Latest / Beyond The Beacon / 19: Back from World Youth Day. Now what? With Crystal Guerrero

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19: Back from World Youth Day. Now what? With Crystal Guerrero · Beyond The Beacon

• 0:07
  SPEAKER_03: Welcome to Beyond the Beacon with Bishop Kevin Sweeney, a podcast of the Diocese of Patterson.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_03: I'm Jay Agnish, Communications Director for the Diocese and editor of the Beacon Newspaper.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_03: With me is Bishop Kevin Sweeney.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_03: Bishop, how are you?
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_03: I'm good, Jay.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_03: How are you doing?
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_03: Doing well, thank you.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_03: So back from Portugal, are you?
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_04: Yes, uh a couple days now.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_04: We're still getting the days uh but today's uh Thursday, right?
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_04: So we got back Monday afternoon.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_04: We had a great flight back, thanks be to God.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_04: And um yeah, now uh Tuesday was certainly going through uh the mail and email and uh plenty of things to do.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_04: But uh between Tuesday, yesterday, and now today hopefully I'll start uh catching up and getting back in the in the rhythm.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_04: So sure.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_03: Um and I imagine you're slightly jet-like.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_03: It sounds like you you recover pretty quick from the Yeah, thank God it wasn't no problem, not a real problem.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_03: Good night's sleep on Monday night when I got back.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_03: We're glad to have you back and looking forward to getting back to work with you.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_03: Um I want to just quickly introduce our our guest, uh Crystal Guerrero, is the director of religious education and the office manager at the Catholic community of St.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_03: Brendan and St.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_03: George and Clifton.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_03: Welcome, Crystal.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_03: How are you?
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_01: Good morning.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_01: I'm doing well.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for having me.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_03: Of course.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_03: Thanks for being with us.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_03: Thanks for being here.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, well, I'm gonna ask the bishop to open us up in prayer, please.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_04: We'll place ourselves in God's presence in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_04: Amen.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_04: Let us ask the help and intercession of Mary, our blessed mother, the mother of the church, our lady of Fatima, our lady of the rosary, as we pray.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_04: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_04: Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_04: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_04: Amen.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_04: Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_03: Amen.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_03: Amen.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, so uh Bishop, why don't you uh tell us why you invited Crystal and and what we want to go go over today?
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_04: Well, uh just before we do that, it's um as I was saying the opening prayer, I was remembering who the uh saint we celebrate today in August 10th, the feast of St.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_04: Lawrence the Martyrs, so uh to St.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_04: Lawrence Parish in Chester.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_04: We wish them a happy feast day and uh tomorrow will be the feast of St.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_04: Clair, so St.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_04: Clair's Parish in Clifton, and yesterday was the feast of Saint Edith Stein, Ben Teresa Benedicta of the Cross.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_04: I don't think we have a Saint Teresa Benedict of Parish, but uh and the Tuesday, I guess the eighth was uh the feast of Saint Dominic, who gave us the rosary.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_04: One thing on uh I learned a new experience on the pilgrimage was being part of a WhatsApp group, and not only with the group and the pilgrims, but uh the USCCB for the to communicate with the 60 or so bishops, uh they use the WhatsApp group.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_04: And uh hadn't been really a big fan of WhatsApp.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_04: I know I'm way behind uh my community in Brooklyn was uh I think it's really big in the Hispanic community and and probably many other communities around the world, but uh it was an interesting experience and great for communication.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_04: And I talked to Jonathan, who led the pilgrimage to um uh you know our diocesan group, and uh yesterday I spoke to him and I said, you know, the pilgrimage has ended, but the WhatsApp group continues, right?
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_04: The messages are still being shared.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_04: So um, so uh I remember I sent a little message on on the day after we got back on um on uh August 8th, the Feast of St.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_04: Dominic, reminding the group that he had given us the rosary, or Mary really had given us the rosary through St.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_04: Dominic, and uh the rosary was a big part of our pilgrimage, so I I thought that was a nice way to keep in connection with the group.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_04: And so without further ado, uh I want to welcome Crystal Crystal and thank you for being here.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_04: And you know, I shared some of my experiences um in the middle of the pilgrimage last week over the phone, but uh I uh one of the young adults from uh St.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_04: Brendan's was also gonna be with us, hope but she wasn't able to make it.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_04: But I know that Crystal will be able to share her own experience and uh she led a group of young people from St.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_04: Um Brendan St.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_04: George Parishes.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_04: We had a number of different small groups within our Diacin group, about 40.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_04: Our Dyson group also shared with the uh group from the Diocese of Metuchen.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_04: We can share a little bit more about that.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_04: But um so Crystal, maybe just to start, maybe your own personal experience first.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_04: Was it your first World Youth Day?
