Vocation Chats

Father Jason Hage interviews Deacon James Buttner, a seminarian of the Diocese of Syracuse, who will be ordained to the sacred Priesthood of Jesus Christ on Saturday, June 3rd at 10am at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Deacon James talks about his journey to the priesthood, and gives us a glimpse into what might be going through the mind and the heart of a young man who is about to become a priest in the Catholic Church. He also provides spiritual insights on how a seminarian prepares for the great grace of ordination as well as a human perspective of the man behind the collar.

Father Jason Hage interviews newly ordained deacon, Benjamin Schrantz. Deacon Ben is a seminarian of the Diocese of Syracuse and was recently ordained to the transitional diaconate, which is his last official step before ordination to the sacred priesthood of Jesus Christ. Ben shares about his journey to ordination, and how he never had to walk this road alone. He speaks to all of the support systems he leaned on beginning with his home parish, then his Catholic high school, then his Newman Community in college, and then the Fisherman's Club discernment group after college. He speaks powerfully to the reality that when God calls, he sends all of the people you need to lean on for prayers and support. If you say "yes," God's Providence will always send you someone to speak to you an encouraging word to help you take the next step.

Father Jason Hage interviews Lisa Hall (the diocesan Director of the Office of Family Life) and Kristin Dievendorf (Family Life Program Coordinator) about the upcoming World Marriage Day Celebration on Sunday, February 19th, 2023 at 2pm at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.  Bishop Lucia will be presiding.  Lisa and Kristen talk about the importance of pausing annually to honor married couples in an intentional way to raise awareness of the vocation to married life as well as to inspire more young people to think about their particular vocation.  Father Hage highlights how Bishop Lucia believes that every vocation comes from the home, and that if we desire to see an increase in vocations we have to start with supporting family life and the vocation to marriage.  Marriage is truly the seedbed of all vocations.  

Father Jason Hage interviews Monsignor Robert Yeazel about the gift and mystery of the priesthood, and how trusting Jesus as your closest friend is what brings joy to any and all vocations.  Msgr. Yeazel tells the harrowing story of his near death experience of contracting COVID at the beginning of the pandemic, being in an induced coma, his family being told he wouldn't make it, and then experiencing a miraculous and unexpected recovery.  He talks about his journey of faith through all of this, and the important spiritual lessons he learned by leaning on Jesus totally to get him through.  You will not want to miss this incredible story.  

Father Jason Hage interviews Father John Manno, Pastor of Holy Family Church in Fairmount and the Vicar for Priests for the Diocese of Syracuse, on the impact of being "called by name."  Father Manno shares his powerful testimony of how his home parish literally called him by name when he was in high school.  His childhood pastor organized a weekend whereby parishioners wrote the names of the young people in their parish who they thought would make a great priest and/or religious.  Father Manno was shocked when his pastor handed him a stack of index cards submitted by parishioners all with his name on it!  His story demonstrates the power of lay people calling forth vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life from their parishes.   

Father Jason Hage and Father Chris Celentano interview Bishop Emeritus Robert J. Cunningham on the art of the ask.  Bishop Cunningham speaks about the necessity for the People of God to not be afraid to ask our young people to consider the call.  Bishop Cunningham reflects on his own vocation story and how when he was in Middle School his Bishop as well as his pastor asked him to consider the call to the priesthood and how their ask never left him throughout his life.  He then explains how a gentle, loving open invitation to our young people could actually be the catalyst for a young person to be able to seriously consider and say yes to their vocation.  

Father Jason Hage and Father Christopher Celentano interview the Sisters of Life about the role of trust and surrender in the life of a discerner.  The Sisters speak about the two great pillars of discernment, Eucharistic and Marian devotion, and how these two pillars allow us to trust more and more what God has in store for us in this life.  Sister Mary Catherine is one of the special guests on the podcast, and she is a native of the Diocese of Syracuse coming from Divine Mercy Parish in Central Square.  

