Archbishop Allen Vigneron: I'm Archbishop Allen Vigneron of the Archdiocese of Detroit, and this is the Eyes on Jesus Podcast.

Michael Chamberland: Hello and welcome to the Eyes on Jesus Podcast with Archbishop Allen Vigneron. I'm your host Mike Chamberland.

Mary Wilkerson: And I'm your host Mary Wilkerson.

Mike: We are excited to release new episodes once a month, so please make sure to subscribe and review wherever it is that you listen to podcasts. Archbishop, welcome and thanks so much for joining us. It's great to speak with you again.

Archbishop: Great to be with you both. Thanks so much.

Mike: Archbishop how has your last month been, kind of the end of summer and moving into fall? How have things been for you?


Archbishop: Well, lots of blessings, Mike. I Hope it has been blessings for you too, Mary. Of course, one of the great things is going back to school. I think we have good news about good enrollment in our schools. It's always a little sad to see the end of summer. I'm not so old that I still can't feel a little bit of a sadness when summer passes away. I had a couple of significant blessings in the archdiocese. In the middle of September, I was able to perform the right to consecrate two women to a life of virginity in the world. That's a blessing. Most recently, I ordained three men as permanent deacons, so those are great blessings for our diocese.

Mary: In terms of the change in weather, I am so excited about fall. It is my favorite season. I was wondering, how do you feel about the seasons? Are you excited about fall? Do you do anything special as the leaves start to turn and things get so pretty in Michigan?

Archbishop: I like the first half of fall a lot better than the second. I will agree with you there.

Mary: You sound like Mike Chamberland.

Archbishop: I enjoy the colors. The leaves are beautiful.

Mary: I find the sky gets just so gorgeous, and I love looking at the trees. I don't know if it's the crispness in the air I like, but you're right, it's like a sweet spot before it turns. And then all of a sudden it's gray and snowy, sleeting rain type of situation. But we get that one little glimpse of just a really cool time.

Archbishop: The squirrels in my backyard are using this time to pick up the chestnuts.

Mary: Yes, ours too.

Mike: They're loud sometimes this time of year, too. You hear them in the morning. They're kind of fighting with each other and stuff. It's funny. Archbishop, you shared that you, obviously, did the consecration mass for two women for perpetual virginity. Would you share a little bit, a quick overview? What does that mean? Or what was that like? I know you've done those in the past before as well. But what does that consecration really entail and kind of look like?

Archbishop: Well, it's a very ancient right. In more modern times, it was really a right performed only for women who were consecrated to live as virgins within religious orders. But after the council and compliance with what the fathers asked for at the council, the right has been extended to women who want to live in the world in perpetual virginity. What it means is that some women are called to this very particular way of following Christ to make him, in effect, the spouse of their life. It's a great witness. It's a very ancient witness, but a great witness to what I would call the restored order of human sexuality that comes with Christ. Our Lord simply speaks of that. We just had that in one of the readings for Sunday. It was not so from the beginning. So what Christ does is the new Adam is he restores the order as it was from the beginning. And part of that new order is the capacity of some who are called, as he said, it's a few, but some who are called to witness to Christ as the entire love of one's life. And that's what these women do.

Mary: It's been neat to see how the communications department at the Archdiocese has covered these and kind of put out articles and things like that to kind of celebrate and show when these women have decided to become consecrated virgins. I have a question. Do they live in community together then? Because I know we have a handful of women in the Archdiocese or the do they live separately?

Archbishop: They live separately, though, they form a community where they mutual support [one another]. But no, they live independently. Now, the thing that's really important to remember is this expression of human sexuality shines a light on all forms of Christian sexuality, including the life of husbands and wives to indicate that they too are Christian disciples in their marriages live out this new order. This new creation that's been restored by Christ. It's a very personal kind of gift, but it's a light that belongs to everybody.

Mary: What a powerful witness. That's fantastic. The other thing that we know that happens in the fall is you will be celebrating your birthday on October 21st. So I have to ask you, do you do anything special for your birthday? And then the other thing I wanted to ask is if there's any way that we, kind of as a faithful, can pray for you in a specific way on that day to celebrate with you.

