Bonus: Faith, Community, and the Radical Act of Listening with Father Jim O’Shea

QUICK SUMMARY

What does it really mean to live the Gospel, not just inside church walls, but on the street corner, in the storefront, and in the lives of people the world has written off? In this powerful bonus episode of Religion to Reality, hosts Dave Plisky and Father John Gribowich are joined by Father James O’Shea, a Passionist priest and co-founder of Reconnect, a community organization in Brooklyn that has spent over a decade transforming lives through employment, mentorship, and belonging. Father Jim shares why crossing the street, literally and figuratively, is the first and most essential act of discipleship. This conversation will challenge you, inspire you, and might just upend your narrative.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE EXPLORE:

• “If you don’t want to leave the block, then we transform the block.” — Father Jim on the founding philosophy of Reconnect (00:03:30)

• How a simple basketball program at a public school became a window into the lives — and recurring tragedies — of young men in Bed-Stuy (00:08:00)
• Why moralizing with people goes nowhere, and what the church should do instead (00:09:30)
• The difference between “behave, believe, then belong” vs. leading with belonging — and why it matters (00:10:30)
• What the Passionists are, and how the charism of the Cross connects contemplation to solidarity with the suffering (00:14:30)
• Why Father Jim fell in love with Bedford-Stuyvesant the first Sunday he went there (00:18:00)
• The predictable, heartbreaking pattern he watched play out in young men’s lives — and how Reconnect interrupts it (00:19:30)
• “The church is the only institution I see that really has the capacity to continually witness: you are worth us doing this because we know who you are.” (00:43:00)
• Why human dignity as a concept may owe more to Christianity than most people realize — and what that means in the age of AI (00:48:30)
• The irreplaceable role of women religious in humanizing American culture (00:52:00)
• How the church should navigate controversial moral teachings while still leading with love (01:02:00)
• “I’m not going to pontificate about it until I hear people’s stories.” — Father Jim on listening before judging (01:14:30)
• Whether radical listening might be the defining prophetic witness the church is called to offer right now (01:08:30)
• Why listening is “a very dangerous enterprise” — and why that’s exactly the point (01:13:00)

About Father Jim O’Shea

Father Jim O’Shea, CP, is a member of the Passionist Congregation and currently serves as Provincial of the Passionists’ Holy Cross Province, based in Queens, New York. Ordained in 1989, Father Jim spent approximately 25 years in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, where he earned a Master’s in Social Work from Fordham University and became deeply involved in community organizing, affordable housing advocacy, and youth ministry. In 2010, he co-founded Reconnect, a social enterprise and mentorship program for young men in distressed communities. Reconnect is now based at Thomas Berry Place in Queens.

MEMORABLE QUOTES 

“If you don’t want to leave the block, then we transform the block.” — Father Jim O’Shea

“Moralizing with people is easy. But the legitimate question back to me is: what’s your value add in my life?” — Father Jim O’Shea

“The church is the only institution I see that really has the capacity to continually witness: you are worth us doing this because we know who you are.” — Father Jim O’Shea

“It’s very hard to hate someone that you’ve really deeply listened to.” — Father Jim O’Shea

“I’m not going to pontificate about it until I hear people’s stories.” — Father Jim O’Shea

“If you really believe that Jesus is alive in each and every single person, every single person is going to be an opportunity to hear God speak.” — Father John Gribowich

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Learn more about our work: Religion to Reality is an initiative of DeSales Media, dedicated to helping people bridge the gap between religious practice and lived spiritual reality