Vocation Chats

Father Jason Hage interviews the two newest transitional deacons in the Diocese of Syracuse, Rev. Mr. John Brusa III and Rev. Mr. Joe Ryan. Deacon John and Deacon Joe share about their recent experience of being ordained to the diaconate, and how it has impacted their vocational journey. They do a deep dive into what the transitional diaconate is all about, and how this stage in their formation is critical in helping them become the ministerial priests they are called to be.

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.