AMDG: A Jesuit Podcast

Well, Lent is here. Hooray. To be honest, it feels like the last thing we need right now is 40 days of fasting and penance and just the general heaviness that comes with this season. We’ve been living in a perpetual state of Lent for two years now. So host Mike Jordan Laskey called up his friend Fr. Paddy Gilger, SJ. Fr. Paddy is a sociology professor at Loyola Chicago and a super thoughtful person. He suggested we reframe what the season is all about in the first place. His insights are so helpful and consoling if you’d rather just skip straight to Easter this year. Fr. Paddy was also the founding editor in chief of the Jesuit Post back in 2012, the wonderful culture and religion website that’s run by young Jesuits to this day. So we had to get his music and movie and reading recommendations for Lent. His picks are linked below. All of our hearts are especially heavy as this Lent begins due to the horrifying war underway in Ukraine. Pray and act here: https://www.jesuits.org/stories/pray-and-act-for-ukraine/ Fr. Paddy’s Lenten picks: “Come Healing” by Leonard Cohen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUB1O2cT2gM Springsteen on Broadway: https://www.netflix.com/title/80232329 “Ecce Homo” by Xavier le Pichon: https://onbeing.org/blog/xavier-le-pichon-ecce-homo-behold-humanity/ AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.

One of the most interesting developments in the Jesuit world these days is the emergence of a field called “Ignatian leadership.” The concept comes from the belief that Ignatian spirituality has a huge amount to offer leaders today, whether or not they’re working in “religious” contexts. A lot of those Jesuit concepts that have been at the heart of the order since its founding can be incredibly helpful to leaders today. Think things like discernment, freedom and prayerful reflection through practices like the daily examen. There’s a lot to dig into here. One of the flagship programs promoting Ignatian leadership is called Contemplative Leaders in Action (CLA). CLA gathers young adults in cities across the country for study, reflection and hands-on leadership experiences rooted in the Jesuit tradition. Today’s guest heads up the CLA program and several other Ignatian young adult ministry efforts. His name is Sean Sanford, and he is the director of leadership and young adult programs for the Office of Ignatian Spirituality of the USA East Jesuit province. Whether you’re managing people at work or trying to help raise kids or just trying to have better relationships with the people in your life, Sean offers some helpful elements from the Ignatian tradition that can help all of us live richer, more holistic lives. Office of Ignatian Spirituality: https://jesuitseastois.org/ Ignatian Young Adult Ministries: https://ignatianyoungadults.org/ AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. Subscribe to AMDG wherever you get podcasts.

Lent is only a few weeks away. But before you panic about what to do during these upcoming forty days of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, listen to the advice of spiritual author Gary Jansen. Gary is the author of several spirituality books, including his latest, “MicroShifts: Transforming Your Life One Step At A Time.” Throughout his career as a writer, editor and publisher, Gary has devoted a lot of writing and thinking to the intersection of spirituality and human potential. In “MicroShifts,” Gary grapples with the question: What would our lives look like if we lived fifteen minutes out of each day for something beyond ourselves? What changes could we make – in our lives and in the lives of those around us? The act of microshifting, as Gary explains, can affect any and all aspects of our lives – and so, this conversation spans all sorts of things, from Daoism to ghosts, from social media to Ignatian spirituality. Ultimately, this conversation will help you get ready for Lent, and the spiritual disciplines and opportunities it presents. And, as a bonus, throughout the month of February, you can download Gary's book, "MicroShifts," for free. Visit this link: https://amzn.to/3gDN6pi Learn more about Gary and his work at his website: https://www.garyjansen.com/

Dorothy Day is among the most inspiring, challenging and holy American Catholics ever. As the Jesuit peace activist Daniel Berrigan said, Dorothy "lived as if the truth were true." There were no half-measures with her. The co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement, Dorothy put her faith into action in pursuit of social justice with so much passion and heart and intelligence that she’s now up for canonization in the church. Late last year, the Archdiocese of New York packed up hundreds of pounds of materials in support of her cause. The packages contain her published and unpublished writings, plus transcripts of interviews with people who knew her. There are books about her. A couple of DVDs of movies about her. Just an incredible volume of stuff. And the person in charge of collecting and organizing all this material is our guest, Jeff Korgen, who has been involved in social justice work in the church for decades. For the past seven years, Jeff has been learning about Dorothy and preparing all these documents for the Vatican. Officials in Rome will look through it all and study to see if Dorothy might take the next step toward canonization. Host Mike Jordan Laskey asked Jeff to explain the process and share the highlights from what he learned on his journey with Dorothy and those who knew her. It's a fascinating look behind the curtain of how a saint is made. Even better than learning about the process, though, was getting to hear Jeff talk about Dorothy and her witness. If you learn about Dorothy Day and then go back to living your life just as you had before, you’re missing the point. Her radical commitment to the Gospel and to those living in poverty invite all of us to discern how we can serve the Lord by working for peace and justice. AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. You can subscribe to AMDG wherever you get podcasts.

Ana Grande's great uncle was Fr. Rutilio Grande, SJ, a Jesuit from El Salvador who was just beatified last month. (Beatification is the final step before canonized sainthood in the church, and we can call him Blessed Rutilio now.) Blessed Rutilio was assassinated by El Salvador's security forces in 1977 for his ministry and community organizing with impoverished farmers. He was good friends with Archbishop Oscar Romero, and Rutilio’s death sparked Romero’s own conversion from a reserved leader who preferred to stay away from controversy into an outspoken prophet for peace and justice. Ana spoke with host Mike Jordan Laskey just a few hours after she had returned to her home in Los Angeles from Fr. Rutilio’s beatification. She talked about was like to be there for the ceremony, plus what it's like to have someone in your own family so close to sainthood. Ana has so clearly been inspired by Blessed Rutilio’s work for justice herself, as she has dedicated her life to social justice causes like immigration reform. She’s also a longtime member of Blessed Sacrament Church, the Jesuit parish in Hollywood. It's a privilege to hear from Ana about her experience at the beatification and how she thinks her great uncle’s legacy can inspire all of us today. Follow Ana Grande on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MsAnaGrande AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. Subscribe to AMDG wherever you get podcasts.

Listen to our new Ignatian retreat, a four-part series of ten minute audio modules, written and narrated by Ryan Carroll, a PhD student at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Missed an episode of this prayer retreat? Find this and other digital retreats at https://www.jesuits.org/spirituality/ignatian-digital-retreats/.

