Let Me Be Frank | Bishop Frank Caggiano’s Podcast | Diocese of Bridgeport, CT

Defending the Catholic Faith with Chris Check - President of Catholic Answers

What is “apologetics”? Chris Check, president of Catholic Answers, joins Bishop Caggiano to answer this question. They also answer questions like: 
 
What do Joan of Arc, Catherine of Siena, and Chris Check have in common? 
Why should you fill your house with good books? 
Why should you, as Chesterton put it, “let your religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair”?
 
Along the way, Chris talk about his relationship with Fr Paul Check (beloved priest of our diocese), the history of Catholic Answers, and the role of the military in a young man’s formation.
 

A Deep Dive into the Church Fathers, w/ David Augustine from Word on Fire

"Maybe Christianity should become weird again."
Reading the works of the early Church fathers has brought countless non-Catholic Christians into the Church and has strengthened so many Catholics who are already in the heart of the Church.
 
David Augustine (who said the quote above on this week's Let Me Be Frank) has compiled and edited The Early Church Fathers Collection for Bishop Barron & Word on Fire. David & Bishop Frank tackle questions like: Who were the Church fathers? What can modern readers take away from each of the Church fathers? Why & how did Tertullian veer off track?
 
...and somewhere along the way, David suggested we should make Christianity weird again.

The Church Fathers, Immigration, & Lent (w/ Rod Bennett)

Let Me Be Frank is split into two discrete segments today…
 
First… Jesus Christ did not incarnate to write a book. Instead, the Apostles were the plan. Rod Bennett joins us to talk about the 12 Apostles and his book, These Twelve. Rod dispels myths about these men that still linger today, and Bishop Frank takes an important lesson from the conversation.
 
In the second segment, Bishop Frank talks about the health of Pope Francis and then about immigrants... before he gives some reflections and thoughts on Lent.
 
Today’s episode also sees the convergence of accents (Brooklyn vs Southern) and… revisiting online videos of Mongolian rural cooking...
 

George Cardinal Pell (w/ his personal friend Tess Livingstone)

George Cardinal Pell was a faithful, formidable, and fearless prince of the Church who lived a remarkable life… as a seminarian in Rome during Vatican II, as a reformer of Australia’s seminaries, in his years in China (in disguise!), at the Secretariat of the Economy (where he uncovered 1billion euros off the books), and the years spent wrongfully imprisoned before his acquittal and vindication…
Tess Livingstone has written a wonderful biography of the rugged and resilient Australian, and she joins Bishop Caggiano to talk about Cardinal Pell (who Bishop also knew!)…
I really enjoyed listening to this conversation and learning about His Eminence, who passed away just over two years ago.
Also, please allow us to highlight two important (and fun) events coming soon to our area: 1) Mark Schultz concert at Fairfield University on Fri, March 14th to benefit Malta House and 2) March for Life in Hartford on Wed, March 19th
LINKS Email List: https://www.veritascatholic.com/
Tess's Book: https://ignatius.com/george-cardinal-pell-gcpbh/
Malta House Event: https://www.maltahouse.org/event/2025-mark-schultz-concert-to-benefit-malta-house
CT March: https://marchforlife.org/connecticut/
 

What Happens at Mass, with Abbot Jeremy Driscoll, OSB

Sacrosanctum Concilium says "the liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time it is the font from which all her power flows"...
Abbott Jeremy Driscoll, OSB, literally wrote the book on what happens at Mass, and the more we can understand the Mass... the better and more actively we all can worship. Father Abbott also serves as a member of the Dicastery for Divine Worship, having first been appointed by John Paul II, and then renewed by Benedict XVI and then Francis.
This is an excellent discussion which just scratches the surface, but Bishop Caggiano asks Father Abbott questions like: What is monastic life like? What is liturgy? What should the homily do? And how should music be during Mass?
I'm obviously neither a bishop nor a liturgical expert, but it seems like a few simple elements would really elevate our worship at Mass... distinct periods of silence, use of chant & polyphony, some prayers in Latin, lots of incense, communion at the altar rail, and the priest facing ad orientam...

Refreshed with Living Water - Life in the Holy Spirit (w/ Kitty Cleveland)

On Saturday, April 12th, Kitty Cleveland is coming to St Matthew Parish to help present a conference for women of all ages and stages to refresh their hearts. The theme, inspired by John 4:10 & John 7:37-39 is "A Spiritual Spa", an invitation to be renewed and refreshed in the Living Waters.
Kitty joins Bishop Caggiano on Let Me Be Frank to talk about her life as a singer & songwriter, her Broadway dreams giving way to the Lord, and how the Divine Mercy carried her through her life – even when she didn’t realize at the time.
This was a fantastic conversation, and the women’s conference promises to be a wonderful event!
LINKS
WINE: https://catholicvineyard.com/
Kitty's book: https://kittycleveland.com/
Veritas Email List: https://www.veritascatholic.com/

The Young Adult Playbook (w/ Anna Moreland)

Life, for young adults these days, is full of unique challenges that previous generations didn’t have to navigate.
To help, Anna Moreland has co-authored The Young Adult Playbook, drawing on her years of experience teaching college students at Villanova University and her background in theology. Undergraduates, she says, are “overprepared for academics yet underprepared for questions like ‘Who am I?’ and ‘Who do I want to become?’”.
She’s our guest this week on Let Me Be Frank, as she talks to Bishop Caggiano about guiding young people through work, leisure, and love.
LINKS
Veritas Email List: https://www.veritascatholic.com/
 

Feast Days, Our Lady of Lourdes, and Suffering,

It’s just Bishop Caggiano and me this week on Let Me Be Frank, and we’re talking about… well, stuff.
There are a few feast days on Bishop’s mind this month: the Presentation of the Lord & Candlemas, Our Lady of Lourdes, and the Chair of St Peter. Our Lady of Lourdes relates to World Day of the Sick, and Bishop Caggiano points out that both days remind us that this life is not going to be easy.
On the topic of suffering, may I humbly present to you this short video on suffering we (Veritas) released last year?
I’ll also mention that, on Feb 11th, the Order of Malta is hosting a Mass and blessing at St Aloysius for Our Lady of Fatima & World Day of the Sick.
We wrap up this week’s discussion with thoughts on Catholic schools and how to make them even more effective for students & families. And then Bishop Caggiano’s tip for evangelization.
LINKS
Veritas Email List: https://www.veritascatholic.com/