SPEAKER_00 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, and with me is Bishop Kevin Sweeney. Bishop Kevin, how are you today? I'm good, Jay. How are you? Doing just fine. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 0:25

Sorry about your devils. Ah, thank you.

SPEAKER_00 0:28

Yeah. Yeah, it was there wasn't much of a chance, I guess. There were underdogs going in, but at least you got to the one game that they only win. One game they won. Yeah, double overtime. Yeah, thanks. Yeah, it was that was fun. I took my dad, who traditionally we would go to games years ago when I was in middle school. So that was nice. We got a nice photo there. And definitely enjoyable. Thanks for mentioning that. And what you're uh I mean this will come out, I guess, two weeks from today, but right now you're the feast of St.

SPEAKER_01 0:56

Joseph the Worker, May 1st, May Day, and uh the Knicks after the last game were saying May Day. Um they're up three to one. They lost this uh fifth game. Um so they're in Detroit tonight, and hopefully by the time you're seeing this, they'll be playing the Celtics um on or maybe have beaten the Celtics uh swept them by that, right? Four straight. So uh great time of year though, uh baseball, basketball playoffs, hockey playoffs, um golf. Uh lots of golf. So uh and in the church, um by the time this episode comes out, we might have a new Holy Father. Um uh the conclave on the seventh. Um we had Monsignor Gino and Monsignor Kopke on. You know, it didn't come up, I want to mention it because uh I've now I've heard this, we have to double check with Monsignor Kopke. But one prediction someone else had said that he made was um Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the um papal nuncio um here in the United States.

SPEAKER_00 1:54

The one who ruffled some feathers at some point.

SPEAKER_01 1:56

That's right. Um but he's uh also very respected. He's very respected, and um he's been um one bishop that took some time off from mental health, talked about how good um Archbishop Pierre at that time was for him. And uh he's just um he's a very good uh he would um originally from France he was uh nuncio in Mexico. Um and uh so if it ends up being him, I'm not taking the credit, it goes to Monsignor Kafki, but uh I wanted to get it on the record just I like that uh uh so we'll see. Um and I heard this morning they're talking about Cardinals predicting um so much for predictions, uh uh um a fairly brief conclave two to three days, which yeah they said I think the last two were which were shorter.

SPEAKER_00 2:44

Yeah, right. I was just in the inside the Vatican this morning. Like, well, two days, but that's longer than normal. It was twenty-four to seventy-thours the last two.

SPEAKER_01 2:51

Is there a cardinal in Alaska?

SPEAKER_02 2:53

No, we don't have. Just two bishops. My bishop over there in Fairbanks and Bishop in Ankarach. Right, right.

SPEAKER_01 2:58

Um there must be a couple of cardinals in Poland.

SPEAKER_02 3:01

Yeah, we have um right now one or two. Here's what I think about, yeah. So um yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:07

Um so um we'll say a prayer and uh uh we'll introduce Father Camille, um, who's great being with us. You'll uh see and hear about his uh ministry in these last months, so we're excited about that. And uh um beautiful time in the church, liturgical year between from Easter to Pentecost, um the coming of the Holy Spirit, and privileges bishop to in these days spend a lot of quality time with the Holy Spirit uh celebrating the sacrament of confirmation. So, but um certainly for the church, uh praying the Holy Spirit would guide the um the College of Cardinals. They'll be beginning the conclave on May 7th, and uh we also ask the Holy Spirit to guide um Father Camille and his ministry um with the people of Alaska as well. See some of the pictures uh behind us. Um let us uh take a moment to place ourselves in God's presence in prayer. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle them the fire of your love, send forth your spirit, and we shall be recreated. And thou shalt renew the face of the earth, O God, who has taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit. Grant us in that same spirit to be truly wise and always rejoice in your consolation through Christ our Lord. Amen. Our Lady Seed of Wisdom, Mother of the Church, pray for us, Saint Joseph the Worker, pray for us, all holy men and women in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

SPEAKER_00 4:40

Amen. So Father Camille Kishka is uh wrote an article about him not too long ago in February, so uh definitely check that out. But we're gonna hear it from him directly today. Uh so snowmobiling's mouth. Yes. So snowmobiling in the Alaska, Alaskan bush over frozen rivers, ice fishing with Eskimo friends, getting a lift to work in a boat. This might not seem like the life of a cleric, but for Father Camille Kishka, these things are part of his life as a missionary priest in Alaska. So we're gonna hear all about it.

SPEAKER_01 5:14

Um you served in two parishes in Chatham, right? St. Patrick's and Corpus Christi. Um and also um in Our Lady of the Lake in Sparta, right? So Alaska is about the same?

