WEBVTT
00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:13.439
Welcome to Beyond the Weekend with Bishop Kevin Sweeney, a podcast of the Diocese of Patterson, New Jersey.
00:00:13.679 --> 00:00:15.919
Join us for conversations about our Catholic faith.
00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:19.120
And together let's strive to live a life of faith, hope, and love.
00:00:19.280 --> 00:00:20.399
We're so glad you can join us.
00:00:20.559 --> 00:00:24.320
I'm Jay Agnish, Communications Director for the Diocese of Patterson.
00:00:24.480 --> 00:00:26.640
With me is Bishop Kevin Sweeney.
00:00:26.800 --> 00:00:27.760
Bishop, how are you?
00:00:28.000 --> 00:00:29.199
I'm doing well, Jay.
00:00:29.280 --> 00:00:29.839
How are you doing?
00:00:30.079 --> 00:00:30.559
Doing well.
00:00:30.640 --> 00:00:33.679
Yeah, a little break in the rain, which is which is nice for now.
00:00:34.320 --> 00:00:38.960
Happy feast of Saint Mon Saint Monica, Saint Monica, Santa Monica.
00:00:39.359 --> 00:00:39.920
And to you.
00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:47.039
Patron saint of mothers who pray and worry for their wayward sons.
00:00:48.799 --> 00:00:50.399
With the son of the case.
00:00:51.119 --> 00:00:52.560
Well, her son Augustine.
00:00:53.840 --> 00:00:55.679
A little unique in the church calendar.
00:00:55.759 --> 00:01:00.640
I think it's the only time when on two consecutive days a mother and son have their feast days.
00:01:00.719 --> 00:01:01.759
Um today, St.
00:01:01.840 --> 00:01:03.920
Monica, August 27th, and tomorrow St.
00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:04.480
Augustine.
00:01:04.640 --> 00:01:08.079
Pope Leo's favorite saint, the son of Augustine, as he calls himself.
00:01:08.239 --> 00:01:21.359
And uh so um and uh we're recording uh this on August 27th, and um it's also a sad anniversary, the first anniversary of the passing of Father Rafael Ciro.
00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:34.959
Um I know died by suicide last year, and um I'll be celebrating a mass for him tonight um with many priests who can celebrate at the parish where he was pastor St.
00:01:35.120 --> 00:01:36.560
Stevenson Patterson.
00:01:36.879 --> 00:01:40.000
Um Father Diego Monsalvo is doing a good job.
00:01:40.480 --> 00:01:50.480
Um and the people are walking the journey of faith, the Paschal mystery, and um so we we trust in the Lord's mercy, and we'll have a special mass for Father Raphael tonight.
00:01:50.719 --> 00:01:52.000
That's great, that's great, yeah.
00:01:52.239 --> 00:01:53.920
I guess Father Camille is with us.
00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:57.519
Um uh he would have been ordained a few years before you, right?
00:01:57.760 --> 00:01:58.159
Yeah, yeah.
00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:00.959
He also bit older in ordination.
00:02:01.840 --> 00:02:07.599
So with us is Father Camille Kiska, who is back from Alaska, so we want to hear.
00:02:07.920 --> 00:02:09.199
You got it warmed up now, right?
00:02:09.520 --> 00:02:10.080
Oh yes.
00:02:11.439 --> 00:02:15.919
But uh before we start our conversation, do you would you like to open up in prayer?
00:02:16.319 --> 00:02:16.479
Sure.
00:02:16.560 --> 00:02:25.520
We'll um ask the help and intercession of Mary, our blessed mother, our lady of Chestahova, and um also um pray through the intercession of St.
00:02:25.680 --> 00:02:26.400
Monica and St.
00:02:26.479 --> 00:02:27.280
Augustine.
00:02:27.520 --> 00:02:35.280
Pray for moms and dads, sons and daughters, families, um, especially might when there might be some struggles or some who might be away from the church.
00:02:35.439 --> 00:02:42.080
Um Monica's that great example of uh uh never losing hope and continuing to pray.
00:02:42.240 --> 00:02:47.599
Um, and we never know when God can touch someone's heart and they can come back to the Lord.
00:02:47.759 --> 00:02:55.280
So um uh as we ask the help and intercession of Mary and Blessed Mother, we'll also pray through the intercession of Saint Monica and Saint Augustine.
00:02:55.360 --> 00:02:59.919
We'll place ourselves in God's presence in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
00:03:00.159 --> 00:03:00.719
Amen.
00:03:00.960 --> 00:03:04.240
We ask the help and intercession of Mary, our blessed mother, as we pray.
00:03:04.479 --> 00:03:07.199
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
00:03:07.680 --> 00:03:11.199
Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
00:03:11.680 --> 00:03:16.400
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
00:03:16.560 --> 00:03:16.879
Amen.
00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:20.159
Our Lady, seat of wisdom, Mother of the Church, pray for us.
00:03:20.479 --> 00:03:29.280
Our Lady of Chestehovah, pray for us, Saint Joseph, pray for us, Saint Monica and Saint Augustine, pray for us, all holy men and women, pray for us.
00:03:29.520 --> 00:03:31.680
In the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
00:03:31.759 --> 00:03:32.159
Amen.
00:03:32.800 --> 00:03:34.639
We have to mention our Lady of Chestahova, right?
00:03:34.719 --> 00:03:35.520
We can't forget her.
00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:35.840
Yeah.
00:03:37.520 --> 00:03:39.840
There is an Ar and Our Lady of Alaska, is there?
00:03:40.159 --> 00:03:41.919
There is Our Lady of the Arctic snows.
00:03:42.159 --> 00:03:42.719
Oh, beautiful.
00:03:42.879 --> 00:03:43.120
Oh, cool.
00:03:43.360 --> 00:03:46.719
So it's very native to that land, yeah, over there in Alaska.
00:03:47.039 --> 00:03:48.879
Yeah, so uh so welcome back.
00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:52.800
You've been how long were you in Alaska and and how long have you been back now?
00:03:53.120 --> 00:03:55.919
So I started to go to Alaska actually in 2020.
00:03:56.000 --> 00:03:58.719
Uh for my summer break, uh, my vacation time.
00:03:58.800 --> 00:03:59.280
That's right, yeah.
00:03:59.439 --> 00:04:06.479
So I offered my myself to go there and to work uh as a missionary priest in replacement of those priests who actually went for vacation from that diocese.
00:04:06.719 --> 00:04:07.919
Your first summer was 2020.
00:04:08.159 --> 00:04:08.879
2020, exactly.
00:04:09.120 --> 00:04:10.000
In the midst of the pandemic.
00:04:10.319 --> 00:04:13.039
Yes, yeah, that was 2020.
00:04:13.120 --> 00:04:14.719
And then regularly every year.
00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:22.959
And in 2024, I was privileged with the huge blessing of our bishop, um, to go there full-time uh for two years.
00:04:23.120 --> 00:04:33.279
Uh so these two years just passed, uh, and I got back um in the end of May uh to our diocese uh to serve back in uh in our parishes.
00:04:33.519 --> 00:04:35.040
Are there two dioceses in Alaska?
00:04:35.279 --> 00:04:36.560
Yes, right now there is two.
00:04:36.639 --> 00:04:43.439
There is the Diocese of Fairbanks that covers north parts, uh western parts, and a bit of central parts, right?
00:04:43.519 --> 00:04:48.800
And then it's Arch Diocese of Anchorage Juno that covers southern parts of Alaska uh with Juneau area.
00:04:49.120 --> 00:04:49.360
Right there.
00:04:49.519 --> 00:04:53.920
There used to be three dioceses where Juneau was its own diocese, but it um they put it back together.
00:04:54.240 --> 00:04:59.040
I believe uh they were joined together in 2020, uh Anchorage and Juno.
00:04:59.279 --> 00:04:59.519
Yeah.
00:04:59.920 --> 00:05:01.199
But you served in Fairbanks, right?
00:05:02.240 --> 00:05:04.639
Bishop Stephen Makawa, yeah.
00:05:04.959 --> 00:05:05.279
Right, right.
00:05:05.439 --> 00:05:16.639
I met him at uh I think the meeting in June and uh thanked him for uh receiving you, and he was very grateful uh for your being there.
00:05:16.800 --> 00:05:32.399
Um tell me again, uh um Father Camille, uh your your interest in Alaska originally um that led you, I think then, to write to the bishop and offer your services for a month in the summer, right?
00:05:32.480 --> 00:05:36.399
Uh uh what was what what kind of led up to that?
00:05:37.040 --> 00:05:39.680
So uh there is a much longer story, Your Excellency.
00:05:40.079 --> 00:05:45.920
Uh we have to go back to my uh formation in the seminary, and after five years, I Where was that seminary?
00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:46.800
In Warsaw, in Warsaw.
00:05:46.879 --> 00:05:47.759
In Warsaw, in Poland.
00:05:48.000 --> 00:05:51.519
Uh I took a break because I didn't know if I want to be a priest or not.
00:05:51.680 --> 00:05:58.959
Uh so I really hesitated and I had really huge doubts uh in my not only my vocation but also my faith uh in God.
00:05:59.360 --> 00:06:06.800
So to make the long story short, uh I left the seminary, uh then I returned uh and I knew that I want to be a priest but a missionary priest.
00:06:06.959 --> 00:06:08.399
I wanted to go somewhere.
00:06:08.560 --> 00:06:14.560
And at that moment, that was 2014, uh I was more thinking of going to one of the African countries, right?
00:06:14.720 --> 00:06:17.120
Somehow I I don't know what I was thinking of Africa.
00:06:17.199 --> 00:06:22.959
Uh but two of my friends got back from Chicago and they told me that this is missionary church here in the States and that people need to missions of Patterson.
00:06:23.199 --> 00:06:23.600
Yeah.
00:06:24.319 --> 00:06:44.160
So I got here to the States, but this desire of uh being uh in need to people in different sacramental way and priestly way was still in me, and that is why uh in 2019 I got in touch with uh Bishop Chad Jelinski then uh of Fairbanks, and he invited me to come and to spend like Do you remember what first brought Alaska into your mind?
00:06:44.319 --> 00:06:46.160
Did you know someone there or did you hear about it?
00:06:46.240 --> 00:06:51.680
Or for the very first time, I heard about Alaska when I was in the seminar on the third year.
00:06:51.759 --> 00:06:53.920
Uh I heard about priests who fly with planes.
00:06:54.240 --> 00:06:55.360
Oh, yes, right, yes, yes.
00:06:55.519 --> 00:06:58.560
One of the bishops uh I think had a pilot's license.
00:06:58.879 --> 00:06:59.279
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:06:59.439 --> 00:07:00.639
They did that, yes, definitely.
00:07:00.720 --> 00:07:06.399
There are some priests now in Anchor uh Archdiocese of Anchorage, Juno, uh, who have the license so they fly.
00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:09.600
Exactly with those kind of planes, uh sometimes smaller ones.
00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:12.319
You flew in the planes, but you didn't fly the plane, right?
00:07:13.040 --> 00:07:13.920
Not by myself.
00:07:14.160 --> 00:07:21.040
Although Bishop Stephen now uh wants to encourage some of the priests to do uh the license, and he wants to buy one or two planes over there.
00:07:21.360 --> 00:07:21.600
Awesome.
00:07:21.680 --> 00:07:23.040
Yeah, I have my pilot's license.
00:07:23.120 --> 00:07:28.240
I haven't flown in a few years, but uh Alaska, you read about it, that's that's the place to fly.
00:07:28.399 --> 00:07:29.040
Seaplanes.
00:07:29.279 --> 00:07:31.040
Uh have you flown on a seaplane?
00:07:31.120 --> 00:07:31.759
Is this a seaplane?
00:07:32.160 --> 00:07:34.720
Yeah, this is uh ten people um plane.
00:07:34.800 --> 00:07:35.600
Uh there.
00:07:36.319 --> 00:07:49.439
So uh in the last year I was mostly responsible for two places, two villages, uh Kotlik, uh which is in another part of uh Yukon Kuskop Fim Delta, and Mrtarvik, which is in the southern part uh over there.
00:07:49.680 --> 00:07:55.040
So between the two villages, I had to take three planes one way and three planes uh back.
00:07:55.439 --> 00:07:56.959
Uh and it was challenging.
00:07:57.040 --> 00:08:00.879
Uh but yeah, those planes that you saw actually, so that was my daily uh routine.
00:08:00.959 --> 00:08:02.720
Like um tell us what we're seeing here.
00:08:02.800 --> 00:08:04.240
Is that a parish activity?
00:08:04.480 --> 00:08:06.879
This is actually village cultural activity.
00:08:07.199 --> 00:08:11.199
Uh this is uh from uh April, I believe.
00:08:11.279 --> 00:08:13.040
That was our mini potlatch.
00:08:13.199 --> 00:08:20.160
Uh potlatch is a social event uh where people gather from all the village, and actually other villages are also invited uh to participate.
00:08:20.319 --> 00:08:35.679
And it's uh much of cultural activities with dances, singing, drums, uh cultural dresses, um, native habits and different things, and also sharing some of the foods uh with the the people who really need uh those products, uh different also products.
00:08:35.840 --> 00:08:39.519
So it's like um state fair, uh something like that.
00:08:39.679 --> 00:08:41.440
Um but it's in cultural way.
00:08:41.759 --> 00:08:49.039
So let me just say for those of you who might be listening, I would encourage you to watch this episode because we are scrolling through some photos that we're discussing now.
00:08:49.360 --> 00:08:49.679
Right.
00:08:49.919 --> 00:08:54.799
And uh you mentioned April, uh you said you had an and here's the look is that a priest gathering?
00:08:55.039 --> 00:08:55.120
Yes.
00:08:55.279 --> 00:08:57.519
Uh maybe the Christmas or a retreat?
00:08:57.840 --> 00:09:01.120
That was convocation uh in Anchorage, uh in Anchorage.
00:09:01.360 --> 00:09:01.519
Okay.
00:09:01.679 --> 00:09:05.039
So uh traditionally they have uh convocation every year.
