AMDG: A Jesuit Podcast

If you look out at the world today, you might notice a growing trend in global politics: Again and again, voters are putting into power leaders that favor nationalistic or isolationist rhetoric and policies. Issues that require global cooperation — and sacrifice — like the climate crisis, nonproliferation of nuclear arms and the care of refugees are a hard sell to a citizenry increasingly concerned with economic and security problems affecting their own families and communities. As a result, nations all over the world turn ever inward and more distrustful of individuals and organizations beyond their borders. We see this dynamic play out again and again in conversations around immigration, and we’ve hosted more than a few such conversations on this podcast. But another realm of international politics that is affected by this change in global thinking is the place and influence of international and transnational organizations on the global scale. It’s tempting to shrug and wonder why you should care. Today’s guest, Dr. Michael Manulak, is here with an answer — and a challenge. The biggest issues we face today require global cooperation. That’s not just a political reality; it’s one grounded in our Catholic tradition. As Michael will discuss, the tenets of Catholic social teaching and the spirituality of St. Ignatius demand that we prayerfully contemplate the complex reality of our time and respond as best we’re able. That means looking at our individual gifts and vocations as part of something bigger than ourselves. Dr. Manulak is an associate professor of international affairs, anchoring the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs’ Diplomacy and Foreign Policy cluster in Ottawa. His research focuses on international organizations, multilateral diplomacy, Canadian foreign policy, global environmental politics and Non-Proliferation. An alumnus of the Government of Canada’s Recruitment of Policy Leaders program, he served mainly within the Department of National Defense. In government, he represented Canada in international proliferation security negotiations, supported the national security review of foreign investments, and composed Cabinet documents within National Defense’s Cabinet Liaison bureau. And coolest of all, the day before this conversation was recorded, he was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal at the Senate of Canada. The Medal recognizes those that have made a significant contribution to Canadian society. This is a timely and fascinating conversation. If you want to learn more about Dr. Manulak’s work, visit his website https://michaelmanulak.com/.

In the early morning hours of August 22, 1971, a group of Catholic anti-war protesters broke into a draft board in Camden, New Jersey to destroy draft-related documents. The action was one in a series of similar raids that Catholic activists carried out in the 1960s and ‘70s in opposition to the Vietnam War. The story of what enfolded that morning and the two years following is almost too wild to believe – it’s the stuff HBO miniseries are made of. Professor Michelle Nickerson, a historian at Loyola University Chicago, has just published a book about the raid, the ensuing trial and all the drama that surrounded both. The book is titled “Spiritual Criminals: How the Camden 28 Put the Vietnam War on Trial.” And while the book is a work of academic history published by the University of Chicago Press, it’s also a total page turner. Again, we think the good people at HBO or Netflix need to jump on this. Michelle is an expert in the history of politics, women & gender, social movements, and religion in 20th-century America, and she brought her serious academic chops to the story. Host Mike Jordan Laskey learned so much not just about the Camden 28 themselves, but the history and development of the Catholic anti-war movement in the US. We’re so happy to be able to share some of this story with you before you watch it on a streaming service in, say, 2028. Michelle Nickerson: https://michellenickerson.com/ "Spiritual Criminals": https://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Criminals-Camden-Vietnam-Trial/dp/0226828034 AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, which is a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

Whether you’re a big New Year’s Resolutions person or not, it’s never a bad idea to take stock our own spiritual lives. Where might we want to grow in our relationship with God? So host Mike Jordan Laskey invited one of our favorite spirituality experts onto the show: Julianne Stanz. Julianne is the Director of Outreach for Evangelization and Discipleship at Loyola Press. She’s also an acclaimed author and international speaker. A native of Ireland, Julianne was shaped by that country’s deep and distinctive Catholicism. And in line with one of the very best Irish stereotypes, Julianne is also one of the best storytellers around. Julianne came up with three possible spiritual resolutions we might want to try out in the New Year. All three is are both meaningful and accessible. As a mom of three kids, Julianne knows huge time-intensive commitments in the spiritual life just can’t work for everyone. No matter your stage of life, you’ll enjoy hearing Julianne’s ideas and stories. Happy New Year from all of us here at the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. Julianne Stanz: https://www.juliannestanz.com/ AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, which is a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

The Christmas season is upon us! We look to the manger and we see new life—a baby has been born, Jesus the Christ, and so we have reason to hope. God has once more broken into our human story with an invitation: Can we go to the others, bringing the joy and wonder of the Incarnate Christ? Christmas is rightly a time for joy and celebration. But it’s also a time to take a hard, loving look at our world—the very world through which God again and again makes Godself known. So here’s a question and a challenge: Are we romanticizing that nativity scene? Are we placing the Holy Family high upon a pedestal without looking plainly at the hardship and struggle they themselves had to bear? We’re so quick to sing about Mary and Joseph finding no room at the inn and yet, do we respond in hospitality to those left out in the cold? Long time listeners of our podcast have heard our crossover episodes of the Jesuit Border Podcast before. Fr. Brian Strassburger, SJ, is the director of Del Camino Jesuit Border Ministries, located in the diocese of Brownsville, Texas. Along with Joe Nolla—a Jesuit regent—he’s wrapped the seventh season of the Jesuit Border Podcast. Today, we’re going to share with you the season finale, which features Bishop Joseph Tyson of the diocese of Yakima, Washington. This conversation is a helpful one during this Christmas season. It reminds us once more to look to the holy families still on the move today, still pleading for shelter and hospitality—not unlike the Holy Family 2,000 years ago. Let’s not reduce our God of the universe to a plastic toy in a nativity set we carefully set up once a year. Instead, let’s take up the challenge that Fr. Brian, Joe and Bishop Tyson lay out for us in this episode. Let’s walk with those families still in need today, those families who bear the image and likeness of our same God. Let’s embody a message of hope and welcome. Listen to more episodes of the Jesuit Border Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jesuit-border-podcast/id1593208023 Learn more about Del Camino Jesuit Border Ministries: https://www.jesuitscentralsouthern.org/our-work/del-camino/

It’s time for one of our favorite AMDG traditions: Our annual Christmas draft. It’s an idea we stole outright from the sportswriter Joe Posnanski’s podcast, so a tip of the Santa hat to him. For newcomers, this is how a Christmas draft works: First, host Mike Jordan Laskey picks a Christmas related category. This year, it’s Christmas objects. Some guests and Mike take turns selecting their favorite individual members of that category. It’s like a draft that the NFL or NBA sponsors. Once someone makes a specific pick, that option is off the board for everyone else. We do three rounds. This year, we two guests: Sister Bethany Welch, SSJ, and Father Marty Ngo, SJ. A nun, a priest, and a father of three walk into a podcast… the jokes just write themselves. We asked Bethany and Marty to introduce themselves at the top of the show, so I won’t say too much about them. But we think you’ll see why we invited them – they’re two people who are both deeply spiritual, immensely creative and just joys to be around. We’re grateful for their vocations. And we’re grateful to all you out there in AMDG land for spending some of your busy holiday season with us. All of us here at the Jesuit Conference wish you a very merry Christmas and a blessed 2025. Sister Bethany Welch, SSJ: https://jesuitmedialab.org/how-this-catholic-sister-used-art-to-prepare-for-taking-vows/ Fr. Marty Ngo, SJ: https://www.jesuits.org/profile/martin-huynh-ngo-sj/ AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, which is a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

We were assigned The Hobbit in seventh grade. We knew it was coming, too—each class ahead of us had to read Tolkien’s classic text. Everyone in school always knew when it was that time of year again. The culminating Hobbit-themed project for every seventh grader was to create a sculpture featuring one of the characters in the book. Those sculptures would then line the halls of our school for the remaining two months of the school year. I, Eric Clayton, of course, made a not-at-all-to-scale version of the great dragon Smaug. So, that was seventh grade and coincidentally the year Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings debuted in theaters. But long before I made a dragon out of clay, I’d fallen in love with fantasy, myth and fairy tale. I liked the adventure, of course, the epicness of these wild and wondrous worlds. But the more I read in the genre, the more I learned about these worlds and my own reaction to them, the more I wondered: Was something else going on? Was I drawn to these kinds of stories for another reason? Today’s guest, New York Times bestselling author and illustrator, John Hendrix, provides a pretty compelling answer in his latest book, “The Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.” It’s from a particular scene in his book—and we discuss at length in our conversation. It’s a pivot moment, a conversation between Tolkien, Lewis and their mutual friend, Hugo Dyson. “The hunger in your stomach does not prove that you will get a meal,” Tolkien says. “But it does prove that your body was meant for food. The point is simple. The ‘dying and reviving God’ images that moves you so deeply in mythology is the very same story found in the Gospels.” Dyson adds: “Men write their myths and God writes his.” Lewis is exasperated: “Now both of you are saying that Christ is a myth…like Loki?” he asked. “Exactly,” Tolkien says. “With one simple difference: “Christ is the myth that entered history. He is the myth that actually came true.” I won’t spoil any more of the story for you. But if you are curious about the intersection of fantastical storytelling and spiritual discoveries, if you’ve ever wanted to learn more about the creators of Narnia and Middle-earth and their all-important friendship, then this conversation with John Hendrix is for you. And so’s his book. A little more about John: His books include The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler, called a Best Book of 2018 by NPR, Drawing Is Magic: Discovering Yourself in a Sketchbook, Miracle Man: The Story of Jesus, and many others. His award-winning illustrations have also appeared on book jackets, newspapers, and magazines all over the world. And he is the Kenneth E. Hudson Professor of Art and the founding Chair of the MFA in Illustration and Visual Culture program at the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis. You can learn more about John’s impressive career and grab copies of his many books at johnhendrix.com.

