November 5, 2025 • 47 mins
Join us for an inspired conversation as we delve into the heart of the Knights of Columbus, the world's largest Catholic fraternal organization, through the lens of three dedicated Knights.
They share their perspectives and experiences of actively living out their Catholic faith through service, fraternity, and charity.
Hosted by Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish of the Diocese of Paterson.
Guests:
- Jim Sweeney, State Deputy of the New Jersey State Council Knights of Columbus, and a member of and past Grand Knight of the Father Joseph A. Cassidy Council 6100 in Budd Lake, N.J.
- Hector Jimenez, the New Jersey State Council Knights of Columbus Ethnic & Cultural Development chairman. He is also a District Deputy for the New Jersey State Council Knights of Columbus, where he is responsible for four councils in the Paterson, N.J. area. He is a member and past Grand Knight of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist Council 17254 in Paterson.
- Justin Carrasco, Field Agent for the Knights of Columbus Insurance Agency in the Paterson area, and a member of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist Council 17254.
SHOW NOTES:
https://njkofc.com
https://www.kofc.org
Email questions and topic ideas to Bishop Kevin at beyond@patersondiocese.org.
Produced by Jai Agnish and Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney for the Diocese of Paterson. Production assistance from Jim Sweeney. Engineered by Cecile Pagliarulo and Jai Agnish. Edited and theme song by Jai Agnish. Illustrations by Dennis Dalelio.
Beyond The Beacon on Instagram and Facebook. Bishop Kevin on Instagram. The Diocese of Paterson on Instagram, Facebook (English) / Facebook (Spanish).
Note: Artificial intelligence was used in the development of this episode's headline and description with the input and oversight of a human.
Every three years, each Diocese in the USA has the graced opportunity to make a scheduled pilgrimage as one Diocesan family with their Bishop to the National Shrine in the nation's capital. 2026 is once again "our year!" Please note the two-day and one-day options: Oct. 16, Friday, and Oct. 17, Saturday. Visit the Diocese of Paterson website here to learn more!
On Coffee with Kupke, we have a cup of coffee and sit down with diocesan archivist, Monsignor Raymond Kupke Ph.D., to delve into the history of Catholicism in the Diocese of Paterson, N.J. Hosted by Father Paul Manning and Msgr. Kupke. Listen to Coffee with Kupke wherever you get your podcasts, or watch it on the St. Paul Inside the Walls YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@stpaulinsidethewalls.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_06 (00:07):
Welcome to Beyond the Weekend with Bishop Kevin
Sweeney, a podcast of theDiocese of Patterson, New
Jersey.
Join us for conversations aboutour Catholic faith, and together
let's strive to live a life offaith, hope, and love.
I'm Jay Agnish and with me isBishop Kevin Sweeney.
Bishop Kevin, how you doing?
SPEAKER_02 (00:23):
I'm good, Jay.
Happy All Hallows Eve.
Yes.
Happy Halloween to you.
Am I allowed to say this?
Sure, uh, I just prefer allHallows Eve.
Yeah.
Um this um same?
Uh same to you, thank you.
Thanks, thanks, thanks.
Um what what's going on?
Uh tomorrow, um November 1st,Feast of All Saints.
(00:47):
I wanna I forget the year now,but it's the anniversary of the
ordination to priesthood of St.
Pope John Paul II.
Uh he was ordained a priest inuh um on All Saints Day.
Um I'm trying in Rome, I'mpretty sure in Rome.
Um his little book I mentionedbefore, Gift and Mystery, the
story of his own vocation.
Uh he talks about being ordainedand saying his first masses, I
(01:08):
think he might have said threemasses on All Souls Day.
Not sure if everyone knows thatuh priests have permission to
celebrate three masses.
Any priest can celebrate threemasses.
You can celebrate three massesif you have to, and some do.
Okay.
Um but normally um uh uh we youwouldn't necessarily celebrate
three masses in a day, but onall souls day, uh every priest
has permission to celebratethree masses um uh for the
(01:30):
proposal souls.
Uh they got it from Pope, Ithink it was Pope Benedict that
made it clear, although it'sprobably been a custom for a lot
longer than that, yeah.
Um so um this year it will thisepisode will come out
afterwards, but um uh All SaintsDay fell on a Saturday and um
All Souls on a Sunday.
So um uh it's you know the theAll Souls is uh it's really a
(01:55):
beautiful day um to remember allthose who have gone before us in
faith, and uh certainly a day tobe at Mass.
And it falling on a Sunday is areminder, hopefully, for
everyone, um, that uh as we doat each mass, um we pray for
those who have died, but in aspecial way, the day after All
Saints um on All Souls Day, andreally through the month of
November.
We have a custom of praying,especially for um all the
(02:16):
faithful departed during themonth of November.
SPEAKER_06 (02:18):
So Yeah, one of the customs I love is uh local chur
parish might um put uh photos ofloved ones who've gone before
us.
SPEAKER_02 (02:26):
Uh the cathedral has a big um remembrance uh with
candles, I think, and uh andnames uh of all those who have
died um as uh one of our or twoof our guests might be able to
share with us.
SPEAKER_03 (02:37):
Uh yeah this year we're going with uh Jay's idea.
This year they're doingpictures.
Oh beautiful.
SPEAKER_06 (02:44):
Not my idea, but yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (02:47):
But they're uh they're going from the candles
to pictures.
Okay.
I can do it this year.
SPEAKER_02 (02:50):
Um physical pictures or yeah.
Physical pictures.
SPEAKER_03 (02:54):
It'll be uh left left side of the altar.
It'll be all filled withpictures.
Right.
SPEAKER_06 (02:59):
Well why don't I hey why don't I introduce our guests
and our and our topic realquick?
Uh so we're gonna be talkingabout the Knights of Columbus,
and and with us uh the personwho was just speaking is Hector
Jimenez.
Uh he's a membership of uh uhethnic development leader and
district deputy, a member of theCathedral Council 17254.
(03:20):
Sitting next to him is JimSweeney, State Deputy of New
Jersey's.
SPEAKER_02 (03:24):
No relation that we're aware of.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_06 (03:26):
We're long-distant cousins.
But I I hear you've been jokingthat he's your your cousin
lately or something.
So, Jim Sweeney, uh well-knownknight uh who's on our our
state, the state council now ofKnights of Columbus, he's also a
member of the Bud Lake, FatherJoseph A.
Cassidy Budlake Council 6100.
And then we're also going tointroduce uh another knight in a
(03:50):
in a little while, but thank youfor being on the show.
Thank you for having us.
SPEAKER_05 (03:54):
Joining us, this is a real honor to be here.
So thank you so much.
The knights are an integral partof the Patterson Diocese.
Uh the bishop, from the firstmoment he got here, we
introduced I introduced myself,and we've tried to make inroads
to make sure that active throughthe state of New Jersey, through
the United States, andinternationally unbelievable.
SPEAKER_02 (04:14):
From that little group that Father McGivney
started that had a tough time toget going until they got that
second council and the rest ishistory, as we say.
Uh but maybe we'll uh pray arestill here.
You go um uh as the days, weeks,and months go by so quickly, and
now we're of only two monthsleft in the Jubilee year, but uh
we're gonna make the most of it.
(04:35):
And uh so let us place ourselvesin God's presence in the name of
the Father and of the Son and ofthe Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Amen.
As pilgrims of hope in thisjubilee of hope, together with
the church, we pray the Jubileeprayer.
Father in heaven, may the faithyou have given us in your Son
Jesus Christ, our brother, andthe flame of charity enkindled
(04:59):
in our hearts by the Holy Spiritreawaken in us the blessed hope
for the coming of your kingdom.
May your grace transform us intotireless cultivators of the
seeds of the gospel.
May those seeds transform fromwithin both humanity and the
whole cosmos in the pureexpectation of a new heaven and
a new earth, when with thepowers of evil vanquished, your
(05:21):
glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubileereawaken in us, pilgrims of
hope, a yearning for thetreasures of heaven.
May that same grace spread thejoy and peace of our Redeemer
throughout the earth.
To you, our God, eternallyblessed, be glory and praise
forever.
Amen.
(05:42):
Our Lady of Hope, pray for usfor Christ.
Saint Joseph, pray for us, SaintJohn the Baptist, pray for us.
Saint Pope John Paul II, prayfor us.
Blessed Father Michael McGivney,pray for us.
All holy men and women, pray forus.
Name of the Father and the Son,of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
SPEAKER_06 (06:01):
So did you know the Knights of Columbus is the
world's largest Catholicfraternal organization?
It was founded by Father MichaelMcGivney, who you mentioned in
1882 with a mission of charity.
The organization's goal is tohelp men, their families, and
their parishes grow closer toChrist.
The Knights of Columbus provideopportunities to live and spread
the Catholic faith through avirtually boundless variety of
(06:24):
projects.
SPEAKER_02 (06:25):
And if you want to hear or read a great origin
story, um, I think it's DouglasBrinkley, we'll have to double
check the author, I alwaysforget, but um uh Paris Priest.
Um the story of Father MichaelMcGivney and the foundation of
the um uh Knights of Columbus,um to say it got took a while to
get off its feet, is uh and uhjust uh real insight into
(06:48):
American history, um um late1700s, early 1800s, and uh what
when what year was it founded?
1882.
Excuse me, um uh in the 1800s.
Uh and Father McGivney was onlyin his 40s, I want to say, when
he died.
SPEAKER_05 (07:01):
Father McGivney died when he was 30, I think it's 38.
Right.
Uh because it was August 1stthat he passed away, right?
SPEAKER_02 (07:08):
It's America in the late 1800s, but um it's uh it's
a really uh I read it for thesecond time when we were
together for mass uh well that'sthe summer now that it was, but
um uh but uh state deputy, isthat right?
SPEAKER_05 (07:21):
I am state deputy of the state of New Jersey, and we
are, I was just telling some ofthe uh hosts before that we are
number one in division one ofall states in the jury all
jurisdictions in the order forDivision I.
Those are the largest stateswithin our order.
We are now number one.
So that's number one in terms ofmembership growth.
Membership growth.
(07:41):
And it's a lot is attributableto the gentlemen sitting here.
These guys recruit actively atSt.
John the Baptist Cathedral, butall over the state we are
bringing in new membership allthe time.
And it's because of a lot of theinteresting programs that we are
providing uh to our members sothat and to non-members so that
they're interested in joining.
SPEAKER_02 (08:02):
Jim, maybe you can share and then Hector, uh, maybe
just tell us uh how long you'vebeen in of Columbus and uh what
was it like getting started anda little bit about what's led
from there to here.
SPEAKER_05 (08:13):
Yeah, it's it's been an interesting ride.
I I joined because I was asked.
And the reason I focused on the.
SPEAKER_02 (08:20):
You grew up in the diocese, did you?
SPEAKER_05 (08:21):
I grew up in Jersey City, actually.
Next door I knew it.
And then yeah, I was in theNorcarch Diocese for almost uh
24 years.
And uh then we moved to MountOlive in 1984, and that's when I
joined St.
Jude Parish up in Bud Lake.
Uh it has been a real journey.
Uh, the reason I say I joinedbecause I was asked.
(08:41):
Majority of the men that wespeak with that say, Why aren't
you a knight?
They say, Because I was neverasked.
And that's the focus is if youask, they will join.
SPEAKER_02 (08:52):
When I was vocation director, we did a study in
Brooklyn with Bishop DeMarzio,and uh they asked some young
people, have you ever considereduh vocation to priesthood or
religious life?
And the kids just said no, thenumber one reason was nobody
ever asked me.
That's me.
Right?