John W. Miller was a successful journalist with the Wall Street Journal, covering all sorts of topics all over the planet. A few years ago, he gave it all up for an extremely different path. He tells host Mike Jordan Laskey about the spiritual journey that led him to co-directing his first feature film, the documentary "Moundsville," which tells the story of a small West Virginia town on the Ohio River. John also discusses a series of articles he wrote for America Magazine on economics and Catholic social teaching. In the conversation, John moves seamlessly between personal stories and high-level social analysis, peppering in plenty of Ignatian spirituality along the way. If you haven't encountered John or his work before, he's an incredible person to get to know. Watch "Moundsville": https://www.pbs.org/show/moundsville/ Learn more about the town: https://moundsville.org/ Read John in America Magazine: https://www.americamagazine.org/voices/john-w-miller Learn more about John: https://www.johnwmiller.org/

Listen to our new Ignatian retreat, a four-part series of ten minute audio modules, written and narrated by Ryan Carroll, a PhD student at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Take time to pray as you begin this new year. New episodes drop every Monday in January.

This Saturday, January 22, Father Rutilio Grande, SJ – along with laymen Manuel Solórzano and Nelson Rutilio Lemus – will be beatified in San Salvador, El Salvador. All three men are martyrs, killed in 1977. Fr. Grande, though, was the first priest assassinated before the Salvadoran Civil War began. And, he was a close friend of Archbishop and saint, Óscar Romero. Fr. Arturo Sosa – the superior of the Society of Jesus – wrote about Fr. Grande and his upcoming beatification: “Father Grande, born in the small town of El Paisnal on 5 January 1928, was a Jesuit of unsuspected religious and human depth. In his weakness he found his greatness. He lived much of his life in the silence and humility of those who are becoming, step by step, companions of Jesus.” Fr. Sosa goes on to describe the circumstances in El Salvador during Grande’s time: “The growing awareness of the need to promote a transformation of the inhuman circumstances of life of the peasant majority, a situation caused by the unjust structures of Salvadoran society, sparked the social and political struggles of this convulsive period in the history of this Central American country. Many members of the ecclesial communities participated actively in the social and political struggle. For Father Rutilio, his team, and his close collaborators, who were committed because of their faith to the struggle for the justice of the Gospel, there was a clear distinction between pastoral work and partisan political militancy.” Finally, Fr. Sosa writes: “The Church, in recognizing the martyrdom of Rutilio, Manuel, and Nelson, judges that their lives were taken because of the faith that gave their lives meaning, the faith to which they gave witness by shedding their blood.” Today, to help commemorate the life and legacy of Fr. Rutilio Grande, author and poet and Jesuits.org columnist, Cameron Bellm, is back on the podcast. She’s just finished a new devotional entitled, “No Unlikely Saints: A Mental Health Pilgrimage with Sacred Company.” In it, she devotes a chapter to Fr. Grande and his struggles with mental health. She shares what she learned about him in preparing this book, as well as why it’s important to weave this part of his story into his lasting legacy. Find her book here: https://brickhouseinthecity.com/product/no-unlikely-saints-a-mental-health-pilgrimage-with-sacred-company/

Listen to our new Ignatian retreat, a four-part series of ten minute audio modules, written and narrated by Ryan Carroll, a PhD student at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Take time to pray as you begin this new year. New episodes drop every Monday in January.

Growing up in an abusive household, Issac Sneed wasn’t allowed to have friends. He learned to fend for himself. As an adult, he kept people at arm’s length. For years, he struggled with substance abuse and, at times, lived on the streets. While staying in a homeless shelter, he began attending reflection circles with Ignatian Spirituality Project (ISP)—a Jesuit ministry across the U.S., Canada and Ireland. With ISP, Issac began his journey of recovery. “They validated me and affirmed me, in a way that I had never been validated and affirmed in my own family,” Issac says. Now, a decade later, he leads weekly reflection programs and retreats with ISP Boston. On this episode, host MegAnne Liebsch explores how Ignatian Spirituality Project offers spiritual companionship to people facing homelessness and substance addiction. She talks to alumni leaders like Issac, as well as volunteers and ISP staff about their cannonball moments, transformative friendships, and why St. Ignatius is so relatable. _____________________________ For more information about ISP: Ignatian Spirituality Project provides spiritual retreat and reflection programs at shelters and recovery centers in cities across the US, Canada and Ireland. Learn more about how you can help their mission: www.ispretreats.org Check out this video on ISP produced by MegAnne Liebsch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuxSNNq8yTM

Listen to our new Ignatian retreat, a four-part series of ten minute audio modules, written and narrated by Ryan Carroll, a PhD student at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Take time to pray as you begin this new year. New episodes drop every Monday in January.

Hosts Mike Jordan Laskey and Eric Clayton kick off the new year by reflecting on some Ignatian spiritual principles that can guide us as we navigate 2022.

This week on AMDG, we're bringing you a special cross-over episode from our colleagues at the Jesuit Border Podcast. Hosted by two Jesuits, Fathers Brian Strassburger and Louie Hotop, this podcast explores the Catholic response to humanitarian needs on the U.S.-Mexico Border. Since the summer of 2021, Louie and Brian have been working in the Rio Grande Valley, providing aid and spiritual companionship to migrants there. Now, they're telling the stories of the border through interviews with local leaders. On this week's episode, they talk with Sr. Norma Pimentel, a powerhouse of advocacy and service in the Rio Grande Valley since the 1980s. She currently serves as the executive director of Catholic Charities in the Valley. Subscribe to the Jesuit Border Podcast: https://thejesuitpost.org/2021/11/the-jesuit-border-podcast/

Christmas is a weird time of year. No other season is such a potent combination of stuff happening. You have family traditions and maybe drama…definitely a whole lot of feelings. There’s consumerism and anti-consumerism. Heck there’s a whole soundtrack we share and bicker over. Plus, for Catholics and other Christians, there's the whole Jesus as God incarnate thing. To help host Mike Jordan Laskey sort it all is the great writer Simcha Fisher. Simcha is a columnist for America Magazine and a couple other places and the author of the book "The Sinner’s Guide to Natural Family Planning." She and her husband have ten kids, and she is uniquely good at writing about everyday life and big theological points so accessibly and hilariously. She offers lots of good insight into the season, no matter how crazy or calm your Christmas is this year. Simcha Fisher: https://www.simchafisher.com/ AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and United States. Subscribe to AMDG wherever you get podcasts.