SPEAKER_02 5:27

No, Alaska is way different. Way different. Uh first of all, is such a huge territory, a huge diocese over there. In the state of Alaska, now we have only two dioceses, uh, my diocese of Fairbanks, and um below that, lower in the southern parts, there is Archdiocese of Anchorage Juneau, which was joined together from the two dioceses Anchorage and Juno in 2020. So there's only two dioceses right now, and my diocese covers a lot of the land, like from mids um mid-road between Anchorage and um Fairbanks, uh begins my diocese that goes way north and way west. We're actually ice surf in the west and southwest of Alaska right now.

SPEAKER_01 6:05

The west, so um out as far as the Pacific Ocean, I guess, right? Yes, exactly. Um and um is that we're near um Governor Pellin could look across and see Russia from isn't that um so I was close by because my ministry is uh a bit different.

SPEAKER_02 6:23

Uh I travel a lot. Uh I cover the places where uh I am sent by the diocese, and I have been to over 20 different churches um from I'm the moments.

SPEAKER_01 6:33

How many priests in the serving in your in the diocese?

SPEAKER_02 6:36

Right now there is a lot of them. That is why I can actually spend more time in the villages. Um so there's 25 priests right now. It used to be between 15, 18, maybe 20.

SPEAKER_01 6:45

Is it that some come for the summer? Or how has the number gone up recently?

SPEAKER_02 6:48

No, um so my diocese over there uh has some connections and contracts with um the diocese in Africa. Okay. We get usually African priests from there, um, Nigeria, Cameroon, Uganda, Zimbabwe. Oh yeah, and climate shock. Um just an example. Uh so for the last triduum and Easter Sunday, uh I was sent to minister to faithful in Mektavik. Uh it's a small village south southwest over there. And at my place where I was staying, which is a bit better than Merktavik in the physical conditions, there was sent um a priest from Uganda. That was his uh second time uh going to minister in the villages uh out of Fairbanks, which is a big city. And so he was totally not prepared uh for the climate. He had no even gloves of his head on his hands. Uh he was free frozen to death, like wow, you should see him, Bishop. Um like an icicle. But yeah, uh they need to learn, they need to adjust to that environment.

SPEAKER_01 7:45

Uh oh, I'm seeing a picture of a plane. Do you do you fly the plane yourself? No, I cannot.

SPEAKER_02 7:50

Uh we use commercial.

SPEAKER_01 7:52

There was a bishop who did, right? I think. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:54

Bishop Kanyeki. Uh he actually had his own uh pilot license and the planes. The diocese owned two planes in the past, and now this bishop, Bishop Stephen, wants also to buy a plane. Um, and he's looking for a priest who might be interested in doing the license. Uh that was don't go too quick. I can fly. Oh, that's right. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:12

I have my commercial single engine I can fly these cessnas that you're flying.

SPEAKER_02 8:16

Oh that's that's my village. This is my village, Katlik, where I mostly reside. And from there I fly to other places.

SPEAKER_01 8:22

Uh is that a big river going through it?

SPEAKER_02 8:24

It's not a big river. Um and I am uh from this place, from this village, it's about four miles to Bering Sea, uh, which goes to the Pacific Ocean over there.

SPEAKER_01 8:32

So the Bering Strait does go between Alaska and Russia, is that right? Um not greater geography, but uh myself.

SPEAKER_00 8:41

So I loved hearing um so before you wound wound your way very deliberately to to Alaska, you were using your vacation time to minister there. I thought that was such a testament to your attraction to Alaska as a place to potentially minister. And can you tell us a little bit about the evolution of how it came about that you wound up in in serving Alaska?

SPEAKER_02 9:02

Everything started when I was uh a teenager uh back there in Poland. Um I was finishing my high school and I felt a calling to become a priest. But at that moment, I was uh 18, 19, I was choosing uh different orders. I was not even thinking of becoming a diocesan priest. Uh but Father Chris from my home parish said that maybe I should become a priest first and then think of let's say uh going to some order, moving, transferring myself, or doing something with the mission.

SPEAKER_01 9:28

What religious communities did you look at at that time?

SPEAKER_02 9:30

Uh chameleons, because of my name.

SPEAKER_01 9:32

Um religious community, the chameleons.

SPEAKER_02 9:35

Yeah, it's from Camillos Delalis, he's the founder. Right, right. Yeah, chameleons. Um and different other orders, uh passionists um and other things. But yes, I ended up right.

SPEAKER_01 9:46

Your friend said become and you went to the seminary to be a Destin priest.

