Seminarians highlight faith and calling during first Media Day #Catholic – 
On a recent podcast, Brian Collins, 24, a seminarian of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., demystified life in the seminary while studying for the priesthood.
“We spend lots of time studying the faith and praying individually and together, but we also have friends inside and outside the seminary, play video games and watch movies like regular young men,” said Collins, ready to start first-year philosophy studies at Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange, N.J.
On Aug. 14 afternoon, Collins and Michael Kane, another diocesan seminarian, appeared on a special remote episode of Beyond the Beacon, a podcast co-hosted by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney. They talked about priestly vocations and the seminary with Jai Agnish, the podcast’s co-host and diocesan communications director, at St. Paul Inside the Walls in Madison, N.J. The episode was part of the diocese’s inaugural Seminarian Media Day event.
St. Paul’s was a beehive of activity for the Media Day. The event gave the 12 diocesan seminarians there the opportunity, with great wit and charm, to share their engaging stories about how God called them to the priesthood, their faith journeys so far, interests, and their lives in the seminary.
This content will be posted in the coming months on digital platforms where young people consume information, such as podcasts, social media, and print news, to help make them aware of the possibility of a priestly vocation. In September, the diocesan Vocations Office will launch an Instagram account dedicated to vocations, which will use much of this lively material.
“For Media Day, it was good to hear the voices from the faces of seminarians on vocations posters. Maybe our stories will encourage other men to enter the seminary,” Collins said. The podcast also included interviews with seminarians Eric Hasenbein and Sean Gallagher.
The Media Day was a collaboration by the diocesan Vocations Office, the Communications Office, and St. Paul Inside the Walls, the diocesan evangelization center. The event also highlighted the seminarians’ varied ages, backgrounds, and personalities.
“In today’s world, many young people exploring a vocation will first look online for information and inspiration,” said Father Charles Lana, diocesan vocations director. “We want to engage people where they are and provide them with resources that can help them hear and respond to God’s call. One of the best ways we can promote vocations is by featuring our seminarians, who are living witnesses to what it means to answer God’s call,” he said.
Before co-hosting the podcast, Bishop Sweeney joined the seminarians for Mass in St. Paul’s chapel. Among the congregants were Salesian Sister Theresa Lee, diocesan chancellor, and diocesan staff who work at the center.
“Let the lives of the saints inspire us —from bishops and religious sisters to those living the vocation of marriage, parents, grandparents, and those living the single life. We’re all sharing baptismal vocations that baptismal call to holiness,” Bishop Sweeney said in his Mass introduction.
The men featured in the digital content range from the start of seminary studies, called the propaedeutic year, to the diaconal year — the final step before being ordained a priest. In the afternoon, they each participated in one of three “content stations”: appearing on the podcast, making a short video, or sitting for an interview for a print news story.
“The seminarians’ participation is also helping them become agents of the New Evangelization. Future priests need to be able to communicate the truths of the faith not only from the pulpit, but also through the modern means of communication that people use every day,” Father Lana said. “Media Day is one small step toward helping our seminarians grow in confidence as public leaders, communicators, and messengers of the Gospel,” he said.
With her cellphone, Cecile Pagliarulo, digital media specialist and a co-host of Beyond the Beacon, captured stories and insight from seminarians Jean- Baptiste Mollet, John Peter Zappe, David Marin, and Brian Reilly in English and Deacon Carlos Vargas in Spanish.
Pagliarulo asked the seminarians specific questions that will be used in several videos on vocations- or priest-themed observances, such as Priesthood Sunday, National Vocations Awareness Week, and World Day of Prayer for Vocations.
“I enjoyed meeting each of the seminarians — young men committed to learning and studying about the priesthood in hopes that they will become priests for future generations of Catholics. A common theme in asking them about vocations was that we are all called to holiness,” Pagliarulo said.
Meanwhile, Michael Wojcik, managing editor of BeaconNJ.org, camped out in a classroom at the center to interview seminarians James Burke and Mark Tosso about their vocation stories in English. In another classroom, Yoel Gonzalez, a Spanish-language writer for BeaconNJ.org, interviewed seminarian Jairo Jaramillo in Spanish.
Mary Drasheff, communications coordinator at St. Paul Inside the Walls, and Joseph Ginexi, digital media specialist at St. Paul Inside the Walls, also participated in Media Day, conducting video interviews with seminarians and assisting with setting up the podcast space.
“The Media Day was upbeat. It gave us seminarians a sense of brotherhood, encouraging one another, before we go back to school. There was great care and guidance, especially from more experienced seminarians, priests and Bishop Sweeney,” Tosso said.
Then, each seminarian posed for portraits outside on St. Paul’s front porch, taken by Joe Gigli, a freelance photographer for the diocese. Then the men continued the fellowship they started at lunch.
Catalina Zempoalteca, Vocations Office coordinator, organized the Media Day with Father Lana and the other collaborating offices in the diocese. She called the first-ever Media Day “a success.”
“All our 12 seminarians have unique and beautiful vocation stories that should be shared for other men to know that God is capable of moving in their lives towards the vocation that he is calling them to live out. In our case, we hope these stories inspire more men to discern the priesthood,” Zempoalteca said. “The journey of discerning one’s vocation is a love story unraveled by God. I’m blessed to witness this working in the Vocations Office and in helping it be shared through the content created on Media Day,” she said.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI & JESSICA MARTINEZ
– On a recent podcast, Brian Collins, 24, a seminarian of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., demystified life in the seminary while studying for the priesthood. “We spend lots of time studying the faith and praying individually and together, but we also have friends inside and outside the seminary, play video games and watch movies like regular young men,” said Collins, ready to start first-year philosophy studies at Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange, N.J. On Aug. 14 afternoon, Collins and Michael Kane, another diocesan seminarian, appeared on a special remote episode of Beyond the Beacon, a podcast co-hosted by Bishop Kevin
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![Bishop celebrates Jubilee Year of St. Francis with Mass #Catholic – Dominick Cortellessa said it was a moving experience. He wasn’t alone in that feeling as his church honored its namesake on a landmark feast day.
