Profiles of Endurance

If God spoke directly to you, would you follow the guidance you received, no matter what? Dan McHale had a moment of divine clarity when he was 20, but life presented many other worthy opportunities along the way that clouded the message. How did he get back in alignment with God's plans for his life? Listen as this newly ordained, 41-year-old priest shares his story with Fr. Scott.

Bashir Chedrawee thought he was called to be a doctor, but he misunderstood the reason for his interest in health and science.  Only later did he realize that he was not called to treat illness as a doctor, he was called to prevent illness and promote health as the creator and promoter of Simone's Kitchen, a local restaurant that serves homemade Lebanese food, tailored for today's American tastes and lifestyles.  Listen as Bashir shares with Fr. Scott the story of how the call he thought he had to be a healer led him not to medicine but to holistic nutrition.   Simone's Kitchen: https://www.ordersimones.com/

Frances Cannon was born to a large Baptist family during the post-war baby boom. Along her life journey she collected nuggets from a number of Christian denominations before she found her home in the Catholic faith. But she didn't stop there.    Listen as this mother of three and grandmother of three describes how she answered a call to become a nun in midlife, and what that journey from the Bible Belt to the convent has yielded in her life.

How do I know that I am being called to do something in particular with my life?  How does God issue a calling and what does it look like to respond?   Danielle Epting discusses how she knew God wanted her to be a writer and what it takes for her to be faithful in following that calling.  Listen as she joins Fr. Scott (first known to her in 2008 as “Mr. V,” her middle school religion teacher) to discuss the anatomy of a call.

All of us want to treat others in welcoming and inclusive ways, but if we have little experience interacting with people who have disabilities, we may not know how to do that effectively.  You may even have had the experience of trying to connect respectfully with someone who has a disability, and realized that you had done so poorly, but did not know why or how to fix it.   Christina Serra is an actor, artist and educator in Ontario, Canada, and is the mother of three children, the oldest of whom, Bruno, has cerebral palsy, which makes him unable to speak and requires him to use a wheelchair.  She offers us her experience and helps guide us toward interacting more effectively with those with disabilities.

Spirituality is something that some of us inherit while others must go on a journey to find. Debbie Kirsch was raised in a loving, nominally Jewish household that she describes as simply “American.” In her youth, Jesus was a fascinating figure, but one as remote as Zeus or Sparticus. In college, experiences with Christians and praise music drew her in... so far, in fact, she joined a Christian household made up of a young family and other singles modeled on First Century Christianity as it is described the Bible in the Book of Acts.    Today Debbie’s Christian faith is half a century in the making. She shares with Fr. Scott how faith helps her through the trials of living with an abundance of physical pain, and, for the past decade, in a wheelchair. 

We may think that a mental health crisis can only happen to someone else, but the Coronavirus Pandemic has given many of us a greater understanding of how fragile our mental health can be.  Just after graduating college and losing a beloved grandmother, Claudia knew her mental health was declining, but nothing could have prepared her for the unexpected reaction she had to a trusted antidepressant medication.     She generously shares with us about her experience with frightening and dangerous panic attacks, the week she spent in a hospital psychiatric ward and her gradual recovery from an overwhelmingly scary experience.   Warning: Contains possibly disturbing emotional experiences; listener discretion is advised.     

What do we do when we are all set to follow what seems to be God’s call for our lives and then another call urgently interrupts it?  That’s what Mathew Jacob (yes, Mathew spelled with one “t”) had to figure out.  As the only son in an Indian family, the expectations for pursing a career and marriage that would bring stability to the family were clear.  When a sudden, strong call to the priesthood interrupted those plans, he was thrown into a challenging dilemma. Listen as Mathew shares with Fr. Scott how he discerned the path forward and what helps him endure the long road he’s walking between now and ordination.

Sometimes God uses a spiritual journey to bring us right back to where we started. St. Patrick’s parishioner Ann Marie Costanza will tell you that her years of learning and practicing Buddhist meditation were a springboard for having a deeper love for and experience of her Catholic faith.Listen as she and Fr. Scott discuss how not a single step of her spiritual journey was in vain and how all of us can benefit from being open to the adventure of seeking authentic experiences of God. Episode Note: Ann Marie mistakenly said that a Mrs. Holsipple was the catechist that introduced her and her classmates to the Jewish Passover Seder, but in fact, it was Patricia Fuerbach, who continues to pray and minister at St. Patrick’s more than 30 years later.