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_01: This was my very first World Youth Day.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_01: Um, first of many.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_01: I'm very excited uh that I got to experience it.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um I I called it my spiritual reinvigoration.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_01: It really was um a lot more than what I imagined it was gonna be.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_01: Um I've been to the St.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_01: John Bosco conference, and for me that was also very um reinvigorating just to kind of reconnect with other catechists.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_01: But this was just seeing the entire globe, the the church just worldwide, and how we all, even in our different languages and the different ways we communicate, but just seeing our love, each of us individually, just our love for God, and and it was just beautiful and I loved it.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_04: And the uh the St.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_04: Brendan St.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_04: George group, uh youth and young adults, some parents, some young people, uh how many from in your group?
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_01: So we were a group of seven.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um I had three chaperones.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_01: I had two of them were parents.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_01: Uh Cynthia, who will be our youth minister um starting this uh fall, um, came with her son Stephen, um, who is uh 12 years old, but spiritually he was ready to take on this adventure.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_01: He was always ready.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_01: He he really was.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um and then we had Vanessa, who came with her son Jaden, who is 15, going on 16.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_01: He will also be doing his confirmation this year.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_01: Um so I really love that he was able to experience this and also bring that back to the group of confirmation students.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_01: Thankfully, the group that we have now are very close-knit.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so I hope that really encourages this group to go to the next World Youth Day when that is to come.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_01: And then Hope, uh, who was gonna be here with us today, is a young adult from our parish.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_01: She recently was baptized this year, so we are so proud of the the spiritual growth that she's had over the last year.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_01: And uh Cynthia is her sponsor also.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um so it was really beautiful to see her experience this.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we did have connections every night doing our highs and lows and our God moments, so it was really beautiful to see each individual's what we took away from each day, and then the overall experience.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um is that all seven of us?
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_01: Uh and then Melanie.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_01: Melanie came along with me.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_01: I was I was a photographer, was he in your group?
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_04: I think he said he has his own book podcast.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_01: Chris, uh Chris kind of tagged along.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_01: He is not from St.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_01: Brendan and St.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_01: George.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_04: Um, but now he's an honorary member, right?
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_01: He is an honorary member, yes.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_01: So we put him into our smaller group chat now, also.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_01: So we've been texting all morning, um, sharing our photos and videos.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_01: They've already made TikToks, things on that savvy.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_01: They are they're sharing on their, you know, their World Youth Day experience through TikTok, which I think is also really awesome.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_04: Right, right.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_04: And so within your own group, and then maybe you can say something about um some of the um other members of the R Adahasen group, but uh first within your own group, uh the reactions of the young people and the reaction of the adults, were they different, similar?
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_04: Uh anything that stood out in terms of one group or the other, in terms of what their impressions were?
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_04: Do you think they were surprised by things?
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_04: Do you they think they found it?
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_04: I know certain parts were challenging, we can talk about those, but uh what what but just in terms of the overall reaction of the adults and of the young people?
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_01: Um I think the adults were more mentally prepared for the physical challenge of it.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_01: Um and so after the first day, the first day was a little bit difficult with the the um time change and trying to stay up.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: Sure.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_01: Um so the the the younger group uh at you know throughout day one, we heard some mumblings and some okay.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_01: And so at the end of that day, we did take a moment to kind of encourage, guys.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_01: We understand this is not a vacation, this is a pilgrimage.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um we have to, and we talked about offering it up, and um we know we're gonna be facing challenges, and instead of um moaning and whining, uh let's think about why we want to offer this up.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, next time we're at mass, we think about the challenges we've had, and instead of complaining, we offer them up at mass.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um so from that point forward, we've heard like zero complaining, and so and they were so proud of themselves the next day when we did our ups and highs and lows, and they're like, we're offering this up today, like we had, you know, we we struggled so but we didn't complain once.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but they were really uh I saw the maturity you know happen so quickly.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_01: So I was really surprised and really um proud of them.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_01: Right, yeah, proud of them.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, I love that.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I thought that was a great question, Bishop.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_03: Um, yeah, what the experience is like for a youth or or a or I guess a teen or how how young was the youngest?