00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:07.440
Uh we I believe we have every third year, right?
00:09:07.600 --> 00:09:08.159
Yeah, exactly.
00:09:08.320 --> 00:09:12.080
Uh but they have every year and they gather all the priests from Alaska.
00:09:12.320 --> 00:09:14.960
From all the three dioceses then and now two dioceses.
00:09:15.360 --> 00:09:16.240
Are there in Alaska?
00:09:16.559 --> 00:09:22.720
Yeah, or in total, I would say it's over 60, close to 70 priests uh ministering over there.
00:09:23.120 --> 00:09:24.159
In the diocese of Fairbanks.
00:09:24.320 --> 00:09:27.519
No, in Fairbanks it's only 27 or 28 at this moment.
00:09:27.919 --> 00:09:28.159
Okay.
00:09:28.320 --> 00:09:31.679
So the two dioceses have their convocation together, is that right?
00:09:31.840 --> 00:09:32.159
Yeah, yeah.
00:09:32.320 --> 00:09:32.399
Yeah.
00:09:32.879 --> 00:09:45.279
Um so um another time when priests gather is uh the Chris Mass, and uh that would often be during Holy Week, but in uh some dioceses uh where it's not so easy to travel, they have it at a more convenient time, is that right?
00:09:45.519 --> 00:09:46.960
Yeah, this is what we actually did.
00:09:47.039 --> 00:10:03.759
Uh so we had our convocation over there in Anchorage, and the priests from Anchor Anchorage Juno diocese stayed there for Christmas with the bishop, and we went on the planes and flew to Fairbanks for our Christmas as we were together uh at that moment, so we were able to do this.
00:10:04.159 --> 00:10:08.080
Um that's Bishop Stephen, yes.
00:10:08.240 --> 00:10:08.879
Oh, yes, right there.
00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:12.000
That was his pastoral visit to Catholic in February.
00:10:12.159 --> 00:10:28.639
What is very interesting is that uh Bishop Stephen um always flies to our region over there, Hawaii region, and then he takes snowmobile, okay, he takes another person with him just for safety, okay, and he commutes between the villages with snowmobile.
00:10:29.120 --> 00:10:32.480
So it's very unique that the Catholic bishop actually does this, right?
00:10:32.639 --> 00:10:37.679
Um he doesn't fly directly to the villages, but he flies to one and then takes the snowmobile and um.
00:10:38.320 --> 00:10:40.399
You did some snowmobiling yourself, I think, huh?
00:10:40.639 --> 00:10:42.320
I did, uh, but not so much.
00:10:42.480 --> 00:10:44.240
I didn't have to um too much.
00:10:44.320 --> 00:10:47.360
Uh but yeah, some some of the priests actually rely mostly on snowmobiling.
00:10:47.840 --> 00:10:48.799
Four-wheel drive, right?
00:10:48.879 --> 00:10:49.440
The little buggy.
00:10:50.080 --> 00:10:50.720
Right, right, right.
00:10:51.200 --> 00:10:58.720
Um so um uh this is in ordinary timers, you're dressed in green, but you had said uh you had an interesting experience at Easter.
00:10:59.039 --> 00:11:00.480
Oh, Your Excellency.
00:11:01.440 --> 00:11:03.360
That was that was so unique.
00:11:03.519 --> 00:11:08.159
Uh um so it happened that I was sent to Mertarvik over there.
00:11:08.240 --> 00:11:11.919
Uh and uh, as you know, Mertarvik uh there was no place for me to stay at.
00:11:12.000 --> 00:11:15.120
Uh, Mertarvik is a new village, relocated from Newtok.
00:11:15.279 --> 00:11:18.320
So there is no Catholic church yet, um, there is nothing.
00:11:18.480 --> 00:11:22.399
So when I went there for my monthly visit, uh I stayed at the school.
00:11:22.480 --> 00:11:26.960
This is the social hall at that uh at that school, and I slept in one of the classrooms.
00:11:27.120 --> 00:11:27.279
Wow.
00:11:27.519 --> 00:11:34.000
And so I went there knowing that uh it's going to be very difficult for me to celebrate Easter having uh basically nothing.
00:11:34.080 --> 00:11:34.320
Okay.
00:11:34.799 --> 00:11:39.759
Last year I went only for Easter Sunday, uh, so I took my ALP from Kotlik and my stall.
00:11:39.840 --> 00:11:45.120
Okay, I didn't even take the chasable, full chasable not to you know, um pack everything into bags.
00:11:45.519 --> 00:11:50.879
But this time on Holy Thursday, as I was going there, I realized I don't have my stall.
00:11:50.960 --> 00:11:51.840
I had only ALP.
00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:55.039
I forgot to take the stall, and I was like, what am I going to do?
00:11:55.200 --> 00:12:01.360
Okay, and I was like, I need to get to this old village uh in New Talk uh to bring some of the items.
00:12:01.600 --> 00:12:04.559
And so I convinced some of the people, very luckily.
00:12:04.720 --> 00:12:12.000
Um one uh gentleman, he's a teacher at the school actually, said that he's going to uh convince his son to help me with this.
00:12:12.159 --> 00:12:17.519
So on the next day, on Good Friday uh in the morning, uh we took ourselves, okay?
00:12:17.600 --> 00:12:30.559
We took his snowmobile and a sled and we went on Frozen River across over there that is uh I believe 11 miles or something, maybe more than that, uh, to Newtok, to the old village that is totally abandoned at this moment.
00:12:30.799 --> 00:12:36.080
The problem was that uh the river froze uh very unevenly and there were so many spikes.
00:12:36.399 --> 00:12:42.080
So uh I actually turned my pants on this as I was just moving non-stop on uh on the snowmobile.
00:12:42.480 --> 00:12:47.919
Uh we made that, uh, and I believe there's more pictures uh uh of uh of that church also.
00:12:48.080 --> 00:12:52.080
Yes, this is from uh there should be some some other pictures.
00:12:52.240 --> 00:12:54.639
But my point is that I was able to get to the church.
00:12:55.759 --> 00:12:58.639
Yeah, I did that for survival.
00:12:59.600 --> 00:13:03.679
Um I was able to get to the church and to bring the necessary items.
00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:09.600
Uh so for the first time in that new village, I celebrated Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday.
00:13:09.679 --> 00:13:10.559
This is this old church.
00:13:10.720 --> 00:13:11.039
Wow.
00:13:11.279 --> 00:13:17.360
So uh we had a problem with actually the snow in front of the church, so uh we had to really uh duck the snow out.
00:13:17.519 --> 00:13:21.759
Uh I had to break in uh because somehow the snow actually got inside.
00:13:21.919 --> 00:13:28.720
Uh this is like a four-year entrance, so I had to push the door uh inside, uh and then yes, to collect the items.
00:13:28.879 --> 00:13:29.039
Wow.
00:13:29.519 --> 00:13:31.200
So that's where you celebrated Holy Week?
00:13:31.440 --> 00:13:32.799
Yeah, so this is old village.
00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:33.679
Uh this is abandonment.
00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:35.120
Which is right, right, right.
00:13:35.600 --> 00:13:35.840
Yeah.
00:13:36.240 --> 00:13:45.120
But uh like the whole idea of going there, okay, taking items, collecting items, like chalice, hosts, yeah, everything.
00:13:46.080 --> 00:13:47.440
There's your friendly snowman.
00:13:50.480 --> 00:13:57.679
So what like what did you do for uh for for fun like when you weren't uh working with on your days off?
00:13:59.120 --> 00:14:07.360
Yeah, you know what I had plenty of time off uh to be honest with you because um the uh native people over there are not so active in the church life.
00:14:07.600 --> 00:14:12.399
Uh so I try to really uh make my own schedule uh to stay active.
00:14:12.559 --> 00:14:16.559
Uh sometimes I prayed even 10 to 12 hours a day.
00:14:17.120 --> 00:14:17.440
Seriously.
00:14:18.159 --> 00:14:23.440
My days it was like long retreat during winter time because mostly I couldn't do anything, right?
00:14:23.519 --> 00:14:24.159
It was dark.
00:14:24.240 --> 00:14:26.639
Uh we had let's say up to five hours of sunlight.
00:14:27.120 --> 00:14:27.600
Five hours.
00:14:27.840 --> 00:14:29.440
Um the rest was total darkness.
00:14:29.759 --> 00:14:35.679
And with that wind over there with um what time would the sun quote unquote come up or go down?
00:15:16.389 --> 00:15:20.950
Yeah, yeah, usually around 11:30 noon that would go up, yes.
00:15:21.269 --> 00:15:21.909
The first light?
00:15:22.070 --> 00:15:26.710
Yeah, and then around four after four-ish, uh around five-ish, uh it would go down.
00:15:26.870 --> 00:15:27.830
Yeah, something like that.
00:15:28.230 --> 00:15:28.470
Yeah.
00:15:29.190 --> 00:15:31.509
That was at the at the shortest dice.
00:15:31.830 --> 00:15:32.629
Right, right, right, right.
00:15:33.029 --> 00:15:34.470
But uh also winter.
00:15:34.549 --> 00:15:35.990
Uh it's not like winter here.
00:15:36.149 --> 00:15:37.029
Uh on that.
00:15:37.590 --> 00:15:38.710
How cold does it get?
00:15:39.029 --> 00:15:43.590
Uh for four months we had negative 20, negative 30 non-stop, four months in a row.
00:15:43.830 --> 00:15:51.029
So when finally, uh that was the beginning of April, uh, the temperature reached 30 degrees, which is freezing in our understanding, right?
00:15:51.269 --> 00:15:52.149
30 degrees, okay.
00:15:52.309 --> 00:15:53.669
That was like a heat wave for us.
00:15:53.990 --> 00:15:58.309
Everybody went outside, we were just walking on the boardwalk over there and doing hot, hot weather.
00:16:00.070 --> 00:16:01.590
Yeah, 30, 30 degrees.
00:16:02.549 --> 00:16:12.950
So now when you were on uh last time, you you had expressed that you were it it seemed like you were kind of seeing the end maybe of your time serving in Alaska.
00:16:13.110 --> 00:16:21.990
Uh can you get us up to speed on on kind of maybe what went on interiorly or or from that point and uh that brought you back to New Jersey?
00:16:22.149 --> 00:16:24.789
So you're you're you're done serving Alaska now then, right?
00:16:24.870 --> 00:16:24.950
Okay.
00:16:25.350 --> 00:16:25.750
I'm done.
00:16:25.990 --> 00:16:29.029
I will probably go to offer my vacation time from time to time.
00:16:29.429 --> 00:16:44.230
Uh but uh yeah, I don't think right now of my full-time contract there uh because it was really difficult uh physically to live like that, uh to commute with those small planes, to deal with the weather, and that uh Parish in Mertarvik was very challenging for me.
00:16:44.389 --> 00:16:46.629
Uh I was always drained of my energy.
00:16:46.789 --> 00:16:47.990
This is how I slept over there.
00:16:48.070 --> 00:16:51.590
I made myself this uh this bed uh in one of the classrooms.
00:16:51.830 --> 00:16:57.269
Uh it was really, really physically tough, uh, and I knew like I I'm not able to continue that in the long run.
00:16:57.750 --> 00:17:04.789
Uh so um I was also glad that my contract uh was coming to an end, so I knew that I would come back here.
00:17:05.269 --> 00:17:12.710
However, one good thing was that uh I I really changed myself as a priest uh in my interior, in my spirituality.
00:17:13.190 --> 00:17:16.470
That was like a huge uh huge step forward for me.
00:17:16.549 --> 00:17:19.349
Uh it was like two years of spiritual retreat.
00:17:19.670 --> 00:17:20.630
Uh this is priceless.
00:17:20.869 --> 00:17:26.309
Uh I'm not even able to explain that, but uh I'm more peaceful and more balanced inside myself.
00:17:26.630 --> 00:17:30.710
Um something that I really wish every priest would uh would know about, yes, and experience.
00:17:31.110 --> 00:17:37.029
And um did you finish your seminary studies in Poland before coming here to Patterson?
00:17:37.429 --> 00:17:41.029
Uh and so then um uh there's the four-wheeler, right?
00:17:41.110 --> 00:17:43.829
Uh um uh interesting.
00:17:44.150 --> 00:17:44.549
Go ahead.
00:17:44.710 --> 00:17:45.029
Uh-huh.
00:17:45.269 --> 00:17:50.230
So um as uh as we see over there, there is the the heating oil tank.
00:17:50.309 --> 00:17:57.670
Okay, every place has uh some heating oil tank, and we have to really fill up this regularly and not to lose uh heating.
00:17:58.069 --> 00:18:02.630
Uh and there is always some kind of serviceman uh who delivers this, alright.
00:18:03.029 --> 00:18:07.910
So with this, this is my church by the way, uh behind uh behind over there in the back.
00:18:08.150 --> 00:18:16.309
So uh my church building was pretty old and had many of let's say uh irregular shapes, I don't know, holes or other things.
00:18:16.390 --> 00:18:21.349
Uh so it wasn't very a church, that building there, it's the other is it used for other purposes as well?
00:18:21.670 --> 00:18:24.309
Yes, so on this side here, that was my living quarters.
00:18:24.549 --> 00:18:28.150
Uh that was my room, um, bedroom, bathroom over there.
00:18:28.230 --> 00:18:32.069
So uh but yeah, this is this is whole uh old church on the side.
00:18:32.309 --> 00:18:40.950
So uh I had to repay attention to to deliveries because any delay uh could uh pipes to freeze and other problems, right?
00:18:41.269 --> 00:18:45.509
And the worst sound I can imagine, I have still like PTSD, okay?
00:18:45.670 --> 00:18:47.670
It's uh Toyo stove heater, okay?
00:18:47.750 --> 00:18:49.509
It's like peek, peek, peak, peek.
00:18:50.150 --> 00:18:51.670
It means that there is no heating oil.
00:18:51.990 --> 00:18:52.549
I'm done.
00:18:52.789 --> 00:18:53.349
Oh no.
