SPEAKER_03 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. Jay Agnish with me is Bishop Kevin Sweeney, and Cecile Pagliarulu is joining us today. Good morning to you both.

SPEAKER_01 0:27

Hello, hello.

SPEAKER_03 0:28

Good morning, Jay. So how how are you, Bishop? What uh what's cooking for you? There's some I'm sorry to hear that your your team did not advance in the March Mass.

SPEAKER_05 0:38

So uh I want to say to any uh viewer who uh maybe watched my uh NCAA picks on uh social media, uh you can you might notice that I left my red sweater at home today. Um Wow. What a disappointment.

SPEAKER_02 0:58

Um the uh if you if you I mean did they really have a shot or is it was it?

SPEAKER_05 1:07

I mean they um their best two players, um one only played 60 minutes because he was in foul trouble. Uh and the Seton Hall fans might take some consolation in that because that was the guy that played wonderfully for Seton Hall. And um now that um sabotages St.

SPEAKER_03 1:28

John's.

SPEAKER_05 1:29

Well, no, yeah, I mean I don't know, no. Um boy, you see, um these guys have been playing since they were kids, most of them, and uh, you know, now they're in their late teens or early twenties, um uh but still human beings and they can have a bad day. And their the other player, this guy RJ Lewis, just he was three for eighteen. He the coach sat him for the last five minutes, he's been their most clutch player, and uh it was just a very um my brother and nephew went uh to the game in Providence and uh I texted him afterwards saying how disappointed uh how disappointing. But he was good. He replied, he said, yeah, but it was still a good experience. So I mean that's uh that's sport. Yeah, yeah, it's um uh but uh um maybe fans can get overconfident sometimes. Uh and that adds to the disappointment. But I guess um as someone said, uh we move on in in New York as a sports town or maybe the tri-state area.

SPEAKER_03 2:30

Um uh yeah, I was just thinking there's some there's another big team you get to root for now, uh championship caliber team.

SPEAKER_05 2:39

Absolutely. Opening day on Thursday. Um so um uh so uh life goes on and uh hopefully um St. John's will build on what they did this year and come back strong next year. Um more importantly, uh such great news yesterday to see our holy father Pope Francis um coming out of the hospital and smiling and waving. And um uh Pilgrims of Hope, uh, you know, the Jubilee year, and uh he's certainly an example of that. I had mass confirmation at St. Jude's in Bud Lake yesterday, and um I had my first experience of um the troubles on Route 80. Oh, the sinkhole.

SPEAKER_01 3:28

Oh no.

SPEAKER_05 3:28

Which has expanded apparently to both to both sides of the highway. Right. I read or uh something like that, yeah. So how long were you waiting? Uh well I was I was shared with the people I was left a little bit later than I wanted, but my GPS said I'd be there around eleven forty-two, I think, for 12 o'clock mass, no problem. Yeah. And as I'm driving out Route 80, it it told me to take get get off at the exit from Mount Hope. Okay. Um so I said Route 80 is leading people to Mount Hope in the year of Hope and Jubilee of Hope, the pilgrims of hope. It's just fine. So uh always fine.

SPEAKER_03 4:02

The most positive guy that you know.

SPEAKER_05 4:04

Well, uh, all of a sudden the GPS leads me down a road that is blocked off with a gate. Uh I think it was Picatinny Arsenal.

SPEAKER_02 4:13

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_05 4:14

And I figured, well, all right, I'll go in the GPS. Um in that time I was saying 11 47. Um the GPS saying make a U-turn, make a U-turn. Uh I just kept going. And then it said you'll be there at 12 13. Oh.

SPEAKER_00 4:30

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_05 4:35

Well, I made a U-turn and went back in the other direction. It led me apparently to Route 15 and made a turn there. And uh I got there around 1157 or 15. So we just made it. Um but um patience and uh um I was listening to the Haloap as I was driving and actually had the rosary on, and right around the time I was making the U-turn, uh it came to the Holy Queen, uh life, our sweetness, and our hope. Um so um I said Mary helped me to get to her on time and uh so um and you she did.

SPEAKER_03 5:13

Well good, and then uh uh what you know do you want to open up in prayer before we get too far?

SPEAKER_05 5:19

Sure. I hope everybody's been following thanks to Cecile and Jay uh Patterson Hope 40 on our social media that each day we're praying the Jubilee prayers.

SPEAKER_03 5:30

Mostly you guys, but thank you.

