Latest / Beyond The Beacon / 11: Chris Brancato on feeding the hungry and the work of Catholic Charities

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11: Chris Brancato on feeding the hungry and the work of Catholic Charities · Beyond The Beacon

• 0:07
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to Beyond the Beacon with Bishop Kevin Sweeney, a podcast of the Diocese of Patterson.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_01: I'm Jay Agnish, Communications Director for the Diocese and editor of the Beacon newspaper.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_01: With me is Bishop Kevin Sweeney.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_01: Bishop, how are you?
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_01: I'm good, Jay.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_01: How are you doing?
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_01: I'm doing great, thanks.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_01: So what's new?
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_01: What's how are what's going on?
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_02: We've had some beautiful weather, thanks be to God.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_02: Uh it was nice the coincidence in the calendar this year that Memorial Day fell on the day after Pentecost, which now is since 2018, as Pope Francis has named the Feast of Mary, Mother of the Church.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_02: So I thought about it, a little did a little post about um the song Immaculate, um, no, the song Um Uh Ave Maria, the Lord's hymn that says, Um, we pray for the church, our true mother on earth, and bless Holy Mary, the land of our birth.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_02: So uh Monday was a day where we remembered obviously our fallen heroes and and those who serve our country in uniform and give thanks for the blessings um here that we have in the country, our freedom.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I was able to celebrate Mass at Calvary Cemetery.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_02: It was many I know in our parishes that have cemeteries and other places, um, masses and cemeteries is it's a day certainly to remember our loved ones and those who have all those who have died, but especially obviously on Memorial Day, those who have given their lives for our country and and those who continue to serve our country as well.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_02: So um, and it was also the Feast of Mary Mother Church because of the day after Pentecost.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_02: So nice, nice connection.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that was on your Instagram account.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_01: And um wanted to mention, of course, yesterday we have our the our second diocesan podcast came out yesterday.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_01: It's called the Paul Street Journal.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_01: It's our newest diocesan podcast premiered yesterday.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_01: The show features Freddie Garcia and Brian Hansberger of the Office of Evangelization, who aim to raise awareness of Catholic social teaching teaching on economics, an important but little known topic among Catholics.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_01: You can uh subscribe to St.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_01: Paul Inside the Wall's new YouTube channel to watch the podcast or listen to it on all the major podcast platforms and enjoy.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_01: And I think Phil I was listening to it this morning.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_01: They're doing a great job.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, they are.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think they hit on a uh a unique niche.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_01: Correct.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_01: And uh yeah, I'm hoping it it it does well.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_01: It seems like it's off to a good start so far.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_02: Brian's done been doing a great job for our diocese for many years now, and um and his wife was on the podcast with us a few weeks ago before Mother's Day, Annie.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_02: Of course, Annie.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_02: And um a newer member of our Dassin team, Freddie Garcia, I believe, is uh his co-host and uh does campus ministry and interesting dynamic uh with Freddie as a 22-year-old uh and speaking about economics and Catholic Social teaching for a young guy.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_02: He's he's got a he's said a political science background, uh sure from his studies and uh is it personal interest as well.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_02: And he's certainly interested in Catholic Social teaching, as he said, so uh so highly recommend Paul Street Journal.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_01: And we'll be talking about it more and and maybe we'll even have them on our own on this podcast.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_01: Um but getting back to our our own podcast here, wanted to do uh an introduction, uh wanted to introduce our guest, Chris Broncado.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_01: Uh how are you doing, Chris?
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: I am doing really well, and I'm so grateful to you both for for welcoming and inviting me here on behalf of Catholic charities in our food pantries.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_02: And you brought another at least photo of a guest with you, huh?
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: I brought a photo of a really special uh guest today.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I have four children at home, and my son Brandon turned seven today.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_00: So I said I would give him a special shout out.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_00: So happy seventh birthday, Brandon, a very sweet boy.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_02: Last weekend it was uh happy birthday, Brandon, absolutely, and all those celebrating their birthday today.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_02: Last week it was my uh nephew's birthday.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_02: Uh he was turning 22.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_02: And for Yankee fans of the 70s and 80s and into the 90s, when Phil Rizzuto was the uh broadcaster on Pix 11, especially, he would he was famous for wishing everybody a happy birthday during the show.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_02: So it might become a tradition here as well.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_02: I love it.
• 4:13
  unknown: Yeah.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, and you know what, while we're at it, I'm gonna say uh happy belated Mother's Day to my mom.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_01: So we're gonna sneak down that as well.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks for listening.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um and so Brandon is one of three children.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_01: You have a wife, Jacqueline, and tell it three or four.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, one one of four, sorry.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_00: One of four.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, you know, my my children have had the blessing of meeting you before, bishop, so they they remembered who who you are and your significance to our church.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: And uh this morning as I was getting ready, I was telling Brandon I would go on and and wish him a happy birthday.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: And my oldest son, who is nine, uh Christopher, said, Dad, can you mention that you have another son too?
