Episode Transcript
[00:00:10] Speaker A: Hello and welcome to a new edition of Big City Catholics. I'm Bishop Robert Brennan, bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn, serving in Brooklyn and Queens. And today I'm co hosting with Father James Carolli, the rector, president of Cathedral Preparatory School and seminary in Helmhurst, Queensland, but also our director for youth and young adult ministry. Welcome, Father Carolyn.
[00:00:34] Speaker B: Thank you, bishop. Happy to be here with you and with everyone.
[00:00:37] Speaker A: Thank you. We begin this podcast with a prayer. And as you begin, of course, every day with prayer, with the sacrifice of the mass and then with the prayer leading the fellows, maybe we could begin with that very prayer.
[00:00:51] Speaker B: Absolutely. Happy to, bishop, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen. I, heavenly Father, give me the courage to strive for the highest goals, to flee every temptation to be mediocre, enable me to aspire to greatness as Pierre Giorgio did, and to open my heart with joy to your call to holiness. Free me from the fear of failure. I want to be lord firmly and forever united to you. Grant me the graces I ask you through blessed Pierre Giorgio Frasatti's intercession, by the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
[00:01:25] Speaker A: Amen.
[00:01:26] Speaker B: Blessed Pierre Giorgio Frasadi, pray for us. Saint John Bosco, pray for us. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen.
[00:01:36] Speaker A: Thank you. Cathedral Preparatory school and seminary. It's a school for forming and fostering vocations. It's a boys school, but you really captured the school by saying that you form men of greatness. Tell me a little bit about that.
[00:01:51] Speaker B: Sure. You know, we all have a particular vocation that God has called us to do in life. And certainly here in the cathedral, prep school and seminary, we plant that seed and it gives the young men the opportunity to ask life's most important question, what are you calling me to do in life? Knowing that there is that universal call which is the call to holiness and striving to become saints, trying to be who God has created us to be. And there lies that word, greatness. Whatever it is that we are called to do that, we know that we are first beloved sons of the Father, redeemed by Jesus and temples of the Holy Spirit, and therefore to be who we are as we go out into the world.
[00:02:36] Speaker A: It's a great mission, and it's one that really is embraced by the families of the young fellows who come here. That's something that I noticed, that there's a real sense of family within the school, but the family of families, families are very much a part of the mission of cathedral Prep.
[00:02:53] Speaker B: Absolutely. You know, the first is that sense of brotherhood that happens here almost happens naturally without much effort from the administration. There's that real sense of cathedral family, where they really consider this their second home. But part of that is because of the support and the encouragement of their family, of their parents, who first and foremost have to make the sacrifice in order to send their son here by the tuition payments. But even more so than that, there really is that collaboration as we form these young boys into young men, young men of greatness. Amen.
[00:03:26] Speaker A: That's right. Not to strive, you know, to get by, but really to be able to discover the way that God is working in their lives and take the baton from here and run off.
[00:03:35] Speaker B: And I think one of the things that we try to do is not just to look at these young men as leaders for tomorrow, but to give them the tools necessary so that they can be leaders here and now.
[00:03:45] Speaker A: And we experienced that. I experienced that in their parishes and again among their families. So last week we had a convocation the end of school year, giving us the gifts. Having graduated earlier, the seniors came back, joined the rest of the school. It was sort of a day of celebration.
[00:04:00] Speaker B: Absolutely. You know, it's a day of great pride for myself as we conclude the year. So there's always the joy at the end of the school year. It's also a way for us to recognize and to celebrate those that accomplished great things throughout the year, academically, in sports, and even in their service as ministers in the chapel, and to recognize, as I say at the very beginning, that when one member of the community is recognized, the entire community is recognized. So it's not simply a recognition of an individual, but really a celebration of the entire school.
[00:04:32] Speaker A: And that's a great, great thing. Now, as with many of our schools, there's sort of a day after everybody breathes, but there's a lot of work to get done, tying up the loose ends of last year and getting ready for the coming year. But also, this is going to be a busy place in the next couple of weeks.
[00:04:49] Speaker B: It is. We are starting our father choike program. It's a leadership program for those entering 7th and 8th grade. Back in 1968, they began this program, and every summer ever since, even during COVID although it was online, we continue to help young men to be those leaders that we expect them and want them to be. Not so much the 6th and 7th graders that come into the school, but the young men who are cathedral prep students that are serving as counselors. I think that's a testament to the school. It's a testament to their families. It's a testament to them that they want to spend their summers here in cathedral. So they take upon that leadership role as counselors, and in the morning, they take classes to prepare themselves for the catholic high school exam, the tax exam, and then in the afternoon, it's time for sports. And really, that's where they get to experience what cathedral prep is all about.