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney joined about 10 seminarians and pews filled with pilgrims at St. Francis of Assisi Church in the Haskell neighborhood of Wanaque, N.J., on Aug. 29 to celebrate the Year of St. Francis. They gathered for a Mass to mark 800 years since the Transitus of St. Francis — when he died and went to God.
“It was a very warm, wonderful feeling that God was with us,” said Cortellessa, a 20-year parishioner of St. Francis who is a lector and extraordinary minister of the Eucharist.
The Mass came at a near-center of the Jubilee Year of St. Francis, which Pope Leo XIV declared in a decree on Jan. 10. It honors one of the most well-known saints, one who lived in 11th- and 12th-century Italy. He dedicated his life to under-resourced people, to protecting and promoting God’s creation, and to starting the Franciscan spirituality that has spawned countless religious orders. The late Pope Francis chose his papal name partly because of St. Francis of Assisi, along with St. Francis Xavier.
“My sisters and brothers, thank you for your ‘yes’ for being here today,” Bishop Sweeney said to the pilgrims who came to the Mass that Saturday.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Pope Leo XIV’s decree allows Catholics to receive plenary indulgences if they make a pilgrimage to parishes connected to St. Francis of Assisi. Indulgences offer special pardons from temporal punishment after Catholics experience the Sacrament of Confession.
St. Francis of Assisi in Wanaque is one of five parishes in the diocese that Bishop Sweeney declared on April 29 as locations where people can receive plenary indulgences. The others are St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Butler, N.J., St. Clare Parish in Clifton, N.J., St. John Kanty Parish in the Athenia neighborhood of Clifton, and St. Mary’s Parish in Pompton Lakes, N.J.
“I’m so grateful, Father Greg [Golba, the pastor of St. Francis], for this opportunity. I am grateful the seminarians are here. What a blessing to be here together today to celebrate this Mass in honor of our patron,” Bishop Sweeney said at the Mass at St. Francis.
Bishop Sweeney offered the decree of Pope Leo XIV during his homily, illuminating St. Francis’ life and encouraging those in attendance to mirror his saintly path.
“‘Hold fast to the memory of our father and brother Francis, for the praise and glory of him who made him great among us, and glorified him in the sight of the angels. Pray for him as he once asked us, and pray to him that God may make us sharers with him of his holy grace,’” Bishop Sweeney said, quoting Brother Elias, an early follower of St. Francis, in a letter to the Franciscan Order of Friars Minor, which St. Francis started.
Bishop Sweeney also cited the Gospel reading of the day from St. Matthew, relating St. Francis’s simplicity to how Jesus gives wisdom.
“Jesus gives thanks to the Father because he is revealed, not to the wise and the learned but to the simple, the truths of the kingdom of heaven, and perhaps no one better than St. Francis,” Bishop Sweeney said.
After the Mass, Father Golba said, “We were so happy having our bishop. We knew from the beginning that it would be something special for us, because we’re the one parish in the diocese with that title of saint with our patron.”
Father Golba said the Mass was a powerful reminder of St. Francis’ life calling, one he personally encountered on his pilgrimage to experience St. Francis’ life. He saw similarities between his time in St. Francis’ holy places and the Mass the bishop celebrated with him.
“Years ago as a young priest, I went to Assisi. When I was in the Basilica of Saint Francis, it was a similar experience,” he said. “This time, the beating of my heart was stronger, like I was in Assisi.”
Bishop Sweeney urged the pilgrims in attendance to live lives that emulate the compassion and dedication to the Lord that St. Francis’s life showcased.
“Spend time in prayer, pious meditation, and raise prayers to God so that following the example of St. Francis, feelings of Christian charity towards their neighbors and authentic vows of harmony and peace, among all peoples, may spring forth in their hearts, in our hearts,” said Bishop Sweeney, quoting Pope Leo XIV.
Bishop Sweeney will return to St. Francis of Assisi Parish on Oct. 4 for Confirmations and a further celebration of the Jubilee Year of St. Francis.
Click here for a list of Masses and confessions at pilgrimage sites in the Diocese of Paterson for the Year of St. Francis.
BEACON PHOTOS | MATTHEW GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/bishop-celebrates-jubilee-year-of-st-francis-with-mass-catholic-dominick-cortellessa-said-it-was-a-moving-experience-he-wasnt-alone-in-that-feeling-as-his-church-honored-its-namesake-on.jpg "Bishop celebrates Jubilee Year of St. Francis with Mass #Catholic – Dominick Cortellessa said it was a moving experience. He wasn’t alone in that feeling as his church honored its namesake on a landmark feast day.
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney joined about 10 seminarians and pews filled with pilgrims at St. Francis of Assisi Church in the Haskell neighborhood of Wanaque, N.J., on Aug. 29 to celebrate the Year of St. Francis. They gathered for a Mass to mark 800 years since the Transitus of St. Francis — when he died and went to God.
“It was a very warm, wonderful feeling that God was with us,” said Cortellessa, a 20-year parishioner of St. Francis who is a lector and extraordinary minister of the Eucharist.
