Episode Transcript
Speaker 1 00:00:10 Welcome back to another edition of our diason podcast, big City Catholics, with Bishop Robert Brennan, the Bishop of Brooklyn, and myself, father Christopher hen you. Today we're joined by Father Joseph Dino, who's the pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Whitestone, Queens, but also as the vicar for evangelization and catechesis for our diocese of Brooklyn. We're really happy that you're here with us. Before we begin, let's offer this podcast in prayer. In the name of the Father, one of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Asking our blessed brothers intercession upon us, our diocese, our parishioners, and all the faithful we pray. Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of the Im Jesus.
Speaker 2 00:00:50 Holy Mary, mother of God. Pray for a sinners now, and that the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1 00:00:55 In the name of the Father Son, holy,
Speaker 2 00:00:57 Holy
Speaker 1 00:00:57 Spirit. Amen. Amen. Bishop, I had a chance to listen to last week's podcast with Father Alonzo Cox was really great conversation that you both had.
Speaker 2 00:01:05 He does some such important work and it really, it's always a pleasure to sit with Father Alonzo.
Speaker 1 00:01:10 Yeah, I'm sorry I missed it. I was up in, you mentioned in the podcast, I was up in Boston. I'm assisting at John the 23rd National Seminary, St. John the 23rd National Seminary teaching the diaconate class there. Parish management skills. They always say, we often hear in seminary formation, they don't teach you this in the seminary, they don't teach you about, you know, the roof leaks. What do you do? Uh, you know, human resources, concerns, et cetera. So it's was a, a great opportunity for me to be asked to do it, and I've been really, really enjoying the opportunity. So I'm sorry I missed it, but I was really happy where I was
Speaker 2 00:01:45 Too. And it's a great seminary. I was there the week before visiting some of our seminarians who were there. I'm really impressed by the formation they receive and by the, the men themselves, our own seminarians, and in fact all of the fellas. So I'm glad you had that, that opportunity. Last week I was out visiting schools. It was Catholic School Week. I'll tell you one quick story. One place I was on February 2nd. For us, we talk about the Feast of the presentation, world Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life. It's also Groundhog Day <laugh>. And so I went into the kindergarten class and they were getting ready to watch the video from earlier that morning of the groundhog. And they're talking about how the groundhog predicts what's going to happen, and they were predicting what the groundhog was would do. So I had to keep moving along. And later in the day when they had a whole school assembly, happened to see the kindergarten class again. So I said, so now the suspense is getting to me, what happened? And they all shouted out. He saw his shadow. And so I said, and what does that mean? Expecting six more weeks of winter And one girl just shouted out, it means I was right.
Speaker 1 00:02:52 <laugh>, I won. I won the,
Speaker 2 00:03:00 But then I, I had a chance to go to my alma mater a couple of times. This was my Vincentian weekend. I was, um, on Saturday at St. John's with the religious from both Brooklyn, Queens and Rockville Center, long Island. Wow. National Suffolk, many of, especially some of the deeply rooted congregations here. Um, they have their foundations here in Brooklyn, but then the, the connections on Long Island. So they've been serving across the way. So that was a really a great gathering. They had a retreat day. They focused in on hope, on the virtue of hope, and I celebrated with them. And then it was there the next day for the student mass. And uh, that was just a great time too. It's nice to reconnect.
Speaker 1 00:03:38 Awesome. I saw some of the posts on Facebook of you visiting our Catholic schools, and there was one where it must have been some sort of a color day where they put you in a, in a t-shirt and they watched you, you were playing basketball and I think you beat the seventh grader. I don't know if
Speaker 2 00:03:53 You got <laugh>.
Speaker 1 00:03:54 You had to basically, they call out a number and, and you ran to get the ball and you had to shoot it in the hoop and you
Speaker 2 00:04:00 Were pretty, I don't, I don't know that <laugh>, they, they may have said that, but I don't know if that's necessarily true. I did sink a basket, but they kept changing the rules at one point. It was whoever gets it in first gets the point, another point. It was the best out of three. So <laugh>, I have a feeling they kept moving to gold post there a little bit <laugh>, not necessarily for me, but good grief. But it was, it was fun. It was good to be among our schools.