[00:05:41] Speaker A: That's wonderful. It really is. It should be an exciting couple of weeks. I'm glad to be recording right here in the office at Cathedral Prep, but you've taken on more responsibility, and I am really, really grateful for it. So we've had a big, busy year in youth ministry, and you're the director of youth and young adult ministries. So let's talk a little bit about the year. So it began, as far as I'm concerned, the pastoral year began really last summer.
[00:06:07] Speaker B: We were together in Portugal, which was a tremendous experience for me as I was able to witness the young people really experience the church, the universal church. And it was a lot of work, but a lot of fun and a lot of joy. And as you experienced as well as you saw as we were together, kind of behind the scenes, as well as you helped us, which we grew greatly appreciated. But there was a lot of laughs as we were working. We really had a good time.
[00:06:31] Speaker A: An inside story. We had a few days early for the crowd arrived to kind of prep. Yes, I pitched in, but you and your team really did the bulk of the work. But we had probably as much fun beforehand heading down to the gelato stations and things like that. We really enjoyed the work of getting ready. But when the pilgrims came, it was filled with joy and filled with excitement. You know, in the last couple of weeks, I've come across people who've made that pilgrimage. And while people love the whole thing, I get a lot of feedback about our experience in Fatima. A lot of people are going back to that experience of being in Fatima, of being there for mass in the afternoon, of doing the rosary walk at night. Some people talked about the experience of Cardinal Taglia, who's coming to the United States for the National Eucharistic Congress. He's going to be representing the pope in Indianapolis later this month. But that whole experience of Fatima was very meaningful for a lot of people.
[00:07:28] Speaker B: I think it was the foundation because we really went there the first full day of the pilgrimage, and we had spoken. We did a lot of preparing, not just the practical preparing but the spiritual preparing for these pilgrims. Every Friday, we would have holy hours, so that we would really stress that this is not a vacation, it's a pilgrimage. And I think once they entered Fatima and they got to experience the beauty of Mary's apparitions, that it really became a moment where they knew that this was something special and that they were able to open their heart to receive the message that the Lord wanted to speak to them. And it was phenomenal, and it was.
[00:08:09] Speaker A: And Cardinal Tagley's message really helped to focus that message that the Lord spoke to them.
[00:08:14] Speaker B: And there was a sense of pride because you were able to lead the rosary that night. And it's nice to have our own bishop.
[00:08:21] Speaker A: Very nice in my very poor latin, but it was a moment of grace. So you mentioned how we started off by preparing even before we left spiritually. But the other point is that it didn't end with the end of the pilgrimage. It didn't end in Portugal. You also did the follow up. So you gathered people together for monthly holy hours and.
[00:08:46] Speaker B: Absolutely, yeah, we continue to do that, continue to have by deanery, different parishes hosting these holy hours. And it's wonderful to, again, from my standpoint, to witness the faith and the real belief that our young people have in the Eucharist and the presence of our Lord truly in their lives and to be open in such a way that they're allowing the spirit to work with them and through them. And you really do say often that great things are happening in Brooklyn and queens. Well, great things are happening in Brooklyn and Queens because of our young people, because they're doing great things.
[00:09:19] Speaker A: God is doing great things. Indeed. Indeed. The Holy Father didn't give us much of a break in between events because he invited us to Rome next year for the holy year, the jubilee year. So we'll already start preparing, but I want to go back to the holy hours. That's not limited to those who made these pilgrimages. So tell me just a little bit about the holy hours. Is it basically youth and young adults, or are they two different holy hours?
[00:09:46] Speaker B: So the first Friday of the month, it's really for our youth. Anyone is welcome to come. And many of our youth ministers who worked so very hard throughout the year tried to bring their young people to these holy hours. And then afterwards, a time of fellowship. And then every third Friday of the month, we gather with the Shalom community in Williamsburg for a young adult holy hour as well. So we have different moments because, you know, we know that the Lord is truly present. And once they come to that encounter with the Lord. Great things continue to happen.
[00:10:17] Speaker A: I want to pick up on that because we have some great youth ministers and parishes have some great youth ministry programs, but there are some places where maybe the critical mass isn't there. And so a young person might say, well, I don't have a youth ministry available to me, so this is a good way to plug in. Right? You could just come first Friday. Everything's posted on the website. Yes.
