Cardinal Tobin Meets KeanCatholics
We were so incredibly fortunate to be visited by Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Newark on March 31, 2025.
Media coverage of this event can be seen at the below link, where John Touhey of JerseyCatholic.org discusses our visit from the Cardinal and interviews our community.
https://jerseycatholic.org/cardinal-tobin-visits-kean-catholic-community
Members of the KeanCatholics community first had the opportunity to meet Cardinal Joseph Tobin during the SEEK25 Conference in Washington, DC in January 2025. During the week-long conference, students from around the country had chances to gather with their own diocese or archdiocese over a meal during the conference. The Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey had the opportunity to meet Cardinal Tobin during this Gathering at the conference, and we had a blast! Here, students got the chance to meet him, tell him how much they enjoyed the conference and their own Ministry back home, and start the debates and commentary on pizza preferences with him (is New Jersey or New York pizza better?).
It was over this dinner over tacos in Washington, DC in January that we first extended the invite to Cardinal Tobin to visit our campus. Knowing he's a busy man, he could have politely said yes in the moment and left it at that… but after following up with his office after our semester got started, his team formally accepted our invite! Our office got word that Cardinal Tobin would be on our campus at the end of March, during the season of lent- We were overjoyed!
Our afternoon with the Cardinal included first a Mass celebrated by his Eminence, assisted by our very own Chaplain Father Peter Volz from St. John the Apostle in Linden, and Father Anthony, the Cardinal’s Priestly Secretary. Following mass, we took our group photo, and the Cardinal graciously had time to meet students one-on-one, take photos, give blessings, and hear from the students about their experience as faithful Catholics on a public, secular University campus.
Once a lot of the commotion settled down and everyone had their chance to speak with his Eminence one-on-one, we got down to business. Members of our community who could not attend the afternoon with Cardinal Tobin sent in some questions, and all were eager to gather around and listen in as Lucia asked Cardinal Tobin some questions.
We warned the Cardinal we were starting off with a “theologically controversial” question. Does he approve of pineapple on pizza? Does he eat it himself? “No. But I would not sit in judgement.” However he went on to say that he is not sure how those in Italy would think of it!
We next asked what many were also curious about:
KeanCatholics: “We know that you have a hobby of weight lifting. Even if you do not do it much anymore (as we recall you sharing in DC), would you be willing to share your max deadlift?”
Cardinal Tobin: “I think it was about a couple of years ago… I think 455, 460 pounds.”
The following question was then asked in a light-hearted manner, meant to be a funny inquiry for the Cardinal. However, he gave us an incredibly heartwarming answer.
KeanCatholics: “Our next question is, do you ever text with or are you in a groupchat with the Pope?”
Cardinal Tobin: “No. He called me once on my cell phone… our mom died.” He then went on to share some details about his mother’s passing during the time of the pandemic, and going to visit her. “Two days later, I was upstairs doing Newark work, and my cell phone rang. It was one of my sisters who answered it. She comes up and says, “I think it's the government.”...I take it thinking it is some sort of government official, and it is Francis. He said, “I heard your mother died,” and I said, “yes.” He said, “Well, tell your family I feel very close to them right now, and I will offer Mass for her tomorrow.” He knew that she prayed for him. I saw him a few months later, and told him it meant a lot to me and my family. And he looked at me, kind of shocked, and said, “I had to pray for her. She prayed for me.” The first time we met, he was the Archbishop of Buenos Aires…we met at the Synod of Bishops, we sat next to each other. Just to make some conversation after one of the sessions, it was about six months after Benedict had been elected Pope, and I said to him, “everyone is happy with Benedict, but you were my mother’s candidate.” This was the first time we met. He said, “how does your mother know me?” I told him she liked him because she would read in the newspaper that “you pick up after yourself, you cook your own food, and frankly your Eminence, (I was not yet a Cardinal) she’s had it up to here with princes of the Church!” and he never forgot that.”
After such a special story, our final question for Cardinal Tobin was that if he could canonize anyone to become a saint, living or dead, and skip the whole canonization process, who would it be? After reminding those gathered around that “there are lots more saints than the ones who are canonized. The Church recognizes the gift of holiness that takes flesh in a person, to also encourage us on our way.” He then shared with our group about a nun he knew before he became a priest, a primary school teacher and who came from his parish in Detroit, Sister Raymonda Trudeau, I.H.M. He shared her story of suffering greatly for decades with Rheumatoid Arthritis, yet was so happy. Sharing her vocation was not teaching like she thought, but suffering with Christ to pray for her fellow sisters.
Our community is so grateful for the time and conversation Cardinal Tobin graciously gave to us during this event. We left this day and this Lenten season hopeful for the year ahead with our ministry, and wondering… who should we invite to campus next?