Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:10] Speaker B: Welcome back to a new edition of our diocesan podcast, Big City Catholics, with Bishop Robert Brennan, the Diocesan Bishop of Brooklyn and Queens, myself, Father Christopher Henry, pastor here at St. Joan of Arc Parish. We're continuing our topic from last week talking about missionary work. Catholic Extension of great podcast with Bishop Brennan and Father Charlie Keeney. Today we're joined with some of the men who have joined that trip, the missionary trip to Yakima. A great conversation. We have indeed to come, but we'll begin in prayer. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
[00:00:41] Speaker A: Amen.
[00:00:42] Speaker B: I take this prayer from the Catholic Extensions website. Beautiful prayer that speaks about this idea of missionary work. God of mercy, give us your compassion to help the refugees, the orphaned, the. The widows, the starving and the hopeless this day. God of peace, grant us your healing touch to serve those damaged in body and shattered in spirit by violence and war.
God of justice, give us your strength to work toward reconciliation in the Middle east and all the front lines of our world. God of love, grant us the vision to see beyond our history of hurt, beyond vengeance and the cycle of fruitless reprisal.
God of our human family, let thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We offer you this prayer that we may be changed. We offer you our fasting that you may fill our hunger for peace. Amen. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen. Bishop I really enjoyed your podcast last week with Father Charlie Keaney. I wish I could have been on site in Yakima, but we had a little bit of busy time here in Jackson Heights in this time of transition. But it sounded like a great, great experience.
[00:01:51] Speaker C: And Father Heaney is a true believer, true missionary at heart. I didn't have to do much talking during that because he just carried that so beautifully. You can see he's a real enthusiast for the work of Catholic extension society. And again, he directed our mission office for a number of years. He has looked through the greater missions in general. So there were 10 of us all together from Brooklyn on this pilgrimage. At the end of the pilgrimage, we had a chance for some theological reflection as well. We sat around the table and shared some of the impactful moments of the trip and how maybe it might have affected us. And I thought this would be a great opportunity for us here, too, to do something similar. We may have different things that we talk about, but I'm going to start with Father Juan Maxama, who is at St Bernadette Church. But, Father Juan, you've been on these trips before you come in. As a bit of a veteran, right?
[00:02:46] Speaker A: Yes, I am.
[00:02:47] Speaker C: So tell me about your overall experience with Catholic Extension. What brings you back?
[00:02:52] Speaker A: First of all, Bishop, thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of this trip. And Father Dwayne will organize it and all those who were there so happy. What brought me back is really the work Catholic Extension is doing throughout the United States, in abroad, to build churches, to be a witness of hope for the diocese, overall United States, and to find a way to bring people together, the priest together.
And what really so interesting for me is that when I look at the history, the work that they do, and I said, I want to be a part of it, because that's who I am. That's what I enjoy doing.
So I'm always on alert to see what next, when is the next immersion program, and what is the overall goal and where I'm going and what the needs are. And I'm trying to find out how can I be a part of this work that they do to share my opinion, to also share my work, what we do here in Brooklyn and how can we help them. But I have to say this, though. Going mission always been my dream. I've always been a missionary person from day one, starting from my family. And my father always do that on the weekend.
On the weekend, my father, whenever we he has some time, he would go to local village to spread the good word, to spread the good news.
And my cousin, who was a monsignor from my hometown, he was a rector at the cathedral, he wished to bring me along with him to do this kind of work. So it always been a part of my life to always go and mission or bring the hope toward the people who are in need. And Catholic Extension provide me that opportunity. So I jump ahead. I said, I want to be a part of it from day one. But I have to credit Father Charlie Kinney, who introduced me to this great society. Him and I have been friends for many years.
And when he went on the trip, he came back with overjoy and said, juan, I found something for you. I think you should be a part of it, too. He did say that I found something that you will, like you will be happy to do during the summertime when you have free time. And he brought me along with him, and I kept going ever since.
[00:05:23] Speaker C: Good for you. Good. So where are some of the places you've gone? What are some of the extension trips you've made?
[00:05:27] Speaker A: So the first trip I went was Little Arkansas, but I went there for one reason.
To visit the Little Church. This guy is going to become a saint very soon.
It's been processed too. But I really want to go there because I saw that the work that they do there, the needs is even is really what I'm doing here in Brooklyn. So I really want to be a part of that mission. So I went a Little walk.
