The Heart of the Ark podcast is an initiative from the Office for Evangelization in the Archdiocese of Newark. We're coming to you to bring knowledge and courage as we voyage through this life as missionary disciples of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Hosted by Fr. John Gordon, Director of the Office for Evangelization and Secretary of Evangelization for the Archdiocese of Newark, and Jennifer Behnke, Associate Director of Evangelization, our aim is to help equip our listeners to better know, love and serve God.
Publisher
Office For Evangelization - Archdiocese of Newark
Category
religion & spirituality · science · society & culture
Episode 106: Finding Faith in a Fall-out Shelter: Conversations and Encounters in Kyiv with Mariia Cosmi
Jen speaks with Mariia Cosmi, a fellow church musician and public school teacher about her trip home this summer to see her family in Ukraine. Mariia was born in Kyiv, Ukraine but has lived in New Jersey for the past 18 years. She speaks about conversations she had with fellow travellers, family and neighbors. Navigating conversations about God, faith, and finding meaning and identity take courage in every day life, but add to that a context of extreme suffering and life endangering situations.
Mariia's candor and insight give us a glimpse into the ways in which we can remain intentional and vulnerable listeners in even the most difficult situations. And how being convicted in oue own relationship with God gives us our identity and gives all that we do meaning, and purpose.
Episode image is an icon of Christ Pantocrator (The Teacher) with the verse John 13:34 in Church Slavonic. "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another"
Office for Evangelization website: www.rcan.org/evangelization (http://www.rcan.org/evangelization)
Our original theme music is "Meditation" by Eric Hunter. - www.erichuntermusic.com (http://www.erichuntermusic.com)
9 Aug 2026
Episode 105: The still, small voice of calm - Contemplation and Stillness for Communal Discernment with Milissa Else
The still, small voice of calm - Intentional practices of stillness in prayer and the habits of contemplation for communal discernment.
Originally recorded in the fall of 2024, Jen speaks with Milissa Else about her experience of deep prayer and contemplation as the necessary foundational work for communal discernment. In the Fall of 2024, Milissa joined a group of students who were able to travel to the Synod on Synodality and spoke with delegates in order to witness the spiritual practice of being Church. Milissa's first hand experience of witnessing the fruits of this spiritual practice which brings joy, gratitude and a deep sense of unity in the midst of diverse perspectives and experiences. Her insight continues to shape the work she does at the Archdiocese whether in parish life or within the tasks set forth in the pastoral conversion process.
This conversation also gave birth to the idea of approaching "Dilexit Nos" from a deep prayer and contemplative framework which Jen embarked on last year.
Milissa Else currently works for the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey and serves as Assistant to the Chancellor for Pastoral Projects. Milissa and the Chancellor provide ongoing training and support for pastors, parish staff and Parish Pastoral Councils. Since 2021, their work has focused on the Synod on Synodality. Milissa also serves as a part-time Director of Religious Education in a parish. Previous to her work with the Archdiocese, Milissa spent nearly five years directing adult faith formation and managing small Christian communities. Milissa provided training to small group facilitators in 20 dioceses across the country. Prior to serving directly in parish ministry, Milissa was Vice President for a consulting firm. Through the consulting firm, Milissa served the Catholic Church for nearly 20 years in parishes, dioceses, and religious communities across the country.
Dear Lord and Father of Mankind by John Greenleaf Whittier (https://hymnary.org/text/dear_lord_and_father_of_mankind)
Loyola New Orleans students attend Global Synod (https://loyolamaroon.com/10044267/news/graduate-students-make-pilgrimage-to-vatican-for-global-synod/#)
Synod on Synodality final document (https://www.synod.va/content/dam/synod/news/2024-10-26_final-document/ENG---Documento-finale.pdf)
Dilexit Nos - Apostolic Exhortation on the Sacred Heart of Jesus (https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/20241024-enciclica-dilexit-nos.html)
"Still, Small Voice of Calm" - by Thomas Enwright, The Way (https://www.theway.org.uk/back/623Enwright.pdf)
Office for Evangelization website: www.rcan.org/evangelization (http://www.rcan.org/evangelization)
Our original theme music is "Meditation" by Eric Hunter. - www.erichuntermusic.com (http://www.erichuntermusic.com)
22 May 2026
Episode 104: Evangelization - The Heartbeat of the Church with Fr. Cesar Jaramillo, JCL
Jen sits down with Fr. Cesar Jaramillo, JCL and Pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in Pequannock New Jersey (Diocese of Paterson) to discuss what it Evangelization is, and how it may be lived out in a parish context.
Fr. Cesar Jaramillo is an Adjunct Professor for the Catholic Studies Program at Seton Hall University and for Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology’s Center for Diaconal Formation. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Paterson on July 1, 2017. Fr. Jaramillo currently serves as Parochial Vicar at St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Parsippany, New Jersey. He also serves as the Defender of the Bond for the Ecclesiastical Tribunals of the Diocese of Paterson and the Archdiocese of Boston. He is a member of the Presbyteral Council and College of Consultors for the Diocese of Paterson. Fr. Jaramillo has taught as an Adjunct Professor at St. Elizabeth University in Madison, NJ in the Evangelization Certificate Program, which is a collaboration between St. Paul Inside the Walls and St. Elizabeth University to equip lay leaders with the necessary tools for the efforts of the New Evangelization.
In 2013 he earned a B.A. in Catholic Studies from Seton Hall University. Father Jaramillo earned the S.T.B. (Theology) and the J.C.L. (Canon Law) degrees from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome in 2016 and 2019 respectively. He also earned a Diploma in Administrative Canonical Praxis from the Vatican’s Congregation for the Clergy in 2018. Fr. Jaramillo is a member of the Canon Law Society of America.
Watch Fr. Cesar's Homily (https://youtu.be/Zh9tTDIoDHg)on YouTube
Letter of Diognetus (https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0101.htm) - from New Advent
Readings from Ascension Sunday 2026 (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/051726-Ascension)
Julianne Stanz (https://www.juliannestanz.com/) - author, Consultant for USCCB on Evangelization
Office for Evangelization website: www.rcan.org/evangelization (http://www.rcan.org/evangelization)
Our original theme music is "Meditation" by Eric Hunter. - www.erichuntermusic.com (http://www.erichuntermusic.com)
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4 ratings
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