Archbishop: I usually have dinner with friends on my birthday. But this year I have to be busy. So it'll be a bit delayed. And what people can do to pray on my birthday, well, we're in October and we're going to talk about this today is the month of the rosary. So maybe on the 21st, people can say a decade of the rosary for me and include a special prayer for the eternal repose of my mom and dad. They did all the work. I just showed up.

Mary: That's a fantastic way that we can celebrate with you, though, to kind of join you in prayer. And I love that you turned it back to the rosary, because you're right, we are going to discuss the rosary in this month of October. Most of our listeners who listen to this podcast would probably be familiar with the basics of the rosary, it's a set of prayers recited with the help of beads that we meditate on events in the lives of Jesus and Mary. I was wondering, especially since you asked that we do this for your birthday, that we pray decade of the rosary, can you give us kind of a quick overview of what the prayers are, the different mysteries and kind of how we meditate on them. Maybe some tips on how to meditate on them?

Archbishop: Well, the prayers are pretty simple. It begins with the Apostles' Creed. We have the Our Father three Hail Marys to pray for faith, hope and charity, the doxology, and The Glory Be. And then the round of five decades, usually in one part of the rosary, a decade being the Our Father, the 10 Hail Marys, and The Glory Be. Most people add the Fatima prayer at the end of The Glory Be. The mysteries are the thing that I suppose we most need to think about together today on the podcast. Traditionally there have been three sets of mysteries, which comes to 150 Hail Marys, which gets back to the origin of the rosary. If you have 150 hail Marys, you have one for each psalm, and the rosary was often a prayer for people who couldn't pray the psalms or a kind of compliment to that.

So the traditional set of three mysteries five joyful, five sorrowful, and five glorious. For the five joyful, it's the enunciation, the presentation, the nativity of Christ, the presentation of the child Jesus in the temple, the finding of the young child — sometimes better to say young boy in the temple. For the sorrowful Mysteries, it's the agony in the garden the scourging at the pillar the crowning with thorns, and carrying the cross crucifixion. The Glorious is the resurrection, Ascension, the descent of the holy spirit the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and her coronation as queen of heaven and earth. St. John Paul has asked us to consider a fourth set of five and he called these the luminous mysteries. So we meditate on the Lord's baptism in the Jordan, his first miracle —his sign at Cana of Galilee — his proclamation of the kingdom of God by his miracles in preaching the transfiguration and Mount Tabor, and the giving of the holy Eucharist in the upper room on Holy Thursday. I've rushed through, but that's it.

Mary: There's particular days, right, that the church comes together to pray these different sets of mysteries. Right?

Archbishop: That's become a custom. I think many people follow it. I think people should feel free, if on a certain day, they're more inclined to meditate on one set of mysteries than another, fine enough. Monday the Joyful Mysteries, Tuesday the Sorrowful Mysteries, Wednesday the Glorious Mysteries, the holy father has asked us to do Thursday the Luminous Mysteries, Friday then would be the Sorrowful Mysteries. I usually go back on a Saturday, it's my own personal view is to do the mysteries that fit the season of the year. So if it's Advent and Christmas time on Saturday, I do the joyful. If it's in Ordinary time, I do the Luminous. If it's Lent, I do the Sorrowful. And if it's Easter time I do the Glorious.

Mike: It's funny, too, we just think of the rosary has always kind of been there. We don't really oftentimes know exactly where it came from, and it's kind of history and therefore it's context. I knew that there was 150 Hail Marys, obviously, said if you do all the mysteries, but I didn't realize until you just said it about the link between that and the Psalms, so there's always something we're learning regarding the rosary. Would you mind sharing just a little bit about its introduction, its history and where it kind of originated from and how it kind of developed in our church tradition so strongly,