SPEAKER_05 5:32

So as we begin our time together today, let us place ourselves in God's presence, name of the Father and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. We pray for the whole church. We continue to pray for our Holy Father. We pray for blessings in this Jubilee year, and we pray especially for the church here in our diocese of Patterson as we pray the Jubilee prayer. Father in heaven, may the Son Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity and kindle in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

SPEAKER_04 6:02

Reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your kingdom. May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the deeds of the gospel. May those deeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the pure expectation of a new earth, a new heaven and a new earth.

SPEAKER_05 6:21

When with the powers of evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally. May the grace of the jubilee reawaken in us, pilgrims of hope, yearning for the treasures of heaven.

SPEAKER_04 6:34

May the same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth to you, our God, eternally, eternally blessed, be glory and praise forever. Amen.

SPEAKER_05 6:45

Our Lady, Mother of the Church, our Lady of Hope, pray for us. Amen.

SPEAKER_00 6:52

You would think I would finally memorize this post in the videos. I'm still not there yet.

SPEAKER_05 6:58

The Jubilee prayer is a little journey in itself, right? Because there's some multi-syllable uh SAT words in there, and it's not uh the quickest prayer, but I think that's a good thing because it's saying take it slow.

SPEAKER_00 7:09

Um Right, that's a good way to put it. But I vowed during the end of lunch. I will have to do it.

SPEAKER_03 7:16

Well, it's it's been such a cool project. You know what?

SPEAKER_00 7:18

Yes, I would have to say.

SPEAKER_03 7:19

It was a great idea, Bishop, and I have to admit I was a little like, whoa, we're gonna do this every day.

SPEAKER_05 7:24

And uh it's we're doing 40 instead of three hundreds again.

SPEAKER_03 7:28

But it's it's such a great way. We're like, right? So people are getting to know the different f folks within our diocese from schools to different ministries. And is there a favorite one, Cecilia?

SPEAKER_00 7:39

I mean, I definitely have to give a shout out to the high schools. At first they seem like, oh, what's going on? And then they're the one their schools, when they're posted, they're getting the most views, and I think that's a testament to our youth on Instagram that they are following, and I think that's important that that connects them with the church in a way that is relatable to them. So I think that's wonderful to see. Um I was skeptical, I was like, uh, no one's gonna watch this, but their videos are the ones getting the views and the thousands.

SPEAKER_05 8:08

And we'll have hopefully a few more tomorrow. Oh, yes, at the recording on March, Monday, March 24th. Tomorrow, the feast of the Annunciation, somewhat could coincidental, but um it worked out that uh out of the gatherings we've had with our seven high schools, our three diocin high schools, DePaul, Morris Catholic, and Pope John, with the four schools run by religious communities, um St. Elizabeth Academy, the Academy of St. Elizabeth Confensation, Del Barton, uh Villa Walsh, and uh Mary Help of Christians. Um they the seven schools have come together, send eight or ten students with their chaperones the last two years for a uh a conference or gathering. Last year we both years actually, we did some of the synodal uh listening uh conversations in the spirit. Uh but out of those gatherings, um uh the challenge for our young people today in terms of the understanding and living of chastity is uh we know um a real challenge. And uh so we're having a day tomorrow on um the call to to chastity, and uh so we'll um maybe do a few more uh Jubilee prayers.

SPEAKER_00 9:14

I think with today the theme is actually the great uh no greater love or a greater love. And I think that's important.

SPEAKER_01 9:20

Right.

SPEAKER_00 9:20

That it's theme that instead of just calling it a day of chastity. I think young people have to realize that they have value no matter who they are and and that God created them and they're perfect, they're beautiful, right, right. As is.

SPEAKER_05 9:32

Right, right. And we're called and created for love, right? So um yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 9:37

Awesome. Well, good, keep up the great work, both of you. Um all right, so today's episode where we're it's gonna be a mail mailbag episode. It's the first one we've been talking about.

SPEAKER_00 9:45

Do you get a lot of the old snail mail? Does that still exist?

SPEAKER_03 9:48

I get a lot of mail. There you go. Emails and uh regular mails. I I get some too now and again. Um but yeah, mostly mostly email nowadays. But uh but now messages come in through social media, direct messages, and so we've compiled the two of us um some questions for you, Bishop. And this is gonna be a a kind of ask the bishop episode. Um Cecile has uh called some questions from through social media, and then I actually um reached out to our seminarians. Thank you to our um the Father Charlie and Father Father Ed Rama for uh assisting. Uh we have a couple questions from some seminarians for you.