Acclaimed memoirist and poet Mary Karr joined the Jesuit Book Club to talk about her most recent poetry collection, "Tropic of Squalor." The Zoom gathering turned into a deep spiritual conversation, full of Mary's sharp insight and humor. We hadn't planned on running the book club meeting as an AMDG podcast, but it was too good not to share. Learn more about Mary: https://www.marykarr.com/ Learn more about Jesuit Book Club facilitator Nick Ripatrazone: http://nickripatrazone.com/ Join the Jesuit Book Club on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/jesuitbookclub AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. Subscribe to AMDG wherever you get podcasts.

Fr. Brian Paulson, SJ, began his ministry as president of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States in September. He comes to us in DC after seven years as the provincial of the USA Midwest Province, headquartered in Chicago. Fr. Brian talked to host Mike Jordan Laskey a bit about Advent and this period of transition for him, plus Fr. Brian's big-picture vision for the Society of Jesus in the world today. Fr. Brian is a deeply spiritual and thoughtful person who absolutely loves his Jesuit vocation, traits that will undoubtedly serve him well in his new role. AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. Subscribe to AMDG wherever you get podcasts.

Why do some "secular" music or art experiences feel sacred? Guest Tom Beaudoin, Ph.D., is a theology professor at Fordham University has spent a lot of his career exploring this question. He joins host Mike Jordan Laskey to talk about encountering the divine in music, plus a conversation on Tom's new research project on the effects the ancient Pantheon temple (now a church) in Rome has on its visitors. Learn more about Tom: https://sites.google.com/site/tmbeaudoin/ AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. Subscribe to AMDG wherever you get podcasts.

Thanksgiving is a time of tradition. How we celebrate the holiday today probably has a lot to do with how we celebrated the holiday growing up. The foods we place on the table. The special napkins we pull out of the closet. The signature cocktail we serve our guests. The dessert – pies and brownies and more. Take a moment: How much of your Thanksgiving experience reflects the Thanksgivings that have come before, perhaps even before you were born? Tradition is important and forms us in countless ways. But sometimes, traditions can box us in. Sometimes, they limit our horizons, keep us trapped in the old ways of doing things. That’s something that our guest today thinks a lot about. Today’s conversation is with Shannon Evans, a longtime contributor to Jesuits.org and an author of a new book, Rewilding Motherhood: Your Path to an Empowered Feminine Spirituality. It’s a wide-ranging conversation: We talk about images of God that are helpful and that are limiting for mothers; the hyped-up masculinity of St. Ignatius’ writings – and how we might integrate them in a healthy, hopeful way; patriarchy and systemic oppression; and, Thanksgiving traditions. If you’re not a mother, you might be thinking: This episode isn’t for me. Well, not so fast. This is a challenging, important conversation for all of us. What I found in Shannon’s writing and thinking is a challenge to liberation, a liberation from those modes of thinking and acting that keep us from achieving our full God-given potential. We’d do well to remember that we go to God together, as a community, and if any of us is bound up and held back, then all of us are affected. Our entire community of God’s family is kept from achieving God’s dream. And so, even if you’re not a mother, you’ll be challenged by this episode to reflect on your relationship to those who are – and on your relationship with yourself, as a member of God’s family. You can purchase Shannon's book by visiting: http://www.bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/rewilding-motherhood/408781

Today's episode is about storytelling, imagination and prayer -- three things St. Ignatius of Loyola saw as interconnected. Fr. Bill Cain, SJ, has a rather intimidating bio: He’s a Peabody and Writers’ Guild award winning screenwriter who has worked on several films and television shows, including Nothing Sacred, Thicker Than Blood, and more. His work for theater includes Equivocation, 9 Circles, Stand-Up Tragedy and How To Write A New Book For The Bible. He received the 2009 and 2010 Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award, and is the only writer to receive the award in sequential years. There’s more awards, too, and they’re all impressive. Plus, he founded the Boston Shakespeare Company, and has spent more than a few years teaching at Nativity Schools. But the reason he’s on the podcast today isn’t for any of that. He’s here because he wrote a book about Jesus Christ, a deeply moving and tender story that was so good it found its way into conversation around the dinner table of host, Eric Clayton. And that's something worth reflecting on. After all, isn’t that the nature of the Gospel? Jesus lived a life worth talking about, did things that were so remarkable people told their friends, their families, said, “Hey — you’ve got to check this guy out. He’s gonna change how you view the world.” St. Ignatius himself was so moved by the story of Christ — not the scripture, specifically, at least not at first — but by another author’s account of Jesus. And that imaginative tale is what led the soldier-turned-saint to embrace a new life, a new way of loving. So, in today's episode, consider what it means to encounter Christ through imaginative storytelling. How might such an encounter change your life?

Last month, Pope Francis officially launched a two-year process of reflection and listening called a Synod of Bishops. Synods bring church leaders together to discuss and act on important topics related to the life of faith, and this edition is about the concept of synodality itself. Synodality is a big, obscure word, and our guest, Sr. Nathalie Becquart, is one of the most qualified people in the world to explain it. Sr. Nathalie is a Xaviere sister from France and has a background in youth ministry. Earlier this year, Pope Francis named her an undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops, which is a fancy way of saying she is helping to run the whole process and, in a historic first, she will be the first woman in the history of the church to have a right to vote in the synod. This first year of the synod will include church leaders listening to the faithful all over the world, and this gathered wisdom will shape the meetings of bishops and other leaders in Rome in 2023. In addition to asking Sr. Nathalie to help explain synodality, host Mike Jordan Laskey asked her about her biggest hopes and fears as the process unfolds. AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. Subscribe to AMDG wherever you get podcasts.

The early days of November give us ample opportunity to celebrate holy women and men. November 1st is All Saints’ Day; November 2nd is All Souls Day. And November 5th is the Feast of All Saints and Blessed of the Society of Jesus. But how many Jesuit saints do you really know? If you went to a Jesuit school, you can probably name a few – maybe you lived in Gonzaga Hall or went to class in a building named Campion. But for many of us, our familiarity with Jesuit saints begins and ends with a guy named Ignatius. That stops today with our guest, Jesuit historian Fr. Tim O’Brien, the newly named Director of Mission Initiatives at the College of the Holy Cross. Tim introduces us to a noble-turned-Jesuit-turned-diplomat, a carpenter that saved priests — and orchestrated jail breaks – and martyrs that led to a global showdown over what means to go on mission. Host Eric Clayton and Tim tackle geopolitics and clashes of religious identities that shaped the world stage. And all these saints – Francis Borgia, Nick Owen and the martyrs of Nagasaki – lived and worked and died less than 100 years after the Society of Jesus was founded. Not bad for a new religious order. If you like what you hear, why not subscribe or give us a kind rating? Why not tell your friends? And, if you’re really looking for more, why not join our weekly mailing list at Jesuits.org/weekly.