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_01: The youngest was 12.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um and he he was probably my least worrisome.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um I think it's because Cynthia's very uh strong spiritually, and that's kind of how he grew up, and so he know he's spiritually more connected and and grown.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um uh but really then we had the 16 and the 17-year-old, which are are still more mature, but um really we didn't have uh much of an issue with uh too much whining or complaining.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_01: They really understood.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_04: And you speak of uh uh going back 30 years in Denver, uh I've often said I associated with the group, but it was my first real experience of the church universal, the Catholicity of the church that we're I think I mentioned that last week.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_04: And you know, we experienced that in different ways, and certainly they got to meet um people from different countries and cultures, as you mentioned.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_04: But um we also I think uh we can be parochial as Catholics, right?
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_04: So we know those in our own parish.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_04: And I think this is an opportunity to the you and and your smaller group got to know the the Patterson group, and then we were very close with the Metouchin group, right?
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_04: Because we were really one large group through the through the days.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_04: Maybe uh what was your impression of some of the others within the Patterson group and and maybe even some from the Metouchin group?
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so I thought it was really beautiful the way we kind of all um not only accepted each other but kind of helped each other throughout the yeah, we really kind of connected really well.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um I think one of the biggest connecting pieces for Jaden, especially, because he kind of went in um not knowing what to expect at all, but as soon as he saw someone with a soccer ball, um, and so that really gelled a big part of the group uh between both dioceses.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_01: And they would like their downtime when we had before worship time, they were out there kicking the soccer, and he was just, you know, he was like, Oh, we can do this too.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_01: It was kind of like an opening.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_01: We're not just, you know, we can do other things uh besides our worship and praying.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_01: We can share this time together too.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_04: Um the hotel wasn't too bad, right, for them to relax, right?
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_04: That allowed them to recharge their batteries.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, we we had really amazing accommodations.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you, uh Jonathan and the team who put that together.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um that was one thing we were really uh thankful for and we really took stock of that, especially after the vigil, um, that we got to go back to a really nice, a really nice accommodation that a lot of people we met a lot of other people who were telling us their stories and lot of them were sleeping on gym floors and parishes right there.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_01: Some of them came, didn't even know where they were gonna stay.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_01: So they were out like at a gas station overnight or you know, trying to get um accommodation somewhere else.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_01: So we really got to see, you know, where all of these other people are coming from and our privilege and and what we should be thinking about.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_03: You mentioned the vigil.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_03: So what why did you mention that?
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_03: So you stayed overnight outside, right?
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_03: We stayed overnight outside.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_01: That was uh that was the first for me.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_04: But then you had an easy stroll home.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_01: Uh that was the most difficult part of my journey was the stroll home.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um so that was a three-hour trek back.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_01: Wow.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_04: Uh and I thought that, you know, I I have cousins from Ireland that would vacation in Portugal the last few years, and they say it gets pretty hot in the summer.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_04: And but we were really blessed with the weather for the first six, seven days.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_04: Uh but then Sunday, boy, oh boy, it really got hot.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_01: It really got hot.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, it did.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so I didn't plan that well.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_01: I think I told you this when we were flying.
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um I uh I have been fasting, and so I don't know what made me think that I should fast before the vigil.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_01: That was not a smart thing to do.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um, because then we woke up in the morning, I had an orange before mass, and then after that, we had mass and we walked the the seven miles back.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um and these were hills in extreme heat.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_01: Our water was already warm and not really satiating.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so it was really, really a struggle.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_01: And I and I thanked Jonathan.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_01: Jonathan ended up staying behind.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_01: He's like, no pilgrim left behind.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_01: That was the one kind of tracking, tracking.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but one thing that I took away, even before we started the pilgrimage, a lot of us were getting anxiety and um we were praying the rosary together before we left.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um and it's something that you continued that I I love that we started even on our bus, you know, starting the rosary, starting every day with the rosary.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and so that's one thing I took away to remember to continue to stay in prayer, even especially when you're going through the most difficult time.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_01: So when I was walking, that was one thing that I was so glad I could remember.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_01: We had our rosary bracelet, and I said, okay, there's four of us here.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I don't know if I can make it these last 20 minutes, but Mary will help me.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_01: So I started the rosary and we and it just kind of took this pressure off.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_01: And it got us to the finish line, and I was so so thankful.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_01: And you know.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_04: Um maybe a word about uh Pope Francis, uh, your own experience and what you heard from some of the others in the group.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so Cynthia and Vanessa were the first to see him in our group.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_01: Uh he was actually at the Catholic University across from the hotel.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um they escaped the hotel early that morning to do laundry because they're early birds and they were able to do that.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_01: Uh but then by the time they were coming back, the roads were already blocked off.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and they they were trying so many different ways to get back, but ultimately they stopped and then they see him riding in his car, and they were just like, oh my gosh, we got to see the Pope.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_01: Like, this is the reason why we were blocked off.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_01: You know, God has God knows what he's doing.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so they felt very blessed to be able to have that opportunity.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_01: And then we had planned to be at the welcoming ceremony especially early to make sure we had space and room and and to be able to see the Pope when he arrived.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we didn't imagine he would be, you know, driving right in front of where we were gonna be.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_01: Um so we ended up getting this literally this spot right.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_01: And so Cynthia was able to get her camera right there and have this beautiful um uh recording of the Pope coming through.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_03: Um, is that the one we had on Instagram or was that one?
