Let Me Be Frank | Bishop Frank Caggiano’s Podcast | Diocese of Bridgeport, CT

Steve is away this week with his family… a much-needed break, especially considering it’s been almost two years since the Lees have taken a vacation. Bishop Frank is taking his version of a break, too, with his family… although, really, work never stops for him. Anyway, it’s our pleasure to re-visit this conversation from July 10, 2024 where we talked about summertime, renewing yourself with “down...

On September 24th in St Louis, Archbishop Fulton Sheen will be beatified. (Tickets are on sale, and you can join in the Mass & celebrations!) Msgr Jason Gray is the Executive Director of the  Fulton Sheen Foundation , leading the cause for Archbishop Sheen’s canonization. He joins Let Me Be Frank to talk about many things, including: ...the life of Fulton Sheen ...the rigorous process of canon...

When is it appropriate to refuse someone Communion? Has Bishop Frank ever fired a priest? What do we know about the Marian apparition "Our Lady of America"? What would you say to God, in 10 or fewer words, to explain why you should go to Heaven? How about the Connecticut teacher who was removed from the classroom for displaying a cross? These are just some of the excellent listener questions that...

If Bishop Frank were to write a book, he says it would be about rediscovering the charism for Christian friendship. Friendship also happens to be the key to reaching and evangelizing young adults. That is the consensus among Bishop Frank, Fr Sam Kachuba (Vicar for Young Adult Ministry), and Paola Pena (Director of Evangelization at St Pius X). The culture has been offering empty promises to young...

Pope Leo XIV just released his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, on safeguarding the human person in the age of artificial intelligence — and Bishop Frank Caggiano walks through it in plain language. What is AI, really? Why does the Pope call this an “epochal moment”? And what’s the difference between building “Babel” and rebuilding Jerusalem’s wall? A clear, hopeful, sometimes funny guide to...

How do we know Jesus is truly the Messiah promised in the Old Testament? In this episode, Bishop Frank Caggiano sits down with renowned Catholic apologist and author Gary Michuta to explore some of the most compelling messianic prophecies found in Sacred Scripture and how they reveal Jesus Christ as the long-awaited Savior of the world. Drawing from his latest book, Messiah: Old Testament Propheci...

We pray in the Creed that the Holy Spirit, with the Father and the Son, is adored and glorified. I, for one, know so much less about the Holy Spirit... that I'm not sure I can say I adore and glorify Him the same way as the Father and the Son. So Bishop Frank gives us (me) some teaching and reflection on who the Holy Spirit is, and what He does in our lives, and the gifts He gives us and the fruit...

Matthew Hennessey has written a book on "intergenerational warfare". But his day job is as Editor of  Free Expression , a daily newsletter from the Wall Street Journal. Matthew joins Bishop Frank to talk about journalism, economics, the difference among generations & the importance of Gen X, and how his wife saved his life and brought him back to the Faith. "It was the intrusion of love that m...

On June 19th, we’re having our big GALA fundraiser in Darien. Joe & Joe from The Front Line are going to interview Samuel Blair… US Navy Seal, Leadership and Ethics teacher at the Naval Academy, and now CEO of Valletta Industries. Go here for tickets & information. Along with the live audience taping of the show, there’ll be food & drink, fellowship with other listeners & supporter...

On the heels of the Jubilee of Hope, we are now in the midst of a special Jubilee Year for St Francis (whose 800th feast day is on Oct 3, 2026).   St Francis is one of the most beloved saints in the Church, revered even by countless non-Catholics. So what does he have to teach those of us living in this society today? Bishop Caggiano has five lessons for each of us to reflect on and implement in o...

There is a truly beautiful and amazing way that you can encounter Jesus and deepen your relationship with him. It's called Cursillo, and it starts with a weekend retreat and then offers you practical ways to put your faith in to action. Mike Bonomo & Eileen Masaryk are both local leaders in the retreats and the movement. They join Bishop Frank to talk about Cursillo, what it has meant to them...

Meet Maria.    She's the newest fundraising officer in the Diocese of Bridgeport... and she is a work of autonomous artificial intelligence. Bishop Caggiano is at the tip of the spear, as we become the first diocese in the country to incorporate an AI fundraising officer. Why are we doing this? How will it help? Emily Groccia, of  Givzey , and Deacon Pat Toole join Bishop Frank to discuss the plan...

