Episode 71: The Purpose Behind the Podcast: We turn the tables on this one. Brigid Beck, Communications Specialist in the Diocesan Communications Office, interviews Communications Director and podcast host, Kathy Barrans, asking how the Called to Serve Podcast came about. (Recorded November 2025)

Episode 70: Young Adult Groups Grow & Inspire: Young adult groups continue to grow across the Albany Diocese. In this episode, we sit down with two young adults, Brigid Beck and James Marra, who share about their personal relationship with Jesus Christ and how these young adult communities enhance their faith journey. (Recorded November 2025)

Episode 69: National Vocations Week (Nov 2-8, 2025): We are all called to a vocation, but what does that mean? I am blessed to welcome three people serving God in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany - Fr. Stephen Yusko, Sr. Angela Marie Leo with the Sisters of the Resurrection, and Dave Stagliano who serves the diocese as a single person.  Each shares how they heard and answered God's call to serve.(Recorded Oct 2025)

Episode 68: What is Evangelization? We often hear about the importance of evangelizing, but what does that really mean and how do I do it? Tom Acemoglu is the Pastoral Associate for Evangelization and Catechesis at St. Ambrose Church in Latham. He shares thoughts that can help all of us. (Recorded Oct. 2025)

Episode 67: A Young Adult Shares His Deep Faith. Matt Levine is a young adult, and a parishioner in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany. His wife listens to the Called to Serve Podcast and thought her husband's faith journey would be an inspiring story to share. She was correct! (Recorded Oct. 2025)

Episode 66: The Value of Community. Carter Gooley is the new Communications Coordinator for Blessed Sacrament, Mater Christi, All Saints and the Shrine of the Americas in Albany.  He talks about the value of Christian community and his personal experience while doing mission working in Colorado. (Recorded Sept. 2025) 

Episode 65: 40 Hours Devotion Celebrating St. Carlo Acutis' Feast Day. Paul Heckman is a parishioner at Immaculate Conception in Glenville who is volunteering to help organize the 2^nd annual 40 Hours Devotion at Immaculate Conception on Friday, October 10-Sunday, October 12. He joins Fr. Tom Konopka, pastor of St. Joseph’s in Scotia, and Director of the Consultation Center for the Diocese to share what you can expect at the Devotion. (Recorded Sept. 2025)
To sign-up for 40 Hours Devotion https://www.icglenville.com/

Episode 64: Don't Fear Change. Marcia Caryofilles, a parishioner in our diocese says don't fear change. Throughout the history of our faith, God has called His followers to change. That call can lead us closer to Him and help us to better serve Him in the world today. This episode mentions the Remade for Mission effort in the Albany Diocese. (Recorded August 2025)
To learn more: https://www.rcda.org/remadeformission

Episode 63: Deacon Alex Turpin shares about his experience as a transitional deacon in our diocese. He was ordained in May 2025. (Recorded August 2025)

Episode 62: Hearing God's Call in the Midst of Great Loss: Fr Mike Melanson, a retired priest in our diocese, continues the story of how God called him to the priesthood at one of the lowest moments in his life. As he shared beautifully in Episode 61, he had just lost the love of his life, his wife, to a battle with breast cancer. He said the love of his family, friends, and God, carried him through the pain and helped him to hear and answer God's call to become a priest. (Recorded August 2025)

Episode 61: Hearing God's Call Through Pain: Fr Mike Melanson, a retired priest in our diocese, shares the story of how he heard God’s call to become a priest through one of the toughest experiences of his life. He is so honest about the emotions he experienced and how family, friends, and God, led him through the pain, and helped him to move forward, to hear God’s call and to see God’s hand through all of the pain. (Recorded August 2025)

Episode 60: Summer Seminarians: Three seminarians in our diocese, Franklin Anyanechi, Justin Hollingshead, and Anthony Leo, explain what seminarians do during the summer months. (Recorded August 2025)

Episode 59: The Vocations Process: Seminarian Franklin Anyanechi explains the vocations process in the Albany Diocese. (Recorded July 2025)

Episode 58: Christian Joy - What is it and how you can share it: My guest is Sister Teresa Grace Baillargeon, the Vocations Directress for the Sisters of the Resurrection. She talks about Christian Joy and how it ties into Bishop Scharfenberger’s Remade for Mission Initiative. (Recorded June 2025)

Episode 57: Remade for Mission - Brainstorming: Fr. Rendell Torres, Rector at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany, has been inviting members of his staff and parish network to share ideas about how they can be more mission-focused. He listens and learns, and together they are already moving forward with some of those ideas. It's part of the Remade for Mission initiative that Bishop Edward Scharfenberger has launched in the Diocese. To learn more, log onto https://www.rcda.org/remadeformission

Episode 56: A Love of Scripture: My guest is Tom Acemoglu, Pastoral Associate for Evangelization and Catechesis at St. Ambrose in Latham. He shares his love for Scripture, the people who inspired that love, and the lessons he’s learned as a result.  

Episode 55: Remade for Mission - What it means to be mission-focused: My guest once again, is Bishop Edward Scharfenberger. He shares thoughts on how each of us and our parishes can be mission-focused. (Recorded June 2025)

Episode 54: Remade for Mission - How to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ: My guest is Bishop Edward Scharfenberger. He shares thoughts on how we can have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Our new pope, Pope Leo XIV has said the New Evangelization in the Catholic Church needs to begin with a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. Bishop Scharfenberger shares thoughts on how each of us can nurture that relationship. (Recorded May 2025)

Episode 53: Loving God and finding joy in service: My guest is Deacon Gary Riggi. He serves as deacon at Our Lady of the Valley in Middleburgh, Director of Engagement at the City Mission in Schenectady, the Director and Retreat Master at the Joshua House in Altamont, and he is a spiritual director. He shares how he feels called to serve and about his deep love for God and the joy he finds in serving Him. (Recorded May 2025)

Episode 52: Solitude on a Busy Highway: My guest is Sr. Sue Zemgulis, Administrator of the Dominican Retreat and Conference Center in Niskayuna. She talks about how she feels called to serve and what the Dominican Retreat and Conference Center has to offer. (Recorded April 2025)

Episode 51: A New Priest Reflects on His First Year: My guest is Fr. Tom Fallati, Parochial Vicar at St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish in Schenectady, and Assistant Director of Vocations, to name just a few of his roles, reflects on his first year as a priest in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany. (Recorded April 2025)

Episode 50: Spiritual Direction - What is it all about? My guest is Kris Rooney, a Spiritual Director in our diocese. She is talking about what Spiritual Direction is and how does someone know if it’s something that might be good for them. (Recorded April 2025)

Episode 49: The National Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs, Auriesville: My guest is Julie Baaki, Executive Director of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs in Auriesville, NY. She talks about the history of the Shrine, the national designation by the USCCB earlier this year, and the many blessings people experience on the grounds. (Recorded March, 2025)

Episode 48: "The Carpenter's Son":My guest is John Gray, anchor at News 10 ABC and FOX 23 news. He is also an author and is talking with us about his latest book, “The Carpenter’s Son.”

Episode 47: Discerning a Call to the Priesthood: My guest is Justin Hollingshead who is discerning a vocation to the priesthood in our diocese. You can contact him at Justin@rescuevocations.org 

Episode 46: Mary Keniry is the regional program director for the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program with Catholic Charities. It’s a federally mandated, state funded program that advocates for individuals living in long term care facilities. Catholic Charities has held this contract in the Capital Region for 10 years. (Feb. 2025)