You’ve heard of the Spiritual Exercises. You’ve probably heard of Ignatius’ autobiography. But have you heard of the Constitutions of the Society of Jesus? Unless you’re a Jesuit, you probably haven’t. It’s a series of documents often dismissed as too legalistic, necessary but not relevant to daily life. But that’s not true—and our guest today, Fr. Bart Geger, SJ, professor at the Boston College’s school of theology and ministry, will make that case. The Constitutions are foundational to the Ignatian tradition, to how Jesuits understand their mission: that being the service of the greater glory of God. The Constitutions, then, are important for all of us who stand in this Ignatian legacy, for all of us who also hope to serve God’s greater glory. The Constitutions touch on the formation of Jesuits specifically, but also point each of us toward spiritual wisdom for our own unique vocation. Why talk about the Constitutions today? Fr. Bart has recently completed work on a new edition, which provides all of us with an opportunity to revisit this important text. As Fr. Bart writes in the introduction: “Knowledge of the Constitutions is…necessary in order to understand recurring themes and controversies in the Society’s history. Far more importantly, however, the book is vital to correctly interpret the spiritual doctrine of Ignatius himself, especially his ideas about how to discern God’s will, and the particular ideals and virtues that he desired—and still desires—for all who embrace the principle and foundation upon which all his doctrine stands.” In short, if we believe the riches of Ignatian spirituality are vital and relevant for today’s world, then we’d do well to better understand the institutional framework with which Ignatius entrusted this legacy to be lived out. If you'd like to get a copy of Fr. Bart's new edition or learn more about the project, head over to the Institute of Jesuit Sources: https://jesuitsources.bc.edu/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-a-critical-edition-with-the-complementary-norms-paperback/

If you’re listening to this episode on the day it drops, then we’re just a matter of hours away from celebrating Thanksgiving in the United States. Regardless of whether you’ll be surrounded by friends and family over these next few days or you’ll be passing the occasion in a quieter, more subdued manner, one thing remains the same: We are all called to cultivate a disposition of gratitude. These Thanksgiving episodes where we reflect on gratitude as a spiritual practice have become something of a holiday tradition all on their own. Gratitude is foundational to Ignatian spirituality. And it’s something we’re called to on good days as much as on bad ones. Today we’re lucky to have Vinita Hampton Wright return to the pod to reflect on these spiritual themes. Vinita always brings with her practical wisdom and deep knowledge of both the tenets of the Ignatian tradition and how to talk about them. Vinita is a veteran editors and writer of countless books and articles on Ignatian spirituality. She worked for many years at Loyola Press, and now gives workshops and retreats on writing, creativity and prayer. Vinita is also the author of this year’s 2025 “Book of Grace-Filled Days,” which is currently available from Loyola Press and a wonderful companion to your prayer in this upcoming year. Check it out here: https://store.loyolapress.com/2025-a-book-of-grace-filled-days

Last week, we began our pilgrimage to Belize. We met Fr. Brian Christopher, the superior of the country-wide Jesuit community. And we heard a little bit about the hopes and heartaches of the people of Belize. We saw how Ignatian spirituality has a role to play in helping crystalize the character of Belize, and how important collaboration is in a country made up of such a rich and diverse history. Most importantly, we heard from Fr. Brian how the work of the Jesuits in Belize today isn’t about making plans and wracking up successes but rather that of humility, of accepting the possibility of failure. The key, Brian said again and again, is accompaniment: walking with and learning from and cheering on the people of Belize. Last week’s episode ended with a reflection on synodality — that all-important theme of Pope Francis’ papacy. How are we called to listen to the voices of those members of our global church that so often get sidelined? Today, in our second of our two-part series on Belize, we return to that theme of synodality: you’re going to hear from several lay leaders that are working closely with the Jesuits. Perhaps even more importantly, you’re going to hear how essential these lay leaders are in building up the local church. It’s not an exaggeration to say that without these lay leaders, the Catholic church in some of the most remote parts of Belize may simply not exist. So, let’s continue our pilgrimage.

Over the next two episodes, host Eric Clayton is going to take you on an adventure. We’re going to travel to Central America, to a small country on the Caribbean Sea. A country that is both ancient and relatively new. A place that is both a melting pot of so very many cultures and ways of life, and yet is also the least populated country in all of Central America. We're going on pilgrimage to Belize. Eric was there earlier this year visiting the Jesuit communities. Jesuits have been in Belize since 1851, when members of the English Province came over from nearby Jamaica. Ever since, Jesuit have played a foundational role in the development of the Catholic Church in the country — even before it was a country. And that last bit is important. The Mayan people lived and thrived in that land for centuries before Europeans arrived in the early 1500s. But when the Spanish conquistadors arrived — and soon after, British pirates — the Mayan people suffered, dying from conflict as well as disease. The country as it’s known today became independent in 1981. Before then, since 1862, Belize was declared part of the British Empire and known as British Honduras. As a result of the relative new-ness of the country, Belizeans are still in the process of discovering their own identity, of making known what it means to be a citizen of Belize. So, what role are the Jesuits playing in all of this? As you'll hear from today's guest, Fr. Brian Christopher, SJ, the superior of the Jesuit community in Belize, the Jesuits are called to accompaniment. Fr. Brian is focused on walking with Belizeans in discovering what it means to be Catholic and Belizean is this moment. This is part 1 of a two-part series on Belize. Next week, we'll journey to a different part of the country. In the meantime, check out this video featuring Fr. Brian and some of the lay leadership in Belize: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cLzGsVsxRs

Today we’re talking about the global nature of God’s invitation. Our guest — Fr. Chuks, the new director of communications for the Jesuit Curia in Rome, responsible for sharing the stories of the entirety of the global Society of Jesus — reminds us that the people of God are everywhere. And we, informed by the Ignatian tradition, have a responsibility to go and hear their stories—and to share them with others. Fr. Chuks — whose full name is Chukwuyenum Afiawari — is a Nigerian Jesuit. Most recently, he was the provincial of the North West Africa province, which includes Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Gambia—no small task! Now living at the Jesuit headquarters in Rome, Chuks is tasked with thinking about how we communicate with one another. How we communicate the Good News of Jesus Christ with on another. How Ignatian spirituality and the legacy of Ignatius of Loyola equips us to go out into the world and witness Christ’s love to one another. This, too, is no small task. Today's conversation covers a lot of ground, hitting on the nature of global communications, our responsibility as members of the universal Catholic Church, how we might train today’s communicators to respond to the signs of the times and more.

When the celebrity chef and restauranter Lidia Bastianich was just a few months old, the city her Italian family lived in was assigned to Yugoslavia as part of the reorganization of Europe after World War II. Her family became exiles without a proper homeland. Eventually, her family fled to Italy, where they lived in a refugee camp for two years. With the help of the Catholic Church, her family was resettled in the United States in 1958. It is her own family history and her own close personal connection with the Society of Jesus that prompted Lidia to join the board of the Jesuit Refugee Service USA recently. The mission of Jesuit Refugee Service is to accompany, serve and advocate for the rights of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons. Founded by Jesuit superior general Fr. Pedro Arrupe in 1980, in direct response to the humanitarian crisis of Vietnamese refugees, JRS today works in 58 countries worldwide to meet the educational, health and social needs of refugees. Lidia is most well known for Italian cooking, which she has shared with the world in almost 20 cookbooks, several restaurants and a handful of extremely popular cooking shows on PBS. Host Mike Jordan Laskey asked her about her career and how her family’s moving story led her to where she is today. They also talked about the unique and mysterious power of a shared meal, plus differences between Italian and Italian-American cooking and how the US at its best is a place where cultures from around the world can come, encounter each other and grow in harmony. Lidia also gave Mike a few tips for his own cooking! She is a delightful storyteller and an insightful conversation partner and we know you’ll love getting to know her in this extended interview format. Lidia Bastianich: https://lidiasitaly.com/ Jesuit Refugee Service USA: https://www.jrsusa.org/ AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, which is a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