The Mass came at a near-center of the Jubilee Year of St. Francis, which Pope Leo XIV declared in a decree on Jan. 10. It honors one of the most well-known saints, one who lived in 11th- and 12th-century Italy. He dedicated his life to under-resourced people, to protecting and promoting God’s creation, and to starting the Franciscan spirituality that has spawned countless religious orders. The late Pope Francis chose his papal name partly because of St. Francis of Assisi, along with St. Francis Xavier.
“My sisters and brothers, thank you for your ‘yes’ for being here today,” Bishop Sweeney said to the pilgrims who came to the Mass that Saturday.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Pope Leo XIV’s decree allows Catholics to receive plenary indulgences if they make a pilgrimage to parishes connected to St. Francis of Assisi. Indulgences offer special pardons from temporal punishment after Catholics experience the Sacrament of Confession.
St. Francis of Assisi in Wanaque is one of five parishes in the diocese that Bishop Sweeney declared on April 29 as locations where people can receive plenary indulgences. The others are St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Butler, N.J., St. Clare Parish in Clifton, N.J., St. John Kanty Parish in the Athenia neighborhood of Clifton, and St. Mary’s Parish in Pompton Lakes, N.J.
“I’m so grateful, Father Greg [Golba, the pastor of St. Francis], for this opportunity. I am grateful the seminarians are here. What a blessing to be here together today to celebrate this Mass in honor of our patron,” Bishop Sweeney said at the Mass at St. Francis.
Bishop Sweeney offered the decree of Pope Leo XIV during his homily, illuminating St. Francis’ life and encouraging those in attendance to mirror his saintly path.
“‘Hold fast to the memory of our father and brother Francis, for the praise and glory of him who made him great among us, and glorified him in the sight of the angels. Pray for him as he once asked us, and pray to him that God may make us sharers with him of his holy grace,’” Bishop Sweeney said, quoting Brother Elias, an early follower of St. Francis, in a letter to the Franciscan Order of Friars Minor, which St. Francis started.
Bishop Sweeney also cited the Gospel reading of the day from St. Matthew, relating St. Francis’s simplicity to how Jesus gives wisdom.
“Jesus gives thanks to the Father because he is revealed, not to the wise and the learned but to the simple, the truths of the kingdom of heaven, and perhaps no one better than St. Francis,” Bishop Sweeney said.
After the Mass, Father Golba said, “We were so happy having our bishop. We knew from the beginning that it would be something special for us, because we’re the one parish in the diocese with that title of saint with our patron.”
Father Golba said the Mass was a powerful reminder of St. Francis’ life calling, one he personally encountered on his pilgrimage to experience St. Francis’ life. He saw similarities between his time in St. Francis’ holy places and the Mass the bishop celebrated with him.
“Years ago as a young priest, I went to Assisi. When I was in the Basilica of Saint Francis, it was a similar experience,” he said. “This time, the beating of my heart was stronger, like I was in Assisi.”
Bishop Sweeney urged the pilgrims in attendance to live lives that emulate the compassion and dedication to the Lord that St. Francis’s life showcased.
“Spend time in prayer, pious meditation, and raise prayers to God so that following the example of St. Francis, feelings of Christian charity towards their neighbors and authentic vows of harmony and peace, among all peoples, may spring forth in their hearts, in our hearts,” said Bishop Sweeney, quoting Pope Leo XIV.
Bishop Sweeney will return to St. Francis of Assisi Parish on Oct. 4 for Confirmations and a further celebration of the Jubilee Year of St. Francis.
Click here for a list of Masses and confessions at pilgrimage sites in the Diocese of Paterson for the Year of St. Francis.
BEACON PHOTOS | MATTHEW GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]")
![Paterson parish remembers ministry of beloved late pastor #Catholic – On the evening of Aug. 27, faithful from St. Stephen Parish in Paterson, N.J., and beyond remembered the life and ministry of Father Rafael A. Ciro, beloved former pastor of St. Stephen’s, on the first anniversary of his death, during a Memorial Mass celebrated by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney.
On Aug. 27, 2025, Father Ciro died by suicide, leaving his family, friends, and faithful around the Paterson Diocese, N.J., and beyond shocked and heartbroken, especially in the Hispanic community he served. He was 45.
Father Diego F. Monsalve, administrator of St. Stephen’s, joined many priests, including some of Father Ciro’s friends, in concelebrating the Mass with Bishop Sweeney.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
The Colombian-born Father Ciro was ordained to the diocesan priesthood on May 25, 2013, at St. Philip the Apostle Parish in Clifton, N.J., by Bishop Emeritus Arthur J. Serratelli.
Following his ordination, Father Ciro served the parish communities of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., St. Mary’s Assumption Parish in Passaic, N.J., St. Nicholas Parish, also in Passaic, and Sacred Heart and Holy Rosary Parish in Dover, N.J., before being appointed pastor of St. Stephen in Paterson, where he served at the time of his passing.
Father Ciro was born on Oct. 29, 1979, in Colombia to the late Rafael Angel Ciro-Rios and Aura Elena Guarín. He completed philosophy studies for the priesthood in Colombia. He continued his theological studies at Universidad Intercontinental in Mexico City (2007–2009), the former Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Conn. (2011–2012), and Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md. (2012–2013).
