattan, where I was living at the time, uh, and really reawakened in me uh the Franciscan seed that was planted within me in high school. So uh kind of uh got to know the friars there a little bit more, uh, entered uh discernment and then uh the formation program. I'm now an ordained priest uh and then pastor of St. Mary's Church in Pompton Lakes, uh New Jersey.

SPEAKER_05 14:50

And just I was just with you for confirmation on this past Saturday, right?

SPEAKER_02 14:55

Yeah, so uh this past Saturday we had uh uh 80 students all together be confirmed in 10th grade. It was a really joyous celebration. Uh always good to see so many young people alive in their faith. So it was great to have you there as always.

SPEAKER_05 15:07

It was my pleasure, and just a few months before that, uh was it December or January that you were old as oldest pastor. And uh at the confirmation on uh this Saturday after communion, um Father John said uh something about welcoming me and something that he and I have in common that good things come from Queens. Oh, good. There you go.

SPEAKER_00 15:27

My parents came from Queensland. Is that right? There you go.

SPEAKER_05 15:29

Do you remember what part? Do you know what part? I'm not sure. Uh so I would grow up in Whitestone, and Father John grew up in Mass Beth. Masseth, right? And um we've uh I forget whether you crossed paths, I think with my brother and sister who both went to St. Francis Prep by my brother-in-law, so uh wonderful high school, right? Oh, it really is great and still going strong. Right, right. Uh um well, we'll talk a little bit more about um the OFM Order of Fighters Minor and wonderful um 31st Street. What a what a wonderful place. Just fantastic. Uh yeah. Uh if you need to go to confession and you're in Manhattan, uh you can go to 31st Street, right by Madison Square Garden. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:04

By Penn Station, easy access to all forms of public transportation.

SPEAKER_01 16:08

Uh so Father Isaac uh Spinharney, yep, uh CFR. Um I'm a little bit nervous because I don't have a connection to Queens. Oh, that's right. No worries, no worries. Here in Patterson, you're living in Patterson, that's more important here, right? Um, Father Isaac Spinharney, I'm a Franciscan friar of the Renewal. Uh I was born in Omaha, but did most of my growing up in the Twin Cities area, Minneapolis, St. Paul. And um it was in college where I first ran into St. Francis. I was not living a godly life and wasn't really interested in that, but had the opportunity to study abroad with uh and with my classmates, we went to a CC. And uh I remember stepping off the train uh onto the platform in a CC and I got hit with this wave of peace. And I thought, my God, he's still here. And I was not a church-going praying person, but I I was well catechized by my parents, so I knew about the saints and I knew about St. Francis, and so that led a long and and and winding journey, and um I heard about the friars through word of mouth, and I wanted to be a priest, but I wanted to live in community, work with the poor, and preach. And so a friend of mine said, Well, you should check out these guys in New York, so home base is the Bronx. But um I signed up in the year 2000. I'm glad to still be here, and now I live at St. Michael Friary here in Patterson.

SPEAKER_05 17:27

Which was a big year for as we call them the CFRs, right? Your community, they uh started something called Youth 2000, which I understand is still going strong, right? It really is.

SPEAKER_01 17:35

Yeah, we didn't start it, but we we came on early.

SPEAKER_05 17:38

You made it you presently made it happen in the tri-state area and in other parts of the country.

SPEAKER_01 17:46

Not just in this country.

SPEAKER_05 17:47

Right. And um uh we'll talk about you're both Father John and Father Isaac are both Franciscans, um, but part of the same, I guess we could say, family uh and uh different, what can we say, branches? Uh um uh and the um CFR uh tell me again, Franciscans of the Friars of the Renewal.

SPEAKER_01 18:09

Community of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, our founders were Capuchin Franciscans. Um they wore the brown robe with the the long hood, like Padre Pio was a Capuchin. Right, right. They thought that Father Solanus Casey. Father Solanus Casey, exactly, and and a lot of other uh but the founder was Father Benedict Rochelle, right? He would always dispute that. He said that he said I'm the instigator, but no, there's eight of us.