SPEAKER_02 9:50

Yes, and everything was okay, but after five years I got that um crisis of my faith. I was uh really thinking of what I want to do in my life. And um I dropped everything. I uh first asked uh for a parish assignment um uh to see how the parish assignment looks like. So I was uh I as a seminarian sent for just one year to the parish, and then I I said that's not for me actually. I need to discover more of life. Uh and I started to work. I just left um uh to the world, uh I rented an apartment in Warsaw and I went uh to work to earn for the living. But somehow I kept contact with my spiritual director, the confessor, the prefect, and the rector from the from the seminary, and they opened my eyes on things that I didn't see spiritually in my life and they need of for me to become a missionary priest. And that is why I started to look for other places in the world where I can be of help or of ministry to the people. Uh I was thinking of going to Africa to become a missionary, but I ended up here in the States uh because two of my friends got back from Chicago, that was 2014, I believe, and they told me that this is a missionary country here, that people need priests. We don't have enough of the priests here in the states. So I found out um that uh there there are some needs uh in our diocese. So I can't. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. But still that that was not enough for me. I was looking for something more. And in 2019, I got in touch with Bishop Chad Zielinski from Fairbanks, and he invited me just to come and to help out during my summertime, my vacation. When was that again? 2019, but the first time I went in 2020.

SPEAKER_01 12:05

Okay, and um you um you did had some seminary in Poland, and then uh who was the first connection with Patterson again?

SPEAKER_02 12:13

So uh when I got here, uh that was uh Father Hubert, who was the direction direction, uh director of vacations.

SPEAKER_01 12:20

Uh Did you go to Orchard Lake seminary? No, no, no.

SPEAKER_02 12:23

I finished my studies there in in Poland and I came here um with um.

SPEAKER_01 12:27

With your theology completed, right, right. And then uh were you were in a parish as a seminarian or deacon?

SPEAKER_02 12:33

Yes, I had I left in Bartimel's house um and studying English at the time. And I had to uh weekend assignments and summer assignments at St. Rose of Lima in East Hanover. Okay. And then uh after that deconnect ordination, I served uh in um uh Whipani, Our Lady of Mercy in Whipani.

SPEAKER_01 12:48

Okay, great. And then ordained in 2018 and assigned to St. Patrick's Patrick's in Chatham, right? Wather Bob Mitchell, right? Yes. Uh where you became a bit of a hockey fan, I understand. I don't know if you know that. Devils, let's go, devils, yeah. So uh um and then um okay, so then 2019 you made the first connection with the bishop from Alaska. How did that happen?

SPEAKER_02 13:12

Uh that was me actually. Uh I read an article uh at some religious website um how difficult it is uh for the priest over there to serve. Uh and I sent a letter just with like support, emotional support, like congratulations on your ministry, etc. And Bishop Chad sent me a nice letter back uh saying that uh if I can come and help maybe, yes, uh visit and serve at some churches. Um that they were in need of priests, um so I can come. And I decided maybe that's a wonderful idea. So in 2020, I'm offered my vacation time to go there and to serve. Uh and I really enjoyed that. And 2021 I did the same. 2022, 2022.

SPEAKER_01 13:51

How was things with COVID in Alaska when you were there?

SPEAKER_02 13:54

Uh yeah, I had to quarantine. Um, obviously, I had to wear my mask, and uh to go there and to minister, I had to be vaccinated also. Um so I did everything what was required.

SPEAKER_01 14:04

Um distancing probably wasn't a problem as much as the result of the space. And then um uh, you know, um uh kind of a new experience for me as bishop, although I was on the other side as a priest, um, that um that process of discernment, right, uh in terms of assignments and Bishop DeMarzio um in Brooklyn um was very open to priests uh having a conversation with him about maybe feeling called to some kind of special ministry or advanced studies or other things. He would ask guys to consider things. And so um, Father Camille, when you came and and said that uh you were uh thinking about the possibility of spending more than just your summer vacation there, um I I asked you to take some time and uh and and you did that, um, and I'm grateful for that. And uh and and but um maybe you can share a little bit about what was in your heart at that time, uh how you experienced that call to um in in in uh those of us from Ireland, um St. Patrick, he was a slave in Ireland, uh escaped, but he felt the God calling him and the people of Ireland calling him back to that land to serve there. Uh it sounds like you had a little similar experience.

SPEAKER_02 15:17

Yes, exactly, Bishop. And um so when I served in Sussex County, over there in Sparta or in Chatham, I saw many priests around me. And I had this um the the images that I saw over there in Alaska from my visits uh that there is not enough of the priests. There is one priest in the range, let's say, of 50 miles, 70 miles, 100 miles, maybe 200 miles. And the faithful there truly need priests. And um my heart was bleeding, um, honestly. I was like, gosh, I I am needed there. I just want to go there and to minister to that people. I want to serve them. Um I was pretty sure that uh I'm also needed here. I knew that I'm needed here, but uh I was like, maybe I can try. Maybe just I can try for one year, maybe two years. We will see how this will work. And therefore I went to you and we spoke about this.

