SPEAKER_00 0:08

Welcome to Beyond the Queen 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 Agnes with me is Bishop Kevin Sweeney. Bishop, how are you? I'm good, Jay.

SPEAKER_02 0:24

How are you doing?

SPEAKER_00 0:25

Doing I'm doing well. Thanks. I if I can, I just want to say today's my wedding anniversary. And you had a birthday.

SPEAKER_02 0:31

Yeah. When was your birthday?

SPEAKER_00 0:33

Uh November 6th, so last week. Thank you. So, Annette, happy anniversary to you. The love of my life. Um, so you just got back from Baltimore. Welcome back. Thank you. And you were down there for the fall meeting of the United States bishops. These are very important gatherings. They don't happen that often during the year, and a lot was happening there, including the election of a new U.S. C C B president and vice president, and the issuance of a rare special message regarding the bishop's concern for the evolving situation affecting immigrants in the United States. Something I know that's been weighing on your heart and mind, something you've written about and done a video about recently. Tell us more.

SPEAKER_02 1:13

So um you said uh a reporter had reached out to ask about uh the statement that was released yesterday on the feast of um I do have your statement here. Say Mother Cabrini. That's okay. Uh just uh to I when I thought about it, I uh you know reflected um as a son of immigrants and as an American who loves our country and is so grateful as we look forward to Thanksgiving. Um and uh most importantly as a Catholic and a Christian um to be there and to have been part of the process, even you know, just one of two hundred and I think forty or so with the retired, I think there were about two hundred and twenty or so vote that voted. Um the retired can vote in this. No, no, the retired don't vote. They don't vote, okay. Right, right. But um um you know, they gave us a draft of a statement on on Tuesday morning, and um we started with a morning of prayer on Monday morning, and um then um we break into regions um at one point each time we meet. Uh so that's the bishops of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and and I think I don't know, there's like 15 regions, you know, dip geographically throughout the United States, and uh they asked each region as a group to review the statement, the draft, uh, and offer some comments. There were four bishops that were on the writing team, I believe. I hope I get it right. Bishop Richard Henning, who was the Long Island guy, we went to the same seminary, and he's now the Archbishop of Boston. Um Bishop uh Michael Burbage, I'm a big fan of his walk humbly podcast, uh, and uh I think Bishop Daniel Flores, who's now the vice president, and uh Bishop Mark Seites, who's the chairman, um, and they received back uh I think I heard 150 suggestions or uh uh you know there was some conversation on Tuesday, I think an executive session where um talking about too many cooks in the kitchen there.

SPEAKER_00 3:18

I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 3:18

Well, um you know, uh it's also an experience of of communion, you know, of of prayer together and uh listening and um and I think um you know certain uh education and experience and um leadership and uh how they um took those suggestions and yeah I mean the first draft was there was a lot of good in it. You know, the message was kind of there, but um to add some more scripture and um to nuance it and um you know to try to say that um yes, we're concerned um uh sadly about some of what's happened in our country over the last you know 10, 11 months. And um but also at one point to say we oppose um the way that some are being treated and um the lack of due process and people who are here legally using their or in a le a process to uh regularize their legal status, you know, all of a sudden now even being deported.

SPEAKER_00 4:22

Um uh uh separated a a family separ that was separated in your column a couple of weeks ago.

