In our second annual crossover podcast, Tara and Jerry sit down with their friends and co-hosts of the Diocese of Camden's official podcast 'Talking Catholic.'
Together Mike Walsh, Director of Communications for the Diocese of Camden, and Jennifer Mauro, Managing Editor of the Catholic Star Herald reflect on the year as a catholic communicator in our local church.
Each week the Talking Catholic hosts interview Catholic leaders about what brought them to where they are now and how they are bringing the faith to their communities.
Listen to Talking Catholic: https://talking.catholicstarherald.org/
This week Tara and Jerry honor the patroness of the podcast, Our Lady of Guadalupe, with a time of prayer, reflection, and renewal.
As the Christmas Season looms over our heads this week, Jerry invites you to reflect with him as he shares his 'Advent Nuggets' on the importance of focusing on the purpose of the Advent Season.
As the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) concludes their Fall General Assembly, Tara and Jerry discuss the big plans for the Bishop's upcoming national eucharistic revival and give their picks on other topics that did not get that much coverage.
All information about the USCCB Fall General Assembly can be found at https://www.usccb.org/general-assembly-november-2021
As the Church concludes National Vocation Awareness Week, Tara and Jerry discuss the importance of proper discernment while reflecting on their discernment journeys and sharing how encouragement may lead to a transformation within the Church.
As the Church marks the celebration and commemoration of the Solemnity of All Saints Day and All the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day), Jerry and Tara sit down with Mary Ellen Gerrity, diocesan director of the Office of Cemeteries. Mary Ellen shares insights on what happens daily in the care of our departed loved ones, stories of the pandemic, and her overall goal to place the family first in God's care as her ministry.
Information about the diocesan cemeteries may be found at www.diometuchen.org/cemeteries
Adhering to the request from Bishop James F. Checchio for prayers for the Synod on Synodality and in honor of World Mission Sunday, Tara and Jerry dedicate their time this week to pray the rosary for the synod, our local church, and for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on our missionary work.
Tara and Jerry are joined by their friends, Sr. Anna Nguyen, SCC, Sr. Dong Hong Marie Zhang, CSSF, Br. Steven Bolton, CO and Luz Escobar of the diocesan Office of Hispanic Evangelization to pray a multilingual rosary in English, Vietnamese, Mandarin Chinese, Latin, and Spanish highlighting a snippet of the diverse church in our own backyard.
As the Church throughout the world officially opens the diocesan phase of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission, Tara and Jerry give an update on what is taking place in the Diocese of Metuchen how we can prepare to respond to the spirit, who is already moving in our local Church.
More information is available at www.diometuchen.org/synod2023
In honor of Hispanic Heritage month, Tara and Jerry welcome Luz Escobar and Allan Caballero of the diocesan Office of Hispanic Evangelization and Pastoral Ministry to discuss the importance of building a bridge between cultures and crossing the bridge together in faith.
Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated nationally from September 15 - October 15 annually. You can find more information about Hispanic ministry within the Diocese of Metuchen can be found at www.diometuchen.org/hispanicministry
At 10:30 AM on September 29th – the Feast of Ss. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels – Bishop James F. Checchio will celebrate the 19th Annual Blue Mass at the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi in Metuchen. Gathered together with local, county, state, and federal law enforcement officials, we will honor and pray for those law enforcement officials of all faiths who live and work in the Diocese of Metuchen.
Tara and Jerry sit down with David Irizarry, Chief of Police, Metuchen Borough Police, to discuss this year's mass.
Say the Word! As we celebrate Catechetical Sunday, Tara and Jerry welcome John Kobiernicki, Parish Catechetical Leader (PCL) at St. Mary's Parish in South Amboy, NJ to discuss the life and journey of the PCL.
The ministry of the Word is a fundamental element of evangelization through all its stages because it involves the proclamation of Jesus Christ, the eternal Word of God
After historic floods devastated our parish communities over a week ago due to the remanents of Hurricane Ida, Tara and Jerry dedicated their time this week to reflect on the importance of surrender and the call to support our brothers and sisters in the most need right in our backyard.
Before joining the diocese to serve as the diocesan director for the Office of the Diaconate in 2016, Deacon Stephen Kern worked in the World Trade Center as an attorney for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. He was on the sixty-second floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.
Twenty years later, Deacon Kern shares with us his story of survival and mission for service since that fateful day.
This week Jerry sits down with Bob Ferretti, Youth Minister at St. Joseph Parish in Millstone, NJ.
Their discussion highlights the ongoing fruits of Synod on Young People, the Faith, and Discernment and how to respond to a changing world in youth ministry amidst a pandemic.