SPEAKER_05 18:31

Okay, all right. Uh um uh I was had the privilege of getting to know Father Benedict a little bit during my years in the seminary in at uh the wonderful retreat house um in in Trinity um in uh in Larchmont. And uh um so maybe I'll ask you to each respond to um two questions. Um one, um, what advice you would give to someone who feels that maybe the Lord is calling them. That could be someone young, someone in college, someone uh after college. Uh um what advice would you give? And then um maybe speak about the experience of retreat, because I'm gonna give a little commercial. We have a vocation retreat coming up at the beginning of March. Um uh uh just maybe um uh how important prayer and and and times of prayer and and if you have the opportunity for a retreat. Um, sister, we'll let you begin again. Uh uh advice you might give or uh what's the importance of prayer and a possible retreat?

SPEAKER_00 19:29

Sure. Um the advice I would give to someone who's thinking about a vocation kind of stems from my own struggles when I was in the middle of thinking of it, is don't be afraid of the sacrifices that are involved in following your vocation because if it is what God's calling you to, then God's just going to bless you and reward you and fill you with joy. He's he's not there to take anything away, only only to give. Um and then about retreat and prayer, you prayer is one of the it's um so necessary because pur is our conversation with God and it's our relationship with God. And if we're not talking with God, then we're gonna miss that connection. We're gonna not be able to hear what it is that He's really speaking into our hearts. And retreat is a wonderful opportunity because especially, especially before entering religious life, the world is so noisy and there's so many things that that fill up our day and take up our attention, that having that one opportunity to step away and have time carved out to have that time with God is is a gift, nothing but a gift. And also you get to meet a lot of wonderful people on retreat usually and you can share your experiences. Um and because you're both there for the most part for the same reason you're seeking, then there's an opportunity to find healthy, supportive relationships that for me was so helpful in discerning religious life that, oh, I'm not the only one thinking these thoughts. Um you are too. Let's kind of figure this out together. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_05 21:14

And just stay on the topic for a moment. What's it like praying with fifth graders?

SPEAKER_00 21:18

Oh, it's it's it's it's beautiful. Their their prayer intentions that they have each morning is it it's it's so precious. It's so precious. And then the things w when when they share with me, you know, I I think I heard Jesus tell me this. It's it it it's yeah, it's so touching.

SPEAKER_05 21:39

Thanks, sister. Father John, advice you might give in the importance of prayer in a retreat, if you can.

SPEAKER_02 21:44

Yeah, no, I I think any advice I would give would be the advice Christ gave to his disciples. Come and see. Come and see. I think so often we have an idea in our head about what religious life might be like. And as you can see just from the three of us here, religious life takes many different forms, many different facets. There are many different charisms. Uh and if you come and see and visit a community, reach out to a parish, go online and find a group of Franciscans, a group of Paulists, a group of Redemptorists, a group of religious sisters, call them up and say you want to come and see. We I know for a fact uh the friars will bend over backwards and and bring you in and show you what our life is like because it's so good. Uh and we love our life and we get such satisfaction and grace and blessing from it. We want to share it. Uh so I would say come and see. Like come and see what it's really like. And if, you know, let's say OFMs aren't right for you, then try the CFRs or try another group. Uh There are so many, I think the church is blessed with so many different religious charisms that you'll find one that fits where God is calling you. And as Sister said so well, the need for prayer and retreat is so essential. You know, right now we're coming off of an experience with the OFMs. We're trying to reorganize ourselves in the United States, and we were thinking, all right, you know, what's like what's our top three priorities about what we have to do as we, you know, kind of look to the future in this country? And after three days of debate and discernment, we came up with that the number one thing had to be prayer. That if we weren't people of prayer, we were missing the boat. Um and I think that speaks to us both on an individual level, on a level of the church, uh, and on a level of community. If if prayer isn't what we're anchored in, uh, then what we're doing really is is kind of, you know, uh so much straw in the wind, as Aquinas said. Um so I think prayer has to be at the root of who we are and what we do. Um and the need to take retreat, absolutely, the the world is so noisy. Um and I find retreat very helpful in that um, you know, especially in a in a parish, you're uh you know, you're running around all day, and if you're lucky, people are telling you what a great job you're doing and keep it up, keep working, keep working, keep working. And I find on retreat sometimes you need to take a step back and be like, you know what? Maybe I'm not doing what I should be doing. You kind of just take that step back and have an honest evaluation of who you are and how things are going. And uh I think it's so essential and and helpful, and and you also need a break, just a personal break to step away from everything.