Exactly.
SPEAKER_05 (09:06):
And and it has been a journey.
I learned early on that um oneof the things I felt deeply was
that I wanted to participate inmy faith.
In other words, I wanted to putmy faith into action.
Um majority of my friends wouldall complain how society is, how
things are, but they never gotinvolved.
My goal was to get engaged, andwhen I got engaged, I found a
(09:28):
council that was really vibrant.
They were very active, doing allsorts of that was up at lake.
Yeah, it was a phenomenalcouncil, and they are.
They were on their way back now.
They they have a phenomenalcouncil at this point as well.
Um there was everything that wedid.
We went to pregnancy resourcecenters and redecorated homes
for several sources.
(09:48):
We would do cleanup and thingsfor the elderly.
Uh, we cleaned the roadside withour squires, our youth
organization.
Uh there was just a lot ofactivities.
But I think the best thing thatI found out was what I enjoyed
most, was volunteering.
In other words, you see a grandknight and you see this all the
time.
A grand knight will get up infront of his meeting and he'll
say, We want to run a dance.
(10:09):
And is there any volunteers torun that?
Nobody puts their hand up.
But I found myself saying, Yeah,I wanted to do that because what
it gave you the ability is tostart to bring in other people.
I I guess you call this servantleadership, you know, is that
you get other people motivatedand interested in doing the kind
of work that we do, and henceyou get the next set of leaders
(10:29):
to come along.
So, what I found through myinvolvement was that I enjoyed
bringing those people in,getting them engaged, having
them start their own programsand and initiatives, and I moved
on then to the next role.
And I guess I moved on a lotbecause it's 38 years.
38 years, is that right?
Um I've been a knight, and nowI'm uh now I'm State Deputy.
(10:51):
So I'm very proud of the workthat I've done.
SPEAKER_02 (10:53):
And Hector, when did you first hear about the
Knights?
So when did you join and what'sit been like since then?
SPEAKER_03 (10:59):
I joined the Knights 31 years ago this year.
Um believe it or not, uh no, I'mnot from New Jersey.
Uh I joined in in Hawthorne.
I was my first council.
I'm a Brooklyn boy from your oldcouncil.
Actually, I was baptized andeverything in uh in Brooklyn.
Um it's funny how being asked.
I used to go to St.
(11:19):
Anthony's Church in Hawthorne,and uh I'll never forget this
feisty middle-aged guy comes andsays to me, You want to be a
knight?
I'm like, What's a knight?
He's like, Well, we do this,this, that, and so forth.
And I'm like, okay, that'sinteresting.
And he hit me with we are hereto help our priest, help the
(11:42):
church, and help our community.
And for some reason that justrang rang a bell on me.
And um not even a month later.
I was a knight and I've been aknight ever since 31 years.
SPEAKER_02 (11:57):
And um how long have you been at the cathedral?
SPEAKER_03 (12:02):
I know why he's asking that.
Um the cathedral, we we didn'thave a council, Knights of
Columbus in the cathedral.
Uh Monsignor Gino Silva arrivedto the cathedral, and he is a
brother knight, and he knewthat.
Um the beauty of Father McGivneyis that he understood that a
priest needed laymen to be ableto help him with the mission of
(12:23):
the church.
Um that connection is what hasmade the knights what we are
today.
Father Gino came in and actuallyreached out to this young man.
He wanted a counselor of thecathedral.
And I kept my mouth quiet.
I didn't I had another positionin the cathedral, and somebody
said, Oh, by the way, Hector's aknight.
(12:44):
And um God works in mysteriousways.
Yes, he does.
And uh, we were very fortunatewith the help of uh with Jim and
other brothers to open our firstcouncil, and that is seven years
ago.
That's seven.
Seven years ago we opened uh andand uh we've never looked back.
SPEAKER_02 (13:02):
And in addition to many other um activities, um the
knights are I guess everybody atthe cathedral pitches in, but um
uh the uh Via Cruces, right, onum Good Friday, the Knights are
very involved, right?
SPEAKER_03 (13:14):
Yeah, um every single male member in the Via
Crucis is a brother knight.
Um you started as a brother, oryou will end as a brother.
But uh as a brother knight, andum and we have a cast of
approximately uh 97, 97, 98.
What is the Via Cruces, just forpeople who may not know?
Thank you, Jay.
(13:34):
Thank you.
Um the way of the cross is across.
We believe it's a way of thecross, but we believe before
there was the written word,there was actually spoken word.
And the traditions of the churchwere passed down generation to
generation via similar things, aplay, uh uh obviously, and
that's what we tend to do.
(13:55):
We do a reenactment of the lastmoments of of of Jesus Christ on
earth and and we do the uh uh inin the Spanish community, uh uh
Living Via Crucis is what we do.
Um it attracts four, fivethousand people um on Good
Friday.
On Good Friday and it's it'stouching uh it's it's amazing
(14:19):
because uh again it it's it'sit's we're all brothers.
And it's amazing when you see awhole bunch of men who practice
for months that day and you seeus all weep because hey, it hits
us strong because this is whatwe believe in.
And thank you, Bishop, foralways uh having our back and
always being there for us.
SPEAKER_06 (14:40):
So let me just, if I could, if I could rattle off
some of what I was looking onthe website in preparation for
the the episode.
And I I was surprised at some ofthe programs and charities that
the Knights are involved with.
So I'm just gonna mention a abunch here, and then maybe you
could both speak to some of thelocal more local ones.
So Knights of Columbuscharities, just the charities
(15:01):
arm of the Knights is involvedwith.
United in Charity, our United inCharity appeal provides support
to all our initiatives.
Ukraine Solidarity Fund,disaster relief, culture of
life, Knights of Columbus Coatsfor Kids, Warriors to Lords to
Lords, Vocations, persecutedChristians since 2014,
(15:22):
Christians who have fled thereligious persecution in the
Middle East receive humanitarianand spirit spiritual aid.
And then there's the FatherMcGivney Military Chaplain
Scholarship.
So a lot of things that youmight not think about that the
Knights are involved with.
What are some of the things thatare you're involved with
locally?
SPEAKER_05 (15:38):
Locally, we have some of the best programs going.
Um we actually are thecenterpiece in New Jersey for
distributions.
You've probably heard of theCoats for Kids program.
And um Hector and I andMonsignor Silva and his whole
team got together probably fiveyears ago and decided that we
wanted to distribute the coatsat at the Patterson Cathedral.
(16:00):
I think we call it Bethlehem andPatterson.
And what we do is we purchase,uh Supreme gives us the ability
to double our purchase of coats.
And so whatever we purchase, weget two times that.
And this year we're going forabout 22 to 2,500 coats to give
out to children on the streetsof Patterson.
In addition to that, they get atoy.
(16:22):
I'm gonna hand it over to Hectoron this because this is really
his baby.
My part in it is to do all theupfront work with, you know, the
the proposals to get the BOGO,as they call it, uh instituted,
and then I do the purchases, itall gets delivered, and these
guys do a lot of the heavylifting and stuff, and then
we're all there.
The beauty of this is that it'sthe entire diocese that
(16:45):
contributes to this.
All the councils within thediocese that want to can
contribute their funds to thisgoal, and then it goes to the
cathedral, and the cathedral hasthis huge amount of codes to
give out to the Patterson andPassaic areas.
It's wonderful.
SPEAKER_02 (16:59):
Just before Hector takes the baton, uh, you
mentioned Supreme givespermission.
Uh uh that's the uh centraloffice of the knights uh there's
a very um uh established uhstructure.
Um uh deputies and statedeputies and um and uh uh
there's some uh uh uh wonderfuluh ceremonies to become a
(17:22):
knight, is the the differentdegrees to we don't have to go
into all that right now at themoment, but um but you feel that
support, right?
And and that structure enables,as you just said, Jim, um
councils from different parts ofthe of the diocese to help this
particular effort, right?
SPEAKER_05 (17:36):
Yeah, this this this effort, we become the focal
point of it, though we doencourage the other diocese to
do the same.
We want them to go out and tostart their own kinds of drives
like this.
But the Supreme, what they do isthey start a program, but they
support you to make it even morebeneficial than you expect it to
be.
(17:57):
So I could talk about thingslike for the um uh for aid and
support after pregnancy for formoms.
You it's like a walking withmoms thing.
RSVP for seminarians, which is arefund program that gives us
more support.
They keep encouraging us to dothese good works by giving us
benefits that we wouldn'tnormally have.
(18:17):
So, like with the coats forkids, this is tremendous because
the other day I bought$13,000worth of coats, but it
translated into$26,000 worth ofcoats.
That's 80 cases, if I'm notmistaken, that we that I ordered
the other day.
That's wonderful.
That will come to the cathedral,and we can actually share not
only in just the cathedral, butin other cases where we we have
that overabundance, we'll beable to share that with the
(18:39):
other diocese as well because wegot that benefit.
So, yes, Supreme not only putsout these programs, but they
encourage the state'sparticipation in it and do it in
very, very s financialsupportive ways that we normally
wouldn't have.
SPEAKER_02 (19:34):
And that uh take us to what it's like uh when those
toys and coats start coming intothe cathedral.
SPEAKER_03 (19:40):
Uh i it it's an amazing program.
Um it's an amazing programbecause it serves a very
specific purpose is to be ableto help our children in most
need.
Um everybody knows obviously thediocese of Patterson.
Uh we we have our struggles.
Um in again, under theleadership of of Monsignor Gino,
(20:02):
we've been able to havesomething called a Bethlehem
Patterson.
We want to make one day close toChristmas a day for the kids to
be able to have fun, for thekids to be able to experience
what it is to have a toy,because sadly we know that a lot
don't.
Um another sad point (20:17):
how many kids do we see just with a
little hoodie?
Because they don't have a coat.
Um Supreme put this program out.
This young man heard about itlike immediately, picked up the
phone.
Hey Hector, why don't we dothis?
I'm like, let's go for it.
And and Monsignor Gino is uh isgood.
(20:37):
Once you bring him an idea,let's try it.
Um this will be our fifth year.
We approximately giving out 2200coats in the cathedral, and um
we believe that no child shouldbe cold for lack of a coat if we
could help it.
Um it works amazing.
Last year we gave out 3,600toys.
Um and last year we had SantaClaus and we had train rides and
(21:01):
we have a couple of things.
Well, those toys come frombecause the Knights also, which
which is it's an amazingorganization.
So there's different councils,and we're just gonna stick with
the Patterson Diocese, but allthe different councils in the
Patterson Diocese, through theirchurches, do these toy drives.
Close to our date, brotherKnights go to all the different
(21:24):
churches picking up all thesetoys.
And the grand majority of thebulk comes from there.
Brings it to the cathedral.
Cathedral has uh Santa'sworkshop.
I mean, they have everything,our our wives and our and our
our sisters are they're justready and they'll repackage
them, label them uh boy, girl,age, and um it's it's pretty
(21:45):
beautiful.
Um this year, uh I don't want togive anything up, we're going
with a little different aspectof it.
Um we want to to make it evenmore Christ-centered.
Um you know, there's a reasonyou're getting a gift, and
there's a reason you're gettinga toy, and it's not only for the
train right at the end oranything.
We're going more Christ-centeredwith it.
(22:06):
And again, um I I have to saythat Monsignor Gino is he's a
lot like Bishop.
You know, there's an idea, andthat idea sparkles, and uh, you
know, Bishop is like, let's gofor it.
Fall Gino, let's go for it.
And that makes our council andour brother makes it a lot
easier because if we dream it,we could do it.
SPEAKER_05 (22:31):
Uh this one, go ahead.