00:18:53.910 --> 00:19:01.670
So uh I tried to really avoid that, and uh we got uh deliver us regularly every two weeks uh of 100 gallons of heating oil.
00:19:01.990 --> 00:19:06.630
So the it strikes me the structure of the church, obviously not like any churches here in New Jersey.
00:19:06.789 --> 00:19:10.390
Are there any that are built more in the traditional style?
00:19:10.549 --> 00:19:12.470
Like the maybe the cathedral, maybe in the city?
00:19:12.630 --> 00:19:12.869
Mm-hmm.
00:19:13.029 --> 00:19:13.430
In the city.
00:19:13.670 --> 00:19:13.910
Okay.
00:19:14.869 --> 00:19:17.910
But in the countryside of the towns, villages, I guess not really, right?
00:19:18.150 --> 00:19:26.869
Yeah, they look more like houses, like and you got to know the native uh language a a little bit, or or certainly got to know some of the native people.
00:19:27.430 --> 00:19:31.670
That would be ideal, but uh Yupik, uh Yupik language Yuchtun is very difficult.
00:19:31.990 --> 00:19:33.269
Oh there it is, you pick him though.
00:19:33.509 --> 00:19:41.349
Yeah, uh I was able to follow just the phonetics, uh how to read the text, right, without even understanding but how to read the phonetics uh of the text.
00:19:41.589 --> 00:19:44.630
Uh so I enjoyed singing with them uh a few songs.
00:19:44.710 --> 00:19:48.789
I actually got to know really well, so I can even sync to my memory.
00:19:48.950 --> 00:19:52.150
Uh but uh to speak Yuchtun, uh that's very, very difficult.
00:19:52.789 --> 00:19:55.109
How how long has the Catholic faith been in Alaska?
00:19:55.750 --> 00:20:00.230
It came with the Jesuits when um Alaska was actually Orthodox first.
00:20:00.470 --> 00:20:03.109
Oh yeah, that was first Christianity and then Jesuits.
00:20:03.670 --> 00:20:04.549
From Russia, would you say?
00:20:04.789 --> 00:20:05.029
Yeah, yeah.
00:20:05.269 --> 00:20:09.910
And then Jesuits brought uh Catholic faith um uh to to Alaska.
00:20:10.150 --> 00:20:14.869
And in my diocese, just right now, in the end of June, uh they finished their mission.
00:20:14.950 --> 00:20:17.029
Uh the two last Jesuits left.
00:20:17.589 --> 00:20:37.029
Uh so there is no more Jesuits uh in in my diocese uh so uh you finished your uh uh the theological studies uh in Poland but had that uh discerning um call to the missions, and someone told you there was a need for priests in Patterson, right?
00:20:37.109 --> 00:20:37.589
Thank God.
00:20:37.910 --> 00:20:42.309
And uh and uh um did you come directly to Patterson, right?
00:20:42.390 --> 00:20:43.109
From Poland, right?
00:20:43.349 --> 00:20:51.269
And then um uh did you um you would have spent some time, I guess, studying English and preparing for diaconate then, right?
00:20:51.430 --> 00:20:51.589
Mm-hmm.
00:20:51.829 --> 00:20:52.470
That was necessary.
00:20:53.589 --> 00:20:56.150
And what was your first parish experience here in the diocese?
00:20:56.390 --> 00:21:01.190
So that was when I was seminarian um East uh Saint Rose of Lima in Istanbul.
00:21:01.990 --> 00:21:03.509
Uh very Italian parish.
00:21:04.630 --> 00:21:09.910
I still have many friends over there, uh, and I go to to that to visit my friends uh pretty often.
00:21:10.230 --> 00:21:11.990
Italian food is a little different from Alaskan food.
00:21:12.309 --> 00:21:13.589
Yeah, oh yes, yeah, yeah.
00:21:13.990 --> 00:21:16.630
But that was more Italian style, European style.
00:21:17.029 --> 00:21:23.029
Uh then when I was deacon, I moved to Whippany, uh, and that was like more American like uh parish.
00:21:23.109 --> 00:21:25.269
Uh uh A Lady of Mercy in Whipany, right?
00:21:26.069 --> 00:21:29.029
And then um when you were ordained a priest, where was your first assignment?
00:21:29.349 --> 00:21:29.509
St.
00:21:29.589 --> 00:21:30.630
Patrick's in Chatham.
00:21:30.869 --> 00:21:34.390
Um were you already a hockey fan, or did was that Father Bob's doing?
00:21:36.470 --> 00:21:37.430
Oh, you're a hockey fan?
00:21:37.509 --> 00:21:37.670
Yes.
00:21:37.990 --> 00:21:38.710
I'd like to hear that.
00:21:38.869 --> 00:21:41.750
Uh you and Father Bob used to go to some devil games, right?
00:21:41.990 --> 00:21:42.230
Yeah, right.
00:21:43.029 --> 00:21:43.829
Yeah, that's what's happening.
00:21:44.069 --> 00:21:44.309
Oh yeah.
00:21:44.630 --> 00:21:45.829
And then um from St.
00:21:45.990 --> 00:21:49.750
Patrick's in Chatham to uh Our Lady of the Lake, right, right.
00:21:49.990 --> 00:21:54.150
And then um back to Chatham to the other parish in Chatham, Corpus Christi, right?
00:21:54.390 --> 00:21:54.789
Corpus Christi.
00:21:55.109 --> 00:22:04.869
Um so um uh and by the time you were in Corpus Christi, um that call to um uh they they talk about St.
00:22:05.029 --> 00:22:16.950
Patrick um when he was um enslaved in Ireland and escaped and got back to England, he felt the people um of the place he had been kind of calling him back to serve.
00:22:17.029 --> 00:22:30.230
Um and uh in some way uh you had been there a few summers and you discerned that uh the Lord might be inviting you to spend some uh be there for uh an experience on a longer basis.
00:22:30.309 --> 00:22:30.630
Is that right?
00:22:30.950 --> 00:22:31.910
Yes, yeah, exactly.
00:22:32.069 --> 00:22:32.390
Exactly.
00:22:32.630 --> 00:22:34.789
That was when I was in Chatham at Carpus Christi.
00:22:35.109 --> 00:22:38.069
Uh I came to you and I said that yeah, I I wish to go there.
00:22:38.230 --> 00:22:48.470
Yeah, so we had like a very nice Conversation and with God's blessing and your help, Your Excellency, I was able to go there and to experience this old missionary lifestyle.
00:22:48.710 --> 00:23:02.150
And you know, um in ministry and um uh in discerning the Lord's will and serving as priests, um especially as Daasin priests, um yes, there hopefully we all have some of that missionary spirit, right?
00:23:02.230 --> 00:23:08.390
Uh but that can take place in Alaska or it can take place in in Chatham or Spartan or Boonton, right?
00:23:08.470 --> 00:23:14.309
Uh uh and uh uh you said uh your experience in Alaska has helped you in terms of your own reflection on your priesthood, right?
00:23:14.549 --> 00:23:14.789
Oh yes.
00:23:15.190 --> 00:23:18.869
Um and now you're doing the your missionary work in Boonton, in St.
00:23:19.029 --> 00:23:20.230
Cyril Matodians, right?
00:23:20.470 --> 00:23:21.589
At the Polish church though, yes.
00:23:21.990 --> 00:23:23.349
Along with um uh St.
00:23:23.509 --> 00:23:27.190
Virgil's in uh in Morris Plains where you're living, right?
00:23:27.430 --> 00:23:27.670
Yes.
00:23:27.910 --> 00:23:31.829
Um so you're back um in the missions of Patterson, right?
00:23:32.150 --> 00:23:32.950
Yes, Your Excellency.
00:23:33.190 --> 00:23:42.869
And actually, yes, there are some things that uh like the skills I have learned in Alaska that I can implement uh here um either uh in Morris Plains or in Bunton.
00:23:43.029 --> 00:23:47.990
Uh but yes, that that was a very beneficial time for me, and uh it it will really reward me in the future.
00:23:48.150 --> 00:23:53.190
Wherever I'm going to be, um I will definitely have a little bit of Alaska in your heart, huh?
00:23:53.509 --> 00:23:55.029
Bishop, question for you.
00:23:55.190 --> 00:23:57.589
Um can you talk about the missionary spirit?
00:23:57.670 --> 00:24:02.710
Or or I mean uh so we have missionaries, some other missionaries in our diocese, and anywhere you want to go with that?
00:24:03.109 --> 00:24:12.869
Well, uh, you know, it really since the Second Vatican Council, there's been uh Pope Paul VI said the church exists to evangelize.
00:24:13.029 --> 00:24:21.990
So that were and and and that call from baptism to be um uh uh a call to holiness, but also to be missionary disciples, right?
00:24:22.069 --> 00:24:30.309
Jesus said, go to the ends of the earth and make uh disciples, baptize them, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, teach them and know that I'm with you till the end of the age.
00:24:30.390 --> 00:24:45.910
So and Pope Francis um was especially in his um uh maybe most important uh uh document, uh Evangeli Gaudium, the joy of the gospel, uh, was very focused on that call to be missionary disciples, wherever we are.
00:24:46.230 --> 00:24:52.069
Uh yeah, some have that call to leave home and culture and uh and what a blessing it can be.
00:24:52.230 --> 00:25:00.390
I shared um we um uh another missionary uh from Oklahoma to Guatemala, Father Stanley Rother.
00:25:00.710 --> 00:25:09.190
Uh there was a movie that just came out about him this week, and uh he's uh he's now been named a martyr, and he just needs a miracle to be canonized as a saint.
00:25:09.349 --> 00:25:11.509
He would be the first male born in the United States.
00:25:11.670 --> 00:25:15.750
There's uh a few candidates, Fulton Sheen, Father Michael McGivney, Father Rother.
00:25:15.910 --> 00:25:24.150
There might be one or two others that are on the path to sainthood, but uh so so far I'm pretty sure that no male uh born in the United States.
00:25:24.309 --> 00:25:29.190
There's been a few women born in the United States who have been uh canonized as saints, but apparently not a male yet.
00:25:29.269 --> 00:25:31.829
And uh so Father Stanley felt this call.
00:25:31.910 --> 00:25:46.470
Um, and uh in in writing about him, I shared, you know, my own experience going to the Dominican Republic or Mexico or um and then in Brooklyn and Queens, and now here in Patterson, you know, getting to know different cultures through language, but also through uh uh through culture.
00:25:46.630 --> 00:25:51.829
And so, yes, the the language was one thing, but you you got to hold know a whole other culture, right?
00:25:51.910 --> 00:25:54.549
And uh trying to share the faith in that culture.
00:25:54.630 --> 00:25:57.990
And it's I think it helps us see the the beauty of our Catholic faith.
00:25:58.869 --> 00:26:00.630
It's you it is universal, right?
00:26:00.710 --> 00:26:01.829
That word means universal.
00:26:01.910 --> 00:26:03.670
And so um there, right?
00:26:03.829 --> 00:26:06.630
Um uh beautiful picture, that's a good timing.
00:26:06.710 --> 00:26:08.630
Uh, because it's the same Easter vigil.
00:26:08.710 --> 00:26:16.150
Okay, the some of the aesthetics might be a little bit different, but uh it's the same celebration of the Paschal Mystery, right?
00:26:16.390 --> 00:26:17.109
Can we pause here?
00:26:17.269 --> 00:26:21.910
So the thing is that you see that there is a window and it's pretty bright outside, right?
00:26:22.150 --> 00:26:22.470
Yes.
00:26:22.710 --> 00:26:25.670
Uh we had this celebration in the evening, okay?
00:26:25.750 --> 00:26:27.829
Um, okay, so that was all right.
00:26:28.069 --> 00:26:34.710
But uh normally uh we would have to start after midnight to catch uh some of the darkness.
00:26:34.789 --> 00:26:35.109
Why?
00:26:35.269 --> 00:26:42.069
Because uh when the end of January comes, okay, February, March, it's getting brighter and brighter, and you know that there is midnight sun, right?
00:26:42.230 --> 00:26:44.869
So it starts usually around May time, right?
00:26:45.029 --> 00:26:50.309
So when the Easter is late in April, okay, it's already uh pretty bright at night.
00:26:50.470 --> 00:26:54.630
There usually it's uh some some darkness is usually about 1 a.m., 2 a.m.
00:26:54.869 --> 00:26:55.109
Okay.
00:26:55.509 --> 00:27:06.869
So for me, like last year, okay, last year we had uh Easter later, uh it was so like weird to celebrate Easter with some sunlight coming through, like outside.
00:27:07.029 --> 00:27:10.789
Like when you do the fire outside, and it's like uh it's so bright, right?
00:27:10.869 --> 00:27:16.630
So another aspect that um it would it was more cultural towards that uh region and the people over there.
00:27:16.789 --> 00:27:25.109
Uh so it might go for it goes from uh the shortest days where there's only five hours of daylight to um the longest days would be how many hours?
00:27:25.750 --> 00:27:26.710
Non-stop is light.
00:27:26.869 --> 00:27:36.069
So over there in Kotlik, uh I didn't see sun directly on the sky, but it was bright like yeah, it was much brighter than this what we see with the clouds.
00:27:36.230 --> 00:27:36.549
Right.
00:27:36.710 --> 00:27:45.269
Uh but yeah, going from Arctic Circle, that distance, geographical distance, um there is non-stop sun seen on the on the on the sky.
00:27:45.430 --> 00:27:54.390
So let's say in Barrow, Utkyavik, that's the last city in in Alaska, uh they see sun non-stop going on the sky non-stop, 24 hours uh per day.
00:27:54.950 --> 00:27:55.750
Yeah, for a few months.
00:27:56.069 --> 00:27:56.710
For a few months.
00:27:56.869 --> 00:27:57.029
Yeah.
00:27:57.190 --> 00:27:57.750
Yeah, wow.
00:27:58.309 --> 00:27:59.430
This is what's going on here.
00:28:00.470 --> 00:28:01.190
The convocation, okay.
00:28:02.549 --> 00:28:06.470
Any anything you can uh I think I asked you this last time, or we asked you this last time.