I'm not expecting anything. I saw the work, so the migraine, so the chicken farm, the church, or really, really, really people live below. What I was expected in. It's going to renew my faith another way. So I really need that. So I went to Little Walk to see how can I help them and what can I do and what will help me in my future priestly life down the line. And also I went there because I want to see some of my classmates that I studied with from the nac.
So I heard that there's some of my classmates who I studied with from Little One. And I heard that they were going to be on the. On the trip and I'll be some of the churches that they've been working with. So I really go there to not only to see, but also to meet some of my classmate that was there as well. Too.
[00:06:43] Speaker C: Good, good, good. And then from there, what other trips.
[00:06:45] Speaker A: Have you made from there? I heard there's a trip to San Juan, to Puerto Rico.
[00:06:50] Speaker C: Puerto Rico.
[00:06:51] Speaker A: And I said, puerto Rico? I've never been there. And I spoke to Valerie and Natalie, who's in charge of the trip. And they said to me, there's a priest called Father Ole, he is the. He live in San Juan. He's in charge of the migrant, the Haitian migrant in San Juan. And I think you'll be happy to meet him.
He took care of the migrant who came from Haiti. Especially now with all the situation going to Haiti. So I think it will be good for you and you can help us with the translation because it's not good in English to begin with, so you can definitely help us.
So I went there and I was amazed with Father Ole, the work that he does. The Archbishop Roberto gave him a parish, St. Matthew, right in San Juan. His mission is to welcome the Haitian migrant came from the boat, who survived one week on the boat, welcomed them, taking care of them, and I was amazed by his work. Anyone who survived the trip after one week, usually it's a small little boat. About 20 of them take the trip on the sea and usually a couple of them survive. Not all of them survive.
So when they finally reach there, the diocese welcomed them and Father Olin Took care of them from day one, get them a job and everything at that, too.
And so I really want to go see the camp where the Haitian are, because the ISIS of Brooklyn take care of the migrants, especially the Haitian community, who actually flee and come across the board. And. Yes, and that's just a booking is a champion in that process, helping the Haitian. So I really want to be a part of that trip so I can let them know that the Diocese of Booking is with them, is praying for them, and is with them during this journey, and how can we better help them?
[00:08:46] Speaker C: Certainly, we have a large Haitian community here, and we keep up with all the things that are happening in Haiti. The situation is dire. And then you add to that some people who made that kind of a trip. So we're meeting people with human needs and with pastoral needs. I mean, that's really what was so remarkable about this experience for me, is that this is the church being the church. It's just. It's, you know, it's the church. We do some of the charitable things that the church does, but this was really about celebrating the sacraments, being present to people, praying with people. To me, that was just so moving. Father Ikenna. Father Ikenna is the pastor in St. Jude Trine Church. And I don't know, I say Canossi. The paper says Mill Basin.
[00:09:30] Speaker D: Yes.
[00:09:30] Speaker C: Maybe a little bit of both, right?
[00:09:31] Speaker D: Yes, a little bit of both, but it's actually a little bit of both.
[00:09:35] Speaker C: And this was your first Catholic extension trip, right?
[00:09:38] Speaker D: Yes, Bishop, this is my first.
[00:09:40] Speaker C: So Father Dwayne Davis was the local priest who did a lot of the coordination. And Father Keane explained last week that this trip was different from other trips, because usually you're on a trip with priests from all over the country. You might be the only one from your diocese, but. But this was a group of us from one place, from Brooklyn, walking together. And there was something different about that. That was a good experience for us to be together as priests. Tell me your reaction when Father Davis called you, because you did say you were a little surprised.
[00:10:10] Speaker D: Yes, when I received the invitation to join in the mission trip. I know it is a mission trip, according to what he told me, but I asked him, what does it involve?
[00:10:21] Speaker B: So.
[00:10:21] Speaker D: So he gave me a lot of explanation. I said, what are we actually, you know, going there to do? Because I would like to know, because I know that I'm using the parish. He tried his best, but he ended by saying, ikena, why not just, you know, come and see, and then you will then know what this is all about, I don't think I can apply more explanation than what I have already done.
