It's our 2025 year in review... the three biggest takeaways in the Catholic Church, in the Diocese of Bridgeport, and in the personal life of Bishop Frank Caggiano. A recurring theme in all three: hope vs discouragement. Plus, Bishop Frank's resolutions for 2026. Enjoy! Pax Christi, Steve Lee The other guy on Let Me Be Frank Email List: https://www.veritascatholic.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy9oYx0t7imNDH5nLwSiM8Q Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/veritascatholic/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/veritascatholic/ Other shows The Tangent: https://thetangent.podbean.com/ Daily Gospel Reflections: https://dailycatholicreflection.podbean.com/ The Frontline With Joe & Joe: https://thefrontlinewithjoeandjoe.podbean.com/ Restless Catholic Young Adults: https://restlesscatholicmedia.podbean.com/  

Gladiator. I can’t believe I forgot to mention Gladiator. Bishop Caggiano and I were at St Joseph’s High School to take student questions for this episode of Let Me Be Frank, and they asked some excellent questions, like: “When someone says the Holy Spirit revealed something to them; how do we know they’re telling the truth?” “In God’s eyes, is the Pope holier than I am?” “How do you stay open to the Holy Spirit’s guidance, especially when Jesus seems to be absent?” …and when one student asked “What’s your favorite movie?” Bishop gave his answer and then turned to me. I blanked. I named three excellent movies, but I forgot to mention Gladiator. Anyway, happy New Year! Enjoy this fun and informative conversation with St Joseph HS seniors! Pax Christi, Steve Lee The other guy on Let Me Be Frank

Merry Christmas! As you celebrate today (and throughout the Christmas octave), Bishop Caggiano's suggestion is to take some time in front of the image of the nativity... ponder that image in silence and realize the enormity of God's love for you. To help, he offers his reflections on the mystery of God's incarnation. And... why does Christmas feel different?  In the second segment, Bishop Frank looks at the saints' feast days in the Christmas octave. Stephen, John the Apostle, the Holy Innocents, Thomas Becket, and Pope Sylvester. Why are they each celebrated during Christmas?   Pax Christi, Steve Lee The other guy on Let Me Be Frank NOTES 

Original broadcast 12/25/2024... In the dark days of the reign of Herod, the descendants of King David lived under the radar in humility even as they awaited the imminent arrival of the Messiah. A (probably young) man named Joseph lived in the town of Nazareth and would become the earthly father of Jesus - the child of Mary & the Holy Spirit. Mike Aquilina has written a book that places us in Nazareth, Jerusalem, and the region to see what day-to-day life was life among David’s descendants. Mike and Bishop Caggiano talk about St Joseph and His World on Let Me Be Frank… detailing Joseph’s four interactions with angels, his silence, the 1000-mile flight to Egypt, his life as a carpenter in Nazareth, and much more. Check out the Veritas mobile app

Since the mailbag was getting fuller than Santa’s sack of gifts, we thought Bishop Caggiano should answer some listener questions. Among them are some serious ones, like:   …can someone who has committed suicide still go to Heaven? …why do priests wear different colored vestments throughout the year? …what was the most important question that Jesus asked in the Gospels?   And there were a couple that were more my speed, like: What is your favorite scary movie?   Yeah, I can answer that! Good thing we have the bishop for the toughies.    Pax Christi, Steve Lee  

Blessed Advent to you! Pope Leo XIV just wrapped up a visit to Turkey & Lebanon. Bishop Caggiano reflects on the trip and the Holy Father's meetings with Orthodox patriarchs.   Is there hope for reconciliation and reunion with the Orthodox Churches? What is the history of the split, and what are the main points of disagreement? All of that is on this week's Let Me Be Frank.   Also... this is pledge drive week for Veritas. We are a listener-funded apostolate, and we depend on you to keep us going and growing... so we take two weeks every year to raise money for the other 50 weeks of the year. Please go online to make your gift and partner with us, or you can call in and talk to us! The number is (440) VERITAS or (440) 837-4827   NOTES Email List: www.veritascatholic.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/veritascatholic IG: https://www.instagram.com/veritascatholic/ YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy9oYx0t7imNDH5nLwSiM8Q