The sculpture looks so much like a homeless man, people have called the cops on it. It’s a life-size sculpture of a person huddled under a blanket on a park bench. Get close to the artwork in any cities that have a copy of it, like Toronto or Rome, and look at the feet. You’ll find two wounds carved into the bronze, the only signs that the person show here is Jesus himself. It’s a powerful and challenging sculpture inspired by the 25th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, when Jesus tells his disciples that whenever they feed the hungry or visit the prisoner, they’re caring for Christ himself. The artist behind the homeless Jesus statue is Timothy Schmalz, a devout Catholic from Canada who uses sculpture as a ministry. Tim is an absolutely prolific sculptor, usually starting his day in his studio at 4am. He creates large, visually arresting works that are on display all over the world, including a recent piece for the Vatican called "Angels Unawares," which is 20 feet long and depicts more than 140 migrants and refugees. Most recently, Tim has finished a series of 100 sculptures depicting all 100 cantos of Dante’s Divine Comedy. Host Mike Jordan Laskey asked him why he decided to take on such a massive project and how he approaches sculpting as a spiritual practice. Tim is so good at taking us into the mind and heart of the artist, and his reflections will probably have you Googling where you can find a sculpture of his near your own hometown. Timothy Schmalz: https://www.sculpturebytps.com/ Divine Comedy sculptures: https://www.dantesculpture.com/ AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. Subscribe to AMDG wherever you listen to podcasts.

Jesuit-educated actress Siobhan Fallon Hogan has had an incredibly busy acting career over the last three decades, from appearing in Saturday Night Live and Seinfeld in the early 1990s to roles in movies like Forrest Gump, Men in Black and the Lars Von Trier musical drama Dancer in the Dark. Most recently, she made her screenwriting debut with a movie called Rushed. Siobhan also stars in the film as an Irish Catholic mother in upstate New York who has to figure out how to respond to a tragic fraternity hazing incident that strikes her family. Host Mike Jordan Laskey asked Siobhan about what it was like to try screenwriting for the first time, and how she prepares for a dramatic role versus a comedic one. They also talked about her strong Catholic faith and how her home parish pitched in to the filming of Rushed in a few awesome ways. Finally, they got into her Jesuit education at LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York, plus how she managed raising three kids while working an extremely full schedule that took her all over the world. AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. Subscribe to AMDG wherever you get podcasts.

The National Basketball Association season starts next week. If you flip on a marquee matchup on ESPN or ABC sometime this fall, you’ll probably hear the voice of today's guest: play-by-play announcer Mike Breen. Mike is widely regarded as one of the best announcers in the world in any sport. He informs without overexplaining. He shows excitement and love of the game without being cheesy. He perfectly captures the energy in the arena for those of us watching at home. It’s no surprise he has announced the NBA finals a record fifteen times and received the top media award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020. Mike is a proud alumnus of Fordham University and a deeply committed Catholic. Host Mike Jordan Laskey asked him about what he loved the most about returning to the arena after announcing dozens of games from his house during the pandemic. They also talked about all the work that goes into the job of announcing games in the hours and days before a big game starts. They also discussed Mike Breen's faith and his time at Fordham. Learn more about Mike Breen: https://espnpressroom.com/us/bios/breen_mike/ AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. Subscribe to AMDG wherever you get podcasts.

"Every child matters," reads Rosella Kinoshameg's fluorescent orange tee-shirt. The shirt is part of a national movement to recognize the harmful history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada. Rosella's shirt commemorates the thousands of children who were compelled to attend these schools, where practicing Indigenous cultures or languages was forbidden in an effort to assimilate children into white culture. Indigenous communities in Canada and the U.S. are still grappling with the impacts of this history. Co-host MegAnne Liebsch talks to Rosella about the ongoing trauma in her community, an Ojibwe First Nation reservation on Manitoulin Island, Canada. Rosella also shares moments of joy from her vast ministry with the Anishinabe Spiritual Centre, which is a work of the Jesuits of Canada. For her, Indigenous and Catholic traditions go hand in hand. Both energize her to serve the community on Manitoulin Island. And her wisdom is widely sought. As she told me, when something happens—a baby’s birth or a loved one’s death—she is one of the first calls that people make. To learn more about the Anishinabe Spiritual Centre visit: https://www.anishinabespiritualcentre.ca/ In the U.S., Congress is currently considering a bill that would create a Truth and Healing Commission on U.S. Indigenous boarding school policy. The Jesuits, alongside six other faith groups that formerly ran boarding schools for Indigenous students, have endorsed this legislation. We ask you to join us in supporting this commission. Learn more at https://www.jesuits.org/stories/jesuits-endorse-bill-to-establish-a-truth-and-healing-commission-on-us-indian-boarding-school-policy/.

Today’s guest might make you reexamine everything you think you know about the current state of the Catholic Church in the USA. Fr. Tom Gaunt, SJ, is a Jesuit priest and the executive director of the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA). Since it was founded in 1964, CARA has conducted hundreds of social science studies of the Catholic Church. If you want to know how many priests were ordained last year, or how many Catholics go to Mass weekly vs. once or twice a year, CARA is the place to go. Host Mike Jordan Laskey asked Fr. Tom for a bird’s eye view of the state of the church, and that overview provided surprising stats time after time. Be ready to be surprised. Learn more about CARA: https://cara.georgetown.edu/ AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. Subscribe to AMDG wherever you get podcasts, and leave us a nice review on iTunes.

