Eyes on Jesus with Archbishop Vigneron

Latest Episodes:

Episode 36: Advent and the Second Coming Dec 16, 2022

Show notes

Archbishop Vigneron explains our focus in Advent on the Second Coming: What that means, why we focus on this during Advent, and how we Catholics should prepare for Christ to come again.

0:25 – Our hosts greet each other and catch up on the past month.

0:32 – Archbishop Vigneron talks about visiting the Blessed Solanus Casey Center for their 20th anniversary and blessing their expanded space. He also provides a short biography of Blessed Solanus, touches on why he’s so important to Detroit, and gives an update on the canonization process.

5:40 – Archbishop Vigneron shares about his prayer this Advent season of opening himself up to the joy that God wants him to have.

8:08 – Mary, Mike, and Archbishop talk about the I AM HERE campaign in support of the National Eucharistic Revival, specifically the series of Holy Hours happening at parishes throughout the Archdiocese every day of Advent.

11:32 – Mary asks Archbishop Vigneron to talk about the Second Coming of Christ and how it relates to the season of Advent.

14:08 – Mike asks Archbishop to share some of the theological and scriptural bases for the belief that Christ will come again.

21:28 – Archbishop explains the Church’s teaching on how the Second Coming will bring about the Resurrection of the Dead.

25:12 – Archbishop talks about what happens to a person’s soul when they die, and what the Church teaches about the particular judgment each of us will face.

28:34 – Mike asks Archbishop to talk about what will happen to our souls, our bodies, and even our planet, after the Second Coming.

37:17 – Archbishop Vigneron shares his prayer intentions for the month and closes the episode with a prayer and blessing.

Episode 35: The Communion of Saints Nov 16, 2022

Show notes

Archbishop Vigneron discusses the Communion of Saints, the union between the saints on earth, in purgatory, and in heaven.

0:30 —Archbishop Vigneron, Mary, and Mike greet each other and catch up on the past month. Archbishop talks about visiting Rome with the USCCB leadership, meetings with the Vatican Curia offices, and an audience with Pope Francis, as well as a pilgrimage following the footsteps of St. Paul in Greece and Turkey.

3:26 —Mary asks Archbishop to reflect on what it was like to have an audience with Pope Francis.

5:09 —Mary introduces this month’s topic, the Communion of Saints, asking Archbishop Vigneron to share a little about the history and background of this teaching.

8:34 —Mike asks Archbishop to explain what is meant by the term “Communion of Saints.”

9:56 —Archbishop Vigneron explains the terms Church militant, Church triumphant, and Church suffering: what they mean, why we use them, and how they interact with one another.

14:43 —Mary asks Archbishop to discuss the Church’s teaching on purgatory.

18:12 —Archbishop talks about how those who are alive can pray for the souls in purgatory and help them get to heaven.

21:17 —Mary introduces the Confraternity for Holy Souls and asks Archbishop to explain his vision for this new lay apostolate focused on praying for the holy souls in purgatory.

27:18 —Archbishop discusses why Catholics pray to saints in heaven, how those saints can be helpful to those of us still on earth, and how one becomes a patron saint.

41:55 —The episode closes with a prayer and blessing.

Episode 34: Permanent Diaconate and Religious Life Oct 19, 2022

Show notes

Archbishop Vigneron discusses vocations to the permanent diaconate and religious life, emphasizing the many ways one can be called to ministry in the local Church.

0:25 – Archbishop Vigneron, Mary, and Mike greet each other and catch up on the past month.

1:49 – Mike asks Archbishop Vigneron to share and reflect on some of the themes in the Prayer for the Year of Priestly Vocations—a prayer that is being prayed during every Mass in every parish in the Archdiocese.

3:18 – Mary asks Archbishop to reflect on the Mass he celebrated to begin Respect Life Month and to share a little of what he talked about in his preaching that day.

4:49 – Archbishop, Mike, and Mary discuss Proposal 3 and share details about how listeners can find resources to help defeat this proposal.

6:30 – Mary introduces this month’s topic: vocations to the permanent diaconate and religious life. She asks the Archbishop to speak a little bit about the role permanent deacons play in both the universal Church and here in the Archdiocese of Detroit.

8:52 – Mike asks Archbishop to speak about the service component of permanent diaconate ministry and what that looks like in the day-to-day ministry of deacons.