April 14, 2002 was the last day Coxsackie, NY, resident George Knauer was able to see.  On that day he collapsed in his apartment as a serious infection and high fever permanently damaged his optic nerve, plunging him into darkness.  George not only survived his illness, he even returned to his work as a plumber and wrote a book about his experience entitled Suddenly Dark.   George shares with Fr. Scott his perspective on how to live with joy and purpose despite his circumstances and how we can all choose to prevail no matter what.

From the time she was born with a rare birth defect requiring years of surgery, Julieann had to struggle to find her place. Overcoming that, she blossomed into a beautiful and talented woman and raised two kids with her husband. When their marriage fell apart, Julieann had to figure out how to provide for her children, begin a career for the first time and heal from the sorrow. Now retired, Julieann has survived multiple bouts with cancer, and the tragic death of someone she couldn't bear to lose. Listen as she speaks with her pastor about the ways she has used faith, tenacity and a connection to the Twelve Step Recovery community to come to accept life on life's terms.

With faith and a tight-knit family, even an incurable brain tumor couldn’t keep Cheryl Sheridan down.  But, on top of that, to experience the most devastating kind of loss possible put her faith and optimism to its ultimate test.  In this episode, gain strength for your own trials by hearing from someone who truly has faced — and survived — the unthinkable.  

Claudia met her best friend during an orientation for incoming first year undergrads and soon the friendship blossomed into a romantic relationship. But before long, patterns of manipulation, disrespect and game-playing left her confused and robbed her of the confidence she once had. Listen as this wise young woman discusses with her former college chaplain how she came to realize that her once-treasured relationship had grown toxic, and how she has found freedom and healing in its wake.

It seemed that everything Tracey Brooks touched turned to gold. She earned varsity letters in four high school sports, went on to success in college and law school, was mentored by some influential elected officials and ran for U.S. Congress all by age 38. Her loss of that election was the first in a series of experiences that introduced her to the harder side of life: loss, grief and illness. Listen as this woman of faith shares the wisdom she gained by surviving these painful challenges and how her relationship with God sustained her through it all.

Even as a young boy, Paul Macarelli knew that view he had of the church by sitting in the sanctuary as an altar server was special. (Perhaps that’s why he served up there for 17 straight years!)  Ever since then he has viewed his life and the world from that same perspective, even while serving in Iraq as a soldier during war time.  Listen as this brave Army veteran shares the way his faith infused his national service, as well as how he has faced lifelong fears with some of the lessons he learned as an altar server and by putting his gift of empathy to good use.

Little 6-year-old Nell Stokes, a black girl living in Montgomery, Alabama, learned a heartbreaking lesson about racism when she was betrayed by her white best friend on the first day of school.  It began her lifelong work for racial justice and the promotion of a fair and nonviolent society.  Listen as this activist, poet, playwright, woman of faith and mother of six shares her perspective on how we can overcome systemic racism in our beloved country.

We all know that a car accident could change our lives in the blink of an eye, but Tammie Martin, an entrepreneur, hairdresser, mother and member of our Pastoral Council knows first hand that it can also bring spiritual gifts that bring new life to our faith and relationships.

The 4th Commandment says: Honor thy father and thy mother.  Few people have lived that as fully as 28-year-old Jeremy Tenenbaum, whose mother contracted terminal cancer when he was 17 and whose father developed Alzheimer’s disease when he was 22.  Listen as this faithful son, an only child, humbly shares his caregiving struggle and his deep spiritual strength.  

Nursing is a calling that requires a special blend of fearlessness, caring and perseverance. But when a pandemic strikes, the intensity rachets up exponentially. Erin Hegarty Snyder, a veteran ER nurse, found out without notice that her hospital in Buffalo, N.Y., was converting to an all-COVID-19 facility, thereby changing her role overnight from addressing individual emergencies to joining a front line war against disease and death. Listen as this brave nurse and woman of faith describes the experience and how the power of her faith and her calling outweighed all else.

