(upbeat music) - I am proud to introduce my son, Stephen Gregory Adubato, Associate Editor of Compact Magazine.

Good to see you, young man!

- Happy to be here.

- You got it.

Hey, Stephen, you not only write and do work with Compact Magazine, you write for a whole range of publications, including, give us a quick synopsis.

You didn't get my gift of bragging, but go ahead and tell everyone where you've been published.

- Yeah, I have written for the New York Times, Newsweek, Daily Beast, a whole variety of publications.

- Yeah, I just want people to know you're not on just because you're my son.

Hey, listen, you introduced me to an interesting organization, and you also wrote a piece about it and the website will come up, The Italian Apostolate of the Newark Archdiocese.

What the heck is it and why is it so significant?

We've been doing a lot on Italian-American culture and history, and this is part of it, particularly tied to the Church.

Go ahead, son.

- Yeah, so the Italian Apostolate is basically meant to serve the Italian-Americans and Italians in the Newark Archdiocese.

But most importantly, as I wrote in in the article, they're trying to keep alive the traditions that our ancestors started over 100 years ago, 'cause if the younger generation doesn't, they're gonna die out.

- A part of our culture, and by the way, Stephen is part Greek, his mom, my ex-wife comes from a Greek-Turkish background, and Stephen also has an Italian-American connection, he relates to all of his ethnic heritage.

But that being said, son, do you remember I did this documentary on "Newark's Little Italy" and having to do with the Feast of St.

Gerard?

Do you remember me taking you there as a little, little kid to force you, as I've tried to force your siblings, my three other kids, to understand and appreciate our culture?

I forced it on you, did I, did not?

- You did.

I mean, I went along willingly most of the time.

But I remember from the documentary, I think I make an appearance in one of the last scenes.

So yeah, I remember very well.

- Why does that matter, that as parents, grandparents, and others, that we attempt to pass on the culture, the tradition?

And by the way, my friend, Maria Laurino, wrote this book, "The Italian Americans: A History."

Why is it so important that we do this, son?

- 'Cause we need to know our roots.

If we don't know where we come from, the people that we belong to, who brought us here, then we don't really know our identity.

So this is why, for me, the fact that you forced me to go to the Feast, it helped me understand who I really am.

And again, the people, the people that we come from, the traditions that are part of our culture that make us who we are.

- But it's also tied to the Church on your end.

And you lead a very spiritual life connected to the church.

- No, and for our culture, it's all interconnected.

The feasts, the procession, the masses, the music, the food, it's all one experience that embodies these various elements.

But no, the faith penetrates every aspect of the feast, of course.

- So I was having a conversation with your siblings the other day, and they, when I was pushing, I was telling 'em you were coming on, and we're doing this right after the Feast of St.

Gerard, which comes outta St.

Lucy's Church, where my grandfather, Luigi Calvello, emigrated from Italy, settled in that neighborhood, my grandmother came, that's where my mother was born, my father was born, they met, et cetera, et cetera.

That's part of our culture.

But I was trying to talk to your siblings about this, and they're not alone.

They're like, "Dad, but that's not really us, that's back then."

And they just see themselves less as Italian-American, less having Italian roots, and we're just regular white people like other white people.

And I know it sounds very crass, but I said "No, it's more complicated than that."

Do you think it's an age thing?

- Part of it is age.

Part of it's generational.

I mean, it's natural that when an immigrant community comes to the US, to any country, that they'll eventually start assimilating, they'll start becoming part of the larger culture.

But this is why I think, you know, something like the Italian Apostolate is so important, because it's really making an effort to retain those roots.

As much as, again, it's natural that we assimilate, traditions change, the culture changes, we can't lose it completely, we can't forget who we come from and who we are, ultimately.

So we... - But language matters too.

Sorry, Stephen, for interrupting, but language matters too.

When we went to the mass at the Basilica, Sacred Heart Basilica, you asked me to go to that mass, went to the mass, and the Archbishop served, he presided over the mass, and he spoke in Italian.

Does he not have an Italian background?

Why is it so important that the language be preserved, son?

By the way, can I just keep calling you son, because that's gonna sound weird _ I'm used to it.

- on the air but go ahead.

No, but the language is a very tangible way to connect with the culture, because there are nuances in language, there are things you can communicate in another language that are lost in translation.

So this is why, for me, I mean, I made an effort to try to learn Italian.

I haven't perfected it yet, but I wanna know the language that, you know, our ancestors spoke.

- Switch gears.

How incredibly challenging is it to have a meaningful, productive paying career in media today?

- It's not easy.

Not easy, needless to say, because, you know, publications are shutting down, they're being taken over by larger conglomerates so it's hard to find full-time work.

But I think if you have that gift, you have that calling, you have to find a way to make it work, because we need writers who are gonna communicate important things to society, absolutely.

- Talk about your passion for writing.

- No, I mean, it's very much connected to my passion for teaching, because you know, I mean the way that you raised us you taught us to really value communication, communicating things that are important that are true, things about, you know, justice, issues in our society.

And for me, in addition to teaching, in addition to education, writing is one way to communicate these ideas and to get people to think on a deeper level.

- Before I let you go, if it's too private you'll tell me, 'cause it's too late, I've said it on the air.

You were raised Greek Orthodox, went to Greek school, right?

- Yep.

- Up until what age?

- I think I was 14 years old.

- Yeah.

So you're at Fordham University and you convert to Catholicism.

But culturally, you have a Greek background.

You've talked about this part of your life as well, the Italian culture.

What about Catholicism and these incredibly difficult complex times, including where the Church has its own challenges, which I've talked about to you privately and I've talked about as a journalist as well?

What draws you to the Catholic Church today?

- I think there's something universal about the Catholic Church's mission and its message, and, of course, I'm always gonna value my Greek Orthodox roots.

But the reality is you see the Catholic Church present all over the world, in Africa, in Asia, South America.

And I think it's, you know, it really has a way of spreading the good news, spreading the fact that there's hope.

Even with all the issues the Church has, that message of hope, I think, is crucial.

- Your faith is a big part of your life, isn't it?

- It is.

It is.

- I'm proud of you, Stephen Gregory Adubato.

- Thank you.

- By the way, I think your mom said "Let's call him Gregory, so he's not a third," is that correct?

- That's right.

I can't be the third, unfortunately.

- We did not need three with the same name.

I love you, son.

Thank you.

- Thank you.

- Good stuff.

And by the way, check him out.

We put up the website before, Compact Magazine, check out Stephen's work and also a range of other great writers there as well.

I'm Steven Adubato Jr.

He's Stephen Gregory.

We're right back after this.

- [Narrator] One-On-One with Steve Adubato is a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Funding has been provided by Delta Dental of New Jersey.

The Russell Berrie Foundation.

Holy Name.

Valley Bank.

Johnson & Johnson.

NJM Insurance Group.

United Airlines.

Newark Board of Education.

And by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Promotional support provided by BestofNJ.com.

And by New Jersey Monthly.