SPEAKER_02 4:29

It's something that it's real. It's um again, when people have been here 20, 25, 30 years have raised children, the children went to our our schools and are now giving back, and those people have been working and paying taxes very often. And you know, nobody's over those 20 th plus years uh said, well, uh you have to leave because you're not quote unquote legal. Um they've been part of parishes, they've been um you know serving uh some uh you know uh children that their children serve in the military. And and now what's been their home for 20, 30 years and where they raise their children and grandchildren, now they're afraid that they could be thrown out of and um uh we we uh no you know the the administration, our government, uh the there's this clear emphasis, you know, canon law uh nations have a right and a responsibility to have secure borders, yes, and and and it's nobody's saying that this is simple, but but we need to treat one another with with dignity and um and and again it it was used a number of times as pastors we're saying this because w we're reflecting what we're hearing from those that we serve on a daily basis, those that are priests and and and and and parish and catholic charities and other ministries, we we're hearing from our people of how afraid they are and what's been happening, and um, you know, not only that some of those we see a lot in the media, um, but it's maybe more those one-on-one people that you've known over all these years, and you're saying this is not, I mean, I love, love, love this country. Um, and I think at times, you know, no country's gonna be perfect, and um the church isn't perfect. Uh, but um when something is is clearly against what what the scriptures teach us, what God asks, what the church teaches, we, and against the dignity of the human person, yeah, we have a responsibility to to uh to raise our voice and uh and um and it was a privilege to be to be part of that process as a son of immigrants, as a proud, you know, proud American, loves our our country, and um, but also as a as a disciple, as a Catholic and a Christian, that now as a bishop to say um you know who knows what who's gonna listen to it or you know whether it's gonna have an impact, but uh we felt you know it needed to be said.

SPEAKER_00 6:52

So um, so why now? And it's great to see uh so many people voted in favor.

SPEAKER_02 6:57

There were only 98 percent, yes, yes. Um you know um I think there were five who voted against it. And who knows, you know, they're following their conscience. I um so um I think a few abstained, but uh uh over well over two hundred Yeah, two hundred and sixteen in favor, five against three up. Yeah, so um uh Leo as it is. And if you follow the the the bishops in of the United States, we don't always see um but the report it's great. Uh towards the end of the conversation, um uh a a young recently ordained bishop um who came with his family as uh uh as a kid from Mexico and uh he spoke as an immigrant um uh how how much he felt supported by his now brother bishops um and how important this would be for his family and his community um to feel that and hear that support. Um you know, and that um it was the day before and the day of uh the feast of Mother Cabrini. Uh I think that could be more than a coincidence. Um, you know, the first American citizen came here as an immigrant, um, and and she became a naturalized citizen. So we have that um long tradition of um people get here in different ways. Uh it it I think it's it's too simple to say some came the right way and some you know uh came illegally. Um it's not that simple. Um it's it's not uh uh again and people, you know, and and and look at the Lexeite, uh the the Pope Leo's recent teaching and the long teaching of the church from the from the going back to the Old Testament, welcome the stranger, uh people when they come fleeing for their lives, um, you know, uh desperate um uh and and and uh leaving their homes so that they can come here and work and send money back to care for their family who's starving. You know, we have to um look at this with um uh uh our hearts and our heads and and say that we can, yes, support uh uh the the the the the the moral responsibilities that that our elected leaders have. Um yes, we we want to be good uh uh St. Thomas More. Um I'm I'm the king's good servant, but I'm God's first. But uh, you know, we believe and we we're called to be faithful citizens, the salt of the earth and light of the world. That means being part of the the the public discourse and and voting, and uh and so um, but also sometimes, you know, look at the civil rights movement, uh other uh um uh going back to slavery, you know, when uh there have been laws that have been unjust, there have been uh interpretation of laws or um, you know, uh that that have not respected human dignity, and and um we have responsibility to to raise our voices when when the when innocent people are suffering. And I think that's the case here. Um I don't know, we're not talking about intentions, but but hardworking, um uh law-abiding, um uh taxpaying um members of our community um, you know, are are suffering unnecessarily.

SPEAKER_00 10:05

Yeah. Well wow, Bishop, thank you for that inspiring uh those inspiring words and it's uh and for your leadership in this area. Um Okay, so should we move on to other aspects of the And uh encourage you to you know read the full statement, it's not long.

SPEAKER_02 11:00

Yes, um we'll have links show notes. Uh and pray for us, you know, um and pray for our president and our elected leaders. Um we're happy that the government has been reopened and uh um I was glad that I was able to drive to Baltimore and back. There were some that were uh taking uh flying and and nervous about you know uh delays and cancellations, so please that'll work be worked out.

SPEAKER_00 11:25

What else was the uh experience? How else what was the experience like for you in in other ways? I know there's fraternal dialogues. Who do you who'd you sit with this time?