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: And I said, Of course.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: So Christopher is nine, and then my two daughters, uh Layla is three, and Scarlet, baby Scarlet, is one.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: And my wife, Jackie, is the glue that keeps it all together.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_00: Moms and dads, yes.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_02: Uh well, great to have the Brancados with us today.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_02: And and and uh yes, it's been a pleasure meeting them.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_02: And uh Layla's a great name.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_02: That's a great song, right?
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_02: By uh Eric Clapton.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_00: Uh yeah, that was the inspiration for the name.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_02: Well done.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_01: Well done.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_01: So and Chris is uh the development director of Catholic Charities here in the Diocese of Patterson.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_01: Among his many roles, Chris handles fundraising and public relations for Catholic charities, an area where our paths cross.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_01: Uh we actually go way back to when I was an editor of a few local community papers uh back between 2006-2016.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_01: Um and we were you would actually kind of send in some press releases and information about the the Department for Persons with Disabilities where you were at the time.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_01: And so it's pretty cool.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_01: You were uh a familiar face when I first got here.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_01: Um so uh it was a cool connection.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know if I had ever met you before other than via via email.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: Um but you you were always so responsive and uh the the local uh publications were always so supportive of DPD and and that community in Jefferson Township where the agency moved some some 50 years ago has always been wonderfully uh supportive to our sisters and brothers who happen to have intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: So, Jay, thanks for your support way back then.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_02: Of course.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_02: And we can, you know, talk about that a little bit more, I think, as we uh discuss the topic we'll we'll discuss today.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_02: But uh that um, you know, something about our country, big cities, uh a city kid myself, but uh communities and towns, uh whether in the city, I guess we might call them neighborhoods, but um, you know, I know that many of our priests were marching in uh Memorial Day parades and uh how important those um those events are.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_02: And I think of um, you know, the local media whereas the media is changing.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_02: Um I don't know if towns are gonna have podcasts now or you know, uh the some of them are hanging on there, I guess, with their local newspapers, but there's certainly been a a change in the industry.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_02: But uh, but I think something about that fabric that um is so much a part of our country and and families and little league and you know, those uh and and patriotism, uh, those those events are very important.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_02: And I think there would, you know, the other podcast, uh Paul Street Journal talking about faith and economics, but uh that faith and culture, faith and and country, you know, that uh being a good Catholic Christian is part of being a good citizen.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_02: So I think those, you know, those things that we do on Memorial Day and those other things that we do, and whether it be in small towns or neighborhoods or uh communities across our our state or our diocese or the country, um uh it's so important that that the church and families are are can come together.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and then so much good often comes out of them, you know, uh helping those those who who need help.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_02: So just a plug for uh community and town and neighborhood events, you know?
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely awesome.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_01: Well, good.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_01: Before we get too much further, um maybe we should pray.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_01: Would you mind uh opening up?
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm gonna offer the prayer of St.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_02: Francis for our prayer this morning.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_02: I had my first of four high school graduations uh this morning was at Moore's Catholic.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_02: Tomorrow I'll be at Pope John in Sussex, uh, and then Saturday at um Mary Help of Christians in North Haldon, the Salesian Sisters, and uh then on Tuesday, DePaul Catholic High School.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_02: So um, you know, as I thought about the graduating class of 2023, they um were freshmen in 2019 and their high school career second semester was interrupted by by COVID.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_02: And and this is the first class really that's got their whole high school, thank God, I think their last senior year, you know, that was kind of back to normal.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_02: But uh, but you know, we uh something the um Surgeon General came out with something recently about the struggles um that our young people and others go through, I think, since COVID with isolation, screen time, um, less of that community, I think, experience than than has been had in the past.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_02: And uh, and then other things, you know, that we see in terms of violence and the you know, high school graduates going out into the world and culture, we we have to pray for them and encourage them, but they're also a sign of hope for us, you know, what our Catholic high schools do.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_02: So I shared with the uh graduates this morning, and I think I'll be sharing it at the other graduations as well, um, that encouragement that they're called to be an instrument of an instrument of God's peace, you know, that beautiful prayer 800 years old that St.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_02: Francis gave us.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_02: But I think the words are as as relevant and challenging um and inviting today as as ever, and it is needed, you know, that that we see ourselves as uh being a channel of God's peace.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_02: And so a little introduction, but that's the reason I'm gonna pray.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_02: We'll start our podcast today with the prayer of St.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_02: Francis.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_02: So we place ourselves in God's presence, name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_02: Amen.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_02: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_02: Where there is hatred, let me so love.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_02: Where there is injury, pardon, where there is doubt, faith, where there is despair, hope, where there's darkness, light, where there's sadness, joy.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_02: O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_02: For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_02: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and never shall be.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_02: World without end, amen.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_02: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen.