[00:10:40] Speaker B: And also our social media.
[00:10:42] Speaker A: How would you connect? Forgiveness.
[00:10:43] Speaker B: BQ Youth and young adult.
[00:10:45] Speaker A: BQ Youth and young adult in all the different platforms. You could use that tag.
[00:10:51] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:10:52] Speaker A: And find out more information. But if you're not in a youth group or if you're looking to try to connect with a group, I would encourage you. Or if somebody you know, I would encourage you, pop in on one of those nights and you'll find yourself connected very, very quickly. Identify yourself. If you feel a little uncomfortable when you get there and say, gee, I don't know anybody, introduce yourself to Father Caroly or to one of the youth ministers, and you'll be pulled into some of our different groups. And that in itself is a great, great way to do two things, to plug in with the other young adults, but to be together with other people who love Jesus Christ, who are looking for his help and guidance along the way, and maybe just for a few moments of tranquility in a very busy world before the Lord in this holy hour and then some kind of a social after.
[00:11:37] Speaker B: And it's not just the encounter with the Lord, but a real experience of the church at that moment. And they come to know that they belong, that they are welcomed, and that they are an important and essential part of the church. Even if it's just for that moment, even if it's just for that hour, they're able to recognize that they belong.
[00:11:57] Speaker A: So tell me about the year. What are some of the highlights of the year in youth and young adult ministry?
[00:12:03] Speaker B: Myself and along with my associate director, Lucia Morales, you know, we have many things that we planned and many things that we continue to plan. And I think really one of our missions is to throw as much against the wall in the hopes that something will stick. Because just like anybody else, our young people have different personalities and they have different stories, and what might attract some might not attract others. So we really try to encourage different aspects of the life of the church and really different pillars. So we have opportunities for service, we have opportunities for coming together for mass, and I adoration. We have opportunities for fellowship, and we have opportunities for formation to learn more about our faith. So all of these things are happening together. And for me, the highlight is, again, witnessing the young people that are just open to the working of the spirit. You know, we may not always see the fruit of the labor, but we are able to recognize that a seed has been planted in those moments. But in order for it to be planted, they have to open their heart. And that's what's inspiring to me, is that at such a young age, they're willing to open their heart to receive the message that the Lord wants them to receive.
[00:13:19] Speaker A: You know, part of your ministry, it's deeply rooted in friendship with Jesus Christ. Part of the ministry is sports. Okay. And for a lot of pastors, CyO is the joy, but also the struggle.
And in many parishes, it attracts a great number of people. Been trying to develop that relationship, that connection, as it's often said, the c in Cyo.
[00:13:44] Speaker B: Sure. Yeah. Back in March, you had asked if I would kind of help out with being the liaison for CYO and working very closely with the director, Keith Goldberg, and really trying to bring that c back to CYO and just to make sure that there is something that is different with CYO than other sport programs that 1 may find. And the beautiful thing about it is that it is a form of evangelization, that the young people can come to understand the church and the community that is in the church, because they develop a team, but they develop a friendship, they develop a fraternity, brothers and sisters, and that's what the church is. And so they're able to recognize the church within sports and hoping, of course, right. They go from the court into the church, but it's there. They're there in our church, and they're coming to the church, you know, trying to develop that relationship.
[00:14:39] Speaker A: I think it's important. So there are a couple of levels to it. So I'd love to see everybody in the court, in the church. And that's really our mission. That's our mission. We go out into the field, but we're not unlike the parable where the owner of the vineyard, the lord, is going out into the field, where we strive to be with him, to invite workers to come into the church. But the owner of the vineyard, the Lord never stops. He goes out in the morning, he goes out in the late morning, he goes out at noon, he goes out in the evening. He's constantly gathering great patience, company, walking with people. And sometimes, you know, through evangelization, people have that experience of the church and that's a great thing. Sometimes it comes in a time of tragedy. It's because the court, the basketball court, is sort of a second home. When something hits, they know where to turn, and that brings people in. And sometimes it may come later in life, but, boy, it's such an important place for us to be, to be able to reach out, to invite, to accompany. And, you know, last Sunday, we had the gospel where the woman who was suffering the hemorrhages reached out to touch the hem of Jesus cloak. A lot of people who are just touching the hem of his cloak, they're worth the effort to try to reach out and say, okay, you're touching the hem of his cloak. But Jesus engages that. Jesus uses that opportunity. He brings a healing, but he uses that opportunity really to engaged, to have a conversation, to encourage her, to bring her healing.
