Podcast: Big City Catholics Podcast

In this edition of Big City Catholics, Bishop Brennan welcomes Rev. Joseph Gibino, Vicar for the Secretariat for Evangelization and Catechesis, for a special Lenten reflection. Lent is a season of grace, a time to encounter God’s boundless love. As part of this Jubilee Year, Pope Francis calls us to be Pilgrims of Hope. They invite you to embark on this year’s Diocesan Lenten Pilgrimage—a journey of intentional discipleship with Christ, experienced physically, spiritually, and even digitally through the free Lenten Pilgrimage App.

For more details and the full 2025 Lenten Pilgrimage schedule, visit dioceseofbrooklyn.org/Lent.

Fr. Patrick Griffin, Executive Director of the Vincentian Center for Church and Society at St. John’s University, joins Bishop Brennan and Fr. Heanue on this episode of Big City Catholics. As the Vincentians celebrate 400 years of service, they reflect on the lasting inspiration of St. Vincent de Paul in uniting people through faith and service. Bishop Brennan reminds us of the importance of being attentive to one another in our daily lives.

In this edition of Big City Catholics, Bishop Brennan and Fr. Heanue discuss the fraternal organization of the Knights of Columbus, founded by Blessed Michael McGivney and rooted in charity and support for life, vocations, and religious liberty. Bishop Brennan calls us to contemplate our universal call to holiness so as to have that power to transform the world.

In his second installment of recordings for Big City Catholics from the National Eucharistic Congress, Bishop Brennan is joined by Sister Mercedes Torres, Vocation Director for the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist. Sister Mercedes shares her vocation story as she explains prayer and discernment, the power of living a sacramental life, and uniting together in common love for Jesus.

In this edition of Big City Catholics, Bishop Brennan gets a chance to sit with a few pilgrims who are participating in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage during their travels through the Diocese of Brooklyn. Hear the energetic recounting of their experience on this life-changing journey.

In this edition of Big City Catholics, Bishop Brennan and Fr. Heanue reflect on the season of Easter and all the wonderful celebrations, as well as the challenges in our diocese. As we come to the great feast of Pentecost, Bishop Brennan calls us to maintain our communion with one another while keeping common unity with the Lord through our gifts from the Holy Spirit.

In this edition of Big City Catholics, Bishop Brennan is joined by Deacon Kevin McCormack, Superintendent of Schools for the diocese. They discuss important issues in today’s society and stress how the choices we make in life shouldn’t be handled with quick solutions. Bishop Brennan encourages us as we live our lives to accompany one another and walk with Jesus who came so that we may have life and have it in abundance.

In this episode of Big City Catholics, Bishop Brennan and Fr. Heanue discuss the premiere of Cabrini, a film about Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini. They speak on Mother Cabrini’s impressive life as a missionary and her powerful impact on society as a promoter of human dignity despite heavy resistance. Bishop Brennan encourages us to see the film of this first American citizen to be canonized as a saint and to continue to seek her intercession.