Happy Thanksgiving! St Gianna Beretta Molla said that "the secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for what He is sending us every day in His goodness."  That is a key to living a fulfilled life, and Bishop Caggiano reflects on gratitude before we talk about Thanksgiving... a history of the holiday, plus stories from Thanksgivings past for Bishop and for me. We had some fun walking down memory lane, as well as sharing what we each are grateful for this year. Enjoy!  

Some folks today hear the word "immigration" and immediately take sides and prepare for a fight... But the conference of US bishops, at their fall meeting, issued a comprehensive and balanced "Special Pastoral Message" with near unanimous unity... on immigration - looking at human dignity and the orderly regulation of borders. Bishop Caggiano walks us through the important statement by the USCCB on Let Me Be Frank, and he also gives us a look at the history and function of the conference itself. Bishop stresses that we need to be able to dialogue about things like immigration, in order to come up with realistic solutions that protect both human lives and a nation's borders. So I ask you to please listen to, or watch, the entire conversation before you form your opinion of the USCCB's statement. Pax Christi, Steve Lee LINKS The Statement: https://www.usccb.org/news/2025/us-bishops-issue-special-message-immigration-plenary-assembly-baltimore Email List: https://www.veritascatholic.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy9oYx0t7imNDH5nLwSiM8Q/ The Tangent: https://www.youtube.com/@thetangentonveritas Daily Gospel Reflections: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyCatholicReflections  

Bishop Caggiano & Steve visited the campus of the school where Steve is known as “Coach”. They opened the floor to all the students of Cardinal Kung Academ so they could ask the Bishop whatever is on their minds and in their hearts. And we got some excellent questions, like:    …how can young people discern their vocations? …what is the Church’s actual teaching about the death penalty? …do our pets go to Heaven? …what do you think is the most important thing we should be praying for right now? …what’s the best way to make a taco?   And wait until you hear the rest of the questions! Definitely tune in to see Bishop Caggiano’s wonderful conversation with these excellent high school students.   LINKS  email list: https://www.veritascatholic.com IG: https://www.instagram.com/veritascatholic/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/veritascatholic   Let Me Be Frank is made possible in large part due to listener support, if you'd like to help keep Let Me Be Frank and other Veritas Programs on the air, you can help support of Veritas at: https://www.veritascatholic.com/donate    

Bishop Frank Caggiano & Steve Lee discuss during this episode of Let Me Be Frank, Bishop Caggiano's recent pilgrimage to Greece, where he followed in the footsteps of St. Paul, as well as the life of St. Paul itself. Ultimately, they focus not only on the biographical info of his life, but the messages and lessons found along Paul's Journey detailed in the New Testament. Let Me Be Frank is a production of Veritas Catholic Network in collaboration with the Diocese of Bridgeport. Let Me Be Frank is Bishop Caggiano's weekly podcast where he can reach you and help spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ Shownotes Email List: www.veritascatholic.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veritascatholic/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/veritascatholic Other Veritas Shows The Tangent: https://thetangent.podbean.com/ Daily Gospel Reflections: https://dailycatholicreflection.podbean.com/ The Frontline With Joe & Joe: https://thefrontlinewithjoeandjoe.podbean.com/ Restless Catholic Young Adults: https://restlesscatholicmedia.podbean.com/  