SPEAKER_02 11:33

Uh uh our neighbors from Pennsylvania. Well, actually, our neighbor uh Bishop O'Connell from Trenton and uh Bishop Bambera, who's the Bishop of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Bishop Al Slert, who's the Bishop of Allentown, so at a nice table, and a bishop from California, Brennan, Bishop Brennan, one of the newer bishops from California. So but also um uh we voted uh Bishop Andrew Cousins, the Bishop of Crookston, had picked up the baton from Bishop Barron on the Eucharistic revival and the Eucharistic Congress and the processions, and uh uh very happy that we're uh um the summer before last was the wonderful Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. That uh was the 10th National Eucharistic Congress. The ninth National Eucharistic Congress had been in 1925, so we had a long gap. Uh and uh so uh the 11th Eucharistic Congress will be in 2029. Uh so I was glad that there was again over 80 percent, I think, voted in favor of that. So um God bless them. They do great work and and we can see the fruits of the Eucharistic revival and and and signs of hope uh as we're coming towards the end of this Jubilee year of hope. We still remain as as pilgrims of hope, uh faith, hope, and love. St. Paul tells us those those are with us always until the end.

SPEAKER_00 12:48

So uh um so uh maybe a good time to plug our closing mass for the the Jubilee year of the Jubilee, that's on December 28th, right? Yes. Cathedral.

SPEAKER_02 12:57

The Sunday between Christmas and New Year's not the uh easiest time to come to a mass on three o'clock on a Sunday, but uh we have great numbers for the opening, and hopefully we'll have great numbers uh to come and close the Jubilee uh Sunday, uh December 28th. Um uh we don't want time to go too fast. Thanksgiving's around the corner and Advent and Christmas, but um but uh yes, we'll have that closing mess on uh on on Sunday, December 28th at the St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Patterson.

SPEAKER_00 13:28

And so uh back to the to the meeting. So um I think the I know that Bishop Barron was among the candidates to potentially become uh I I mean that was the odds on favorite, I I think you'd have to say from the article I I read.

SPEAKER_02 13:46

Um, you know, I um Bishop Coakley, um Archbishop Coakley has been serving as a secretary that maybe not everyone knew. And um uh there has been, I think, not always, but uh somewhat of a tradition or custom that um the one who served as vice president will become the next president. But Archbishop Laurie of Baltimore was serving as the vice president, and there's an age rule that if you're gonna be 75 in the course of the term that um then you're ineligible. So um so in some ways Archbishop Coakley was you could we could say he was the next in line, and um, you know, uh um I think those who have been part of the conference um uh longer than I have, um, you know, um uh I'm sure know Archbishop Coakley well. And obviously there's a lot of confidence in his leadership.

SPEAKER_00 14:36

Yeah, so he's the new president, and then you mentioned Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville is the new vice president.

SPEAKER_02 14:41

And I think uh Bishop Flores led us through the Senate process, and um um That's where I know the name. Okay. Yes, uh um and he's um a great servant of the Latino community as well. And um um uh I my dealings with limited, but um I I've uh I know maybe this Bishop Flores a little bit better than Bisho Archbishop Coakley, but I'm happy that both of them have been picked and uh I'm sure they'll do a great job.

SPEAKER_00 15:07

Well we won't tell them you voted for someone else, but you're bearing. You know, I'm curious, like so often when the media discusses the election of a new USCCB president, the conversation's often about, you know, which candidate's more conservative or more left-leaning. There's some assumption, rightly or wrongly, that this person will shape the conference agenda for the next three years. How do you approach your vote for president and and what do you think in those terms, you know, as far as right or left, or or is it more about the person of what they've accomplished pastorally?