SPEAKER_05 24:15

Thanks, Father John. Father Isaac, uh little advice you might give that someone discerning and uh or open to thinking about it and and the importance of prayer and uh retreat if you if you have the opportunity.

SPEAKER_01 24:25

Sure, yeah. Uh uh regarding the discernment, I would I would encourage you to be honest. Um, you know, when you do go and see a community, uh, and and sister mentioned the fears, just to voice those fears out loud to those who have already said yes, because I can almost guarantee you we've all had the same fears, or someone in the community, what what we like to make this sacrifice, you know, not having a family. Will I see my family? Really basic stuff that we might be afraid to voice, but um, chances are if you're thinking about a vocation and you have these questions or fears, other people who have already worked through those have had those as well. And they want to meet you there, they want to help you there. That's Jesus can meet you through them. Uh and then regarding the retreat, um, yeah, like I loved hearing about Jesus saying stuff to fifth that's so beautiful to me that they Jesus speaks to fifth graders, but he doesn't just speak to fifth graders, he wants to speak to all of us. And you're like the what's gonna seal the deal on whether you choose religious life or marriage is is knowing in your heart that this is what God has for me. He has a particular mission for you. And and I think we can only hear that in the deepest way in prayer, and that that requires us to get away, as has already been mentioned. It's just such a noisy world, there's so many distractions. And Jesus wants to be with you, just like he wants to be with the fifth graders. So that that's what I would say.

SPEAKER_05 25:47

Yeah. Maybe uh I'll put Father Isaac on the spot and give Sister and Father John a little chance to think. But uh just to uh what's the best thing about being a CFR? Maybe in your daily life and in your knowing your your community, um and uh and in terms of we what do we we call it a charism, right? Each religious community has a particular charism, often connected to their founder, foundress, um, sometimes connected to their often connected to their ministry, their work. Um but so um what makes the CFRs the CFRs and what do you like most about it? And uh and we'll come back to the other question after.

SPEAKER_01 26:25

Yeah. Uh it's a good question. Uh I think I'll start with the second part. What do I like most about it? I knew I needed a uh a schedule, a routine. Uh I knew if if I was gonna pray, I needed I needed to be with other people who were praying at specific times. So I love our prayer schedule. We have a lot of prayer built into the day. Some of it's communal prayer, like with the Mass, some of it's private prayer, but uh I need it. Uh I want it, even when I don't feel like it. Which is Well, we need it also.

SPEAKER_05 26:56

Yeah, exactly, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 26:57

But the second thing is is community. I I knew that I did not want to do this alone. I I I felt called to the priesthood, but I didn't want to be alone. Um uh and so I I I knew I wanted to live with with brothers, and that that's been really essential. Uh you you end up making friends with with people who uh kind of like sister said about retreats, like they're they're seeking God, they're they're hungry as well. Um it's and it's family life, it's difficult. You know, we're we're not a perfect family like that. I hope, right? Decent food. Most of the brothers can put it in the right. Depends on the things. Every once in a while when so-and-so is cooking, it's got to be. Um Yeah, I love that. And then after that comes the ministry, but we often talk about the ministry first, but for me it's the prayer and the fraternity, and then and then the stuff we do together to share that with God, with God's people, is is is a gift as well.

SPEAKER_05 27:51

And uh um you're getting to know the city of Patterson, right? In a few months or so. Uh what's it been like? Uh what's life like in uh is it uh is it Butler Street?

SPEAKER_01 28:00

Butler Street. We live in our Lady of Lords parish. Uh two thumbs up for Father Raimundo and that crew. Uh it's a great neighborhood. Um a lot of um immigrant families, uh a lot of poverty in the neighborhood. On Monday mornings, I think they distribute food, right? Yeah, you've you've joined us a couple times for the food handout. We probably have 60 to 100 families on Monday and then Thursday. So right now, two of our brothers and some volunteers are running what we call the friendship cafe. So just it's three hours on a Thursday. Our neighborhoods can come and get a hot meal. But more than that, it's a safe place. We're hanging out together. Exactly. Share life. Sometimes we're praying with them, sometimes we're just listening, talking, laughing. Um it's really a great time. Thank you. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 28:44

Uh the best thing about being a sister of Christian charity, uh maybe something about the charism in the community, and maybe personally something that you like most about uh being a sister of Christian charity.