During this Ignatian Year—this 500th anniversary of the conversion of St. Ignatius—a lot has been said about “cannonball moments.” The phrase comes from Ignatius’ own life story: he’s struck in the leg by a cannonball at the Battle of Pamplona. It’s that injury and its subsequent, painful recovery that confines Ignatius to bed and ultimately presents him with the opportunity to read and reflect on the life of Christ and the saints. We talk about this cannonball moment because it’s so jarring; it literally knocks Ignatius off his feet, off the trajectory he’d set for his life, and forces him to look anew at what God is inviting him to do with his life. From that cannonball moment, we get the Society of Jesus, the Spiritual Exercises and countless other good fruits. And, as a result, we’re invited to consider similar moments in our lives—when have we been struck by cannonballs; when have we had our life turned around by God? These are all good and worthy questions—and this year provides us with ample opportunity to reflect on our own ongoing conversions. We’re invited to see all things new in Christ. And yet, there’s a temptation to sanitize the cannonball moment, to forget that Ignatius—then, Inigo de Loyola—was a prideful man who led his soldiers to their deaths; whose cannonball moment was a bloody, gruesome affair, and who suffered from trauma and guilt in the many months and years that followed. This, too, is what it means to experience a cannonball moment—and we must look at the story honestly, fully, lest we risk offending or alienating those among us who have also experienced such trauma. This is the theme of today’s episode. Fr. Rob McChesney, SJ, joins us again to discuss how Ignatian spirituality and the person of St. Ignatius can help us process trauma, can help us accompany those who have experienced trauma and, ultimately, how a fuller understanding of what a cannonball moment represents might bring us closer to God. A warning: the subject matter today is heavy; we do dig into trauma and its effects, particularly where veterans and sexual abuse survivors are concerned. We hear from one combat veteran, Bob Macpherson, who shares his story of trauma and Ignatian spirituality. You can learn more about Bob and read his book at https://www.robertseamusmacpherson.com/. As a final note, Fr. Rob makes mention of several meditations found within The Spiritual Exercises. We encourage you to visit the Office of Ignatian Spirituality’s page on the Exercises to learn more. Go to https://jesuitseastois.org/spiritualexercises.

There’s a series of Star Wars books called From A Certain Point of View. Two have been released to date, each to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Star Wars: A New Hope and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, respectively. Each book contains 40 short stories from 40 different authors assuming the perspective of 40 different, minor characters from those classic films. The whole idea is to give readers a new glimpse into an old story—to retell that classic tale “from a certain point of view.” The Ignatian Year—this anniversary celebration of St. Ignatius’ conversion in which we find ourselves—invites us to “see all things new in Christ.” We’re invited to contemplate St. Ignatius’ story in new ways, to look upon his conversion and his legacy with the eyes of Christ—and then to turn that same gaze on ourselves, our own lives. How is Christ using Ignatius’ story to inform and inspire our own? For those of you who have read St. Ignatius’ autobiography, you know that the pages are full of minor characters—women and men who cross Ignatius’ path ever so briefly and yet leave behind a profound impact. Here at the Jesuit Conference, we thought one way to consider Ignatius’ story anew would be to explore the perspectives of these other characters: how they saw Ignatius, what they were thinking about as they encountered saint. It’s still the story of St. Ignatius—from a certain point of view. And so, we invited authors to submit their stories. And today, I’m really excited to share the work of two authors—and my conversations with them. The first of our authors is Ryan Carroll, a PhD student in English and Comparative Literature at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. He is a longtime enthusiast of Ignatian spirituality, having first become involved through the Ignatian Spirituality Ministry at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Washington, D.C. His story is titled, “The Pilgrim’s Book,” and it’s an extended meditation on the life of the book itself—the book that stirred Ignatius’ own conversion. Our second author is John Dougherty, is a Catholic writer and campus minister with over a decade of experience in Jesuit education. His work has appeared in America Magazine and Millennial Journal. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and children. His story, “The Provincial and the Pilgrim,” puts us in the shoes of the Franciscan friar responsible for turning Ignatius away when the would-be saint sought to live and work in Jerusalem. Both stories are beautiful opportunities to pray with the story of St. Ignatius, to “see all things new in Christ.” You can read these stories at Jesuits.org/pilgrim-stories – or, click on the link in the notes.

Back in the innocent days of February 2020, host Mike Jordan Laskey sent a Twitter message to author Nick Ripatrazone in reply to a tweet Nick posted about reading the Graham Greene novel "The Power and the Glory" for Lent, which is something he does every year. What if we invited others to read along with us and talk about it online? Mike asked. Nick was up for it and the Jesuit Book Club was born. Since then, the Jesuit Book Club has hosted a series of live events featuring conversations with some of today’s best authors who are rooted in the Catholic literary tradition, including Alice McDermott, Kirstin Valdez Quade and Phil Klay. For this summer’s Jesuit Book Club selection, we read Nick's own most recent book, which is titled "Wild Belief: Poets and Prophets in the Wilderness." The book traces the theme of wilderness through the work of almost a dozen writers in creative and surprising ways. This time, instead of a live event, the Jesuit Book Club discussion is happening as an episode of AMDG. Mike and Nick discuss the work of three of the writers Nick focuses on in his book: Gerard Manley Hopkins, William Everson and Mary Oliver. Join us in October for our next book and live author event with a very special guest (Nick announces who it is during this episode!). If you can't wait that long, check out jesuits.org/bookclub to sign up for the virtual gathering.

Nobody in the history of swimming has been as good at freestyle as our guest today is. Katie Ledecky is the literal GOAT (Greatest Of All Time), as she is the world record holder in the women's 400-, 800-and 1500-meter freestyle. (If you're an American who prefers yards to meters, Katie also has the fastest-ever times in the women's 500-, 1000-, 1500- and 1650-yard freestyle events.) Katie is just back from her third Olympics, where she won two gold medals and two silvers. In addition to dominating in the pool, she also has some great Jesuit connections: Katie's godfather is a Jesuit priest named Fr. Jim Shea, SJ, and Katie has also lent her voice and platform to the urgent work of the Jesuit Refugee Service. She talked with host Mike Jordan Laskey about those Jesuit connections and her Catholic faith, plus some swimming stuff -- like what’s going through her head as she swims a grueling 1500-meter race. Learn more about the Jesuit Refugee Service here: https://www.jrsusa.org/ AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. Don't forget to subscribe wherever you get podcasts, and leave us a nice review on iTunes!