• 10:38
  unknown: Amen.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks, Bishop.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_01: Um all right, so uh a little more about Chris, he's uh celebrating his 20th year of service to Catholic charities.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um and you began working when you were 19 for the Department for Persons uh Department for Persons with Disabilities at the Murray House.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um, in addition to your Ministry for Catholic Charities, you are also a member of the New Jersey Association of Fundraising Professionals, a member of the Knights of Columbus and a Rotarian, as well as previously sitting on boards for other several nonprofit organizations.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_01: Chris is a Vivere Christos Award recipient, as well as a Patterson Federation's Knight of Columbus of the Year.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_01: So uh super active, great example for for us for us all, and I think.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm gonna turn it over to you, Bishop.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_01: Where do you where do you wanna where do you wanna ask Chris and where do you want to take this?
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_02: Nice connection.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_02: I think um I wanted to share this prayer of St.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_02: Francis because I'm gonna be sharing with our graduates.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_02: And but um Francis reminds us to serve our our serve Jesus in the least of our sisters and brothers, especially those who are hungry uh and in need.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_02: And last week we had Father Augustino on talking about the Eucharistic revival and all that we have planned for this coming, uh not this coming weekend, which will celebrate the uh Holy Trinity, but the following weekend, June 10th and 11th, which is the feast of the body and blood of Christ, Corpus Christi.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_02: And we're planning the events that we talked about with Father Augustino to be part of that Eucharistic revival, that Eucharist, which is the body and blood of Christ and unites us as who we are as the body of Christ.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_02: And uh I wrote in my column this coming week, now currently, um, about something else we do on Corpus Christi, which is the Corpus Christi food drive.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_02: And 10 years we're uh marking this year in this Corpus Christi food drive.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_02: And so I thought about sharing um how excited I am that we do this on Corpus Christi because it makes so much sense.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, but I wanted someone who's been doing it for a long time, uh, since the beginning, I think.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_02: Uh Chris has been one of the prime movers, uh, and he'll share about others who help.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_02: But um, Chris, if you would maybe give us a little history um uh how the food drive started and how we've been doing over these last 10 years and what the need is coming up um uh in for for the food drive this coming Corpus Christi.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_00: Uh thank you, Bishop, and and thank you, Jay, for that really, really warm welcome.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_00: 20 years of service.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_00: I always say that I've been part of Catholic charities, uh, Diocese of Patterson for my entire adult life uh and have grown up with the organization.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_00: So it's it's been a beautiful journey.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_00: Uh Corpus Christi Food Drive is just a beautiful event in so many ways.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it supports our three pantries here within Catholic charities, within our diocese, and that is Hope House in Dover, Partnership for Social Services in Franklin, and our Father English Food Pantry, right in the heart of Patterson.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, started, as you mentioned, this is our tenth year uh doing this, and we noticed that every summer the demand was increasing within our pantries.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_00: Um students were now home from school and not getting their lunches and their meals at school.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_00: Families were home, there was a greater need, and the supply was going down.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_00: So many people who think of us so generously throughout the year are away on vacation.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_00: So there were more people coming to our door in need of support, and there was less food to give them.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_00: So uh Corpus Christi Food Drive started 10 years ago in an endeavor to stock these pantries throughout the really vital and important summer months.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_00: Another unique thing about the Corpus Christi Food Drive is that each parish uh has their own kind of mini drive where they're bringing a specific kind of food.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_00: So some are assigned uh pancake mix, others are assigned diapers, and so on.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_00: And it gives us um a variety of food and hygiene items to best help um our shoppers throughout those throughout those summer months.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_00: So uh 10 years, so many beautiful people involved, so many, most the large majority of our parishes involved, and it's just an endeavor where thousands of people are helped and thousands of people are helping.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_00: So something really unique and special to our diocese and our organization.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_02: I just think it's so great.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I shared, went back to it, I ended up using a longer quote of St.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_02: Augustine because at one point Saint Augustine is well known for in a sermon saying, uh, when you come to Holy Communion, um, receive who you are and be who you receive.
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_02: So from our baptism, we're all members of the one body of Christ, right?