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_03: I think it was.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_03: That's the one.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, that was great.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_03: I loved the smiling the whole time, right?
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, God bless him.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_01: He's such an endearing uh Pope.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um it was my first time hearing him in person, so I was really moved by the welcoming ceremony.
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_01: I think it really affirmed a lot of my DRE struggles and uh to continue going into my in my faith and and growing and sharing the love that Jesus has showed me to share that with as many people as I can and don't don't stop.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_04: I think listening to him, you could tell he has experience as a catechist and as a youth minister with young people, right?
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_04: Because he the way he speaks with it.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_01: It's like it's his passion.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_01: We are his passion, and he speaks directly to our heart.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um I read a great quote.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_03: I think he dropped his uh prepared remarks uh couple of times.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_03: A couple of times, I think.
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_03: If not every time.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_03: And he he was like, oh, something about homilies are are boring or something, and and he just felt like he needed to connect in a different way.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_03: And um and I think it sounds like he it worked.
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_04: He's he's made said shared with priests, keep the homily short, keep the homily short.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_04: And uh he keeps sticks to that himself, right?
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, what they weren't they didn't go on and on.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_04: Um, and especially Sunday morning, that was uh but uh uh maybe two other things, uh the stations of the cross and the vigil.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_04: What is the and your own experience and what you heard from some of the others?
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_01: Um the stations of the cross.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um I don't recall any feedback from my group on the stations of the cross.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_01: I think the vigil was the more um moving, the more moving and the more challenging because it was really an opening to have more connection with other people.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_01: Um so we got out there and we were able to, instead of staying in our one little spot when we set up, we were walking around and going into different areas.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_01: We were we were in section B11, um, but we didn't stay in B11, right?
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_01: We were walking around, meeting other people.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_01: Um there were a group from the neocatecuminal way, um, and they were just worshiping so loudly, lots of music.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_01: And um we were like, okay, next year we gotta we gotta bring our drums, we gotta bring our guitar, we gotta bring all the music we can.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_01: We have to be able to participate and have this liveliness.
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_01: Um we also got to spend some time in adoration.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_01: So each section had um the Eucharist there, so that we went at the holy hour, 3 a.m.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_04: Oh, really?
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_01: We did.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_01: So we didn't hear I didn't hear that.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_01: Well yeah, we um it just took some time to be there and I They brought the Eucharist to different sections during the course of the night?
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_01: Every section had the Eucharist, yeah.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_01: So throughout the night.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_01: It was there throughout the night.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_01: So um I didn't know and I and I walked and I didn't even realize it until I walked back and I see it, and I'm like, oh, they you know, they have the Eucharist there, people are kneeling and praying, and so we decided to be there at three and and to pray uh for that hour, which was beautiful.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um so you didn't even feel the time at that point.
• 18:35
  SPEAKER_01: You were just kind of in the moment and experiencing the love and and the faith between all these people.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_01: That's really beautiful.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_04: Uh I I found it beautiful and that we spent those first two days in Fatima and then went to Lisbon.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_04: Uh I thought that was great.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_04: Uh maybe again yourself or what you heard from others in terms of uh Fatima was one part of the uh the pilgrimage and then the the the six days in Lisbon as the next part.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_01: Um so my I I knew a lot about Fatima before going, so I was really excited to be at Fatima.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_01: Um but to experience it and from what we gathered as our group, we really felt like it was the most peaceful um and really the most spiritually calming place to be.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_01: So it was really beautiful to experience that um at the beginning, and then to kind of have that transition us into the spiritual growth that we were going to continue in Lisbon.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_01: Um so we really we really love the nightly vigil, the procession.