Archbishop: Some of it's lost in time. It's a very ancient practice to count prayers on beads. It was oftentimes a way to count to the prayers that substituted for in some people's lives for the celebration of the Psalms. And that goes back to, certainly the early times of the fathers, the first times of Christianity. There's debate about the role of St. Dominic in the formulation of the rosary, according to the format that we use. I've read articles that dispute his role and say, 'well, it's St. Dominic and say it was one of his disciples.' Others say, 'no, we can see that Dominic, himself formalized this particular way of praying. The Dominicans have certainly had an important role in propagating this way of prayer. But I think, as I look at it, so much of it is just about to the ordinary sense of the faithful and the way it's developed in their lives. There've been great to events in the life of the church that have come as a result to the prayer of the rosary. From the 16th through the 20th, into the 21st century, the holy fathers, the Popes have very much encouraged the faithful to use this kind of prayer as a preeminent form of devotion to the blessed Virgin.

Mary: You referenced the Fatima prayer as part of the rosary. Did that just kind of happen from the faithful devotion kind of adding that in? When I was little, we just learned it as part of the rosary. Did that just kind of organically happen?

Archbishop: That's how I understand it. You're going to have to get an expert. I'm sorry. If I'm not going to be able to help you on that.

Mary: I can go to the Google and see if they'll give me some information on that.

Archbishop: When I was taught to say the rosary as a child, it wasn't part of what we did. But eventually, I just picked it up. I think maybe one of the priests in our parish introduced it, and it just became part of the way I do it.

Mike: Well, as far as the history goes, it's funny what you're saying there about the disputing of St. Dominic's role in it. Because I know, l I had always learned that St. Dominic used it as kind of a catechetical tool. So he would instruct about some aspect of Christ's life and then ask, basically, those who were hearing the instruction to stop and meditate on that portion of life that they had just talked about to stop and meditate on it with 10 Hail Marys. So doing essentially just one decade. But it's interesting, like you're saying there's, there's different disputed thoughts on the exact origin of it. That's funny.

Archbishop: I think it depends on the historian and the historian's bent, and the kind of evidence that he or she requires in order to feel that they've proved their point. But certainly the order of preachers, the Dominican's have been the great voice to advocate for the use of the rosary.

Mary: This episode we decided to do, obviously, it's the month of October in the church kind of says that that October is the month that we are intentional about it being the month of the rosary. Do you know where that came about or is that just one of those things that's happened naturally as well?

Archbishop: I used Google, like you said Mary, and actually it took me to the Catholic Encyclopedia. And they say that goes back to Leo the 13th. That he was the one who put his own official stamp on the idea of October as the month of the holy rosary.

Mary: We were at mass on Sunday, and at the particular place that we were worshiping, they, during the month of October, all pray the rosary as a community before mass, which was really neat. We came kind of right at the tail end of it. But the priest had an obvious dedication to this form of prayer. And I know in my own life the rosary has always kind of been a part of my upbringing as a, as a family. But sometimes when I'm praying the rosary, it can be a bit of a challenging prayer to me because I get so easily distracted. I find almost more so than other prayers when I'm in the decade, it's really hard for me to focus on the mysteries. Do you have any tips for that? How the faithful can kind of embrace the rosary in new ways and pray it and a more profound way? I get so distracted when I'm praying it. Any tips on how to be able to focus more accurately when we're going through these mysteries or praying this prayer that's so important?

Archbishop: I stepped back a bit and ask you to appreciate your distraction that the saints say we can get ourselves tied up into a knot if we become too concerned about distraction. And that the best way to handle a distraction is when you notice that you're distracted, just to renew your attention and get back. Don't be fretful of that. I think to have some sorts of a good way to try and overcome distraction is to begin with maybe at least one little point to focus and to find a way to hold that in the center of one's prayer. It could be an image, and I have some friends who think that artistic images are very helpful. So there are lots of masterpieces paintings, that we're all familiar with for each of the mysteries. You might have one of those in mind as you take up the mystery. Say it's the mystery of the crucifixion of the Lord. It might be a crucifix that very powerful image for you. It could be a crucifix that has some big meaning in your life. I know a lot of people who take the crucifix that was on their parents coffin and they put it in their bedroom. It could be that kind of a thing. It could also be a scripture text, a short saying that is from the scripture that relates to the mystery and make the kind of touchpoint for one's prayer. But the important thing is not to be agitated or upset with one's distractions. The saints all say they're inevitable and it's by our resolve to overcome them with confidence that God is pleased.