00:28:06.549 --> 00:28:16.549
Um, lessons learned from Alaska during your time that you could bring back to New Jersey for either for your yourself you alluded to, but uh maybe others as well.
00:28:16.789 --> 00:28:19.109
Something uh to learn.
00:28:19.990 --> 00:28:31.430
Definitely time in isolation is uh really good uh because we live in uh this chaos of today's world, nonstop with our cell phones, media, multimedia and everything, right?
00:28:31.910 --> 00:28:44.950
Uh and it's sometimes really good uh to stop a bit uh and to really listen to our interior, our hearts and minds, uh, and to rely more on God, uh to listen to what God wants to say to us.
00:28:45.269 --> 00:28:49.029
Uh so this is what I would say to everyone who are watching right now.
00:28:49.109 --> 00:28:56.630
Um sometimes really to pause to find that time of retreat and quietness is really really important.
00:28:57.029 --> 00:28:57.670
Yeah.
00:28:59.269 --> 00:29:00.950
What else do you want to tell us about?
00:29:01.829 --> 00:29:02.549
You had some fun.
00:29:02.950 --> 00:29:04.710
I learned how to survive.
00:29:06.710 --> 00:29:15.430
Uh I realized uh this is uh this is crazy, but many times I saw people actually carrying eggs, having normal chicken eggs on those planes like that.
00:29:15.509 --> 00:29:21.829
Okay, so they were um transporting eggs uh from Bethel, uh from that bigger city to their villages.
00:29:21.990 --> 00:29:22.309
Why?
00:29:22.470 --> 00:29:26.230
Because many times we didn't see eggs in the stores, local stores.
00:29:26.390 --> 00:29:29.349
Our stole stores in the villages were poorly supplied.
00:29:29.430 --> 00:29:36.230
Uh and I believe that uh in my village uh I saw chicken eggs only three times in the course of two years.
00:29:36.470 --> 00:29:36.869
Wow.
00:29:37.029 --> 00:29:44.309
Uh because it's also poor business for manager of every store in the villages uh to order eggs uh if they they come broken, right?
00:29:44.470 --> 00:29:56.309
So many times they don't order eggs uh or they have difficulties with um transportation or um you know good conditions because everything is as you see, right, is um very primitive.
00:29:56.390 --> 00:29:59.589
Uh when we saw the ice fishing, you said you needed it to survive.
00:29:59.670 --> 00:30:02.470
Uh was that half-choking or was there some truth to that?
00:30:02.710 --> 00:30:08.710
So I re because now that you're talking, I remember uh that your the diet was a struggle, right?
00:30:09.750 --> 00:30:10.710
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:30:10.869 --> 00:30:13.829
So uh I was actually uh eating a lot of the fish.
00:30:13.990 --> 00:30:20.630
Last year I went with my uh neighbor uh Paul Hunt uh and his family uh for fishing regularly.
00:30:20.789 --> 00:30:25.349
So I filled my freezer with fish and I ate for three months non-stop fish.
00:30:25.509 --> 00:30:29.750
Wow to save also some money because the products in the voters are very expensive.
00:30:29.829 --> 00:30:32.950
Uh but uh having this abundance of fish, I ate only fish.
00:30:33.509 --> 00:30:35.109
And you caught you caught all those fish yourself?
00:30:35.349 --> 00:30:36.789
Yeah, yeah, but we had fishing nets.
00:30:37.029 --> 00:30:38.470
What kind of fish?
00:30:38.710 --> 00:30:43.990
Uh different kinds, uh, and white fish, different kinds, salmon with King Salmon my favorite.
00:30:44.230 --> 00:30:44.630
I love it.
00:30:45.109 --> 00:30:45.430
I love it.
00:30:45.750 --> 00:30:49.509
Uh she fish, uh, all those different that swim in the rivers.
00:30:49.829 --> 00:30:50.950
Did you bring some back for us?
00:30:51.990 --> 00:30:53.109
No, I ate all of them.
00:30:53.589 --> 00:30:55.750
Have you eaten much fish since you returned?
00:30:55.910 --> 00:30:57.509
Uh not so much, maybe once.
00:30:59.269 --> 00:31:02.869
Um, but I I really want to eat steaks, not some other meat.
00:31:03.349 --> 00:31:04.710
Not a lot of steak in Alaska.
00:31:05.589 --> 00:31:06.549
But they have moose.
00:31:06.789 --> 00:31:11.670
Uh they actually can really uh someone gave me some moose meat uh that eat.
00:31:13.190 --> 00:31:14.309
So it's very unique.
00:31:14.710 --> 00:31:17.670
The most unique is actually seal meat.
00:31:17.910 --> 00:31:18.309
Oh boy.
00:31:18.549 --> 00:31:19.109
From seal.
00:31:19.430 --> 00:31:22.230
Uh it tastes a bit like chicken.
00:31:22.390 --> 00:31:27.349
Uh no, actually like like drugs, like anti bio antibiotics or something like that.
00:31:27.509 --> 00:31:29.430
It's really not really tasty.
00:31:29.750 --> 00:31:36.869
So you have to eat this with something, uh, usually with some pastries or in some stool like um form because uh you have to kill the taste.
00:31:37.190 --> 00:31:38.710
I guess protein is protein if you need it.
00:31:38.869 --> 00:31:41.670
Yeah, it's full of iron, uh a lot of the iron over there.
00:31:41.750 --> 00:31:45.509
So uh but it's it's really good like for survival there in that climate.
00:31:45.750 --> 00:31:46.869
Wow, seal meat.
00:31:47.349 --> 00:31:49.190
Do they do they eat a lot of seal meat?
00:31:49.509 --> 00:31:49.910
They do.
00:31:50.069 --> 00:31:51.589
Yeah, they they hunt for seal.
00:31:51.910 --> 00:31:54.950
Um yeah, so there are a lot of seal around?
00:31:55.349 --> 00:31:57.509
Yeah, in those uh open waters over there, yeah.
00:31:57.589 --> 00:31:58.710
They have plenty of those.
00:31:59.509 --> 00:32:02.069
So what what's next for Father Camille?
00:32:02.549 --> 00:32:09.109
I'm staying in our diocese, I'm enjoying the moment, and I'm focused on uh ministering in Bunton at the Polish community.
00:32:09.349 --> 00:32:10.069
Okay over there.
00:32:10.309 --> 00:32:10.789
Yes, yes, St.
00:32:10.950 --> 00:32:12.549
Cyril Lemotholius, yes.
00:32:13.029 --> 00:32:20.710
Um so um um we'll have to get you um at some point to speak to our seminarians, right?
00:32:20.789 --> 00:32:36.710
Because uh uh it's it's uh uh part of our formation um to learn about different um experiences of priesthood and um when we're only in maybe in our comfort zone, yes, that can be challenging in itself.
00:32:36.950 --> 00:32:47.349
Um but it can be a blessing and a growing experience uh to allow the Lord to lead us uh to some place where we may not be familiar, right?
00:32:47.509 --> 00:32:52.309
And uh and uh um it can be helpful for guys as they discern the call.
00:32:52.630 --> 00:32:53.430
Yeah, oh yes.
00:32:53.910 --> 00:32:59.109
If I can be of any help uh and give some knowledge to those seminars, I will definitely do that.
00:32:59.190 --> 00:32:59.829
Yeah, that's great.
00:32:59.990 --> 00:33:00.549
That's great.
00:33:01.029 --> 00:33:04.789
Um well Father Camille, thank you so much for being with us.
00:33:04.950 --> 00:33:14.150
Uh uh, we're grateful that uh you know you had that um willingness and generosity to respond to the Lord's call and give yourself.
00:33:14.230 --> 00:33:18.230
I know Father, as I said, Bishop Stephen was very, very grateful for your time there.
00:33:18.309 --> 00:33:23.509
Um and we're also glad that the Lord led you back here to the missions in in Patterson.
00:33:23.589 --> 00:33:30.069
So um we'll keep you in our prayers and uh um we'll see where how and where the Lord leads us uh going forward.
00:33:30.150 --> 00:33:31.670
But but thanks so much for sharing with us.
00:33:32.150 --> 00:33:35.910
Yeah, big big welcome back, and uh we see you in here around more, hopefully.
00:33:36.150 --> 00:33:39.589
Um before we wrap up, Bishop, um what are you what are you reading?
00:33:39.670 --> 00:33:40.470
What are you listening to?
00:33:40.630 --> 00:33:53.029
What's oh boy, um I listen I um I listened to a wonderful book, um uh The Life You Save May Be Your Own, um by Paul Ellie, I believe.
00:33:53.190 --> 00:34:06.150
Um it's uh a kind of a simultaneous biography of uh Flannery O'Connor, Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton, and Walker Percy, uh philosophical writer and novelist.
00:34:06.230 --> 00:34:14.550
Um and uh um I think I started it before retreat, continued it on retreat, and finished it uh afterwards.
00:34:14.630 --> 00:34:17.510
Um uh been a big fan of Dorothy Day.
00:34:17.590 --> 00:34:19.670
Um New York connection, I guess.
00:34:20.069 --> 00:34:22.869
Yes, right, and uh some Brooklyn connection as well.
00:34:23.109 --> 00:34:29.029
And um but uh you know I was familiar with Florida Flannery O'Connor a little bit.
00:34:29.190 --> 00:34:31.430
She's um an acquired taste, I think.
00:34:31.750 --> 00:34:35.190
But uh one of the great Catholic writers, uh very funny.
00:34:35.590 --> 00:34:37.670
I didn't realize she was as sarcastic.
00:34:37.750 --> 00:34:49.349
She's the one that um credited, I believe, with the line at some fancy dinner with some uh upscale uh ladies, maybe, and uh Catholics, and uh or maybe some weren't Catholic.
00:34:49.429 --> 00:34:58.630
Uh in the course of the dinner conversation, she said they were talking about the Eucharist and uh being a symbol, and uh Florida O'Connor said, Well, if it's only the symbol to hell with it.
00:34:59.030 --> 00:35:00.789
So uh famous line, yeah.
00:35:01.030 --> 00:35:01.269
Yes.
00:35:01.349 --> 00:35:09.269
Um and um and uh again, I'm familiar with Thomas Merton, but um wow, he was very prolific and uh and so popular in his time.
00:35:09.429 --> 00:35:16.389
Um and um and then Walker Percy, uh the philosophy teacher, Father Robert Lawrence, one of my favorite teachers in in St.
00:35:16.550 --> 00:35:18.550
John's University, was a big fan of Walker Percy.
00:35:18.710 --> 00:35:19.750
So uh never heard of that.
00:35:19.909 --> 00:35:20.230
That was great.
00:35:20.550 --> 00:35:20.789
Yeah, yeah.
00:35:21.110 --> 00:35:23.110
Yeah, Thomas Merton can be a little deep.
00:35:23.269 --> 00:35:25.510
Uh I'm attempting to read a bit of Thomas Merton.
00:35:25.829 --> 00:35:28.070
Yeah, I tried the Seven Story Mountain a couple of times.
00:35:28.150 --> 00:35:28.230
Yeah.
00:35:28.469 --> 00:35:30.070
And uh didn't get all that far.
00:35:30.150 --> 00:35:38.469
But uh, as opposed to in the seminary, I read Dorothy Day's uh The Long Loneliness, her her um autobiography and spiritual memoir.
00:35:38.550 --> 00:35:41.909
Um yeah, um she's she's she's she's amazing.
00:35:42.070 --> 00:36:12.150
Uh and and how popular she was in her time and the Catholic worker movement, you know, uh she's she there was some struggle in her older years when younger volunteers would come and she uh wasn't so uh crazy about the way culture and young people were going in the 1960s and early 70s, and uh she let it be known that she wasn't uh but uh but they came because they were inspired and you know to serve in the Catholic worker and then Catholic worker homes opened up all across the United States, and some are still going.
00:36:12.309 --> 00:36:16.230
So um, yeah, that was that was uh a good read.
00:36:16.869 --> 00:36:17.110
Great.
00:36:17.269 --> 00:36:17.989
Well, there you go.
00:36:18.070 --> 00:36:19.269
Some great recommendations, so thank you.
00:36:19.590 --> 00:36:32.869
I wanted to mention I uh in August the 5th I did a final profession, Solemn Vows for uh uh Salesian sister um at um Mary Helping Christians Heldon.
00:36:33.349 --> 00:36:44.869
In August 14th, I celebrated a final profession for Sister Chiara Marie, uh, who's uh uh a faculty member at Divine Mercy Academy in Rockaway and uh has been serving there for a number of years.
00:36:44.949 --> 00:36:50.070
She made her solemn vows with the sisters of Christian charity um at their motherhouse in Mendem.
00:36:50.469 --> 00:37:00.710
And um in uh September I'll be celebrating uh a mass for a Carmelite sister in Morristown who's be making her solemn vows.
00:37:00.869 --> 00:37:05.110
Um and uh we might have more to come about the Carmelite Monastery celebrating its hundredth anniversary.
00:37:05.429 --> 00:37:15.349
We will as we pray for vocations, yes, to priesthood, but also to consecrated religious life, and it's great to see in in about a month three sisters making solemn professions.
00:37:15.429 --> 00:37:18.230
So uh uh keep praying for vocations.
00:37:18.550 --> 00:37:21.349
All right, well, thanks again, Father Camille.
00:37:21.510 --> 00:37:24.389
Thanks, Bishop, and thank you all for joining us.
00:37:24.550 --> 00:37:27.349
Please subscribe, comment, and leave a positive rating.
00:37:27.510 --> 00:37:32.230
Get to know us better by following Bishop Kevin's Instagram and beyond the beacon on social media.
00:37:32.389 --> 00:37:41.429
Read the bishop's weekly column on beaconnj.org and get in touch if you have a question for the bishop or a podcast topic idea and discover our other podcasts.
00:37:41.750 --> 00:37:42.469
Thanks, everybody.
00:37:42.630 --> 00:37:43.110
God bless.
00:37:43.269 --> 00:37:44.389
See you next time.