No, there was nothing moremoving than what we used to go
around after we gave out thecoats and the toy.
We go around and we give out theremaining two.
And I'll never forget the onetime that Monsignor Silva w saw
this girl behind a fence and shewas like crying waiting for a
toy.
And he handed her that toy.
I'll never forget it.
It was the most moving momentthat you'll see.
(22:53):
And and this is the joy that youbring to that young child at a
moment of, you know, with theirlife may not be all that great,
but this is a great moment forthem that they'll always
remember.
SPEAKER_02 (23:03):
We're gonna bring Justin in, but um uh Jay was
mentioning earlier about askingsome a question like uh well
what if someone wants to becomea knight, right?
SPEAKER_06 (23:12):
Yeah, yeah.
So what if I was like, hey, howdo I become a knight?
SPEAKER_05 (23:16):
Oh well, let's start.
Uh here we do it.
We we whip out the phone, andactually we've we've improved
our process so much in signingup knights.
It's almost instantaneous.
We we would we would take ourcell phone, we would get you to
fill out a form online, and youcould join.
But the most important part ofit is not so much the activity
of getting you to join, butgetting you engaged.
(23:38):
And once we get you engaged,like in accounts like his or in
mine, instantly there are.
Wait, wait, wait.
SPEAKER_06 (23:43):
This all sounds like so so much work.
I only I I work, I I want to goto the gym, I my I have a busy
life.
SPEAKER_05 (23:49):
Can you give one hour a month?
That's what most of us will tellyou.
The good the good recruiterswill tell you that, because
here's the here's the hook.
That one hour a month startsoff, and you get engaged, and
suddenly you see that activitythat you most enjoy doing, and
now you're giving more of thosehours to that.
It may be to youth, it may be touh doing stuff around the
(24:14):
church, it may be to core, itmay be to several different
activities within that thecouncils offer.
You said we had this plethora,the Schmorgisborg of activities.
Yes, we do, and you may findthat one.
And suddenly you're not givenjust that one hour a week.
You'll be excited to give thatfour hours a month, maybe even
more than that, those some guyssay that.
SPEAKER_02 (24:33):
And we say we say something like Catholic
fraternal organization, but uhit's based in the faith.
Um and it gives men and theirwives and families often um uh
uh an opportunity to live theirCatholic faith in addition just
to come being being at mass.
Um but fraternal, uh uh there isa brotherhood and there's a um
(24:56):
there's some socialopportunities as well, right?
Absolutely.
Uh absolutely so um so as as yousay, uh if if uh a a man can
find that time to give an hour amonth, no pressure to give more,
but all of a sudden he mightfind himself wanting to do more.
SPEAKER_05 (25:14):
The social environment, and and Hector can
speak more of this because hisparish is incredibly good at
this, they have socialactivities that bring their
membership together that is justoutstanding.
And and it brings the families,the kids, everyone together at
an event.
And that's really what it'sabout.
Suddenly your your friends'circle grows from a few people
(25:35):
that live next door to you, ormaybe no one, to all of a sudden
having this entire parish thatknows you.
And it's not just about theprograms, because core is a
centric part of it.
I I know the bishop is wellversed in it because he's heard
Patrick Kelly, our SupremeKnight, speak of it to all the
bishops.
Uh core is is is an activity, uhit's it's a faith-centric
(25:58):
activity that we're trying toget the the councils back into.
SPEAKER_02 (26:02):
Or councils go ahead.
I core, I think the Latin wordfor heart, um and I think it's
uh uh Saint John Henry Newman,who was about to be declared a
doctor of the church.
I think it was him.
We can double check, it mighthave been another saying, but
cor od cor loquitor, heartspeaking to heart.
Um so um uh the knights discernthat uh a lot of great things,
(26:26):
Catholic faith and action, butdo the do the brothers have an
opportunity or are theycomfortable with speaking about
their relationship with the Lordin prayer, um uh sharing their
faith uh as as uh as disciplesand witnesses and um core now is
that opportunity within theorganization to uh study the
scriptures and come together inin faith sharing groups, right?
(26:49):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_05 (26:50):
Yes, this is very close to something like what I
call called a cornerstonealumni, where gentlemen get
together and and the benefit ofit is it's it's a reading of the
scripture, maybe a few questionsto get you to reflect on the
scripture.
And then from there, you sit asmen in this day and age on how
that scripture comes to life inyour life.
(27:11):
What effect does it have on you?
And by doing that, it tells you,you know, it helps you to
understand I'm not the only onein this.
Uh the scripture, instead ofjust listening to it from, let's
say, you know, in the church,you now have the ability to
discuss it as men and say, wow,I never really thought of it
that way, Jay.
That's the way, that is reallythe way I should think about it.
(27:32):
And it really gets men engagedin their faith.
Because of one thing, we got allthese programs, and sometimes we
were viewed as just being aprogram-oriented kind of
organization.
We are now trying tore-establish ourselves as a
faith leadership organization,and that's what COR and EFF will
do that for us.
Jim Borges is our leader in thatin the state, and uh we'll have
(27:52):
other leaders within our owndiocese that'll do this as well.
SPEAKER_02 (27:55):
Great.
Okay.
Uh one I think um we want to getyour younger brother uh knight
uh Justin in.
But just Hector, before you go,um uh the best thing about being
a knight, and if there's uh uh agentleman out there on the fence
thinking about, well, I wonderif I should do this, what would
be your uh uh minute or twopitch to say so two things.
(28:17):
One, what what's what it foryourself, what's the best thing
about being a knight?
And then secondly, what wouldyou say to someone who's
thinking about it?
SPEAKER_03 (28:24):
Uh number one, the best thing about being a knight
is camaraderie.
Um we together could changeanything, we could definitely
change our lives, change oursociety, change everything.
And it is a camaraderie ofCatholic men, so we have that in
common right off the bat.
(28:45):
We're all Catholic men, and weall wanna uh, you know, our goal
is the Lord.
Um yes, we do a lot of socialactivities, Jay.
You were talking about supersocial.
My favorite thing is that ustogether as a group could both
be social.
We can hang out, we could go outto dinner with our wives, and we
(29:07):
also know that we serve ourchurch and our Lord by far.
For a young man, um, and I wastalking to our behind the camera
uh person, Cecile, we're talkingabout uh, oh, I'm so busy, I
have so many activities, I don'tknow what to do, uh, I don't
have enough time.
And then my a my answer to themor my question is, like I said
(29:27):
today, and who gave you all thattime and all that work?
Pause.
And then I'm like, doesn't hedeserve at least one hour back a
month?
SPEAKER_02 (29:40):
And who with mess during the mass I think during a
month?
Yeah, one hour a week at mess uhput him to work.
SPEAKER_03 (29:49):
And um and and it's funny because um you're a church
anyway, you're a church withyour children, you're a church
uh helping here, you're you'recutting the grass, you're doing
it, you're there already.
Join the group that is our focusand our main purpose is to help
our local priest and our churchand our religion.
(30:10):
That that would be my my sell toanybody who's on the fence,
whether to join or not.
You have you're busy, you have alot of work.
And who gave that to you?
Give a load of back.
SPEAKER_02 (30:21):
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord.
Thank you, Hector, for beingwith us.
SPEAKER_06 (30:30):
Okay, well, Hector, thank you for for joining us.
And now we're gonna welcomeJustin Carrasco, who is field
agent for the Knights ofColumbus and Youth Director at
the Cathedral of St.
John the Baptist and member ofthe Cathedral Council 17254.
So welcome, Justin.
SPEAKER_00 (30:45):
Thank you so much.
Thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_02 (30:47):
A return guest, right?
Oh yes, my second time.
Thank you so much for theinvitation.
Um the previous um was on youthministry, was it?
Yes, on youth ministry.
Right, right.
So um, as I asked Jim and uhHector, maybe just share a
little bit about um when youfirst heard of the Knights of
Columbus, uh, how did you decideto become a knight?
And uh since you became aknight, what's it been like uh
(31:10):
being a knight of Columbus?
SPEAKER_00 (31:11):
Well, to be quite frank with you, I remember when
the cathedral first announcedthat they were gonna have a
council for the Knights ofColumbus.
I saw all the men who would hadraised their hand, who had stood
up, that wanted to participate,and I thought, I don't want to
do that.
You know, I had seen the Knightsof Columbus, and and I've heard
this through many of my owncolleagues that it's just an old
boys' club.
Until eventually I had this bigknucklehead, we call him Hector
(31:34):
Jimenez, and he said, Hey, youngman, I think you'd be a great
addition to the Knights ofColumbus.
Never did I ever thought thatsomeone like him would want to
have little old me become aknight of Columbus.
Until as of three years ago,I've been a knight and I've
loved it ever since.
I have had such the greatestexperience becoming a knight.
(31:56):
I've had a great group offriends, even though they're a
lot older than me, but stillthey're my brothers.
And since then, I have ingrainedthe knights right here on my
heart.
And anything that I do, I alwayswant to promulgate the mission
of the knights, especiallywithin youth ministry.
All all the kids know that assoon as they turn 18, especially
the boys, that one, they can bemy friend, and two, that all my
(32:17):
friends are knights.
SPEAKER_05 (32:18):
Uh and um is it still the squires program for
the the Supreme has has backedoff a little bit on support of
the squires.
They've sort of tried to pass itto the parishes to run the youth
programs, but we still havesquires circles here in the
Patterson Diocese.
It's run by Tom Rowe, and heruns that organization across
(32:39):
the different parishes.
Right.
SPEAKER_02 (32:41):
Uh Jay described, uh mentioned that um Justin was uh
not only a knight but a fieldagent.
Uh you can uh we'll come back tothat in a moment, I think,
because uh uh going back to theorigin story and um uh Father
McGhibney uh Jim, the uh theknights also um basically have a
an insurance uh that's correctwing or um that business um
(33:06):
aspect of uh um I it's it's areading the story of Father
McGhibney, uh it was a time whenif a family if a husband died,
you know, the wife and the kidscould be um destitute, and um
and so there was this basicallylife insurance or um uh death
benefit.
Um but tell us a little bitabout that aspect of the Knights
(33:26):
from the beginning to where itis now, and then maybe Justin
can tell us about as much as thefield.
SPEAKER_05 (33:30):
You look at where the Knights of Columbus started
from, uh when Father MichaelMcGivney was assigned to St.
Mary's Church, uh, all he couldsee were the families that, if
they lost their breadwinner,lack of a better term, the widow
and the children, and we'retalking families, sizable
families, you know, four, six,ten kids, were suddenly thrown
(33:52):
into the courts because a widowat that time, a woman really
didn't have an occupation.
And so those children werethrown to the wind and at the
mercy of the courts.
And the families were literallybroken up, and this broke his
heart.
And he decided what he wanted todo was start something that
would support those familieswhen this occurred.
(34:13):
And that's where the Knights ofColumbus really got its start.
It was not just an organizationof faith and fraternity, but it
also focused on taking care ofour brothers and their families.
And you would come to a meetingand you'd literally put in 50
cents,$5,$10, whatever yourmeans were.
And that built up the kitty sothat should one of our brothers
(34:37):
unfortunately, you know, meethis doom or meet his maker, what
would then happen is that uh thecouncil would then subsidize his
family through some fixed numberthat they would give to him.
And$500 in 1880s was a hugeamount of money.
That was a several years'salary.
So, but now we've grown into anorganization, as we said before,
(34:58):
2.1 million men, greater thanthat, seven over 17,000
councils, and now we're poweringan insurance company that's
triple A rated, it's the top ofits peak, and that's who Justin
works for now.
So, Justin, why don't you takeit from there and sort of tell
us a little bit about theinsurance?