Speaker 1 00:04:23 Awesome,
Speaker 2 00:04:23 Awesome. And we're getting ready for some exciting times here in the Diocese of Brooklyn, here in Brooklyn and Queens as well as really around the country in this time of Eucharistic Revival. And that's why I'm really glad that Father Jino was with us today. Thank you for joining us.
Speaker 4 00:04:39 It's a pleasure. It's always great to be with you.
Speaker 2 00:04:42 You know, father J you do such great work for us in so many areas just on keeping things going as it were. Our, our own catechesis, the formation in R C I A formation of Deacons. The work in terms of our witness to pro-life causes, it runs the whole gamut. But you've taken on several projects. So last year you guided, helped you and system Mary Ann Eaton La Piccolo helped guide us through the Senate process. And lest you have a moment to breathe, I turned to you and said, would you help with the Eucharistic revival? <laugh> <laugh>?
Speaker 4 00:05:14 Well, the revival really flows out of the Senate, which is precisely Sure. One of the things, and I have to say Bishop, that you were at so many of the listening sessions, actually all of
Speaker 2 00:05:24 Them, the diocesan
Speaker 4 00:05:25 Ones, right, the diocesan ones, that what we heard was the people of God in Brooklyn and Queens really are interested in three things right now. They want more youth and young adult ministry. They want more adult faith formation and they want greater collaboration and cooperation within the parishes and deanery. So the Eucharistic Revival gives us a time to pull those three issues together and really respond. So your leadership Bishop has been so refreshing because you've let Sister Maryanne and I really run with this and with the whole diocese and pastoral commission that it's been great and what we're doing now with the revival flows directly from what we heard. And that's extraordinary. So the first project, we are going to buy you a pair of roller skates
Speaker 1 00:06:16 <laugh>,
Speaker 4 00:06:17 Because we have 42 parishes who will be each day offering adoration for anywhere from three hours to 24 hours. Wow. And it's going to be throughout the diocese. So that if one person really wanted to make this a pilgrimage throughout the season of Lent, that individual could journey to 40 parishes. Two days we doubled up and have that experience of adoration and quiet prayer in the presence of the blessed sacrament. And Bishop is gonna try and get to as many of them as you can. That's, that's right. The roller scape piece.
Speaker 2 00:06:55 <laugh>. That's right. To, if I could get to all I would, the point being that sometimes we just have to deal with the realities of traffic and planning it in. But that is certainly a goal of mine. The other thing we're going to do is we're going to use social media and our traditional media through both, through DeSales really to invite everybody in so that we can talk to people along the way who are making this encounter. To me, this is an exciting time. It's a pilgrimage of faith. It's modeled after the station churches in Rome. So in Rome during length, there are these traditional, they don't change, they're steady sites that are set apart as station churches so that people make journeys to those each and every day, hopefully right here in Brooklyn, Queens, we'll be able to do the same kind of a thing. And you've set it up in such a way that it's sort of a journey around the diocese. So there's a little bit of an order
Speaker 4 00:07:49 To it. Exactly. What we tried to do is take the Mother Church of the Diocese, St. James Cathedral, and we're going to start there because that's where the Bishop Seed is. No, I know. I say that at St. Joseph's Code Cathedral <laugh>. However, uh, St. James has a special place in my heart. From there, we're going to move through Brooklyn and Queens so that we really get the sense of our diversity. The culture of each parish is what we hope people will encounter with Christ. And that Christ lives in the faces of our parishioners. So by journey to where the parishioners are, the face of Christ will come alive for everyone.
Speaker 1 00:08:32 And each one of these parishes, father Jimino, it'll be pre-published, where they're going to be, and the times and hours that each parish will be open for this period of adoration.
Speaker 4 00:08:42 Absolutely. We are hoping to really make good use of the tablet, so our print media, but also currents, the podcasts here for all of the different social media outlets that we have with short introductory pieces. And another exciting thing is working with the sales to produce short 32nd testimonials from the people who have encountered Christ in the Eucharist and want to share their encounter with everyone else. That's
Speaker 1 00:09:13 Great.