Fr. Scott has now posted 15 conversations with people who have been tested by life.  Some had something unexpected given to them, others lost someone or something precious.  Some had their lives changed by a tragedy or a bolt of lightening, others faced a fork in the road and had to make a high-stakes choice that changed their lives forever.  Some people walk with a circumstance that can’t be changed but that affects them daily.  Fr. Scott got to sit at their feet and glean the wisdom of each of them, women and men from many backgrounds, ranging in age from 24 to 91, all of them practicing Catholics.  So now, grab a drink, put your feet up and join Fr. Scott as he reflects gratefully on these first 15 conversations and savors the wisdom he was privileged to receive from these warriors of endurance.

Cathy Amodeo and her husband prayed for the opportunity to be parents, never knowing how abundantly those prayers would be answered.  Early in the pregnancy, a sonogram revealed that Cathy was going to be the mother of three babies at once.  Listen as this woman of faith describes the experience of adjusting her expectations and expanding her life in a monumental way and how advocating for the special needs of two of her children has brought out her best.

At one time in her life, 91-year old Joan Spelter thought she’d be trapped in the prison of anxiety forever.  Her faith and her involvement in the support group Recovery International gave her a new life.  Soon after she gained new tools and skills, however, life again tested her, when a promotion for her husband moved Joan and their five kids from NYC to Upstate.  Soon after that her husband battled an illness that ultimately took his life at age 48.  What Joan did next will amaze you.  No matter your situation, this conversation will fill you with hope for tomorrow.  [Part 2 of 2] For more information on the group that gave Joan the tools that help her cope, visit the official site for Recovery International:https://recoveryinternational.org/ 

When she was a young wife and mother of three living in New York City in her her 20s, Joan Spelter was struck with a debilitating anxiety disorder that would be with her for the rest of her life.  In the first couple of years, life was unbearable for Joan and basic functioning was extremely difficult.  A breakthrough came when a referral from a priest she had never met  led her to a group that gave her tools to heal.  Many years since that graced encounter, Joan continues to live a life she never dreamt possible.  Is your happiness being diminished by anxiety?  Have you wondered how to escape it?  Listen as Joan offers a practical roadmap to healing and decades of living proof that it works. [Part 1 of 2] For more information on the group that gave Joan the tools that help her cope, visit the official site for Recovery International:https://recoveryinternational.org/  

Lisa and her husband gave up secure corporate jobs and traded suburban success for a rural adventure right out of the movie Dirty Dancing.  They purchased a fixer-upper resort in a small town in the Catskills with an inn, restaurant and bar.  She describes what it took to make that business reach its potential in a quaint vacation region, famous for its iconic history, but now past its prime.  She also shared how she knew when it was time to move on when their work there was done.  What happened next reacquainted her with God and set her family on a new adventure that is still unfolding. (Part 2 of 2)

The birth of a baby is always a cause for great joy, but when that pregnancy came unexpectedly at the beginning of her senior year of high school, things for Lisa got quite complex  She shares candidly about being a teen mother and describes the experience of blending her family with her husband’s.  The two later went on to change their lives completely when they decided to exchange secure corporate jobs for the chance to be intrepid entrepreneurs running an inn, restaurant and bar in a small town in the Catskills.  Listen as this 39-year-old mother shares intimately about making hard choices and taking risks that change everything in life. (Part 1 of 2) 

Joan Lipscomb Arthurton is a teacher, community organizer and woman of faith who shares with us her story of being raised in the only black family at St. Patrick’s Church in Ravena.  Like all of us, Joan is searching to find her place in the Black Lives Matter movement and seeking to find ways to interrupt the systemic racism that is sapping life from the soul of America.  In this conversation, she and Fr. Scott discuss how none of us is a bystander in the struggle for freedom - all of us have a role.  Hear how speaking up when others say disrespectful or hateful things about others because of their race is an act of patriotism.