Before joining the Paterson Diocese as a seminarian in January 2011, Father Ciro dedicated nearly three years to missionary work in Medellín and another three years in Mexico City, serving in some of the most impoverished communities. He also ministered to Hispanic migrants in Alabama and New Jersey.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/paterson-parish-remembers-ministry-of-beloved-late-pastor-catholic-on-the-evening-of-aug-27-faithful-from-st-stephen-parish-in-paterson-n-j-and-beyond-remembered-the-life-and-ministry-of-fath.jpg "Paterson parish remembers ministry of beloved late pastor #Catholic – On the evening of Aug. 27, faithful from St. Stephen Parish in Paterson, N.J., and beyond remembered the life and ministry of Father Rafael A. Ciro, beloved former pastor of St. Stephen’s, on the first anniversary of his death, during a Memorial Mass celebrated by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney.
On Aug. 27, 2025, Father Ciro died by suicide, leaving his family, friends, and faithful around the Paterson Diocese, N.J., and beyond shocked and heartbroken, especially in the Hispanic community he served. He was 45.
Father Diego F. Monsalve, administrator of St. Stephen’s, joined many priests, including some of Father Ciro’s friends, in concelebrating the Mass with Bishop Sweeney.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
The Colombian-born Father Ciro was ordained to the diocesan priesthood on May 25, 2013, at St. Philip the Apostle Parish in Clifton, N.J., by Bishop Emeritus Arthur J. Serratelli.
Following his ordination, Father Ciro served the parish communities of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., St. Mary’s Assumption Parish in Passaic, N.J., St. Nicholas Parish, also in Passaic, and Sacred Heart and Holy Rosary Parish in Dover, N.J., before being appointed pastor of St. Stephen in Paterson, where he served at the time of his passing.
Father Ciro was born on Oct. 29, 1979, in Colombia to the late Rafael Angel Ciro-Rios and Aura Elena Guarín. He completed philosophy studies for the priesthood in Colombia. He continued his theological studies at Universidad Intercontinental in Mexico City (2007–2009), the former Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Conn. (2011–2012), and Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md. (2012–2013).
Before joining the Paterson Diocese as a seminarian in January 2011, Father Ciro dedicated nearly three years to missionary work in Medellín and another three years in Mexico City, serving in some of the most impoverished communities. He also ministered to Hispanic migrants in Alabama and New Jersey.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]")
![Beyond The Beacon podcast 116: Breaking down myths and what seminary life is really like #Catholic –
Are you discerning the priesthood? Or want to learn more about what seminary life is all about? Four current seminarians for the Diocese of Paterson join the podcast to share their experience inside and outside the classroom. Joining Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish are seminarians Michael Kane, Brian Collins, Eric Hasenbein, and Sean Gallagher. This episode was produced in collaboration with the Office of Vocations as part of Seminarian Media Day and was recorded at St. Paul Inside the Walls in Madison, N.J.
Listen to the episode here, or on any major podcast platform, or watch it on Bishop Sweeney’s YouTube channel.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/beyond-the-beacon-podcast-116-breaking-down-myths-and-what-seminary-life-is-really-like-catholic-are-you-discerning-the-priesthood-or-want-to-learn-more-about-what-seminary-life-is-all-about-f.jpg "Beyond The Beacon podcast 116: Breaking down myths and what seminary life is really like #Catholic –
Are you discerning the priesthood? Or want to learn more about what seminary life is all about? Four current seminarians for the Diocese of Paterson join the podcast to share their experience inside and outside the classroom. Joining Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish are seminarians Michael Kane, Brian Collins, Eric Hasenbein, and Sean Gallagher. This episode was produced in collaboration with the Office of Vocations as part of Seminarian Media Day and was recorded at St. Paul Inside the Walls in Madison, N.J.
Listen to the episode here, or on any major podcast platform, or watch it on Bishop Sweeney’s YouTube channel.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter."){kind=tracking}
![Seminarians highlight faith and calling during first Media Day #Catholic – On a recent podcast, Brian Collins, 24, a seminarian of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., demystified life in the seminary while studying for the priesthood.
“We spend lots of time studying the faith and praying individually and together, but we also have friends inside and outside the seminary, play video games and watch movies like regular young men,” said Collins, ready to start first-year philosophy studies at Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange, N.J.
On Aug. 14 afternoon, Collins and Michael Kane, another diocesan seminarian, appeared on a special remote episode of Beyond the Beacon, a podcast co-hosted by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney. They talked about priestly vocations and the seminary with Jai Agnish, the podcast’s co-host and diocesan communications director, at St. Paul Inside the Walls in Madison, N.J. The episode was part of the diocese’s inaugural Seminarian Media Day event.
St. Paul’s was a beehive of activity for the Media Day. The event gave the 12 diocesan seminarians there the opportunity, with great wit and charm, to share their engaging stories about how God called them to the priesthood, their faith journeys so far, interests, and their lives in the seminary.
This content will be posted in the coming months on digital platforms where young people consume information, such as podcasts, social media, and print news, to help make them aware of the possibility of a priestly vocation. In September, the diocesan Vocations Office will launch an Instagram account dedicated to vocations, which will use much of this lively material.
“For Media Day, it was good to hear the voices from the faces of seminarians on vocations posters. Maybe our stories will encourage other men to enter the seminary,” Collins said. The podcast also included interviews with seminarians Eric Hasenbein and Sean Gallagher.
The Media Day was a collaboration by the diocesan Vocations Office, the Communications Office, and St. Paul Inside the Walls, the diocesan evangelization center. The event also highlighted the seminarians’ varied ages, backgrounds, and personalities.
“In today’s world, many young people exploring a vocation will first look online for information and inspiration,” said Father Charles Lana, diocesan vocations director. “We want to engage people where they are and provide them with resources that can help them hear and respond to God’s call. One of the best ways we can promote vocations is by featuring our seminarians, who are living witnesses to what it means to answer God’s call,” he said.