SPEAKER_00 (35:15):
Absolutely.
And so within the Knights ofColumbus, I also work for the
financial side of it, well, theinsurance end of it.
And so, all in all, what I getto do is I get to sit down, I
get to protect Catholicfamilies.
That is the true bread andbutter of what we do for the
Knights of Columbus.
Whether I'm meeting a young manand he doesn't know what
retirement even sounds like, soI get to sit down and provide a
(35:36):
little bit of financialliteracy.
Or whether I'm meeting a familyand maybe one of their members
have reached a terminal illness,I get to see, all right, how can
we allocate funds to make surethat they get a proper burial
and have a true Catholicfuneral.
Or maybe I'm meeting somebodywhere they just had a baby and
say, like, you know, what finalwhat financial opportunities
could I provide my little boy orlittle girl as they start to
(35:58):
grow up?
Giving them a for real, uhgiving them an honest financial
leg as as they just begin theirlife.
And so ultimately, I do it forthat one Catholic brother.
I do it for that one.
SPEAKER_02 (36:11):
How long have you been a field agent?
SPEAKER_00 (36:13):
I've been a field agent for a little over a year
and a half now.
SPEAKER_06 (36:17):
So thank you for sharing the that aspect of it.
I was definitely curious aboutit too.
Thanks for asking, Bishop.
Um I wonder if we could talk alittle bit about I guess the
kind of the relationship betweenthe the priest and the and the
knights, and um uh it's whatcomes to mind is maybe vocations
and seminarians.
I know there's uh that's one ofthe areas that the knights
(36:38):
supports.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_02 (36:39):
RSVP grant, but I think Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Uh there's a few years ago now,but as a seminarian, we I uh I
be I joined the Knights as aseminarian in Long Island, uh at
the seminary in Huntington.
Um uh but uh each semester theseminarian would get this, I
think it was$500 check, whichwas in the mid-90s, uh very
(37:00):
helpful uh to a strugglingseminarian.
And uh uh and and that was a waythat we certainly heard uh felt
the um the um uh the presenceand and support of the Knights
of Columbus um in a verypractical way, and it still goes
on, right?
SPEAKER_05 (37:17):
Uh right now, I mean there are so we stand in
solidarity with our priests,bishops, seminarians, and and
deacons.
Our goal is to make sure thatthey know they have a friend,
and uh the the bishop has seenthis.
Friends of the Vatican as well.
Yeah, and and so well yeah, I Iwon't even touch on that one,
but yes, we've we've helped toreduce St.
(37:37):
Peter's uh Basilica there withthe what is what is it, the
canopy.
SPEAKER_02 (37:41):
There's a term for the uh um yes uh baldicino.
SPEAKER_05 (37:45):
Balapino that that's over the altar.
We restored that whole thing asan organization for the Supreme
Canada.
For the Jubilee.
The things that this Supreme andthe states do is just
outstanding, but it's locallywhat we provide, and in New
Jersey is is outstanding.
For instance, the Pride NorPriest dinner is coming up in
(38:05):
another month, November 24th, Ibelieve it is.
And this is a night where weinvite all the priests in the
diocese.
We get almost a hundred prieststo come to that dinner.
And in addition, the bishop isthere.
There's two other bishops,Bishop Kirk Burnett and Bishop
Paul Bukoski, uh, BishopEmeritus and Metuchin, and they
come there.
And this is an opportunity forthem to socialize without the
(38:27):
business aspects, I'm sure.
And I see how you move around inthat audience, and it's just so
fantastic because it gives themthe ability just to socialize,
break bread and have a goodtime.
In addition to that, the knightsprovide support for, I'll call
them young men that are maybeapproaching discernment, Quo
Vatis.
We come up with Quovatis.
SPEAKER_02 (38:46):
They cook a great barbecue.
Yes, we sit there and serve aday now, also the other one.
SPEAKER_05 (38:51):
We do both those events, and it's very exciting
because we come, Quovatis, wereally literally just were the
cooks and the chefs andeverything.
And when you have teenage boys,there's nothing, there's nothing
worse than trying to feed enoughbecause you can't have enough
food.
But it's an outstanding event.
I've had one of your burgers inthe house.
Yeah, yeah, it's an outstandingevent.
On top of that, you were sayingaltar service.
(39:13):
These who's the closest personto the priest when the Eucharist
is transformed.
It is, it is, it is anopportunity.
It's the altar servers that arestanding there.
These folks, these kids may noteven thought about it, but being
that close, you're cl you'rethat close to nobody else in the
audience gets that opportunity.
So, in our appreciation to that,we have a will we support the
(39:35):
altar server appreciation daythat the bishop reinstituted.
And this is a goldenopportunity.
Again, we set up, we break down,we we cook for them.
It's a great day.
Um the RSVP program is a programthat's been probably around, if
it's been, you just said sincethe 90s.
So it's been around for at least35 years, and this is where a
(39:55):
council can contribute to aseminarian.
And we encourage all seminariansin Patterson are covered.
We've done we've made sure ofthat, thanks to Michael
Klavisek, who runs that programfor us.
And what it does is you give a$500 contribution, but Supreme,
again, to encourage us to dothis, will give us another$100
towards that seminarian to makesure he's covered.
(40:16):
So your$500 turns into$600.
And multiple councils willprobably support some of the
same seminarians.
So they get a real bump.
No, you may only got one.
They may give it to a few otherworlds.
They can use whatever comes in.
The one thing that I've learned,and and I guess this comes after
38 years, is a seminarian todayis our pastor tomorrow.
(40:38):
And so just like you rememberit, they will remember it.
SPEAKER_02 (40:42):
And uh the Diocesan Ministries Appeal helps with
that as well.
So we'll be a little morecommercial there for uh uh
Justin, um as I asked Hector, umthe best thing about being a
knight, and certainly your workas a field uh agent, as you just
replied, uh making it so um uhvivid, really, uh that you get
(41:02):
to help Catholic families um uhhave some security.
Um but um uh in addition tothat, maybe the best thing for
you about being a knight, and uhif there's a young man out there
who's thinking about it, whatwhat would you say in terms of
uh why they should think aboutfilling out that application?
SPEAKER_00 (41:19):
Best thing about being the knight is definitely
my brothers.
I have enjoyed so much timebecoming the knight because of
the great council that I'm apart of.
And many of the councils that Iget to visit as a field agent,
that spirit is still alive.
And so I encourage every singleyoung man or every single
Catholic man to become a Knightof Columbus.
(41:40):
Why?
Because we are the greatestorganization in the entire
world, and I wish that everysingle Catholic man can get to
enjoy and experience it in thesame way that I have.
SPEAKER_02 (41:49):
Uh the greatest organization within the greatest
organization in the world,right?
Oh, come on now.
Come on, absolutely.
Right, right, right, right,right.
Uh Catholic fraternal uhorganization, yes.
Number one in the world.
Right.
SPEAKER_06 (42:03):
Okay.
Did we miss anything?
SPEAKER_02 (42:05):
Um did we miss anything?
SPEAKER_05 (42:07):
Oh, I don't know.
SPEAKER_02 (42:08):
I have a question for you.
SPEAKER_05 (42:09):
Do you know uh Monsignor David Casado?
Of course, yes, great BrooklynPreacher.
Can you explain bleacherpreachers?
SPEAKER_02 (42:18):
That is for the future episode, but uh out of
the archives, very good.
SPEAKER_05 (42:24):
Uh um I met him at the Columbia's uh Supreme
Convention, and he said, okay,so here's what I want you to ask
him.
And I said, I'll have to savethat from when I'm on speaking
and beyond.
SPEAKER_02 (42:34):
So that was into another episode.
Into the uh opportunity to uh doa little uh sports talk show.
Uh so uh we'll we'll come backto that one.
Oh, yeah, we I want to ask youabout this.
SPEAKER_06 (42:46):
You know what I did want to ask?
So there's uh priest chaplains,maybe you can speak to that a
little bit.
SPEAKER_02 (42:51):
Right.
Um uh uh each council has uh asa chaplain, right?
SPEAKER_05 (42:55):
Absolutely.
We we strive to have eachcouncil have a chaplain.
Some councils have a deacon inin in place because maybe the
pastor's duties are are a littletoo much for him to give the
time.
A lot of times uh the pastormakes it when he can, because
honestly, and the statechaplain.
The state chaplain is BishopPaul Flykowski.
(43:16):
Bishop emeritus is Mituchin.
He is a very close friend ofmine.
I I love the man, and and hestill wants to keep coming.
He'll be at our pride and ourpreacher.
SPEAKER_02 (43:24):
And we think of our neighbors in the diocese of
Metuchin, we're praying for anew bishop.
Bishop Checchio, who's gonna bethe new Archbishop in first Co
Judah, and then the Archbishopof New Orleans.
Um and uh and so we pray for theChurch of Mutuchin that they'll
um be given a good shepherd toto be their their next bishop.
So we we pray for that.
But uh um the fraternity andsocialization uh uh uh an annual
(43:48):
convention, right?
Um both on the intern uhnational level and the state
level of the United States.
SPEAKER_05 (43:53):
Our national, our our supreme convention will be
in Colorado this year.
Uh it's we're really lookingforward to it.
We had an outstanding attendanceat DC.
We had over 70 members of theNew Jersey State Council.
SPEAKER_02 (44:06):
And May 14th to 16th, down by the shore of the
state.
Yes, we will be.
SPEAKER_05 (44:10):
15-16, I think it is.
Yeah, I gotta get the rightdata.
Yeah, we're gonna do it.
This is this is a goldenopportunity for the state to
come together and to celebrateall the achievements that we've
had.
In addition to that, it gives usan opportunity to honor those
councils that have uh reachedsuch significant recognition,
including the cathedral.
They've done it several times.
(44:30):
Uh, our membership will be afocus this year.
I gotta give a shout out to afew people, Mike Leiden, who has
led our membership team in thestate.
He's very centric to our programhere in Patterson, as well as
Hector.
And and these guys are what'sleading the state to what we
talked about at the beginning,leading off the Division I
states.
SPEAKER_02 (44:47):
It sounds like uh yourself and Hector are gonna
have to be like Justin and be uha repeat guest, right?
Because there's still a lot ofgood.
Oh, we can, we can, we can wecan we'll look forward to a
could a part two.
Um this could be a series.
SPEAKER_06 (44:59):
That's right, that's right, that's right, that's
right.
Fantastic.
All right, well, thank you allfor being being on and for for
teaching us more about thenights and uh your personal
experience.
But uh I'm gonna as we wind thisdown, Bishop.
Uh what else is what else isgoing on?
There's uh at the top of theshow we were kind of discussing
a few things.
SPEAKER_02 (45:18):
Uh last weekend was a wonderful weekend.
Uh um our um um uh what was onSaturday morning?
Uh it was great.
Uh the Respect Life convocation.
Respect Life Convocation, yes.
Uh fantastic uh Lisa Renovalasand Annie Hansberger and um put
together a beautiful at St.
Peter the Apostle in Parsipone,the wonderful Respect Life Convo
(45:40):
Jim was there.
Um and then um this past Sundayafternoon, uh our Jubilee for
Young Adults at um St.
Andrew the Apostle in Clifton.
I think we had over a hundredyoung adults and uh talk by
Father Starley at the cathedral,um uh and a mass and then a nice
dinner.
Um great to see the vibrancy ofour our young adult um uh uh
(46:02):
brothers and sisters who are uhactive in their parishes and
throughout the diocese.
And then um uh we had our priestconvocation the week before
last, which was wonderful, agreat blessing.