Mary: I like those tips because I think sometimes the repetition is what makes my mind so distracted in that particular from a prayer, but I'm also so convicted that this is something that, for instance, I needed my family life. So those are really good tips to be able to focus on and what we're doing and also not get so frustrated that I don't want to do it because it's so hard because I get so distracted.

Mike: It's funny Mary, what you say, because I think sometimes the repetition of it is both like what you're saying, it kind of can be difficult because it's distracting. But I think for some also it becomes a very helpful cadence, a cadence that you're kind of, your fingers are doing something you're your mouth is saying something while your mind is reflecting on a specific thing. It's a weird thing that it can kind of both be simultaneously distracting, but also helps you to zero in, in a weird way to, you know what I mean? Like, so it's interesting, you know, and there's something about that obviously, you know, we've had such a long history with this. Archbishop, why do you think it is that people have just been so drawn to it? And I know we kind of talked about how it kind of, we don't know the exact history of it. It seemed to kind of organically come about, but I do know for sure that, you know, most people, you talk to there's, there's many who pray on a very consistent, disciplined way and they really feel a draw to it, and feel that it does bring them closer to Mary and her son. I don't know. Why do you think that might be?

Archbishop: Well, I think there are two pieces of evidence for the rightness of it. One is the authority of the church, particularly the Popes who've advocated this for us, the saints. Not least of course, the highest authority, the Blessed Virgin Mary, who's urged us to pray the rosary, but I also think it's the praying of the rosary is vindicated by the experience of the Christian people. As you said, Mike it's worked for countless generations, and we want to be part of that.

Mary: I've heard people talk, so many families that I look up to families of faith have it as such a deliberate part of their family devotional. There's something about the rosary, I think that ties families together in a spiritual way and kind of in some ways almost offers protection to family life. Do you have anything to say about that? Have you seen that? I know the church talks about it sometimes.

Archbishop: When you start talking about the family rosary, I think a father Peyton, the late Father Peyton, the Holy Cross father who came up with the axiom that the family that prays together, stays together. He was the great apostolate for the family rosary. I think it's a simple kind of prayer. So I think whatever generation a member of the family belongs to, they can enter into it. So even the youngest ones can participate. The most sophisticated can participate and old people like me, whose memory is fading, we can participate. You can do it any time, any place. Waiting in the doctor's office is a good place to say the rosary, I think.

Mary: We used to do it in the car on the way to school, and what I do with my children, they're still quite young. So the attention span of sitting can sometimes be a challenge, but we do a decade at a time and we try to complete it within either a day or a week, depending on our family. And we have this little kind of map that we move, you know, the decade beads across, so that we know that we're doing like a complete rosary, let's say in 24 hours, but at different times throughout the day to make it work for our young family, you know?

Archbishop: I think those are very admirable ways to go about it. I do it myself. Sometimes I'm not able to do all five decades continuously.

Mike: I'd love to get your thoughts on this, too. Like from a pastoral sense. I know I've spoken to some people that say, you know, a daily rosary is just hugely important it's and it's like to get that into your rhythm and discipline, you know, just as much as like eating healthier, working out, it's just something you do, whether you're feeling it or not. Just to say a daily rosary is a huge piece of a life of discipleship. I feel like personally in my own life, I've kind of worked more of an ebb and flow. Like there've been times in my life where I've really gravitated the rosary and I'm playing praying it quite consistently and regularly, and other periods or times in my life where I'm more drawn to contemplation or more drawn to maybe saying the Divine Mercy Chaplet or some other form of prayer and not the rosary per se. I don't know what your thoughts are on that. Do you think there's some, is it kind of doesn't matter as long as you're praying, do you think there's something true and good about that discipline of doing a rosary every day? I'd love to get your thoughts on that from a pastoral sense.