SPEAKER_00 28:55

Um one I would say one of the best things about being a sister of Christian charity and being a sister is being under the same roof as the Blessed Sacrament. And when I go home to visit my family, now that I've been in religious life a good number of years, that it's oh, you feel a difference. Um it's such a gift to be able to wake up in the morning and go downstairs and pray in in Jesus' presence. And that really is one of those central parts of our spirituality as Sisters of Christian charity because um Blessed Mother Pauline, our foundress, had a very strong Eucharistic spirituality. When I first visited our mother house outside of the chapel, there was the a chalice in the host and the words of our foundress on the outside that said, The Blessed Sacrament is my life, my bliss. And when I first read those words, I I got goosebumps. I was like, oh my gosh, this is just so beautiful. And then I this is I want that too because the blessed sacrament is um trying to be my life, but is my bliss. And that idea of the Eucharistic spirituality is how we live our call as sisters of Christian charity, which the original German translation is sisters of Christ-like love. And in our charism study um back in the 1970s, they actually used the language that yes, we're sisters of Christian charity, but we're called to offer ourselves as um victims of love and selfless, wholehearted service to others, which, oh my gosh, victims of love, that's that's a huge call. Um we're striving. And that that idea that we're bringing God's love to all people, um, young, old, rich, poor, that's that's who we are as sisters of Christian charity. And when I was in high school um and I started learning about one, their Eucharistic spirituality, and two, how our characterism is bringing God's love to other people, that just spoke to my heart.

SPEAKER_05 31:02

Yep. Thanks, your sister. Father John, OFM, right? Order of Friars Minor.

SPEAKER_02 31:06

Order of Friars Minor. And I think that kind of says it all. Uh just to echo what uh Father Isaac said, the best and worst thing about being a friar minor are the other friars. Is the fraternity. Um I mean, at its best, we love each other and support each other. When I'm down, someone lifts me up and vice versa. It's a wonderful community. Um, at its worst, it challenges us. I think to be the best people we can be. I often think, you know, the sacrament of marriage is a husband and wife is meant to help each other grow in holiness, not just through the joys, but also the sorrows and the conflicts. Uh, and I really find that in friar life. It's that fraternal aspect that's in our name, it really is who we are, and it's how we are to relate to one another. Uh, you know, St. Francis said that we should relate not only to other friars and religious, but to all of God's creation as brother and sister. We are all interconnected, we are all in relationship with one another. So uh for me that's the most uh really is the most joyful and the most challenging part of the life, kind of all rolled into one.

SPEAKER_05 32:07

Thank you, Father John. Um I want to give you a chance if there's something I haven't asked that you want to share or uh something else that you want to share, feel free to do so. But maybe as we do that, I'll also ask maybe a closing question, and Father John uh and everyone in some ways have referenced it, but uh um so I like the phrase uh vocations come from families, right? So I think for many of us uh uh it's eventually when people would ask me about you know where my vocation came from, or how it's my parents' faith, you know, that that they shared with my sister and brother and I. Um and uh um and I think of their parents than the faith that they received in Ireland, right? And um, so um maybe um a word to parents or grandparents or families, uh, how families can encourage and promote and uh their uh sons, daughters, grandchildren, nieces and nephews to be open to the possibility or or uh if God is calling them. And maybe one way of sharing that is how did your family react uh when you first told them that uh that you uh that you were thinking of entering religious life um or the seminary or um community life, um, that you may have a vocation uh and and and maybe also if uh what how how you might still be connected to your to your family um in uh currently. Um uh Father John and I have a a few uh family members in common. My sister-in-law is uh uh Tara is uh connected with with Father John. So uh um the importance of family and family promoting vocations and and your own family's reaction to your vocation, Father John, maybe you could start as well.