SPEAKER_00 16:04

Is Bishop's your initial reaction like, no, we decrease here.

SPEAKER_01 16:07

We do, yes. And uh and uh prayerfully approached it. Right. And um as Father Camille's heart was bleeding, his bishop kept telling him, wait, wait, you know, not yet, right? Uh but uh I would, you know, he was persevered, and um, and uh uh you know, uh at one time in the conversation it was clear that you know you really were feeling this as a call. And um, and so um was it what you expected? What were some surprises? Um uh maybe a word about the faith of the people, because I think um we're blessed as priests to serve the people of God wherever that may be. And there's something common uh, you know, about the human experience, but obviously different in terms of the living conditions and and culture, and so maybe a little bit about the pe the people and also um some surprises that maybe you weren't expecting.

SPEAKER_02 16:57

Oh, Bishop, there is a lot to say. Um yes, definitely my approach has changed. Uh, my vision of a vision of uh physical ministry over there has changed a lot. So let's keep in mind that uh previously I was going during the summertime only for one month. One month only. Okay. And now I could spend all this time, all winter season over there. And I can say that it is very challenging, very difficult. And I see on the reaction of my body. Um we I mentioned that I lost 49 pounds in 10 months um by just ministering there, eating a different diet, um, a lot of the fish, um, even less meals many times. Yeah, here there is some food, but um as I do, let's say less less in ministry. Um I don't my body doesn't need also a lot of the food. Um nutritions. Uh but yes.

SPEAKER_01 17:45

They don't have the same restaurants they do in Chatham or Sparta.

SPEAKER_02 17:48

No, no. In my village, uh Catholic, there is not even one single restaurant.

SPEAKER_00 17:52

Um are you horseshoeing for exercise? No, no, no.

SPEAKER_01 17:56

Um something I was gonna ask about that. Um, December 21st, we call it the shortest day of the year. Um at that time of December, should I even bring it up? How how much light is there in the day?

SPEAKER_02 18:09

It was not at all. Um, Bishop, um for uh in general, in the shortest days, um over there in Kotlik, I was getting about three, maybe three and a half hours of sunlight uh if there was a sunny day. Mostly because of the harsh climate and um the coastal line over there, the winds uh and the circulation of the air. Um there was a lot of the clouds uh and snowfall and different things. So let's say in January, there were maybe three days, uh fully sunny days. Uh the rest of the month was.

SPEAKER_01 18:40

What time would sunrise and sunset be on those days?

SPEAKER_02 18:42

11 something in the morning, and would sit down um around two o'clock, let's say. Um yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:49

Three hours of light.

SPEAKER_02 18:50

Yeah, three hours of hours of light. And the rest was darkness, total darkness.

SPEAKER_01 18:54

The light shines in the darkness. You gotta keep that faith.

SPEAKER_02 18:57

Yeah. Um but I can tell you, Bishop, that um uh the body reacts. Um I did not expect so strong um reactions in my body also. I was pretty okay. However, uh like the longest uh I was in darkness, uh I knew that I'm going down with my mood. Uh so yeah, vitamins also doesn't have to be.

SPEAKER_01 19:17

But you're smiling there in front of the plane, so that was nice.

SPEAKER_00 19:20

And who's so you're meeting people, so there is uh an Eskimo who you befriended, who you fish with, you really told me. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:27

I have good good friends over there, and mostly when uh I go to the villages, uh I interact with the people. I don't spend my time only at the rectory. I try to go out um to introduce myself to those whom I don't know and they don't know me. And they're welcoming out. They are pretty welcome, yeah. Very welcoming people. Um and uh the pictures that uh we saw over there, uh that is my closest neighbor to the church in Kotlik, uh Francis and his wife Della. So uh Francis has his own, like many people over there, nets um that are below the ice, uh, and they uh get fish, yeah. Uh so they showed me how to actually fish and do ice fishing, and next year uh I will try to get my uh net below the ice, so I will get my own fish.

SPEAKER_00 20:09

Can you tell us uh the story about the funeral, the one funeral that you described to me in our phone interview, uh involving snowmobiles and uh a unique approach that that might shed some uh good detail on what that pastoral ministry is like for you?