[00:16:06] Speaker B: And what an important message for our young people to hear. You're worth it.
[00:16:11] Speaker A: You're worth it.
[00:16:11] Speaker B: And how much they need to hear that, and they're hearing it from the church.
[00:16:15] Speaker A: And that brings me to another element within that population. There are people who are practicing on a regular basis, who are playing in the courts. And you know what I thought to myself, I was down at a summer program with the basketball, just walking through, and I thought, first of all, I think there were more people who go to mass there, then they get credit for. I think there are a lot of people who have connections. But the other thing is, so what if only a small percentage are there? Is it worth doing for that small percentage, if 80% of the people aren't coming to mass? And I think that's a gross exaggeration, but let's say that 80% aren't going to mass. Is it worth doing for the 20%? My answer is, yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. And that response, that doing it for the 20% gives us the opportunity to be there for whatever the percentage that aren't connected? I think that we're doing great things, and I thank you. I thank Lucia. I thank our youth ministers. You're doing great work. Speaking of the youth ministers, you know, that's job where you can kind of feel as if you're out there alone, and part of your responsibility is to them.
[00:17:21] Speaker B: Just the other day, we had the opportunity of gathering for end of the year barbecue to celebrate them and to thank them, but just to also have conversations of the strengths and the good and sometimes the challenges and even the disappointments of youth ministry throughout the year. But to have that support, to have that connection, to really have that friendship among each other to encourage and support each other has been very important for our youth ministers, that they know that.
[00:17:49] Speaker A: They'Re not alone and that's so, so important in the world today. And again, I'm tremendously grateful to them. I'm grateful to the pastors who support our youth ministry programs, to the foundation that planted some seed money to try to get it going again. This is really an effort of the church. We're not living in little shells, but we are the catholic church here in Brooklyn and Queens. And it's all those circles of communion coming together to build some very important things. Once again, for somebody who's interested in learning more about youth and young adult ministry, the tag on social media is.
[00:18:24] Speaker B: BQD youth and young adult ministry.
[00:18:28] Speaker A: That's great. Thank you. As we finish, just one other note, because I had confirmation. I miss the annual day for catholic schools down in Coney island at the Cyclones game. But you represented us very, very well.
So let me tell you something, folks. He was honored in a sense, if you could call it that.
He was honored by our catholic schools with his own bobblehead. And hundreds of bobbleheads were giving out featuring Father Jim Carolli. And we had the annual collars versus scholars game. So before the Cyclones go out to play their game, there's a short game where the priests from the diocese play against the principals of the diocese, and it's gone back and forth. But I don't think this was a good year for the priests.
[00:19:19] Speaker B: No, it was embarrassing, actually.
We lost eleven to one, but I was the pitcher, so that speaks volumes of my performance. But you know what? It's a great spirit. It's a day in which we recognize our students. But catholic education and the important place that catholic education has in our church, and just to celebrate what we do as educators and to be together. And we're all teachers, parents, administrators, priests, the teachers, of course, but also the students themselves, teaching us as much as we try to teach them and bring them closer to Christ. God's using them as instruments to teach us and bring us closer. So that evening was just a way for us to celebrate together as one family.
[00:20:06] Speaker A: That's great. Well, thank you for joining me today. Please join us again for next week's edition of Big City Catholics. And soon we'll be going on the road to Indianapolis and talking with some of the pilgrims. If you remember, I spoke with the perpetual pilgrims. They're called those who walked from Hartford to Indianapolis. They had a couple of days in Brooklyn around memorial day. I spoke to them at the beginning of the journey. I'm looking forward to talking to them now after 65 days of walking from Hartford to Indianapolis and some of our own pilgrims who are making their way along. Until then, God bless you. Have a wonderful week, and we'll close with a blessing.
[00:20:47] Speaker B: The Lord be with you and with your spirit.
[00:20:49] Speaker A: May the Lord bless you and keep you.
[00:20:51] Speaker B: Amen.
[00:20:51] Speaker A: May his face shine upon you and be gracious to you.
[00:20:54] Speaker B: Amen.
[00:20:54] Speaker A: May he look upon you with kindness and grant you his peace.
[00:20:57] Speaker B: Amen.
[00:20:57] Speaker A: And may the blessing of almighty God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit come upon you and remain with you forever and ever.
[00:21:04] Speaker B: Amen.
[00:21:05] Speaker A: Again. God bless. Have a wonderful week.
