The Most Reverend John O. Barres, STD, JCL is the fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre (Long Island, NY). Previously, he served as the Bishop of the Diocese of Allentown (PA) from 2009 to 2016. He is a graduate of Phillips Academy (Andover), Princeton University and the New York University Graduate School of Business and holds advanced theological degrees from the Catholic University of America and the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome. Bishop Barres serves on the Board of Trustees of the Catholic University of America. We are blessed to have Bishop Barres on our podcast.

In this episode you will find answers to the following questions about Bishop Barres:

· He wrote a chapter for a book titled “Apostolic Athletes” edited by Trent Beattie. What personal memories did this evoke for him?

· What sport did he play in college?

· Why is St. John Neuman important to him and what do they share that he is proud of?

· What was he experiencing when he found a pamphlet that emphasized “don’t play sports for your own ego, play it for the glory of God”. How did this affect him?

· What does a point guard in basketball have in common with being a bishop?

· How did the experience of team chemistry while playing basketball affect his spiritual life?

· Why is Pope St. John Paul II’s encyclical “Redemptoris Missio” important to him?

· How was he involved in a Vatican Conference in 2024 regarding the Catholic evangelistic and pastoral care of the global sports world? What effect might this have on Catholic college and high school sports?

· Why are Catholic theology and spirituality of work important?

· Are professional, Olympic, and any level of sports a good place for evangelization?

· What was important about the 1969 New York Mets?

· Is the Holy Spirit moving within young people today?

· How was Archbishop Fulton Sheen involved in the Barres family’s life?

· Is the crucifix important to him? Does he challenge us to make it important in our lives?

· Are sports, at all levels, a great place for our personal missionary spirit?

Links:

Pope St. John Paul II’s encyclical: https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_07121990_redemptoris-missio.html

https://www.usccb.org/resources/Vatican%20Pastoral%20Care%20of%20Sports%20Bishop%20Barres%20Remarks%20May%202024.pdf

https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/catechumen

https://www.wordonfire.org/about/bishop-robert-barron/

https://ascensionpress.com/pages/person/mike-schmitz

https://focus.org/

https://www.archbalt.org/bishop-barres-says-amazin-mets-of-69-who-defeated-orioles-for-championship-can-inspire-church-to-evangelize/

https://www.usccb.org/committees/ecumenical-interreligious-affairs/ecumenical