So I said, okay, but not yet convinced. If I'm going say, well, I'm going to give you two weeks to think about it. If you make up your mind, just let me know. But it's going to be two weeks. So after two weeks, he called again. Are you ready? Said, well, yes, I would, you know, join in the trip. So the day came and then we all flew from JFK to Seattle. And then when we got to the airport, I said, well, I'm here with you and I'm yet to see. And then from Seattle, we went to the hotel where we lodged. And then I said, well, I can see that we are here, but what are we actually going to? He said, just wait. This day, fourth day, you will see for yourself. I said, okay. That evening we went to the camp, the camp at Wenatchee. And immediately we stepped into the camp. I realized the reason why we are there, though. Everything. I didn't, you know, conceive everything at first. We went through the camp, my first impression in the camp was, oh, we are here to render help. But after the mission trip, I said to myself, no, it's not going to render help, but at the same time receiving help.
Because yes, I thought very insightful. Yes, yeah, yeah. I came back transformed by the lives of the people I met at the camp. My thinking going was, oh, I'm going to be the one that will, you know, offer.
But I actually ended up being the one that received.
And I am very grateful. I'm very grateful to that. And then, you know, within the whole process of reflection, I said that, well, you know, no matter how we see ourselves, no matter how little we have, we actually have something to give. It may not be, you know, in material terms, but everybody has something to give. Those in the farm and in the camp can offer me this new way of seeing light, you know, helping me in my priestly journey, admission, you know.
Yeah, anyone has something, everybody has something to do and does it.
[00:12:48] Speaker C: That's a very good point because I kind of shared the same experience as you. It's my first experience.
And you know, I think, okay, what are we going to do? What are you going to bring? And really, at first it was a little bit unsettling because there was a part of me that almost felt as if we were being a little intrusive. People were showing us the living quarters and we went over to the orchards where people were picking and we sort of Watched them do their work, and they kind of had to work around us. And when they're picking fruit, you know, time is of the essence. When you get paid by the bucket full, you don't want somebody standing in your way. People wanted to share the journey of their lives with us, and they wanted us to learn something. And, yeah, you're right. We didn't give very much in. I think, as you go through this Catholic extension, very clear. They don't want you to do anything. You're not there to help, you're there to learn. That's a big insight.
You pointed that out, because that was a revelation of this trip.
[00:13:46] Speaker D: Yeah, yeah. And it felt much like a retreat, but getting more than, you know, what you will always get in those individual retreats or group retreats, because this one, it was real. Being with the people and then going on a mission and then coming back, you know, as, let's say, missionary to your own church, because you are bringing something new to them from that experience.
[00:14:10] Speaker C: On one night, we went out to a different camp and celebrated Mass. That was quite the experience.
[00:14:16] Speaker D: Yes. Before the Mass, I had Bishop Joseph Tyson, who said because of the needs of the people, he had to give them the dispensation of having the Sunday Mass celebrated on weekends. So they have to, you know, leave very early in the morning to go to the camp, sometime 3am, sometime 2am depending.
And then when they come back, the sun is out and everything. And so they do it, you know, from week to week, Sunday to Sunday. And so in order to bring the gospel to them, he had, you know, his priest and he himself go to the farm to be there with them and celebrate the liturgy with them. And in order to also meet the needs of the parishes, to celebrate the Sunday liturgy in the parishes. So the. Those in the camp, they had the liturgy celebrated for them during that weekday. And then on Sundays, the priest and then the bishop will be in the parishes in order to make sure that everybody received that later. So it was good. And then celebrating with them in that open space. Yeah. And how happy they were. They were, you know, happy, relaxed. And the communion, you could see, you know, that sense of communion among them. Yeah, I didn't want to go. There are some places where I went, I was like, oh, God, I want to be. But that particular day, you know, when we went to that camp, I was like, God, this is good.
This place is good. And the mountain and everything. Yeah.
[00:15:32] Speaker B: If I may, you know, in just listening to some of your experiences and listening to last week's podcast with Father Kinney. As you mentioned, Father Kenne, it's sort of. It was described as like a retreat, but also a learning experience and a lot packed into just those three days. A great opportunity though, too, as I think his brother priests and the diocese to go together, especially with our chief shepherd, A great example for us as priests to have our bishop on the journey with them. What was it like, Father Kenneth, Father Luxama, what was it like for you guys just to spend that time with some priests of the diocese you may not have even really known or you were making. Creating friendships with some of them as well? What were those experiences like?
[00:16:16] Speaker A: Okay, I think I said that to the bishop. I think doing one breakfast, Bishop and I, we having coffee and I said, bishop, this is. This is a really mini retreat for us to be together.