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_02: That mystical body of Christ, God's family.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, and then we receive him in holy communion, we receive who we are, but also be who you receive.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_02: So we're called to love as Jesus teaches us um to love.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_02: And that begins with our brothers and sisters who are most in need, that begins certainly in in sharing what we have, those of us who have been blessed, that can share some of what we have, the material blessings that we have.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_02: And I've seen that generosity, Chris.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_02: I know you see it in so many ways in Catholic charities, but that we do a corpus, that we do a food drive on Corpus Christi, just it just you know makes so much sense.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_02: I think it it it adds meaning to what we celebrate in in the Eucharist and and giving thanks for the gift of Eucharist.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_02: I think you said, Chris, that close to 100% of our parishes, right, or are participate.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, just about.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, those that for whatever reason are are not participating, a lot of them give to our food pantries throughout the year.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_00: So they might be doing, you know, weekly collections or something of the sort.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_00: So it really is a hundred percent participation from our diocesan community and just again, thousands of parishioners that are helping us feed the hungry.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_00: Uh it's incredible.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_02: Something I've shared before, starting my time in the seminary.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_02: When you take that step and get involved in a parish or volunteering or doing some kind of good work when it's not about me, it's about what I can do to maybe help someone else.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_02: The Lord blesses us in so many ways, especially by the people that God brings into our lives.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_02: So um there'd be thousands, literally tens, hundreds of thousands of examples in in our parishes.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_02: Um just the people who are you know helping to collect the food, take it from the boxes, move it, uh, uh advertising, um the pastors who cooperate and communicate, you know, that particular item.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_02: And and and I know that that comes to us that those uh parishes are asked for specific items because Catholic charities does a great job of uh not just saying just give us whatever, but these are real needs of our so your donations are gonna go to help people who need this or need that.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_02: Uh and one example of one of those people that God brings to us is uh Carlos Roldan, right?
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_02: The uh director of the Father English uh food pantry.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe you can share a little bit, Chris, about Carlos and the work that he does.
• 18:35
  SPEAKER_00: Carlos is is one in a billion, uh Bishop.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_00: He he really is.
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_00: He's on a very well-deserved vacation uh right now, or he would have been right here with us.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_02: I think he gets back in the middle of the next week, right?
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_00: He's also really smart.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_00: Um so uh Carlos is is one in a billion, and Carlos always tells the story, so I'll I'll retell it.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_00: He grew up food insecure.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_00: Um he grew up in Colombia, and he always thought that when he came to the United States, he wouldn't see that problem.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_00: He wouldn't see food insecurity as an issue.
• 19:14
  SPEAKER_00: And when he got here, he realized that it certainly was.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_00: Uh he's been with us for over 30 years.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_01: And he, of course, is the director of the Father English.
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_00: He's the Yeah, he's the director of our of all of our food pantries.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_00: There's that coordination between that entire um the entire program.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_00: And he's uh primarily uh in Patterson.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_00: He's a familiar face to uh to donors, so people who drop off the food.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_00: He's a beloved face to the community.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um and uh he's been there for so long.
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_00: It's start when he started, it was a it was a the pantry was a closet.
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_00: It was no bigger than this space here.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_00: Um and then time uh changed that.
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_00: And uh prior to COVID, we were helping 5,000 people a month.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and since the onset of COVID, we've been helping 20,000 children, women, and men each and every month out of our three food pantries.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_00: And and Carlos is the uh the heart of that ministry, and there's so many other people that do so much, our staff, volunteers, um, and we're grateful to all of them.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_00: It really takes a village to help those most in need.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Powell It's it's frightening to me how great the need is.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_01: You know, like are we are we also seeing people move on from being hungry to to restarting their life?
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_01: Or have you seen so have you seen that?
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_00: So a great thing about the work we do at Catholic charities is we do more than just the the bag of food, which is important.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_00: You need um, you know, your basic needs in life met, right?
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_00: Um so we're we're certainly giving that bag of food or that clothing um or helping people with with various needs in various ways, but we're also supporting that next step.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_00: So in addition to that food, we might be helping with short-term uh rental assistance, we might be helping people avoiding job training, concluding classes, job training, uh, you know, avoiding eviction, and then you know, having such a robust presence within our three counties, we've made a lot of uh connections with other uh nonprofits and other communities that are that are doing other kinds of work.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_00: So we're helping people, you know, when they come to our door for food, and then we're trying to help them rise up um, you know, out of poverty to to full self-sufficiency.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, so that that that's our goal.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_00: We we help the whole family, all ages, all people, all needs from all backgrounds, and we try to help them through each stage of life.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you're doing some incredible work.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: Um and you had mentioned when we met yesterday uh someone by the name of Ronaldo.