SPEAKER_02 15:36

Well, for myself, I think um I I just think, you know, the president, I think de facto becomes the spokesperson for the conference and even for the church and the country. And um uh, you know, Bishop Byron's certainly a uh wonderful communicator, and um and I and you know, talk about right or left or liberal or conservative. If if you listen closely to Bishop Byron, you're gonna see someone who right down the line, uh uh um uh inside the Vatican, uh I thought they did a great job. I wrote about it uh there two episodes ago when they talked about Cardinal Newman uh be becoming a doctor of the church and new documents and um uh um I want to say uh shout out to um our friends at America. Yes, uh Colleen Dulley and um Jerry O'Connell are the um hosts of uh Inside the Vatican, but their sister podcast, um our friends uh Ashley and Zach were there as observers. So I got to say hello to them. So I was wondering if you didn't know. Yeah, yeah. Um so uh and uh and their recent episode, they have a segment at the end, one friend speaks to another, and they had this woman on who wrote uh uh an article that was um you know challenging some of what um our vice president J.D. Vance has said on uh immigration and uh but the conversation was beautiful, and she talked about um growing up and they had neighbors living next door who um I'm gonna bless today a new DPD house, Murray House in Clifton. She had um some people with adults with special needs living next to her, and she talked about as a kid she didn't really understand that, but her mother was so welcoming. It's just a great story. The Jesuitical podcast, um the I think the episode um uh from the week of um uh let's see, around November 7th or so. Okay. Um but um so in terms of uh choosing, oh, and on the uh inside the Vatican podcast, there was something said about uh a uh press conference at the Vatican, maybe when Pope Leo was elected or at some other point, I don't remember the details, but they said someone a reporter asked, is the new Holy Father more liberal or more conservative? And the Vatican representative said, are the gospels more liberal or more conservative? Um look at the scriptures, both the old and new testament. Um uh I think um you know uh those that that's not the question. Um uh we're we're called to be disciples, Catholic Christians, um to love God and love others, uh to love as Jesus loves. And uh yes, there's different ways of um understanding that, interpreting it, um priorities, um, and you can it's easy to put a label on someone, but you know, I think um from Pope John Paul II to Pope Benedict to Pope Francis, and now I'm sure Pope Leo will have his own style. But yes, some pi may say Pope John Paul II was further to the right and more conservative and and and and and far and Pope Benedict was in his uh similar uh vein, but um and Pope li uh Pope Francis by some would be say more left. I think you've got to look closely. Uh I I think we look for the balance. Um, but um, but um um even some would say, you know, the Second Vatican Council and Pope John, St. Pope John the XXIII and uh Saint Pope Paul VI, uh well you know would have said maybe John the XXIII was more liberal and Pope Paul VI was more conservative. But it's the Holy Spirit guiding and we believe giving the church who we need, whether it be as Pope, as the um president and vice president of the USCCB, as uh a local bishop or priest or parent or teacher. Um it's not a and and you know, here in our country, I I think when we put those labels, that's what divides us. Um if we're all Americans, then um if you're on one part or the other, okay, let's have a conversation, but let's focus more on what brings us together rather than what divides us. So uh I think we have to be careful about those questions.

SPEAKER_00 19:36

Well, thank you. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 19:37

Well, we have um wanna wanna anything else you want to add about the the conference or anything that's going on before we transition to the It was nice to uh come back from Baltimore on Thursday and head right to our Caritas Gala that took place um on the evening of Mother Cabrini's feast, Thursday, November 13th. And uh Monsignor Herb Tillia that was there, who's the uh president emeritus, uh Father Marty Glenn is the current CEO of the board, and Scott Milliken does such a great job, and Joanna Miller, the head of DPD, and um uh Angela Um Nikola Nikil Nikolovsky, uh not pronouncing your name maybe exactly, but we have great leadership in Catholic charities, and uh we had a great uh Caritascala, and there's wonderful things coming up, which Scott had said. Yeah, and we'll have more details, but uh uh uh that was wonderful. And uh I'm actually as I said blessing uh a new um DPD home in Clifton uh later today.

SPEAKER_00 20:31

Yes. Okay, so for this episode, we uh we were at St. Elizabeth's University in Morris Township for the Dioson Um Youth Conference. And while we were there, you had interviewed some uh some youth ministers along with some youth involved in youth ministry. So uh we're gonna we're gonna go to that now.