From the Jesuit Media Lab, this is AMDG. I’m Mike Jordan Laskey. Today’s episode is the fourth and final one in our series on faith and politics leading up to the 2024 presidential election here in the U.S. Our guest is the Jesuit Conference’s very own Tom Mulloy, who serves as our director of government relations. Sometimes people are surprised to find out that we have a director of government relations and that our Office of Justice and Ecology spends the majority of its time here in Washington meeting with lawmakers and others in power, trying to influence laws and policies. Tom is a lobbyist, essentially, but you have to think about that word differently in this case. Instead of lobbying on behalf of big oil or a tech behemoth like Google, Tom works alongside other faith groups and NGOs to advocate for a more just and peaceful world. He brings the voices and experiences of the huge Jesuit network to the halls of power in order to humanize issues ranging from immigration to tax policy to indigenous housing. Host Mike Jordan Laskey asked Tom to share how he got into this work and why his faith calls him to bring Gospel values to Capitol Hill. They also talked about how all of us can be informed, faith-filled advocates on behalf of justice. Because the work of politics is not just about elections. It’s about making sure those we elect pursue the common good. The Jesuit Conference Office of Justice and Ecology: https://www.jesuits.org/our-work/justice-and-ecology/oje/ AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, which is a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. Go Yankees. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/ AMDG is a production of the Jesuit M

For the third episode of our pre-election series, we’re going to focus on the role of the media in a democracy. Our guest is Scott Detrow, a veteran radio journalist and a host of NPR’s flagship show All Things Considered. You can usually find Scott hosting the weekend editions of the show on Saturday and Sunday, but this month he’s filling in on the weekday afternoon broadcast. He’s also a host of the Consider This podcast. Scott joined NPR in 2015, and he spent eight years covering national politics. He covered two presidential campaigns, Congress and the White House. Before NPR, Scott was a statehouse reporter in California and Pennsylvania for NPR member stations. He's also Jesuit educated twice over -- an alum of Marquette University High School in Milwaukee and Fordham University in New York. Host Mike Jordan Laskey asked him on the show recently to discuss the state of the news media today, which is just as caught up in the challenges of polarization as the Catholic Church is. We wanted to get his take on the state of journalism today and even just to get back to basics: What is the news media for in a democracy? Why is mistrust of media so high these days? Are there any signs of hope out there? And you can trust Scott on this stuff because he’s thoughtful, hard-working and a great old-fashioned journalist. He wants to tell stories that matter to communities, not to spout his own opinions about the latest hot topic of the day. Because he’s not a pundit, this podcast might be the only time you get to hear him share his thoughts on the media landscape today and why journalism is worth fighting for. Scott Detrow: https://www.npr.org/people/444796749/scott-detrow AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, which is a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

This is the second in our series on faith and politics leading up to the 2024 presidential election here in the United States. Our guest is Dr. Nichole Flores, one of the most exciting young theologians around. Nichole is an associate professor of religious studies at the University of Virginia, and completed her doctoral study in theological ethics at Boston College. It was tricky to decide what to talk to her about because her work covers so many topics: Her research in practical ethics addresses issues of democracy, migration, family, gender, economics, race and ethnicity, and ecology. She talked with host Mike Jordan Laskey about her background and topics like polarization, faith and politics within the various Hispanic communities in the US, and how we might try to seek out spaces in our daily lives that are not just echo chambers of our own views. It was a wide-ranging discussion and it’s fascinating to see how Nichole brings her intellectual interests together with the very practical day-to-day stuff of family and community living. Dr. Nichole Flores: https://religiousstudies.as.virginia.edu/nichole-m-flores Nichole’s writing at America Magazine: https://www.americamagazine.org/voices/nichole-m-flores AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, which is a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

It’s October, which means the presidential election here in the US is next month. So here on AMDG we are going to take old that rule about never discussing religion or politics in polite company and throw it in the Potomac River. Our four episodes this month will all cover faith and politics in a variety of ways. We know you don’t come here for political news and analysis, so we won’t be talking about the ins and outs of the election or really all that much about the election itself. Instead, we’re hoping to go deeper into why politics might matter to people of faith in the first place. Our series of guests all come at questions about this stuff from different angles. We’re getting started on today’s episode with the only American Jesuit who served as a state’s lieutenant governor before entering the Society of Jesus. (We didn’t actually look that fact up, but we’re sure it’s true.) Cyrus Habib, SJ, is a Jesuit in the stage of formation called regency. When he entered the Jesuits in 2020, Cyrus had been serving as the State of Washington’s Lieutenant Governor for three years. An extremely successful and popular politician, it was quite possible Cyrus would’ve eventually become the governor of the state. But he gave up his political career for a Jesuit vocation. And these are just two chapters of Cyrus’ incredible life story: the son of Iranian immigrants to the United States, Cyrus lost his eyesight to cancer as an eight-year-old kid. After graduating from Columbia University in 2003, he studied English literature as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University then earned a law degree at Yale. He practiced law in Washington State from 2009 until 2017, and during that time was elected to the Washington House of Representatives. It’s safe to say he surprised a lot of people when he walked away from politics to enter the Society. Host Mike Jordan Laskey asked Cyrus about his story and his vocation. They also talked about the value of politics and what from the Church’s tradition we might be able to offer the country to help heal our partisan divides. Cyrus Habib, SJ, on his decision to join the Jesuits in America Magazine: https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2020/03/19/lieutenant-governor-cyrus-habib-why-i-am-giving-elected-office-and-joining-jesuits AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, which is a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

Santos and Noehlia worked with Jesuits in Nicaragua; when the government began to attack the Church, they had to flee. This audio reflection is part of a series marking the World Day of Migrants and Refugees. Over the course of six episodes, we invite you to join migrants in solidarity and prayer. Find supplemental resources for reflection and action here: https://sites.ignatiansolidarity.net/world-refugee-day-website

Fr. Sudzer and Matthew support migrants at the Jesuit parish in Miami. They both have family members who’ve migrated. This audio reflection is part of a series marking the World Day of Migrants and Refugees. Over the course of six episodes, we invite you to join migrants in solidarity and prayer. Find supplemental resources for reflection and action here: https://sites.ignatiansolidarity.net/world-refugee-day-website

Today’s episode is different from anything we’ve ever done. Instead of an interview, we have three audio pieces about what you could call the spirituality of everyday life. What are the things we do to find meaning and purpose within the daily grind? First, host Mike Jordan Laskey tells you about his “kindie rock” band, Down By The Bagel. Then, New York-based writer Kaitlin Campbell shares “You Can Do This,” a story about a big case of writer’s block and her prayer for God to just show her a sign already. Finally, Steve Givens, an author and spiritual director from St. Louis, has a piece about how an imaginary baseball game he played as a kid shaped his spiritual life in ways he only would come to realize decades later. If you’d like to submit us your own proposal for some creative work, check out our pitch guide at JesuitMediaLab.org. AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, which is a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

Sometimes on this show, host Mike Jordan Laskey has topic in mind he’d like to cover and then he goes and finds someone great to talk about it. Other times, he knows he wants to talk to a specific person because they’re brilliant and Mike doesn’t really care what the topic is. Whatever the guest wants to discuss will be interesting. Today’s episode is this latter type of show. Dr. Mahri Leonard-Fleckman teaches at the College of the Holy Cross, where she’s an associate professor in the Departments of Religious Studies and Classics. She’s an Old Testament scholar, and first came on the show about four years ago to talk about the Book of Ecclesiastes and King David. Mike wrote her recently and asked what’s fascinating her these days. And that’s how we have come to have an episode about Samson, that strong guy with the long hair from the Book of Judges. Mahri has been researching the history of Samson, how this bizarre Biblical character came to be and how interpretations about him have shifted through centuries. Mahri’s research has way deeper concerns than the surface-level story of Samson – she uses the story to reflect on the nature of Biblical biography writ large. Where do these larger-than-life characters come from and what do they mean? How do cultures receive and interpret sacred texts over generations? After hearing form Mahri, you won’t think about Samson the same way ever again. Mahri Leonard-Fleckman, Ph.D.: https://www.holycross.edu/academics/programs/religious-studies/faculty/mahri-leonard-fleckman Mahri’s “Ponder: Contemplative Bible Study”: https://litpress.org/Products/PONDERSET/Ponder-Complete-Set?srsltid=AfmBOopdlMpTTpBbZ-ug-XsSwHtMz-zSQYcBLkw3BBr6-h8AcDpI1Szl World Day of Migrants and Refugees Audio Reflection Series: https://sites.ignatiansolidarity.net/world-refugee-day-website AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, which is a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