00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:13.439
Welcome to Beyond the Weekend with Bishop Kevin Sweeney, a podcast of the Diocese of Patterson, New Jersey.
00:00:13.679 --> 00:00:15.919
Join us for conversations about our Catholic faith.
00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:19.120
And together let's strive to live a life of faith, hope, and love.
00:00:19.280 --> 00:00:20.399
We're so glad you can join us.
00:00:20.559 --> 00:00:24.320
I'm Jay Agnish, Communications Director for the Diocese of Patterson.
00:00:24.480 --> 00:00:26.640
With me is Bishop Kevin Sweeney.
00:00:26.800 --> 00:00:27.760
Bishop, how are you?
00:00:28.000 --> 00:00:29.199
I'm doing well, Jay.
00:00:29.280 --> 00:00:29.839
How are you doing?
00:00:30.079 --> 00:00:30.559
Doing well.
00:00:30.640 --> 00:00:33.679
Yeah, a little break in the rain, which is which is nice for now.
00:00:34.320 --> 00:00:38.960
Happy feast of Saint Mon Saint Monica, Saint Monica, Santa Monica.
00:00:39.359 --> 00:00:39.920
And to you.
00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:47.039
Patron saint of mothers who pray and worry for their wayward sons.
00:00:48.799 --> 00:00:50.399
With the son of the case.
00:00:51.119 --> 00:00:52.560
Well, her son Augustine.
00:00:53.840 --> 00:00:55.679
A little unique in the church calendar.
00:00:55.759 --> 00:01:00.640
I think it's the only time when on two consecutive days a mother and son have their feast days.
00:01:00.719 --> 00:01:01.759
Um today, St.
00:01:01.840 --> 00:01:03.920
Monica, August 27th, and tomorrow St.
00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:04.480
Augustine.
00:01:04.640 --> 00:01:08.079
Pope Leo's favorite saint, the son of Augustine, as he calls himself.
00:01:08.239 --> 00:01:21.359
And uh so um and uh we're recording uh this on August 27th, and um it's also a sad anniversary, the first anniversary of the passing of Father Rafael Ciro.
00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:34.959
Um I know died by suicide last year, and um I'll be celebrating a mass for him tonight um with many priests who can celebrate at the parish where he was pastor St.
00:01:35.120 --> 00:01:36.560
Stevenson Patterson.
00:01:36.879 --> 00:01:40.000
Um Father Diego Monsalvo is doing a good job.
00:01:40.480 --> 00:01:50.480
Um and the people are walking the journey of faith, the Paschal mystery, and um so we we trust in the Lord's mercy, and we'll have a special mass for Father Raphael tonight.
00:01:50.719 --> 00:01:52.000
That's great, that's great, yeah.
00:01:52.239 --> 00:01:53.920
I guess Father Camille is with us.
00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:57.519
Um uh he would have been ordained a few years before you, right?
00:01:57.760 --> 00:01:58.159
Yeah, yeah.
00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:00.959
He also bit older in ordination.
00:02:01.840 --> 00:02:07.599
So with us is Father Camille Kiska, who is back from Alaska, so we want to hear.
00:02:07.920 --> 00:02:09.199
You got it warmed up now, right?
00:02:09.520 --> 00:02:10.080
Oh yes.
00:02:11.439 --> 00:02:15.919
But uh before we start our conversation, do you would you like to open up in prayer?
00:02:16.319 --> 00:02:16.479
Sure.
00:02:16.560 --> 00:02:25.520
We'll um ask the help and intercession of Mary, our blessed mother, our lady of Chestahova, and um also um pray through the intercession of St.
00:02:25.680 --> 00:02:26.400
Monica and St.
00:02:26.479 --> 00:02:27.280
Augustine.
00:02:27.520 --> 00:02:35.280
Pray for moms and dads, sons and daughters, families, um, especially might when there might be some struggles or some who might be away from the church.
00:02:35.439 --> 00:02:42.080
Um Monica's that great example of uh uh never losing hope and continuing to pray.
00:02:42.240 --> 00:02:47.599
Um, and we never know when God can touch someone's heart and they can come back to the Lord.
00:02:47.759 --> 00:02:55.280
So um uh as we ask the help and intercession of Mary and Blessed Mother, we'll also pray through the intercession of Saint Monica and Saint Augustine.
00:02:55.360 --> 00:02:59.919
We'll place ourselves in God's presence in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
00:03:00.159 --> 00:03:00.719
Amen.
00:03:00.960 --> 00:03:04.240
We ask the help and intercession of Mary, our blessed mother, as we pray.
00:03:04.479 --> 00:03:07.199
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
00:03:07.680 --> 00:03:11.199
Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
00:03:11.680 --> 00:03:16.400
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
00:03:16.560 --> 00:03:16.879
Amen.
00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:20.159
Our Lady, seat of wisdom, Mother of the Church, pray for us.
00:03:20.479 --> 00:03:29.280
Our Lady of Chestehovah, pray for us, Saint Joseph, pray for us, Saint Monica and Saint Augustine, pray for us, all holy men and women, pray for us.
00:03:29.520 --> 00:03:31.680
In the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
00:03:31.759 --> 00:03:32.159
Amen.
00:03:32.800 --> 00:03:34.639
We have to mention our Lady of Chestahova, right?
00:03:34.719 --> 00:03:35.520
We can't forget her.
00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:35.840
Yeah.
00:03:37.520 --> 00:03:39.840
There is an Ar and Our Lady of Alaska, is there?
00:03:40.159 --> 00:03:41.919
There is Our Lady of the Arctic snows.
00:03:42.159 --> 00:03:42.719
Oh, beautiful.
00:03:42.879 --> 00:03:43.120
Oh, cool.
00:03:43.360 --> 00:03:46.719
So it's very native to that land, yeah, over there in Alaska.
00:03:47.039 --> 00:03:48.879
Yeah, so uh so welcome back.
00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:52.800
You've been how long were you in Alaska and and how long have you been back now?
00:03:53.120 --> 00:03:55.919
So I started to go to Alaska actually in 2020.
00:03:56.000 --> 00:03:58.719
Uh for my summer break, uh, my vacation time.
00:03:58.800 --> 00:03:59.280
That's right, yeah.
00:03:59.439 --> 00:04:06.479
So I offered my myself to go there and to work uh as a missionary priest in replacement of those priests who actually went for vacation from that diocese.
00:04:06.719 --> 00:04:07.919
Your first summer was 2020.
00:04:08.159 --> 00:04:08.879
2020, exactly.
00:04:09.120 --> 00:04:10.000
In the midst of the pandemic.
00:04:10.319 --> 00:04:13.039
Yes, yeah, that was 2020.
00:04:13.120 --> 00:04:14.719
And then regularly every year.
00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:22.959
And in 2024, I was privileged with the huge blessing of our bishop, um, to go there full-time uh for two years.
00:04:23.120 --> 00:04:33.279
Uh so these two years just passed, uh, and I got back um in the end of May uh to our diocese uh to serve back in uh in our parishes.
00:04:33.519 --> 00:04:35.040
Are there two dioceses in Alaska?
00:04:35.279 --> 00:04:36.560
Yes, right now there is two.
00:04:36.639 --> 00:04:43.439
There is the Diocese of Fairbanks that covers north parts, uh western parts, and a bit of central parts, right?
00:04:43.519 --> 00:04:48.800
And then it's Arch Diocese of Anchorage Juno that covers southern parts of Alaska uh with Juneau area.
00:04:49.120 --> 00:04:49.360
Right there.
00:04:49.519 --> 00:04:53.920
There used to be three dioceses where Juneau was its own diocese, but it um they put it back together.
00:04:54.240 --> 00:04:59.040
I believe uh they were joined together in 2020, uh Anchorage and Juno.
00:04:59.279 --> 00:04:59.519
Yeah.
00:04:59.920 --> 00:05:01.199
But you served in Fairbanks, right?
00:05:02.240 --> 00:05:04.639
Bishop Stephen Makawa, yeah.
00:05:04.959 --> 00:05:05.279
Right, right.
00:05:05.439 --> 00:05:16.639
I met him at uh I think the meeting in June and uh thanked him for uh receiving you, and he was very grateful uh for your being there.
00:05:16.800 --> 00:05:32.399
Um tell me again, uh um Father Camille, uh your your interest in Alaska originally um that led you, I think then, to write to the bishop and offer your services for a month in the summer, right?
00:05:32.480 --> 00:05:36.399
Uh uh what was what what kind of led up to that?
00:05:37.040 --> 00:05:39.680
So uh there is a much longer story, Your Excellency.
00:05:40.079 --> 00:05:45.920
Uh we have to go back to my uh formation in the seminary, and after five years, I Where was that seminary?
00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:46.800
In Warsaw, in Warsaw.
00:05:46.879 --> 00:05:47.759
In Warsaw, in Poland.
00:05:48.000 --> 00:05:51.519
Uh I took a break because I didn't know if I want to be a priest or not.
00:05:51.680 --> 00:05:58.959
Uh so I really hesitated and I had really huge doubts uh in my not only my vocation but also my faith uh in God.
00:05:59.360 --> 00:06:06.800
So to make the long story short, uh I left the seminary, uh then I returned uh and I knew that I want to be a priest but a missionary priest.
00:06:06.959 --> 00:06:08.399
I wanted to go somewhere.
00:06:08.560 --> 00:06:14.560
And at that moment, that was 2014, uh I was more thinking of going to one of the African countries, right?
00:06:14.720 --> 00:06:17.120
Somehow I I don't know what I was thinking of Africa.
00:06:17.199 --> 00:06:22.959
Uh but two of my friends got back from Chicago and they told me that this is missionary church here in the States and that people need to missions of Patterson.
00:06:23.199 --> 00:06:23.600
Yeah.
00:06:24.319 --> 00:06:44.160
So I got here to the States, but this desire of uh being uh in need to people in different sacramental way and priestly way was still in me, and that is why uh in 2019 I got in touch with uh Bishop Chad Jelinski then uh of Fairbanks, and he invited me to come and to spend like Do you remember what first brought Alaska into your mind?
00:06:44.319 --> 00:06:46.160
Did you know someone there or did you hear about it?
00:06:46.240 --> 00:06:51.680
Or for the very first time, I heard about Alaska when I was in the seminar on the third year.
00:06:51.759 --> 00:06:53.920
Uh I heard about priests who fly with planes.
00:06:54.240 --> 00:06:55.360
Oh, yes, right, yes, yes.
00:06:55.519 --> 00:06:58.560
One of the bishops uh I think had a pilot's license.
00:06:58.879 --> 00:06:59.279
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:06:59.439 --> 00:07:00.639
They did that, yes, definitely.
00:07:00.720 --> 00:07:06.399
There are some priests now in Anchor uh Archdiocese of Anchorage, Juno, uh, who have the license so they fly.
00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:09.600
Exactly with those kind of planes, uh sometimes smaller ones.
00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:12.319
You flew in the planes, but you didn't fly the plane, right?
00:07:13.040 --> 00:07:13.920
Not by myself.
00:07:14.160 --> 00:07:21.040
Although Bishop Stephen now uh wants to encourage some of the priests to do uh the license, and he wants to buy one or two planes over there.
00:07:21.360 --> 00:07:21.600
Awesome.
00:07:21.680 --> 00:07:23.040
Yeah, I have my pilot's license.
00:07:23.120 --> 00:07:28.240
I haven't flown in a few years, but uh Alaska, you read about it, that's that's the place to fly.
00:07:28.399 --> 00:07:29.040
Seaplanes.
00:07:29.279 --> 00:07:31.040
Uh have you flown on a seaplane?
00:07:31.120 --> 00:07:31.759
Is this a seaplane?
00:07:32.160 --> 00:07:34.720
Yeah, this is uh ten people um plane.
00:07:34.800 --> 00:07:35.600
Uh there.
00:07:36.319 --> 00:07:49.439
So uh in the last year I was mostly responsible for two places, two villages, uh Kotlik, uh which is in another part of uh Yukon Kuskop Fim Delta, and Mrtarvik, which is in the southern part uh over there.
00:07:49.680 --> 00:07:55.040
So between the two villages, I had to take three planes one way and three planes uh back.
00:07:55.439 --> 00:07:56.959
Uh and it was challenging.
00:07:57.040 --> 00:08:00.879
Uh but yeah, those planes that you saw actually, so that was my daily uh routine.
00:08:00.959 --> 00:08:02.720
Like um tell us what we're seeing here.
00:08:02.800 --> 00:08:04.240
Is that a parish activity?
00:08:04.480 --> 00:08:06.879
This is actually village cultural activity.
00:08:07.199 --> 00:08:11.199
Uh this is uh from uh April, I believe.
00:08:11.279 --> 00:08:13.040
That was our mini potlatch.
00:08:13.199 --> 00:08:20.160
Uh potlatch is a social event uh where people gather from all the village, and actually other villages are also invited uh to participate.
00:08:20.319 --> 00:08:35.679
And it's uh much of cultural activities with dances, singing, drums, uh cultural dresses, um, native habits and different things, and also sharing some of the foods uh with the the people who really need uh those products, uh different also products.
00:08:35.840 --> 00:08:39.519
So it's like um state fair, uh something like that.
00:08:39.679 --> 00:08:41.440
Um but it's in cultural way.
00:08:41.759 --> 00:08:49.039
So let me just say for those of you who might be listening, I would encourage you to watch this episode because we are scrolling through some photos that we're discussing now.
00:08:49.360 --> 00:08:49.679
Right.
00:08:49.919 --> 00:08:54.799
And uh you mentioned April, uh you said you had an and here's the look is that a priest gathering?
00:08:55.039 --> 00:08:55.120
Yes.
00:08:55.279 --> 00:08:57.519
Uh maybe the Christmas or a retreat?
00:08:57.840 --> 00:09:01.120
That was convocation uh in Anchorage, uh in Anchorage.
00:09:01.360 --> 00:09:01.519
Okay.
00:09:01.679 --> 00:09:05.039
So uh traditionally they have uh convocation every year.