SPEAKER_05 10:28

And to mention Father Ed and Father Charlie, we had a great vocation retreat two weeks ago, uh discernment retreat, with about 20 young men uh discerning their call. So uh at uh Loyola Retreat House in Morristown and our seminarians were a great help as they are with our Project Andrews and our vocation effort. So I'll be happy to hear some of their questions.

SPEAKER_03 10:49

So do you want how do you want to you want to kick it off with with one of theirs or we can? Okay. All right. So um one of our seminarians, Jean Baptiste, uh sent a few questions in. He one of his first question is how has the episcopy uh changed the way you interact with the priests?

SPEAKER_05 11:11

Uh that's a good question. Episcopacy, right? Becoming a bishop uh so um yeah, the relationship is a little different. Um uh and one thing I would say is and seminarians um uh uh living a celibate life, um, you know, friendships are very important and uh as with um other vocations, um others who are kind of going through the same things uh can be a good source of uh both consolation and encouragement and conversations. So um I you know I have priest friends that I've had since the time in the seminary, um Brooklyn and Queens and Rockville Center. Uh and so uh other than not being able to get as get get together as often, I wouldn't say the episcopacy has changed those relationships. Um coming here to Patterson with our priests, um there's a different relationship than if I would have just, you know, maybe been reassigned here or family moved or some reason I came to serve as a priest in the diocese. Um as the bishop uh Bishop DeMarzo used to talk about, and there's a document um of the church uh that um on the episcopies on the episcopacy, uh easy for us to say, uh, um, that talks about um the bishop being um uh a father, a brother, and a friend to his priests. Um Bishop Demarzo used to say, that's asking a lot, you know, that that uh but Bishop De Marzo used to say that um he was a father to the younger priests, uh a brother to um the priest um his um around his age contemporaries, and um a friend um with the older priests. Um or maybe it was vice versa, but uh uh but you know, and and and there's something to that, uh just in terms of um the my relationship would be a little different with guys in their first years of ordination than um than with guys who are more contemporaries. Uh-huh. And then I have I look towards our retired senior priests who have been really great um, you know, giving me guidance. So um so yeah, it's um it's it's it's it's different. Uh-huh. As bishop to the priest of the diocese, um, in terms of the priest friends I've had um before that, uh other than again just being a little further away geographically, uh um it hasn't changed that relationship all that much.

SPEAKER_03 13:43

Yeah. And you're you're a humble man, so I I don't see that being more humbled after St.

SPEAKER_05 13:49

John's lost.

SPEAKER_00 13:51

Um That's a that's a nice way to put it. I I'm talking about the father.

SPEAKER_05 13:58

Brother and friend.

SPEAKER_00 13:59

Yeah, I think that's a very nice way to put it.

SPEAKER_05 14:01

Yes, yes. Um we got one for social media?

SPEAKER_00 14:05

Sure. And this is from someone, the user, Matthew.n.a. What would you say is critical for the Catholic Church to flourish in the next 50 years?

SPEAKER_05 14:17

Um easy question. Uh well, speaking of our retired priest, I just sent a note um to a priest who's gonna be celebrating his 50th anniversary this year. And uh and so uh those who are celebrating 25 or 50 years um this year, um it means that every time the they have a an anniversary, the church is celebrating a Jubilee year. So um this priest would have been ordained in the ju and the class will be celebrating at our Jubilee as we annually do, um, those celebrating anniversaries. Uh this priest um uh was ordained in 1975 and now he's celebrating 50 years in another Jubilee year. Uh so uh you look at how the church, you know, has changed in the last 50 years and you think, okay, what's it gonna be like in the 50 years to come? Uh um a a couple of things. Uh repeat the question if you would.

SPEAKER_00 15:08

What would you say is critical for the Catholic Church to flourish in the next 50 years?