Think back to the early days of ChatGPT and generative AI. It was a topic discussed on seemingly every podcast and countless news segments. Nearly every one of them started those segments with some elaborate introduction about the risks and opportunities that the new technology posed, how the way we communicate with one another would be irrevocably changed, how we would no longer be able to differentiate the writing of humans from that of computers. And then, to conclude the intro, the host would say something along the lines of, “Bet you didn’t realize everything I just said was written by ChatGPT.” Don’t worry—we didn’t do that here. All that clunky writing is your host's. But for a second, you were unsure. Even now, you might be wondering if you can trust us, if you can take us at our word. And that, our guest today says, is a problem. Dr. Joseph Vukov is an associate professor of philosophy and the associate director of the Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage at Loyola University Chicago. His latest book—and the topic of today’s podcast—is called “Staying Human in an Era of Artificial Intelligence.” Joe points to this erosion of trust as just one of the threats AI poses to our ability to stay human. But he doesn’t stop there. Throughout our conversation, he takes on this idea that just because AI can write something that sounds vaguely human doesn’t at all mean it’s eroding the building blocks of our humanity. All the same, as people of faith responding to the signs of the times, continuing to reflect on AI and its inevitable role in our present and future is important. And that’s what we do today. It’s a fun conversation. If you want to learn more about Joe and his work, visit josephvukov.com and check out the links below. Get his book: https://www.amazon.com/Staying-Human-Era-Artificial-Intelligence/dp/1565485998 Learn about his course: https://www.scienceforhumans.com/

There aren’t that many times in the Gospels when Jesus tells his disciples how they might act if they’re hoping to get to heaven one day. When Jesus does indeed get that direct, it’s probably a smart idea to pay attention. And probably the most famous example of this sort of Jesus talk comes in the 25th chapter of Matthew’s Gospel. It’s the Last Judgment story, the one about the sheep and the goats. Jesus tells his friends that whenever they feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick or visit the prisoner, they are caring for Christ himself. He makes a radical one-to-one identification with people who suffering and oppressed. Perhaps the most challenging category of person listed in Matthew 25 is the prisoner. Because Jesus doesn’t just say you can find him in unjustly held prisoners. He just says prisoners. If you want to see Christ, he seems to be saying, look into the eyes of someone on death row. That’s a privileged place to find Jesus, important enough to make it into this dramatic story in the Gospel. Our criminal justice system is certainly not set up to treat prisoners as if they were reflections of the Lord’s face. But our guest today is the founder of a Catholic organization that’s working hard to make world a bit closer to God’s dream for it. Fr. Zach Presutti is a Jesuit priest and the founder and executive director of the Thrive For Life Prison Project. In 2017, before his ordination to the priesthood, Zach founded Thrive For Life with a mission to transform lives both behind and beyond prison walls. In jails and prisons, Thrive For Life offers thousands of men and women in New York and Wisconsin retreats and spiritual direction rooted in Ignatian spirituality. On the outside, the organization is growing a network of houses of study for returning citizens to live in community while receiving holistic support services. Recently, Fr. Zach was nominated as one of three finalists for the prestigious Opus Prize, hosted this year at Santa Clara University. The Opus Prize is given to recognize unsung heroes, anywhere in the world and from a variety of faith traditions, solving today’s most persistent social problems. All Opus finalists receive gifts of $100,000, with the winner receiving $1 million. When host Mike Jordan Laskey spoke with Fr. Zach recently, he asked him to share the story of how Thrive For Life got started and why he thinks it has grown and thrived the way it has. Fr. Zach shared his reflections on working in prison ministry and why he finds it to be such an enlivening mission. While he’s a humble guy who deflects praise and is always quick to lift up members of Thrive For Life’s team and network, we couldn’t help but be struck by Fr. Zach’s passion, energy and vision. We think you’ll enjoy getting to know him a bit. Thrive For Life: https://thriveforlife.org/ The Opus Prize: https://www.scu.edu/news-and-events/press-releases/2024/july-2024/santa-clara-university-announces-opus-prize-finalists.html AMDG is a product of the Jesuit Media Lab, a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

A couple of weeks ago, The New Yorker magazine published a fabulous profile of a Jesuit priest: Fr. Brian Strassburger, SJ, who lives in a Jesuit community that’s serving migrants on the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas and the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. The piece went deep into Fr. Brian’s vocation story and how he wound up at the border as his first assignment after ordination to the priesthood. The article is also theologically rich, politically astute and paints a vivid picture of the harsh reality the migrants the Jesuits accompany are facing every day. The author of the story is a freelance reporter named Jack Herrera whose work on immigration, among other topics, has appeared in places like The Atlantic and the Los Angeles Times. Jack is our guest today. In reporting the story, Jack spent hours and hours with Fr. Brian and his fellow Jesuits in their ministry. Host Mike Jordan Laskey wanted to know what Jack learned from his experience: What most surprised him as he accompanied the Jesuits on both sides of the border? What stories and research got left on the cutting room floor? How did the project come to be in the first place, and why was The New Yorker interested? If you have read the story already, we hope this conversation will be a helpful supplement to what made it onto the page. If you haven’t read the story yet, we can’t recommend it highly enough. “The Betrayal of American Border Policy”: https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/the-betrayal-of-american-border-policy Jack Herrera: https://x.com/jherrerx Del Camino Jesuit Border Ministries, where Fr. Brian serves: https://www.jesuitscentralsouthern.org/our-work/del-camino/ How Jesuits Accompany Today’s Holy Families on the Border: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85U1B3zECU4 www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

The end of the summer and the beginning of fall means many of us will be returning to school in one form or another. Teachers, students, bus drivers, cafeteria workers—it’s all about to begin again. It’s a time of excitement and maybe a little apprehension. I’ll wager a bet that a few listeners are familiar with a particular type of school. It may be your alma mater; it might be your place of employment. It might just be where you send your tuition. I’ll bet when you visit this school, there are signs with funny Latin words: cura personalis, magis, agere contra and so on. Of course I’m talking about Jesuit schools. And whether or not you’ll be setting foot on one in the coming weeks, I think you’re going to like today’s episode. Because our guest, Dr. Michael T. Rizzi, is about to take us on a brisk tour through the vast and compelling history of Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States. Dr. Rizzi is the director of student affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. He’s written an incredible book aptly called “Jesuit Colleges and Universities in the United States: A History.” In it, he tells the story of this particular kind of school, how it has developed and what it has meant to the history of the U.S. We’re introduced to not only a cast of characters but every Jesuit college past and present. It’s a history with more than a few surprises. And it may just make you appreciate your own Jesuit school that much more. If you’d like to pick up a copy of Dr. Rizzi’s book, visit this link: https://www.amazon.com/Jesuit-Colleges-Universities-United-States/dp/0813236169

This is a conversation about racism and the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola. Put more precisely, this is a conversation about how the Spiritual Exercises might better form us to understand and push back against the repercussions of racism in America. The question that frames this conversation is one that comes from the global Society of Jesus. At the last General Congregation—GC 36—when Jesuits from around the world gathered to elect a new superior general and examine the most pressing issues facing our world today, this question was raised: Why do the Exercises not change us as deeply as we should hope? In short, how does injustice and racism and violent persist, even after so many of us have made the Exercises? The Exercises, after all, are meant to change our hearts and minds, to help us better understand God and who God desires that we be with and through community. This question is at the heat of a new book from Liturgical Press. It’s called “Praying for Freedom: Racism and Ignatian Spirituality in America.” It’s a collection of essays and reflections that attempt to wrestle with this question and try to envision how we might build a more just and compassionate society. We have three guests today. Dr. Laurie Cassidy, the editor of the anthology, currently teaches in the Christian Spirituality program at Creighton University. She is an award-winning author and editor, and has been engaged in the ministry of spiritual direction for more than 30 years. Our two other guests, Elise Gower and Justin White, both contributed chapters to this book, both reflecting on their own experiences of a retreat called “The God of Us All: Praying with Black Spirituality.” They both share with us personal and powerful insights into their own prayer life. Elise has an extensive background in Ignatian spirituality, higher education and leadership, having served as associate director of Contemplative Leaders in Action—a formation program for young adults—and at Loyola University Maryland in the offices of Campus Ministry and the Center for Community Service and Justice, and more. Justin White has a long career in Jesuit education, having taught theology for 8 years at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Baltimore and having held several roles at Loyola Blakefield, most recently as a counselor for middle school students. If you have ever prayed through the Spiritual Exercises or if that’s something you hope to do, this conversation will add a helpful frame to your prayer and challenge you to examine those places in our lives where we are resistant to God’s love—those places where we are not free. Our prayer today is one of freedom—as we begin this conversation, let us pray that we all may recognize those places of unfreedom in our lives, and take the necessary steps to step beyond those obstacles. https://litpress.org/Products/6791/Praying-for-Freedom