It was only a few weeks ago that Fr. Jean Denis Saint-Felix — the superior of the Jesuit community in Haiti – was our guest on this podcast. He shared with us his reflections on the assassination of the Haitian president. Tragically, a lot has happened in Haiti in just these few weeks. On August 14, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake devastated Southwestern Haiti — an earthquake even stronger than the one so many of us remember from 2010. Fr. Jean Denis encouraged us to hope — and trust in the Haitian people. And so today’s guest, Nate Radomski, the executive director of Magis Americas, is here to tell us what he’s heard from Jesuit partners across Haiti — and how the work of Magis Americas and its many partners is working with the Haitian people to rebuild. That’s at the heart of Magis Americas’ mission: to foster, support and accompany Jesuit partners in the Global South as they strive toward a more just, dignified and equitable society. If you want to learn more about — and support the work of — Magis Americas, visit magisamericas.org, give.magisamericas.org/supporthaiti and https://www.jesuits.org/stories/support-the-jesuits-relief-effort-in-haiti/.

It’s cliché to say but Ignatian Pilgrimage: There’s an app for that. It’s called “Journey with Ignatius” – and it’s a cool new project developed by the Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies at Boston College. On today’s episode, Fr. Casey Beaumier, SJ, director of the Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies, shares the thinking and reflection that went in to developing this app. But the conversation doesn’t stop there. The app itself is meant to be a pilgrimage, an experience of Ignatian spirituality, a tool to deepen our lives of faith. The conversation spans those topics and more: How the pandemic has served as a catalyst for innovation where faith and spirituality is concerned; How the very idea of pilgrimage can still apply to us – even if we’re still stuck at home; How the life and legacy of St. Ignatius is relevant today as ever, particularly as we continue our own global pilgrimage through the Ignatian Year. If you want to learn more about the Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies or want a direct link to where you can get the app, check out the links below: https://www.bc.edu/content/bc-web/centers/iajs.html https://www.bc.edu/content/bc-web/centers/iajs/about/news/app-release2.html

It’s not every day you crack open a copy of the New Yorker Magazine and find a long profile of an incredibly impressive, inspiring young Catholic woman. But that was the case in the February 8th issue, where you can find an article headlined “How a young activist is helping Pope Francis Battle Climate change. That young activist is Molly Burhans, and she’s today's guest. Molly is the founder and executive director of GoodLands, an organization created to enable the Catholic Church to use its extensive landholdings for good. She had the insight a few years ago that effective stewardship of Church-owned land could have an enormous positive impact on the environment given that the Church is one of the largest landholders in the world. Molly has made mapmaking her ministry. She talks about how she got her start, where her passion for this work comes from, and what keeps her charging ahead.

Jamie Kralovec’s work is deeply rooted in his faith and Ignatian spirituality, but he’s not a theologian or a youth minister. Jamie is an urban planner by trade, and he’s on the show today to convince you that caring about cities and urban parks and transit and zoning is a deeply Catholic endeavor. Jamie first saw the connections between urbanism and Catholicism while a high school student at St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago, and he has turned interest in that convergence into a career. In addition to teaching urban planning at Georgetown, he’s the associate director for mission integration at the university’s School for Continuing Studies. That word in his job title “integration” is such a perfect one to describe Jamie, who models how faith and justice go hand in hand. He’s one of the most Ignatian people you’ll ever meet and a bright, incisive guest. Read Jamie’s recent interview in US Catholic Magazine: https://uscatholic.org/articles/202104/urban-planning-is-an-inherently-catholic-practice/ AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.

On July 31st, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, better known as the Jesuits. And this year, the feast is extra special. Why? Because we’re in the midst of an Ignatian Year, a celebration of the 500th anniversary of the cannonball strike that shattered Ignatius’ legs and ultimately set him on the path to conversion. Today’s guest, Cameron Bellm, has been doing a lot of reflecting on the life and legacy of St. Ignatius—both in her own prayer life and in her professional work. She’s a columnist for us at Jesuits.org, a poet who each month writes a beautiful prayer poem. You can find them in the Spirit and Verse series on our site. Now, how she came to be a renowned prayer poet is a pretty cool story—and we talk about it in our conversation. But that’s not all. Cameron has also been working on a really exciting e-book initiative. It’s called Christ Plays in 10,000 Places—a call back to another poet, Gerard Manley Hopkins, SJ—and it’s a small volume we hope you’ll use to accompany you and your own faith community throughout the year. As Cameron shares, she worked with a number of really great voices from across the Ignatian family in the US and Canada. One last thing: Cameron has a PhD in Russian Literature. And she puts that on display in our conversation in the most compelling way, inviting us to consider how towering figures in the Russian literary tradition can help us unpack some well-known themes in Ignatian spirituality. If you want to get your hands on your own copy of our new e-book, visit Jesuits.org/ebook.

What are you willing to risk for what you believe? Fr. Steve Kelly, SJ, is a peace activist and a member of the Plowshares movement, a largely Catholic movement of pacifists that protests nuclear weapons by damaging weapons and military property. He has spent at least a decade of his life behind bars for his witness, and was just released recently for what was called the Kings Bay Plowshares action. On April 4, 2018, Fr. Kelly and six other Catholic activists cut a hole in a security fence at the Kings Bay Naval Base in Georgia, where several nuclear submarines are kept. They hung a banner, spray painted Love One Another on the pavement, poured their own blood on a seal of the base, and pounded the display of a tomahawk missile with a hammer. They were willingly arrested two hours after entry. Host Mike Jordan Laskey asked Fr. Kelly about why he chooses to participate in these actions despite the risks. They also talked about his vocation story to the Jesuits and his experience with the criminal justice system. Fr. Kelly is a gentle, warm person and this conversation will quietly challenge you to think and pray about how you live what you say you believe. AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.

On July 7, one week ago today, in the early hours of the morning, the president of Haiti, Jovenal Moise, was assassinated in his home. The exact details of his death are still clouded in mystery, but the impact on the country is stark and tragic: Haiti, still recovering from the devastating 2010 earthquake, still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, plagued by violent gangs, economic insecurity and a widening gap between the haves and have-nots, now faces a future of uncertainty. But it’s far from a hopeless situation. As our guest today, Fr. Jean Denis Saint-Felix, the superior of the Jesuit community in Haiti, notes, there is reason to believe a better future is possible. Fr. Jean Denis issues a challenge for all of us on the outside looking in: To help usher in this new future, we have to be ready to listen to the needs, the pain and even the silence of the Haitian people.

