New SPIW podcasts cover the history of the diocese and economics

The Diocese of Paterson is launching two new podcasts. The Paul Street Journal is a dynamic new podcast that explores the universal Church’s social teaching about economics. The first episode was made available on May 31. Topics range from the timeless — caring for the poor — to the contemporary — whether it’s appropriate to invest in index funds.

The Paul Street Journal will be joined on June 7 by Coffee with Kupke, a new podcast that covers the history of the Paterson Diocese.

Both podcasts are being produced by the Office of Evangeli­zation at St. Paul Inside the Walls in Madison and will be available on YouTube and all the major podcast platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and many others.

With the new shows, St. Paul’s will be able to evangelize the Gospel to a worldwide audience with topics of interest to contemporary Catholics. They can access these podcasts from the convenience of their laptops, desktops, tablets, televisions, cars, or cell phones.

The Paul Street Journal features host Freddy Garcia-Arequipa, associate coordinator of evangelization and diocesan campus minister, who examines the Church’s social teaching on economics with Brian Honsberger, St. Paul’s executive director and diocesan director of mission and technology integration.

Coffee with Kupke presents host Father Paul Manning, diocesan vicar for evangelization, who talks about diocesan history with Msgr. Raymond Kupke, diocesan archivist and pastor of St. Anthony Parish in Hawthorne.

For The Paul Street Journal, Garcia-Arequipa, who has a political science degree from Stanford University, converses with Honsberger, who has a Master of Theology from Augustine Institute and teaches courses on the bible and evangelization at Immaculate Conception Seminary. They discuss the foundational principles of Catholic social teaching on economics, such as taxation and care for the poor, and investing. Its title is a clever combination of St. Paul Inside the Walls and the Wall Street Journal newspaper.

“Most Catholics are unaware of Church teaching on this issue. The Catholic perspective on economics doesn’t align with Repub­li­can or Democrat politics. The Church is 2,000 years old — much older than either political party,” said Honsberger. He noted that the podcast’s information and perspectives will likely be relevant to the upcoming U.S. presidential election next year.

Coffee with Kupke explores the diocese’s rich history. Father Manning engages in lively and often funny conversations with his friend, Msgr. Kupke, who is blessed with an encyclopedic knowledge of the historic people, places, and events of the Church of Pater­son. He wrote a history of the diocese, “Living Stones.” In early episodes, the priests explore the pioneer beginnings of Catholi­cism in the area. The podcast is a popularized summary of Msgr. Kupke’s book.

“We want to help Catholics increase their love for the diocese in which they live, their sense of solidarity, and their connection to the incredible works of the diocese over the years,” Honsberger said.

Episodes of each podcast will be released online every other week on Wednesdays. They are recorded in a studio on the top floor of the evangelization center.

St. Paul’s podcasts join Beyond The Beacon, a weekly podcast the diocese launched in March. On it, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney and Jai Agnish, diocesan communications director and editor of The Beacon newspaper, converse on faith, news, people, and events of the diocese, and the bishop’s full calendar. The podcast also features guests.

The two St. Paul’s podcasts are available on the evangelization center’s YouTube channel and on all major podcast platforms. Beyond The Beacon is available on Bishop Sweeney’s YouTube channel and on all major podcast platforms.

Be sure to like, subscribe, and rate these three podcasts to help them grow and reach a wider audience.