Happy Easter! Alleluia!  We are in the octave of Easter and just at the start of the 50-day Easter season! We celebrate this joyous season with some fun... opening up the mailbag so Bishop Frank can answer listener questions, like: ...where was the Garden of Eden? ...has there been a recurring theme in your homilies throughout your priesthood? ...what is the protocol for meeting a pope? ...what ar...

In the midst of chronic illness and suffering, whether we're going through it or we're accompanying a loved one, Bishop Frank Caggiano reminds us that "only God has the full perspective. For me, to be cured is a good... but it may not be the ultimate good." Maureen Pratt has faced down a lifelong chronic illness, and  The Peace In The Storm Project  was born out of her experiences. She joins Bisho...

"Death is not a lightswitch. It's a process; it happens in stages." That was the theme of Bishop Frank Caggiano's conversation with Mike Carlon. Mike wrote  The Waiting Room , a novel about two families who are in the hospital with their dying loved ones on Christmas Eve. After losing both his brother and his mother in the course of 13 months, Mike woke up in the middle of the night and began writ...

"You think, if you live your life well, that you'll be absolved of any suffering... What was God up to in all of this?" One year ago, Jason Trennert, much sought-after investment strategist, found himself in his own Garden of Gethsemane. Two weeks after being offered a post in the Treasury Department, he found himself in a brutal fight against cancer... even losing his ability to walk. In a candid...

We will all have some experience with death. That reality is especially poignant during Lent. Bishop Caggiano speaks with Stephen Doran, a neurosurgeon and Catholic deacon who has written a tremendous book (especially good to pick up for the next few weeks of Lent) called  To Die Well . Some of the things they discuss include: ...what, actually, is death? ...how can we prepare for death (our own a...

"The one mistake most people make is: they give Satan too much power." Msgr Stephen Rossetti, an exorcist with the Archdiocese of Washington, founded and leads the  St Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal . Spiritual warfare is the topic of this week's Let Me Be Frank, and Msgr Rossetti & Bishop Caggiano answer questions like: ...what is deliverance ministry? ...how do you distinguish between...

What Christ Suffered  examines the passion and crucifixion of Jesus Christ through the eyes of a physician, detailing Jesus's suffering from a physiological and medical point of view.   And... the book is even more than that. It is also a reflection on Paul's words to the Colossians: "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions f...

Blessed Ash Wednesday to you. Bishop Caggiano helps us begin Lent on the right foot, as he reflects on: ...what are the two focuses of Lent for each of us personally? ...what is the purpose of this season of penance? Where is the journey heading? ...what can we expect to see in our churches over these 40 days? We also talked about Archbishop Fulton Sheen, whose upcoming beatification was confirmed...

Original broadcast 2/23/22... Lent is just a week away - and the time to prepare is now! Bishop Frank reflects on the three "Ps" of Lent: poverty, prayer, and penance, this week on Let Me Be Frank. Veritas Catholic Network

"My parents loved me..." That's how Fr Gregory Pine OP began his testimony when Bishop Frank asked about his journey of faith.  Fr Gregory joined us on Let Me Be Frank to talk about his new book:  Training The Tongue And Growing Beyond Sins of Speech ... which details how we can elevate our speech, enhance conversation, and (most importantly) cultivate communion. Fr Gregory & Bishop Frank also...

The Holy Spirit is on the move. Bishop Caggiano has observed that there is a turning of the tide, a window of opportunity, a newfound openness to the Catholic faith in people who were not open just a few years ago. There are quantitative and qualitative signs… a perfect storm of events and circumstances coming together that bode very hopefully for the growth of the Catholic faith. What does this p...

When we suffer, we suffer because we try to find happiness in something that will never give it to us," Fr Daniel Chowning said. Yes... and that wasn't even the "quote to remember from this episode", according to Bishop Frank! Fr Daniel Chowning OCD is a Discalced Carmelite priest and author of Healed by Love: Contemplation as a Path of Healing according to St John of the Cross . Fr Daniel joined...

What is one great success Bishop Frank is proud of?  What is one regret that he carries with him? Where does the money from Sunday collections go? Why don't all the parishes in the diocese follow the same rituals? Yup, it's another mailbag episode of Let Me Be Frank! Bishop Caggiano answers the questions above, plus many more. Enjoy! Pax Christi, Steve Lee