Last month, Georgetown University professor of history Dr. Marcia Chatelain was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her book “Franchise: the Golden Arches in Black America." The book reveals the hidden history of how fast food became one of the greatest generators of Black wealth and power in American and the costs of this success story. Host Mike Jordan Laskey asked Professor Chatelain what it was like to hear she won the Pulitzer, and then they discussed the book and some of the most interesting things she learned during her years of research and writing. Professor Chatelain also shared what she has come to love about Jesuit spirituality since arriving at Georgetown 10 years ago. Lear more about Marcia Chatelain and "Franchise" here: http://www.marciachatelain.com./ AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.

When Fr. Bill Barry, SJ, passed away late in 2020 at the age of 90 years old, he left behind a long and storied legacy as a spiritual director, author and Jesuit priest. Though he wrote many, many books, mentored generations of Jesuits and guided countless retreatants, there was one consistent theme that everyone who encountered Fr. Barry walked away with: God desires a friendship with each of us. His final book, “God’s Great Story and You” – published by Loyola Press earlier this year – returns to that theme and pulls together insights and experiences from Fr. Barry’s nine decades of life with God. On today’s episode, Fr. James Martin, SJ, editor-at-large for America Magazine, and Vinita Wright, managing editor at Loyola Press, share stories, memories and reflections on Fr. Barry – his life, his work and his legacy. You can purchase a copy of his final book here: https://store.loyolapress.com/gods-great-story-and-you.

June is high school graduation season, and today's guest is one of the most impressive grads from the Jesuit Schools Network: Carlos Smith, who just finished his time at Loyola High School in Detroit. Loyola is an all-male Jesuit high school known for its rigorous academic standards and strong commitment to faith, and it serves about 150 predominantly Black young men. For the past 11 years, Loyola has achieved 100 percent college acceptance among its graduates. Carlos won two incredibly impressive honors during his senior year: First, he won a $25,000 Black History Month scholarship from the Detroit Pistons basketball team for a poem he wrote on the theme of powering humanity. Second, he was named the top high school debater in the entire state of Michigan. Carlos clearly has a way with words, and the energy and intelligence that made him a champion debater were on full display during his conversation with host Mike Jordan Laskey. In the episode, Carlos reads the winning poem, discusses its themes and talks about his experience at Loyola. Carlos is heading to the University of Arizona in the fall, and he hopes to one day be a Supreme Court justice. One quick announcement: We at AMDG were thrilled a couple weeks ago to hear that our show had won two first-place awards from the Catholic Media Association. We were named the best overall podcast in our division, and our collection of episodes on the pandemic won best podcast series. So now when you recommend this podcast to your friends and family, you can invite them to subscribe to the award-winning AMDG wherever they get podcasts. AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.

In the year 1838, the Jesuits of the Maryland Province sold at least 272 enslaved men, women and children to a plantation owner in Louisiana, in part to provide financial support to Georgetown University, which was struggling at the time. The Jesuits have long been aware of this shameful history, but living Descendants of the 272 enslaved persons have only learned about their ancestors over the past five years thanks to meticulous genealogical research. More than 10,000 living Descendants have been identified since 2016. Two of those Descendants are today's guests: Joe Stewart and Cheryllyn Branche. After learning of their family histories, Joe and Cheryllyn worked together with other Descendants to found the GU 272 Association. The association approached the Jesuits in 2017, looking to dialogue with the Society of Jesus in pursuit of creating a billion-dollar foundation to support racial justice work and educational opportunities for Descendants. Our third guest today is one of the Jesuits who participated in this dialogue process, Fr. Timothy P. Kesicki, SJ, the president of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. These three along with other Descendant leaders and representatives from the Jesuits and Georgetown University went through a years-long dialogue process and arrived at a memorandum of understanding: The Jesuits of the US would contribute $15 million to start the foundation and pledge to fundraise an additional $85 million. The result is the Descendants Truth and Reconciliation Foundation, which was announced this past March. The foundation marks the first time in history the Descendants of those enslaved have collaborated like this with successors of the enslavers. You can learn more about the history and the foundation at their website, which is www.descendants.org. Joe, Cheryllyn and Fr. Tim talked to host Mike Jordan Laskey about the dialogue process and their vision for the foundation. They hope this unique pathway forward might inspire similar efforts throughout the country. Learn more about the GU 272 Descendants Association: https://gu272.net/ Learn more about the Descendants Truth and Reconciliation Foundation: https://www.descendants.org/ AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.

As more and more of us are going back to Mass for the first time in over a year, today's episode is a celebration of our faith. Today's guest is the renowned theologian and teacher Dr. Thomas Groome, who serves as a professor of theology and religious education at Boston College’s School of Theology and Ministry. He has an incredible ability to make difficult concepts clear and engaging, often using his fabulous Irish storytelling skills in his work. In his conversation with host Mike Jordan Laskey, Dr. Groome goes deep into five things he loves about being Catholic. It's the spiritual boost we need as a new normal starts to unfold. Learn more about Dr. Groome here: https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/stm/faculty/faculty-directory/thomas-h-groome.html His book "What Makes Us Catholic" is a must-read and accessible to anyone, no matter your level of theological training: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/what-makes-us-catholic-thomas-h-groome?variant=32128767623202 AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. Subscribe to AMDG wherever you get podcasts.

Today’s episode is a challenging one. We take a deep dive into the tragic events gripping the people of India, and we reflect on the tremendous loss of life that has resulted from the second wave of COVID-19. According to Vatican News, as of May 29, there have been 27.7 million reported cases of COVID-19—second only to the US – and 322,512 deaths, placing India at the third highest death count after the US and Brazil. And these are just the cases that have been reported. In India, at least 400 of those dead due to COVID-19 are nuns and priests. As today’s guest, Jesuit priest Fr. Siji Chacko will explain, this is in large part due to the work these faith leaders do at the forefront of the nation’s suffering, accompanying the vulnerable, excluded and forgotten. Fr. Siji wears a lot of hats in the Jesuit Conference of India, but as you’ll hear, no matter what his role, his vocation is to constantly serve God’s people in whatever way is possible. The conversation spans his own calling to the Jesuits to his work advocating for human rights to his reflections on the life of Fr. Stan Swamy, the 84-year-old Jesuit priest who has been imprisoned by the Indian authorities for his human rights advocacy. Learn how you can help provide COVID-19 relief in India by visiting https://www.jesuits.org/stories/covid-19-emergency-response-in-india-ways-you-can-help/. Learn how you can advocate for Fr. Stan Swamy’s release from prison by visiting https://www.jesuits.org/our-work/justice-and-ecology/take-action-2/release-fr-stan/. And learn more of Fr. Stan’s story by visiting Jesuits.org/stories/jesuits-demand-immediate-release-of-fr-stan-swamy-sj/