Speaker 2 00:09:13 That's great. It is. It's me. It's a very exciting time. And the other piece to this goes back to your reflection on the Senate, the feedback of the Senate that we want to be able to work together in our communities. And so we didn't sit down and make a list of the parishes. Each of the deanes proposed two parishes. So that's how we came up with 44 for the 40 days. So <laugh>, we, we have 22 deaneries and each proposed two parishes. In a sense, the idea is some people will make the pilgrimage going around from place to place. Some people will make the pilgrimage virtually just by being connected in prayer and following the media. But in each deanery, in the parishes that host those days are special days for that local part of the diocese. So that, again, it depends on who's there in the schedule of the day.
Speaker 2 00:10:09 But some pastors will certainly, well all pastors will make sure that the hours of adoration are covered so that there's somebody there all the time. But there might be local celebrations, there might be an hour that youth are there an hour that that children are there. It may begin with their morning mass leading, uh, through, it may close with evening mass, if that's the custom in that parish. Or with a holy hour in benediction, something preached and reflective. Sure, they may be rosary through the day, divine mercy. But for those who live in that area, those are grace days. Those are particularly important days as this pilgrimage. You are hosting the local church in your deanery.
Speaker 4 00:10:48 And another very exciting component is that parishes are being offered through our youth and young adult ministries office, an opportunity to have a holy hour for youth and young adults. Now, if it's not possible to arrange youth and young adults to be there, it is in fact the community raising up our youth and young adults in prayer for an hour in the presence of the Lord that will be especially meaningful. Mm. And that's such an exciting opportunity to address such an important part of the face of our church right now.
Speaker 1 00:11:26 Bishop, when you were the bishop of Columbus, Ohio, there was something similar to this 40 days.
Speaker 2 00:11:31 Yes. And in fact, it's not I who brought that there, it, it's something that started during my time. But we had an evangelization committee and this is something that they, uh, proposed and it really took off. Yeah. It really was very well appreciated by people. So I'm excited that, uh, they picked up on the idea here and, and are carrying it, it through there is different, you know, variations again that help connect it to the local realities. But the general idea, yeah.
Speaker 1 00:12:00 You know, the, the station churches you were mentioning in Rome and there's like a, there's even a little booklet that a priest put together a few years ago. Cuz again, those station churches, they don't change. Whereas next year, please God, we do this again. Maybe different churches will decide to host of their deanes perhaps. But, you know, getting to know, getting to visit the beautiful churches of our diocese Right. To see just how stunning they are. Sometimes I think even though our parishes can be just like a mile or two apart from one another, our people, if they don't have a need to, they've not often visited their neighboring parish. So it's a great opportunity to get our faithful to see the other gems of our diocese.
Speaker 2 00:12:41 That's right. And the gems of the people. That's right. To encounter the, yeah. We talk about the diversity of our diocese, but really to live it, to, to meet one another along the way. Part of the idea, we, we speak of this as a pilgrimage because we are on a pilgrimage through life. Mm. I used, during the Senate, I used an image that a priest gave to me, uh, of, you know, our life is like a pilgrimage and we're walking one another home in the dark. Mm-hmm. The whole of our life is walking one another home in the dark. And that's what we're doing here. We're walking with one another in a figurative kind of way. Of course, in a symbolic kind of a way through the, the darkness and the, the shadows and the hopes and the joys of our lives here, we accompany one another. We greet one another along the way. We encourage each other along the way, and we're stopping to meet Christ along the way. That's where the Eucharistic adoration piece comes in. We meet Christ along the way. It's he who calls us on this journey.
Speaker 1 00:13:42 Will those parishes as well, father Jina, will they offer the sacrament of confession during the day?
Speaker 2 00:13:48 Some may. Again, that's, those are some of the local deanery decisions. That's precisely what we're giving that over to the deanery to say, what are the things that a, you can do and you'd like to be able to offer? So I have heard some of the deans talking about the desire of the priest to be available on those days.