Today’s topic is one straight out of science fiction. We’re talking about transhumanism—which, as you’ll soon learn, is very much a real thing with very real ethical implications. That’s why Dr. Jason Eberl, professor and director of the Albert Gnaegi Center for Health Care Ethics at Saint Louis University, is here to share his insights and expertise. Transhumanism, at its core, is about modifying the human body. As Dr. Eberl will explain, that can be as simple as taking some sort of drug to help focus your mind during a late-night study session. But it can also imply something much more—think of a cyborg from Star Trek. And we do—think about Star Trek, I mean. Dr. Eberl is an expert fan, having written and edited countless essays, articles, book chapters and more investigating the philosophical side of some of our favorite pop culture franchises. It’s a helpful way to engage a tricky, complex topic like transhumanism. As Dr. Eberl says, it gives us distance to game out ethical scenarios that are both uncomfortable and necessary to making good decisions. We do that in today’s conversation, too. While we may arrive at few answers, Dr. Eberl lays out a variety of outcomes that transhumanism—in all its varied forms—might lead to. Some are good; some, less so. But as you’ll see, these aren’t just hypothetical issues for the next Star Trek series; these are issues that can have very tangible impacts in our daily lives and relationships. This conversation brings in insights from everyone from Mr. Spock to St. Thomas Aquinas, and helps us better understand what it means to be embodied. Ultimately, as Dr. Eberl lays out, it’s because of our limitations, our imperfections as humans, that we are able to find happiness. That sounds counterintuitive, but I think by the end of today’s episode, you might begin to see why. Want to check out some of Jason Eberl’s prolific works? SLU Faculty Page: https://www.slu.edu/arts-and-sciences/bioethics/faculty/eberl-jason.php "Battlestar Galactica and Philosophy:" https://www.amazon.com/Battlestar-Galactica-Philosophy-Knowledge-Begins/dp/1405178140/ "The Ultimate Star Wars and Philosophy:" https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Star-Wars-Philosophy-Blackwell/dp/1119038065/ "Star Trek and Philosophy:" https://www.amazon.com/Star-Trek-Philosophy-Popular-Culture-ebook/dp/B003S3RL8U

Today, July 31, we celebrate the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Happy feast day! We'll wager a guess that if you’re a listener of this podcast, then today’s saint needs no introduction. You know about the cannonball, the pilgrimage, the Spiritual Exercises and the founding of the Society of Jesus. Ignatius’ story, told year after year, might even begin to feel a bit dry. That’s why we're excited about today’s interview. Our guest takes a fresh approach to this well-known history. We’re looking at the story of Ignatius and the Jesuits not from a chronological perspective but from a thematic one. Claudio Ferlan is an Italian historian and was a fellow at Boston College’s Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies. His time at BC has led to the publication of a new book titled “The Jesuits: A Thematic History.” What are these themes? We explore the historical development and importance of the Ignatian identity, of the role of mission work in the Society, of the Jesuit’s unique way of proceeding and of the inevitable conflicts that Jesuits have found themselves engaged in. We think you’ll find this to be a brisk, fascinating tour of Jesuit history. And if you do like this conversation or just have an interest in Jesuit history, then pick up a copy of “The Jesuits: A Thematic History” here: https://jesuitsources.bc.edu/the-jesuits-a-thematic-history/

There is a list of Jesuit giants through history you hear over and over. That list starts with Saint Ignatius and his companions, of course, then includes to other Jesuit saints and blesseds to more modern Jesuits who are often called by just one name: Rahner. Hopkins. De Lubac. Teilhard. Arrupe. Dulles. Ellacuria. Bergoglio. And today’s episode is about one more on this list: Lonergan. Bernard Lonergan was a Canadian Jesuit philosopher and theologian who lived from 1904 to 1984. And to be honest, his work is intimidating. He was pretty clearly a genius and wrote volumes on volumes of work on topics like epistemology, the philosophy of science, economic and political theory, and so much more. His most significant work is a 1957 book called “Insight: A Study of Human Understanding.” Whatever Lonergan was up to during his life was so important that there are scores of scholars who devote their careers today to studying and responding to his work. Today’s guest is one of these scholars: Jonathan Heaps is the director of the Bernard J. Lonergan Institute at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey, and the author of the recent book The Ambiguity of Being: Lonergan and the Problems of the Supernatural. Host Mike Jordan Laskey asked Jonathan to introduce Lonergan to us and explain why there is this whole cottage industry around Lonergan’s thought and why he’s still important today. Jon did a great job translating some of Lonergan’s big ideas into language even Mike could understand. We think you’ll enjoy the chance to get this accessible introduction to one of the most influential North American Jesuits ever. Jonathan Heaps: https://www.jonathanheaps.com/ Lonergan Institute: https://www.shu.edu/lonergan/ AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

A few weeks ago, our guest was the sociologist of religion Tricia Bruce, who talked about what we know about the state of the American Catholic Church today. On this episode, host Mike Jordan Laskey is pursuing the same questions but from a different angle. Our guest is Scott Moringiello, and he’s an associate professor of Catholic Studies at DePaul University in Chicago. In that role, he teaches a rather large course called Introduction to Catholicism, which he has taught multiple times. Over the years, he has taught hundreds of Gen Z kids from all sorts of religious backgrounds about the foundational basics of the Catholic faith. He’s gotten to learn about the students’ own experiences with faith and what energizes them or keeps them distant. Scott was also an academic mentor of Mike’s almost 20 years ago. He was a graduate assistant in a phenomenal liberal arts seminar Mike took, which he still considers the greatest intellectual experience of his life. One way you can tell the power of that class is the fact Scott and Mike are still friends all this time later. So they talked a bit about what made that class so incredible and how it informed Scott’s own approach to education. They also discussed some of his Scott’s mentors from Regis High School in New York City, his Jesuit alma mater that’s still near and dear to his heart. Finally, Mike also asked Scott the role of the liberal arts and college education in the world of ChatGPT. They had a wide-ranging conversation that feels a bit like old friends getting together over a meal or a libation. Scott Moringiello: https://las.depaul.edu/academics/catholic-studies/faculty/Pages/Scott-Moringiello.aspx AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

In honor of the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris, we’re thrilled to welcome the swimmer and five-time Olympic medalist Missy Franklin onto the podcast. Maybe you remember Missy taking the Olympics by storm back in 2012 at the age of 17. What you might now know, though, is that Missy was a student at Regis Jesuit High School in Denver, Colorado during that Olympic run. She went back and graduated the year after her historic performance. Host Mike Jordan Laskey asked Missy how the school community supported her during those wild weeks and months. She couldn’t have been happier to talk about Regis Jesuit and how the school stood by her and welcomed her back to class as her whole, genuine self – and not just a newly minted celebrity. Missy described finding her faith at Regis Jesuit, as she did not come from a religious background, and she shared stories from her time at school and what she’s been up to during her retirement from competitive swimming. After the conversation with Missy, you’ll hear a piece written and read by Gretchen Kessler, one of Missy’s mentors at Regis Jesuit and the first principal of the school’s girls division. Regis Jesuit is the only Jesuit high school in the U.S. or Canada – and we think maybe in the world – that educates both young men and women but does so in distinctive, separate divisions. While students come together for extracurricular activities and other events, their core instruction is in single-sex classrooms. It’s a unique model that got its start in Denver 20 years ago. Gretchen retired from her role in recent years, but she still works at the school in alumni relations. It’s fascinating to hear her reflect on starting something new and bold two decades ago. It was an experiment that worked and has turned out hundreds of high-quality alumni like Missy Franklin herself. Missy Franklin: https://www.missyfranklin.com/ Regis Jesuit High School: https://www.regisjesuit.com/ AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. Our theme music by Kevin Laskey. Also featured in this episode is "These Moments Live," by Abstract Aprils, licensed through Audiio.com. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

Most of our listeners have surely at least heard of Homeboy Industries, which is the largest gang intervention, rehab and re-entry program in the world. Founded in Los Angeles by the Jesuit priest Fr. Greg Boyle in 1988, Homeboy works with about 10,000 former gang members each year in dozens of different ways, from job training to tattoo removal to wraparound case management services. Fr. Greg recently received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his pioneering work in this area. One of Homeboy’s initiatives that host Mike Jordan Laskey just learned about recently is the Homeboy Art Academy, which engages at-risk youth and adults in diverse forms of art as tools for healing and transformation. The art academy is the brainchild of today’s guest -- Fabian Debora, an accomplished visual artist and a former gang member himself. Fabian’s story is so powerful – full of trauma and despair and hope and beauty and community. Unlike most episodes of AMDG, this one isn’t a classic interview. We’re just going to let Fabian share his story with you. You don’t want to miss it. Fabian Debora: https://www.fabiandebora.com/ LA Times profile of Fabian in conjunction with his “Cara de Vago” exhibition: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-03-15/fabian-debora-wants-you-to-see-the-light-of-gang-life-homeboy-industries Homeboy Art Academy: https://homeboyindustries.org/services/art-academy/ AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. AMDG theme music by Kevin Laskey. Other music in this episode includes “Cool Math” by AstroMouse, “Coastin” by CTrox, “Fat Cloud” by Marscott and “Dawn” by Nicolas G, licensed through Audiio.com. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

"The Holy Spirit provides." This is one of the central mantras of the Migrant Familia program at Holy Trinity Jesuit Parish. Based in Washington, DC, the parish's Familia provides crucial support to newly arrived migrants and asylum seekers, helping them find housing, apply for work permits, enroll in school, and receive medical care. More than provide services, however, the Familia program creates, well, a family for migrants who come to the U.S.—often without resources, friends, or family of their own. On today's episode, I talk with the coordinator of the Familia program, Ashley Klick, and two of its graduates, Julien Patrick Tete Wabo and Miguel Flores. Both fled political persecution in Cameroon and Nicaragua, respectively. They came to the U.S. alone, and through their own determination and the accompaniment of Holy Trinity, they have built new lives. They spoke candidly about the hardship of migrating, but they also shared their love and admiration for one another—and for the Familia as a whole. I found it to be a really touching conversation, and I hope you do too. ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Learn more about Holy Trinity's Migrant Familia: https://trinity.org/social-justice/migrants-refugees Find out how the Jesuits across the U.S. and Canada accompany migrants: https://www.jesuits.org/our-work/justice-and-ecology/migration-and-immigration/ This episode was recorded, edited and produced by MegAnne Liebsch.