11:42 – Mary asks the Archbishop if he has any specific memories of when, during his 1987 pastoral visit to Detroit, St. John Paul II gave an address to the deacons of the Archdiocese and their wives.

12:10 – Archbishop reflects on how, because of the sacramental economy of marriage, deacons’ wives—while not being ordained themselves—do serve an important and integral role in their husbands’ ministry.

14:45 – Mary shares that her father is a permanent deacon in the Archdiocese and reflects on the ways in which his ministry blesses their family.

15:17 – Mike asks Archbishop to introduce the topic of religious vocations.

17:57 – Mike asks Archbishop those discerning a vocation, especially a vocation to the priesthood, can discern between a call to the diocesan priesthood versus the religious priesthood. He also asks whether Archbishop ever felt a call to the religious priesthood.

20:54 – Mary asks Archbishop to describe the difference between a religious brother and a religious priest as well as between religious sisters and nuns.

23:18 – Mary asks about the steps involved in a religious order coming into a diocese to engage in ministry. Mike follows up with a question about religious orders that have come to the Archdiocese of Detroit during Archbishop Vigneron’s time as Archbishop of Detroit.

28:47 – Archbishop reflects on the ways in which the presence of religious orders bless a diocese.

30:31 – Mike asks Archbishop to share a little about the October 2 ordination of three new permanent deacons for the Archdiocese of Detroit.

33:24 – Archbishop shares a little of the message he shares with the religious of the Archdiocese during their annual jubilee Mass and celebration.

35:33 – Archbishop offers some advice on how the faithful can support vocations—to the priesthood, permanent diaconate, and religious life.

38:45 – The episode concludes with a prayer and blessing.

Episode 33: Respect Life Month Sep 21, 2022

Show notes

Archbishop Vigneron discusses Respect Life Month in October, including its significance this year as people in Michigan prepare to vote on Proposal 3, which seeks to include unregulated abortion rights in the state constitution. Note to readers: This episode was recorded in early September, before the proposal was officially placed on the ballot.

0:17 — Our hosts greet each other and catch up on the past few weeks.

2:57 — Mary Wilkerson shares about her new role as a Campus Minister at Divine Child Catholic School in Dearborn.

4:04 — Archbishop Vigneron offers a message of encouragement to Catholic school teachers, parents, and students as they begin a new academic year.

5:35 — With the July 1 launch of the second wave of Families of Parishes, Mike asks Archbishop Vigneron to reflect on his perspective of this transformation in our local Church and to look forward at the next steps.

8:47 — Mary introduces this month’s topic: Respect Life Month. She asks Archbishop about the significance of this month taking place in October.

10:30 — Archbishop explains what “respect life” means from a Catholic perspective.

14:15 — Mike asks Archbishop Vigneron about some of the events and initiatives taking place in the Archdiocese of Detroit during Respect Life Month, including two Masses: One on October 2 to thank God for the sacred gift of human and life and another on October 23 for those who have suffered miscarriages or infant loss.

19:33 — Mary invites Archbishop Vigneron to talk about the Walking with Moms in Need initiative and how the Archdiocese of Detroit and the whole Church in the United States are re-doubling their efforts to support all mothers and their families.

26:00 — Archbishop Vigneron speaks about Proposal 3, a proposed constitutional amendment that, if passed, would allow unregulated abortion in Michigan. He shares how Catholics can work to defeat this proposal.

35:47 — Archbishop answers listener questions about his first car, administering the Sacrament of the Sick, and his favorite homilies.

44:36 — The episode concludes with a prayer and blessing.

Episode 32: Eucharistic Revival Jul 20, 2022

Show notes

Archbishop Vigneron discusses the recently-launched National Eucharistic Revival and how, as Catholics, we can help ourselves and others foster a renewed devotion to Jesus in the Eucharist.

0:20 – Archbishop Vigneron, Mary and Mike greet each other and catch up on the past month. Archbishop Vigneron reflects on the Eucharistic Procession held on the Feast of Corpus Christi that officially kicked off the National Eucharistic Revival in the Archdiocese of Detroit.

1:06 – Mary asks Archbishop Vigneron about the Archdiocese of Detroit’s newest auxiliary bishop, Archbishop Paul F. Russell. Archbishop Vigneron talks about the ministry of an auxiliary bishop and how he came to know then-Father Russell when the latter was a priest in Boston. The group also celebrates Archbishop Russell’s ties to Michigan.