• 19:37
  SPEAKER_01: Oh yeah, right.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_04: Uh candlelight, yeah.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, and then doing um the rosary in the different languages, and just really being able to, you know, even me, um, and Jonathan was next to me for one of the he's like, Oh, I was like, they're doing it in two different languages every decade, so it's five, five Hail Marys in one language, five another.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_01: And he was like, Oh, I was like, Well, I speak Spanish, so I can pick up a lot of different languages.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and so really, once you know the Hail Mary, you know, you know, you know what to pray.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but I thought it was really, really beautiful to to feel and witness that.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_01: Um, the two, so we went the two nights.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_01: It was optional.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_01: Uh the first night.
• 20:17
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we were like, we're we're doing the nightly vigil.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_01: Um, that was something I believe Cynthia, one of Cynthia's friends said, you have to do the nightly vigil as many times as you can.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_01: It's just so beautiful.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_01: So she brought that to our group.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_01: I'm like, all right, night nightly vigil, first night it is, let's go.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um so we really, we really enjoyed that.
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_03: It was photos were awesome.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_03: Um which you know makes me think I, you know, my my wife and I were praying for you guys, um, and I know many in the diocese, I'm sure, were praying for you.
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_03: And I I know the bishop you had asked and requested prayers, and and I know you were praying for us.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_03: Did you did you did you sense the prayers?
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_03: Did you what was what what were the prayers for us back in the diocese?
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_03: Any any anything you want to share on that?
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_01: So well, I have um prayers that uh intercessions that my parishioners have asked um on behalf of me to pray for them, um health for a lot of our ailing uh family members and parishioners.
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_01: Um my personal is always uh the growth of our parish and the growth of our church, um, the growth of our ministry as catechists, um, the growth of the love of the Eucharist um is a big one.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um really focusing on uh as we talked about also at for the Eucharistic Congress next year to really open up the eyes and hearts of the people to understand what the Eucharist is.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_01: That's a big prayer.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um So those are a lot of there's so many things to pray for and so many people to pray for, but those are, you know, the basic main ones that we and I think that gives us a a sense of connection too, you know, that and there certainly was so much of that there as a
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_04: Downs and group with Matachin with the others there, but also that we were connected to those we left at home and praying for them and they were praying for us.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_04: I know that that you know, we've mentioned Jonathan a few times, and I think I mentioned him last week, but we Jonathan Camiola, the uh uh pastoral minister at Christ the King in New Vernon what a great job.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_04: Um thinking, you know, in terms of leadership and maybe especially with young people, uh, finding that balance of you know, making sure everybody's uh the one day he said everybody's gotta be in at 10 o'clock tonight, the Friday night, I think, because he knew we had a long day.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_04: And so, but he wasn't yelling at the kids, he wasn't overburdening.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_04: There was that he he really had a great sense.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_04: Uh, and you know, you could tell that he's worked with in in youth ministry for a long time.
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_04: And uh and then I think the uh cooperation between, I guess it was five or six, they each had their HR one and HR2 were from Holy Rosary, and uh they each had their own little nickname.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_04: But uh, but uh maybe speak a little bit about that coordination between uh the adult leaders, chaperones with Jonathan and and uh and also with the wonderful volunteers um from Portugal, right, that were uh accompanying us, right?
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_04: The yellow shirts.
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_04: Yes, yes, yes.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it was really uh well planned.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_01: I I think in terms of um the communication uh definitely improved.
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_01: The WhatsApp was definitely the main component of our great communication.
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_01: Um I had some internet problems, but that was besides the point.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um I think that was our definitely always our first point of connection, um getting the itinerary ahead of time, although there was some flexibility in that.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_01: Um he would always kind of throw it to the leaders, and we would kind of um we had a couple of meetings throughout, smaller meetings for the leaders to kind of these were this is what our next couple of days are gonna look like.
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_01: What do you guys think?
• 24:30
  SPEAKER_01: And he wanted feedback on that.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um so there was improvement uh where we saw some issues in the beginning and and improving that.