SPEAKER_05 15:13

Um I think unity is is very important. Um we've um as part of the Jubilee, we've had uh in the last two Sundays Christian uh uh round tables on Christian unity. Uh uh last Sunday um or a week ago in in uh Passe County yesterday in Morris County and Our Lady of the Valley in Wayne and um yesterday St. Peter's in Parsipony and Monsignor George Hunt and Monsignor Ray Kupke um have gathered um uh ministers from different and and parishioners from different Christian denominations within the counties uh to come together for conversation and prayer and uh uh listening. Um and uh it's been a great, great experience. Uh yeah. And uh we need unity within the church. Um there's a a few prayers in the in the Mass that um we ask the Lord to keep us united. Uh and certainly as we've seen the um uh prayers for Pope Francis, we see that unity. But um and and somebody recently said uh unity is not necessarily unanimity. Actually, I um I'm listening to and reading uh Pope Francis's autobiography, which is excellent, and uh he made a comment about that. Um so um, you know, we even think about um how people see for Pope Francis, and some have been, you know, very inspired and excited and uh by his um leadership and you know his calling for the Synod on Synodality, and um yet others are maybe not so happy about some of his decisions or um or or um directions. Uh and uh, you know, as we say it's a big church and and there's gonna be um uh d different opinions, you know, but uh but that we realize that we have to remain as the one holy Catholic Apostolic Church, that we have to work at that unity. Um and then um, you know, being at these gatherings, uh uh if we could get our act together as Christians, that um and and the beautiful thing in this Jubilee year, coincidentally or providentially, um you know, different e the Orthodox different denominations have different dates for Easter. Uh we can't um that's a hard thing to and a couple of holy fathers have been, I think uh Pope Benedict, Pope John Paul II work towards can we all celebrate Easter on the same day? And that hasn't happened yet because of the different calendars that are used. But this year, uh all Christians are celebrating Easter on the same day. Um so um um maybe that'll help us to um be a little bit more unified uh and work towards that unity as Christians. Um so uh one more time, uh what was the the keep the church or what would you say is critical for the Catholic Church to flourish in the next 50 years? So critical for our flourishing um certainly would be our unity, our working together. Um our our care for the poor um uh has to be um uh who we are. Um and then um uh I would say vocations, um, but not only vocations to priesthood and consecrated life, but um holy marriages, uh that that vocation is so important, and those living the single life. Um that awareness that um again in his um autobiography, Pope Francis talks about being asked about is there time for a Vatican III? You know, do we need another um Vatican? He said, no, we haven't, we're just starting to implement, even 60 years later, um the Second Vatican Council, and a big part of the Second Vatican Council was that universal call to holiness. Um we're gonna have two some canonizations coming up, Carlo Acudis, I think Divine Mercy Sunday, the Sunday after Easter. Uh Pier Giorgio Fersati, um I think a young adult. And uh so um um I think Sister Claire, who I've mentioned, uh uh you know, is a good example, uh, her cause for canonization, Sister Claire Crockett. Um so uh an awareness of that call to holiness um uh is is something that we need to cultivate and and that will help the church to I think flourish. Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00 19:25

I am always that big proponent on youth ministries. I think that's a big key to helping the church.

SPEAKER_05 19:32

Not only the future church, but the present church is all right.

SPEAKER_00 19:34

Well that's a quote. I think it was actually attributed to Pope John Paul. He he said that youth aren't the church of the future, they are the church of the present. I mean, I know for me, I consider myself that John Paul generation because of the advent of World Youth Day.

SPEAKER_05 19:49

Yes, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00 19:50

That's what made me active because there's this holy man that empowered me to be a member of the church.

SPEAKER_05 19:56

Right, as I shared the um experience of the Eucharistic Congress last year, I think so much so much of the leadership um uh for that uh being such a great blessing were those who were young adults or youth or youth um in 1992 in Denver, and you know it's we're seeing the fruits of that. Oh wow, yeah. Um so uh um yes, uh we gotta keep up and Korea, right, is uh next world youth. So we'll be getting information soon about um the next World Youth Day.

SPEAKER_00 20:23

Funny, I'm doing the math, how old my daughter will be, but she's not teenage.

SPEAKER_03 20:27

The one after that, uh Godwin Maybe, yeah, yeah. And you'll be leading a trip, I believe.

SPEAKER_00 20:33

To Korea, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 20:34

To Bishop, if I'm not mistaken, or yes, God willing, yes, yes, yes, yes. And we'll we'll publicize that soon. Yeah, yeah. Um, so we have some sports questions, both of us, but let's maybe we'll save let's save some of those for um here's another one from uh Jean Jean Baptiste. Uh what is your favorite book of the Bible to study? Oh that's a good one. Oh.