00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:07.440
Uh we I believe we have every third year, right?
00:09:07.600 --> 00:09:08.159
Yeah, exactly.
00:09:08.320 --> 00:09:12.080
Uh but they have every year and they gather all the priests from Alaska.
00:09:12.320 --> 00:09:14.960
From all the three dioceses then and now two dioceses.
00:09:15.360 --> 00:09:16.240
Are there in Alaska?
00:09:16.559 --> 00:09:22.720
Yeah, or in total, I would say it's over 60, close to 70 priests uh ministering over there.
00:09:23.120 --> 00:09:24.159
In the diocese of Fairbanks.
00:09:24.320 --> 00:09:27.519
No, in Fairbanks it's only 27 or 28 at this moment.
00:09:27.919 --> 00:09:28.159
Okay.
00:09:28.320 --> 00:09:31.679
So the two dioceses have their convocation together, is that right?
00:09:31.840 --> 00:09:32.159
Yeah, yeah.
00:09:32.320 --> 00:09:32.399
Yeah.
00:09:32.879 --> 00:09:45.279
Um so um another time when priests gather is uh the Chris Mass, and uh that would often be during Holy Week, but in uh some dioceses uh where it's not so easy to travel, they have it at a more convenient time, is that right?
00:09:45.519 --> 00:09:46.960
Yeah, this is what we actually did.
00:09:47.039 --> 00:10:03.759
Uh so we had our convocation over there in Anchorage, and the priests from Anchor Anchorage Juno diocese stayed there for Christmas with the bishop, and we went on the planes and flew to Fairbanks for our Christmas as we were together uh at that moment, so we were able to do this.
00:10:04.159 --> 00:10:08.080
Um that's Bishop Stephen, yes.
00:10:08.240 --> 00:10:08.879
Oh, yes, right there.
00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:12.000
That was his pastoral visit to Catholic in February.
00:10:12.159 --> 00:10:28.639
What is very interesting is that uh Bishop Stephen um always flies to our region over there, Hawaii region, and then he takes snowmobile, okay, he takes another person with him just for safety, okay, and he commutes between the villages with snowmobile.
00:10:29.120 --> 00:10:32.480
So it's very unique that the Catholic bishop actually does this, right?
00:10:32.639 --> 00:10:37.679
Um he doesn't fly directly to the villages, but he flies to one and then takes the snowmobile and um.
00:10:38.320 --> 00:10:40.399
You did some snowmobiling yourself, I think, huh?
00:10:40.639 --> 00:10:42.320
I did, uh, but not so much.
00:10:42.480 --> 00:10:44.240
I didn't have to um too much.
00:10:44.320 --> 00:10:47.360
Uh but yeah, some some of the priests actually rely mostly on snowmobiling.
00:10:47.840 --> 00:10:48.799
Four-wheel drive, right?
00:10:48.879 --> 00:10:49.440
The little buggy.
00:10:50.080 --> 00:10:50.720
Right, right, right.
00:10:51.200 --> 00:10:58.720
Um so um uh this is in ordinary timers, you're dressed in green, but you had said uh you had an interesting experience at Easter.
00:10:59.039 --> 00:11:00.480
Oh, Your Excellency.
00:11:01.440 --> 00:11:03.360
That was that was so unique.
00:11:03.519 --> 00:11:08.159
Uh um so it happened that I was sent to Mertarvik over there.
00:11:08.240 --> 00:11:11.919
Uh and uh, as you know, Mertarvik uh there was no place for me to stay at.
00:11:12.000 --> 00:11:15.120
Uh, Mertarvik is a new village, relocated from Newtok.
00:11:15.279 --> 00:11:18.320
So there is no Catholic church yet, um, there is nothing.
00:11:18.480 --> 00:11:22.399
So when I went there for my monthly visit, uh I stayed at the school.
00:11:22.480 --> 00:11:26.960
This is the social hall at that uh at that school, and I slept in one of the classrooms.
00:11:27.120 --> 00:11:27.279
Wow.
00:11:27.519 --> 00:11:34.000
And so I went there knowing that uh it's going to be very difficult for me to celebrate Easter having uh basically nothing.
00:11:34.080 --> 00:11:34.320
Okay.
00:11:34.799 --> 00:11:39.759
Last year I went only for Easter Sunday, uh, so I took my ALP from Kotlik and my stall.
00:11:39.840 --> 00:11:45.120
Okay, I didn't even take the chasable, full chasable not to you know, um pack everything into bags.
00:11:45.519 --> 00:11:50.879
But this time on Holy Thursday, as I was going there, I realized I don't have my stall.
00:11:50.960 --> 00:11:51.840
I had only ALP.
00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:55.039
I forgot to take the stall, and I was like, what am I going to do?
00:11:55.200 --> 00:12:01.360
Okay, and I was like, I need to get to this old village uh in New Talk uh to bring some of the items.
00:12:01.600 --> 00:12:04.559
And so I convinced some of the people, very luckily.
00:12:04.720 --> 00:12:12.000
Um one uh gentleman, he's a teacher at the school actually, said that he's going to uh convince his son to help me with this.
00:12:12.159 --> 00:12:17.519
So on the next day, on Good Friday uh in the morning, uh we took ourselves, okay?
00:12:17.600 --> 00:12:30.559
We took his snowmobile and a sled and we went on Frozen River across over there that is uh I believe 11 miles or something, maybe more than that, uh, to Newtok, to the old village that is totally abandoned at this moment.
00:12:30.799 --> 00:12:36.080
The problem was that uh the river froze uh very unevenly and there were so many spikes.
00:12:36.399 --> 00:12:42.080
So uh I actually turned my pants on this as I was just moving non-stop on uh on the snowmobile.
00:12:42.480 --> 00:12:47.919
Uh we made that, uh, and I believe there's more pictures uh uh of uh of that church also.
00:12:48.080 --> 00:12:52.080
Yes, this is from uh there should be some some other pictures.
00:12:52.240 --> 00:12:54.639
But my point is that I was able to get to the church.
00:12:55.759 --> 00:12:58.639
Yeah, I did that for survival.
00:12:59.600 --> 00:13:03.679
Um I was able to get to the church and to bring the necessary items.
00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:09.600
Uh so for the first time in that new village, I celebrated Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday.
00:13:09.679 --> 00:13:10.559
This is this old church.
00:13:10.720 --> 00:13:11.039
Wow.
00:13:11.279 --> 00:13:17.360
So uh we had a problem with actually the snow in front of the church, so uh we had to really uh duck the snow out.
00:13:17.519 --> 00:13:21.759
Uh I had to break in uh because somehow the snow actually got inside.
00:13:21.919 --> 00:13:28.720
Uh this is like a four-year entrance, so I had to push the door uh inside, uh and then yes, to collect the items.
00:13:28.879 --> 00:13:29.039
Wow.
00:13:29.519 --> 00:13:31.200
So that's where you celebrated Holy Week?
00:13:31.440 --> 00:13:32.799
Yeah, so this is old village.
00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:33.679
Uh this is abandonment.
00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:35.120
Which is right, right, right.
00:13:35.600 --> 00:13:35.840
Yeah.
00:13:36.240 --> 00:13:45.120
But uh like the whole idea of going there, okay, taking items, collecting items, like chalice, hosts, yeah, everything.
00:13:46.080 --> 00:13:47.440
There's your friendly snowman.
00:13:50.480 --> 00:13:57.679
So what like what did you do for uh for for fun like when you weren't uh working with on your days off?
00:13:59.120 --> 00:14:07.360
Yeah, you know what I had plenty of time off uh to be honest with you because um the uh native people over there are not so active in the church life.
00:14:07.600 --> 00:14:12.399
Uh so I try to really uh make my own schedule uh to stay active.
00:14:12.559 --> 00:14:16.559
Uh sometimes I prayed even 10 to 12 hours a day.
00:14:17.120 --> 00:14:17.440
Seriously.
00:14:18.159 --> 00:14:23.440
My days it was like long retreat during winter time because mostly I couldn't do anything, right?
00:14:23.519 --> 00:14:24.159
It was dark.
00:14:24.240 --> 00:14:26.639
Uh we had let's say up to five hours of sunlight.
00:14:27.120 --> 00:14:27.600
Five hours.
00:14:27.840 --> 00:14:29.440
Um the rest was total darkness.
00:14:29.759 --> 00:14:35.679
And with that wind over there with um what time would the sun quote unquote come up or go down?
00:15:16.389 --> 00:15:20.950
Yeah, yeah, usually around 11:30 noon that would go up, yes.
00:15:21.269 --> 00:15:21.909
The first light?
00:15:22.070 --> 00:15:26.710
Yeah, and then around four after four-ish, uh around five-ish, uh it would go down.
00:15:26.870 --> 00:15:27.830
Yeah, something like that.
00:15:28.230 --> 00:15:28.470
Yeah.
00:15:29.190 --> 00:15:31.509
That was at the at the shortest dice.
00:15:31.830 --> 00:15:32.629
Right, right, right, right.
00:15:33.029 --> 00:15:34.470
But uh also winter.
00:15:34.549 --> 00:15:35.990
Uh it's not like winter here.
00:15:36.149 --> 00:15:37.029
Uh on that.
00:15:37.590 --> 00:15:38.710
How cold does it get?
00:15:39.029 --> 00:15:43.590
Uh for four months we had negative 20, negative 30 non-stop, four months in a row.
00:15:43.830 --> 00:15:51.029
So when finally, uh that was the beginning of April, uh, the temperature reached 30 degrees, which is freezing in our understanding, right?
00:15:51.269 --> 00:15:52.149
30 degrees, okay.
00:15:52.309 --> 00:15:53.669
That was like a heat wave for us.
00:15:53.990 --> 00:15:58.309
Everybody went outside, we were just walking on the boardwalk over there and doing hot, hot weather.
00:16:00.070 --> 00:16:01.590
Yeah, 30, 30 degrees.
00:16:02.549 --> 00:16:12.950
So now when you were on uh last time, you you had expressed that you were it it seemed like you were kind of seeing the end maybe of your time serving in Alaska.
00:16:13.110 --> 00:16:21.990
Uh can you get us up to speed on on kind of maybe what went on interiorly or or from that point and uh that brought you back to New Jersey?
00:16:22.149 --> 00:16:24.789
So you're you're you're done serving Alaska now then, right?
00:16:24.870 --> 00:16:24.950
Okay.
00:16:25.350 --> 00:16:25.750
I'm done.
00:16:25.990 --> 00:16:29.029
I will probably go to offer my vacation time from time to time.
00:16:29.429 --> 00:16:44.230
Uh but uh yeah, I don't think right now of my full-time contract there uh because it was really difficult uh physically to live like that, uh to commute with those small planes, to deal with the weather, and that uh Parish in Mertarvik was very challenging for me.
00:16:44.389 --> 00:16:46.629
Uh I was always drained of my energy.
00:16:46.789 --> 00:16:47.990
This is how I slept over there.
00:16:48.070 --> 00:16:51.590
I made myself this uh this bed uh in one of the classrooms.
00:16:51.830 --> 00:16:57.269
Uh it was really, really physically tough, uh, and I knew like I I'm not able to continue that in the long run.
00:16:57.750 --> 00:17:04.789
Uh so um I was also glad that my contract uh was coming to an end, so I knew that I would come back here.
00:17:05.269 --> 00:17:12.710
However, one good thing was that uh I I really changed myself as a priest uh in my interior, in my spirituality.
00:17:13.190 --> 00:17:16.470
That was like a huge uh huge step forward for me.
00:17:16.549 --> 00:17:19.349
Uh it was like two years of spiritual retreat.
00:17:19.670 --> 00:17:20.630
Uh this is priceless.
00:17:20.869 --> 00:17:26.309
Uh I'm not even able to explain that, but uh I'm more peaceful and more balanced inside myself.
00:17:26.630 --> 00:17:30.710
Um something that I really wish every priest would uh would know about, yes, and experience.
00:17:31.110 --> 00:17:37.029
And um did you finish your seminary studies in Poland before coming here to Patterson?
00:17:37.429 --> 00:17:41.029
Uh and so then um uh there's the four-wheeler, right?
00:17:41.110 --> 00:17:43.829
Uh um uh interesting.
00:17:44.150 --> 00:17:44.549
Go ahead.
00:17:44.710 --> 00:17:45.029
Uh-huh.
00:17:45.269 --> 00:17:50.230
So um as uh as we see over there, there is the the heating oil tank.
00:17:50.309 --> 00:17:57.670
Okay, every place has uh some heating oil tank, and we have to really fill up this regularly and not to lose uh heating.
00:17:58.069 --> 00:18:02.630
Uh and there is always some kind of serviceman uh who delivers this, alright.
00:18:03.029 --> 00:18:07.910
So with this, this is my church by the way, uh behind uh behind over there in the back.
00:18:08.150 --> 00:18:16.309
So uh my church building was pretty old and had many of let's say uh irregular shapes, I don't know, holes or other things.
00:18:16.390 --> 00:18:21.349
Uh so it wasn't very a church, that building there, it's the other is it used for other purposes as well?
00:18:21.670 --> 00:18:24.309
Yes, so on this side here, that was my living quarters.
00:18:24.549 --> 00:18:28.150
Uh that was my room, um, bedroom, bathroom over there.
00:18:28.230 --> 00:18:32.069
So uh but yeah, this is this is whole uh old church on the side.
00:18:32.309 --> 00:18:40.950
So uh I had to repay attention to to deliveries because any delay uh could uh pipes to freeze and other problems, right?
00:18:41.269 --> 00:18:45.509
And the worst sound I can imagine, I have still like PTSD, okay?
00:18:45.670 --> 00:18:47.670
It's uh Toyo stove heater, okay?
00:18:47.750 --> 00:18:49.509
It's like peek, peek, peak, peek.
00:18:50.150 --> 00:18:51.670
It means that there is no heating oil.
00:18:51.990 --> 00:18:52.549
I'm done.
00:18:52.789 --> 00:18:53.349
Oh no.