And then um a week from Monday,Monday the 10th, begins the
United States Conference ofCatholic Bishops annual meeting
in Baltimore, semi-annualmeeting.
(46:24):
Uh and uh so we'll keep that inprayer.
So you'll be heading theBaltimore.
Yes, yes.
SPEAKER_06 (46:29):
Okay.
All right.
SPEAKER_02 (46:30):
Well, uh anything you're listening to or or
reading or um tell us about thebiography of Mark Twain by Ron
Chernoff.
Oh yeah?
Yes, yeah.
How about that?
SPEAKER_01 (46:41):
Very cool.
SPEAKER_02 (46:41):
Quite a character.
Samuel Clemens.
SPEAKER_06 (46:45):
All right.
Well, thank you for joining us.
Please subscribe, comment, andleave a positive rating.
Get to know us better byfollowing Bishop Kevin's
Instagram and beyond the beaconon social media.
Read the bishop's weekly columnon beaconnj.org.
Get in touch if you have aquestion for the bishop or a
podcast topic idea and discoverour other podcasts.
(47:06):
See you next time.
SPEAKER_02 (47:07):
Thank you, everybody.
Thanks, Jim.
Thanks, Hector and Justin.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Thanks, Jim.
Welcome to Beyond the Weekend with Bishop Kevin
Sweeney, a podcast of theDiocese of Patterson, New
Jersey.
Join us for conversations aboutour Catholic faith, and together
let's strive to live a life offaith, hope, and love.
I'm Jay Agnish and with me isBishop Kevin Sweeney.
Bishop Kevin, how you doing?
SPEAKER_02 (00:23):
I'm good, Jay.
Happy All Hallows Eve.
Yes.
Happy Halloween to you.
Am I allowed to say this?
Sure, uh, I just prefer allHallows Eve.
Yeah.
Um this um same?
Uh same to you, thank you.
Thanks, thanks, thanks.
Um what what's going on?
Uh tomorrow, um November 1st,Feast of All Saints.
(00:47):
I wanna I forget the year now,but it's the anniversary of the
ordination to priesthood of St.
Pope John Paul II.
Uh he was ordained a priest inuh um on All Saints Day.
Um I'm trying in Rome, I'mpretty sure in Rome.
Um his little book I mentionedbefore, Gift and Mystery, the
story of his own vocation.
Uh he talks about being ordainedand saying his first masses, I
(01:08):
think he might have said threemasses on All Souls Day.
Not sure if everyone knows thatuh priests have permission to
celebrate three masses.
Any priest can celebrate threemasses.
You can celebrate three massesif you have to, and some do.
Okay.
Um but normally um uh uh we youwouldn't necessarily celebrate
three masses in a day, but onall souls day, uh every priest
has permission to celebratethree masses um uh for the
(01:30):
proposal souls.
Uh they got it from Pope, Ithink it was Pope Benedict that
made it clear, although it'sprobably been a custom for a lot
longer than that, yeah.
Um so um this year it will thisepisode will come out
afterwards, but um uh All SaintsDay fell on a Saturday and um
All Souls on a Sunday.
So um uh it's you know the theAll Souls is uh it's really a
(01:55):
beautiful day um to remember allthose who have gone before us in
faith, and uh certainly a day tobe at Mass.
And it falling on a Sunday is areminder, hopefully, for
everyone, um, that uh as we doat each mass, um we pray for
those who have died, but in aspecial way, the day after All
Saints um on All Souls Day, andreally through the month of
November.
We have a custom of praying,especially for um all the
(02:16):
faithful departed during themonth of November.
SPEAKER_06 (02:18):
So Yeah, one of the customs I love is uh local chur
parish might um put uh photos ofloved ones who've gone before
us.
SPEAKER_02 (02:26):
Uh the cathedral has a big um remembrance uh with
candles, I think, and uh andnames uh of all those who have
died um as uh one of our or twoof our guests might be able to
share with us.
SPEAKER_03 (02:37):
Uh yeah this year we're going with uh Jay's idea.
This year they're doingpictures.
Oh beautiful.
SPEAKER_06 (02:44):
Not my idea, but yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (02:47):
But they're uh they're going from the candles
to pictures.
Okay.
I can do it this year.
SPEAKER_02 (02:50):
Um physical pictures or yeah.
Physical pictures.
SPEAKER_03 (02:54):
It'll be uh left left side of the altar.
It'll be all filled withpictures.
Right.
SPEAKER_06 (02:59):
Well why don't I hey why don't I introduce our guests
and our and our topic realquick?
Uh so we're gonna be talkingabout the Knights of Columbus,
and and with us uh the personwho was just speaking is Hector
Jimenez.
Uh he's a membership of uh uhethnic development leader and
district deputy, a member of theCathedral Council 17254.
(03:20):
Sitting next to him is JimSweeney, State Deputy of New
Jersey's.
SPEAKER_02 (03:24):
No relation that we're aware of.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_06 (03:26):
We're long-distant cousins.
But I I hear you've been jokingthat he's your your cousin
lately or something.
So, Jim Sweeney, uh well-knownknight uh who's on our our
state, the state council now ofKnights of Columbus, he's also a
member of the Bud Lake, FatherJoseph A.
Cassidy Budlake Council 6100.
And then we're also going tointroduce uh another knight in a
(03:50):
in a little while, but thank youfor being on the show.
Thank you for having us.
SPEAKER_05 (03:54):
Joining us, this is a real honor to be here.
So thank you so much.
The knights are an integral partof the Patterson Diocese.
Uh the bishop, from the firstmoment he got here, we
introduced I introduced myself,and we've tried to make inroads
to make sure that active throughthe state of New Jersey, through
the United States, andinternationally unbelievable.
SPEAKER_02 (04:14):
From that little group that Father McGivney
started that had a tough time toget going until they got that
second council and the rest ishistory, as we say.
Uh but maybe we'll uh pray arestill here.
You go um uh as the days, weeks,and months go by so quickly, and
now we're of only two monthsleft in the Jubilee year, but uh
we're gonna make the most of it.
(04:35):
And uh so let us place ourselvesin God's presence in the name of
the Father and of the Son and ofthe Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Amen.
As pilgrims of hope in thisjubilee of hope, together with
the church, we pray the Jubileeprayer.
Father in heaven, may the faithyou have given us in your Son
Jesus Christ, our brother, andthe flame of charity enkindled
(04:59):
in our hearts by the Holy Spiritreawaken in us the blessed hope
for the coming of your kingdom.
May your grace transform us intotireless cultivators of the
seeds of the gospel.
May those seeds transform fromwithin both humanity and the
whole cosmos in the pureexpectation of a new heaven and
a new earth, when with thepowers of evil vanquished, your
(05:21):
glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubileereawaken in us, pilgrims of
hope, a yearning for thetreasures of heaven.
May that same grace spread thejoy and peace of our Redeemer
throughout the earth.
To you, our God, eternallyblessed, be glory and praise
forever.
Amen.
(05:42):
Our Lady of Hope, pray for usfor Christ.
Saint Joseph, pray for us, SaintJohn the Baptist, pray for us.
Saint Pope John Paul II, prayfor us.
Blessed Father Michael McGivney,pray for us.
All holy men and women, pray forus.
Name of the Father and the Son,of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
SPEAKER_06 (06:01):
So did you know the Knights of Columbus is the
world's largest Catholicfraternal organization?
It was founded by Father MichaelMcGivney, who you mentioned in
1882 with a mission of charity.
The organization's goal is tohelp men, their families, and
their parishes grow closer toChrist.
The Knights of Columbus provideopportunities to live and spread
the Catholic faith through avirtually boundless variety of
(06:24):
projects.
SPEAKER_02 (06:25):
And if you want to hear or read a great origin
story, um, I think it's DouglasBrinkley, we'll have to double
check the author, I alwaysforget, but um uh Paris Priest.
Um the story of Father MichaelMcGivney and the foundation of
the um uh Knights of Columbus,um to say it got took a while to
get off its feet, is uh and uhjust uh real insight into
(06:48):
American history, um um late1700s, early 1800s, and uh what
when what year was it founded?
1882.
Excuse me, um uh in the 1800s.
Uh and Father McGivney was onlyin his 40s, I want to say, when
he died.
SPEAKER_05 (07:01):
Father McGivney died when he was 30, I think it's 38.
Right.
Uh because it was August 1stthat he passed away, right?
SPEAKER_02 (07:08):
It's America in the late 1800s, but um it's uh it's
a really uh I read it for thesecond time when we were
together for mass uh well that'sthe summer now that it was, but
um uh but uh state deputy, isthat right?
SPEAKER_05 (07:21):
I am state deputy of the state of New Jersey, and we
are, I was just telling some ofthe uh hosts before that we are
number one in division one ofall states in the jury all
jurisdictions in the order forDivision I.
Those are the largest stateswithin our order.
We are now number one.
So that's number one in terms ofmembership growth.
Membership growth.
(07:41):
And it's a lot is attributableto the gentlemen sitting here.
These guys recruit actively atSt.
John the Baptist Cathedral, butall over the state we are
bringing in new membership allthe time.
And it's because of a lot of theinteresting programs that we are
providing uh to our members sothat and to non-members so that
they're interested in joining.
SPEAKER_02 (08:02):
Jim, maybe you can share and then Hector, uh, maybe
just tell us uh how long you'vebeen in of Columbus and uh what
was it like getting started anda little bit about what's led
from there to here.
SPEAKER_05 (08:13):
Yeah, it's it's been an interesting ride.
I I joined because I was asked.
And the reason I focused on the.
SPEAKER_02 (08:20):
You grew up in the diocese, did you?
SPEAKER_05 (08:21):
I grew up in Jersey City, actually.
Next door I knew it.
And then yeah, I was in theNorcarch Diocese for almost uh
24 years.
And uh then we moved to MountOlive in 1984, and that's when I
joined St.
Jude Parish up in Bud Lake.
Uh it has been a real journey.
Uh, the reason I say I joinedbecause I was asked.
(08:41):
Majority of the men that wespeak with that say, Why aren't
you a knight?
They say, Because I was neverasked.
And that's the focus is if youask, they will join.
SPEAKER_02 (08:52):
When I was vocation director, we did a study in
Brooklyn with Bishop DeMarzio,and uh they asked some young
people, have you ever considereduh vocation to priesthood or
religious life?
And the kids just said no, thenumber one reason was nobody
ever asked me.
That's me.
Right?
Exactly.
SPEAKER_05 (09:06):
And and it has been a journey.
I learned early on that um oneof the things I felt deeply was
that I wanted to participate inmy faith.
In other words, I wanted to putmy faith into action.
Um majority of my friends wouldall complain how society is, how
things are, but they never gotinvolved.
My goal was to get engaged, andwhen I got engaged, I found a
(09:28):
council that was really vibrant.
They were very active, doing allsorts of that was up at lake.
Yeah, it was a phenomenalcouncil, and they are.
They were on their way back now.
They they have a phenomenalcouncil at this point as well.
Um there was everything that wedid.
We went to pregnancy resourcecenters and redecorated homes
for several sources.
(09:48):
We would do cleanup and thingsfor the elderly.
Uh, we cleaned the roadside withour squires, our youth
organization.
Uh there was just a lot ofactivities.
But I think the best thing thatI found out was what I enjoyed
most, was volunteering.
In other words, you see a grandknight and you see this all the
time.
A grand knight will get up infront of his meeting and he'll
say, We want to run a dance.
(10:09):
And is there any volunteers torun that?
Nobody puts their hand up.
But I found myself saying, Yeah,I wanted to do that because what
it gave you the ability is tostart to bring in other people.