• 24:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um I think it was really nice of him to allow us, and and I I I think it was nice when he mentioned if you guys need rest, like don't it's okay to take the rest of the you're gonna need it because really the vigil is gonna be the hardest day.
• 24:52
  SPEAKER_04: It would be easy to say we gotta go here, we gotta go here.
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_04: We that's not gonna help the kids if it's if they're gonna drop, you know.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly, exactly.
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_01: So him, I guess uh giving that permission to us really allowed us to kind of take a deep breath and like, okay, this is you know, one step at a time, we're gonna be able to do that.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, we're allowed a break, but we we still have stuff to experience, but we can take the break if we need it.
• 25:11
  SPEAKER_01: Um so the communication was great, even you know, in our group leader chat, also just kind of making sure that we're all on the same page.
• 25:18
  SPEAKER_01: If um if there was a group going somewhere and someone wanted to tag along with that group, just making sure everyone was always accounted for at all times was also very important.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_01: Thank God we didn't lose anybody along the way.
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_01: I think that was.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_04: Especially when I was separated from the group those days and I was with the bishop, I would come up in the bus.
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_04: Has anybody seen so-and-so?
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_04: He's with me, it would come up in the yeah.
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we're just making making sure everybody's always accounted for.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_01: Um and even when we split during the vigil, like I was always, and we were kind of always mindful of the leaders.
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, I have this, this is how many I'm counting as we're walking, because we would get into groups that are just overwhelming and just walking, and then we're kind of all hanging on to each other, walking through, and like, okay, I have my seven, you guys, you just worry about this seven and that group will worry about theirs.
• 26:03
  SPEAKER_04: The getting out there Saturday and finding a spot in the crowds, and then there was supposed to be food trucks and um hearing on the following on the WhatsApp and saying, Oh, they're not finding food.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_04: But in the end, I think everybody got fed, right?
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_04: Everybody got fed, yes.
• 26:18
  SPEAKER_04: Again, to the to the leaders in Portugal, how they did it.
• 26:21
  SPEAKER_04: I don't they did such a great job.
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it was there were a lot of working parts there.
• 26:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um by the time so our group left a little later for the vigil, and we had already gotten all the scoop on the with the WhatsApp group chat where to go.
• 26:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um so we kind of got out of the train station.
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_01: The trucks were already there, so we kind of uh kind of sailed right through the vigil getting there, um, which was nice that we had, you know, people sending a sending location, which is a really great feature you have on WhatsApp.
• 26:48
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah.
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um so you can kind of send your location.
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_01: Yep, drop and pin.
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_01: Where are you guys right now?
• 26:54
  SPEAKER_01: And it'll get me to them.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_04: So it was really I didn't figure out that part, somebody left to show me, but I I was following the conversation.
• 26:59
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_01: So it's really awesome.
• 27:01
  SPEAKER_03: It was like the WhatsApp trip.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_03: We were actually Cecile and I back here, we were connected with the two deacons that were with you, the seminarians, and and they were and the so between the bishop texting us photos and videos, and then the deacons were also sharing photos and videos through WhatsApp.
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_04: So it was And the uh Deacon Joe and Deacon Sebastian, I thought would did a great job just being part of the group.
• 27:20
  SPEAKER_04: And uh and Father Stefan, right?
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_04: I mean how he's he's fantastic.
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_04: Yes, yes.
• 27:25
  SPEAKER_04: Father Stefan Less, the pastor of uh of Holy Rosary, who had such a large group, and uh he was with the group the whole time.
• 27:31
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, really well.
• 27:32
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that was a large group.
• 27:33
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 27:33
  SPEAKER_01: God bless them.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_03: Uh so you mentioned um the WhatsApp group is sounds like it's survived and and it's carrying on.
• 27:41
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_03: What else is uh kind of carrying through to to where you're at now and where your your community is at at your parish?
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_03: Um what are you bringing back from World Youth Day?
• 27:52
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Ross Powell, Jr.
• 27:52
  SPEAKER_01: So a lot of different experiences.
• 27:55
  SPEAKER_01: Um one, I think just the fact that the community has seen that we are able to travel, which is really exciting for a lot of teens.
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, we we can do that if that's what you guys want to do.
• 28:07
  SPEAKER_01: You know, there's a lot we can do as a parish.
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_01: Um that's one main thing.
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_01: Um but what I'm taking away is also what other parishes have to offer in their in their different ministries and how we can.