Before co-hosting the podcast, Bishop Sweeney joined the seminarians for Mass in St. Paul’s chapel. Among the congregants were Salesian Sister Theresa Lee, diocesan chancellor, and diocesan staff who work at the center.
“Let the lives of the saints inspire us —from bishops and religious sisters to those living the vocation of marriage, parents, grandparents, and those living the single life. We’re all sharing baptismal vocations that baptismal call to holiness,” Bishop Sweeney said in his Mass introduction.
The men featured in the digital content range from the start of seminary studies, called the propaedeutic year, to the diaconal year — the final step before being ordained a priest. In the afternoon, they each participated in one of three “content stations”: appearing on the podcast, making a short video, or sitting for an interview for a print news story.
“The seminarians’ participation is also helping them become agents of the New Evangelization. Future priests need to be able to communicate the truths of the faith not only from the pulpit, but also through the modern means of communication that people use every day,” Father Lana said. “Media Day is one small step toward helping our seminarians grow in confidence as public leaders, communicators, and messengers of the Gospel,” he said.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
With her cellphone, Cecile Pagliarulo, digital media specialist and a co-host of Beyond the Beacon, captured stories and insight from seminarians Jean- Baptiste Mollet, John Peter Zappe, David Marin, and Brian Reilly in English and Deacon Carlos Vargas in Spanish.
Pagliarulo asked the seminarians specific questions that will be used in several videos on vocations- or priest-themed observances, such as Priesthood Sunday, National Vocations Awareness Week, and World Day of Prayer for Vocations.
“I enjoyed meeting each of the seminarians — young men committed to learning and studying about the priesthood in hopes that they will become priests for future generations of Catholics. A common theme in asking them about vocations was that we are all called to holiness,” Pagliarulo said.
Meanwhile, Michael Wojcik, managing editor of BeaconNJ.org, camped out in a classroom at the center to interview seminarians James Burke and Mark Tosso about their vocation stories in English. In another classroom, Yoel Gonzalez, a Spanish-language writer for BeaconNJ.org, interviewed seminarian Jairo Jaramillo in Spanish.
Mary Drasheff, communications coordinator at St. Paul Inside the Walls, and Joseph Ginexi, digital media specialist at St. Paul Inside the Walls, also participated in Media Day, conducting video interviews with seminarians and assisting with setting up the podcast space.
“The Media Day was upbeat. It gave us seminarians a sense of brotherhood, encouraging one another, before we go back to school. There was great care and guidance, especially from more experienced seminarians, priests and Bishop Sweeney,” Tosso said.
Then, each seminarian posed for portraits outside on St. Paul’s front porch, taken by Joe Gigli, a freelance photographer for the diocese. Then the men continued the fellowship they started at lunch.
Catalina Zempoalteca, Vocations Office coordinator, organized the Media Day with Father Lana and the other collaborating offices in the diocese. She called the first-ever Media Day “a success.”
“All our 12 seminarians have unique and beautiful vocation stories that should be shared for other men to know that God is capable of moving in their lives towards the vocation that he is calling them to live out. In our case, we hope these stories inspire more men to discern the priesthood,” Zempoalteca said. “The journey of discerning one’s vocation is a love story unraveled by God. I’m blessed to witness this working in the Vocations Office and in helping it be shared through the content created on Media Day,” she said.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI & JESSICA MARTINEZ
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/seminarians-highlight-faith-and-calling-during-first-media-day-catholic-on-a-recent-podcast-brian-collins-24-a-seminarian-of-the-paterson-diocese-n-j-demystified-life-in-the-seminary-while-st.jpg "Seminarians highlight faith and calling during first Media Day #Catholic – On a recent podcast, Brian Collins, 24, a seminarian of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., demystified life in the seminary while studying for the priesthood.
“We spend lots of time studying the faith and praying individually and together, but we also have friends inside and outside the seminary, play video games and watch movies like regular young men,” said Collins, ready to start first-year philosophy studies at Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange, N.J.
On Aug. 14 afternoon, Collins and Michael Kane, another diocesan seminarian, appeared on a special remote episode of Beyond the Beacon, a podcast co-hosted by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney. They talked about priestly vocations and the seminary with Jai Agnish, the podcast’s co-host and diocesan communications director, at St. Paul Inside the Walls in Madison, N.J. The episode was part of the diocese’s inaugural Seminarian Media Day event.
St. Paul’s was a beehive of activity for the Media Day. The event gave the 12 diocesan seminarians there the opportunity, with great wit and charm, to share their engaging stories about how God called them to the priesthood, their faith journeys so far, interests, and their lives in the seminary.
This content will be posted in the coming months on digital platforms where young people consume information, such as podcasts, social media, and print news, to help make them aware of the possibility of a priestly vocation. In September, the diocesan Vocations Office will launch an Instagram account dedicated to vocations, which will use much of this lively material.
“For Media Day, it was good to hear the voices from the faces of seminarians on vocations posters. Maybe our stories will encourage other men to enter the seminary,” Collins said. The podcast also included interviews with seminarians Eric Hasenbein and Sean Gallagher.
The Media Day was a collaboration by the diocesan Vocations Office, the Communications Office, and St. Paul Inside the Walls, the diocesan evangelization center. The event also highlighted the seminarians’ varied ages, backgrounds, and personalities.