SPEAKER_05 20:56

Um we didn't get I didn't I missed that on the when uh we looked at them before, but uh I would say um it's uh uh book one and book two of uh Luke's gospel. The second part is the Acts of the Apostles. Um I've always been a fan of um the Acts of the Apostles, uh which we read during the Easter season. I'm I'm actually reading it right now. Yeah, it's fine. And uh and um you know it's attributed to the author of Luke and there's similarities and um Luke's gospel, which we're reading this year in year C, um, is um focus on the poor, they you know, um the beauty of the four tellings of the same um life, death, resurrection of Jesus um uh uh in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. So I would say, you know, any of the gospels um is uh would we would have a pride of place in a sense. Um but um if I think I had to pick one because of its connection to the Acts of the Apostles, but also um some of the best parables, the Good Samaritan, uh the prodigal son, they're there in Luke and the um

SPEAKER_03 22:00

Follow-up question, favorite parable? Or one that stands out. We just had it was the fig tree right from this weekend.

SPEAKER_05 22:07

Right, right. I'd have to give that a little bit more thought. But um prodigal son and good Samaritan, you know, right over there certainly.

SPEAKER_03 22:18

I'm I'm reading Acts now, and I noticed somewhere like chapter 15, it pivots, and I guess Luke begins speaking in first person. I didn't even realize that the last time I read it. It's third person, like you know, Paul does this and Peter does that. And we went to when I go to Europe.

SPEAKER_05 22:37

Right, right, right. Um also uh this week, um opening day of baseball, uh Thursday the 27th. Also um the caring basket gala for um Assumption College for Sisters with three wonder or four wonderful uh uh honorees, Monsignor Gino, Silva, the rector of our cathedral and a great supporter of Assumption College, um uh Steve and Christy Goulart, um great benefactors of the diocese and supporters of the college, and Rod Donnelly, um Donnelly Construction. Uh so looking forward to that Thursday evening and um and on Friday, I believe, uh The Chosen comes out in theaters. Uh so um I was this the last season? No, this is season five out of seven, yeah. But um uh this is Holy Week. I think it brings us from uh uh Palm Sunday to um the Last Supper, um which is uh we'll uh I'm looking forward to Which is like now or approaching Holy Week.

SPEAKER_03 23:40

So see, oh what uh what else do you have?

SPEAKER_00 23:42

Sure. How can you bring how can you bring the community to have stronger faith?

SPEAKER_05 23:48

One more time.

SPEAKER_00 23:49

How can you bring the community? The community to have stronger faith.

SPEAKER_05 24:36

Uh so um actually the apostles, the community of believers, uh Jesus calls us into community in life together, walking the journey together, pilgrims of hope. Um and that calling to be part of God's family, the church, um, the community of believers, for so many of us um uh is lived out um in the parish, um the experience of parish life in so many ways the parish is the heart of the church. Um and um so uh and I've said it, you know, like each of us is unrepeatable, unique, you know, unique, we're all different, um, every family is different, every parish is different. Uh but um uh you know parishes right now are welcoming uh new members who are gonna receive the sacraments to talk about the church growing next 50 years, we have to keep welcoming new members. Um so um uh in terms of the question uh how the making the community stronger is that uh yes, that's how they word it. Uh be involved in your parish, I would say. Um uh and you might try and struggle and uh persevere, hang in there. Um go to Daily Mass again can be a great way to help that. Um but um you know, volunteer, show up at a Bible study. Uh we have a Bible study going on here in St. Philip's this morning. Uh so um uh but if we want um our our community of faith to be stronger, um being active and and and part of parish life, I think is important. Yeah, yeah. I'd have to agree with that. And and and uh centered on the Eucharist. That's where Yes, right.

SPEAKER_00 26:30

I I have to agree with that too. I think it's oftentimes people go to join a church community expecting to be entertained, unfortunately. And I think that they have to realize that you're if you go to church, you're it's something meaningful. And uh I think we have to get it. Right. You have to get out that we have to get out that mind frame where we're we're we're thinking that the churches to entertain us are uh There's uh um one of my favorite movies is Field of Dreams talking about baseball season coming up.