SPEAKER_02 20:26

Yes, so in my village there is no roads and no cars uh due to the swampy area during summertime uh and total of freeze over there and out of the snow during uh winter times. So um because of that, uh people drive only with four-wheelers and snowmobiles. And when there is a funeral, uh we celebrate normally funeral over there. Um either that is a casket or um cremes urn. Um and after that we have to get to the cemetery, and the cemetery is about two miles, less than two miles, across the river. There is some more rivers than this, what we saw over there. So uh we go into the boats, or let's say, like during winter time, uh we just um go uh with a kind of sled and snowmobiling, and we drive on frozen river to the cemetery. Uh and then uh we do the burial service over there. Uh while people uh the evening before, the day before, um dug the hole in the frozen ground. This is this these are all like frozen ground, this is um these are like rocks because of the permafrost and the freeze over there. Uh they dug this with um hammer jacks. Yeah. Oh wow. They they dig that. Yeah. Um so it's very interesting. One time that was my um second or third funeral over there. We went actually with the boats. That was um about fall time or summertime, late summer. Uh and it happened that uh one of the gentlemen, the Eskimos, uh, stepped on the shore over there and started to wave his hands and scream a lot. And I was like, something is happening. I don't know what, but something is happening. And people told me that there is a moose about like 20, maybe 30 feet away from us was a moose with a calf. And in that situation, usually uh the mother moose attacks to protect the child, right? Uh but luckily the moose heard the engines of our boats and knew that there was more people. Uh so the calf ran away first to the bushes uh and then the mother um ran away. But uh it was kind of dangerous um to see that to interact with a moose in so close distance. Something that doesn't happen in New Jersey, right?

SPEAKER_01 22:28

I guess they're pretty big moose.

SPEAKER_02 22:29

Oh, oh yeah, they they are really big. They are really big, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:33

You mentioned something that doesn't happen in New Jersey. What can you give a uh maybe not a comparison, but anything comes. To mind like ministry in Alaska versus ministry in New Jersey?

SPEAKER_02 22:43

The first thing flying. I was not ready and expected actually to fly so uh often uh to get to the villages, um, to be with the people, to have so many flights. Uh, for example, there is another village that I go to, uh, Marktavik. Uh so to get there from my place, I have to take three planes. First, I need to get from Katlik to Immonak, from Immonak to Bethel, and from Bethel to Marktavik. Uh, there was only one time I could make this road this way uh at one time. Uh, usually I have to stop and sleep overnight in Bethel due to bad weather. The weather changes so rapidly and mostly is really windy and snowing and bad. Uh so I'm not able to make this during one trip. Uh, but yes, uh taking so many planes. Uh as for now, I can say that uh I have taken at least one plane a week. Sometimes I had three planes a week, sometimes four planes a week. Uh it depends on the turbulence. Uh actually I'm good, and the the small planes that I fly with, uh they are like for two, four, six, maybe ten people. Um they fly uh in low attitude. Uh usually it's uh eight hundred or uh uh above eight hundred feet, so it's not not really high. Uh the it it that I'm think well of them. However, there are some kind of vibrations and the stomach goes uh up and down.

SPEAKER_01 23:59

So is uh the uh uh is I presume there's some beautiful scenery, but I also presume a lot of times you're just seeing white snow covered wilderness, right?

SPEAKER_02 24:08

Um from November till now. I I left um uh last week, uh April 25th, uh 24th, uh from there. Uh so snow was everywhere. Uh that was the first sunny and kind of warm day was 35 degrees. Okay, yeah. So it was really warm day um for us over there. But yes, it's it's can I ask the coldest? Uh the guts the coldest I experienced during this uh winter was negative 35.

SPEAKER_01 24:34

Oh my god. Can you go outside?

SPEAKER_02 24:38

Uh people have to. But I was then in Fairbanks, and there is a huge difference between my coastal region and Fairbanks. Uh Fairbanks is usually uh windless, uh, there is no winds or barely some winds, and they get cold temperatures, like negative 4D uh and negative 45, negative 50, even sometimes.

SPEAKER_01 24:55

And so um the bishop has said you're pastorally responsible for these areas, uh a certain number of communities, is that right?

SPEAKER_02 25:03

Yes, for my parishes.

SPEAKER_01 25:04

Do you make your own schedule with them, or how do you figure about where you'll have Sunday Mass or where you'll go week to week?

SPEAKER_02 25:10

Or yeah, it is suggested for me to visit, let's say, Merktavik once a month, uh which I try to do, but sometimes due to really bad weather. And when what I mean bad weather is that no planes fly, let's say for one week. Uh so I can schedule my uh plane going to Mraktavik uh on someday, but then it turns out that I cannot because of the bad weather. Um so I have to postpone it.

SPEAKER_01 25:32

And then let's say I end up the whole month not going there because I couldn't due to um have you learned any about the history of Alaska, maybe especially in terms of has the faith been there for a long, long time, uh, or is it more recent? Uh uh do you know what percentage of the people would be Catholic?