SPEAKER_02 20:53

Right, and we thank uh Father Paul Manning and the whole team at um St. Paul's inside the Walzore Evangelization Center, but in a p particular way John Camarada, our Dice and Director of Youth Ministry. Um and uh we're gonna maybe look at getting um uh a um no, who was the uh Array of Hope, Array of Hope for the um leaders of our Diocin Youth Day. They did a great job, music, uh inspirational talks. Um I was happy to have mass. Um and we thank St. Elizabeth's University for hosting us, and uh hopefully you'll see in the interviews with the young people and the youth ministers, uh, there's a lot of enthusiasm and uh a lot of reasons to be hopeful. So um maybe as we go to um the interviews from the youth day, we can uh pray our Jubilee prayer uh and uh um ask the Lord to guide us as we're we move towards uh on our pilgrims of hope is journey and hope we move now towards uh Thanksgiving and uh national youth national Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis. Um on Wednesday I'll be heading there and uh um uh look forward to sending some pictures back and uh uh keep an eye out for social media. There's gonna be a lot of good things happening in Indianapolis at the National Catholic Youth Conference on the weekend of um Friday the 21st, Thursday the 20th till um I think Saturday the 22nd. Um so um so keep that in your prayers and uh then Thanksgiving will be around the corner in the season of Advent. And so let's ask the Lord to guide us as pilgrims of hope. Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Giving thanks to God for the gifts and blessings of each day, for the gifts of faith, hope, and love for our one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, for um the church here in the United States, for our bishops, for our leaders, um, praying through the intercession of St. Francis Cabrini for our immigrant sisters and brothers, praying for our president and All of our elected leaders praying, continuing as pilgrims of hope in this jubilee of hope. Let us pray together our Jubilee prayer as pilgrims of hope. Father in heaven, may the faith you have given us in your Son Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled 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 gospel of the seeds of the gospel. May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth. 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. Be glory and praise forever and ever. Amen. Our Lady, Mother of the Church, Queen of Peace, Our Lady of Hope, pray for us. Saint Joseph, pray for us. Pray for us. Saint Francis, Savior, Mother Cabrini, pray for us. All holy men and women, pray for us. Pray for us. Name of the Father, the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Hello, my brothers and sisters. Welcome to Beyond the Beacon in a new location for today. We're here at St. Elizabeth's University on All Souls Day, Sunday, November 2nd, and we're with some of the participants in our diocesan youth day. And happy that you'll have the chance to hear about all the good things that are happening in our diocese and all the wonderful things that are happening amongst our young people who uh are together. We have about 200 young people from different parishes throughout our diocese.

SPEAKER_09 24:28

And here with us today are I'm Janale Jose, youth minister of Our Lady of Fatima and St. Nicholas Church.

SPEAKER_02 24:34

And has been in youth ministry since For about 18 years, since 2007, right? Yes. And Juan Pablo. Juan Pablo from DePaul Catholic. And uh sophomore, you said? Yes, I'm sophomore, yeah. Uh and his older sister.

SPEAKER_06 24:49

I'm Jessica from our Lady of Adam and St. Nicholas Parish. And I go to Seaton Hall.

SPEAKER_02 24:54

After graduating from DePaul, right? Yeah. Right. So thank you very much for being with us. How's the day going so far?

SPEAKER_06 25:00

It's going good.

SPEAKER_02 25:00

Yeah. I love it. Yeah, uh some good music? Yes, it's really good. Array of Hope. Array of Hope. And uh can you just turn for a second? You got uh anchors, right? Uh t-shirt anchored in hope. Great, great, that's good. Um so um uh about the Jubilee year, right? The Pilgrims of Hope and the Jubilee of Hope, and that anchor is a symbol. Have you learned something about the anchor?

SPEAKER_06 25:23

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 25:23

What'd you learn?

SPEAKER_06 25:24

We learned to stand firm in our faith.

SPEAKER_02 25:26

Stand firm in our faith, right? Uh it began um earlier this morning. We're gonna have mass later. Um what's been the best part so far?

SPEAKER_06 25:34

Best part was I forgot his name, but one of the speakers. One of the speakers, he was talking about how we have to have courage to stand up. We did for the music. He said, if you guys don't feel it, you don't stand up if you don't feel it. You have to stand up because you want to, because you have to take that first step. Did a lot of young people stand up? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:52

Good, good, good. And uh you've been part of youth ministry for a long time.

SPEAKER_06 25:56

Yeah. Since it started when our Lady of Fatima and Saint Nicholas, when they merged together, we created a new youth group.

