Am I Not Here

This week Tara and Jerry honor the patroness of the podcast, Our Lady of Guadalupe, with a time of prayer, reflection, and renewal. 

As the Christmas Season looms over our heads this week, Jerry invites you to reflect with him as he shares his 'Advent Nuggets' on the importance of focusing on the purpose of the Advent Season. 

As the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) concludes their Fall General Assembly, Tara and Jerry discuss the big plans for the Bishop's upcoming national eucharistic revival and give their picks on other topics that did not get that much coverage.

All information about the USCCB Fall General Assembly can be found at https://www.usccb.org/general-assembly-november-2021

As the Church concludes National Vocation Awareness Week, Tara and Jerry discuss the importance of proper discernment while reflecting on their discernment journeys and sharing how encouragement may lead to a transformation within the Church.

As the Church marks the celebration and commemoration of the Solemnity of All Saints Day and All the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day), Jerry and Tara sit down with Mary Ellen Gerrity, diocesan director of the Office of Cemeteries. Mary Ellen shares insights on what happens daily in the care of our departed loved ones, stories of the pandemic, and her overall goal to place the family first in God's care as her ministry. 

Information about the diocesan cemeteries may be found at www.diometuchen.org/cemeteries

Adhering to the request from Bishop James F. Checchio for prayers for the Synod on Synodality and in honor of World Mission Sunday, Tara and Jerry dedicate their time this week to pray the rosary for the synod, our local church, and for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on our missionary work. 

Tara and Jerry are joined by their friends, Sr. Anna Nguyen, SCC, Sr. Dong Hong Marie Zhang, CSSF, Br. Steven Bolton, CO and Luz Escobar of the diocesan Office of Hispanic Evangelization to pray a multilingual rosary in English, Vietnamese, Mandarin Chinese, Latin, and Spanish highlighting a snippet of the diverse church in our own backyard. 

As the Church throughout the world officially opens the diocesan phase of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission, Tara and Jerry give an update on what is taking place in the Diocese of Metuchen how we can prepare to respond to the spirit, who is already moving in our local Church. 

More information is available at www.diometuchen.org/synod2023 

In honor of Hispanic Heritage month, Tara and Jerry welcome Luz Escobar and Allan Caballero of the diocesan Office of Hispanic Evangelization and Pastoral Ministry to discuss the importance of building a bridge between cultures and crossing the bridge together in faith. 

Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated nationally from September 15 - October 15 annually. You can find more information about Hispanic ministry within the Diocese of Metuchen can be found at www.diometuchen.org/hispanicministry 

At 10:30 AM on September 29th – the Feast of Ss. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels – Bishop James F. Checchio will celebrate the 19th Annual Blue Mass at the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi in Metuchen. Gathered together with local, county, state, and federal law enforcement officials, we will honor and pray for those law enforcement officials of all faiths who live and work in the Diocese of Metuchen. 

Tara and Jerry sit down with David Irizarry, Chief of Police, Metuchen Borough Police, to discuss this year's mass. 

Say the Word! As we celebrate Catechetical Sunday, Tara and Jerry welcome John Kobiernicki, Parish Catechetical Leader (PCL) at St. Mary's Parish in South Amboy, NJ to discuss the life and journey of the PCL.

The ministry of the Word is a fundamental element of evangelization through all its stages because it involves the proclamation of Jesus Christ, the eternal Word of God