7:14 – Mary asks Archbishop Vigneron to share an overview of the National Eucharistic Revival, its goals, and its inspiration.

11:13 – Mike asks Archbishop Vigneron to reflect on the survey data about how many Catholics believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and to speak about what a successful Eucharistic Revival will look like.

17:53 – Archbishop Vigneron shares that while the Revival is an opportunity to re-catechize the faithful about the Eucharist, it cannot be focused only on an intellectual understanding of the sacrament. It must also make a real impact on people at emotional and spiritual levels.

19:56 – Mike, Mary, and Archbishop Vigneron talk about why it’s important for Catholics to believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and some of the reasons many Catholics don’t share this foundational belief.

29:11 – Mike asks Archbishop Vigneron about the I AM HERE campaign that solicits and shares stories from Catholics who have been impacted in significant ways by Jesus in the Eucharist. They also discuss the importance of witnessing our faith to others and what makes an effective witness testimony.

34:42 – Our hosts share stories of powerful experiences they’ve had while praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

44:00 – Archbishop Vigneron answers listener questions about inventions that have changed his life, his “typical day,” and a few theological questions he would like to ask God.

50:52 – Archbishop Vigneron shares his prayer intentions for the month and closes the episode with a blessing.

Episode 31: Year of Prayer For Priestly Vocations Jun 28, 2022

Show notes

Archbishop Vigneron discusses the Year of Prayer for Priestly Vocations in the Archdiocese of Detroit, a time for us to become united in prayer, working toward a culture that fosters and celebrates vocations to the priesthood.

0:30 – Archbishop Vigneron, Mary and Mike greet each other and the listeners and catch up on the last month.

1:10 – Mary asks Archbishop Vigneron about the National Eucharistic Revival, how we’re observing and preparing for that effort in the Archdiocese of Detroit, and the Eucharistic Procession from the Cathedral to Sacred Heart Major Seminary on the Feast of Corpus Christi.

4:30 – Archbishop shares a memory of carrying the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance to the sick at Lourdes in France

5:00 – Mike asks Archbishop Vigneron to talk about the relationship between our Year of Prayer for Priestly Vocations and the Eucharistic Revival.

5:58 – Mary asks Archbishop to explain what a “year of prayer,” how they are established in the Church, and what exactly we’re praying for during this Year of Prayer for Priestly Vocations.

8:30 – Mary and Archbishop talk about how all Catholics in southeast Michigan can support those whom God calls to the priesthood to hear and have the courage to answer that call.

9:49 – Mike asks Archbishop Vigneron to share some of the highlights and important points of his recent pastoral note on the Year of Prayer for Priestly Vocations.

12:27 – Mary asks Archbishop about the shortage of priests, locally and nationally.

14:00 – Mary and Archbishop talk about the correlation between strong families and a strong culture of vocations.

14:45 – Mike asks Archbishop to speak about the Holy Hour for Priestly Vocations that opened the Year of Prayer on the Vigil of Pentecost.

17:40 – Archbishop and Mary talk about having faith that God will provide enough priests for His Church.

20:00 – Archbishop talk about other planned activities and events, at the diocesan, parish, and individual family levels, during the Year of Prayer for Priestly Vocations.

24:49 – Our hosts share stories about the inspiration they received from having joyful models of vocations–priests, religious, laity–as they were growing up and the impact that modeling had on their own vocations.

28:53 – Mary invites listeners to visit prayforvocations.com to view more resources about participating in the Year of Prayer for Priestly Vocations.

31:04 – Archbishop Vigneron contrasts the “no bystanders” nature of the Church’s mission with the “consumer mentality” of our culture.

33:30 – Archbishop Vigneron answers listener questions, including his favorite things to cook, underrated female saints, and with whom in the Bible he would like to switch places.

39:30 – Archbishop shares his intentions for the month, including prayers for the Archdiocese of Detroit’s new auxiliary bishop, Archbishop Paul Russell. He then closes the episode with the Archdiocese’s prayer for priestly vocations and a blessing.

