Vocations, voting and building virtuous community with Bishop Kevin Sweeney

This week on a live recording of  “Jesuitical,” Zac and Ashley
chat with Bishop Kevin Sweeney, the eighth bishop of the Diocese of
Paterson, N.J. (and a “Jesuitical” superfan!), about his spiritual
journey as a young priest on Sept. 11, 2001, and his transition to
becoming a bishop during the Covid-19 pandemic. Bishop Sweeney
cites his knowledge gained in hard times as the catalyst for his
pastoral approach to fostering community in an evolving church.
They discuss:  - Bishop Sweeney’s own vocational journey, from
considering professional baseball to embracing the priesthood and,
later, the episcopacy. - How modern vocations of both men and women
emphasize the radical Gospel call to co-responsibility among the
laity in the life of the church. - Tangible ways that the church
can help navigate the upcoming U.S. presidential election with a
spirit of unity and respect. In Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley
discuss Pope Francis’ recent advice to Catholics voting in the 2024
U.S. presidential election, where he called both major candidates
“against life” and framed the election as a vote for the “lesser
evil”; and curious stories about incorruptibility—the divine
intervention that allows the bodies of certain saints to completely
or partially avoid decomposition after death as a sign of their
holiness. Links from the show:  I was a young New York priest
on 9/11. The lessons of that day stay with me as a bishop. Beyond
The Beacon Podcast  Pope Francis: Trump and Harris are ‘both
against life’ but Catholics must vote and choose ‘lesser evil’
Nun’s incorruptible remains highlight rich heritage of Black
Catholics in U.S., say experts Carmelites find St. Teresa of
Ávila’s body still incorrupt over 400 years after her death Become
a Jesuitical Patron and get access to the recording of an exclusive
synod Zoom event with James Martin, S.J., held on Thursday, Sept.
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