SPEAKER_05 27:00

Oh, it's good. There's a great scene between Kevin Costner and um James Earl Jones um where um uh Darth Reader He says um uh it sounds like you're saying what's in it for me, and then uh I um uh and then Ray ends up saying uh Ray is the character, Kevin Costner. Well, I'm saying what's in it for me? Um we sometimes can have that attitude going to church, what's in it for me? What am I gonna get out of it? Well, uh how about what can I put into it? What can I give, you know? Um so right, um we're not there to be entertained, we're there to respond to the Lord's call. Um and and I I would argue that if we go with that attitude, then um not so much that we'll be entertained, but uh we'll be lifted up, you know, it'll it'll it'll um it'll give us life and and uh God is never outdone in generosity. So if we're there with the attitude, how can I serve? I'm here because the Lord calls me to be here and uh I'm ready to help out as I can, well then you're gonna find yourself um receiving a lot of blessings.

SPEAKER_03 28:02

Awesome. Okay. So have another seminarian who uh thank you, Brian Riley, for sending in a couple questions. So one that's kind of related. So what was one thing about Patterson and New Jersey that you were not expecting or aware of until becoming bishop?

SPEAKER_00 28:23

Uh were we even on your radar?

SPEAKER_05 28:29

Um So I one of the priests uh wrote me a note who had spent some time in Brooklyn and uh he talked a little bit about the diocese in New Jersey, and he said um something about not being able to get good pizza. Um and I've always been a big pizza fan, and there's great pizza in Brooklyn and Queens, and so I was a little nervous, I have to say. Uh but I have to say um uh I'm not gonna say one's better than the other, but uh there's a lot of good pizza in New Jersey. I'm very grateful for that. Um yes, uh and then um uh again early on in the after the announcement before I arrived, somebody said that um our diocese, Passaic, Morris, and Sussex counties, Passaic is urban, Morris is suburban, and Sussex is rural. Um so um I've said uh living in the bishop's residence in Patterson, East Patterson, um both the city of Patterson and City of Passaic, um there's a lot of similarities to Brooklyn and Queens. So that I would say didn't take a whole lot of getting used to. But um uh Morris reminds me of places a little bit of Long Island where I went to the seminary in Huntington and then um Sussex uh is beautiful. And um uh uh and I would like to be able to spend more time there even um but um but that's something I'm not as familiar with uh uh being a city kid, I guess.

SPEAKER_03 30:01

It's like uh being on the golf course, a lot of a lot of green. Yeah, exactly. That's um yes.

SPEAKER_05 30:06

There's much as I love the city, getting out on the golf course is uh a very a very um welcome uh opportunity. So yes, and there's some beautiful golf courses. Um I haven't played this I know there's some here in Passaic County, but in Morris and and and Sussex, um there's some wonderful um golf courses that I've been looking forward to getting out there pretty soon.

SPEAKER_03 30:26

Just gotta watch out for those sinkholes. Cecil, anything else from social media?

SPEAKER_00 30:32

Are we doing our sports question now, or am I gonna go on something else?

SPEAKER_03 30:36

What do you think, Bishop? Sports? Whatever, whatever.

SPEAKER_00 30:39

Okay, so you've been on a couple of trips. This is just based on our our um your social media. You've been to World Utah in Lisbon, you went to Lourdes with the Order of Malta, you've been you did a mission trip to Mexico, and you've been in Indianapolis a couple times, one for probably a couple times. And the Eucharist of Congress. So uh as Bishop, what has been your favorite trip? This is like a lightning round.

SPEAKER_05 31:04

Uh all of those trips um uh were uh you know um gratitude is important. I often say the confirmation it's so important to be grateful, and um, you know, uh the opportunities to visit those places and meet those people and see the church um uh um in different places and expressions uh you know has been a a great blessing. Um uh I guess uh World Youth Day in Lisbon and the Eucharistic Congress um uh w uh so were large events and you saw the so much of the church coming together and um Lisbon we got to go to Fatima as well. So uh yeah um for a long time I wanted to go to both Fatima and Lourdes and had never had the opportunity, and as it turned out, I got to Fatima one year and Lourdes the next year. So um again, a lot to be grateful for. And uh and uh uh to make me put in a little plug for pilgrimage. You know, um you don't have to cross the ocean uh in this year of um uh Jubilee, uh you can get an indulgence and take a little pilgrimage uh to one of our holy sites. Um if you get diverted off Route 80 and uh go to take the Mount Hope, uh you can find St. Bernard's St. Bernard's Church, make a visit there, um, and then the other um pilgrimage sites, uh St. James in Montague, um St. Luke's in Long Valley, uh the shrine of St. Joseph in Sterling and our cathedral in Patterson. Um uh take a little pilgrimage or I know some parishes are planning things, so um, but the experience of pilgrimage is long tradition in our spiritual tradition and an opportunity to um um spend some time in a different setting and uh walking the journey together with others if you can, sometimes alone with the Lord. Um but um uh thank you for bringing up those trips uh because they're good memories and uh and certainly a connection with with the Jubilee year.