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_01: I wonder if you could tell his story.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_00: And yeah, yeah.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_00: Uh uh Rolando was the was was the name.
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's a it's a sad story, but again, you think of what if Catholic charities wasn't there?
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_00: What would have happened?
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_00: So uh it's sad in some ways, but beautiful in some others.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_00: Um so part one of our programs within Catholic charities is we help uh uh youth, we help at risk youth, uh teenagers, preteens, and so on.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_00: And one of our uh young men, Young children really came to that program director and said, Oh, there's somebody who lives in my apartment complex who's really sickly and not looking good.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm worried about him.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_00: He's a nice guy.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_00: His name is Rolando.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_00: He looks hungry.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_00: Can we do anything to help him?
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_00: So we delivered some food to this individual, and we noticed that he really, really does look sick.
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_00: We helped connect him to St.
• 23:13
  SPEAKER_00: Joseph's Health, found out that sadly he had an inoperable brain tumor.
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_00: Carlos Roldan visited this man who had no family here.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_00: All of his family were overseas.
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_00: He was sending all of his money to his family back in his home country and was here alone.
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_00: Carlos befriended this individual, brought him food every week, eventually helped him get hospice care that he needed, and helped him get daily warm meals.
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_00: And Carlos and the Catholic charity's family was a friend to him in his final uh days of life.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_00: Tried really hard to get him back home, worked with different embassies.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_00: Ultimately, um Rolando passed away here, but uh in the in hospice care and surrounded by uh Carlos, his friend that he met, and Carlos still to this day communicates with Rolando's family.
• 24:11
  SPEAKER_00: And you just wonder if that young kid didn't run into Rolando and didn't go to tell uh the the person whose program he's in, and if that person didn't tell Carlos, would Rolando have just died alone?
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_02: Uh an unmarked grave where they see the guardian angels uh doing their work, right?
• 24:30
  SPEAKER_00: Uh uh it's a sad story, but it's one that just shows the connectivity of our our organization and uh how we're there really to help everybody who comes to our door.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_02: I've had the chance to spend some time recently with Carlos as uh we've um some friends have visited uh the soup kitchen.
• 24:49
  SPEAKER_02: We're be sharing more information along the line.
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_02: Excuse me, I said soup kitchen, um the um Father English food pantry, and uh it is something to see.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_02: Uh first something Carlos often mentions many of the people who line up outside, uh they're working uh and their work isn't paying all the bills and putting food on the table.
• 25:09
  SPEAKER_02: So uh so but Carlos and and the volunteers uh if the word keeps coming up, dignity, that um we need to treat each brother and sister with dignity.
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_02: Uh Carlos often says, you know, I could be standing on that line.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_02: Any of us could be.
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_02: And so um uh the something that's gonna be coming back little by little that had started before the pandemic was the um uh f um supermarket model, or that you know, the people who are in need of food, instead of just being handed a bag, as Carlos talked about, and you know, they get peanut butter, but my child has a peanut allergy, so that's when they so um that they would be assigned uh points depending on how many in the family in the need, and then they go through the aisles and pick out what you know they know there is going to be best for their family.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_02: And Carlos talks about basket of pasta and he he eats rice and beans, so he says, you know, I he would rather rather have rice than than pasta, but so uh but but the dignity of the person um is so important and and and Carlos um you know leads from by example in that and and it's very much uh a part of Scott Milliken, our director of Catholic Charities, has been on with us and and and Chris, I know being part of Catholic Charities for so long, you see that, right?
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_02: How the gospel is is played out not only in we do these programs, we uh meet these material needs, but but but that in the in that those relationships and encounters, I mean we talk about synodality, right?
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_02: That um we're we're trying to see the presence of the Lord in in one another, right?
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_00: Uh absolutely, um Bishop.
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_00: That's that's what we're that's what we're doing.
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um sometimes we're the uh the only face of of Christ that that somebody's gonna see are our food pantry directors or our direct service professionals at at DPD, our um our our counselors working at straight and narrow, right?
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_00: Where we are there to be that representative for for good and for justice and for love and for hope.
• 27:09
  SPEAKER_02: And uh the the help that we get in so many ways from so many different certainly our our pastors, our parishes, our parish leaders, and those who donate.
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_02: Uh and then some of the groups like um uh the Knights of Columbus, uh the Knights of Uh and Ladies of Malta, uh who have the van, right?
• 27:26
  SPEAKER_02: That um uh and uh I've gotten to know many of them and and are so grateful for their generosity.
• 27:32
  SPEAKER_02: Uh something I learned recently, uh the Knights of Columbus, I believe, are the ones that are are giving out bags because food donations have gone down because plastic bags are going away and people don't have the plastic bags to bring the food to church to put it in.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_02: So the Knights of Columbus, I think, have been handing out bags in anticipation of the food drive, right?