Archbishop: Well, we all should be free to live our spiritual life under the impulse of the holy spirit. As long as we live that impulse within the mind of the church, the Holy Spirit is never going to have us do something bad, so we should be free to follow our inspirations. But at the same time, I do think there's a lot to be said for making a commitment to be regular with the rosary. It's a way to be a regular in one's commitment as a child of the Blessed Virgin Mary. So I think on this sort of matter, the person should talk to one's confessor and just to be able to keep yourself keeps oneself honest so that you're not cutting corners.

Mary: That is the tricky part though. Mike, I hear what you're saying. Like, sometimes I'm like, we need to, I guess sometimes I, I, I have such a faith in the words of Our Lady in the wisdom of the church in knowing that this particular form of prayer has almost a prominence in our life, but sometimes it's really, I've said I struggle with distraction when I'm praying the rosary. So it's like, do I just make this a discipline in my life that I do every day? Like a commitment to it? Or do I just move in, do other prayer that may be emotionally connects with me a little bit more and I think Archbishop, that's a great answer. You talk to your confessor about it to make sure you're not, you know cutting yourself too much slack, but also following the impulses of the Holy Spirit. Right?

Archbishop: My advice for somebody is to move toward the side of making a disciplined commitment.

Mary: The other thing that you mentioned actually in Unleash the Gospel when talking about the rosary is the effect it has on a victory over spiritual opposition. And one thing that's just increasingly clear to me is in the culture that we're living in is that I keep saying it's, you know, it's wild times. Like it's so apparent to see different evils in the world. And the rosary is a real people have referred to it as a battle weapon. Do you have anything kind of, to say on that when it comes to spiritual warfare, when it comes to spiritual opposition, protecting ourselves?

Archbishop: Well, I agree with that completely. I do use the rosary that way, especially when I feel beleaguered by negativity. I was talking to a priest the other day about this, that one of the ways we are under siege is by a sense of discouragement and negativity. To have the rosary, to say the rosary is a very powerful way to put oneself under the protection of Our Lady, Queen of the Angels. Sometimes I have found a [council] just even in holding the rosary.

Mary: I have as well, even being a little girl, you know, when and I, and I tell my kids this too, I hope it's okay. But, you know, at nighttime, when we're afraid, putting the rosary in our hands and just having it close, there is a supernatural comfort that comes from that particular, I don't know, even holding the beads.

Archbishop: Well, I think yes, because by that gesture, I am asserting that I belong to the Blessed Virgin Mary and I'm under her protection. We can pray in a lot of ways. We pray with words, we pray with our thoughts, but we also pray with our bodies and our gestures. We're accustomed to that. That's what a genuflection is. And holding the rosary prayerfully is a way to pray.

Mike: It's interesting, too. I know that the rosary itself, and even probably this conversation would make some of our Protestant brothers and sisters, maybe a little nervous. It might sound a little bit like Marian Worship and that type of thing, which of course I know we don't do. It's always interesting that phrase of going to Christ through Mary I guess Archbishop, why do you think that's so important? Like why, why is it so important for us to have that mediator? Why is it so important for us to utilize something of a rosary, especially from the spiritual warfare standpoint rather than just kind of going right to Christ. I dunno. I just want to mention something about that.

Archbishop: In the end, the most important point is to say that we take our clue from Jesus who at the apex moment of his existence just before he expired on the cross, gave his mother to us. And so that has a tremendous meaning, so going to Jesus with her, obviously, he sees it as very important. And part of the sense of it is that this is how he came to us. He came to us through Mary and has given her to us so that we can reciprocate that gift with her. Someone like St. Irenaeus, very early Irenaeus was very closely connected through St. Polycarp and to St. John The Evangelist, points out that what I would call, he uses the word economy. I'd prefer the word ecology, the style, the format of salvation. Christ came as the new Adam a new Eve.