And this is a historical thing because all the children have been so far is a lot of stranger. There's nobody from Northeast, usually people from Midwest, all over the place. And this is a great thing for us to ensure unity. We are working together and we have one mission and to set the example for the other diocese and to partnership with Catholic extension. This is like, incredible. I never thought I would see that a bishop take three days of his time, of his busy schedule to travel with the priests from the diocese and to be a part of the journey of the people. It was like, amazing. It was great thing to see other priests that I don't really know and I probably say hi to. So it was really. It was awkward, but a great experience to be together, to bring faith and hope. And when people heard we from Brooklyn and the bishop is there, they're like, wow, really? Yeah. I said, yeah, he is here.
[00:17:29] Speaker C: Brooklyn is in the house.
[00:17:30] Speaker A: Brooklyn is here. So they just can't believe that this is. The bishop is here. Because that's never been done before. It's never been heard. The bishop is here with the priest. It's either the priest or the bishop. But to be there together is strengthen your faith.
[00:17:44] Speaker C: Yeah. I can say for me, it was a great thing to be able to be together with a small group of priests to spend an intense time and an intense experience together. Those are some of the bonds that are pretty deep and pretty important, you know. Father Ikenna.
[00:17:59] Speaker D: Yes, it was, I mean, an awesome experience.
And it felt like we were outside the diocese and at the same time within the diocese. We were in Yakima, but seems as if we are in Brooklyn whenever we sit together to, you know, have conversation and then share experience and then with the bishop, you know, being there, there with us makes me think of that statement that is attributed to Saint Ignatius of Antioch. I believe wherever the bishop is, there is the church. So having you there, you know, seems as if we are in the diocese, though we were outside the diocese and meeting, you know, I would say my elder brother priest, you know, Father Joseph, Father John Maduri, I have heard about him for a long time. I have, you know, even spoken with him on phone. But, you know, we haven't had that time to sit together and connect. So it was wonderful experience. And at the end of trip, you know, he say, oh, how are you going to get to St. Jude? I said, well, I will have, you know, whoever that is available, pick me up. He said, no, no, no, no, I'm going to do that.
And then when we are coming back, we had a lot of conversation and he opened his record. So anytime you feel that you want to come over and have lunch, dinner with us, you are invited. So it helps, you know, having you know, the brother priest there and then building this relationship and knowing that, you know, we care for one another irrespective of the age difference.
[00:19:24] Speaker B: If I may follow up with just one further question. You mentioned as your Catholic Extension, this organization that does great work within our own country, the missionary work that happens in our country, you said something like, well, they don't really need us to do anything. They just want us to learn, to witness, to watch. What are the ways in which those who view and listen to us can assist in that world?
[00:19:49] Speaker C: Well, that's a really good question, because when I said they didn't want us to do, I meant on the trip. Certainly, Catholic Extension does depend on the support of generous Catholics who are interested in really, again, it's not too much a charitable. It does charity.
It's not so much a charitable organization. It really is about building up the church, bringing the church to where people are. The works that it funds are things like where we Were literacy program so that the children could continue to learn to read, but also learn the catechetics while the parents were out picking the fruit. It was sort of a child care service, but it was really continuing catechetics and literacy, the work of the church and building of churches in poor and very rural areas. The work of the church by what it takes to put together these Masses in the camps. And when they celebrate Mass on Wednesday night, it's the whole church. So it's Mass, it's the other sacraments. It's a social.
When the pantry gets done, that's when they build up a lot of their other work. So it really is about the presence of the church meeting people wherever those particular people are, whatever the particular needs are. Father Juan, you would add to that, I would imagine.
[00:21:02] Speaker A: Absolutely. Father Chris is a great question and Bishop what you say is. So I share my experience with you. My first trip when I went to Little Rock I fell in love with a beautiful tiny church. I would sally the Arkansas Fayetteville Blessed Stanley in his life and he was murdered and missionary. So I went to the church. It was so tiny little church named after him the only one in his work in education.
But I fell in love with the people who were there.
And when I returned home I saw the needs of this community and the church. So I have decided and I asked permission with the pastor to do to raise a fun to fix the church. Because the church had a lot of needs and they don't have any instrument. The sacri was really look terrible. No painting the pe. It was really in a terrible shape. And then I fell in love with the sisters tw Mexican sisters who took care of the children when parents go to work in the chicken farm.
