PROSPECT HEIGHTS — Bishop Robert Brennan believes in using all types of media platforms to reach Catholics, and he views his new podcast, “Big City Catholics,” as another valuable evangelization tool.
“It’s just a chance to deepen a relationship. That’s what it comes down to,” Bishop Brennan explained. “Doing a podcast is a tool to keep that relationship with the people of the diocese.”
Bishop Brennan is the host of the weekly 30-minute podcast that gives him the chance to explore questions of faith that affect the everyday lives of people living in New York City.
The podcast focuses on a great many topics of interest to Catholics — like the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade, the 200th anniversary of St. James Cathedral Basilica, and the important role grandparents play in family life.
For Bishop Brennan, it is an opportunity to talk in-depth about subjects requiring more than a 30-second sound bite.
“I’ve seen some of the power of different podcasts and (their) popularity. But what really mattered to me was a chance where I could talk in a more relaxed way, develop an idea, give it a context,” Bishop Brennan said. “You might be able to do it in 15-30 minutes, much more than what you can do in 30 seconds.”
He pointed to the Supreme Court’s June 24 decision in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson — in which the court overturned Roe v. Wade and returned the issue of abortion to the states — as an example of the type of newsworthy topic requiring a lengthy discussion.
It isn’t all heavy-duty topics, however. In the episode about grandparents, Bishop Brennan, 60, joked about his age and said that he used to feel like a big brother to young priests and now feels like a grandfather.
For Father Christopher Heanue, who is the co-host of “Big City Catholics,” podcasts are a modern means of communicating the same message Catholics have been spreading for centuries about the love Jesus Christ has for us.
“The technology is new, but the message we’re delivering is timeless,” he said.
New episodes of “Big City Catholics,” which officially launched on Oct. 6, are released every Friday and are available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or the Diocese of Brooklyn’s website.
Before its official release, Bishop Brennan and Father Heanue recorded 14 episodes, all of which are also available on all platforms. The first episode — which focused on the Eucharistic Revival and the effort led by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to help Catholics understand the presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist — was released on June 17.
Each podcast starts off with a prayer before Bishop Brennan and Father Heanue dive into the topic at hand.
“Big City Catholics” frequently features guests such as Deacon Kevin McCormack, the schools superintendent for the diocese; Sister Maryann Seton Lopiccolo, episcopal delegate for religious in the diocese; and Msgr. James Shea, president of the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, who was the keynote speaker at the diocese’s recent convocation of priests.
It was Father Heanue who came up with the “Big City Catholics” name. The title reflects the show’s theme, which is about “living out one’s faith — hopefully joyfully — in a big city,” he said.
Bishop Brennan and his co-host are both “Big City Catholics.” Bishop Brennan was born in the Bronx and was raised on Long Island. His dad, also named Robert, was an NYPD police officer. Father Heanue was raised in Woodside, Queens, and attended Blessed Virgin Mary Help of Christians Parish (also known as St. Mary’s Winfield) growing up.
The setting for the show — episodes are taped in the residence of the co-cathedral with Bishop Brennan and Father Heanue sitting on couches — helps give it an informal feel.
“We didn’t want it to have us sitting behind stuffy desks,” Father Heanue explained.
The host and co-host have developed a friendly, easygoing rapport.
“We are in sync,” Father Heanue said. “We work well together.”