SPEAKER_02 26:03

There were two parishes in Passaic that are now united as one, our Lady of Fatima and Saint Nicholas. Juan Pablo, how long you've been part of youth ministry?

SPEAKER_03 26:11

Um, as long as her which was part of like five, six years. Great, great. And uh what's been the best part of the day so far for you? The music. The music.

SPEAKER_02 26:18

I love the music, yeah. Oh, and you're a musical family, right? Yeah, yeah. Your mom uh leads music at the parish, and your dad is a deacon. Yes. Um and Janelle, uh, how's the day going for you?

SPEAKER_09 26:30

It's been going well. I really love that the message overall is just telling them to be courageous, right? To follow God, to have a relationship, right? A lot of times our teens are there because of tradition or family expectations, but the message is you need to have a personal relationship with God.

SPEAKER_02 26:49

And uh it can have some fun too, right? Uh and a little lunch and some good food out. Food was great too. And uh I think Ginelli is standing beside something that was made um connected with the those relics of Carlo Acudis, right? Then you're saying Carlo Acudis. Uh did you get to do that or see?

SPEAKER_06 27:06

Yes, we got to see the relic of the Carlos Accudis. It was I was trying to figure out what was inside.

SPEAKER_02 27:11

Right, right, well, it was it was hair. Yeah, it was hair. So Ginelli's gonna come back this way to um uh tell us about uh your work as a youth minister now over 18 years. Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_09 27:25

So I started fresh out of college because I used to be part of um youth ministry as a teenager, and so while I was in college. Yes, I did, and I grew up in that parish in St. Nicholas.

SPEAKER_02 27:37

Beautiful church, right?

SPEAKER_09 27:38

Exactly. So that's where you know my parents basically have been since before I was born. So I've been there all my life, and so after college, I decided to go back and start up youth ministry because it wasn't going on for a few years. And I've been there ever since. The rest is history, you say, right? The rest is history, and so it used to be gift youth ministry, and um, we used to meet on Monday nights, and then when we merged with Fatima, I had the opportunity to meet other leaders that wanted to work with me, and so now we have an even bigger youth group. We changed the name, now we are CIA Youth Ministry, which is Christ is Alive Youth Ministry. Yeah, and so now we all work together, have more leadership, and our group has grown tremendously, like she said. Started with maybe 12 kids, and now we have over 30. Wow, wow.

SPEAKER_02 28:29

How many came today?

SPEAKER_09 28:30

Today is a group of 18.

SPEAKER_02 28:31

18, wow, that's great, that's great.

SPEAKER_09 28:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 28:34

Uh and what do they start right after confirmation or before even?

SPEAKER_09 28:38

So we accept students from seventh grade and up.

SPEAKER_02 28:40

So uh and you do some ministry in the neighboring parish as well, right? With those preparing for confirmation?

SPEAKER_09 28:45

Yes, so I do um work with confirmation in St. Mary's Parish in Pisic as well. And I have a class of about 30 plus teenagers at this time.

SPEAKER_02 28:55

Great, great. Have you been to Youth Ministry, uh, Donison Youth Day before?

SPEAKER_09 28:58

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 28:59

Uh so it's a pretty good spot we have for it now at St. Elizabeth's. We thank St. Elizabeth University for welcome opening their doors. Welcome to the beautiful Holy Family Chapel where we'll be for mass later. Um, and uh um as this now a college student, uh, how does your experience in youth ministry uh impact your life as a as a freshman at Seton Hall?

SPEAKER_06 29:19

Well, it helps me not forget my faith because I know sometimes in college you get wrapped up in like these different organizations you're in and your classes. So it helps me to stand firm in my faith and to not forget where my roots came from.

SPEAKER_02 29:32

And now you're a youth uh a leader in the group, right? And so you're able to tell some of your younger sisters and brothers uh maybe what to look out for and what yeah, um that's great. Uh and Juan Pablo, uh how you're in youth group and part of your parish, and you go to a Catholic school, DePaul Catholic. Uh how is uh the does that help in the combination of living your faith?

SPEAKER_03 29:52

Uh yes, it does. It helps me learn more about my faith and um grow in in my knowledge in it.