SPEAKER_02 25:47

Or in my diocese, um that is so widespread over there in Alaska, we count about um twelve um thousand Catholics, uh which is not like a shocking number. However, they are really widespread in small communities over there. Um there's obviously less practicing uh Catholics, uh, but um and what about some of the indigenous or different cultures?

SPEAKER_01 26:10

You know, we hear the word Eskimo and we think of maybe a caricature or um what is the there is is that a native name? Is that um uh uh like I'm Irish, I'm Eskimo? There's that um uh uh is it a uh identification of a culture and um uh group uh uh uh indigenous community or yes exactly.

SPEAKER_02 26:31

So uh we have mostly uh Americans and the Fender nationalities in bigger cities uh in um Alaska that we anchorage the biggest city uh then uh Fairbanks and other smaller ones um around Alaska like Bethel, Nome, and Borough. But except that all the small villages um are mostly inhabited by uh the Eskimos.

SPEAKER_01 26:51

And the children and families would speak their indigenous language, is that right? Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_02 26:55

So this is what we see right now. Uh this I took the pictures at the school in Merktavik over there. And what um surprised me is that how young children talk in Yuktun in their own native language, Yupik language, uh, among themselves. Something that I sometimes don't see in different other villages. Uh, there is a huge difference um among the tribes over there and and the villages. Uh but yes, uh in that place, uh they just they are so fluent. Uh and uh quick example my uh Easter Sunday uh celebration over there. Um so I celebrated Mass obviously in English, uh we sang the Our Father, we sang some songs in Yuktun, and then there were announcements. Um, so people were announcing in Yuktun. So I was just standing just passively just listening to this. Have you learned a little Yukto? No, it's difficult. It's such a difficult language.

SPEAKER_01 27:40

So they um they pray the Our Father, obviously, and the prayers of the Mass. Yes, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:45

Um but yes, there are other uh also ethnic groups, there are uh different tribes. So we uh I minister to Yupik people over there in Southwest. Uh there is also Athabascan, um Athabascan tribes.

SPEAKER_01 27:56

Uh would they be all would all of them be Eskimo or is it Eskimo?

SPEAKER_02 27:59

Indigenous people, yeah, commonly known as Eskimos.

SPEAKER_01 28:02

Um that's a a name that came from Alaska, which honestly I have no idea, to be honest with uh many different indigenous um uh groups, huh?

SPEAKER_02 28:14

And there is also uh visible differences among them. Uh so that was uh oh the uh I can recall the story from Nome, uh St. Joseph Church in Nome when I had the funeral of uh one local also, native people, native person. Um and uh at some moment during the celebration of that funeral, I realized that I was the only one white person uh in the church. Everybody was uh native, and uh some women and some no women had some marks on their faces, tattoos with the lines, dots, uh different marks, uh which I asked what that is after the funeral. And they told me that these are the life experiences. Um if something happens, let's say somebody dies, they can do a sign on their face. If let's say the child is born, if let's say um some some person um receives some uh I don't know um life experience, let's say shuts uh his first moose or does something. Um so yeah, they can do some. No, no, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 29:12

Have you you've done some fishing? Have you done some hunting?

SPEAKER_02 29:14

Yeah, not yet with hunting, and I'm not so big into that uh because I see also that it's uh pretty like a bit dangerous uh because we go to the total w wilderness, okay? And there are also links um over there, wolves and other bears, and it's not so easy to go there and to hunt. Uh we have to be prepared.

SPEAKER_00 29:33

Alaska, okay.

SPEAKER_02 29:34

Yeah, we have to be prepared first to protect ourselves and then to possibly hunt.

unknown 29:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:39

What about serving the people? You mentioned when we spoke a couple times just that you're able to um appreciate uh your your ministry in a way because you see parishioners they're they they're not having daily mass for sure. They're lucky if they have mass once a week, right? So there is this need in your answering this, and and uh that brings you joy, right? And can you talk about that?

SPEAKER_02 30:02

So yes, as I said, that it's very physically difficult. Uh it brings me so much joy and fulfill fulfillment, and I'm just realizing my vocation over there in the best way I can. Uh so that's that's positive. So I go to minister to people who normally don't see priests, like Mriktavik. The first time I went there, um I was I celebrated mass after at least six months of uh the time that they didn't have mass. There was no mass at all for six months. They had no mass. Some of them, as they used to live in Newtok, uh which was relocated to Mraktavik, um, had mass. And I went also uh in October to Newtok to celebrate Mass for them, but I was not in Merktavik, that is uh seven to eight miles um across the river from Newtok. Uh and so when I went there and people came, that was so rewarding. So blessed time for me as a priest to do this for them. You should see their faces, their eyes, how they were happy to see a to receive the Eucharist. Exactly. Wow, incredible feeling. But at the same time, like logically, I was thinking that's a huge disappointment for them that they don't have the access to a priest, to the church over there. Like, what can we do to change that? What can what can we uh you know how we can benefit those people in different ways?