In this episode of 'Let Me Be Frank', Bishop Frank Caggiano and Deacon Tim Bolton discuss the ministry of accompaniment, exploring its significance in the church and the personal journeys that shape their understanding of faith. Deacon Tim shares his life experiences, including the challenges he faced with his daughter and late wife, which deepened his faith and understanding of active love. The conversation emphasizes the importance of being present for others, the role of spiritual friendships, and the need for community support in ministry. They also introduce the Pastoral Companions initiative aimed at empowering laypeople to engage in accompaniment, highlighting the transformative power of love and presence in the lives of those in need. LINKS  Email List: www.veritascatholic.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy9oYx0t7imNDH5nLwSiM8Q Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veritascatholic/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/veritascatholic Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction03:03 Deacon Tim Bolton's Journey of Faith05:57 The Impact of Personal Challenges on Faith08:47 Understanding Accompaniment12:02 The Essence of Active Love15:01 Overcoming Barriers to Accompaniment18:10 The Role of Spiritual Friendship21:04 Pastoral Companions Initiative24:10 The Importance of Community in Ministry27:03 Engaging with the Disenfranchised29:48 The Healing Power of Presence33:06 The Need for Emotional Support in Ministry36:01 The Future of Accompaniment in the Church39:00 Conclusion and Call to Action

There are hundreds of thousands of frozen embryos -tiny, frozen babies- in the world today. What to do with all of these human lives? Catholic bioethicist Elizabeth Rex joins Bishop Caggiano to talk about this question, as well as: ...why is contraception immoral? ...what would Bishop Caggiano say to a cohabiting unmarried couple? ...what is IVF and what does the Church teach about it? For any couples who are looking to adopt, Dr. Rex points to Snowflakes Embryo Adoption and the National Embryo Donation Center. More information is at the Donum Vitae Institute.  LINKS Snowflakes Embryo Adoption: https://nightlight.org/snowflakes-embryo-adoption-donation/embryo-adoption/ National Embryo Donation Center: https://www.embryodonation.org/ Donum Vitae Institute: https://donumvitaeinstitute.org/ VERITAS Email List: https://www.veritascatholic.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/veritascatholic Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veritascatholic/  

A lot of people talk about Truth and Beauty, but there’s not as much talk about Goodness. On Let Me Be Frank, Bishop Caggiano dives into this less-discussed of the transcendentals, asking: …how do you define “goodness”? …how do you know that your heart is leading correctly? …what is the difference between good works and Christian good works? …how does this tie in with Pope Loe XIV’s exhortation Dilexit Te? Enjoy! SHOWNOTES Dilexi Te Email List Other Veritas Shows The Tangent: https://thetangent.podbean.com/ The Frontline With Joe & Joe: https://thefrontlinewithjoeandjoe.podbean.com/ Restless Catholic Young Adults: https://restlesscatholicmedia.podbean.com/ Daily Reflections: https://dailycatholicreflection.podbean.com/ SOCIAL MEDIA INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK  

The past few weeks have brought some meaningful feast days in the Catholic calendar... the archangels & guardian angels... Francis of Assisi... Cosmas & Damian... Vincent de Paul... Wenceslaus... Jerome... and, of course, Therese of Lisieux. But, instead of just going through these saints' biographies, Bishop Caggiano talks about specific lessons we can learn from each of these saints. What is something we can see in these holy people that we can apply in our lives? I really enjoyed this conversation and I got a lot out of it. I hope you do too! EMAIL LIST www.veritascatholic.com OTHER VERITAS SHOWS  The Tangent: https://thetangent.podbean.com The Frontline With Joe & Joe: https://thefrontlinewithjoeandjoe.podbean.com/ Restless Catholic Young Adults: https://restlesscatholicmedia.podbean.com/ Daily Gospel Reflection: https://dailycatholicreflection.podbean.com/ SOCIALS instagram: www.instagram.com/veritascatholic/ facebook: https://www.facebook.com/veritascatholic    

Imagine your father brought your family to the US from India, so that he could study to become a Baptist minister. And then, as you grew older, you left the Baptists to become a Catholic. That's the story of Suan Sonna, the new Director of Apologetics for the Diocese of Bridgeport. What is apologetics? Why is it important? In a society where people believe everyone has their own truth... how do you engage in meaningful dialogue about the Faith and the things that matter most? These are really deep questions... which Bishop Caggiano discusses with Suan on Let Me Be Frank. Suan has a plan to instill a culture of thoughtfulness and make all Catholics here equipped to discuss Catholicism and defend the Faith (with gentleness and reverence). SHOWNOTES Email List: www.veritascatholic.com Let Me Be Frank on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy9oYx0t7imNDH5nLwSiM8Q Intellectual Catholicism: https://www.youtube.com/@intellectualcatholicism/videos Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veritascatholic/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/veritascatholic  