SPEAKER_03 33:11

So there's a follow-up, so these I mean these are huge landmark locations and holy sites you've been to where there's you know large impressive cathedrals and are you do you um do you have a preference like being in a large cathedral, a beautiful cathedral maybe in Rome, versus a small parish, a little quieter setting?

SPEAKER_05 33:39

Yeah, um uh as Catholics both and rather than either or. So kind of set you up for that. Right, yeah. Uh but um uh I had the opportunity to be at St. Patrick's Cathedral um a week ago on St. Patrick's Day for the Mass before um the parade. And uh that was real, you know, wonderful privilege. I had a cousin from Ireland and one of the auxiliary bishops in in New York uh was able to help us out with tickets. So um a couple of cousins were there and um uh yeah, it was good. So um um uh yeah um the again the beauty of the church, uh we had four people at mass this morning here in the chancery a little less than usual, but uh where three or four or two or three are gathered in the Lord is present. So um um uh and the mass is always a privilege to celebrate the mass.

SPEAKER_03 34:32

So um we have another one from Brian Riley. So what was one thing that you do as what is one thing that you do as a bishop that brings you joy in ways you were not expecting when you first became bishop?

SPEAKER_05 34:51

Uh certainly celebrating confirmation. Uh I don't know um if I w if I was expecting anything I was never expecting to get the call that I got. Uh-huh. So uh I don't know how much um in terms of what I was expecting, or uh it was just really taking things a day at a time, thanking Bishop Saratelli, Bishop DiMarzio and others for uh some advice along the way. Um but um uh you know, and maybe because of the way things worked out in 2020 and coming out of the lockdown um uh after being ordained as a bishop on July 1st, as I mentioned before, ordaining five men to the priesthood on um on uh um August 1st, a week later, a month later. Okay. And then three weeks after that, I think 14 men to the permanent diaconate. Um uh it's the bishop who ordains deacons and priests, and uh when you talk about joy, uh that's a great um moment.

SPEAKER_03 35:53

It's a nice way to enter the episcopacy.

SPEAKER_05 35:56

Uh thank God for um good masters of ceremonies. Uh uh Father Stephen Prisk and now uh Father Jared Rogan and some others uh um helped to make sure we're on the right page in the book, you know.

SPEAKER_03 36:09

So nice.

SPEAKER_05 36:11

All right.

SPEAKER_03 36:12

Well uh Cecile, what else you got already?

SPEAKER_00 36:14

I guess we'll go with this sports question. At first, when I got this question, I was like I was like, what is he talking about? Uh you could tell. I have no no uh idea what this question was about. Then I realized, oh, it might be uh golf related. So 179 yards away from the green. Should I use my sandwich or pitching wedge?

SPEAKER_05 36:37

Speaking of priest friends. Father Peter Rader, the pastor of American martyrs in uh in Queens um uh and uh night right near Douglason. Uh uh so Father Peter uh Is he is he a golf buddy? He is, yes, yes, yes. Uh I I think he wouldn't need a sandwich or a pitching watch. He could just putt, because he's uh he's that good. So uh 179 yards out. Um uh I might I would probably need a five wood, but uh um but uh uh um so um thank you for that Father Peter for that uh uh question. And uh again I'm looking forward to getting out there uh swing the club. Warmer weather and can be.

SPEAKER_00 37:21

I I guess golf season is some since it's an outdoor sport, it happens uh during the Yeah, it's uh you can see the grass is getting green.

SPEAKER_05 37:29

Um the the ground is throwing out, um, so um it's uh it's getting there and it's warming up and um I did see Catholic charities.

SPEAKER_00 37:37

I don't know if you're attending their annual uh golf. The wagon farm. I hope so.

SPEAKER_05 37:42

I'm not sure if it's uh it might be in uh San Diego for the USCCB meeting this year, but uh there's a few coming up.

SPEAKER_01 37:48

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 37:48

Nice, yeah. And a disc golf, which I play year-round, let me tell you, Bishop. I get out there in the cold too. But um All right. Another sports question. So did you follow this is from Jean Baptiste seminarian, did you follow Ireland in the Six Nations Championship? And if so, what do you think of the result? I don't even know what sports are.