SPEAKER_02 29:59

And you see a connection between what you're doing at home and it's Sundays in a youth group and what you're learning at school at DePaul?

SPEAKER_03 30:04

I see many connections. That's great. That's great, that's great.

SPEAKER_02 30:06

Well, thank you very much. Uh we uh hope that uh others will uh would you encourage others in their parishes to get involved in youth ministry? Yes, yes. Yes, yes. So um we pray that uh our church will continue to grow and we thank our young people for their yes to their faith and uh and their leaders. Uh Janelli, Juan Pablo, and Jessica, thank you very much.

SPEAKER_09 30:26

You're welcome. Thank you. God bless you.

SPEAKER_02 30:27

Enjoy the rest of the day.

SPEAKER_09 30:28

See you Church for Mass, right?

SPEAKER_02 30:30

Yes. God bless you. Enjoy the day. Thanks. We're back at our Daasin Youth Day here at St. Elizabeth's University in Convent Station on November 2nd, Old Souls Day, and uh we're here with Mary. Mary uh from St. Jude in Bud Lake. Your dad is Jim Sweeney, uh, the uh uh state deputy now for the Knights of the United States. Yes, he is. He was just on the podcast. I know, you're seeing a lot of us. Uh and how long have you been a youth minister?

SPEAKER_05 31:09

So uh we started our youth ministry at St. Jude uh three years ago. Three years ago. So we're still young, but we're we're working hard and these two.

SPEAKER_02 31:17

There are two of your leaders here who were there with you from the start. Uh your name again?

SPEAKER_05 31:21

Itelka.

SPEAKER_02 31:21

Itelka. And um how long have you been involved? Three years. I've been involved since I started. Yeah. I was one of the first people to join. And how long ago did you make confirmation?

SPEAKER_08 31:30

Last year.

SPEAKER_02 31:30

Last year. Last year. Um Itelka and Merrill. Merrill, Merrill. Uh you're you start you've you go to school together, is that right? Yes, we do. At Mount Not all of high school. Not all of high school. And uh you've both been involved in youth ministry. Yes, for military years. And how many are in the group now?

SPEAKER_05 31:48

Uh we're still small, we still have a core group of approximately five to eight students, but we're constantly working with our confirmation students. Uh so we have events every month, that's what we're striving to do, and we have new students coming all the time, so evangelizing every day as we can.

SPEAKER_02 32:05

Have you been to this dialogue day before?

SPEAKER_05 32:07

Yes, we've been.

SPEAKER_02 32:08

Over the past three years, so really exciting. Uh and how's the day going so far today?

SPEAKER_08 32:12

It's really good. We've been having a great time.

SPEAKER_07 32:13

We're doing really well. Like the band is really awesome as well, and there's like a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_02 32:18

You had a speaker this morning? Yes, yes, yeah. And then you got to um see the relic of Carlo Ocudis, right?

SPEAKER_08 32:25

We love that. We actually learned about Carlo Ocutis last year, so it was really nice to meet you. Yeah, it's really nice to see that.

SPEAKER_02 32:29

Uh and um what's great about being in a youth group?

SPEAKER_08 32:34

Oh, I think the fact that we get to meet every month and we see each other and we talk about things you don't usually talk about. You want to talk about it with your sports team or at home, and it's really just being with a group of people that think the same way you do, and you get to talk about God and all the great things. So it's really fun. It's really fun to be surrounded by those types of people.

SPEAKER_02 32:50

Are you an athlete as well? Do you think what is it?

SPEAKER_08 32:52

Yeah, yeah, I play sports. I swim.

SPEAKER_02 32:53

Swim, great, great. Uh Meryl, what's great about being in the youth group?

SPEAKER_07 32:56

I think just like like Telka said, like the sense of community, it's really nice to have people who feel the same way about God and about Catholicism as you do. It's really nice to kind of like be a part of something that's bigger than yourself. Um so I would say like that's my favorite part about it.

SPEAKER_02 33:10

Great, great. And uh your youth leader was saying that she was part of a youth group uh a few years ago and got an opportunity to go on.