Speaker 4 00:14:06 And we've given the deanery really great flexibility. So speaking with one of the, the pastors the other day, he said, I have a very excited group of people here who really want to put this together and they want to talk to you. So I'm putting you on speakerphone, <laugh>. So there's an energy being created around the Eucharist that is infectious. When people hear this idea, you know, the theme of Catholic schools, we bishop mentioned was exciting. The, the Catholic imagination and our imagination in art, beauty is so expressive. And now people are being set on fire and are thinking outside of a box to say, how do we welcome? So one of the ideas we're providing a passport modeled along the idea of capello. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, where people can go to the particular parish and get a stamp. And we're working on putting a picture of the parish, the stamp of the parish together, so that if the end of the event, they can say, this is where I was.
Speaker 1 00:15:10 Wow. How
Speaker 2 00:15:11 Beautiful. Yeah. Recall. Now, you know, Eucharistic Adoration is one of the tools, one of the ways that we draw closer to Christ. But really at its core, it's about drawing us to the celebration of the Eucharist. It's about drawing us to the sacrament and the Eucharist, the mass, which is the source and summit of our lives as Catholic faithful. And so people I've encountered, I've talked about this during some of our diocese and gathering, and I'm getting a sense of excitement about it, but that's not the end. We have more things planned. And again, the idea is to draw us to mass in our local parishes, but even to draw us to a celebration as a diocese. So after Easter, we don't say, okay, we're done, do we <laugh>?
Speaker 4 00:15:55 Nope. Misty Gojek. There it is. That period after Easter, which for us really is, is ideal now when we talk about Pentecost, the fruits of the Holy Spirit and Corpus Christi, the body and Blood of Christ. We've asked the 22 Deaneries to create 22 events throughout the diocese. So some are going to use the traditional date of June 8th. Some are going to use that Saturday, some are going to use Sunday. And again, Bishop, we may need to give you a bicycle for this one.
Speaker 2 00:16:29 <laugh>. That's okay. I'm ready, <laugh>. I got it. I got it. Got it.
Speaker 4 00:16:34 And they're doing some wonderfully creative things to the extent where you want to talk about deanery collaboration and cooperation. One of our deanery has agreed among all the parishes to cancel all of their Sunday morning masses and have one gigantic mass in a public park, which I believe is going to be celebrated by Bishop as an expression of the unity around the Eucharist of the deanery. Well, just to hear that nine parishes, wow. Are going to do this isn't of itself just an amazing thing.
Speaker 1 00:17:10 Absolutely. Absolutely. Wow. What a great sign of
Speaker 2 00:17:13 Collaboration it is. And so you'll see, you know, we are not coming into something that doesn't already exist. I know parishes already do Eucharistic processions on Corpus Christi. I know that we sometimes collaborate with each other along the way, but now we're doing this all in all together. And so we're going to celebrate Corpus Christi leading into it. Not, not just, you know, saying, okay, here's a big celebration, a big procession. But really this is about taking the Easter season and the days after it to delve more deeply in our own study prayer and conversation into the mystery of Christ in the Eucharist, our lives as Catholic Christians, and then leading to this Corpus Christi celebration. And then, yes, we'll take a break in the fall, but hopefully during this time too, we've increased a greater awareness of Sunday mass. One of the things we want to do is we want to invite people back to their churches.
Speaker 2 00:18:09 We've been through so much after the pandemic, through the pandemic and after the pandemic. We really want to create this moment so that people will cons. You know, sometimes when you fall off the track, it's hard to get back on, but once you're back on, you're in good shape. Right. Isn't it true when it's true with dieting? It's true with exercise, you know, with a lot of things. So hopefully this is one of those things that can get us back on the track and encourage people reconnecting to with their parishes or wherever they choose to assist at Sunday mass. And so that'll be continued through the summer and the early fall. But we have a great celebration plan for the fall.
Speaker 4 00:18:49 One of the great things about the Eucharistic Revival is that it's a revival. So the committee said, why not really think big? Let's have a revival. So we contacted the Cyclone Organization. Wow. And Myoni Field. We are going to have an all day Eucharistic revival on October the seventh. It'll begin vaguely at nine o'clock with people arriving. But Brooklynites always arrive early. So we're expecting a real enthusiastic crowd early. But that will begin with praise and worship music that will be led by youth and young adults. It'll then flow into a youth and young adult component. We're going to have a CATA component for families. So it really is a family day. Throughout the morning, we're going to have confessions being heard all through the morning. So from nine to 1231 o'clock we'll be hearing confessions. At one 30 we'll have a liturgy, and then we'll be leaving about three. But in all of this, there'll be all sorts of other things going on because family is really at the heart of the Eucharist. We are a family as the church, but we wanted to really create an event for our families to be able to be there. And the stadium is actually perfect because it has everything. Bus trains, automobiles, and everyone from the diocese can
Speaker 2 00:20:19 Get, Hey, if you're really creative, you can try a boat. <laugh>
Speaker 1 00:20:22 A boat. Yes.