Finding time to go on retreat is a challenge — even when there's not a global pandemic to contend with. But what if there was a way to go on retreat without having to book a room, set aside a weekend or travel out of state? What if you could just...go? In your own town, city or neighborhood? In this episode, co-host Eric Clayton talks with both retreatants and retreat leaders who have gone on what's called a Retreat in the Street in Toronto or Montreal, Canada. Each tells a life-changing story, an encounter with God that only required a bit of courage and some time to wander. What's more, this model of retreat is perfect for the ongoing Ignatian Year, a way to see all things new in Christ. These retreats help us find our way to God. They appeal in a particular way to young people, people who may have fallen away from faith – or who have never known faith. These retreats challenges us to walk with one another, to accompany the vulnerable and become vulnerable ourselves. And, as we journey through our own city, our own landscape, we see where God’s creation is flourishing – and where it needs our care. By the end of this episode, maybe you'll want to head out for a retreat on the streets.

For Maka Black Elk, being a member of the Oglala Lakota Tribe on Pine Ridge Reservation confers a great responsibility. And it forms the bedrock of Black Elk’s work — first as a teacher at Red Cloud Indian School and now as the school’s Executive Director for Truth and Healing. Red Cloud is a Jesuit-run school on the reservation. It was founded in 1877 and its history spans many turbulent and painful periods on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Maka Black Elk is helping Red Cloud face this past. On this episode of AMDG, host MegAnne Liebsch talks to Black Elk about what truth and healing means for the Red Cloud and Pine Ridge Communities. They have a powerful — and challenging — conversation about the school’s involvement in the Indian Boarding School Policy and how it impacts the Pine Ridge community today. They also talked about identity and culture, and how Black Elk’s faith runs through both. To learn more about Red Cloud’s Truth and Healing Committee go to: www.jesuits.org/https://www.jesuits.org/stories/new-truth-telling-initiative-confronts-red-cloud-indian-schools-past/ Stay up-to-date with the process: https://www.redcloudschool.org/pages/truth-and-healing#updates

Listen to today’s show, and you’ll learn at least one incontrovertible fact: Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ, is an absolute dynamo. She has spent close to four decades accompanying prisoners on death row and almost as long advocating for the end of the death penalty—work that first came to worldwide renown with the 1993 publication of her book “Dead Man Walking.” (The book inspired an Academy Award-winning movie, an opera and a stage play, and it transformed the national dialogue on capital punishment.) And if her recent conversation with hosts Mike Jordan Laskey and MegAnne Liebsch is any indication, she shows no signs of slowing down. Their conversation covers the current state of the work against the death penalty nationwide, what truths about America the pandemic has revealed, the importance of storytelling to Sr. Helen’s mission, an inside look at how Sr. Helen became an activist, the role of women in the Catholic Church and much more. Read Sr. Helen’s 2019 memoir, “River of Fire”: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/133675/river-of-fire-by-sister-helen-prejean/ Learn more about how the Jesuits are working to abolish the death penalty: www.jesuits.org/amdg. AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. Subscribe to AMDG wherever you listen to podcasts.

The arrival of more-normal life feels close now, at least here in the US. A lot of us might feel tempted to dive back in, to schedule gatherings and buy concert tickets and try to make up for lost time. Today's guest, Dr. Debra Mooney, suggests a more slow-paced return to normal. Any change is stressful, she told host Mike Jordan Laskey when they talked recently, even positive change. Dr. Mooney has a doctorate in psychology and serves as the Vice President for Mission and Identity at Xavier University in Cincinnati. She just wrote an article for America Magazine headlined “Anxious about returning to regular life? 6 Jesuit discernment tips for the post-Covid world.” Dr. Mooney combines her psychological training with deep Ignatian knowledge in a fascinating way. St. Ignatius had an astute psychological mind after all, ahead of his time in how well he understood our emotional life. In the episode, Dr. Mooney goes deeper into all six of her points from the article. You'll hopefully leave the conversation feeling better equipped for the next stage of our shared life. Dr. Mooney's essay: https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2021/04/11/jesuit-ignatian-examen-retreat-post-pandemic-wellness-240415 AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.

A fun fact about the Society of Jesus is that there are more than 30 craters on the moon named for Jesuits, which is a great reminder that faith and science are not the adversaries so many people make them out to be. Since the beginning of the Society of Jesus almost 500 years ago, Jesuits have looked to the heavens to learn more about the wonders of our universe. (That's how so many got their names on the moon.) Jesuits continue this work today, perhaps most notably by running and staffing the Vatican Observatory in Rome. The director of the observatory is an American Jesuit named Brother Guy Consolmagno, today's guest. He chatted recently with host Mike Jordan Laskey on the occasion of the launch of the brand-new Vatican Observatory website and podcast. They also talked about Br. Guy’s vocation story, why science and faith aren’t enemies, why he’s still amazed by the universe after decades of work and study, why it’s important to keep exploring space, and more. Visit the Vatican Observatory's new website: https://www.vaticanobservatory.org/ Subscribe to AMDG wherever you listen to podcasts. AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.

Our guest this week is Mary J. Novak. She's the new executive director of NETWORK Lobby, a DC-based social justice advocacy organization formed by a coalition of Catholic nuns. While not a nun herself, Novak embodies a faith that does justice—the kind of roll-your-sleeves up and get to work attitude that Ignatian spirituality encourages. Novak’s career has traversed the intersections of spirituality and justice. As a lawyer she worked on environmental rights litigation and a death penalty appeal case. She was the founding board chair of Catholic Mobilizing Network, which is working to abolish the death penalty at the state and federal level. And most recently, she served as the associate director of Ignatian Formation at Georgetown’s Law School. Novak is animated by her faith. You can tell that her optimism and rugged determination spring from her belief in a God of justice. She talked with guest host MegAnne Liebsch about how her spirituality keeps her firmly grounded when it feels like our social and political landscape is tugging us in conflicting directions. And she offered some advice for how Catholics can get involved—and stay involved—with Catholic social justice movements. Learn about NETWORK's Build Anew Agenda: https://networklobby.org/buildanew/ Support the For the People Act (H.R. 1): https://networklobby.org/forthepeopleact Watch NETWORK's Immigration Policy Webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETJlM0zZ_QU