“In today’s world, many young people exploring a vocation will first look online for information and inspiration,” said Father Charles Lana, diocesan vocations director. “We want to engage people where they are and provide them with resources that can help them hear and respond to God’s call. One of the best ways we can promote vocations is by featuring our seminarians, who are living witnesses to what it means to answer God’s call,” he said.
Before co-hosting the podcast, Bishop Sweeney joined the seminarians for Mass in St. Paul’s chapel. Among the congregants were Salesian Sister Theresa Lee, diocesan chancellor, and diocesan staff who work at the center.
“Let the lives of the saints inspire us —from bishops and religious sisters to those living the vocation of marriage, parents, grandparents, and those living the single life. We’re all sharing baptismal vocations that baptismal call to holiness,” Bishop Sweeney said in his Mass introduction.
The men featured in the digital content range from the start of seminary studies, called the propaedeutic year, to the diaconal year — the final step before being ordained a priest. In the afternoon, they each participated in one of three “content stations”: appearing on the podcast, making a short video, or sitting for an interview for a print news story.
“The seminarians’ participation is also helping them become agents of the New Evangelization. Future priests need to be able to communicate the truths of the faith not only from the pulpit, but also through the modern means of communication that people use every day,” Father Lana said. “Media Day is one small step toward helping our seminarians grow in confidence as public leaders, communicators, and messengers of the Gospel,” he said.
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With her cellphone, Cecile Pagliarulo, digital media specialist and a co-host of Beyond the Beacon, captured stories and insight from seminarians Jean- Baptiste Mollet, John Peter Zappe, David Marin, and Brian Reilly in English and Deacon Carlos Vargas in Spanish.
Pagliarulo asked the seminarians specific questions that will be used in several videos on vocations- or priest-themed observances, such as Priesthood Sunday, National Vocations Awareness Week, and World Day of Prayer for Vocations.
“I enjoyed meeting each of the seminarians — young men committed to learning and studying about the priesthood in hopes that they will become priests for future generations of Catholics. A common theme in asking them about vocations was that we are all called to holiness,” Pagliarulo said.
Meanwhile, Michael Wojcik, managing editor of BeaconNJ.org, camped out in a classroom at the center to interview seminarians James Burke and Mark Tosso about their vocation stories in English. In another classroom, Yoel Gonzalez, a Spanish-language writer for BeaconNJ.org, interviewed seminarian Jairo Jaramillo in Spanish.
Mary Drasheff, communications coordinator at St. Paul Inside the Walls, and Joseph Ginexi, digital media specialist at St. Paul Inside the Walls, also participated in Media Day, conducting video interviews with seminarians and assisting with setting up the podcast space.
“The Media Day was upbeat. It gave us seminarians a sense of brotherhood, encouraging one another, before we go back to school. There was great care and guidance, especially from more experienced seminarians, priests and Bishop Sweeney,” Tosso said.
Then, each seminarian posed for portraits outside on St. Paul’s front porch, taken by Joe Gigli, a freelance photographer for the diocese. Then the men continued the fellowship they started at lunch.
Catalina Zempoalteca, Vocations Office coordinator, organized the Media Day with Father Lana and the other collaborating offices in the diocese. She called the first-ever Media Day “a success.”
“All our 12 seminarians have unique and beautiful vocation stories that should be shared for other men to know that God is capable of moving in their lives towards the vocation that he is calling them to live out. In our case, we hope these stories inspire more men to discern the priesthood,” Zempoalteca said. “The journey of discerning one’s vocation is a love story unraveled by God. I’m blessed to witness this working in the Vocations Office and in helping it be shared through the content created on Media Day,” she said.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI & JESSICA MARTINEZ
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]")
![Salesian Sister makes final vows as ‘joyful witness to youth’ #Catholic – Sister Janna San Juan made her final profession as a Salesian Sister of Don Bosco, Daughters of Mary Help of Christians on Aug. 5. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney was the main celebrant and homilist of the Mass in St. Joseph Chapel at the Salesians’ motherhouse of the Province of St. Joseph in North Haledon, N.J.
“Congratulations to Sister Janna San Juan who made her perpetual vows today. She made the vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience forever, consecrating her life to Christ,” the Salesian Sisters posted on social media after Sister San Juan’s final profession. “We rejoice with you today, Sister Janna, and pray that your life continues to be a joyful witness to the young and a sign of the special love Christ Jesus has for them!” they posted.
Sister San Juan has been active in youth and campus ministry, having served in roles such as campus ministry coordination. She has regularly participated in community formation and vocations events for the Salesian family.
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Sister Janna earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering in 2013. While working as an engineer, she found joy in teaching faith formation classes to the young at her parish, leading her to explore religious life. Sister Janna entered the Salesians in 2016 and professed her first vows in 2020.
Currently, more than 11,000 Salesian Sisters around the world are dedicated to educating the young and being a “sign and expression of God’s foreseeing love among young people.” Places they serve in the Paterson Diocese, N.J. include Mary Help of Christians Academy in North Haledon, where they run a novitiate, St. Anthony School in Hawthorne, and Sacred Heart Retreat Center and Camp Auxilium, both in Newton.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/salesian-sister-makes-final-vows-as-joyful-witness-to-youth-catholic-sister-janna-san-juan-made-her-final-profession-as-a-salesian-sister-of-don-bosco-daughters-of-mary-help-of-c.jpg "Salesian Sister makes final vows as ‘joyful witness to youth’ #Catholic – Sister Janna San Juan made her final profession as a Salesian Sister of Don Bosco, Daughters of Mary Help of Christians on Aug. 5. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney was the main celebrant and homilist of the Mass in St. Joseph Chapel at the Salesians’ motherhouse of the Province of St. Joseph in North Haledon, N.J.
