In this episode, I share impressions and highlights of the 13th National Black Catholic Congress which brought almost 3000 black Catholics from around the United States together in Maryland this past July. To read today’s transcript go to https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wSTojDUvmGdgYLDpYOD1JN2riu0e0tfV/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=107774066431502474908&rtpof=true&sd=true What is the National Black Catholic Congress? Go to www.nbccongress.org See some photos from the closing Mass at Congress XIII, https://nbccongress.org/photo-gallery-closing-mass-at-national-black-catholic-congress-xiii/ Cardinal Gregory speaking at Congress XIII, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSN-zGqV7hA Black Catholics from Boston attend Congress XIII, http://www.thebostonpilot.com/article.php?ID=195285 Stay connected with Voices from the Pews Send an email to voicesfromthepewspodcast@gmail.com Call and leave a voicemail at 617.682.0885 Follow or like us on Facebook, Instagram and Threads

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Be A Light for Others Today, we are joined by Fr. Paul Zirimenya, a priest for the Archdiocese of San Francisco who currently serves as the chaplain for the Deaf community and administrator of St. Benedict's Parish. Fr. Paul shares about discerning his vocation to the priesthood, his journey from Uganda to the United States and his ministry to deaf and hearing, different cultural backgrounds and all walks of life. Transcript of today’s episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1U05xC_do8BiuSMw_aXHCCDYmqUWfKitF/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=107774066431502474908&rtpof=true&sd=true To learn about St. Benedict parish for the Deaf in San Francisco sfdeafcatholics.org Deaf people have their own language with distinctive cultural and linguistic features and consider their communicative abilities to be fully thriving. Read about Deaf Culture, https://ncpd.org/disability-ministry/deafness-hearing-loss the ministries and programs of The national Catholic Office for the Deaf https://www.ncod.org and the International Catholic Deaf Association https://www.icda-us.org/ the history of American Sign language (ASL) www.startasl.com/history-of-american-sign-language/ Pray the Our Father in ASL, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYkvQps_QBE Ugandan Sign Language https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ugandan_Sign_Language Brief lesson in Ugandan Sign Language (USL) www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAfLZ-BgK60 During this episode, I mention that I will be attending Congress XIII and will be presenting during one of the break out sessions. To learn more about the National Black Catholic Congress www.nbccongresss.org

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Kimberly Pérez Counseling Through the Eyes of Mercy Kimberly Perez, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and the Founder of the Divine Mercy Healing and Counseling Center joins us today for a conversation about her journey of faith, the way in which her faith in Christ shapes how she sees her role as a therapist, the importance of mental wellness and the stigma surrounding mental health in communities of color NOTE: if you or someone you know is in need of support, please reach out to a licensed professional. You can also call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline number . To learn more about Kimberly's practice, go too: https://divinemercyhealingcounseling.com Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers: https://catholicmhm.org

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Paul Albert (Encore) Answering the Call to Mission This is a rerelease episode of a conversation with Paul Albert, husband, father, and Director of Missions for Life Teen as well as cofounder of Missionary Impulse. Paul shares his transformative faith journey and the impact that answering the call to mission has had on him and his wife Anna. invite Paul to speak at your next event, www.catholicspeakersofcolor.com www.missionaryimpulse.com Watch Paul talk about (in Haitian Creole) the St. John Paul II Center in Madian, Haiti, www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A95AtfStnQ Read about Paul and Anna as they were preparing for their wedding and to become missionaries. www.enterprisenews.com/story/news/2011/08/20/stoughton-couple-prepares-for-mission/40074764007/ learn more about Life Teen, //lifeteen.com learn about Life Teen’s mission in Haiti. //lifeteen.com/missions/haiti-missions/ Read St. Pope John Paul II’s encyclical, Redemptoris Missio, that Paul briefly references during our conversation, www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_07121990_redemptoris-missio.html