The internet, wherever we access it, is so much of our lives now. Being online isn’t some alternate reality different from our real lives. The internet is real life. But what is that doing to our brains and our souls? How are the mini computers in our pockets affecting our lives, whether we’re using them for listening to great Jesuit podcasts or mindlessly scrolling through Instagram? What is our technology doing to our ability to, say, pay attention to the person in front of us? Or to read something long and dense? Or to be be bored? Or to pray? Host Mike Jordan Laskey has been growing more curious about these questions over the past few years, and it has led him to learn more about a discipline within the study of communications called “media ecology.” Media ecology is all about the environment that our ways of sending and receiving information create. The printing press affected all elements of culture in countless way; same thing for the radio and photograph and television and computer and smartphone. And one of the leading scholars working in media ecology today, especially at the subject area’s intersection with religion, is a Jesuit priest named Fr. Paul Soukup, and he’s today’s guest. Fr. Soukup is a professor of communication at Santa Clara University in California, where he teaches and writes on these topics. Some of his book titles are helpful introductions to his areas of interest: “Communication and Theology”; “Christian Communication”; “Media, Culture and Catholicism”; and “Out of Eden: 7 Ways God Restores Blocked Communication.” Mike asked Fr. Soukup to orient us to the world of media ecology and how he sees our media environment today affecting our individual and communal lives. They also discussed the media ecology of theology and how information technology development through the ages has affected the ways the church does its thinking and praying. More about Fr. Soukup: https://www.scu.edu/cas/communication/faculty-and-staff/paul-soukup-sj/ AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

We presume listeners to this podcast are interested in the state of the Catholic Church in North America. But if you stop to think about what you know about the church, or how you think you know what you now, you might realize your picture is incomplete. Maybe we parrot popular talking points about polarization or disaffiliation or frustrations with this or that church teaching. But so many of perspectives come from sitting where we sit – our age, race, class, gender, geography, political and ecclesial preferences, and so on. And because the Church is so diverse and multifaceted, we need to expand my vision if we want to more fully understand the complexity of our community today. Dr. Tricia Bruce is a perfect conversation partner to help broaden our perspective. Dr. Bruce is a sociologist of religion with expertise in U.S. Catholicism, and has studied and written about topics like polarization in the church, the landscape of Catholic parishes in America, and American attitudes toward abortion. She has numbers and stories from surveys and focus groups and interviews that help give her a wide, deep view of the U.S. Catholic Church that’s so much Dr. Bruce’s award-winning work has appeared in publications like The Wall Street Journal and Time Magazine. She keeps extremely busy in several concurrent positions: She is Director of Springtide Research Institute; faculty fellow of the University of Southern California’s Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies; President-Elect of the Association for the Sociology of Religion; and Consultant to the Vatican’s General Secretariat of the Synod. Host Mike Jordan Laskey asked her about how the sociology of religion is done, and what topics she is most curious about these days. They talked about polarization, interesting trends religion researchers are noticing, and what she might want to tell high-level decision makers in the church about what she is learning. Dr. Tricia Bruce: https://triciabruce.com/ Associated Press article referenced in the conversation: https://apnews.com/article/catholic-church-shift-orthodoxy-tradition-7638fa2013a593f8cb07483ffc8ed487 AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

Of all the saints and heroes of the faith we have in our Catholic tradition, it can be difficult to spiritually connect with martyrs. Maybe that’s part of the point of martyrs, to trouble us a bit in a holy way, to remind us that sometimes faith in Christ can mean literally laying down one’s life for one’s friends. The martyrs invite us to reflect on the depth of my own faith commitments, and whether we’d share their steadfast courage if we were in their shoes. Does faith come first in my life, or only when it’s convenient? Today’s guest is the perfect person to ask about Christian martyrdom and what we might learn from the stories and witness of individual martyrs. Fr. Peter Nguyen, SJ, is a theologian and a scholar of Christian martyrdom, and he has devoted much of his career learning and writing about martyrs. A Jesuit priest who spent this past academic year at Marquette University as the Reverend Francis C. Wade, SJ, Chair, Fr. Nguyen spoke to host Mike Jordan Laskey recently about two martyrs who gave their lives during World War II: Fr. Alfred Delp, SJ, and Edith Stein, who is also known as St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. Both Delp and Stein died as part of the resistance to Nazi Germany. Fr. Nguyen thinks it is worthwhile to engage with their legacies today, even as the details of their lives might challenge us and make us uncomfortable. Learn more about Fr. Nguyen: https://www.creighton.edu/campus-directory/nguyen-peter His book on Alfred Delp: https://www.amazon.com/Against-Titans-Theology-Martyrdom-Alfred/dp/1978704771 AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

Welcome to “Pathway to Priesthood”—a limited audio series from the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. In these conversations, host Eric Clayton talks with Jesuits who are in the final days of preparing for ordination to the priesthood. They reflect back on their vocation stories and experience of Jesuit formation, and wrestle with some of the biggest questions surrounding priestly ordination. On this, our final episode — at least for now — we’re reflecting on what it means to be a Jesuit in a secular society. And to help round out this series, we have three Jesuit guests: C-Y Kao, Brendan Coffey and Brendan Gottschall. For all of us, Jesuit or not, questions of living our faith in the modern age are important — and we get to the heart of them in today’s conversation. C-Y was born and raised in Catholic family in Taiwan. He has a background in diplomacy and foreign service. He first met the Jesuits through the Christian Life Community in Taiwan, and then again through his studies at Georgetown University. Brendan Coffey, a native of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, met the Jesuits at St. Joseph’s Prep School in Philadelphia and again at Fordham University in the Bronx. Brendan Gottschall, from South Jersey, was formed by both the Augustinians and the Jesuits at St. Augustine Prep and Georgetown University, respectively. And yes, it was entirely by accident that we invited two Jesuits from Jersey named Brendan to be on the same episode. As you listen to their stories and reflections, we invite you to consider whether you or someone you know might be interested in discerning a call to Jesuit life. If so, head over to beajesuit.org. We also invite you to keep in prayer these and all of our Jesuits preparing for ordination. Ordinations will take place in the United States on June 8 and in Canada on June 15.

If you’re as interested in Catholicism and the arts as we are here at AMDG, you might also have been excited to see that a new movie about Flannery O’Connor’s writing and life is now playing nationwide. The movie is called “Wildcat,” directed and written by Ethan Hawke and starring his daughter Maya Hawke, who plays both Flannery and a range of characters who appear in the author’s stories. The movie blends traditional biopic narrative with detours into brief adaptations of O’Connor’s stories, bringing the author’s churning life alive in a moving, provocative way. The film was the younger Hawke’s idea, who first read O’Connor while in high school. The father/daughter team assembled an incredible cast of folks including Laura Linney and Liam Neeson, and we cannot recommend it to you highly enough. Today’s guest was also intimately involved in the birth of the film. His name is Eric Groth, and he served as one of “Wildcat”’s executive producers. Eric’s background is in producing Catholic films, including the 2018 movie “Paul, the Apostle of Christ.” He initially found his way into filmmaking sort of by accident, looking to use the medium to reach teenagers during his career in Catholic youth ministry in the 1990s. Host Mike Jordan Laskey asked Eric about why and how he got involved in “Wildcat” and what it was like to work with Ethan and Maya Hawke. They also talked about Eric’s own vision of the intersection of faith and creativity and why, in his words, he likes to make “Catholic movies for atheists.” It was a fascinating conversation and we can’t wait to see what Eric works on next. More about Eric Groth: https://www.osvtalks.com/talks/producing-catholic-films-for-atheists/ “Wildcat” trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2WxoPxP_lQ AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

Welcome to “Pathway to Priesthood”—a limited audio series from the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. In these conversations, host Eric Clayton talks with Jesuits who are in the final days of preparing for ordination to the priesthood. They reflect back on their vocation stories and experience of Jesuit formation, and wrestle with some of the biggest questions surrounding priestly ordination. On this episode, we’re asking tough questions—literally. In our church and in our world, we’re surrounded by questions that make us uncomfortable, by hot-button issues and ideological divides. Like it or not, this is the world, this is the church, that our newly ordained Jesuits are stepping into. In fact, they’ve been in it all their lives. But now, they engage the world and the church as priests. Our two Jesuit guests for this episode are Tom Elitz and returning champion, Christopher Alt. If you listened to our second episode of this limited series, you already know Christopher. He was raised in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He attended the University of San Diego and, later, Boston College. It was there that he met the Jesuits, though it would be a number of years before he took the leap and entered. Tom was born in Philadelphia but grew up in Cinnaminson, New Jersey. He met the Jesuits as an undergraduate student at St. Joseph’s University. Before entering the Society, he worked as a financial analyst and internal auditor at Johnson & Johnson. Tough questions are inevitable in any vocation. Our hope is that today’s episode will give you some tools for reflecting on ways to approach them. As you listen to their stories and reflections, I invite you to consider whether you or someone you know might be interested in discerning a call to Jesuit life. If so, head over to beajesuit.org.