• 28:21
  SPEAKER_04: Right, right, right.
• 28:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um so me and Cynthia are brainstorming, okay, like can we do like a once a month at this parish, just all the teens and youths.
• 28:30
  SPEAKER_01: So this is something that me and her are going to work on between all the parishes that were involved.
• 28:34
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that's a really great way to kind of also keep us all connected and then for our teens to see other teens being active in their parishes.
• 28:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I think will be really eye-opening and beautiful just to see what we saw on such a greater scale, just to see that here on the local scale, so that they they see that there, you know, there are other teens practicing.
• 28:53
  SPEAKER_01: This is this is normal and beautiful.
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_03: And you're go ahead.
• 28:57
  SPEAKER_03: Sorry, but you're and you're form you're actively forming a new youth ministry at your at your parish.
• 29:01
  SPEAKER_03: So what's that?
• 29:03
  SPEAKER_03: What's that like and and how did that come about?
• 29:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um so we have not had a youth ministry since I have been there.
• 29:11
  SPEAKER_01: The year I started it was 2019 to 2020.
• 29:16
  SPEAKER_01: What happened?
• 29:18
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_04: Whoops.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_04: Not great days for youth ministry.
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so that kind of uh put us on pause.
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um but the group that we have now is so close-knit and they want to do more than confirmation class, and so they want to continue growing.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so as long as they have that energy, where I'm gonna do everything I can to kind of build on that and use Cynthia as my my um guide, my spiritual guide, and she has that connection with youth ministry, she knows what she's doing, and then also help from probably get mentors from other youth ministers in our diocese to grow that.
• 29:53
  SPEAKER_01: But we're really looking to start this fall to really have a coordinated plan.
• 29:57
  SPEAKER_04: That's reminding me that we're gonna have a diocesan youth day in the fall, so we'll get more information on that uh and certainly be inviting.
• 30:04
  SPEAKER_04: But uh Sister Teresa Lee, our Chancellor and Delegate for Religious, uh had texted me a flyer for uh as we're in the Eucharistic revival on Friday, September the 8th, the uh nativity of our Blessed Mother and Blessed Mother's Birthday uh at St.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_04: Gerard Parish in Patterson.
• 30:21
  SPEAKER_04: There'll be a night of Eucharistic revival sponsored by the religious of the diocese, uh religious brothers and sister religious communities, um, for youth and young adults.
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_04: And so Sister Mer uh Sister Teresa texted me to say, invite the group.
• 30:34
  SPEAKER_04: So I'd put it in the WhatsApp and then it would certainly be a chance for a reunion.
• 30:38
  SPEAKER_04: Maybe someone on from a touch and leave and come.
• 30:40
  SPEAKER_04: But then uh interesting that uh um uh I had it was Sunday morning of the and the it had just been announced where the next World Youth Day is gonna be.
• 30:50
  SPEAKER_04: And uh Sister Teresa, her parents are from Korea, so uh we might ask Sister Teresa.
• 30:55
  SPEAKER_04: I know she might have some responsibilities with the Salesian sisters, but uh uh she would be a great uh leader or help to lead us to Korea uh Seoul in 2027.
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_04: And who knows, we'll see before that, uh, and we'll be talking about um the year after next is uh every 25 years is a Jubilee year.
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_04: So 2025 is a Jubilee year, and uh, as part of the year-long celebrations in Rome, there'll be uh a youth day, and Pope Francis made that invitation.
• 31:20
  SPEAKER_04: I want to invite you all to Rome, come see me, and we'll be together as young people uh in Rome for the Jubilee, and then in 27 next uh World Youth Day in in Seoul Korea.
• 31:30
  SPEAKER_04: So we can start planning, right?
• 31:31
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, we're already planning, we're ready to go.
• 31:35
  SPEAKER_03: Well, thank you, Crystal.
• 31:36
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 31:37
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, thanks.
• 31:37
  SPEAKER_03: Thanks so much for um for sharing all that.
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_03: Um Bishop, I want to I want to kick a question over to you.
• 31:43
  SPEAKER_03: Um what was your takeaway?
• 31:45
  SPEAKER_03: Uh what were your uh thoughts about the experience and and the importance of youth in in the Catholic Church or any anything in there you want to do that?
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_04: Well, one word that that came to mind from Fatima uh really that Wednesday night uh with Bishop Barron and the USCCB holy hour, but throughout each of the ceremonies and Saturday night certainly, and prayerful.