While serving in the U.S. Army, Christa Desrosiers put the Catholic faith of her childhood on a back burner until the day she had an awakening that put her in closer friendship with God. Years later, the mother of four relied on that relationship to get her through a serious bout of cancer. Christa shares what she did to survive a life-threatening disease and the ways that God showed up when her need was greatest.

This small town Gloversville, N.Y., kid never dreamed he'd study theology in Rome for four years on his path to becoming a Catholic priest. Over time, the excitement of the Eternal City helped ease the feeling of isolation from family and friends. But just weeks before his ordination to the priesthood, his spiritual director shocked him by saying he was an unfit candidate and should bow out. Listen how he overcame this blow and went on to serve as a priest for 53 years (and counting).

A high voltage electric shock rocked the body of parishioner Allan King, breaking bones, ripping skin, searing flesh and nearly killing him. Hear this young husband and father share what it took to survive unthinkable physical pain and make his way back from the edge of death through the help of family, friends and a total reliance on faith.

We all have some favorite "go-tos" we use to take the hard edge off of life: alcohol, food, shopping, sex, work... anything. For some of us, those "go-tos" can begin to take over our thinking and behavior. Seth Mann had a boarding school education, raised a family and built a successful business, but he wasn't able to juggle it all when his addiction to alcohol took over.  Hear this brave man of faith share what "hitting a new bottom" meant for him and how by accepting life exactly as it is today, without conditions, his life turned around.

When we go through a traumatic loss, we depend on faith more than ever. But sometimes, ourfaith seems to vanish when we need it most. Gina Donovan had this lonely experience aftersuddenly losing the love of her life, when, during the darkest days of loss, she couldn't feel God'spresence anymore.Many people who have had this experience never tell anyone about it. Listen as she bravelyopens up with her pastor about what it felt like to be without her husband and without God, andhow she is finding her footing on the path once again.Gina was not alone in feeling this way. For more information on this experience,what St. John of the Cross famously termed as "The Dark Night of the Soul,"start here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Night_of_the_Soul

24-year-old Caroline Lewis faced a huge challenge when she was accepted into the Peace Corps and assigned to Ukraine, a country with a language and culture entirely different from her own.  But that challenge now pales in comparison to what happened to her when COVID-19 arrived in her adopted country. Listen as this wise young woman shares with her pastor what it means to accept life on life's terms.

On the day before the first day of her senior year of high school, while enjoying one last day of summer with a good friend, Coxsackie, N.Y. resident and St. Mary's parishioner Alison DeFrancesco was in a catastrophic car accident that put her in a coma for two years. When she awoke, she found herself permanently unable to move or speak. That was 31 years ago. Her mother, Marie, and niece Genevieve talk candidly with Fr. Scott about how the family endured such a trauma and how they have had the stamina to take care of Ali at home for all these years and about the love and courage she brings into their lives and into the world. This intensely personal interview will change you. Listen and uncover fresh strength to endure the COVID-19 Pandemic and the many other challenges you find yourself facing. Please share this generous gift from the DeFrancesco family far and wide.

What does a business owner or manager do when the decisions they are being advised to carry out for the good of the organization would hurt some of the very people that have been working right along side of them as they built that organization into what it is today? That is exactly what today's guests were faced with, yet they found the courage to do something different for the sake of their neighbors. This conversation with Hugh and Peggy Quigley is a reflection of how the events of September 11th, 2001 compelled them (along with their partners Michael and Sandra Grosso) to re-think their business operations overnight and to make decisions emboldened by their love of their community and their neighbors. Hearing how people of integrity and good conscious find their way through difficult times can inspire us all as we navigate the unforeseen challenges facing us personally and professionally in today's unprecedented time. 

The loss of a child is something no parent should ever have to endure, yet so many do. This conversation about loss is the first in a series of episodes profiling the people who have been through some very challenging life experiences that have given them hard earned wisdom. They have opened themselves up in a vulnerable way in hopes of inspiring or comforting others enduring similar situations. This conversation with Mary Jane Persico is a humble and honest reflection of a mother of 5 who has experienced the devastating loss of not one, but two children. She not only shares her story, but also imparts the wisdom that comes from living through seemingly unbearable situations, and does so in a kind, unassuming and loving way.