00:18:53.910 --> 00:19:01.670
So uh I tried to really avoid that, and uh we got uh deliver us regularly every two weeks uh of 100 gallons of heating oil.
00:19:01.990 --> 00:19:06.630
So the it strikes me the structure of the church, obviously not like any churches here in New Jersey.
00:19:06.789 --> 00:19:10.390
Are there any that are built more in the traditional style?
00:19:10.549 --> 00:19:12.470
Like the maybe the cathedral, maybe in the city?
00:19:12.630 --> 00:19:12.869
Mm-hmm.
00:19:13.029 --> 00:19:13.430
In the city.
00:19:13.670 --> 00:19:13.910
Okay.
00:19:14.869 --> 00:19:17.910
But in the countryside of the towns, villages, I guess not really, right?
00:19:18.150 --> 00:19:26.869
Yeah, they look more like houses, like and you got to know the native uh language a a little bit, or or certainly got to know some of the native people.
00:19:27.430 --> 00:19:31.670
That would be ideal, but uh Yupik, uh Yupik language Yuchtun is very difficult.
00:19:31.990 --> 00:19:33.269
Oh there it is, you pick him though.
00:19:33.509 --> 00:19:41.349
Yeah, uh I was able to follow just the phonetics, uh how to read the text, right, without even understanding but how to read the phonetics uh of the text.
00:19:41.589 --> 00:19:44.630
Uh so I enjoyed singing with them uh a few songs.
00:19:44.710 --> 00:19:48.789
I actually got to know really well, so I can even sync to my memory.
00:19:48.950 --> 00:19:52.150
Uh but uh to speak Yuchtun, uh that's very, very difficult.
00:19:52.789 --> 00:19:55.109
How how long has the Catholic faith been in Alaska?
00:19:55.750 --> 00:20:00.230
It came with the Jesuits when um Alaska was actually Orthodox first.
00:20:00.470 --> 00:20:03.109
Oh yeah, that was first Christianity and then Jesuits.
00:20:03.670 --> 00:20:04.549
From Russia, would you say?
00:20:04.789 --> 00:20:05.029
Yeah, yeah.
00:20:05.269 --> 00:20:09.910
And then Jesuits brought uh Catholic faith um uh to to Alaska.
00:20:10.150 --> 00:20:14.869
And in my diocese, just right now, in the end of June, uh they finished their mission.
00:20:14.950 --> 00:20:17.029
Uh the two last Jesuits left.
00:20:17.589 --> 00:20:37.029
Uh so there is no more Jesuits uh in in my diocese uh so uh you finished your uh uh the theological studies uh in Poland but had that uh discerning um call to the missions, and someone told you there was a need for priests in Patterson, right?
00:20:37.109 --> 00:20:37.589
Thank God.
00:20:37.910 --> 00:20:42.309
And uh and uh um did you come directly to Patterson, right?
00:20:42.390 --> 00:20:43.109
From Poland, right?
00:20:43.349 --> 00:20:51.269
And then um uh did you um you would have spent some time, I guess, studying English and preparing for diaconate then, right?
00:20:51.430 --> 00:20:51.589
Mm-hmm.
00:20:51.829 --> 00:20:52.470
That was necessary.
00:20:53.589 --> 00:20:56.150
And what was your first parish experience here in the diocese?
00:20:56.390 --> 00:21:01.190
So that was when I was seminarian um East uh Saint Rose of Lima in Istanbul.
00:21:01.990 --> 00:21:03.509
Uh very Italian parish.
00:21:04.630 --> 00:21:09.910
I still have many friends over there, uh, and I go to to that to visit my friends uh pretty often.
00:21:10.230 --> 00:21:11.990
Italian food is a little different from Alaskan food.
00:21:12.309 --> 00:21:13.589
Yeah, oh yes, yeah, yeah.
00:21:13.990 --> 00:21:16.630
But that was more Italian style, European style.
00:21:17.029 --> 00:21:23.029
Uh then when I was deacon, I moved to Whippany, uh, and that was like more American like uh parish.
00:21:23.109 --> 00:21:25.269
Uh uh A Lady of Mercy in Whipany, right?
00:21:26.069 --> 00:21:29.029
And then um when you were ordained a priest, where was your first assignment?
00:21:29.349 --> 00:21:29.509
St.
00:21:29.589 --> 00:21:30.630
Patrick's in Chatham.
00:21:30.869 --> 00:21:34.390
Um were you already a hockey fan, or did was that Father Bob's doing?
00:21:36.470 --> 00:21:37.430
Oh, you're a hockey fan?
00:21:37.509 --> 00:21:37.670
Yes.
00:21:37.990 --> 00:21:38.710
I'd like to hear that.
00:21:38.869 --> 00:21:41.750
Uh you and Father Bob used to go to some devil games, right?
00:21:41.990 --> 00:21:42.230
Yeah, right.
00:21:43.029 --> 00:21:43.829
Yeah, that's what's happening.
00:21:44.069 --> 00:21:44.309
Oh yeah.
00:21:44.630 --> 00:21:45.829
And then um from St.
00:21:45.990 --> 00:21:49.750
Patrick's in Chatham to uh Our Lady of the Lake, right, right.
00:21:49.990 --> 00:21:54.150
And then um back to Chatham to the other parish in Chatham, Corpus Christi, right?
00:21:54.390 --> 00:21:54.789
Corpus Christi.
00:21:55.109 --> 00:22:04.869
Um so um uh and by the time you were in Corpus Christi, um that call to um uh they they talk about St.
00:22:05.029 --> 00:22:16.950
Patrick um when he was um enslaved in Ireland and escaped and got back to England, he felt the people um of the place he had been kind of calling him back to serve.
00:22:17.029 --> 00:22:30.230
Um and uh in some way uh you had been there a few summers and you discerned that uh the Lord might be inviting you to spend some uh be there for uh an experience on a longer basis.
00:22:30.309 --> 00:22:30.630
Is that right?
00:22:30.950 --> 00:22:31.910
Yes, yeah, exactly.
00:22:32.069 --> 00:22:32.390
Exactly.
00:22:32.630 --> 00:22:34.789
That was when I was in Chatham at Carpus Christi.
00:22:35.109 --> 00:22:38.069
Uh I came to you and I said that yeah, I I wish to go there.
00:22:38.230 --> 00:22:48.470
Yeah, so we had like a very nice Conversation and with God's blessing and your help, Your Excellency, I was able to go there and to experience this old missionary lifestyle.
00:22:48.710 --> 00:23:02.150
And you know, um in ministry and um uh in discerning the Lord's will and serving as priests, um especially as Daasin priests, um yes, there hopefully we all have some of that missionary spirit, right?
00:23:02.230 --> 00:23:08.390
Uh but that can take place in Alaska or it can take place in in Chatham or Spartan or Boonton, right?
00:23:08.470 --> 00:23:14.309
Uh uh and uh uh you said uh your experience in Alaska has helped you in terms of your own reflection on your priesthood, right?
00:23:14.549 --> 00:23:14.789
Oh yes.
00:23:15.190 --> 00:23:18.869
Um and now you're doing the your missionary work in Boonton, in St.
00:23:19.029 --> 00:23:20.230
Cyril Matodians, right?
00:23:20.470 --> 00:23:21.589
At the Polish church though, yes.
00:23:21.990 --> 00:23:23.349
Along with um uh St.
00:23:23.509 --> 00:23:27.190
Virgil's in uh in Morris Plains where you're living, right?
00:23:27.430 --> 00:23:27.670
Yes.
00:23:27.910 --> 00:23:31.829
Um so you're back um in the missions of Patterson, right?
00:23:32.150 --> 00:23:32.950
Yes, Your Excellency.
00:23:33.190 --> 00:23:42.869
And actually, yes, there are some things that uh like the skills I have learned in Alaska that I can implement uh here um either uh in Morris Plains or in Bunton.
00:23:43.029 --> 00:23:47.990
Uh but yes, that that was a very beneficial time for me, and uh it it will really reward me in the future.
00:23:48.150 --> 00:23:53.190
Wherever I'm going to be, um I will definitely have a little bit of Alaska in your heart, huh?
00:23:53.509 --> 00:23:55.029
Bishop, question for you.
00:23:55.190 --> 00:23:57.589
Um can you talk about the missionary spirit?
00:23:57.670 --> 00:24:02.710
Or or I mean uh so we have missionaries, some other missionaries in our diocese, and anywhere you want to go with that?
00:24:03.109 --> 00:24:12.869
Well, uh, you know, it really since the Second Vatican Council, there's been uh Pope Paul VI said the church exists to evangelize.
00:24:13.029 --> 00:24:21.990
So that were and and and that call from baptism to be um uh uh a call to holiness, but also to be missionary disciples, right?
00:24:22.069 --> 00:24:30.309
Jesus said, go to the ends of the earth and make uh disciples, baptize them, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, teach them and know that I'm with you till the end of the age.
00:24:30.390 --> 00:24:45.910
So and Pope Francis um was especially in his um uh maybe most important uh uh document, uh Evangeli Gaudium, the joy of the gospel, uh, was very focused on that call to be missionary disciples, wherever we are.
00:24:46.230 --> 00:24:52.069
Uh yeah, some have that call to leave home and culture and uh and what a blessing it can be.
00:24:52.230 --> 00:25:00.390
I shared um we um uh another missionary uh from Oklahoma to Guatemala, Father Stanley Rother.
00:25:00.710 --> 00:25:09.190
Uh there was a movie that just came out about him this week, and uh he's uh he's now been named a martyr, and he just needs a miracle to be canonized as a saint.
00:25:09.349 --> 00:25:11.509
He would be the first male born in the United States.
00:25:11.670 --> 00:25:15.750
There's uh a few candidates, Fulton Sheen, Father Michael McGivney, Father Rother.
00:25:15.910 --> 00:25:24.150
There might be one or two others that are on the path to sainthood, but uh so so far I'm pretty sure that no male uh born in the United States.
00:25:24.309 --> 00:25:29.190
There's been a few women born in the United States who have been uh canonized as saints, but apparently not a male yet.
00:25:29.269 --> 00:25:31.829
And uh so Father Stanley felt this call.
00:25:31.910 --> 00:25:46.470
Um, and uh in in writing about him, I shared, you know, my own experience going to the Dominican Republic or Mexico or um and then in Brooklyn and Queens, and now here in Patterson, you know, getting to know different cultures through language, but also through uh uh through culture.
00:25:46.630 --> 00:25:51.829
And so, yes, the the language was one thing, but you you got to hold know a whole other culture, right?
00:25:51.910 --> 00:25:54.549
And uh trying to share the faith in that culture.
00:25:54.630 --> 00:25:57.990
And it's I think it helps us see the the beauty of our Catholic faith.
00:25:58.869 --> 00:26:00.630
It's you it is universal, right?
00:26:00.710 --> 00:26:01.829
That word means universal.
00:26:01.910 --> 00:26:03.670
And so um there, right?
00:26:03.829 --> 00:26:06.630
Um uh beautiful picture, that's a good timing.
00:26:06.710 --> 00:26:08.630
Uh, because it's the same Easter vigil.
00:26:08.710 --> 00:26:16.150
Okay, the some of the aesthetics might be a little bit different, but uh it's the same celebration of the Paschal Mystery, right?
00:26:16.390 --> 00:26:17.109
Can we pause here?
00:26:17.269 --> 00:26:21.910
So the thing is that you see that there is a window and it's pretty bright outside, right?
00:26:22.150 --> 00:26:22.470
Yes.
00:26:22.710 --> 00:26:25.670
Uh we had this celebration in the evening, okay?
00:26:25.750 --> 00:26:27.829
Um, okay, so that was all right.
00:26:28.069 --> 00:26:34.710
But uh normally uh we would have to start after midnight to catch uh some of the darkness.
00:26:34.789 --> 00:26:35.109
Why?
00:26:35.269 --> 00:26:42.069
Because uh when the end of January comes, okay, February, March, it's getting brighter and brighter, and you know that there is midnight sun, right?
00:26:42.230 --> 00:26:44.869
So it starts usually around May time, right?
00:26:45.029 --> 00:26:50.309
So when the Easter is late in April, okay, it's already uh pretty bright at night.
00:26:50.470 --> 00:26:54.630
There usually it's uh some some darkness is usually about 1 a.m., 2 a.m.
00:26:54.869 --> 00:26:55.109
Okay.
00:26:55.509 --> 00:27:06.869
So for me, like last year, okay, last year we had uh Easter later, uh it was so like weird to celebrate Easter with some sunlight coming through, like outside.
00:27:07.029 --> 00:27:10.789
Like when you do the fire outside, and it's like uh it's so bright, right?
00:27:10.869 --> 00:27:16.630
So another aspect that um it would it was more cultural towards that uh region and the people over there.
00:27:16.789 --> 00:27:25.109
Uh so it might go for it goes from uh the shortest days where there's only five hours of daylight to um the longest days would be how many hours?
00:27:25.750 --> 00:27:26.710
Non-stop is light.
00:27:26.869 --> 00:27:36.069
So over there in Kotlik, uh I didn't see sun directly on the sky, but it was bright like yeah, it was much brighter than this what we see with the clouds.
00:27:36.230 --> 00:27:36.549
Right.
00:27:36.710 --> 00:27:45.269
Uh but yeah, going from Arctic Circle, that distance, geographical distance, um there is non-stop sun seen on the on the on the sky.
00:27:45.430 --> 00:27:54.390
So let's say in Barrow, Utkyavik, that's the last city in in Alaska, uh they see sun non-stop going on the sky non-stop, 24 hours uh per day.
00:27:54.950 --> 00:27:55.750
Yeah, for a few months.
00:27:56.069 --> 00:27:56.710
For a few months.
00:27:56.869 --> 00:27:57.029
Yeah.
00:27:57.190 --> 00:27:57.750
Yeah, wow.
00:27:58.309 --> 00:27:59.430
This is what's going on here.
00:28:00.470 --> 00:28:01.190
The convocation, okay.
00:28:02.549 --> 00:28:06.470
Any anything you can uh I think I asked you this last time, or we asked you this last time.
