Beyond The Beacon

Father Dailon Lisabet left Cuba for the United States when he was 19 years old and found his way to New Jersey where he was ordained a priest of the diocese in 2019. In many ways, the seeds of his priestly calling began as a teenager in Cuba where he established a mission to impoverished children through his church and led many youths to be baptized. Now Father Dailon is set to return to his home...

Bishop Kevin Sweeney tours the diocesan archives for the first time in a special simulpodcast episode of Beyond The Beacon and Coffee with Kupke. With the help of historian, archivist, and pastor Msgr. Ray Kupke, the bishop unearths some of the oldest treasures of the diocese. These include vintage mitres worn by Bishop James Navagh, Bishop Thomas Aloysius Boland’s desk calendar from 1948, the dee...

On Beyond The Beacon episode 62, meet two couples, who recently returned from the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, Ind. Dr. Tobi and Anne Ippolito, who are parents of three grown children, are parishioners of Holy Family Church in Florham Park. Tobi is currently a diaconate candidate, Anne is a master’s of theology student and they have classes together at Seton Hall University. Also...

Each of our guests is a priest. One is a doctor and educator, another a future immigration lawyer, and the other has a heart for social justice at the border, on death row, on the streets, and in his suburban backyard. They are Father Chris VanHaight, O.F.M., Father Matthew Pravetz, O.F.M., and Father Emmet Murphy, O.F.M. These Franciscan friars have traveled diverse paths and currently live and w...

Where are you going?  In Latin, it translates to “Quo Vadis” and in Beyond The Beacon episode 60 learn what that means as we travel again on location to Shiloh Bible Camp in West Milford, N.J. for the 2024 Quo Vadis discernment retreat.   Bishop Kevin Sweeney interviews six young men on the retreat from several parishes in the diocese: Rory Lago, Assumption Parish in Morristown; Juan Real and Jaco...

Former Major League Baseball pitcher and Paterson native Michael Jackson shares his remarkable story of making the big leagues, overcoming addiction, and going on to assist others as a counselor. Also joining Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Jai Agnish for this important conversation about healing and recovery is Angela Nikolovski, executive director of Straight and Narrow of Catholic Charities of the Dio...

Paulist Father Tom Gibbons, a New Jersey native, joins Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney and Jai Agnish to discuss ministering in Hollywood while producing and directing films of his own with Paulist Productions. His new documentary "Hollywood Priest: The Story of Fr. 'Bud' Kieser" is an entertaining, provocative, and nostalgic chronicle of a visionary who recognized early on the potenti...

On Beyond the Beacon episode 57, co-founder of Good Counsel Homes Christopher Bell speaks about the pro-life efforts of he and his wife Joan Andrews Bell for nearly 40 years. Joan is a legendary advocate for life, recently sentenced to 27 months in prison for her involvement in a “rescue” at a Washington, D.C. abortion clinic. Also in the conversation with Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Cecile Pagliarul...

“Teach a sister, touch the world!” This is the motto of Assumption College for Sisters, an accredited college sponsored by the Sisters of Christian Charity (SCC), which educates religious sisters called to consecrated life from the Paterson Diocese and around the world.  On episode 56, Beyond The Beacon hits the road again, recording on location on the Morris Catholic High School campus in Denvill...

Two priests join Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Jai Agnish to discuss what life is like as chaplains for the United States Armed Forces. Bishop Kevin also offers a special Memorial Day blessing. Guests Father Michael Parisi and Father Matt Pawlikowski have over 50 years of combined military service. Father Parisi was commissioned in the Navy Chaplain Corps in 1988 where he served in various capacities,...

Seven students from Pope John XXIII Regional High School in Sparta discuss producing their podcast, technology and the impact of artificial intelligence, leading spiritual retreats, and their student-led Bible study. Accompanied by Father John Calabro, chaplain and teacher at Pope John, and Brian Carlson, faculty adviser and chair of the business department, the nine guests joined Bishop Kevin Swe...

While every Catholic pilgrimage site offers a journey of spiritual wonder, the mission of a Lourdes pilgrimage is specific: bringing love and healing to the sick. On Beyond the Beacon episode 53, Bishop Kevin Sweeney discusses with Jai Agnish, diocesan communications director, his recent pilgrimage to Lourdes, France with the Order of Malta. In 1858, the Blessed Mother appeared on 18 occasions to...