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_02: So people could bring home the bag and then bring it back full.
• 27:52
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, for the one of our uh wonderful board members, Mike uh Calabri, started that initiative um to provide reusable bags within the pantry uh and um you know for different nights at Columbus Councils, different groups when they're hosting these drives to to use them.
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, the the nights so very involved, the Order of Malta so very involved, the community food bank of New Jersey um is tremendous.
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_00: There are so many groups, so many individuals that make what we do at Catholic charities possible.
• 28:31
  SPEAKER_00: It is it is a village, and when you're part of that village, when you're supporting that village, you are enabling us to do so much good for so many.
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_01: Awesome.
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_01: So um, so Chris, tell us how how we could learn more about Catholic charities, and I'm gonna give you an opportunity to talk about some upcoming events.
• 28:49
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_00: Well, just how you can learn more, you know.
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_00: When I'm out in the community now, I think I always used to lead Bishop with how you can how you can help us, right?
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_00: But we're a resource for the diocese, we're a resource for the community, we're there to help you.
• 29:03
  SPEAKER_00: Um and, you know, we will do all we can to help every single person who comes to our door.
• 29:10
  SPEAKER_00: So uh if you're in need of help, please visit ccpatterson.org, ccpatterson.org if you're in need of help, or if you're looking to learn more about our events, if you're looking to volunteer.
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_00: Um we are uh we're there, we're in need, and we're there to help you as well.
• 29:28
  SPEAKER_02: And can people reach out to you?
• 29:30
  SPEAKER_02: I guess you would be on the Catholic Charity's website right as well.
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 29:33
  SPEAKER_00: You can reach out to me directly, you can reach out to Scott Milliken, our CEO directly.
• 29:37
  SPEAKER_00: We're we're all here to work as uh as a family uh to support others.
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_00: Um and uh again, it's that it's that village.
• 29:47
  SPEAKER_00: We get so many calls, so many emails each and every week, and uh we do all we can to to help everybody.
• 29:53
  SPEAKER_02: And a couple of other events coming up, I know at least uh the tank pull and the golf outing.
• 29:57
  SPEAKER_02: I'm looking for I'm looking forward to both.
• 29:59
  SPEAKER_00: But uh Yes, yes.
• 30:00
  SPEAKER_00: We we spoke about the Knights of Columbus before, and uh some years ago the Knights started the New Jersey Army tank pull.
• 30:09
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, that's right, a tank pull.
• 30:11
  SPEAKER_00: Uh teams are actually pulling a tank to support veterans.
• 30:15
  SPEAKER_00: Another one of our programs at Catholic Charities is veteran services.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_00: So we have a uh wonderful committee.
• 30:22
  SPEAKER_00: So many groups come out to that June 11th in Clifton, the New Jersey Army tank pool.
• 30:28
  SPEAKER_00: You can just people can just walk by and and visit and and see this spectacle.
• 30:33
  SPEAKER_00: We have a team of seminarians who come out.
• 30:35
  SPEAKER_00: We have so many uh local PBAs who support this event, veterans organizations.
• 30:40
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, again, just that that village that I was speaking about before, so many that helped this.
• 30:45
  SPEAKER_00: And is it on June 11th, did you say?
• 30:47
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, yes.
• 30:48
  SPEAKER_00: One more thing on Corpus Christi.
• 30:50
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, yes, yes.
• 30:51
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 30:52
  SPEAKER_00: Busy time.
• 30:53
  SPEAKER_00: Exciting time.
• 30:54
  SPEAKER_00: And and where exactly is it?
• 30:55
  SPEAKER_00: Right on Clifton Avenue.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_00: You can't miss us.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_00: We're we're taking up uh uh several blocks there.
• 31:01
  SPEAKER_00: Uh if you look for the big tank.
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_00: Look for the the the tank and the flatbed truck and the and the thousand or so people that's gonna be.
• 31:08
  SPEAKER_00: The barbecue is a great thing.
• 31:10
  SPEAKER_00: And the barbecue food, all all donated, time donated.
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_00: It it's a beautiful thing.
• 31:15
  SPEAKER_00: Thankful to our Knights of Columbus, uh all those who started that event, all those who are still involved with it.
• 31:23
  SPEAKER_00: It is something to see in support of those who served and uh continue to serve our country.
• 31:30
  SPEAKER_01: And the golf classic Monday, June 19th, can people still sign up?
• 31:33
  SPEAKER_00: Monday, June 19th.
• 31:34
  SPEAKER_00: You can still sign up for that if you are a uh golf.