I I guess you call this servantleadership, you know, is that
you get other people motivatedand interested in doing the kind
of work that we do, and henceyou get the next set of leaders
(10:29):
to come along.
So, what I found through myinvolvement was that I enjoyed
bringing those people in,getting them engaged, having
them start their own programsand and initiatives, and I moved
on then to the next role.
And I guess I moved on a lotbecause it's 38 years.
38 years, is that right?
Um I've been a knight, and nowI'm uh now I'm State Deputy.
(10:51):
So I'm very proud of the workthat I've done.
SPEAKER_02 (10:53):
And Hector, when did you first hear about the
Knights?
So when did you join and what'sit been like since then?
SPEAKER_03 (10:59):
I joined the Knights 31 years ago this year.
Um believe it or not, uh no, I'mnot from New Jersey.
Uh I joined in in Hawthorne.
I was my first council.
I'm a Brooklyn boy from your oldcouncil.
Actually, I was baptized andeverything in uh in Brooklyn.
Um it's funny how being asked.
I used to go to St.
(11:19):
Anthony's Church in Hawthorne,and uh I'll never forget this
feisty middle-aged guy comes andsays to me, You want to be a
knight?
I'm like, What's a knight?
He's like, Well, we do this,this, that, and so forth.
And I'm like, okay, that'sinteresting.
And he hit me with we are hereto help our priest, help the
(11:42):
church, and help our community.
And for some reason that justrang rang a bell on me.
And um not even a month later.
I was a knight and I've been aknight ever since 31 years.
SPEAKER_02 (11:57):
And um how long have you been at the cathedral?
SPEAKER_03 (12:02):
I know why he's asking that.
Um the cathedral, we we didn'thave a council, Knights of
Columbus in the cathedral.
Uh Monsignor Gino Silva arrivedto the cathedral, and he is a
brother knight, and he knewthat.
Um the beauty of Father McGivneyis that he understood that a
priest needed laymen to be ableto help him with the mission of
(12:23):
the church.
Um that connection is what hasmade the knights what we are
today.
Father Gino came in and actuallyreached out to this young man.
He wanted a counselor of thecathedral.
And I kept my mouth quiet.
I didn't I had another positionin the cathedral, and somebody
said, Oh, by the way, Hector's aknight.
(12:44):
And um God works in mysteriousways.
Yes, he does.
And uh, we were very fortunatewith the help of uh with Jim and
other brothers to open our firstcouncil, and that is seven years
ago.
That's seven.
Seven years ago we opened uh andand uh we've never looked back.
SPEAKER_02 (13:02):
And in addition to many other um activities, um the
knights are I guess everybody atthe cathedral pitches in, but um
uh the uh Via Cruces, right, onum Good Friday, the Knights are
very involved, right?
SPEAKER_03 (13:14):
Yeah, um every single male member in the Via
Crucis is a brother knight.
Um you started as a brother, oryou will end as a brother.
But uh as a brother knight, andum and we have a cast of
approximately uh 97, 97, 98.
What is the Via Cruces, just forpeople who may not know?
Thank you, Jay.
(13:34):
Thank you.
Um the way of the cross is across.
We believe it's a way of thecross, but we believe before
there was the written word,there was actually spoken word.
And the traditions of the churchwere passed down generation to
generation via similar things, aplay, uh uh obviously, and
that's what we tend to do.
(13:55):
We do a reenactment of the lastmoments of of of Jesus Christ on
earth and and we do the uh uh inin the Spanish community, uh uh
Living Via Crucis is what we do.
Um it attracts four, fivethousand people um on Good
Friday.
On Good Friday and it's it'stouching uh it's it's amazing
(14:19):
because uh again it it's it'sit's we're all brothers.
And it's amazing when you see awhole bunch of men who practice
for months that day and you seeus all weep because hey, it hits
us strong because this is whatwe believe in.
And thank you, Bishop, foralways uh having our back and
always being there for us.
SPEAKER_06 (14:40):
So let me just, if I could, if I could rattle off
some of what I was looking onthe website in preparation for
the the episode.
And I I was surprised at some ofthe programs and charities that
the Knights are involved with.
So I'm just gonna mention a abunch here, and then maybe you
could both speak to some of thelocal more local ones.
So Knights of Columbuscharities, just the charities
(15:01):
arm of the Knights is involvedwith.
United in Charity, our United inCharity appeal provides support
to all our initiatives.
Ukraine Solidarity Fund,disaster relief, culture of
life, Knights of Columbus Coatsfor Kids, Warriors to Lords to
Lords, Vocations, persecutedChristians since 2014,
(15:22):
Christians who have fled thereligious persecution in the
Middle East receive humanitarianand spirit spiritual aid.
And then there's the FatherMcGivney Military Chaplain
Scholarship.
So a lot of things that youmight not think about that the
Knights are involved with.
What are some of the things thatare you're involved with
locally?
SPEAKER_05 (15:38):
Locally, we have some of the best programs going.
Um we actually are thecenterpiece in New Jersey for
distributions.
You've probably heard of theCoats for Kids program.
And um Hector and I andMonsignor Silva and his whole
team got together probably fiveyears ago and decided that we
wanted to distribute the coatsat at the Patterson Cathedral.
(16:00):
I think we call it Bethlehem andPatterson.
And what we do is we purchase,uh Supreme gives us the ability
to double our purchase of coats.
And so whatever we purchase, weget two times that.
And this year we're going forabout 22 to 2,500 coats to give
out to children on the streetsof Patterson.
In addition to that, they get atoy.
(16:22):
I'm gonna hand it over to Hectoron this because this is really
his baby.
My part in it is to do all theupfront work with, you know, the
the proposals to get the BOGO,as they call it, uh instituted,
and then I do the purchases, itall gets delivered, and these
guys do a lot of the heavylifting and stuff, and then
we're all there.
The beauty of this is that it'sthe entire diocese that
(16:45):
contributes to this.
All the councils within thediocese that want to can
contribute their funds to thisgoal, and then it goes to the
cathedral, and the cathedral hasthis huge amount of codes to
give out to the Patterson andPassaic areas.
It's wonderful.
SPEAKER_02 (16:59):
Just before Hector takes the baton, uh, you
mentioned Supreme givespermission.
Uh uh that's the uh centraloffice of the knights uh there's
a very um uh established uhstructure.
Um uh deputies and statedeputies and um and uh uh
there's some uh uh uh wonderfuluh ceremonies to become a
(17:22):
knight, is the the differentdegrees to we don't have to go
into all that right now at themoment, but um but you feel that
support, right?
And and that structure enables,as you just said, Jim, um
councils from different parts ofthe of the diocese to help this
particular effort, right?
SPEAKER_05 (17:36):
Yeah, this this this effort, we become the focal
point of it, though we doencourage the other diocese to
do the same.
We want them to go out and tostart their own kinds of drives
like this.
But the Supreme, what they do isthey start a program, but they
support you to make it even morebeneficial than you expect it to
be.
(17:57):
So I could talk about thingslike for the um uh for aid and
support after pregnancy for formoms.
You it's like a walking withmoms thing.
RSVP for seminarians, which is arefund program that gives us
more support.
They keep encouraging us to dothese good works by giving us
benefits that we wouldn'tnormally have.
(18:17):
So, like with the coats forkids, this is tremendous because
the other day I bought$13,000worth of coats, but it
translated into$26,000 worth ofcoats.
That's 80 cases, if I'm notmistaken, that we that I ordered
the other day.
That's wonderful.
That will come to the cathedral,and we can actually share not
only in just the cathedral, butin other cases where we we have
that overabundance, we'll beable to share that with the
(18:39):
other diocese as well because wegot that benefit.
So, yes, Supreme not only putsout these programs, but they
encourage the state'sparticipation in it and do it in
very, very s financialsupportive ways that we normally
wouldn't have.
SPEAKER_02 (19:34):
And that uh take us to what it's like uh when those
toys and coats start coming intothe cathedral.
SPEAKER_03 (19:40):
Uh i it it's an amazing program.
Um it's an amazing programbecause it serves a very
specific purpose is to be ableto help our children in most
need.
Um everybody knows obviously thediocese of Patterson.
Uh we we have our struggles.
Um in again, under theleadership of of Monsignor Gino,
(20:02):
we've been able to havesomething called a Bethlehem
Patterson.
We want to make one day close toChristmas a day for the kids to
be able to have fun, for thekids to be able to experience
what it is to have a toy,because sadly we know that a lot
don't.
Um another sad point (20:17):
how many kids do we see just with a
little hoodie?
Because they don't have a coat.
Um Supreme put this program out.
This young man heard about itlike immediately, picked up the
phone.
Hey Hector, why don't we dothis?
I'm like, let's go for it.
And and Monsignor Gino is uh isgood.
(20:37):
Once you bring him an idea,let's try it.
Um this will be our fifth year.
We approximately giving out 2200coats in the cathedral, and um
we believe that no child shouldbe cold for lack of a coat if we
could help it.
Um it works amazing.
Last year we gave out 3,600toys.
Um and last year we had SantaClaus and we had train rides and
(21:01):
we have a couple of things.
Well, those toys come frombecause the Knights also, which
which is it's an amazingorganization.
So there's different councils,and we're just gonna stick with
the Patterson Diocese, but allthe different councils in the
Patterson Diocese, through theirchurches, do these toy drives.
Close to our date, brotherKnights go to all the different
(21:24):
churches picking up all thesetoys.
And the grand majority of thebulk comes from there.
Brings it to the cathedral.
Cathedral has uh Santa'sworkshop.
I mean, they have everything,our our wives and our and our
our sisters are they're justready and they'll repackage
them, label them uh boy, girl,age, and um it's it's pretty
(21:45):
beautiful.
Um this year, uh I don't want togive anything up, we're going
with a little different aspectof it.
Um we want to to make it evenmore Christ-centered.
Um you know, there's a reasonyou're getting a gift, and
there's a reason you're gettinga toy, and it's not only for the
train right at the end oranything.
We're going more Christ-centeredwith it.
(22:06):
And again, um I I have to saythat Monsignor Gino is he's a
lot like Bishop.
You know, there's an idea, andthat idea sparkles, and uh, you
know, Bishop is like, let's gofor it.
Fall Gino, let's go for it.
And that makes our council andour brother makes it a lot
easier because if we dream it,we could do it.
SPEAKER_05 (22:31):
Uh this one, go ahead.
No, there was nothing moremoving than what we used to go
around after we gave out thecoats and the toy.
We go around and we give out theremaining two.
And I'll never forget the onetime that Monsignor Silva w saw
this girl behind a fence and shewas like crying waiting for a
toy.
And he handed her that toy.
I'll never forget it.
It was the most moving momentthat you'll see.
(22:53):
And and this is the joy that youbring to that young child at a
moment of, you know, with theirlife may not be all that great,
but this is a great moment forthem that they'll always
remember.
SPEAKER_02 (23:03):
We're gonna bring Justin in, but um uh Jay was
mentioning earlier about askingsome a question like uh well
what if someone wants to becomea knight, right?
SPEAKER_06 (23:12):
Yeah, yeah.
So what if I was like, hey, howdo I become a knight?
SPEAKER_05 (23:16):
Oh well, let's start.
Uh here we do it.
We we whip out the phone, andactually we've we've improved
our process so much in signingup knights.
It's almost instantaneous.
We we would we would take ourcell phone, we would get you to
fill out a form online, and youcould join.
But the most important part ofit is not so much the activity
of getting you to join, butgetting you engaged.
(23:38):
And once we get you engaged,like in accounts like his or in
mine, instantly there are.