SPEAKER_01 31:20

But yes, my ministry to them is I feel for the bishop it's a big responsibility for him, right? And uh it sounds like he's um doing what he can, and uh that the number has recently gone up with the priest coming from Africa. Um, do you see him? Uh have you had a uh good contact with him? And uh I'm sure he's appreciative. I know he expressed to me how appreciative they are that you're there.

SPEAKER_02 31:42

Yeah. So yes, uh Bishop uh over there is wonderful and he truly understands the needs of the people and the situation in the diocese.

SPEAKER_01 31:48

Where is he from originally?

SPEAKER_02 31:49

Uh from uh Washington State. Okay, right. Um, and he used to be the pastor uh in Anchorage uh at this old cathedral church over there. Uh so he knows Alaska more or less. Uh he has some experiences of of uh living in Alaska.

SPEAKER_01 32:03

He's fairly recently been appointed as bishop, right?

SPEAKER_02 32:05

Yeah, two years ago was ordained as bishop, almost two years ago. And um yeah, so uh I have contact uh with him, um not maybe very much regular, but uh yes, uh we see each other during some events. That will be even priestly days in Ferris.

SPEAKER_01 32:20

Because you're doing one part of the diocese, which is big, he's got even more territory to cover, right?

SPEAKER_02 32:25

Yeah, yeah. And he came actually to visit me over there in Kotlik in my region. He visited uh Immonak, Alakanak and Kotlik uh at one time, and he came on snowmobile from Imonak. Uh so Father Stan led him on the trail.

SPEAKER_01 32:38

How long might someone go on a snowmobile? Would they be could they travel a couple of hours?

SPEAKER_02 32:43

Yes. So uh the distance of 70 miles from over 70 miles uh from Imonak to Kotlik to my place. Um it's usually to be made in like two hours, over two hours uh maybe.

SPEAKER_01 32:54

But what would a snowmobile get up to if you were in good conditions?

SPEAKER_02 32:57

They can speed a lot. If there is really good um snow, uh snow trail, okay, uh over 100 miles per hour. Yeah. They can go, they can go so quick. No speed limit.

SPEAKER_01 33:07

Well, I see on the picture that's up there, um, there are times when there isn't snow, huh?

SPEAKER_02 33:11

Yeah, right. Uh I was there, that was uh the end of um August. Uh and I took this picture, not to show the church actually, but the uh four-wheelers. So as uh people come to our churches for masses uh with cars, okay, and they leave their cars on the parking lots. Uh that was shocking for me to.

SPEAKER_01 33:31

Yeah, there's the one-right truck there, but everybody else is coming in uh four-wheelers.

SPEAKER_02 33:37

That's something and uh during winter time obviously they come with snowmobiles. Um so yeah. But this is so unique, this different reality of the living, something that I I did not expect.

SPEAKER_01 33:49

You know, uh John Paul II, Second Vatican Council, other there's been a whole missionary sense of the the church that we're you're a priest is ordained for a diocese, but he's ordained for the whole church. And a diocese and St. John Paul II um in the new evangelization would talk about those tr dioces and churches in the first world, so-called, trying to help and share their resources, and that's a mutual sharing. Um, so um uh you know, your going there um uh also connects our our diocese uh to there in in your ministry. Um your parishioners from Chatham from Sparta, they're learning uh you I'm sure they're they're they've been supportive of you and uh and are are are um hearing your stories as well, right? So that that gives them some perspective on the the larger church.

SPEAKER_02 34:36

Yes, yes, definitely. And I I want to say, as you're watching that, big thank you to all of the parishioners and friends uh from Sparta and Chatham for all of your prayers uh and also the packages that sometimes I get from you. I need to mention that. Yes, there was one bigger package that I got from Chatham from the parishioners. It was so nice to read the letters and to receive some warm clothes like thermal clothes, uh blankets. Uh I use them. I really use them over there.

SPEAKER_01 35:02

Your priest friends as well, I'm sure, right? Or can also support them. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, so thank you so much for all of that.

SPEAKER_00 35:07

What does the future hold for you?