• 31:38
  SPEAKER_00: Crystal Springs, right?
• 31:38
  SPEAKER_00: Does a great job hosting?
• 31:39
  SPEAKER_00: Crystal Springs does a really, really uh good job of accommodating our really uh large crowd.
• 31:45
  SPEAKER_00: So still time to join us on the 19th.
• 31:47
  SPEAKER_02: Come golf golfers and hackers and anyone in between uh to come out for a beautiful day and some fun with the Yeah, we we're inclusive.
• 31:54
  SPEAKER_00: We welcome all levels of uh of golf at this event.
• 31:58
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 31:58
  SPEAKER_01: You won't find me there.
• 32:00
  SPEAKER_01: You might find me playing disc golf.
• 32:02
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, I uh tried the gol the ball golf thing and uh a little frustrating for me, but uh I know a lot of people love it.
• 32:09
  SPEAKER_01: And uh as the bishop is is someone who does it.
• 32:11
  SPEAKER_01: You're gonna you're gonna be there?
• 32:12
  SPEAKER_01: I've got yes, yes, please go.
• 32:14
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, looking forward to it.
• 32:15
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 32:16
  SPEAKER_01: Awesome.
• 32:16
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I know Bishop, um so as we uh well Chris, I just want to thank you for being on.
• 32:21
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for your time.
• 32:22
  SPEAKER_01: And uh again, that's uh what's the website?
• 32:26
  SPEAKER_00: ccpatterson.org.
• 32:27
  SPEAKER_00: And again, I want to thank you both for for welcoming me on behalf of Catholic Charities and our food pantries.
• 32:33
  SPEAKER_00: And again, I want to thank all of our uh diocesan parishioners who do so much for us in s in countless ways, um, and everybody else who supports Catholic charities in any way.
• 32:45
  SPEAKER_00: So grateful to you all for making what we do.
• 32:48
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you very much.
• 32:48
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 32:49
  SPEAKER_01: All right.
• 32:50
  SPEAKER_01: And as we as we near the end of the podcast, Bishop, I want to want to give you the floor.
• 32:53
  SPEAKER_01: Is there anything you want to talk about?
• 32:55
  SPEAKER_01: Anything to look to look forward to?
• 32:56
  SPEAKER_02: Or we started this podcast.
• 32:59
  SPEAKER_02: We talked about speaking about sometimes topics as they come up in in real time and um uh gotten a couple of um emails and I know it's on some people's minds.
• 33:11
  SPEAKER_02: Uh unfortunately uh the uh the the old Brooklyn Dodgers who are now in Los Angeles uh you know made a decision as an organization to um first to disinvite a group that was you know from all accounts terribly anti-Catholic and then there was a meeting and all of a sudden they were invited back.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_02: And um an LGBT group, we know this uh June is uh as we could say as the Pride Month.
• 33:39
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, I think in synodality something we're working on is um you know, listening as we encounter one another and and we have to see Jesus and and again all of our brothers and sisters and we're not always gonna agree.
• 33:53
  SPEAKER_02: Um but um uh so it'll be many events this month, you know, with on for those in the LGBTQ community and and and that's a a part of our society and um but you know to we should respect has to go both ways.
• 34:13
  SPEAKER_02: And um you know, uh unfortunately this group that was invited um you know seems to speci s specifically go against anything Catholic and uh religious women, you know, who have nobody no priests aren't perfect, no group is if there's human beings is going to be perfect, but you know how many women have given their lives to the service of the church and done so much good and you know to be mocked, um and uh it's unfortunate and and you know disappointing I'd say in the Doggers' organization.
• 34:44
  SPEAKER_02: God can bring good out of you know the more difficult most the difficult situations we face.
• 34:50
  SPEAKER_02: Uh so um Chris and I were talking beforehand, uh I know one of the players who was uh Christian stood up.
• 34:56
  SPEAKER_02: Um and also um there was a I think a tweet from Clayton Kershaw, one of the Dodgers' uh longtime great pitcher, um uh on behalf of the organization, inviting everyone to a Christian faith and family night, which they had before the pandemic, and now they're bringing back.
• 35:10
  SPEAKER_02: So that's I think something to be happy about, and I think should be mentioned as well.
• 35:15
  SPEAKER_02: Um so uh if you know whatever reasons the Dodgers had for making the decisions that they made, uh we we're disappointed that you know uh if that a group that would be s you know so against the church and um was included.
• 35:33
  SPEAKER_02: But um we work towards listening and reconciliation and um but but we also um you know would ask that um organizations, companies um as they as they I think are concerned and there's a good thing and I think companies trying to be more responsible um as as regards the community.