He didn't save us without this new Eve and she's part of the whole picture. And so it makes sense to engage with her as a participant in the Lord's work of saving us. And another very important point is it meets a very profound, emotional need that we have. Emotions can be good. They can also be wounded, but good emotions should be taken up into prayer. And there's a tremendous emotional satisfaction in complementing or engaging with our lady as we move to Christ. I very impressed getting ready for the podcast took me back to what St. John Paul wrote on the Rosary. The title of the work is the Rosary of the Virgin Mary. So he said, we remember Christ with Mary in the rosary. We learn about Christ from Mary. We're conformed to Christ with Mary, and we pray to Christ with Mary and we proclaim Christ with Mary. That's the best place to be to do those things is to stand with Mary. So it's not competition, it's just being smart.

Mary: It's funny when you're talking, I think just throughout this time that we've had with the podcast, I love when you reflect on the family and, and the work that God does within the family and the place of the domestic church. So it shouldn't be a wonder, right? That that, that relationship between mother and son has become so profound for each of us, because we know it at our cores. There's something about, you know, a relationship with my mom, you know, Archbishop in a relationship that I have to my children. It's, there's a supernatural quality of it. And when you can connect that back to this form of prayer, it can take on a whole new level, you know, and what you just said, that the St. John Paul, the second said, I mean, it really touched me because I think it's so true.

Archbishop: Well, and one of the things that is very important for us in our Catholic outlook on entering into the work of grace is never to think that what's naturally good is a competition with God. Now, there is a wound to creation and by the awful machinations of the devil creation can be turned into a weapon against the Kingdom of God. But what God made is not by its very nature, a competitor with God. And just because it can be abused doesn't mean that we leave it out of account. In fact, this is a division of St. Paul. In Christ there is a new . And creation is not just healed, but it's been brought to a whole new level. This is a epitomized in the humanity of Jesus. There is a human nature the being of a man, that's filled with divinity, the divine person of Christ. And so what's naturally good in the order of grace has been elevated to a whole new level. And that's why we talk about, as you said Mary, the family church family relationships become means to be graced. You said your kids are pretty young. I think they're out of diapers though, right?

Mary: Yes, they are. We finally have them all out of diapers, praise the Lord.

Archbishop: But when they were in diapers, doing their diapers was a way for you to be sanctified. That's an axiom to the life of grace, part of the ladder to heaven.

Mary: That's really good stuff to meditate on. And, you know, just really briefly, because we could do a whole podcast on each of the Marian Apparitions, but you've referenced the Blessed Virgin Mother has spoken about the rosary when she's appeared. Right?

Archbishop: Right. Fatima particularly for me, a very important to pilgrimage spot is Lourdes. I find it interesting that Bernadette said the rosary when she was in the presence of Our Lady and Our Lady too, was using the rosary when she appeared to Bernadette. But as is my understandingin the apparitions at Fatima, Our Lady was even more explicit about the invitation, the call to pray the rosary.

Mary: It just definitely is one of those things that it's so obvious through the church and through the movements of the Holy Spirit, that this prayer is powerful. In our, in our notes for the show we were told that Bishop Battersby, one of our auxiliary bishops, credits his priesthood to the power of the rosary through his, his mother, which is powerful because I think, you know, he says that his mom praying the rosary is, is how the supernatural grace is from, that led him to the priesthood. Have you, Mike, are you Archbishop, has there ever been a time in your life where you've really, it's just been so obvious to you that the rosary has provided graces for a path towards a prayer petition or something like that?

Mike: I would say I can't think of a concrete time where just praying the rosary answered a specific prayer or something very concrete, but I think the rhythm of it, like I said, I think I've ebbed and flowed. I've had times where I'm very consistent and at other times where I'm not as consistent about the rosary, but the times where I've been consistent I definitely there is a peace there, there is a kind of a stability and, and the knowledge that I'm not walking alone. And I like kind of what you were saying even earlier occupation about some of the things that John Paul II had said, Saint John Paul II had said about Mary is really, you know, she is the prototype of while we're all meant to be as far as that disciple of Christ. And so we looked to her for that guidance. We pray with her, we walk with her, we disciple with her. So just kind of, you know, being alongside her, under her mentorship, her tutelage of what it looks like to become what Christ desires for us to be. I think just, I I'd say that I could, I could feel those power in times where it's, I'm, I'm I can feel the power of being conformed, being changed in a positive sense by it, you know?