SPEAKER_02 33:43

Sure. Um I I think families are essential in promoting vocations. I think the two images that the one strongest memory I have of my father is that every morning before he got up, he would pray, and every evening before he went to bed, he would pray. Like I would walk past his bedroom and just see him on his knees. And that just left such a deep, deep impression on me. Meanwhile, my mother uh would be running up and down helping all the neighbors on the block. Um, you know, there was a woman who needed help a few doors down, she was always bringing kitchen soup, chicken soup, and doing all of these kind of things. And I you know, I often I didn't realize Mary and I didn't realize it at the time, but I that really laid the foundation for me that you know life is both deeply rooted in prayer and deeply rooted in service uh to your neighbor. So I think that their example, more than anything they ever said, they they uh my parents also were born in Ireland very poor coming here. Uh so they both wanted us just to do better than they did. That was their only stipulation. And to have health insurance. That was my mother's people. So it's not a bit of health insurance, um, they were fine. So, you know, I took uh the long road uh to my vocation, and when you know I finally told my parents I'm thinking about joining a friend, you know, a Franciscan community, I wanted to be a priest. Only then did my mother say, I knew it. I knew it. She's like, I knew you had it in you, but I didn't want to pressure you either way. Yeah. So I think that was um uh for me ideal, that they laid the groundwork, but then let God find me and let me find the community that was best for me.

SPEAKER_01 35:17

Wonderful, wonderful.

SPEAKER_05 35:18

Father Isaac, and then maybe sister can bring us home.

SPEAKER_01 35:21

Yeah, uh I I really think my parents did a great job because they they consistently let us know that priesthood and religious life was a a possibility. Were you many brothers and sisters? Yeah, and the oldest of six, so three and three. So priesthood or becoming a religious sister is not only a possibility, it's a beautiful way of life. But if God's calling you, never felt pushed. Uh and when the call came, it was I think there was some congratulations, but also just kind of like shrugging their shoulders, like if that's what God wants, then and I I really thought my parents uh did a good job. So just promoting it by uh and they had healthy relationships with priests and religious, so I saw that. I had a little bit of exposure. So I just I saw it as, as far as Catholics go, a little bit normal, not normal according to the world, but um and yeah, so they were they've they've been nothing but supportive. That's great.

SPEAKER_00 36:18

When I first uh opened up and said, hey, I'm thinking about being you know, being a sister, my family had mixed reactions. Um and part of it was I think misunderstandings of what the vocation is and misunderstandings as far as like or fears, too, legitimate fears like I had. Am I actually gonna be happy? Um, how often am I gonna be able to see my family? Uh those kinds of things. And even just the the different changes that had to make. I remember one time being told I don't think you'll be be happy as a sister because you like jewelry and pretty close to each other. Yeah, that's true, but then I found out I love Jesus more. Um so just do you have brothers and sisters? I do, I have an older sister. Um and then so that's I guess the advice I would give or encouragement to families that if any siblings or parents are having their own misunderstandings or fears, um to find religious, find priests that they can talk to and get to get to know that it's not a matter of um your child being taken away and i it's a matter of this this is a gift that God is giving your child and God's gonna bless you, bless you as well.

SPEAKER_05 37:37

Right. It's natural for parents to want to have grandchildren, right? But if their uh daughter or son is a religious or a priest um or sister, um they can have thousands of spiritual grandchildren, right? They uh uh actually. So yeah, right. And uh um uh so um well I thank you uh very much for um um being with us today and uh maybe final word about uh the Jubilee of Hope and uh and our gathering there a couple of weeks ago. Sister Teresa Lee, our uh uh delegate for religious, uh did a great job with a lot of help. And uh uh it it was wonderful for me this as bishop to see so many uh communities represented and then afterwards to have a be able to share a meal together and hear about the work of the Passaic uh Women's Center there. Uh um so uh what your impression of the Jubilee year overall or and the and our gathering, uh we'll we'll close out with that one. We'll we'll add one more. That's okay.

SPEAKER_01 38:29

Really enjoyed uh that day. Um, you know, we're fellow religious in the diocese, but we don't spend a lot of time together. So that was the first day. Too busy, too much work. Exactly. I met Father John and and the friars for the first time, and so just just connecting because we do have so much in common, even though our communities and charisms are different. And Sister Teresa, I mean, what a dynamo, right? She just gets you excited about life. So but it was it was it was great to come together for that. And the Jubilee of Hope, who doesn't need more of that in their life? You know, I'm I I I'm really grateful for the Holy Father. I actually was saying that I get to go to Rome to celebrate at the end of July, and I'm I'm so excited. I love being Catholic. I I feel the hope. There's a lot of crazy stuff going on in the world and in the church, but it's also a great time to be alive. It's a great time to be consecrated. And um I'm grateful.