• 35:54
  SPEAKER_02: Um and we know that some of those topics are gonna be there's gonna be strong differences of opinions, but uh but hopefully um as as the church needs to respect other groups that disagree with us, we would hope that those the other groups would also be respectful of um those who are looking to serve the poor, those who are looking to live our faith, and and that you know a organization like the Los Angeles Dodgers might um uh be aware of that and uh and and maybe make a m better decision in the time to come.
• 36:24
  SPEAKER_02: So um we might get some uh response to that and and and feel free if you if you disagree, but I I just felt it was important to mention it again because many have mentioned it to me, and I know bishops and others uh um across the country have uh expressed um their disappointment in the in the Dodgers and uh that decision that was made.
• 36:44
  SPEAKER_02: Um so I wanted to um you know um add my voice to that uh to more raising awareness, I think that um uh we do have to stand up for what we believe and and and again we ask that mutual respect.
• 36:58
  SPEAKER_02: Um even when we disagree with one another, we we can do it respectfully.
• 37:02
  SPEAKER_02: So let's hope that uh all all all groups would would try to do that.
• 37:07
  SPEAKER_01: Good.
• 37:07
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks, Bishop.
• 37:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um and I just want to say we haven't gotten any questions for you, unfortunately, at our beyond at pattersondioces.org.
• 37:16
  SPEAKER_01: Have them come in.
• 37:17
  SPEAKER_01: Well, we're looking for questions.
• 37:18
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, topics, uh feel free.
• 37:20
  SPEAKER_02: We want it to be interactive.
• 37:21
  SPEAKER_02: So what is it again?
• 37:23
  SPEAKER_01: Though if somebody wants to comment or a question, beyond at pattersondioces.org.
• 37:27
  SPEAKER_02: Beyond one word at patterns.pattersondioces.org.
• 37:32
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 37:32
  SPEAKER_01: Yep.
• 37:33
  SPEAKER_01: And um it'll be on the YouTube version.
• 37:35
  SPEAKER_01: I'll have we have a nice graphic that'll be on the screen.
• 37:38
  SPEAKER_01: And uh do want to just take a moment to to thank everyone who's been listening to the podcast.
• 37:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um you know, we may not be getting questions for you, Bishop, but we are certainly getting people who are I'm hearing a lot of positive feedback, so thank you for that.
• 37:52
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and just want to take a moment to uh encourage folks to, if they have a moment, uh one of the ways you can help the podcast grow is is to leave a review on either Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
• 38:04
  SPEAKER_01: Of course, you can rate, you can like the podcast on YouTube, subscribe, of course, and thank you uh for all your support so far.
• 38:13
  SPEAKER_01: And uh we just ask you to keep helping us spread the word and we'll have some some things available.
• 38:20
  SPEAKER_01: I'll have some um some graphics and and and stuff available for people to utilize to help uh promote promote the podcast.
• 38:28
  SPEAKER_01: So it's tell you all about that another time, but uh why don't we why don't we wind this wind this down?
• 38:34
  SPEAKER_02: As we uh we'll celebrate the Holy Trinity this coming weekend and Corpus Christi the following weekend and Father's Day after that.
• 38:40
  SPEAKER_02: Uh but it's also certainly graduation season and many universities have already had their graduations, but um now as I said, uh Morris Catholic this morning.
• 38:49
  SPEAKER_02: Um I'll be at Pope John tomorrow, uh Mary Helper Christians on Saturday, and uh um uh Paul Catholic on on Tuesday.
• 38:58
  SPEAKER_02: So congratulations to all the class of 2023, whether it be from kindergarten or grand uh grammar school or high school or uh the university or above, but uh to and especially when we think of our grammar school and high school and college students, to congratulations to the parents as well.
• 39:13
  SPEAKER_02: They uh and then we thank uh especially all those in involved in Catholic education here in our diocese, both in grammar school and high school level.
• 39:21
  SPEAKER_02: Um great blessing.
• 39:22
  SPEAKER_02: Uh so congratulations to all the graduates to the class of 2023.
• 39:28
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for spending time with us.
• 39:30
  SPEAKER_01: Join us again for the next episode of Beyond the Beacon.
• 39:33
  SPEAKER_01: Please subscribe to this podcast wherever you're listening.
• 39:36
  SPEAKER_01: Uh give us a positive rating, write a review, and if you're watching this episode on Bishop Kevin Sweeney's YouTube channel, be sure to like the episode, follow the channel, and ring the bell for notifications, email questions, and podcast topic ideas for the Bishop to Beyond at PattersonDiocese.org.
• 39:53
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for listening to Beyond the Beacon.
• 39:55
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks.
• 39:56
  SPEAKER_01: God bless.