Speaker 2 00:20:23 We down on Coney.
Speaker 1 00:20:25 I don't know, I mean, the last time I was on that field, I caught an incredible catch on collars versus scholars. So I, I, you know, I don't know if I, are we playing baseball on
Speaker 2 00:20:34 The
Speaker 4 00:20:34 Field? No, no. I'm playing baseball. I am trying to figure out fireworks, but I doubt that's going to work. The other amazing thing about this day is the last time we tried this as a diocese was the only hurricane we had that year. Mm. So there will be insurance taken out for this event, lest we have another hurricane.
Speaker 2 00:20:55 But we are going to beg, we are going to beg the Lord for good weather. We can start praying now. Yes. We beg for
Speaker 4 00:21:02 Good weather and adoration. We can pray. We
Speaker 1 00:21:04 Know the, and we know the day October 7th.
Speaker 4 00:21:06 October 7th is the day. And really what we're hoping this becomes is our diocesan expression of what is going to be the National Eucharistic Congress that will take place in July of 2024. Now our diocese has reserved a large block of tickets. So we're going to try and get families and all sorts of parish organizations on board to go. Now it's in Indianapolis, so we all want to be in Indianapolis on July 17th to 21st, 2024. It's where I want to be. Be a little hot, a little humid, but we'll ha it'll be a prayerful. Great time.
Speaker 1 00:21:48 Mark the calendar. Mark the
Speaker 2 00:21:49 Calendar. So, you know, exciting times, good news on the horizon. These are exciting events, but they're really all about rooting us in the love of Jesus Christ given to us in the Eucharist. So again, thank you not only for being with us today and for your enthusiasm, father Jina, but thanks for all the work behind this. And I know you have a whole committee of people who are, are working on this. It really is a great opportunity for us.
Speaker 1 00:22:16 Yeah. And we look forward to definitely promoting it. I'm sure on Bishop's Facebook page and the das and Facebook page, the tablet and all currents as you were saying, so that our faith will know where and when they can be each of these days during Lent. It's crazy to think, you know, where Lent is just really around the corner when this podcast releases on on the 10th, uh, we've got only, uh, 12 days till Lent begins. So it's a great opportunity for them to start thinking about, maybe this is instead of giving up chocolate, you know, or Right. Uh, or giving up pizza. Maybe I'm gonna make an effort to go to three churches or five churches a
Speaker 2 00:22:55 Week if I can't get out of my local area to be there for the dean every day. But maybe just to go to masse my own parish and be in spiritual unity
Speaker 4 00:23:04 With. Sure. It's a great opportunity for adults to witness to an adult faith. You know, for an eight year old, giving up chocolate is great for an adult, adult faith sacrifices, what's really important.
Speaker 1 00:23:17 Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Absolutely. Well, thank you Father Dino for joining us today. I'm so happy that we, I'm able to be back. We've got a lot coming up in these next few weeks. Again, as we enter in to this beautiful, blessed lenton season, Bishop Brennan and I, we've got a lot to talk about in the next few podcasts. Certainly. Um, so Bishop, perhaps you could end us with a prayer and with your blessing. Sure.
Speaker 2 00:23:40 The Lord be with you
Speaker 1 00:23:41 And with your spirit.
Speaker 2 00:23:42 May the Lord bless you and keep you. May His face shine upon you, you, and be gracious to you. May He look upon you with kindness and grant you with peace. And may the blessing of Almighty God, the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit descend upon you and remain with you forever. Endeavor.
Speaker 1 00:23:55 Amen. Amen. Thanks again for joining us on this edition of Big City Catholics. We hope that you will like it and share it, especially the great message that we have regarding our 40 days of adoration. God bless you all.