SPEAKER_05 38:11

I I uh um uh I had heard that the this I think rugby, I think, okay match was happening from Father Patty O'Donovan, one of our priests Risley from Ireland when Ireland lost to France a couple of weeks ago. But um now he saw that they beat Italy, which is uh a nice thing. Um and uh but I'm not sure if it's over. I looked at the standings uh and Ireland was in third place, I think behind England and someone else.

SPEAKER_03 38:41

So um, so short answer would be no. Then you didn't.

SPEAKER_05 38:44

Am I following everyone? No, no. Um but uh um I would certainly root for Ireland. Um What about cricket?

SPEAKER_03 38:56

Crickets? Cricket, okay. Uh your your baseball is your is your main sport, football obviously you love, and and golf, march madness, and basketball.

SPEAKER_05 39:08

I've got to get their act together.

SPEAKER_03 39:12

Okay, well uh what do you think you got anything else?

SPEAKER_05 39:17

I uh plugging again a few things. Uh the Halo app um Lent Pray 40, it's not too late. Wow, this guy from Japan, Tagashi Nagai, who wrote Song for Nagasaki, became a convert, beautiful story that they're focusing on, along with um Blessed Jose Maria Scrivas the Way. Um, and um they just do a great job. And um Bishop Michael Burbage uh um his Walk Humbly podcast, uh excellent episode. Um hard to believe it's the in Arlington, Virginia, um the 25th anniversary of um Theology on Tap. Have you heard of the first one? Oh yes, yeah, when I was a young adult.

SPEAKER_00 39:57

That was a big thing.

SPEAKER_05 39:58

There was a time in Brooklyn and um uh who knows, maybe they'll come back here in Patterson. It was like a Father John.

SPEAKER_03 40:05

St. Paul and Tether Walls?

SPEAKER_05 40:06

I'm sure they did. I don't know if they do. They have pub nights, I think, now. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 40:10

But it probably was like an offshoot of Theology on Tap.

SPEAKER_05 40:13

So and our friends at Jesuitical, um last episode they had a priest um from work, canon lawyer from the tribunal in the our side of Chicago talking about indulgences. So if you're uh still working on figuring out indulgences, um uh check out the latest uh episode of Jesuitical.

SPEAKER_03 40:33

It might be a forever in life thing, trying to figure that one out. Okay. Well, all right, we got your got your recommendations there. All right, so I I think we're ready to wrap then. Um well, I hope you have a blessed week.

SPEAKER_05 40:48

Thanks. Um this might come out at the end of the week, right? Yeah, well, we could have Thursday. Well, if it's before the weekend, um we have uh another Christian Unity round table in a Lady of the Lake in Sparta and Sussex County. So uh if you haven't been to one, uh come out and join us uh next Sunday.

SPEAKER_03 41:08

Um and uh Yeah, I went to the first one. It was definitely inspiring and definitely recommended. And uh put it in the show notes.

SPEAKER_05 41:14

Mentioning Youth Ministry, John Camarata. I think they did three confirmation retreats um and the this past Saturday was at uh St. Bond. So we have a we did the Jubilee prayer, so we'll send that John will send it to you so we can see the young people pray in the Jubilee prayer. Um and they would had probably sixty or seventy young people at the confirmation retreat.

SPEAKER_00 41:34

Yes, confirmation season begun. Oh yeah, right.

SPEAKER_05 41:36

Well and um it's getting it's it's beginning. And uh I had three this past weekend, yeah, yeah. So um um Our Lady of Lords in Patterson and uh um St. Gerard Magellan in Patterson on Saturday, and then my pilgrimage to Bulk Budwick. Uh uh I've gotta be watching out anything west of uh Wharton. Uh uh we'll have to check carefully the GPS.

SPEAKER_03 42:01

Get you a helicopter, I guess. Uh all right, no, we're not gonna get him a helicopter. All right, well, that'll do it for this episode, and uh we'll see you in a couple weeks. Um thank you 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. Discover our other podcasts, Coffee with Cupkey and the Paul Street Journal. See you next time.

SPEAKER_05 42:32

And if you didn't, if your question didn't get answered, we had a lot of questions, so we'll uh get try to get back to them. And if uh you want to send in more questions, uh please do, and uh we'll we can do episodes like this from time to time, or we can do a question or two, you know, in uh an episode. So uh feel free to send in those questions. Thanks everybody. Continue to have a wonderful Lent and enjoy opening day.