So they. They take care of the kids. And I said wait a minute, that's something I can do. So I put something together, an idea together. The great thing about karate extension, when you give them an idea, they turn that into a project.
So Valerie, Rose and Natalie. So I gave them an ideas. This is the final one. I turn it into a project for you. So doing length I put the. They put it together. They did everything for me. And we were able to raise $20,000 for Blessed Stanley Church and the sisters to educate those kids, teach them about the religion and to fix the church.
And we were successful in that. Catholic was very pleased that we did that for them. I said not me. The D of Brooklyn did it. We did it. We saw the need. We did it for you to help the church. Bishop Tell was very pleased. He sent a letter to the church thanking us for doing that. And when I went to Puerto Rico, same thing when I was in Puerto Rico I fell in love with the school in Pony. The school name is Immaculate Concession. I saw the need. The church is knocked out. They have mass under the tent and the school is a lot of mo. But what they need is AC it's so hot.
Oh like it's so hard and so. And I said how can I help? And Catholic extension said they need AC if you're willing to help, that's the way you're Going to help them. And they did the paperwork for me. They did everything. And this year we're able to raise about $15,000 for them, just for the AC, just to make sure they have a comfortable place. But it's all done to help them. Because when we go to see them and we always say, how can we help them? And they ask me, that's the way we can help them. So, Father Chris, to add to what you said, it's not charitable. Like Bishop said, we're not doing charitable. We go there to see how we can transform and help them to live that dream, to make them more comfortable, to bring Christ, which is what Christ asked to do. What can I do for you? What do you need? And we're able to provide them certain things that they need. So those are my experience so far.
[00:24:15] Speaker C: You know, we anticipated the Sunday. So on Wednesday we had Sunday's Mass. The Good Samaritan now, who is my neighbor. And that's the discovery that we're all neighbors to one another. And so it's not unusual that parishes will partner after or diocese will offer some kind of support this trip with this exposure to the priest. That's comes from a gift from the Lilly Foundation. That's separate funds. But the money that's donated to Catholic Extension goes very specifically into these kinds of projects. And even on this trip, one of the priests was talking about that literacy program from the local school district and different areas, different levels of governments going, probably not going to have the funding to do that next year. And so one of the parishes was talking about maybe a partnership going forward. So those are some of the fruits that come out of this, that exposure, correct?
[00:25:04] Speaker A: Absolutely. Bishop is going there to see and when we see them and then we get to listen to them, and then when we come home, we see how we can partnership with Catholic Extension to fulfill those dreams. Bishop Tyson said something that was so interesting. I don't know if you pay attention to that. He did something about the bishop. The camp name is Wagon is the Cape. Wagon, the Cape. The camp that we went to. The children need some help. The government is sponsoring the program, but they don't have any funding. That's the camp that's very close by to the hotel. And then Bishop Tyson said something that cut my attention. He sat next to me. He said his mission going to this particular camp is like ask people what they want and he give them what they need. He said that five times.
[00:25:52] Speaker C: Listen, you're right. Listen.
He said.
[00:25:55] Speaker A: He said, I go there to listen and see what they want and I gave them what they need. That was so powerful to me. I'm like, wow, that's really amazing. I listen to what they want, and I try to give them what they need, which is two different verb, and they were two different way. So that's what. In the beginning of the ministry of Jesus Christ, when the apostle say, come and see. Okay. And then Christ gave them what they need to go on the. So we go there to see what they want, and then we're going to give them what they need to fulfill the mission is really what Bishop Tyson said. It's so powerful when I heard him say that, to see what they want, and I try to give them what they need.
[00:26:34] Speaker B: The Marinal fathers have a saying. I'm very friendly and really appreciate their work. In our universal church, they say a Maranal priest goes where he is needed but not wanted and leaves when he's wanted but not needed. So it's, you know, that idea of want and need. Here's what I want, but what do I need? And then what you're needed but not wanted. So it's where you're needed but not wanted. And you leave when you're wanted but not needed. It's beautiful. I think the idea of missiology is so important, especially in our diocese, Bishop. We talk about this being a diocese of immigrants, that we can be missionaries here in Brooklyn and Queens. I mean, in certain parts of our diocese where we walk around, we are a signal in our clerics and by virtue of our ordination of a symbol of the altar Christus.