“Congratulations to Sister Janna San Juan who made her perpetual vows today. She made the vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience forever, consecrating her life to Christ,” the Salesian Sisters posted on social media after Sister San Juan’s final profession. “We rejoice with you today, Sister Janna, and pray that your life continues to be a joyful witness to the young and a sign of the special love Christ Jesus has for them!” they posted.
Sister San Juan has been active in youth and campus ministry, having served in roles such as campus ministry coordination. She has regularly participated in community formation and vocations events for the Salesian family.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sister Janna earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering in 2013. While working as an engineer, she found joy in teaching faith formation classes to the young at her parish, leading her to explore religious life. Sister Janna entered the Salesians in 2016 and professed her first vows in 2020.
Currently, more than 11,000 Salesian Sisters around the world are dedicated to educating the young and being a “sign and expression of God’s foreseeing love among young people.” Places they serve in the Paterson Diocese, N.J. include Mary Help of Christians Academy in North Haledon, where they run a novitiate, St. Anthony School in Hawthorne, and Sacred Heart Retreat Center and Camp Auxilium, both in Newton.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]")
![Camp Auxilium children smile as bishop makes inaugural visit #Catholic – Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney made history on July 24, visiting Camp Auxilium, a summer day camp for boys and girls in Newton, N.J., for the first time and celebrating Mass for enthusiastic staff, campers, and their families during the camp’s Family Day.
That day, Bishop Sweeney delighted in meeting and talking with members of the Camp Auxilium family and receiving a tour of the facility and the various activity areas. The Salesian Sisters of St. Don Bosco, also known as the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, run the camp, which is located in rural Sussex County.
Activities at Camp Auxilium include swimming and swim instruction, archery, boating and kayaking, mini-golf, low- and mid-ropes courses, arts and crafts, sports, and drama. The Salesian Sisters are assisted by Red Cross-certified lifeguards, counselors, and activity specialists.
The Boys Camp accepts campers who were 4 years old by October of last year through those who have completed 6th grade. Girls Camp accepts campers who were 4 years old by October of last year through those who have completed 8th grade. This year, Camp Auxilium welcomed 225 campers over its five weeks in operation.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/camp-auxilium-children-smile-as-bishop-makes-inaugural-visit-catholic-bishop-kevin-j-sweeney-made-history-on-july-24-visiting-camp-auxilium-a-summer-day-camp-for-boys-and-girls-in-newton-n-j.jpg "Camp Auxilium children smile as bishop makes inaugural visit #Catholic – Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney made history on July 24, visiting Camp Auxilium, a summer day camp for boys and girls in Newton, N.J., for the first time and celebrating Mass for enthusiastic staff, campers, and their families during the camp’s Family Day.
That day, Bishop Sweeney delighted in meeting and talking with members of the Camp Auxilium family and receiving a tour of the facility and the various activity areas. The Salesian Sisters of St. Don Bosco, also known as the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, run the camp, which is located in rural Sussex County.
Activities at Camp Auxilium include swimming and swim instruction, archery, boating and kayaking, mini-golf, low- and mid-ropes courses, arts and crafts, sports, and drama. The Salesian Sisters are assisted by Red Cross-certified lifeguards, counselors, and activity specialists.
The Boys Camp accepts campers who were 4 years old by October of last year through those who have completed 6th grade. Girls Camp accepts campers who were 4 years old by October of last year through those who have completed 8th grade. This year, Camp Auxilium welcomed 225 campers over its five weeks in operation.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.")
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![Young men embrace faith while serving others on retreat together #Catholic – Jean-Baptiste Mollet, a seminarian of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., struck up an engaging conversation on the streets of Paterson, N.J., with Mohamed, a homeless man, one day late last month. The man was drawn to a small cross around Mollet’s neck, part of an exchange that included prayer and a discussion of spirituality.
Mollet’s self-described “prayer encounter” with Mohamed and other homeless people that day was among many activities that occurred from July 27 to 30 during the second annual Service Retreat, held by the diocesan Vocations Office.
Rather than relaxing that summer week, nine seminarians and nine other young men discerning the priesthood united for a retreat that brought them deeper into Jesus’ call to every priest and Catholic. They engaged in worship, prayer, faith sharing, service to local people in need, and fellowship, while encouraging each other’s vocations. Their home base was Loyola Jesuit Center in Morristown, N.J.
Mollet and the rest of the retreatants, from their teens to their 30s, shared Christ’s presence with homeless people in the neighborhood around the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson during an outreach called Jesus Run. They also distributed sandwiches they made the night before to the homeless people.
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“The homeless seemed joyful even in the midst of poverty. The Lord even works in people who are suffering,” said Mollet, 27, a second-year philosophy student at Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange. “Seeing people in need lets us see things differently — a simplicity in life —because we have so much,” he said.
During the week, these men traveled to various locations throughout the diocese to perform a variety of service projects.
At one location, they volunteered at the Father English Food Pantry in Paterson, part of diocesan Catholic Charities. Alongside staff and volunteers, the men stocked shelves and sorted food at the pantry, reopening after a major renovation.
Then, the men set up for two lunch periods in the kitchen at Eva’s Village, also in Paterson, which serves about 1,000 meals to community members and residents of its shelters and halfway houses. Unlike the typical buffet style, they brought meals and drinks to the seated clients like a restaurant, showing them greater dignity.