SPEAKER_02 35:09

So, um, with the permission of uh Bishop Kevin, I plan to return to Alaska and to serve um a bit for longer, but um eventually uh I will try to also be back here and to help with uh our needs in our diocese uh because I realize that uh we need priests here. And there is a good situation over there right now uh that um the diocese brings priests from Africa, from all over the world, and there is also like priests from Vietnam, uh other places from Poland and Africa. But yes, recently they they get more priests over there, and they have 25 priests, which is the highest number for years that I recall even. They used to have like 15, 18, maybe 20 priests, now there is 25. Vocation explosion. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So they don't uh they don't need this. I'm thinking we should get you to go to some of our high schools as well and share uh with our students some of um your your ministry and uh and the beautiful pictures uh um there is something that I want to actually uh say maybe to our young priests, especially I I would get a chance, maybe I will speak with Father Charlie from uh Vocation's office about discouragement. Because many priests um uh really quickly leave Alaska in that ministry due to darkness, isolation, different diet, uh, flying, and different other problems, okay? And um I try I I meditated on this discouragement, and in that uh case it's way bigger than we see here. However, let's say ministering here uh as priests, we can have difficult relationships with our pastors, with some parishioners, financial problems, different things here that can discourage us. But with discouragement is that um as we are going to type this uh in English dictionary, there is disaffection and dispiritedness. So disaffection causes us that we feel less attracted to our ministry, to this what we are doing, to um to celebrating sacraments, to being priests, and then comes dispiritedness. That the spirit of our vocation just goes down, it's just destroyed in us, and many times we just burn out so quickly in the world.

SPEAKER_01 37:02

That light of the of the of the Holy Spirit that's part of our ministry that we need to protect that flame. It might go down at times, but we hope that uh and that's um it's an opportunity to persevere as well, right? And uh and ask for the Lord's help to um those moments are gonna come wherever it is, right? Um but um certain spots uh it's it's it's emphasized or highlighted uh uh the the challenge. Um but thank God you've been able to, I'm sure your spiritual life and uh um spiritual director and prayer and the faith of the people um uh um uh helps you in those those times, right?

SPEAKER_02 37:38

Oh, definitely, Bishop. And there are moments uh during that stormy nights uh and difficult times that I prayed even about 10, 12 hours per day. Well because obviously I couldn't do anything else and not even go outside with those strong winds and snowfall. St.

SPEAKER_01 37:52

Therese wanted to be a missionary and she's patroness of missionaries. She never left the convent, right? She uh uh her life of prayer. Uh your most of your family is in Poland, right? Yes. I guess they've heard your stories as well, right? And uh how do they feel about you taking this step?

SPEAKER_02 38:07

Uh they they are not in favor of me going there back and uh going there in general, uh so they don't like this idea. Um but yeah, that's that's my vocation. Uh I I know that they are uh afraid of me, uh of my life. Uh concern for you. Yeah. Um so uh it's it's difficult to minister there uh physically, but yeah. My parents are okay. I call them from time to time. I text with my brother, I see that everything is okay, I send them pictures so they know that I'm safe, uh, but they they don't like this idea.

SPEAKER_00 38:35

And you have some time back in the state uh back in the I guess the lower 48.

SPEAKER_02 38:40

Lower 48, yes.

SPEAKER_01 38:44

Um for a month or so and you're saying you're feel gonna feel like you're gonna recharge the batteries, right? Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 38:50

Uh so as a missionary priest, I am able to take 40 days off, uh which is a bit different from normally working ministering here uh in Lower 48. Lower 48, this is the term that I have learned over there. Uh so uh these 40 days I'm going to spend at my friend's parish uh where I will help out with the masses, um, sacraments and everything, which is more for my mental benefit. I see. I I need that. I need the this uh normal vision of the church and ministering in the in the church that we know.

SPEAKER_00 39:16

Well, good. Well, we're so glad you took some time to to hang out with us and and share all of this with us and our listeners and viewers. We're gonna be praying for you and and uh anything else, Bishop?

SPEAKER_01 39:28

Uh just again to thank Father Camille um for yes being here today, but um your generous spirit um in in responding to the to the Lord's call that you've discerned, and uh we are looking forward to having you back here uh full time. But uh I really believe that it's um uh important that we be that universal church and where we can help another part of the church, um, especially where um the contact with the priest and the sacraments is um is so needed um that you're able to do that. Um thank you and we'll be praying for you and uh and uh we look forward to hearing uh from you again and um uh and and and you'll you'll be very much in our prayers. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_00 40:11

Keep those photos and videos coming.

SPEAKER_01 40:14

Uh do you do any uh stuff on social media that people want to follow you? No, I don't have anything like that. Well we can share some stuff, right? Cecile will help us with uh uh you maybe we give you a maybe a monthly report or something like that. We could uh uh awesome.

SPEAKER_00 40:29

Okay, well, why don't we wrap up? Okay, well thanks again, and 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_01 40:54

Thank you, everybody. God bless you.