Archbishop: Yeah. For me the particular witness I can give about the power of the rosary is that on some occasions, when I have felt very powerless in order to accomplish the responsibilities that fall to me as a priest, as a Bishop my praying of the rosary has given me courage in a sense that all will be well, that Our Lady is on my side and that's a winning combo. I mean, to have her in my corner means God will bring it to a good conclusion.

Mike: How about for you, Mary?

Mary: It would be similar to what Archbishop said. I think when there has been times in my life where prayer seems urgent deep in my gut, I reach for beads. You know, that that's when, when there's something whether it is a family in crisis, or, you know, we had a situation where my niece was diagnosed with cancer and that night all of our separate families. So I have five brothers and sisters, all of us without communicating to one another, gathered our families together and prayed a rosary within our homes. Like that was just the only thing we could do. And it was when we didn't have anything else, it was like, we're, we're going to pray the rosary right now, because that's what we can do for Molly. You know? So I think in my life that urgency, sometimes that it's, it's as simple as moms. We need mom here, so we're going to pray through her. And I can feel that deep inside my spirit, the times in my life where I've really felt like this was what I needed to do because she would cover the situation. And so almost every time I can think of a real urgent need for prayer. It's the rosary. That is the first thing that comes to my spirit into my mind and offers that God is in charge through the intercession of his mom. So for sure.

Mike: Archbishop, there's so much, obviously, that could be said on this. You could probably do a three-hour long conversation, you know, but is there anything else that you wanted to add in particular as far as an invitation for our listeners regarding the rosary, or just anything else specific about the rosary you wanted to add?

Archbishop: Well I guess maybe a little word of advice. Some people, because it brings its own challenges, as Mary said, the repetition, the distraction, it lacks a certain novelty. People may have put aside the practice. If there are any listeners who have done that, I'd urge them to take up the rosary again and to see the podcast as a graced invitation to return. Perhaps the return of one decade at a time might be the easiest way for some people.

Mary: Fantastic. Well, thanks for sharing on the rosary Archbishop.

Well, we've come to the point in the podcast Archbishop, where we get to ask you questions that the faithful have submitted. If you're listening and you have a question for Archbishop Vigneron, please feel free to email us on EyesonJesuspodcast@aod.org. Make sure to include your name and your parish, and of course your questions. So again, that's EyesonJesuspodcast@aod.org. Our first question comes to us from Robbie, from Our Lady of the Woods in Woodhaven. Robbie says, since your birthday is coming up, how did you celebrate your birthdays growing up? What was the best gift that you have ever been given for your birthday? And what is the best birthday gift that you have given to someone else?

Archbishop: Growing up birthday celebrations in my family were that you got to have the kind of cake you wanted for your birthday. So that was birthday celebrations. The best gift I ever was given happened when I was. I don't remember if I was third grade or fourth grade, I think it was a third grader. And I was given the first book that I've ever owned. It was a lives of the saints book. And I found out later, or I put together later that my mother purchased the book through the help of the sister who was my teacher at school. And actually I have to have the book on my dresser. And it's just one of my prize possessions.

The fly leaf is an inscription in my mother's handwriting that this was a gift for my birthday, from my mother and my father. And I love books. I have too many books, and I haven't read them all, but I got a lot, but this book is one of the most beloved things I own.

Mary: I have to say, because this episode is on the rosary and our mother and looking at the life path that God has put you on to think of, you know, in third or fourth grade, your mom's desire to have you have a book on the lives of the saints, and then to see where your life of faith has led you. That's really beautiful. That's really beautiful.

Mike: Plus, you're somebody who just, you, you love books, like you said, but you're also, you obviously love knowledge and you love learning. And so your very first book, that's kind of like, it's cool thing. It's kind of what starts it all off in a way the, the, the life of the mind and that learning that you so deeply love, you know, that's great. That's great.