On another day, the retreatants traveled to St. Ann Parish in Parsippany, N.J., to paint three religious education classrooms. Later, they cooked and served a barbecue. There, they spoke with Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney and other seminarians and priests in attendance. Bishop Sweeney joined the retreatants on other activities throughout the week.
Mollet said the Service Retreat fostered an “attitude of prayer.”
“This week, I’m in good company with people who are hearing God calling them to the priesthood. They are on fire for the Lord. We shared our faith journeys, made friends and played together,” Mollet said.
Perhaps the men had the most fun volunteering at a Mary Help of Christians summer day camp for children 4 to 13 years old in North Haledon, N.J. Operated by the Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco, the camp offers an array of activities such as boating, fishing, swimming and playing sports such as soccer.
Andrian Murrugarra, 18, a discerning parishioner of St. Therese in Paterson, said, “The kids lit up when talking about Jesus. It reminded me of Christ’s teaching that we need a childlike faith.”
Murrugarra called the retreat “a blessing of fraternity and friends.”
“The retreat is a week to give back to the community — putting others first and not worrying about ourselves. This has strengthened my call for the priesthood,” Murrugarra said.
At Loyola, the men prayed like priests, uniting for daily Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours and Eucharistic adoration. After dinner, they shared their experiences of Christian service that day and socialized. One retreatant was Carlos Vargas, a seminarian, whom Bishop Sweeney ordained as transitional deacon on Aug. 1 — his last step before being ordained a priest next year.
Bishop Sweeney celebrated a closing Mass on July 30.
In his homily, Bishop Sweeney told the participating young men, “Thank you for serving those in need in parishes and our communities.” He also urged them to continue discerning.
“When one person opens his heart to the Lord — saying, ‘Here I am; take it all’— what God can do!” Bishop Sweeney said.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/young-men-embrace-faith-while-serving-others-on-retreat-together-catholic-jean-baptiste-mollet-a-seminarian-of-the-paterson-diocese-n-j-struck-up-an-engaging-conversation-on-the-streets-of-pate.jpg "Young men embrace faith while serving others on retreat together #Catholic – Jean-Baptiste Mollet, a seminarian of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., struck up an engaging conversation on the streets of Paterson, N.J., with Mohamed, a homeless man, one day late last month. The man was drawn to a small cross around Mollet’s neck, part of an exchange that included prayer and a discussion of spirituality.
Mollet’s self-described “prayer encounter” with Mohamed and other homeless people that day was among many activities that occurred from July 27 to 30 during the second annual Service Retreat, held by the diocesan Vocations Office.
Rather than relaxing that summer week, nine seminarians and nine other young men discerning the priesthood united for a retreat that brought them deeper into Jesus’ call to every priest and Catholic. They engaged in worship, prayer, faith sharing, service to local people in need, and fellowship, while encouraging each other’s vocations. Their home base was Loyola Jesuit Center in Morristown, N.J.
Mollet and the rest of the retreatants, from their teens to their 30s, shared Christ’s presence with homeless people in the neighborhood around the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson during an outreach called Jesus Run. They also distributed sandwiches they made the night before to the homeless people.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
“The homeless seemed joyful even in the midst of poverty. The Lord even works in people who are suffering,” said Mollet, 27, a second-year philosophy student at Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange. “Seeing people in need lets us see things differently — a simplicity in life —because we have so much,” he said.
During the week, these men traveled to various locations throughout the diocese to perform a variety of service projects.
At one location, they volunteered at the Father English Food Pantry in Paterson, part of diocesan Catholic Charities. Alongside staff and volunteers, the men stocked shelves and sorted food at the pantry, reopening after a major renovation.
Then, the men set up for two lunch periods in the kitchen at Eva’s Village, also in Paterson, which serves about 1,000 meals to community members and residents of its shelters and halfway houses. Unlike the typical buffet style, they brought meals and drinks to the seated clients like a restaurant, showing them greater dignity.
On another day, the retreatants traveled to St. Ann Parish in Parsippany, N.J., to paint three religious education classrooms. Later, they cooked and served a barbecue. There, they spoke with Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney and other seminarians and priests in attendance. Bishop Sweeney joined the retreatants on other activities throughout the week.
Mollet said the Service Retreat fostered an “attitude of prayer.”
“This week, I’m in good company with people who are hearing God calling them to the priesthood. They are on fire for the Lord. We shared our faith journeys, made friends and played together,” Mollet said.
Perhaps the men had the most fun volunteering at a Mary Help of Christians summer day camp for children 4 to 13 years old in North Haledon, N.J. Operated by the Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco, the camp offers an array of activities such as boating, fishing, swimming and playing sports such as soccer.
Andrian Murrugarra, 18, a discerning parishioner of St. Therese in Paterson, said, “The kids lit up when talking about Jesus. It reminded me of Christ’s teaching that we need a childlike faith.”
Murrugarra called the retreat “a blessing of fraternity and friends.”
“The retreat is a week to give back to the community — putting others first and not worrying about ourselves. This has strengthened my call for the priesthood,” Murrugarra said.
At Loyola, the men prayed like priests, uniting for daily Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours and Eucharistic adoration. After dinner, they shared their experiences of Christian service that day and socialized. One retreatant was Carlos Vargas, a seminarian, whom Bishop Sweeney ordained as transitional deacon on Aug. 1 — his last step before being ordained a priest next year.
Bishop Sweeney celebrated a closing Mass on July 30.
In his homily, Bishop Sweeney told the participating young men, “Thank you for serving those in need in parishes and our communities.” He also urged them to continue discerning.
“When one person opens his heart to the Lord — saying, ‘Here I am; take it all’— what God can do!” Bishop Sweeney said.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]")
