Beyond The Beacon

Join Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish for episode 20 of Beyond The Beacon, a podcast of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J. They welcome three parishioners from the faith community of St. Joseph in Mendham, N.J., to discuss their annual mission trip to Appalachia.  Mark Tosso is the director of the middle school and high school youth ministry program at St. Joseph’s. Lynne Con...

Join Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish for episode 19 of Beyond The Beacon, a podcast of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J.  Bishop Sweeney invites Crystal Guerrero to the show. Guerrero  is the director of religious education and the office manager at The Catholic Community of St. Brendan & St. George in Clifton. She and Bishop Sweeney were among a group of pilgrims from...

Join Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish for episode 18 of Beyond The Beacon, a podcast of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J.  Bishop Sweeney calls in from Lisbon, Portugal, where he is participating in World Youth Day 2023 with a group of young people and chaperones, seminarians, and priests, representing the Diocese of Paterson. Upon arriving in Portugal, the pilgrims from the...

Join Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish for episode 17 of Beyond The Beacon, a podcast of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J.  They invite Father Joseph Healey, M.M., to the show. Father Joe is a missionary priest with the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America. He served in Africa for the past 55 years and is a journalist, author, and te...

Join Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish for episode 16 of Beyond The Beacon, a podcast of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J.  They invite Monsignor Ray Kupke and Father Paul Manning to the show to discuss their new podcast, Coffee with Kupke. Father Manning is the vicar for evangelization for the diocese and executive director of St. Paul Inside the Walls, the evangelization ce...

Join Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish as they go on the road for episode 15 of Beyond The Beacon, a podcast of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J.  Their first remote podcast recording is at Camp Shiloh during the 2023 Quo Vadis discernment retreat in Hewitt (West Milford), N.J.  Bishop Sweeney and Agnish interview several young men discerning their vocation. Also making appea...

Join Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish for episode 14 of Beyond The Beacon, a podcast of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J.  Bishop Sweeney discusses his experience at the USCCB bishops’ meeting in Orlando, Fla. and sitting next to Bishop Robert Barron. He also reflects on the anniversary of the Dobbs decision, religious freedom, and more. Agnish puts a question to  Bishop Swe...

Join Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish for episode 13 of Beyond The Beacon, a podcast of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J.  Bishop Sweeney invites Deacon John Robayo and his wife, Rose to the show. Deacon John is one of our 10 new deacons ordained this past Saturday by Bishop Sweeney. John and Rose discuss his journey to becoming a deacon and share some fun stories about thei...

Join Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish for episode 12 of Beyond The Beacon, a podcast of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J.  Bishop Sweeney invites Mary Baier to the show to discuss Catholic School education. Baier is the Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of Paterson. She has been in the field for 34 years and lives and breathes Catholic School education.  She and the...

Join Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish for episode 11 of Beyond The Beacon, a podcast of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J.  Bishop Sweeney invites Chris Brancato to the show to discuss the Catholic Charities Corpus Christi Food Drive, feeding the hungry, and more. Brancato handles fundraising and public relations for Catholic Charities and is celebrating his 20th year with th...

Join Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish for episode 10 of Beyond The Beacon, a podcast of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J.  Bishop Sweeney invites Father Agustino Torres, C.F.R., to the show this week to discuss his vocational calling, the Eucharist, and how ministering to the youth has changed. Father Agustino is an internationally renowned public speaker who hosts televisio...

Join Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish for episode 9 of Beyond The Beacon, a podcast of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J. In honor of Mother's Day, Bishop Sweeney invites Caitlin Ferrari and Eniola Honsberger to the show this week to discuss their journeys of faith and motherhood. Ferrari is the Communications and Information Coordinator of the Office of Evangelization,...

Join Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish for episode 8 of Beyond The Beacon, a podcast of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J. Bishop Sweeney invites Solanyi Rodriguez to the show this week to discuss her pro-life ministry. Rodriguez is a sidewalk counselor who advocates for life with women outside of abortion clinics and has helped save the lives of 12 babies. Rodriguez also disc...

Join Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish for episode 7 of Beyond The Beacon, a podcast of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J. This week, Bishop Sweeney invites two of the newest priests of the diocese (ordination class of 2022) onto the show to discuss vocations: Father Jose Zuniga and Father Stephen Delia. April 30 is World Day of Prayer for Vocations, when special attention is...

Join Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish for episode 6 of Beyond The Beacon, a podcast of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J. On this week’s episode, Bishop Sweeney calls Father Frank O’Grady in Ireland to discuss the priest’s surprise meeting with President Joe Biden at the Knock Shrine in Ireland. The tearful meeting made international headlines and thrust Father O’Grady, a ret...

Join Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish for episode 5 of Beyond The Beacon, a podcast of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J. Bishop Sweeney discusses Martin Luther King Jr. and U2's "Pride (In The Name of Love)." He also reflects on Holy Week and the Chrism Mass. He refers to parishes as the "heart of the Diocese" and explores the theme of community and...

Join Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish for episode 4 of Beyond the Beacon, a podcast of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J. They welcome their first guest, Scott Milliken, the CEO of Catholic Charities for the diocese, for a discussion about service. Bishop Sweeney talks about the opening day of baseball and Anthony Volpe, the new starting shortstop for the Yankees who attended...

Join Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish for episode 3 of Beyond the Beacon, a podcast of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J. Bishop Sweeney discusses St. Patrick's Day in New York City, his newspaper column titled, “Opening Day, March Madness and the Rites of Spring,” almsgiving, Catholic Charities, Catholic Schools, and more! He also takes a question from a listener and te...

Join Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish for episode 2 of Beyond the Beacon, a podcast of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J. Bishop Sweeney discusses Pope Francis, St. Patrick, Noche Blanca, his NCAA picks, and more. He also takes a question from a listener regarding his St. Patrick's Day dispensation from meat.  Be sure to like this episode, subscribe, and tune in next tim...

Join Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish for the first episode of Beyond the Beacon, a podcast of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J. Bishop Sweeney discusses his latest newspaper column, Lent, and current events. Among the topics covered in this edition of Beyond the Beacon is the big state championship win of the Morris Catholic High School Girls basketball team. The two discus...