Mary: Not that you can beat your mom's gift there, but have you ever given a gift that you're like, oh, I, I scored with this gift.

Archbishop: Nothing comes to mind.

Mary: Nothing could come after that. That was like, that was a, that's an awesome gift to, so that's great.

Mike: Wonderful. Well, you know, ordinations, I guess, you know, he's helping participate in that. That's a pretty big gift.

All right, Archbishop the next question is actually from Maggie, at St, Kateri in Dearborn, and she asks the question about languages. So she was wondering how many languages you speak. Do you ever read the scripture in Hebrew or Greek? You know, when she was also wondering like, when bishops like yourself meet the Pope and what language is spoken? Does anyone actually converse in Latin anymore? Even though that's kind of the universal language of the church. So she snuck in a lot of questions there too. Right. But they're all around the idea of language. So what do you think Archbishop?

Archbishop: Well I don't know about speak, but there are several languages I've studied: Greek and Latin, French, Italian, Spanish, and German. The one that I'm competent in conversation still is Italian. I Used to be better in German, French, Spanish, but I've gotten rusty in all of those. When I finished college, I was able write term papers in Latin, but that's gone, too.

Mary: Wow. That's incredible. And I bet speaking Italian is helpful, even with your role with the bishops, right?

Archbishop: Internationally it is. A lot of bishops can speak Italian.

Mary: Would you say is it English or Italian that the bishops, when you're gathering together with like the global community, what language do you use together?

Archbishop: Well I would say the three that are the most common are Italian, Spanish, and English. And it really depends on where people are from and what you can use.

Mary: That's super interesting. That's a lot of languages. I'm going to tell my kids that when they're struggling with Spanish, you know, your Archbishop speaks like five languages.

Archbishop: No, don't tell them I speak them.

Mary: All right. Okay. All right. I won't say that.

Archbishop: I have different competencies in all of them.

Mary: Very good. All right. Well, our last question comes from Michelle at Old St. Mary in Detroit. And she says earlier in the episodes, you shared some of your favorite activities to do in fall. Well, that, that's what I'm saying is earlier in the episode you shared some of your activities in fall. What is your favorite season of the year? What is your favorite liturgical season?

Archbishop: Favorite season of the calendar year is spring. I love spring. The sense of the sun daylight growing every day, new birth trees in blossom. I love the spring. Favorite liturgical season, Lent is the one that means the most to me.

Mary: Yeah. It seems like during Lent, I don't know, we connect with Christ in a really unique way during that season in our church. And then spring comes with Easter, so that's great.

Mike: Well, Archbishop, thanks so much for being a part of this episode. And I know earlier we mentioned, obviously your birthday's coming up, so of course, we're going to pray for you on October 21st. And I know you actually specifically asked for us to pray for their repose of the soul of your mom and dad. Are there any other prayers that we can be keeping in mind for you this next month?

Archbishop: Yes, I particularly ask people to pray that I and the priest leaders of the archdiocese are able to help us move into families of parishes in a way that helps us unleash the gospel.

Mike: Very good. I know you've been mentioning that quite a few times. I know that's something really on your heart, so we will definitely keep that in mind, for sure. And with that Archbishop, I don't know if you would mind closing us with a prayer.

Archbishop: How about we use a Pope Francis' prayer to Saint Joseph. Saint Joseph, guardian of the Redeemer, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to you, God and trusted his only son. In you, Mary placed her trust. With you, Christ became man. Blessed Joseph to us to show yourself a father and guide us in the path of life obtained for us, grace, mercy, and courage, and defend us from every evil. Amen. Blessed Solanus pray for us. Amen.

Mike: Thank you so much, Archbishop.

Mary: Stay tuned for the next episode of Eyes on Jesus, a new podcast every month. And if you've enjoyed listening, you might also like Detroit Stories, a podcast from the Archdiocese of Detroit. Find it on your favorite podcast app.