It’s graduation season, which means it’s commencement address season. Host Mike Jordan Laskey did a quick Google search for “most common words in graduation speeches,” and the top hit provided this list – which doesn’t include prepositions or other super-common words: 1. Life 2. Make 3. People 4. World 5. Yourself 6. Success 7. Generation 8. Human There are certainly exceptions, but the standard commencement address is all about YOU, the graduates, and what YOU will do with YOUR immense gifts to find incredible success or change the world. Here’s some stuff you don’t typically hear: You’re not any more special than anyone else; no achievements are really yours alone; you’re going to die someday. In other words, there’s not much humility this time of year – not among most graduates and certainly not among those select few invited to give graduates advice. My guest today thinks the world could use a lot more humility. Dr. Christopher Bellitto is a professor of history at Kean University in New Jersey and a frequent media commentator on Catholicism. His latest book from Georgetown University Press is titled “Humility: The Secret History of a Lost Virtue,” which is incredibly readable, fascinating and even fun. It traces the concept of humility through millennia, going back to Socrates in ancient Greece – when humility wasn’t always seen as a good thing – up through teachings from Judaism, Islam and Christianity and into the Enlightenment and all the way up into our modern context. Mike asked Chris why he decided to write the book, and what he learned about the history of humility. They also talked a bit about St. Ignatius of Loyola, who had his own complex relationship with humility. Chris is one of my the best conversationalists around and Mike had a lot of fun digging into this underappreciated, under-practiced virtue. Chris' book: https://press.georgetown.edu/Book/Humility More about Chris: https://sites.google.com/a/kean.edu/christopher-m-bellitto-ph-d/ AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

Welcome to “Pathway to Priesthood”—a limited audio series from the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. In these conversations, host Eric Clayton talks with Jesuits who are in the final days of preparing for ordination to the priesthood. They reflect back on their vocation stories and experience of Jesuit formation, and wrestle with some of the biggest questions surrounding priestly ordination. On this episode, we’re talking about accompaniment. We’re asking the question: Who makes up the community that walks with a Jesuit? To reflect on these questions and more, we have two Jesuits: Patrick Hyland and Joe Dickan. Joe is from Long Beach, California and Patrick is from Cleveland, Ohio. Both men have traveled abroad as part of their formation and have been greatly affected by these international experiences they’ve had—Patrick in Spain and Joe in Lebanon. These experiences have given them insight into Jesuit community at the international level. In today’s conversation, you’ll hear what it’s like to live in such communities and you’ll be reminded again of how important a personal life of prayer is—whether or not you’re a Jesuit. As you listen to their stories and reflections, I invite you to consider whether you or someone you know might be interested in discerning a call to Jesuit life. If so, head over to beajesuit.org.

This year marks 10 years since Fr. Paul Shelton, SJ, was ordained a priest. As a result, he's been feeling a bit reflective, nostalgic even. He's been thinking about the very first Mass he ever celebrated. But not for the reason you think. Today's episode of "AMDG: A Jesuit Podcast" is a fun one. In it, we hear from a variety of voices, a variety of perspectives on what actually happened at Paul's first Mass. Because it was anything but ordinary. It was Pentecost. And a Jesuit caught fire. This is the story of that day.

Welcome to “Pathway to Priesthood”—a limited audio series from the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. In these conversations, host Eric Clayton talks with Jesuits who are in the final days of preparing for ordination to the priesthood. They reflect back on their vocation stories and experience of Jesuit formation, and wrestle with some of the biggest questions surrounding priestly ordination. On this episode, they dive into one of those all-important Ignatian concepts: Discernment. The two Jesuit guests—Mike Tedone and Christopher Alt—talk about how they employed the tools of discernment in their own vocations. One of the most important questions any of us can ask when we stand at the cusp of a major vocational decision is this: How do I know I’m ready? Well, discernment helps us wrestle with that question; and, that question takes center stage today. Christopher was raised in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He attended the University of San Diego and, later, Boston College. It was there that he met the Jesuits, though it would be a number of years before he took the leap and entered. Mike grew up in Orange County, California. After a volunteer experience with Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Micronesia, he, too, eventually found himself at Boston College where friendships with Jesuit scholastics convinced him that he could become one himself. As you’ll hear, both men had to ask hard questions of themselves and of God about their vocation. While there may be few if any quick answers, Christopher and Mike share with us how they went about discovering the right answers for their lives. As you listen to their stories and reflections, I invite you to consider whether you or someone you know might be interested in discerning a call to Jesuit life. If so, head over to beajesuit.org.

If you made a list of the best things about the Catholic Church in the United States, Catholic Charities USA would be in that list’s very top tier. A network of 168 local agencies based in dioceses throughout the country, Catholic Charities served more than 15 million of our at-risk neighbors last year alone. They serve people without homes, those who are unemployed or underemployed, children who are hungry or malnourished, elderly persons who are isolated, vulnerable migrants and refugees on the move, families recovering from natural disasters, pregnant women and new mothers in need, and persons with disabilities who have inadequate care. All together, the work of Catholic Charities makes up one of the largest networks of humanitarian aid in the nation. Today’s guest is Kerry Robinson, the president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA. If Catholic Charities is in the top tier of American Catholic endeavors, Kerry is in the top tier of American Catholic leaders. She’s dynamic, passionate, faith-filled and extremely smart. And she’s the second-ever woman and second layperson to lead the network. Before joining Catholic Charities, Kerry spent almost two decades working with a group called Leadership Roundtable, which she helped to found in 2005. Leadership Roundtable helps the church develop and implement best management practices to build accountable and transparent leadership culture. Kerry’s entire career has been dedicated to strengthening the church, and her experience and vision helped prepare her to lead this massive network. Host Mike Jordan Laskey asked her about what she has learned in her first year on the job, plus how Catholic Charities is responding to the extremely challenging conditions facing migrants and asylum seekers arriving in the US in the hopes of providing safety and opportunity for their families. She also shared some favorite stories and things she has learned from traveling all over the country visiting Catholic Charities agencies and how her Jesuit education at Georgetown University helped set her on her life path. Learn more about Kerry Robinson: https://stories.catholiccharitiesusa.org/introducing-kerry-alys-robinson/ Catholic Charities USA: https://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/ Catholic Charities staffers facing rising threats: https://religionnews.com/2024/03/22/threats-to-catholic-charities-staffers-increase-amid-rightwing-anti-migrant-campaign/ AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

Welcome to “Pathway to Priesthood”—a limited audio series from the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States in which host Eric Clayton talks with Jesuits who are in the final days of preparing for priestly ordination. Hear Jesuits reflect back on their vocation stories and experience of formation, all while wrestling with some of the biggest questions surrounding priestly ordination. On this episode, we’re asking a basic question: Why even consider religious life? And what actually is it? To reflect on these questions and more, we have two Jesuits: Michael Mohr and Brook Stacey. Michael was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He has a background in teaching, and has spent the last couple of years of his formation studying at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. Brook grew up in Toronto, Ontario. Though his undergraduate studies were in geology, he has more recently completed a master’s degree in psychospiritual studies. Both men have had the opportunity to live in a variety of places throughout the formation, and they both come at this question of religious life from very different perspectives. But at the end of the day, they both have found great consolation as members of the Society of Jesus. As you listen to their stories and reflections, consider whether you or someone you know might be interested in discerning a call to Jesuit life. If so, head over to beajesuit.org.