Sometimes, when a man and a woman enter a marriage with the best of intentions, it may still end badly. Thankfully, the Catholic Church has a process to determine if a marriage that ended badly may be declared invalid. The process is called an annulment.  On Beyond the Beacon’s 52nd episode, Father Marc Mancini, judicial vicar of the Paterson Diocese, joins Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney and Communicatio...

What is the right age for confirmation? Why was my priest assigned to a different parish? Should parish pastoral councils be mandatory? Is it OK to wash the feet of people in jail? Bishop Kevin Sweeney responds to these questions, critiques, and more in an episode dedicated entirely to feedback from our viewers, listeners, and social media community. Jai Agnish and Cecile Pagliarulo take turns put...

What role does faith play when building friendships?   This week on Beyond the Beacon’s 50th episode, a group of students, along with Colette Geraghty, campus minister, from Villa Walsh Academy (VWA) in Morristown, join Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney and Cecile Pagliarulo to discuss how faith can influence our choice in friends.   The students, a mix of sophomores and seniors from VWA, served by the Reli...

The Easter Season is an opportunity to renew our baptismal promises and recommit ourselves to Christ. For episode 49 of Beyond The Beacon, Bishop Kevin Sweeney reflects on the significance of Holy Week. Learn what it's like to experience Holy Week from the perspective of a bishop. As a bonus, discover what Bishop Kevin's favorite Holy Week Mass or service is. Thanks for joining us! Pleas...

What does “I am 1 in 4” mean? There’s a population of women who know exactly what this means firsthand. It means they lost a child through miscarriage. On Episode 48 of Beyond the Beacon, Jennifer Nelson joins Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney and Cecile Pagliarulo to discuss the Sisterhood of the Traveling Relics of St. Gianna, a prayer card ministry bonded by St. Gianna Beretta Molla. The “Sisterhood” is...

What's the secret to passing on the faith? A father and teenage son explore the nuances of this question and more with Bishop Kevin Sweeney and co-host Jai Agnish for episode 47 of Beyond The Beacon. Dennis Dalelio and his oldest son, Eli, -- close friends of Agnish's -- strive to live a life of faith, hope, and love in Vernon, N.J., where they live and are active in catechesis at Our La...

How can history inspire our faith? Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Jai Agnish visit Our Lady of the Magnificat in Kinnelon, N.J., for a remote podcast episode. On display in the church narthex is a giant museum-quality photo exhibition of the Shroud of Turin. Tune in to the video version of this episode for the full impact! This week's guest, Father Steven Shadwell, elaborates on how this unique his...

How do you have a "spiritual conversation?" Father Paul Manning and Maria Moncaleano join Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Jai Agnish to discuss the interim phase of the Synod on Synodality and new listening sessions. All are welcome to listening sessions hosted by the Diocese of Paterson in English or Spanish on Wednesday, March 13, at Reverend Brown Memorial School in Sparta, from 7 to 9 p.m.;...

Lent -- and any time, really -- is an opportunity for us to consider the sacrament of reconciliation. Not only does penance free us from our sins, but it also challenges us to have the same kind of compassion and forgiveness for those who sin against us.  All are invited to celebrate the gift of forgiveness in the sacrament of reconciliation (confession) at any church in the Diocese of Paterson on...

Have you ever asked: How can I be a better husband? How can I be a better wife? We attempt to answer those questions and more. This week's guests are Brian and Eniola (Eni) Honsberger, a loving Catholic couple celebrating 15 years of marriage in April. In honor of the season of love (Valentine's Day, National Marriage Week, World Marriage Day), they join Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Jai Agni...

We welcome back Cecile Pagliarulo to discuss the Eucharist's impact on the spiritual life of young adults. Bishop Kevin Sweeney also announces a video contest for two trips to the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis this summer. Cecile, who manages social media for the Diocese of Paterson, reveals the contest rules while reflecting on her experience of Eucharistic adoration and her...

Featured on this episode is 21-time bestselling author Jerry B. Jenkins who has written over 200 books, including his latest entitled, "The Chosen: And I Will Give You Rest." It's the third book in a series based on the record-breaking television series created by his son Dallas Jenkins. Jerry opens up about his son's success with The Chosen and why he thinks the series is so p...

Have you ever asked yourself, "What does God want me to do with my life?" The vocations office of the Diocese of Paterson is hosting a discernment retreat during the first weekend of March to help young men get a step closer to answering that question. For this episode, a young priest and a seminarian join Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Jai Agnish to discuss the discernment process and the val...