Wait, wait, wait.
SPEAKER_06 (23:43):
This all sounds like so so much work.
I only I I work, I I want to goto the gym, I my I have a busy
life.
SPEAKER_05 (23:49):
Can you give one hour a month?
That's what most of us will tellyou.
The good the good recruiterswill tell you that, because
here's the here's the hook.
That one hour a month startsoff, and you get engaged, and
suddenly you see that activitythat you most enjoy doing, and
now you're giving more of thosehours to that.
It may be to youth, it may be touh doing stuff around the
(24:14):
church, it may be to core, itmay be to several different
activities within that thecouncils offer.
You said we had this plethora,the Schmorgisborg of activities.
Yes, we do, and you may findthat one.
And suddenly you're not givenjust that one hour a week.
You'll be excited to give thatfour hours a month, maybe even
more than that, those some guyssay that.
SPEAKER_02 (24:33):
And we say we say something like Catholic
fraternal organization, but uhit's based in the faith.
Um and it gives men and theirwives and families often um uh
uh an opportunity to live theirCatholic faith in addition just
to come being being at mass.
Um but fraternal, uh uh there isa brotherhood and there's a um
(24:56):
there's some socialopportunities as well, right?
Absolutely.
Uh absolutely so um so as as yousay, uh if if uh a a man can
find that time to give an hour amonth, no pressure to give more,
but all of a sudden he mightfind himself wanting to do more.
SPEAKER_05 (25:14):
The social environment, and and Hector can
speak more of this because hisparish is incredibly good at
this, they have socialactivities that bring their
membership together that is justoutstanding.
And and it brings the families,the kids, everyone together at
an event.
And that's really what it'sabout.
Suddenly your your friends'circle grows from a few people
(25:35):
that live next door to you, ormaybe no one, to all of a sudden
having this entire parish thatknows you.
And it's not just about theprograms, because core is a
centric part of it.
I I know the bishop is wellversed in it because he's heard
Patrick Kelly, our SupremeKnight, speak of it to all the
bishops.
Uh core is is is an activity, uhit's it's a faith-centric
(25:58):
activity that we're trying toget the the councils back into.
SPEAKER_02 (26:02):
Or councils go ahead.
I core, I think the Latin wordfor heart, um and I think it's
uh uh Saint John Henry Newman,who was about to be declared a
doctor of the church.
I think it was him.
We can double check, it mighthave been another saying, but
cor od cor loquitor, heartspeaking to heart.
Um so um uh the knights discernthat uh a lot of great things,
(26:26):
Catholic faith and action, butdo the do the brothers have an
opportunity or are theycomfortable with speaking about
their relationship with the Lordin prayer, um uh sharing their
faith uh as as uh as disciplesand witnesses and um core now is
that opportunity within theorganization to uh study the
scriptures and come together inin faith sharing groups, right?
(26:49):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_05 (26:50):
Yes, this is very close to something like what I
call called a cornerstonealumni, where gentlemen get
together and and the benefit ofit is it's it's a reading of the
scripture, maybe a few questionsto get you to reflect on the
scripture.
And then from there, you sit asmen in this day and age on how
that scripture comes to life inyour life.
(27:11):
What effect does it have on you?
And by doing that, it tells you,you know, it helps you to
understand I'm not the only onein this.
Uh the scripture, instead ofjust listening to it from, let's
say, you know, in the church,you now have the ability to
discuss it as men and say, wow,I never really thought of it
that way, Jay.
That's the way, that is reallythe way I should think about it.
(27:32):
And it really gets men engagedin their faith.
Because of one thing, we got allthese programs, and sometimes we
were viewed as just being aprogram-oriented kind of
organization.
We are now trying tore-establish ourselves as a
faith leadership organization,and that's what COR and EFF will
do that for us.
Jim Borges is our leader in thatin the state, and uh we'll have
(27:52):
other leaders within our owndiocese that'll do this as well.
SPEAKER_02 (27:55):
Great.
Okay.
Uh one I think um we want to getyour younger brother uh knight
uh Justin in.
But just Hector, before you go,um uh the best thing about being
a knight, and if there's uh uh agentleman out there on the fence
thinking about, well, I wonderif I should do this, what would
be your uh uh minute or twopitch to say so two things.
(28:17):
One, what what's what it foryourself, what's the best thing
about being a knight?
And then secondly, what wouldyou say to someone who's
thinking about it?
SPEAKER_03 (28:24):
Uh number one, the best thing about being a knight
is camaraderie.
Um we together could changeanything, we could definitely
change our lives, change oursociety, change everything.
And it is a camaraderie ofCatholic men, so we have that in
common right off the bat.
(28:45):
We're all Catholic men, and weall wanna uh, you know, our goal
is the Lord.
Um yes, we do a lot of socialactivities, Jay.
You were talking about supersocial.
My favorite thing is that ustogether as a group could both
be social.
We can hang out, we could go outto dinner with our wives, and we
(29:07):
also know that we serve ourchurch and our Lord by far.
For a young man, um, and I wastalking to our behind the camera
uh person, Cecile, we're talkingabout uh, oh, I'm so busy, I
have so many activities, I don'tknow what to do, uh, I don't
have enough time.
And then my a my answer to themor my question is, like I said
(29:27):
today, and who gave you all thattime and all that work?
Pause.
And then I'm like, doesn't hedeserve at least one hour back a
month?
SPEAKER_02 (29:40):
And who with mess during the mass I think during a
month?
Yeah, one hour a week at mess uhput him to work.
SPEAKER_03 (29:49):
And um and and it's funny because um you're a church
anyway, you're a church withyour children, you're a church
uh helping here, you're you'recutting the grass, you're doing
it, you're there already.
Join the group that is our focusand our main purpose is to help
our local priest and our churchand our religion.
(30:10):
That that would be my my sell toanybody who's on the fence,
whether to join or not.
You have you're busy, you have alot of work.
And who gave that to you?
Give a load of back.
SPEAKER_02 (30:21):
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord.
Thank you, Hector, for beingwith us.
SPEAKER_06 (30:30):
Okay, well, Hector, thank you for for joining us.
And now we're gonna welcomeJustin Carrasco, who is field
agent for the Knights ofColumbus and Youth Director at
the Cathedral of St.
John the Baptist and member ofthe Cathedral Council 17254.
So welcome, Justin.
SPEAKER_00 (30:45):
Thank you so much.
Thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_02 (30:47):
A return guest, right?
Oh yes, my second time.
Thank you so much for theinvitation.
Um the previous um was on youthministry, was it?
Yes, on youth ministry.
Right, right.
So um, as I asked Jim and uhHector, maybe just share a
little bit about um when youfirst heard of the Knights of
Columbus, uh, how did you decideto become a knight?
And uh since you became aknight, what's it been like uh
(31:10):
being a knight of Columbus?
SPEAKER_00 (31:11):
Well, to be quite frank with you, I remember when
the cathedral first announcedthat they were gonna have a
council for the Knights ofColumbus.
I saw all the men who would hadraised their hand, who had stood
up, that wanted to participate,and I thought, I don't want to
do that.
You know, I had seen the Knightsof Columbus, and and I've heard
this through many of my owncolleagues that it's just an old
boys' club.
Until eventually I had this bigknucklehead, we call him Hector
(31:34):
Jimenez, and he said, Hey, youngman, I think you'd be a great
addition to the Knights ofColumbus.
Never did I ever thought thatsomeone like him would want to
have little old me become aknight of Columbus.
Until as of three years ago,I've been a knight and I've
loved it ever since.
I have had such the greatestexperience becoming a knight.
(31:56):
I've had a great group offriends, even though they're a
lot older than me, but stillthey're my brothers.
And since then, I have ingrainedthe knights right here on my
heart.
And anything that I do, I alwayswant to promulgate the mission
of the knights, especiallywithin youth ministry.
All all the kids know that assoon as they turn 18, especially
the boys, that one, they can bemy friend, and two, that all my
(32:17):
friends are knights.
SPEAKER_05 (32:18):
Uh and um is it still the squires program for
the the Supreme has has backedoff a little bit on support of
the squires.
They've sort of tried to pass itto the parishes to run the youth
programs, but we still havesquires circles here in the
Patterson Diocese.
It's run by Tom Rowe, and heruns that organization across
(32:39):
the different parishes.
Right.
SPEAKER_02 (32:41):
Uh Jay described, uh mentioned that um Justin was uh
not only a knight but a fieldagent.
Uh you can uh we'll come back tothat in a moment, I think,
because uh uh going back to theorigin story and um uh Father
McGhibney uh Jim, the uh theknights also um basically have a
an insurance uh that's correctwing or um that business um
(33:06):
aspect of uh um I it's it's areading the story of Father
McGhibney, uh it was a time whenif a family if a husband died,
you know, the wife and the kidscould be um destitute, and um
and so there was this basicallylife insurance or um uh death
benefit.
Um but tell us a little bitabout that aspect of the Knights
(33:26):
from the beginning to where itis now, and then maybe Justin
can tell us about as much as thefield.
SPEAKER_05 (33:30):
You look at where the Knights of Columbus started
from, uh when Father MichaelMcGivney was assigned to St.
Mary's Church, uh, all he couldsee were the families that, if
they lost their breadwinner,lack of a better term, the widow
and the children, and we'retalking families, sizable
families, you know, four, six,ten kids, were suddenly thrown
(33:52):
into the courts because a widowat that time, a woman really
didn't have an occupation.
And so those children werethrown to the wind and at the
mercy of the courts.
And the families were literallybroken up, and this broke his
heart.
And he decided what he wanted todo was start something that
would support those familieswhen this occurred.
(34:13):
And that's where the Knights ofColumbus really got its start.
It was not just an organizationof faith and fraternity, but it
also focused on taking care ofour brothers and their families.
And you would come to a meetingand you'd literally put in 50
cents,$5,$10, whatever yourmeans were.
And that built up the kitty sothat should one of our brothers
(34:37):
unfortunately, you know, meethis doom or meet his maker, what
would then happen is that uh thecouncil would then subsidize his
family through some fixed numberthat they would give to him.
And$500 in 1880s was a hugeamount of money.
That was a several years'salary.
So, but now we've grown into anorganization, as we said before,
(34:58):
2.1 million men, greater thanthat, seven over 17,000
councils, and now we're poweringan insurance company that's
triple A rated, it's the top ofits peak, and that's who Justin
works for now.
So, Justin, why don't you takeit from there and sort of tell
us a little bit about theinsurance?
SPEAKER_00 (35:15):
Absolutely.
And so within the Knights ofColumbus, I also work for the
financial side of it, well, theinsurance end of it.
And so, all in all, what I getto do is I get to sit down, I
get to protect Catholicfamilies.
That is the true bread andbutter of what we do for the
Knights of Columbus.
Whether I'm meeting a young manand he doesn't know what
retirement even sounds like, soI get to sit down and provide a
(35:36):
little bit of financialliteracy.
Or whether I'm meeting a familyand maybe one of their members
have reached a terminal illness,I get to see, all right, how can
we allocate funds to make surethat they get a proper burial
and have a true Catholicfuneral.
Or maybe I'm meeting somebodywhere they just had a baby and
say, like, you know, what finalwhat financial opportunities
could I provide my little boy orlittle girl as they start to
(35:58):
grow up?
Giving them a for real, uhgiving them an honest financial
leg as as they just begin theirlife.
And so ultimately, I do it forthat one Catholic brother.
I do it for that one.
SPEAKER_02 (36:11):
How long have you been a field agent?
SPEAKER_00 (36:13):
I've been a field agent for a little over a year
and a half now.
