In this episode of Deacons Pod, we take note of the United States' 250th anniversary this July 4, and the ways it is being marked by the Paulists.

Deacon Mike Hayes, one of the Paulist Deacon Affiliates, also shares memories his father, who immigrated from Ireland to Yonkers, NY.

In this episode of Deacons Pod, we hear from Sr. Susan Francois, CSJP, about the witness and ministry taking place outside Delaney Hall, a facility used for immigrant detention in Newark, NJ.

Delaney Hall is managed by the GEO Group under contract for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Deacon Mike Hayes, one of the Paulist Deacon Affiliates, asks Sr. Susan about conditions for the detainees inside the facility; the ministry of hospitality with family members outside the facility; the diverse coalition of people present outside the facility; and the Gospel challenge posed by this moment in U.S. history.

Sr. Susan is a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace. You may follow her short videos from outside Delaney Hall on TikTok and YouTube.

Religion News Service recently produced a report and a video about her ministry.

During her conversation with Deacon Mike, Sr. Susan also describes how she returned to the practice of her Catholic faith through Landings (a one-time Paulist reconciliation ministry) at St. Philip Neri Church in Portland, OR, and the ministry of Paulist Fr. Dick Chilson (1943 - 2026).

She also recalls how Paulist Fr. Steve Bossi encouraged her to consider a vocation as a religious sister.

Paulist Fr. Ricky Manalo speaks with the Paulist Deacon Affiliates in this episode of Deacons Pod about Pope Leo XIV's new encyclical "Magnifica Humanitas."

The document addresses the challenges humanity faces due to artificial intelligence.

Fr. Ricky has made understanding AI part of his ministry. He is a co-founder of CatholicFaithAI.org.

His next book "The Catholic Handbook on AI" will be published by Liturgical Press.

Fr. Ricky also is a composer of liturgical music and co-director of the Communion Project, a ministry that seeks to heal the wounds of polarization in the Church and in society.

Charlene Howard, executive director of Pax Christi USA, the national Catholic peace movement, is our special guest on this episode of Deacons Pod.

"Peace is not a destination. It's a way of life," she tells Deacon Mike Berstene, one of the Paulist Deacon Affiliates, as she describes Pax Christi's work to promote peace, non-violence, and justice in the model of Jesus Christ.

Deacon Mike asks Charlene what she hopes Catholics are considering now about the war with Iran.

He also asks her about growing up Catholic in Washington, D.C., her previous work as a teacher, and her Easter Sunday reflection at Catholic Women Preach.

Pax Christi USA has chapters around the United States, individual members, and a young adult caucus. It is a section of Pax Christi International.

In this special episode of Deacons Pod, we feature an audio diary created by Deacon Mike Hayes while he attended the 25th anniversary celebrations for the Paulist Fathers' media ministry Busted Halo held April 18 and April 19, 2026, in New York City.

Deacon Mike, now one of the Paulist Deacon Affiliates, was one of the founders of Busted Halo in 2001. In this audio diary, he recalls some of the ministry's early days, including the origin of the name "Busted Halo."

He also chats with Paulist Fr. Frank DeSiano, who was president of the Paulists when Busted Halo launched.

This special episode of Deacons Pod brings us a remembrance of athlete and radio broadcaster Marty Glickman (1917 - 2001) at the time of the 90th anniversary of the 1936 Olympic Games held in Berlin, Germany.

Glickman was a sprinter on the U.S. team at the 1936 Olympics. It was anticipated that he would run as part of the four-man relay squad.

But, on the day of the race, the U.S. Olympic Committee removed him and runner Sam Stoller from the race because they were Jewish.

During this episode, we hear audio from an event called "Catholic-Jewish Bridgebuilders: Running and Speaking Against Hate" held on April 16, 2026, at the Maltz Museum in Beachwood, OH.

The keynote address is given by Dr. Jeffrey Gurock, author of "Marty Glickman: The Life of an American Jewish Sports Legend" and a professor at Yeshiva University in New York City.

The Catholic respondent at the event was our own Deacon Mike Hayes, one of the Paulist Deacon Affiliates.

Deacon Mike poses the question: "Where was the Catholic Church during this time? And, more importantly, what has the Catholic Church learned from moments like this?"

What role do Catholic deacons play in the Church during Holy Week and the Sacred Triduum?

That is one of the questions that four Paulist Deacon Affiliates addressed in this Deacons Pod episode recorded on Holy Thursday 2026 just as Lent was coming to an end and the Sacred Triduum was about to begin.

Deacon Drew Dickson, Deacon Dennis Dolan, Deacon Mike Hayes, and Deacon Patrick Ouellette also share reflections on their Lenten journeys, and comment on the large number of new Catholics who entered the Church this year at the Easter Vigil Mass.

Paulist Productions' new documentary "Baseball: Beyond Belief" is the subject of this special episode of Deacons Pod.

Based on the book "Baseball as a Road to God: Seeing Beyond the Game" by former New York University president John Sexton, the documentary explores how baseball and faith intertwine in powerful and surprising ways.

In the episode, Deacon Mike Hayes of the Paulist Deacon Affiliates speaks with Sexton, documentary director John Scheinfeld, and Paulist Fr. Tom Gibbons, president of Paulist Productions.

“Baseball: Beyond Belief” is scheduled to air nationally on television on Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026, at 4 p.m. Eastern / 1 p.m. Pacific on Fox Sports 1.

What is our relationship to the Bible as an object?

What does it mean for us when the Bible is used as a means of control?

Does the Bible become an "accessory" to crimes of violence or exclusion?

How do we read the Scriptures in ways that heal rather than harm?

These are just some of the questions tackled in this special episode of Deacons Pod in which the Paulist Deacon Affiliates interview our own Dr. David Dault, our technical producer and editor, about his thought-provoking new book "The Accessorized Bible" from Yale University Press.

David is an associate professor of Christian Spirituality at the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University Chicago.

In addition to his work on Deacons Pod, he assists with the creation of multiple podcasts and is one of the hosts of "The Francis Effect."

Longtime Catholic writer Mary DeTurris Poust is our guest on this episode of Deacons Pod.

A former Director of Communications for the Diocese of Albany, NY, Mary has been a reporter, editor, and columnist for multiple diocesan newspapers.

She also is author of several books on spiritual topics, leads retreats, and serves as a spiritual director.

Her blog and website are called "Not Strictly Spiritual."

"Life Lines" is the name of her column and podcast.

In this episode, Deacon Mike Hayes (one of the Paulist Deacon Affiliates) speaks with Mary about several topics, including a column and retreat day she created called "You Can't Fail Lent."

"Sometimes, maybe where we are being called to go in our Lent is somewhere different than what our agenda was. Maybe God has a different plan for us," says Mary.