Father Hage and Father Celentano interview a very special guest, Jason Evert, national chastity speaker and author, on the true nature of the vocations crisis going on in our Church today.  Jason helps pinpoint the larger issue at work among our young people, which is a growing fear of commitment.  Jason speaks to some of the currents in our culture that inhibit young people from trusting the total gift of self in service to Christ and His Church.  He believes that there is no crisis surrounding the call, but more of a crisis of young people's inability to hear the voice of Christ and to say "yes" to His invitation.   

Father Hage and Father Celentano interview Father Brendan Foley, newly ordained priest for the Diocese of Syracuse and parochial vicar of Holy Cross in DeWitt and St. Anthony's in Syracuse, about how one can take the next step in their discernment of God's will for their lives.  He shares about his personal experience of the fear and hesitation that sometimes accompanied his decision to enter the seminary.  He helps listeners understand that the best thing we can do when we are about to say "yes" to God's will for our lives is to just take the next step right in front of us, breaking down our discernment into small thresholds rather than saying "yes" to the whole things all at once.  

Father Hage and Father Celentano interview Father Dennis Walker, newly ordained priest for the Diocese of Syracuse and parochial vicar of St. Rose of Lima in North Syracuse and St. Margaret's in Mattydale, about hearing Christ's voice in the culture.  He shares his experience of the struggle to hear the voice of Jesus in the midst of a noisy culture, and the simple steps he took at the beginning stages of his discernment to open himself up to God's call.  In his story, we learn the necessity of putting ourselves out there and taking calculated risks to plug into a faith community that can help clear away the many voices demanding our attention and focus in on the still small voice speaking to us within.  

Father Hage and Father Celentano interview Father Daniel Caughey, newly ordained priest for the Diocese of Syracuse and parochial vicar at St. Mary's in Cortland, about the burning question of whether or not discernment ever ends in the life of a disciple.  He shares his moving story of once being married for 25 years before his wife unexpectedly passed away, serving as a permanent deacon, and now serving as a ministerial priest.  In his story, we learn that we can never stop discerning where God is leading us because the life of a disciple is always full of unexpected surprises and new beginnings.  

Father Hage and Father Celentano interview Father Christopher Seibt, the pastor of Divine Mercy in Central Square as well as the diocesan Director of Liturgy and RCIA, about what happens to a young man when he is ordained a priest of Jesus Christ.  Both Father Seibt and Father Celentano reflect on the impact of their childhood pastor, mentor, and spiritual father (Msgr. Eugene Yennock) upon their own discernment and the living out of their own vocations today as priests.  Father Seibt then unpacks the powerful prayer of an ordination Liturgy, and how the young man receives an indelible character as a priest of Jesus Christ that can never be wiped away.  Lastly, Father Seibt shares with listeners some encouraging insights about priesthood as a configuration to Christ Crucified, and how a priest living out his vocation authentically clinging to the Cross is the most effective vocation promotion tactic in the Church today.

Father Hage and Father Celentano interview Christina Palazzoli, the Director of Catechesis at St. Rose of Lima in N. Syracuse, about how the feminine voice can inform the masculine priesthood.  Christina discusses how the call to priesthood is primarily a call to fatherhood.  She shares her own moving story about the impact of the fatherhood of priests in her life, and how her family and her home continues to treasure the presence of this spiritual fatherhood in their lives.  If you would like to know more about the Third Order Carmelites in our diocese, please visit:  https://www.ocdswashprov.org/

Father Hage and Father Celentano interview Father Ken Kirkman about the busyness of Holy Week and Easter and how a priest tries to move through busy seasons in his life.  Father Kirkman speaks very candidly about his experience of juggling multiple responsibilities and commitments as a person of faith.  He shares his insights on how to remain focused and centered on Christ in the midst of this juggling act.  

Father Hage and Father Celentano interview Father Nathan Brooks about how the personality of the priest acts as the bridge to Christ.  Father Brooks discusses how God calls us as we are for who we are and does not ask us to become someone we are not.  When we say yes to God's will for our lives, we become the best version of ourselves.  

Fr. Hage interviews Fr. Celentano about his experience of his call within a call.  He discusses the joy and beauty of his call to celibacy, and how it is truly a profound gift in his life as a priest.