SPEAKER_06 (36:17):
So thank you for sharing the that aspect of it.
I was definitely curious aboutit too.
Thanks for asking, Bishop.
Um I wonder if we could talk alittle bit about I guess the
kind of the relationship betweenthe the priest and the and the
knights, and um uh it's whatcomes to mind is maybe vocations
and seminarians.
I know there's uh that's one ofthe areas that the knights
(36:38):
supports.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_02 (36:39):
RSVP grant, but I think Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Uh there's a few years ago now,but as a seminarian, we I uh I
be I joined the Knights as aseminarian in Long Island, uh at
the seminary in Huntington.
Um uh but uh each semester theseminarian would get this, I
think it was$500 check, whichwas in the mid-90s, uh very
(37:00):
helpful uh to a strugglingseminarian.
And uh uh and and that was a waythat we certainly heard uh felt
the um the um uh the presenceand and support of the Knights
of Columbus um in a verypractical way, and it still goes
on, right?
SPEAKER_05 (37:17):
Uh right now, I mean there are so we stand in
solidarity with our priests,bishops, seminarians, and and
deacons.
Our goal is to make sure thatthey know they have a friend,
and uh the the bishop has seenthis.
Friends of the Vatican as well.
Yeah, and and so well yeah, I Iwon't even touch on that one,
but yes, we've we've helped toreduce St.
(37:37):
Peter's uh Basilica there withthe what is what is it, the
canopy.
SPEAKER_02 (37:41):
There's a term for the uh um yes uh baldicino.
SPEAKER_05 (37:45):
Balapino that that's over the altar.
We restored that whole thing asan organization for the Supreme
Canada.
For the Jubilee.
The things that this Supreme andthe states do is just
outstanding, but it's locallywhat we provide, and in New
Jersey is is outstanding.
For instance, the Pride NorPriest dinner is coming up in
(38:05):
another month, November 24th, Ibelieve it is.
And this is a night where weinvite all the priests in the
diocese.
We get almost a hundred prieststo come to that dinner.
And in addition, the bishop isthere.
There's two other bishops,Bishop Kirk Burnett and Bishop
Paul Bukoski, uh, BishopEmeritus and Metuchin, and they
come there.
And this is an opportunity forthem to socialize without the
(38:27):
business aspects, I'm sure.
And I see how you move around inthat audience, and it's just so
fantastic because it gives themthe ability just to socialize,
break bread and have a goodtime.
In addition to that, the knightsprovide support for, I'll call
them young men that are maybeapproaching discernment, Quo
Vatis.
We come up with Quovatis.
SPEAKER_02 (38:46):
They cook a great barbecue.
Yes, we sit there and serve aday now, also the other one.
SPEAKER_05 (38:51):
We do both those events, and it's very exciting
because we come, Quovatis, wereally literally just were the
cooks and the chefs andeverything.
And when you have teenage boys,there's nothing, there's nothing
worse than trying to feed enoughbecause you can't have enough
food.
But it's an outstanding event.
I've had one of your burgers inthe house.
Yeah, yeah, it's an outstandingevent.
On top of that, you were sayingaltar service.
(39:13):
These who's the closest personto the priest when the Eucharist
is transformed.
It is, it is, it is anopportunity.
It's the altar servers that arestanding there.
These folks, these kids may noteven thought about it, but being
that close, you're cl you'rethat close to nobody else in the
audience gets that opportunity.
So, in our appreciation to that,we have a will we support the
(39:35):
altar server appreciation daythat the bishop reinstituted.
And this is a goldenopportunity.
Again, we set up, we break down,we we cook for them.
It's a great day.
Um the RSVP program is a programthat's been probably around, if
it's been, you just said sincethe 90s.
So it's been around for at least35 years, and this is where a
(39:55):
council can contribute to aseminarian.
And we encourage all seminariansin Patterson are covered.
We've done we've made sure ofthat, thanks to Michael
Klavisek, who runs that programfor us.
And what it does is you give a$500 contribution, but Supreme,
again, to encourage us to dothis, will give us another$100
towards that seminarian to makesure he's covered.
(40:16):
So your$500 turns into$600.
And multiple councils willprobably support some of the
same seminarians.
So they get a real bump.
No, you may only got one.
They may give it to a few otherworlds.
They can use whatever comes in.
The one thing that I've learned,and and I guess this comes after
38 years, is a seminarian todayis our pastor tomorrow.
(40:38):
And so just like you rememberit, they will remember it.
SPEAKER_02 (40:42):
And uh the Diocesan Ministries Appeal helps with
that as well.
So we'll be a little morecommercial there for uh uh
Justin, um as I asked Hector, umthe best thing about being a
knight, and certainly your workas a field uh agent, as you just
replied, uh making it so um uhvivid, really, uh that you get
(41:02):
to help Catholic families um uhhave some security.
Um but um uh in addition tothat, maybe the best thing for
you about being a knight, and uhif there's a young man out there
who's thinking about it, whatwhat would you say in terms of
uh why they should think aboutfilling out that application?
SPEAKER_00 (41:19):
Best thing about being the knight is definitely
my brothers.
I have enjoyed so much timebecoming the knight because of
the great council that I'm apart of.
And many of the councils that Iget to visit as a field agent,
that spirit is still alive.
And so I encourage every singleyoung man or every single
Catholic man to become a Knightof Columbus.
(41:40):
Why?
Because we are the greatestorganization in the entire
world, and I wish that everysingle Catholic man can get to
enjoy and experience it in thesame way that I have.
SPEAKER_02 (41:49):
Uh the greatest organization within the greatest
organization in the world,right?
Oh, come on now.
Come on, absolutely.
Right, right, right, right,right.
Uh Catholic fraternal uhorganization, yes.
Number one in the world.
Right.
SPEAKER_06 (42:03):
Okay.
Did we miss anything?
SPEAKER_02 (42:05):
Um did we miss anything?
SPEAKER_05 (42:07):
Oh, I don't know.
SPEAKER_02 (42:08):
I have a question for you.
SPEAKER_05 (42:09):
Do you know uh Monsignor David Casado?
Of course, yes, great BrooklynPreacher.
Can you explain bleacherpreachers?
SPEAKER_02 (42:18):
That is for the future episode, but uh out of
the archives, very good.
SPEAKER_05 (42:24):
Uh um I met him at the Columbia's uh Supreme
Convention, and he said, okay,so here's what I want you to ask
him.
And I said, I'll have to savethat from when I'm on speaking
and beyond.
SPEAKER_02 (42:34):
So that was into another episode.
Into the uh opportunity to uh doa little uh sports talk show.
Uh so uh we'll we'll come backto that one.
Oh, yeah, we I want to ask youabout this.
SPEAKER_06 (42:46):
You know what I did want to ask?
So there's uh priest chaplains,maybe you can speak to that a
little bit.
SPEAKER_02 (42:51):
Right.
Um uh uh each council has uh asa chaplain, right?
SPEAKER_05 (42:55):
Absolutely.
We we strive to have eachcouncil have a chaplain.
Some councils have a deacon inin in place because maybe the
pastor's duties are are a littletoo much for him to give the
time.
A lot of times uh the pastormakes it when he can, because
honestly, and the statechaplain.
The state chaplain is BishopPaul Flykowski.
(43:16):
Bishop emeritus is Mituchin.
He is a very close friend ofmine.
I I love the man, and and hestill wants to keep coming.
He'll be at our pride and ourpreacher.
SPEAKER_02 (43:24):
And we think of our neighbors in the diocese of
Metuchin, we're praying for anew bishop.
Bishop Checchio, who's gonna bethe new Archbishop in first Co
Judah, and then the Archbishopof New Orleans.
Um and uh and so we pray for theChurch of Mutuchin that they'll
um be given a good shepherd toto be their their next bishop.
So we we pray for that.
But uh um the fraternity andsocialization uh uh uh an annual
(43:48):
convention, right?
Um both on the intern uhnational level and the state
level of the United States.
SPEAKER_05 (43:53):
Our national, our our supreme convention will be
in Colorado this year.
Uh it's we're really lookingforward to it.
We had an outstanding attendanceat DC.
We had over 70 members of theNew Jersey State Council.
SPEAKER_02 (44:06):
And May 14th to 16th, down by the shore of the
state.
Yes, we will be.
SPEAKER_05 (44:10):
15-16, I think it is.
Yeah, I gotta get the rightdata.
Yeah, we're gonna do it.
This is this is a goldenopportunity for the state to
come together and to celebrateall the achievements that we've
had.
In addition to that, it gives usan opportunity to honor those
councils that have uh reachedsuch significant recognition,
including the cathedral.
They've done it several times.
(44:30):
Uh, our membership will be afocus this year.
I gotta give a shout out to afew people, Mike Leiden, who has
led our membership team in thestate.
He's very centric to our programhere in Patterson, as well as
Hector.
And and these guys are what'sleading the state to what we
talked about at the beginning,leading off the Division I
states.
SPEAKER_02 (44:47):
It sounds like uh yourself and Hector are gonna
have to be like Justin and be uha repeat guest, right?
Because there's still a lot ofgood.
Oh, we can, we can, we can wecan we'll look forward to a
could a part two.
Um this could be a series.
SPEAKER_06 (44:59):
That's right, that's right, that's right, that's
right.
Fantastic.
All right, well, thank you allfor being being on and for for
teaching us more about thenights and uh your personal
experience.
But uh I'm gonna as we wind thisdown, Bishop.
Uh what else is what else isgoing on?
There's uh at the top of theshow we were kind of discussing
a few things.
SPEAKER_02 (45:18):
Uh last weekend was a wonderful weekend.
Uh um our um um uh what was onSaturday morning?
Uh it was great.
Uh the Respect Life convocation.
Respect Life Convocation, yes.
Uh fantastic uh Lisa Renovalasand Annie Hansberger and um put
together a beautiful at St.
Peter the Apostle in Parsipone,the wonderful Respect Life Convo
(45:40):
Jim was there.
Um and then um this past Sundayafternoon, uh our Jubilee for
Young Adults at um St.
Andrew the Apostle in Clifton.
I think we had over a hundredyoung adults and uh talk by
Father Starley at the cathedral,um uh and a mass and then a nice
dinner.
Um great to see the vibrancy ofour our young adult um uh uh
(46:02):
brothers and sisters who are uhactive in their parishes and
throughout the diocese.
And then um uh we had our priestconvocation the week before
last, which was wonderful, agreat blessing.
And then um a week from Monday,Monday the 10th, begins the
United States Conference ofCatholic Bishops annual meeting
in Baltimore, semi-annualmeeting.
(46:24):
Uh and uh so we'll keep that inprayer.
So you'll be heading theBaltimore.
Yes, yes.
SPEAKER_06 (46:29):
Okay.
All right.
SPEAKER_02 (46:30):
Well, uh anything you're listening to or or
reading or um tell us about thebiography of Mark Twain by Ron
Chernoff.
Oh yeah?
Yes, yeah.
How about that?
SPEAKER_01 (46:41):
Very cool.
SPEAKER_02 (46:41):
Quite a character.
Samuel Clemens.
SPEAKER_06 (46:45):
All right.
Well, thank you for joining us.
Please subscribe, comment, andleave a positive rating.
Get to know us better byfollowing Bishop Kevin's
Instagram and beyond the beaconon social media.
Read the bishop's weekly columnon beaconnj.org.
Get in touch if you have aquestion for the bishop or a
podcast topic idea and discoverour other podcasts.
(47:06):
See you next time.
SPEAKER_02 (47:07):
Thank you, everybody.
Thanks, Jim.
Thanks, Hector and Justin.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Thanks, Jim.
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