SPEAKER_05 33:20

Uh World Youth Day. Yeah, a few years ago was kind. Father. Um yeah, I had the opportunity to go to Toronto back. Oh gosh, I don't even want to say one, but um It was still John Paul II, was it? It was it was his, I think one of his last ones. And so uh Seoul Korea coming up. These girls, once I told them about my experience, their eyes lit up and they're looking forward to it. They've been looking forward for it.

SPEAKER_02 33:44

Have you already started uh we're very excited?

SPEAKER_07 33:46

We're gonna start fundraising soon. We're looking to go with the rest of the diocese as well, so we're really excited about that trip.

SPEAKER_02 33:52

Right. Uh yes, and we'll be sharing more information uh uh to invite as many young people as possible. How does it feel uh being with 200 of uh young Catholics uh at the at the day? Does that does that help to it feels amazing?

SPEAKER_08 34:04

It feels amazing. I think you leave with such a sense of community and you feel like something like Meryl was saying, you feel like you're a part of something bigger than yourself, and you don't really see that. Like our youth group is really small, but when you see all these people here, the same age as you and they feel it the same way you do, it feels really great.

SPEAKER_02 34:18

Right. Uh the speaker was um just as we were just before we started recording, was talking about the early church, right? And Jesus started with 12, so uh it's it's it's common for us as Christians to start small and to grow, and we have that responsibility to share the good news, right? So it sounds like you've been doing that. Uh some other things that you've done over the years in youth group, do you do service projects or social activities or uh uh retreats or retreats.

SPEAKER_05 34:42

So mainly we've been focusing on the retreats for our confirmation students in the past couple of years. Um and we're doing service projects this coming November. Um we're thinking about making rosaries, um wrapping gifts for you know some of the of the community as well, uh just a whole bunch of mostly service. That's really what draws in the youth, you know.

SPEAKER_02 35:03

Any activities that stick out or things that you've done in your time in the youth ministry that have been helpful or exciting or uh a learning experience, maybe?

SPEAKER_08 35:12

Well, I really remember when we learned about Carlo Kudis last year. That was really, really a big moment for us. It was a lot of we had a lot of friends there too. So it wasn't just us, we had a lot of friends there, and we all learned about him. And especially the fact that he was 15. Right he was really young, he was our age, to think about someone our age doing things like that was really eye-opening.

SPEAKER_02 35:29

I was blessed to be able to visit uh his resting place in the CC just uh yeah, yeah, yeah. That's amazing. Uh he's uh a great example, right? Of uh and uh using his computer skills to make the uh uh uh website of Eucharistic miracles uh amazing. Uh uh anchored in hope, he's a sign of hope, right? That we're remembering mind this world called to holiness. And Merrill, something uh an activity or uh that you've found in youth in your years of youth ministry that's been helpful or enjoyable or yeah, I really enjoy the retreats that we do with the confirmation students.

SPEAKER_07 36:02

Um myself have been part of one of the retreats when I was getting confirmed. Um it's really nice to see leaders um kind of come and and educate you about the different things and about their testimonies, and it's just really inspiring to see how people around the same age as you um has have been through the same things and understand the same things that you're going through. So that was definitely something that I've really enjoyed and felt inspired by.

SPEAKER_02 36:25

And as a youth minister, it must be great to have uh leaders that can help on retreats, huh?

SPEAKER_05 36:30

Yes, no, it's beautiful. And you know, just watch them grow too as leaders is it's a blessing. It's a blessing to watch and see.

SPEAKER_02 36:37

That's great. Uh and your pastor, Father Antonio, right? Gives great support, I'm sure.

SPEAKER_05 36:42

Um, yes, yes, yes. Yeah, absolutely supporting.

SPEAKER_02 36:45

So great, great, great. Um, well, thank you. I hope you enjoy the rest of the day, and we'll be together uh for mass in uh the Holy Family, beautiful Holy Family Chapel. Yes, yes. Thanks so much, God bless you.

SPEAKER_08 36:55

Thank you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 36:58

And Meryl, thanks so much. Keep up the great work. God bless you.

SPEAKER_05 37:01

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 37:01

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SPEAKER_02 37:21

Thanks, everybody. God bless you.