• 32:08
  SPEAKER_04: It was the it was so prayerful.
• 32:11
  SPEAKER_04: And the silence of the young people that Wednesday night I mentioned, and then Saturday night the visual uh Eucharistic adoration.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_04: A million people and quiet prayer.
• 32:24
  SPEAKER_04: Uh so um Bishop Aaron also reminded and I might write something about it, but uh Mother Teresa's business card, uh the fruit of uh the fruit of uh silence is prayer, the fruit of prayer is faith, the fruit of faith is um uh love, the fruit of love is service, and the fruit of service is peace.
• 32:44
  SPEAKER_04: I'll get it to you.
• 32:46
  SPEAKER_04: But uh and Bishop Barron really gave two talks, one on the Wednesday evening and one at the catechetical at the catechetical session, one before on prayer, and then a beautiful homily at the Mass.
• 32:58
  SPEAKER_04: So uh it was it was uh a very, very prayerful experience, and the young people kind of led the way.
• 33:05
  SPEAKER_04: And um, and it was the other word would be hopeful because uh both for the certainly the church in Portugal, they got a lot of good young adult leaders, and we do here as well.
• 33:14
  SPEAKER_04: And I I shared uh in one of the posts that um we can be hopeful about the young church here in our country because um there's a lot of wonderful young people of faith, right, Christian?
• 33:23
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, yes, there are.
• 33:26
  SPEAKER_04: That's beautiful.
• 33:27
  SPEAKER_04: Okay, well, as we And last but not least, and because it just needs to be repeated.
• 33:31
  SPEAKER_04: Thank you to the sponsors, thank you to the parents, uh those who didn't go themselves but donated.
• 33:36
  SPEAKER_04: We had a few uh uh young people that went on scholarship, and uh only God knows uh the impact that of that generosity.
• 33:43
  SPEAKER_04: So um we're we're very grateful to uh to Jonathan.
• 33:46
  SPEAKER_04: Duby Travel was the travel company that did a great job.
• 33:49
  SPEAKER_04: And um and and so a lot of people worked together to give something to these young people that they took advantage of and they gave themselves with the help of their leaders uh and maybe some uh steps along the way at the beginning, but they they got it.
• 34:03
  SPEAKER_04: They they they they and they they lived it and uh I I'm sure it's gonna produce great fruit.
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_03: Well, great.
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_03: Uh what a great conversation.
• 34:10
  SPEAKER_03: And thanks again, Crystal.
• 34:12
  SPEAKER_03: Before we wind down the episode, Bishop, is there anything else you'd like to share?
• 34:16
  SPEAKER_04: Uh the Feast of the Assumption is coming up uh August 15th, uh Tuesday, I believe.
• 34:21
  SPEAKER_04: So um August 14th, I believe, is the Feast of St.
• 34:24
  SPEAKER_04: Maximilian Colby.
• 34:25
  SPEAKER_04: And um so uh um I'll be actually uh celebrating Mass this Sunday at the Blue Army Shrine, the uh Fatima Shrine uh in the Diocese of Metuchin.
• 34:37
  SPEAKER_04: And so I'm looking forward.
• 34:38
  SPEAKER_04: It was kind of a coincidence, but uh uh to continue the meditating on the Fatima message.
• 34:43
  SPEAKER_04: And um we'll I'll do that this Sunday.
• 34:46
  SPEAKER_04: And then um I also um will be uh receiving the final vows of some sisters uh two different communities, I think, within the next week or ten days.
• 34:53
  SPEAKER_04: So maybe we'll share some of that as we as uh maybe next week or as we go along.
• 34:58
  SPEAKER_03: Great.
• 34:59
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 35:00
  SPEAKER_03: Well, thank you for spending time with us.
• 35:03
  SPEAKER_03: Join us again for the next episode of Beyond the Beacon.
• 35:05
  SPEAKER_03: Please subscribe to this podcast wherever you're listening.
• 35:08
  SPEAKER_03: 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.
• 35:18
  SPEAKER_03: Email questions and podcast topic ideas for the bishop to beyond at pattersondioces.org.
• 35:24
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you for listening to Beyond the Beacon.
• 35:27
  SPEAKER_04: Thanks, everybody.
• 35:28
  SPEAKER_04: God bless you.
• 35:28
  SPEAKER_04: Thank you, Crystal.
• 35:30
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.