[00:27:21] Speaker C: Sure, you know, we saw real poverty, but we see real poverty right here in Brooklyn and Queens as well. It's a different kind. We see the urban reality here. It was interesting to learn the rural and the seasonal, the migrant. You know, people go from up along the coast, along the Pacific coast as the seasons turn, to harvest the fruits along the way, to work hard at it. Father Ken, I'm going to give you the last word. You spoke about it being something like a retreat, and we spoke about this before recording, and I spoke about it with Father Kini. But an experience like this not only affects us in terms of wanting to share, partner with one another, but it affects our prayer life as well. And we spoke about the prayers at Mass and how we hear them a little bit differently and pray differently through this experience. Is that your experience?
[00:28:08] Speaker D: Yes. Like I said, I haven't been on retreat, but when I came back, I believe that I have, you know, in a way, made a retreat because I was Changed. I see, you know, even celebration of the mass in a different way, because just like say, the fruit of the vine and work of human hands, you know, seeing the farmers, you know, touching the cherries and the how much they wood your heart, even in the harvest and everything.
And then seeing the people who were there in the camp, I felt the need of the human person, which I remember that was Kevin, one of the participants who said that the essence of this mission, the heart of this mission is to care for humanity, that we can go to the farm and then see these people, feel for them. And then when we went to the factory, that we can be mesmerized by the mechanics of the machines and everything, but the human person is at the heart of everything.
So if we don't see the human person and value the human person and treat the human person just the way he should be, that means we are missing something. And he concluded by saying that this is exactly what the Diocese of Yakima sees. And this is what exactly Bishop Tyson is doing in his diocese. And this is what he wants his Sumerians and his priest to always do. And then this is the reason why on we are on this mission.
[00:29:31] Speaker C: Exactly. It was so inspiring to see his closeness to the people.
[00:29:34] Speaker A: And oh yeah, he impressed me so much. But let me add one thing to what you said, Father Kenner. It's exactly what Kevin from Catholic Extension does. And it's very amazing. We he normally stay at the headquarter. Kevin McCormick. I was so thrilled to see him. And he said something while we were in, in the factory.
And he asked the same question. He said, well, the people picking the cherry, they work so hard and everything. And how the company, how are they going to invest in the human person? I know they came to work job, we're helping them, but how are we going to help them? And this is where Bishop Tyson come in. You know, Bishop Tyson dedicated his life with the seminarian to go on the field, to experience, to hear the human person. And I was amazed when Kevin asked that question because he said, yeah, it's one thing to build, is one thing to do this, but how about them?
How about them? And I think that's what is a minute retreat for us. Well, that is a Brooklyn. We were there with the people on the journey with them. So we love them, we care so much, we worry about them. We would go there to listen to this story.
And this story moved me every time I go down the trip Bishop this trip add another chapter in my life. It makes sitting different I never came back the same.
And I have no idea how much it changed me, if it changed me so much that when I share the story with the people here, they're like, wow, you came back a different person.
[00:31:03] Speaker B: We're so grateful to have you. Father Juan and Father Kenneth, join us today. Bishop, thanks for bringing us all together to show the good work of Catholic extension.
[00:31:12] Speaker C: Sure. Father Juan, Father Kenneth, thank you for your time this afternoon. To recap with all this, but thank you for making the trip. And, you know, one of the questions I was asked, they said something about, it's nice that the bishop is bringing his priest. But I told him, well, the truth is, the priest brought me.
That's a good one. I didn't ask you to come along. You asked me. That was a real gift. And so I thank you for making this and for including me and for bringing this good news home here to Brooklyn. In Queens, we'll ask God's blessing. And we ask the Lord to grant us his blessing during this time of summer to keep us safe, to let it be a time of renewal. We pray for our young people during this time, hopefully that summertime can be for them a time of joy and recreation, and that it may strengthen us for the good things that God wants to do in our lives along the way.
[00:32:05] Speaker D: The Lord be with you and with your spirit.
[00:32:08] Speaker C: May the Lord bless you and keep you. May his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May he look upon you with kindness and grant you his peace. And may almighty God bless you, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
[00:32:20] Speaker B: Thank you all and thanks everyone who join us each and every week on our diocesan podcast, Big City Catholics. We hope that you'll join us again in the week to come. God bless.
[00:32:32] Speaker C: Sam.