Episode 30: A Pro-Life Response May 25, 2022

Show notes

As we await a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court in the Dobbs v. Jackson case on abortion, Archbishop Vigneron is joined by guest host Rebecca Mastee, a policy advocate with the Michigan Catholic Conference, to discuss the Church’s response to abortion and efforts to support every woman, child, and family in need.

0:00 – Archbishop Vigneron and Mike greet each other and catch up on the past month.

1:06 – Mike asks Archbishop Vigneron to speak about the Year of Prayer for Priestly Vocations that was announced on Holy Thursday.

2:31 – Archbishop Vigneron invites listeners to attend the Holy Hour at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral that will officially begin the Year of Prayer at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 4.

2:45 – Archbishop Vigneron and Mike discuss Asian Pacific Heritage Month and the many contributions to both the universal and local Church made by our Asian and Pacific Islander brothers and sisters.

5:10 – Mike and Archbishop Vigneron welcome guest Rebecca Mastee, policy advocate with the Michigan Catholic Conference.

5:37 – Rebecca shares a little about her background and work with the Michigan Catholic Conference on issues of human life and dignity.

6:30 – Archbishop Vigneron, Mike and Rebecca discuss the upcoming Supreme Court decision on the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case and its potential impact for the nation and Michigan.

7:21 – Rebecca explains the background for this case and some of the public policy implications as well as the petition drive that seeks to enshrine a “right to abortion” in the Michigan constitution.

15:19 – Rebecca shares some resources for listeners seeking more information about both the petition drive as well as Dobbs v. Jackson.

16:15 – Mike asks Archbishop Vigneron to discuss the pastoral and spiritual implications of both Dobbs v. Jackson and the Michigan petition drive.

19:14 – Mike asks Archbishop and Rebecca to talk about some of the reaction to the leaked draft Supreme Court opinion and how Catholics should approach and respond to the heightened level of tension surrounding abortion issues on both spiritual and practical levels.

26:26 – Rebecca, Mike and Archbishop Vigneron talk about the forms of materiel support that the Church has available for women considering an abortion, most particularly the Walking with Moms in Need initiative.

35:48 – Rebecca discusses some of the work the Michigan Catholic Conference is doing to advocate for state funding for pregnancy resource centers and to assist pregnant women.

38:50 – Archbishop Vigneron answers listener questions about his favorite childhood storybook characters and the image that comes to mind when he thinks of God.

44:55 – Archbishop Vigneron closes the episode with a prayer and blessing.

Episode 29: The Kerygma Apr 20, 2022

Show notes

Archbishop Vigneron discusses the kerygma – the simple, radical, joyful message of the Gospel – and how we can share it in our parishes and families.

1:00 – Archbishop speaks for a few moments about the good work being done both locally and nationally in support of the Walking with Moms in Need initiative.

2:25 – Mary asks Archbishop if there’s a particular prayer that’s been on his heart during Lent. Archbishop tells of how he’s focused on letting God the Father teach him how to be His son.

4:06 – Archbishop Vigneron speaks about his favorite aspects of Holy Week and the Easter Triduum, highlighting the blessing of oils during the Chrism Mass and baptizing new Catholics at the Easter Vigil.

9:02 – Our hosts discuss the kerygma: what it is, what it means for Catholics, and how we can share this Good News of Jesus Christ with others.

17:00 – Mike asks Archbishop to discuss how the kerygma is a key component of our work of evangelization and unleashing the Gospel.

20:08 – Archbishop speaks about how prayer can be an effective route to internalizing the message of the kerygma.

24:50 – Archbishop, Mike and Mary talk about how parents have a special role to play in sharing the kerygma with their children and how the Church can support that work.

30:00 – The hosts talk about how all the work of the Church, and of Catholics—no matter how ordinary or mundane—must be imbued with the Holy Spirit and support the work of evangelization.

36:05 – Mary asks Archbishop if there was a time in his life when he felt especially compelled by the Holy Spirit to entrust himself to Jesus.

38:00 – Mike, Mary and Archbishop Vigneron talk about how the Holy Spirit works differently in each person, but always with the same goal of bringing each of us into a deeper and fuller relationship with Christ.

40:00 – Mary asks Archbishop to share some practical ways in which Catholics can share the message of the kerygma.

44:53 – Mary announces the temporary pause of the listener questions segment while the Eyes on Jesus team thinks of new and creative ways to gather questions. In the meantime, anyone who has a question can still email eyesonjesuspodcast@aod.org with their first name, parish, and question to have it featured on an upcoming episode.