00:28:06.549 --> 00:28:16.549
Um, lessons learned from Alaska during your time that you could bring back to New Jersey for either for your yourself you alluded to, but uh maybe others as well.
00:28:16.789 --> 00:28:19.109
Something uh to learn.
00:28:19.990 --> 00:28:31.430
Definitely time in isolation is uh really good uh because we live in uh this chaos of today's world, nonstop with our cell phones, media, multimedia and everything, right?
00:28:31.910 --> 00:28:44.950
Uh and it's sometimes really good uh to stop a bit uh and to really listen to our interior, our hearts and minds, uh, and to rely more on God, uh to listen to what God wants to say to us.
00:28:45.269 --> 00:28:49.029
Uh so this is what I would say to everyone who are watching right now.
00:28:49.109 --> 00:28:56.630
Um sometimes really to pause to find that time of retreat and quietness is really really important.
00:28:57.029 --> 00:28:57.670
Yeah.
00:28:59.269 --> 00:29:00.950
What else do you want to tell us about?
00:29:01.829 --> 00:29:02.549
You had some fun.
00:29:02.950 --> 00:29:04.710
I learned how to survive.
00:29:06.710 --> 00:29:15.430
Uh I realized uh this is uh this is crazy, but many times I saw people actually carrying eggs, having normal chicken eggs on those planes like that.
00:29:15.509 --> 00:29:21.829
Okay, so they were um transporting eggs uh from Bethel, uh from that bigger city to their villages.
00:29:21.990 --> 00:29:22.309
Why?
00:29:22.470 --> 00:29:26.230
Because many times we didn't see eggs in the stores, local stores.
00:29:26.390 --> 00:29:29.349
Our stole stores in the villages were poorly supplied.
00:29:29.430 --> 00:29:36.230
Uh and I believe that uh in my village uh I saw chicken eggs only three times in the course of two years.
00:29:36.470 --> 00:29:36.869
Wow.
00:29:37.029 --> 00:29:44.309
Uh because it's also poor business for manager of every store in the villages uh to order eggs uh if they they come broken, right?
00:29:44.470 --> 00:29:56.309
So many times they don't order eggs uh or they have difficulties with um transportation or um you know good conditions because everything is as you see, right, is um very primitive.
00:29:56.390 --> 00:29:59.589
Uh when we saw the ice fishing, you said you needed it to survive.
00:29:59.670 --> 00:30:02.470
Uh was that half-choking or was there some truth to that?
00:30:02.710 --> 00:30:08.710
So I re because now that you're talking, I remember uh that your the diet was a struggle, right?
00:30:09.750 --> 00:30:10.710
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:30:10.869 --> 00:30:13.829
So uh I was actually uh eating a lot of the fish.
00:30:13.990 --> 00:30:20.630
Last year I went with my uh neighbor uh Paul Hunt uh and his family uh for fishing regularly.
00:30:20.789 --> 00:30:25.349
So I filled my freezer with fish and I ate for three months non-stop fish.
00:30:25.509 --> 00:30:29.750
Wow to save also some money because the products in the voters are very expensive.
00:30:29.829 --> 00:30:32.950
Uh but uh having this abundance of fish, I ate only fish.
00:30:33.509 --> 00:30:35.109
And you caught you caught all those fish yourself?
00:30:35.349 --> 00:30:36.789
Yeah, yeah, but we had fishing nets.
00:30:37.029 --> 00:30:38.470
What kind of fish?
00:30:38.710 --> 00:30:43.990
Uh different kinds, uh, and white fish, different kinds, salmon with King Salmon my favorite.
00:30:44.230 --> 00:30:44.630
I love it.
00:30:45.109 --> 00:30:45.430
I love it.
00:30:45.750 --> 00:30:49.509
Uh she fish, uh, all those different that swim in the rivers.
00:30:49.829 --> 00:30:50.950
Did you bring some back for us?
00:30:51.990 --> 00:30:53.109
No, I ate all of them.
00:30:53.589 --> 00:30:55.750
Have you eaten much fish since you returned?
00:30:55.910 --> 00:30:57.509
Uh not so much, maybe once.
00:30:59.269 --> 00:31:02.869
Um, but I I really want to eat steaks, not some other meat.
00:31:03.349 --> 00:31:04.710
Not a lot of steak in Alaska.
00:31:05.589 --> 00:31:06.549
But they have moose.
00:31:06.789 --> 00:31:11.670
Uh they actually can really uh someone gave me some moose meat uh that eat.
00:31:13.190 --> 00:31:14.309
So it's very unique.
00:31:14.710 --> 00:31:17.670
The most unique is actually seal meat.
00:31:17.910 --> 00:31:18.309
Oh boy.
00:31:18.549 --> 00:31:19.109
From seal.
00:31:19.430 --> 00:31:22.230
Uh it tastes a bit like chicken.
00:31:22.390 --> 00:31:27.349
Uh no, actually like like drugs, like anti bio antibiotics or something like that.
00:31:27.509 --> 00:31:29.430
It's really not really tasty.
00:31:29.750 --> 00:31:36.869
So you have to eat this with something, uh, usually with some pastries or in some stool like um form because uh you have to kill the taste.
00:31:37.190 --> 00:31:38.710
I guess protein is protein if you need it.
00:31:38.869 --> 00:31:41.670
Yeah, it's full of iron, uh a lot of the iron over there.
00:31:41.750 --> 00:31:45.509
So uh but it's it's really good like for survival there in that climate.
00:31:45.750 --> 00:31:46.869
Wow, seal meat.
00:31:47.349 --> 00:31:49.190
Do they do they eat a lot of seal meat?
00:31:49.509 --> 00:31:49.910
They do.
00:31:50.069 --> 00:31:51.589
Yeah, they they hunt for seal.
00:31:51.910 --> 00:31:54.950
Um yeah, so there are a lot of seal around?
00:31:55.349 --> 00:31:57.509
Yeah, in those uh open waters over there, yeah.
00:31:57.589 --> 00:31:58.710
They have plenty of those.
00:31:59.509 --> 00:32:02.069
So what what's next for Father Camille?
00:32:02.549 --> 00:32:09.109
I'm staying in our diocese, I'm enjoying the moment, and I'm focused on uh ministering in Bunton at the Polish community.
00:32:09.349 --> 00:32:10.069
Okay over there.
00:32:10.309 --> 00:32:10.789
Yes, yes, St.
00:32:10.950 --> 00:32:12.549
Cyril Lemotholius, yes.
00:32:13.029 --> 00:32:20.710
Um so um um we'll have to get you um at some point to speak to our seminarians, right?
00:32:20.789 --> 00:32:36.710
Because uh uh it's it's uh uh part of our formation um to learn about different um experiences of priesthood and um when we're only in maybe in our comfort zone, yes, that can be challenging in itself.
00:32:36.950 --> 00:32:47.349
Um but it can be a blessing and a growing experience uh to allow the Lord to lead us uh to some place where we may not be familiar, right?
00:32:47.509 --> 00:32:52.309
And uh and uh um it can be helpful for guys as they discern the call.
00:32:52.630 --> 00:32:53.430
Yeah, oh yes.
00:32:53.910 --> 00:32:59.109
If I can be of any help uh and give some knowledge to those seminars, I will definitely do that.
00:32:59.190 --> 00:32:59.829
Yeah, that's great.
00:32:59.990 --> 00:33:00.549
That's great.
00:33:01.029 --> 00:33:04.789
Um well Father Camille, thank you so much for being with us.
00:33:04.950 --> 00:33:14.150
Uh uh, we're grateful that uh you know you had that um willingness and generosity to respond to the Lord's call and give yourself.
00:33:14.230 --> 00:33:18.230
I know Father, as I said, Bishop Stephen was very, very grateful for your time there.
00:33:18.309 --> 00:33:23.509
Um and we're also glad that the Lord led you back here to the missions in in Patterson.
00:33:23.589 --> 00:33:30.069
So um we'll keep you in our prayers and uh um we'll see where how and where the Lord leads us uh going forward.
00:33:30.150 --> 00:33:31.670
But but thanks so much for sharing with us.
00:33:32.150 --> 00:33:35.910
Yeah, big big welcome back, and uh we see you in here around more, hopefully.
00:33:36.150 --> 00:33:39.589
Um before we wrap up, Bishop, um what are you what are you reading?
00:33:39.670 --> 00:33:40.470
What are you listening to?
00:33:40.630 --> 00:33:53.029
What's oh boy, um I listen I um I listened to a wonderful book, um uh The Life You Save May Be Your Own, um by Paul Ellie, I believe.
00:33:53.190 --> 00:34:06.150
Um it's uh a kind of a simultaneous biography of uh Flannery O'Connor, Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton, and Walker Percy, uh philosophical writer and novelist.
00:34:06.230 --> 00:34:14.550
Um and uh um I think I started it before retreat, continued it on retreat, and finished it uh afterwards.
00:34:14.630 --> 00:34:17.510
Um uh been a big fan of Dorothy Day.
00:34:17.590 --> 00:34:19.670
Um New York connection, I guess.
00:34:20.069 --> 00:34:22.869
Yes, right, and uh some Brooklyn connection as well.
00:34:23.109 --> 00:34:29.029
And um but uh you know I was familiar with Florida Flannery O'Connor a little bit.
00:34:29.190 --> 00:34:31.430
She's um an acquired taste, I think.
00:34:31.750 --> 00:34:35.190
But uh one of the great Catholic writers, uh very funny.
00:34:35.590 --> 00:34:37.670
I didn't realize she was as sarcastic.
00:34:37.750 --> 00:34:49.349
She's the one that um credited, I believe, with the line at some fancy dinner with some uh upscale uh ladies, maybe, and uh Catholics, and uh or maybe some weren't Catholic.
00:34:49.429 --> 00:34:58.630
Uh in the course of the dinner conversation, she said they were talking about the Eucharist and uh being a symbol, and uh Florida O'Connor said, Well, if it's only the symbol to hell with it.
00:34:59.030 --> 00:35:00.789
So uh famous line, yeah.
00:35:01.030 --> 00:35:01.269
Yes.
00:35:01.349 --> 00:35:09.269
Um and um and uh again, I'm familiar with Thomas Merton, but um wow, he was very prolific and uh and so popular in his time.
00:35:09.429 --> 00:35:16.389
Um and um and then Walker Percy, uh the philosophy teacher, Father Robert Lawrence, one of my favorite teachers in in St.
00:35:16.550 --> 00:35:18.550
John's University, was a big fan of Walker Percy.
00:35:18.710 --> 00:35:19.750
So uh never heard of that.
00:35:19.909 --> 00:35:20.230
That was great.
00:35:20.550 --> 00:35:20.789
Yeah, yeah.
00:35:21.110 --> 00:35:23.110
Yeah, Thomas Merton can be a little deep.
00:35:23.269 --> 00:35:25.510
Uh I'm attempting to read a bit of Thomas Merton.
00:35:25.829 --> 00:35:28.070
Yeah, I tried the Seven Story Mountain a couple of times.
00:35:28.150 --> 00:35:28.230
Yeah.
00:35:28.469 --> 00:35:30.070
And uh didn't get all that far.
00:35:30.150 --> 00:35:38.469
But uh, as opposed to in the seminary, I read Dorothy Day's uh The Long Loneliness, her her um autobiography and spiritual memoir.
00:35:38.550 --> 00:35:41.909
Um yeah, um she's she's she's she's amazing.
00:35:42.070 --> 00:36:12.150
Uh and and how popular she was in her time and the Catholic worker movement, you know, uh she's she there was some struggle in her older years when younger volunteers would come and she uh wasn't so uh crazy about the way culture and young people were going in the 1960s and early 70s, and uh she let it be known that she wasn't uh but uh but they came because they were inspired and you know to serve in the Catholic worker and then Catholic worker homes opened up all across the United States, and some are still going.
00:36:12.309 --> 00:36:16.230
So um, yeah, that was that was uh a good read.
00:36:16.869 --> 00:36:17.110
Great.
00:36:17.269 --> 00:36:17.989
Well, there you go.
00:36:18.070 --> 00:36:19.269
Some great recommendations, so thank you.
00:36:19.590 --> 00:36:32.869
I wanted to mention I uh in August the 5th I did a final profession, Solemn Vows for uh uh Salesian sister um at um Mary Helping Christians Heldon.
00:36:33.349 --> 00:36:44.869
In August 14th, I celebrated a final profession for Sister Chiara Marie, uh, who's uh uh a faculty member at Divine Mercy Academy in Rockaway and uh has been serving there for a number of years.
00:36:44.949 --> 00:36:50.070
She made her solemn vows with the sisters of Christian charity um at their motherhouse in Mendem.
00:36:50.469 --> 00:37:00.710
And um in uh September I'll be celebrating uh a mass for a Carmelite sister in Morristown who's be making her solemn vows.
00:37:00.869 --> 00:37:05.110
Um and uh we might have more to come about the Carmelite Monastery celebrating its hundredth anniversary.
00:37:05.429 --> 00:37:15.349
We will as we pray for vocations, yes, to priesthood, but also to consecrated religious life, and it's great to see in in about a month three sisters making solemn professions.
00:37:15.429 --> 00:37:18.230
So uh uh keep praying for vocations.
00:37:18.550 --> 00:37:21.349
All right, well, thanks again, Father Camille.
00:37:21.510 --> 00:37:24.389
Thanks, Bishop, and thank you all for joining us.
00:37:24.550 --> 00:37:27.349
Please subscribe, comment, and leave a positive rating.
00:37:27.510 --> 00:37:32.230
Get to know us better by following Bishop Kevin's Instagram and beyond the beacon on social media.
00:37:32.389 --> 00:37:41.429
Read the bishop's weekly column on beaconnj.org and get in touch if you have a question for the bishop or a podcast topic idea and discover our other podcasts.
00:37:41.750 --> 00:37:42.469
Thanks, everybody.
00:37:42.630 --> 00:37:43.110
God bless.
00:37:43.269 --> 00:37:44.389
See you next time.