After what seems to be a challenging week, Tara and Jerry sit down to discuss the patronal feast day of the Diocese of Metuchen, the feast of the Queenship of Mary. Listen as they reflect on the preparation for the fortieth anniversary of the establishment of the Diocese of Metuchen and the mission of the Church in Central New Jersey.
BONUS: Jerry and Tara find prophetic words of the founder of the Diocese of Metuchen, St. John Paul II, on the importance of looking to the Blessed Mother for intercession.
"His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy." -Matthew 25:23
After 20+ years serving in the Diocese of Metuchen, Tara and Jerry dedicate their week to Thomas DeLessio, Director of Music of the Cathedral of Saint Francis of Assisi, and Coordinator of Liturgical Music for the Diocese of Metuchen.
As Thom marks the end of his journey with us, he reflects on the joys of the journey of a musician with great faith. Come September, Thom will be moving with his family to Florida to embrace the next steps on the journey.
This week Tara and Jerry welcome their good friend Jennifer Ruggiero back to discuss how developing responses to and understanding our local public policy can be an opportunity to light hearts on fire for evangelization.
Jennifer serves as the Secretary of the Secretariat for Family and Pastoral Life, Director of the Office of Human Life & Dignity, the Chairperson of the Diocese of Metuchen's Public Policy Committee, and a part of the statewide task force on addiction.
What do Grace McCallum, Sydney McLaughlin, and Hidilyn Diaz have in common? Besides being Olympic champions, they show us how sports and the Olympic movement can be an opportunity for evangelization.
This week, join Tara and Jerry as they discuss their top five evangelical moments thus far of the #Tokyo2020 Olympic Games.
This week Tara and Jerry sit down with their in-house grandmother, Angela Marshall of St. James, Woodbridge, as the Church marks the first World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly.
Angela shares how the little things she does with her grandchildren spark curiosity for the faith and a relationship with Jesus. Feeling called to share in family life and the pro-life movement, Angela also serves as the Program Coordinator for the Office of Human Life and Dignity for the Diocese of Metuchen.
This week Jerry sits down with our own diocesan natural family planning instructors, Dan and Megan Carducci, as they share insights and information about the process of Natural Family Planning (NFP). As they give a brief overview of the process and the course, they also dispel many misconceptions associated with NFP and the Church's view.
Find out more about Natural Family Planning in the Diocese of Metuchen at diometuchen.org/natural-family-planning
"like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house...” - 1 Peter 2:5
This week Tara and Jerry sit down with Enza Cerami, Founder of Living Stones. The mission of Living Stones is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ from teens to young adults and inspire them to live out the call of chastity
Find out more at: https://www.livingstoneschastity.org/about
This week, Tara and Jerry open up about the week that was, highlighting the celebration of Ordinations to the Priesthood and Transitional Diaconate, 'Quo Vadis' Days, and what really took place at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop's June General Assembly Meeting.
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Link mentioned in this episode:
Information about the discussion around the eucharist at the USCCB Meeting can be found at https://www.usccb.org/meaning-eucharist-life-church
This week Tara and Jerry join around the table with Allan Caballero and Cristina D'Averso Collins to talk about the Lighting Hearts on Fire Pastoral Movement's 'The Joy of Love and Family' Conference Series.
More information about the conference series is available at www.lightingheartsonfire.org/joylovefamily
This week Tara and Jerry share the table with our own Seminarian Ronal Vega-Pastrana as he enlightens us once again the life of a seminarian and his hopes as he takes one of the final steps towards the priesthood. Ronal will be ordained By Bishop Checchio to the transitional diaconate on June 19th at the National Blue Army Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Asbury, NJ.
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Four men are scheduled to be ordained to the priesthood and one to the transitional diaconate – all for the diocese June 19, 11 a.m., at the National Blue Army Shrine, Washington, N.J.
The event will be livestreamed. Access to the livestream and updates about the ordinations can be found at the diocese’s website: https://diometuchen.org/
The men who are scheduled to be ordained by Bishop James F. Checchio are: Rev. Mr. Jun Joseph Querubin Alquiros, Rev. Mr. Ariel Robles Bautista Jr., Rev. Mr. Timothy M. Eck II, and Rev. Mr. Gregory J. Zannetti.
Seminarian Ronal Vega-Postrana is scheduled to be ordained to the transitional diaconate.
This week Tara and Jerrys sit down with Rev. Timothy Christy, VG the Vicar General and Vicar for Evangelization and Communications for the Diocese of Metuchen.
Rev. Timothy Christy shares through his own experience how the spirit continued to move him to say yes to new adventures and work in evangelization.
Learn more about the role of the Vicar General at https://diometuchen.org/vicar-general