SPEAKER_00 39:20

That day was fantastic. It was and Sister Teresa Lee, I love seeing her running around with the apron on today. That was that was just so precious. Uh so yeah, that was a great day. And that we actually had sat at table, um the Sisters of Christian charities sat together, but there were two uh open spots and your friars came in and joined us. And that's so nice being able to share between communities and get to know one another. That's right. And uh yeah, Jubilee year of hope. My um my personal word of the year is promise. And I'm when I was praying about it, it when that came up, I thought, ooh, this is amazing because um how much is the word promise related to hope? Um so I'm glad to s I'm excited to see what God will do for you.

SPEAKER_05 40:04

God keeps God's promises, right? So we can hope in that, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 40:06

Exactly. I thought the uh Jubilee of Consecrated Life was wonderful. I think Sister Teresa needs to up her game running around 95% of the time. Um, she's really a gift to this diocese, I think. She really is uh is wonderful. And for me it was just great to see so many religious in one place. And you know, when I was thinking about how is religious life uh connected to hope, I thought, you know, the beauty about religious life is is men and women making a decision to live differently. You know, to not live according to the world's uh idea of uh making money and it's all about competition and it's all about who's on top. But entering religious life is entering a different kind of family, a hopeful family, um, a more egalitarian family. And just seeing so many men and women religious in the one room kind of filled me with that hope. To be there for others, to be there for others, and and it's not a zero-sum game. Like this we can share God's blessings and and God's goodness with everyone. So that that filled me with a great deal of hope.

SPEAKER_05 41:04

Well, thank you so much. This has been hopeful for me, and I'm sure it'll be encouraging for our listeners and viewers. So, Father Isaac, Sister Kiara. Sister Kiara Marie, and Father John, thank you very much for being with us and for who you are and for living your vocations. God bless you. Thank you, Bishop. Thank you very much. God bless. Thanks, sister. Thank you. Thanks, Father John.

SPEAKER_03 41:31

All right, so I'm back, Bishop. That was such a great interview. You did a really good job with them, uh a lot of richness and insight. Um yeah, really good job.

SPEAKER_05 41:41

And uh great um youthful spirit, uh, and uh um great to see the diversity, you know. One of the beauties of our church is that uh those different flavors of uh spirituality and uh service and uh vocation, and uh so um yeah, we're blessed here in our diocese with many different religious communities. Uh obviously that's just a small sample of um there's I got I gotta get the exact number, but uh I'd say we have well over 20 um different religious communities serving in our diocese. So we encourage everyone to pray for vocations, and uh as I mentioned, um we'll have a vocation retreat um the first weekend of September. Young men, um junior or senior high school and older college, older um if you're thinking about the possibility of priesthood, um you can come on a retreat uh Friday evening to Sunday at the beautiful Jesuit uh Loyola retreat house in Morristown. Uh and uh we can put up uh our vocations office, Father Ed Rama, our vocation director, or Father Charlie Lana, you can contact the vocation office if you're interested in the retreat. But uh check the show notes.

SPEAKER_03 42:48

Yeah, great, great. Okay, good. Well, and then before I let you go, uh what else is uh what else is is kicking? Are you what are you what are you reading? What are you listening to? Any recommendations you can give to our listeners or viewers?

SPEAKER_05 43:01

Uh I'm listening to a book uh about um the race to cross the Pacific and come back um uh the last of the explorers. It's uh I'll have to get you the name, but uh it's a good listen. Um so um uh I mentioned the column. Uh I got this book uh that I have to start now. Um that I thought was just a three-page poem, but it's a book by this poet Charles Peggy called uh Portals of the Mystery of Hope, I think. Portals of the Mystery of Hope. Uh didn't forget the title, but uh I'll let you know how that goes when I get started on it.

SPEAKER_03 43:36

Yeah, and check out the bishop's column he wrote about this poem, uh which is part of his retreat experience that he had recently. All right, well, thanks, Bishop. It's good to be back here. I missed it.

SPEAKER_05 43:47

We'll have another episode in two weeks, right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 43:51

All right. Well, thank you for joining us. Please subscribe, comment, and leave a positive rating. Get to know us better by following get get to know us better by following Beyond the Beacon on Facebook or Instagram. Email questions and podcast topic ideas to the bishop at to beyond at pattersondioces.org and discover our other podcasts, Coffee with Cupkey and the Paul Street Journal. See you next time.

SPEAKER_05 44:15

Thanks everybody. God bless. Have a great day.