In 60-plus years of life, Reynaldo Domínguez has never heard someone say, "I live without water and I live in peace." Water is fundamental to a healthy and peaceful life, he says. Yet for Reynaldo and his community in Guapinol, Honduras, access to clean water has become a deadly fight that has killed two of his brothers and sent him and his family into hiding. The conflict started in 2018 when the Honduran company Inversiones Los Pinares, backed by international investors, began to dig out a road through the mountains deep inside the protected National Park Carlos Escaleras. As they began they began digging an open-pit iron ore mine, harmful sediments filled the Guapinol River, the source of water for many of the surrounding communities. Reynaldo and his community quickly organized to push back against this illegal and life-threatening environmental disaster. Things quickly turned deadly. Many of Reynaldo's fellow activists have been jailed, even more have been forced to migrate, and several have lost their lives in the fight to protect the land for future generations. Reynaldo joined us from an undisclosed location to tell us about what's happening in Guapinol. This episode was recorded in Spanish. Listen to the original here: https://soundcloud.com/jesuitconference/reynaldo-spanish-mixdown-v2-240118?si=f61e75f956234a7fa9f55ddf0ebaf2ca&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing Learn more about our partners Radio Progreso: https://www.radioprogresohn.net/ Learn more about SHARE Foundation: http://www.share-elsalvador.org/ +++++++++++++++++++++++++ This podcast was edited and produced by Harrison Hanvey and MegAnne Liebsch. Jose Artiga, executive director of the SHARE Foundation, provided English language dubbing. Original theme music by Kevin Laskey. Photo by Photo by Roberto Palomo.

En más de 60 años de vida, Reynaldo Domínguez nunca ha oído a nadie decir: "Vivo sin agua y vivo tranquilo". El agua es fundamental para una vida sana y en paz, nos afirma. Sin embargo, para Reynaldo y su comunidad en Guapinol, Honduras, el acceso al agua potable se ha convertido en una lucha mortal que ha matado a dos de sus hermanos y lo ha enviado a él y a su familia a la clandestinidad. El conflicto comenzó en 2018 cuando la empresa hondureña Inversiones Los Pinares, respaldada por inversores internacionales, empezó a excavar una carretera a través de las montañas en lo más profundo del Parque Nacional protegido Carlos Escaleras. Cuando empezaron a excavar una mina de hierro a cielo abierto, sedimentos dañinos llenaron el río Guapinol, fuente de agua para muchas de las comunidades de los alrededores. Reynaldo y su comunidad se organizaron rápidamente para oponerse a este desastre medioambiental ilegal y peligroso. La situación no tardó en volverse mortal. Muchos de los compañeros activistas de Reynaldo han sido encarcelados, otros se han visto obligados a emigrar y varios han perdido la vida en la lucha por proteger la tierra para las generaciones futuras. Reynaldo se unió a nosotros desde un lugar desconocido para contarnos lo que está sucediendo en Guapinol. Escucha el episodio en ingles: https://soundcloud.com/jesuitconference/english-version-reynaldo-dominguezs-deadly-fight-to-care-for-creation?si=e8902d693fc34f6ca1fe8a1329b4b0ea&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing Más información sobre nuestros socios de Radio Progreso: https://www.radioprogresohn.net/ Más información sobre la Fundación SHARE: http://www.share-elsalvador.org/ +++++++++++++++++++++++++ Este podcast fue editado y producido por Harrison Hanvey y MegAnne Liebsch. José Artiga, director ejecutivo de la Fundación SHARE, se encargó del doblaje al inglés. Tema musical original de Kevin Laskey. Fotografía de Roberto Palomo.

The American essayist and novelist Marilynne Robinson may not be Catholic, but her writing reveals a deeply sacramental imagination. Through five books of fiction and dozens of essays, Robinson trains her readers in the art of spiritual attention. Where is God’s grace operating in nature and in the ordinary ways humans love, disappoint and forgive one other? In her essay “Psalm 8” she writes, “I have spent my life watching not to see beyond the world,” but “merely to see, great mystery, what is plainly before my eyes… With all due respect to heaven, the scene of miracle is here, among us.” Robinson is best known for her novel “Gilead,” which won the Pulitzer Prize in 2005. It has three sequels, each installment following a different protagonist in the fictitious Iowa town. The last of those, “Jack” (2020), traces the wanderings of a Prodigal Son who has difficulty recognizing a place in his family, church, and hometown. We all know a Jack or two, and Robinson helps us understand their plights with empathy. In March 2024, she released a new book, "Reading Genesis," which is a long meditation on the first book of Hebrew Scripture. She defamiliarizes old stories that we thought we understood – of Adam and Eve, of Cain and Abel, of Abraham and Sarah. She challenges easy clichés – Old Testament God: bad! Jesus: good! – to show us how God’s faithfulness to humanity starts right there…in the beginning. Which is why today’s interview with guest host Fr. Joe Simmons, SJ, starts with Genesis, and branches out into philosophy, science, poetry and fiction, and back to theology. Fr. Simmons, who wrote his doctoral dissertation on the work of Robinson and Virginia Woolf, even talks with our guest on Ignatius Loyola and his contemporary, John Calvin – and the miseries of studying in 16th-century Paris! – which made Fr. Simmons laugh out loud. You won’t want to miss that. More about Marilynne Robinson: https://us.macmillan.com/author/marilynnerobinson "Reading Genesis": https://www.amazon.com/Reading-Genesis-Marilynne-Robinson/dp/0374299404 More about Fr. Joe Simmons, SJ: https://www.marquette.edu/theology/directory/joseph-simmons.php AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

In honor of National Poetry Month - which is currently underway during April 2024 - author and editor Gary Jansen returns to the podcast to talk about his latest book, "Meditations at Midnight: Poetry and Prose." Gary lives at the intersection of faith and art. He’s worked in publishing a long time—both at secular publishing houses editing Catholic authors, and now at Loyola Press, acquiring and mentoring authors that are writing for a Catholic publisher. Gary is an author himself; he’s been on this podcast before talking about his ghost-ridden memoir, “Holy Ghosts,” and his self-help book called “MicroShifts.” In 2023, he won the Christopher Award for the children’s book “Remember Us With Smiles,” that he co-wrote with his wife. And those are just a few of his books. He’s back today to talk about his latest book and to reflect on the lasting impact that good writing can have on our souls. If you want to learn more about Gary, visit garyjansen.com.

You might be familiar with the American Catholic novelist, Flannery O’Connor. You might have read her short stories in a class, maybe “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” or “Everything That Rises Must Converge,” to name a few. You might have even read one of her novels, an essay or two or some of her letters. You might know that she spent much of her relatively short life in Georgia. And, if you know her work well, then you also know that she died in 1964. And so, you might be really surprised to learn that she published her third novel, “Why Do the Heathen Rage?” earlier this year. Well, to be clear, the renowned O’Connor scholar and Fletcher Jones Endowed Chair of Great Books at Pepperdine University and today’s guest, Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson did. Dr. Wilson has been working on this project—uncovering O’Connor’s notes and drafts—for several years now. And the final result is quite stunning: While the book isn’t really a full and final novel—O’Connor died before she could finish it—what Jessica Hooten Wilson gives us is a literary excavation of Flannery’s life, legacy and the story that might have been. Now, if you are familiar with O’Connor, you likely are also familiar with recent discourse about her thoughts and writing on race. Dr. Wilson does not shy away from addressing this sordid legacy head-on. In reflecting on this final, unfinished novel, Dr. Wilson notes that we really see Flannery coming up against her own limitations in understanding race in the American South. And yet, we also see her struggling to reconcile the clear racism of her day with her own Catholic faith. It’s not an easy conversation, but Dr. Wilson walks us through with care and grace. If you are interested in learning more about her work, visit jessicahootenwilson.com and be sure to pick up your copy of “Flannery O’Connor’s Why Do the Heaten Rage? A Behind-the-Scenes Look at a Work in Progress,” now available from Brazos Press.

There’s an old saying in Jesuit circles: If you’ve met one Jesuit, you’ve met one Jesuit. A fun list to make is all the different careers guys had before joining the Society of Jesus. We have actors and comedians, doctors and lawyers, astronomers and one former lieutenant governor. Shane Liesegang, SJ, today’s guest, is the only Jesuit host Mike Jordan Laskey has ever met who was a video game developer. Before entering the Jesuits in 2015, Shane worked for over a decade in video game development for several different studios. He worked on hugely popular games like the Fallout Series and Skyrim. Shane was living his dream. But then he felt called to something more. Today, Shane is a Jesuit scholastic studying Theology at Boston College’s Clough School of Theology and Ministry. He didn’t leave his entire gaming life behind when he entered the Jesuits, though. In fact, one of Shane’s former employers, a hugely influential studio called Bethesda Game Studios, brought him back into the fold to work on a game called Starfield that was released in 2023. In this deeply complex space exploration game, the studio wanted to create a fictional religion that certain characters in the game would profess. So they asked Shane to write this religion’s core texts, which are featured in several places in the game. Shane argues that creating video games is an art form. The combination of visual aesthetics, interactivity and storytelling, not to mention the incredibly detailed and vast universes game developers make, all combine to elevate video games to something more than a mere time waster. If you’re skeptical about this claim, let Shane try to convince you in this conversation. Shane also talked about his unique vocation story and how game design is not dissimilar from Ignatian imaginative prayer in some crucial ways. This was an utterly fascinating conversation and we think you’ll really enjoy meeting Shane, whether you love video games or not. Clip from the game that features the religion Shane wrote: https://youtu.be/hrPhQSP7no8?si=Fig5KmRuQjozJ_w_&t=93 Learn more about Shane: https://shaneliesegang.com/ AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/