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Richard Lane Go Make Disciples. Richard Lane, Catholic lay evangelist, Director of Evangelization at St. Patrick of Heatherdowns Parish in Toledo, Ohio, and friend of the podcast joins us today to reflect on the importance of evangelization and why we need to always be ready to share our witness of how Christ has made a difference in our lives. Richard will be featured on a future episode where you will hear his inspiring faith journey. You can find Richard Lane at richardlaneministries.com Read about what the Church teaches about evangelization. This is only a small sample Evangelii Gaudium: Apostolic Exhortation on the Proclamation of the Gospel in Today's World, Pope Francis, 2013 www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium.html U.S. Bishops document, Go Make Disciples, www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/evangelization/go-and-make-disciples/introduction_go_and_make_disciples Inviting All to Follow Jesus: Pastoral Letter on Evangelization, Sean Cardinal O’Malley, O.F.M. Cap_., 2011_ www.bostoncatholic.org/sites/g/files/zjfyce871/files/2020-01/PastoralLetterRGB_4_EnglishLetter.pdf

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A Heart for Truth, Beauty, and Creation Today’s guest, Ashley Piche, wife, mother, educator, and Executive Director of Creatio, shares about her journey of faith and how her search for meaning in suffering led her to find solace in the Catholic Church. We also learn about the ministry of Creatio. To find out more about Creatio’s mission trips and pilgrimages, go to, https://creatio.org And about the Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati Hiking Pilgrimage, Italy, go to https://creatio.org/causes/frassati-info/. Read about Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/pier-giorgio-frassati-736 https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=6994 Seven keys to finding God in nature, https://denvercatholic.org/seven-keys-to-finding-god-in-nature/ Read LAUDATO SI on the Care of Our Common Home, Encyclical by Pope Francis, May 2015 https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html Learn about St. Patrick, https://www.galwaycathedral.ie/news/saint-month-st-patrick And pray the Lorica of St. Patrick, https://www.ourcatholicprayers.com/st-patricks-breastplate.html

Ashley is an avid reader. Here are a few selections she has read along her journey of faith: No man is an island by Thomas Merton, https://www.amazon.com/No-Man-Island-Thomas-Merton/dp/0156027739 Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, https://www.amazon.com/Mere-Christianity-C-S-Lewis/dp/0060652926 Anthology of short stories by Flannery O’Connor, https://www.amazon.com/Flannery-OConnor-Collected-Everything-Converge/dp/0940450372/ref=asc_df_0940450372/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312014159271&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1016789132087341544&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=90 Stay connected with Voices from the Pews Send an email to voicesfromthepewspodcast@gmail.com Call and leave a voicemail at 617.682.0885 Follow or like us on Facebook and Instagram @Voicesfromthepews

To Grieve with Faith, Hope and Healing Today, Lorna Heron, a dedicated healthcare advocate, and parishioner of St. Katharine Drexel parish in Boston shares about her journey of faith, the loss of her child and how it has led her to start a ministry for parents who are also experiencing grief. During our conversation, Lorna mentions that there will be a Mass and reception for parents who are grieving the loss of a child. To learn more about Lorna’s ministry and the Mass, send a message to heronstravel@gmail.com To learn about the history of Black Catholics in the United States, read https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2022/02/04/history-black-catholics-242339 https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/history-black-catholics-in-america-180969271/ To learn about St. Katharine Drexel parish, https://stkdparish.org

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Pondering the Paschal Mystery in Hiroshima Sr. Mary Corripio In this episode, Friend of the show, Sr. Mary Corripio shares her reflection on the Paschal Mystery in relation to the city of Hiroshima and how after the atomic bomb blast, it was able to rebuild and today thrives as an ambassador for peace.

Read and contemplate the messages of Pope Francis, Benedict and St. Pope John paul II about the Paschal Mystery. Pope Francis, General Audience, 13 April 2022 https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/audiences/2022/documents/20220413-udienza-generale.html Pope Benedict XVI, general Audience , Wednesday, 8 April 2009 http://www.vatican.va/liturgical_year/holy-week/2009/index_en.htm St. John Paul II, General Audience, April 1998 https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/audiences/1998/documents/hf_jp-ii_aud_08041998.html To learn more about Hiroshima- How Hiroshima Rose from the Ashes of Destruction https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/apr/18/story-of-cities-hiroshima-japan-nuclear-destruction Learn about Hiroshima’s path to reconstruction https://hiroshimaforpeace.com/en/hiroshima75/history-hiroshima/ Hiroshima and Nagasaki- the Aftermath https://www.history.co.uk/article/hiroshima-and-nagasaki-the-aftermath Stay connected with Voices from the Pews Send an email to voicesfromthepewspodcast@gmail.com Call and leave a voicemail at 617.682.0885 Follow or like us on Facebook and Instagram @Voicesfromthepews