"Parochial and Practical Essays" is NOT a very compelling title for a book.   Luckily, the publishers convinced Michael Pakaluk to instead title his latest book "The Shock of Holiness"... and he joins Bishop Caggiano to talk about:   ...the simplest truths of the Catholic faith that show us that sanctity is closer and far more beautiful than we think, ...the levels of friendship and what friendship truly is, ...civic friendship and the murder of Charlie Kirk, ...and how a near-death experience brought him, as a practical atheist, to the Lord.   This is a fantastic conversation (way above my level) between two men who are so clearly way above my level.   And... Michael is the first guest we've ever had who offered his email address out to any listeners who want to dialogue.  

Heather Foucault-Camm, Program Director of the Science & Religion Initiative at the McGrath Institute for Church Life, speaks with Bishop Caggiano about: space ethics, the implications of artificial intelligence, the question: "What do you believe more: science or theology?", and more. Email List: https://www.veritascatholic.com/ Other shows The Tangent: https://thetangent.podbean.com/ Daily Gospel Reflections https://dailycatholicreflection.podbean.com/  The Frontline With Joe & Joe: https://thefrontlinewithjoeandjoe.podbean.com/ Restless Catholic Young Adults: https://restlesscatholicmedia.podbean.com/  

This week on Let Me Be Frank, Bishop Caggiano and Steve go through the mailbag and answer more listener questions!   Email List: https://www.veritascatholic.com/ Other shows The Tangent: https://thetangent.podbean.com/ Daily Gospel Reflections: https://dailycatholicreflection.podbean.com/  The Frontline With Joe & Joe: https://thefrontlinewithjoeandjoe.podbean.com/ Restless Catholic Young Adults: https://restlesscatholicmedia.podbean.com/  

In the 300s, "the whole world groaned and was astonished to find itself Arian", as St Jerome put it. And the brilliant and courageous Athanasius replied, "Is the world against Athanasius? Then Athansius is against the world." Athanasius contra mundum! It's a remarkable story... the secular ruler of the world convening the Church's bishops... a charismatic and influential bad guy rousing half of the Church to his side... indomitable heroes like Athanasius, Basil, Gregory of Nazianzus, John Chrysostom, and others defending the Faith at all costs... St Nicholas punching Arias in the face... This year marks the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea, and Bishop Caggiano dives deeply into the Council on Let Me Be Frank - the history, the theology, the lasting impact on our Faith... I really enjoyed this conversation, and I'm sure you will too! Interestingly, I once read that the phrase "not one iota of difference" comes from the Arian heresy and the Nicene Creed... the Greek letter "i" (iota) is the difference between homoousios (consubstantial) and homoiousios (similar substance)... Email List www.veritascatholic.com Other Veritas Shows The Tangent: https://thetangent.podbean.com/ The Frontline With Joe & Joe: https://thefrontlinewithjoeandjoe.podbean.com/ Restless Catholic Young Adults: https://restlesscatholicmedia.podbean.com Daily Gospel Reflections: https://dailycatholicreflection.podbean.com/ Socials Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veritascatholic/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/veritascatholic  

Bishop Frank sits down with Steve Lee to answer some of your listener questions. Included in this episode. Why can't women be ordained to the diaconate? How should someone deal with anger and annoyance? Do you believe the Shroud of Turin is authentic? How about the St airs of the Sisters of Loreto? Where is the Immaculate Conception in the Bible? and more! Email List www.veritascatholic.com Social Media  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veritascatholic/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/veritascatholic/ X: https://x.com/veritascathnet