45:45 – The episode concludes with a prayer and blessing.

Episode 28: The Sacrament of Reconciliation Mar 15, 2022

Show notes

Archbishop discusses the Sacrament of Reconciliation, including its basis in Sacred Scripture, its importance in the lives of faithful Catholics, and some of his personal experiences as a penitent.

0:20 – Mike and Mary greet Archbishop Vigneron and our hosts catch up on the past month.

1:10 – Archbishop Vigneron talks about the experiencing of ordaining Bishop Jeffrey Walsh, the new bishop of the Diocese of Gaylord, Michigan.

2:20 – Mary asks the Archbishop about celebrating Ash Wednesday Mass at St. Aloysius in downtown Detroit, a tradition for many years for the bishops of Detroit. Archbishop Vigneron also discusses the practice of marking foreheads with ashes on Ash Wednesday.

5:00 – Mary asks the Archbishop to reflect on the experience of having members of the choir from Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church present for Ash Wednesday Mass.

8:30 – Archbishop Vigneron talks about the Sacrament of Reconciliation, its basis in Sacred Scripture, how it can be helpful for one’s soul, and some practical advice for those wishing to make a good Confession.

19:15 – Mike asks the Archbishop to explain the difference between venial and mortal sins.

21:45 – Archbishop Vigneron elaborates on why Catholics confess their sins to priests, who are standing in for Christ, rather than confessing directly to God in private prayer.

26:35 – Mary asks the Archbishop to explain the Seal of the Confessional, the obligations it places on priests, and what it means for penitents.

31:10 – Mary asks the Archbishop to explain how the Sacrament of Reconciliation can help Catholics grow in holiness.

33:20 – Mike asks the Archbishop to explain some of the formation that seminarians receive to help them become good confessors.

37:25 – Archbishop Vigneron, Mike, and Mary recall their first experience of Confession.

40:15 – Archbishop Vigneron recalls one of the more profound experiences he’s had as a penitent.

42:30 – Archbishop Vigneron answers listener questions about how the faithful are benefiting from Families of Parishes, which disciple he most identifies with, and his advice for a Californian moving to Detroit.

48:30 – Archbishop shares his prayer intentions for the month and closes the episode with a prayer and blessing.

Episode 27: Stewardship Feb 24, 2022

Show notes

Archbishop Vigneron discusses what it means to be a good steward, discerning how God wants us to use His gifts of time, talent, and treasure to advance His kingdom.

0:30—Archbishop Vigneron and Mike catch up on the past month and ask for prayers for Mary and her family as they manage a medical situation.

1:15—Mike asks Archbishop to reflect on the recently-celebrated Mass for the World Day of the Sick, the anointing that took place during the Mass, his devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes and traveling to Lourdes to care for the sick.

3:25—Archbishop Vigneron talks about a recent trip he made to the Cayman Islands to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation and a brief history of how the Archdiocese of Detroit became responsible for the spiritual care of the Catholics there.

5:50—Mike and Archbishop Vigneron discuss stewardship and what it means in a Catholic context. God has given us all gifts of time, talent, and treasure and to be good stewards of those gifts is to properly discern how God wants us to use them to advance His kingdom.

9:20—Archbishop Vigneron offers some practical suggestions for how Catholics can be good stewards of their time, talent, and treasure.

16:40—Mike asks Archbishop to reflect on examples of stewardship that he saw in his family when he was growing up.

18:15—Archbishop Vigneron and Mike discuss stewardship of creation as called for in Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato si’.

19:25—Archbishop talk about how we, as individuals, can be good stewards of our vocations and collectively good stewards of the Church’s vocation to evangelize. He also shares some insights about how we can listen to the Holy Spirit to make sure we’re properly following God’s will for us.

29:40—Mike asks Archbishop to discuss some of the obstacles that can impede good stewardship and saints we can look to as models of good stewardship.

34:00—Mike asks Archbishop to share some thoughts about how we can approach the upcoming season of Lent.

35:15—Archbishop Vigneron answers listener questions about he observes Lent, his favorite things about the Archdiocese of Detroit, and his favorite liturgical music.

42:22—The episode closes with prayer and a blessing.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Eyes on Jesus with Archbishop Vigneron

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected