AMDG: A Jesuit Podcast
Jesuits and friends come together to look at the world through Ignatian eyes, always striving to live Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam -- For the Greater Glory of God. Hosted by Mike Jordan Laskey and Eric Clayton. Learn more at jesuits.org. A production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.
Episodes
The Autobiography of St. Ignatius Loyola | #5: Sojourn at Manresa, Part II
Ignatius describes God teaching him “as a schoolmaster teaches a child” through prayer, visions and profound spiritual insight. His great illumination beside the Cardoner River transforms his understanding, while further experiences teach him to distinguish genuine grace from deceptive consolation.
UPDATE 8/24/26: The previous version of this episode, originally posted on August 21, included an i
Back to School with the First Lay President of the Association of Jesuit Colleges & Universities
It’s back to school season: new teachers, new classrooms, new bus routes, new friends. For today’s guest, back to school season has always been an important time — but this year, it brings not only a new academic calendar, but a brand new professional role.
Dr. Michele Murray has just begun her tenure as the president of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities — or, AJCU for short. Sh
The Autobiography of St. Ignatius Loyola | #4: Sojourn at Manresa, Part I
At Manresa, Ignatius embraces severe penances but is soon shaken by dramatic swings between consolation and desolation. His scruples and spiritual extremes drive him toward despair until he begins to recognize their destructive source and finds freedom from them.
UPDATE 8/24/26: The previous version of this episode, originally posted on August 14, included an incorrect excerpt from the text. We h
Liberation, Leadership and the Work of "Un Otro Mundo Posible"
You’re about to hear a conversation about leadership. Today’s guest, Dr. Annmarie Caño, is an expert in leadership. Dr. Caño draws on her 25-year career in higher education — and her love of Ignatian spirituality — in her work today as a writer, speaker and executive coach who helps higher education and social impact leaders enact personal and systemic change. She draws heavily on liberation theol
The Autobiography of St. Ignatius Loyola | #3: Road to Montserrat
Ignatius leaves home as an inexperienced pilgrim, still mixing genuine devotion with the ideals of a chivalric knight. After a troubling encounter on the road, he makes a general confession at Montserrat, lays down his weapons and keeps an all-night vigil before beginning his new life.
About the Series
We are bringing you the entire text of “The Autobiography of St. Ignatius Loyola” in podcast fo
When Cultural Literacy Becomes a Corporal Work of Mercy
Think about your favorite movie. What is it? Get it in your head. Now think about what happens when you’re at a party or out at a bar and you encounter someone else who loves that movie. You start talking about it, right? You’re so excited to meet another fan, to find something you have in common: this shared story. To those listening in on your conversation, it probably sounds like you’re speakin
The Autobiography of St. Ignatius Loyola | #2: Pamplona and Loyola
A cannonball wound ends Ignatius’ pursuit of worldly glory and confines him to a long recovery at Loyola. Reading the lives of Christ and the saints, he begins to notice how different desires affect his spirit — and sets his heart on a radically new life.
About the Series
We are bringing you the entire text of “The Autobiography of St. Ignatius Loyola” in podcast form. Over 12 episodes, join our
The Autobiography of St. Ignatius Loyola | #1: Introduction
Here at AMDG, we are bringing you the entire text of “The Autobiography of St. Ignatius Loyola” in podcast form. Over 12 episodes, join our pilgrimage guides Fr. Jack Bentz, SJ, and Cameron Bellm as we make our way through this spiritual classic. Today, the series premiere, features two introductions to the text written by St. Ignatius' Jesuit contemporaries: Jerome Nadal explains how Ignatius’ co
Aesop, Jesus and How Fables Form the Spiritual Life
Today’s guest is a fable hunter. Fr. Greg Carlson has traveled the world, rummaging through old book stores, flea markets and the like to track down ancient manuscripts, forgotten illustrations and everything in between all for the love of fables. He’s done this for decades, even waging battles at online auctions, to amass a preeminent collection of fables that has become the Carlson Fable Collect
Jesuits Standing With Ukraine for the Long Haul
On July 1, 2026, Russia bombarded the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, killing at least 30 people and injuring more than 90 more. More weapons were used in the attack than in any other barrage of the city since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It was just another reminder that while this war has faded from the headlines, it continues to ravage families and communities. It is t
Becoming Catholic Through Media Ecology with Dr. Chase Mitchell
Today’s guest, Dr. Chase Mitchell, is an associate professor of media and communications at East Tennessee State University, where he teaches courses in multimedia production and media theory. He’s also a recent convert to Catholicism, having entered the Church this past Divine Mercy Sunday.
Host Eric Clayton has been talking with Chase for a few months now about the role Ignatian spirituality a
Behind the Scenes with CNN's Vatican Correspondent
Today, we’re continuing a mini two-episode series on the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV. Last week, host Mike Jordan Laskey spoke with the theologian Anna Rowlands, who was involved in the launch of the Holy Father’s new encyclical Magnifica humanitas. Today, Mike’s guest is Christopher Lamb, a long-time and extremely talented Vatican correspondent who currently works for CNN. Chris recently travele
Pope Leo's AI Encyclical is Not (Just) About AI
As you probably heard, Pope Leo XIV released his first encyclical letter in May. Titled Magnifica humanitas, the document is a 42,000-word reflection on what it means to be human in our technology-obsessed age of generative artificial intelligence. The Pope officially released the document during a press conference at the Vatican, which the Holy Father himself attended — an unusual move for pontif
The Jesuit "Full Stop:" Understanding Tertianship with Fr. Andrew Laguna, SJ
If you know anything about Jesuit formation, you probably know that it takes a long time: two years for novitiate, three years for first studies, three more of regency, and then two or more years of theology studies and then—if a Jesuit has discern the priesthood—ordination. On average, a Jesuit is looking at ten to twelve years before becoming a priest!
So, formation takes a long time. But then,
One Man, One Mission, Three Jesuit Schools: Mark Dushel on Ignatian Mission in Baltimore
The cultivation of mission and identity is pivotal to any mission-driven organization. It gets to not only the why of the work, but also the larger context, the history and the people. A shared mission can sustain work across time zones and languages and varied socio-political contexts. Understanding the mission of an organization — how it’s been interpreted and applied and lived out of — is cruci
Pathway to Priesthood: Shane Liesegang, SJ
Welcome to the third season — and the final episode — of our annual series “Pathway to Priesthood” — a special podcast 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 formatio
A Commencement Address for the Rest of Us From Two Jesuit Higher Ed Pros
It’s commencement season. Graduates are preparing to step into a new chapter of their lives, to leave familiar faces and places behind and chart a new path. And perhaps one of the most iconic moments of graduation is the commencement speech: a few moments of reflection, inspiration and encouragement before crossing one of life’s many thresholds.
Many of us have heard a commencement speech or two
Pathway to Priesthood: Daniel Mascarenhas, SJ
Welcome to the third season of our annual series “Pathway to Priesthood”—a special podcast 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
How Border Ministry Shaped One Jesuit's Priestly Formation with Joe Nolla, SJ
You might remember the Jesuits of Del Camino Jesuit Border Ministry. They have a podcast that we’ve aired episodes of on this very channel. Every week for ten seasons now, Fr. Brian Strassburger the director of the ministry, and Joe Nolla, a Jesuit regent, have been dropping us into their work, sharing with us stories from the US-Mexico border, helping us understand the nuances and lived reality o
Pathway to Priesthood: Jake Braithwaite, SJ
Welcome to the third season of our annual series “Pathway to Priesthood”—a special podcast 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 th
How Open Should We Be to "Catholic Influencers"? with Kristin Peterson
Last summer, the Vatican hosted a big meeting of what it called “digital missionaries and Catholic influencers.” Host Mike Jordan Laskey admits he felt a little queasy when he saw this advertised. It’s not that he’s a Luddite and totally against the internet; we come to you via the internet every week. But there was something about the institutional church gathering and promoting influencers that
Pathway to Priesthood: Dan Finucane, SJ & Bryan Galligan, SJ
Welcome to the third season of our annual series “Pathway to Priesthood”—a special podcast 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 this coming June. They reflect back on their vocation stories and experience of Jesuit formation, and wrest
A Jesuit Approach to Public Health with Fr. Michael Rozier, SJ
What words would you use to describe the American healthcare system?
Here are a few:
Broken. In need of healing. Confusing. Centered on making money. Enormous. Stressful. But also: full of compassionate professionals. Full of potential.
Our guest today would probably agree with these words. He might also add that our healthcare system is a privileged place to find God. The Jesuit priest Fr. Mi
Pathway to Priesthood: Nathan Krawetzke, SJ
Welcome to the third season of our annual series “Pathway to Priesthood”—a special podcast 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 th
The Joy of Discovering New Music with Josh Terry
One of host Mike Jordan Laskey’s favorite things to do is to discover that a writer or other creative person whose work he loves has a Jesuit connection that makes them eligible to be a guest here on the show. Today’s guest is the music journalist Josh Terry, and he’s the latest addition to our “surprise Jesuit connection” list. Josh writes the music and culture email newsletter “No Expectations,
Brooklyn's Innovative Jesuit Middle School with James Kennedy
There’s an old Latin saying about some of the famous male founders of religious orders. In translation, it goes like this: “Bernard loved the valleys; Benedict loved the mountains; Francis the towns; Ignatius loved great cities.”
So it’s probably no surprise that in the U.S., no city has more Jesuit schools than New York, which has nine total across all the educational levels. Our guest today, J
What We Can Learn From Tolkien's Catholic Imagination with Kaitlyn Facista
J.R.R. Tolkien is considered by many to be the father of modern fantasy. The vast world he created in Middle-earth is full of elves and orcs, magic and mystery, lore and legend, and more than a few pieces of troublesome jewelry. In addition to “The Lord of the Rings,” “The Hobbit” and “The Silmarillion,” Tolkien left a trove of hand-drawn maps and scribbled notes and half-started plotlines that ha
Matters of Life and Death with Liz Bruenig
In December 2020, after the journalist Liz Bruenig witnessed an execution for the first time, she threw up on the pavement outside the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana. “The idea of execution promises catharsis,” she wrote in The New York Times after the experience. “The reality of it delivers the opposite, a nauseating sense of shame and regret.”
That initial experience of witnessing the
How This Lawyer Fights for the Common Good with Kevin Walsh
Here’s a fun lawyer joke: Why does New Jersey have so many toxic waste dumps and Washington, DC have so many lawyers? Because New Jersey got the first pick.
The stereotype about dishonest, soulless, ambulance-chasing lawyers who put their own wallets ahead of the needs of their clients might have some basis in reality. But the legal profession can be a great way to promote justice and work for th
Two Jesuits Talking | Episode 7: Home!
A conversation that begins with Girl Scout Cookies and sweet cereal slowly finds its way to something deeper: what home really means. Father Damian and Father Eric reflect on hometowns, family houses, Jesuit communities and the places that shaped them,, while wondering how those places still live in them. Somewhere between nostalgia, laughter and prayer, this episode asks a tender question: Where
Chemistry is a Long, Loving Look at the Real with Michelle Francl
This is the second episode in our little two-part miniseries featuring Catholic scientists. Be sure to check out last week’s conversation with Deacon Matthew Pinson, SJ, who has a Ph.D. in theoretical physics from MIT.
Today’s guest is Dr. Michelle Francl, a professor of chemistry at Bryn Mawr College outside Philadelphia. In addition to being one of the 1000 most-cited chemists in academic lite
Two Jesuits Talking | Episode 6: Sacrifice!
Lent has a way of bringing the word "sacrifice" to the surface, and we’re not just talking about giving up chocolate. Father Damian and Father Eric share stories about family, adoption, commitment and the quiet ways love asks something of us over time. From the Eucharist to everyday relationships, this conversation leans into a simple truth: Real love always costs something, and that’s precisely w
From MIT Physics Ph.D. to the Jesuits with Matthew Pinson, SJ
With this episode, we’re starting a two-week miniseries featuring Catholic scientists. Today, our guest is with Deacon Matthew Pinson, SJ. Matthew is studying theology at Boston College as part of his Jesuit formation, but it’s the not the first time he has gone to school in the greater Boston area. Matthew has a Ph.D. in theoretical physics from MIT, which he earned before entering the Society of
Two Jesuits Talking | Episode 5: Bodies!
Gymnastics. Theater. Sacraments. Muscle memory. Fathers Eric and Damian talk about the body, not as something separate from faith, but as the place where faith actually happens. Movement, gesture, breath, touch: Our bodies preach, pray and remember. Grace isn’t abstract. It’s embodied.
About the show:
Two Jesuits Talking is a Catholic podcast hosted by Fr. Eric Immel, SJ, and Fr. Damian Torres-B
Why Your Inner Artist Needs Monastic Wisdom with Christine Valters Paintner
There is a new book out from Ave Maria Press. It’s called “A Book of Everyday Blessings”—and today’s host, Eric Clayton, was eager to get his hands on it. He knew this would be one of those books to reach for time and again to begin a meeting, to ground a retreat, to start moments of personal prayer. It’s just full of beautiful, nuanced and poignant blessings for every moment of life.
Eric was s
Two Jesuits Talking | Episode 4: Friendship!
Friendship is not accidental in Jesuit life; it’s foundational. Fr. Eric and Fr. Damian reflect on trust, vulnerability and the risk of being known, and how real friendship shapes ministry and discipleship. Grounded in Jesus’ own invitation to friendship, this conversation explores how human relationships can quietly mirror divine love.
About the show:
Two Jesuits Talking is a Catholic podcast
Schools Where the Poor Are First with Fr. Marco Gómez, SJ
With more than 120 Jesuit high schools and universities in the US and Canada, it’s no surprise education is what the Society of Jesus is best known for in our part of the world. And listeners to AMDG might be familiar with newer educational initiatives that have Jesuit roots, like the Cristo Rey Network of high schools or MiguelNativity presecondary schools or the relatively new handful of two-ye
Two Jesuits Talking | Episode 3: Music!
Every life has a soundtrack. Fathers Eric and Damian swap stories about the music that formed them, the songs that carried faith, doubt, longing and joy. Along the way, they wrestle with sacred versus secular, passive listening versus real attention, and why music so often becomes prayer before we even realize it.
About the show:
Two Jesuits Talking is a Catholic podcast hosted by Fr. Eric Immel
How Catholics Encounter the Bible with Michael Peppard
There’s a stereotype out there that Catholics don’t know much if anything about the Bible. If you have a question about a specific book or verse from Scripture, better to ask a Protestant.
Why is this a stereotype? And is it a fair one? Or do those of us who are Catholics perhaps know more about the Bible than we think we do? These are some of the questions at the heart of Michael Peppard’s book
Two Jesuits Talking | Episode 2: Nighttime!
Two Jesuits. Real life. Real faith.
Today's episode: Nighttime! There’s something about nighttime that loosens the soul. In the quiet, defenses drop, memories surface and prayer shifts. Fr. Eric and Fr. Damian talk honestly about being night owls, about what darkness reveals, and about how surrender often happens when everything else goes still. The night isn’t empty, it’s inhabited.
About the
How to Pray With the Pope and Why It Matters with Fr. Cristóbal Fones, SJ
In the life of a Catholic, there are set times when we pray for and with the Pope. At Mass, during the prayers of the faithful, for example. There’s that one bead on the rosary where we say an Our Father for the pope’s intentions. There are feast days when we are called to hold the pope in prayer in a special way. But often, these calls to prayer can feel rote, distant, hasty.
What if there’s an
Our Brand-New Podcast: Two Jesuits Talking
Here’s an exciting announcement: We here at the Jesuit Media Lab have a brand-new podcast we’re producing. It’s called Two Jesuits Talking. (As you can tell, we are not trying to be subtle with the show title.)
The two Jesuits in question are Father Damian Torres-Botello and Father Eric Immel, both priests from the USA Midwest province who are also close friends. We’re working with Damian and Eri
This Lent, We Want to Pay Better Attention with Cameron Bellm
Cameron Bellm, a writer who works at the intersections of creativity, spirituality, mysticism and activism, is the editor of our Jesuit Media Lab Lenten email series: "In Praise Of: Daily Lenten Letters of Recommendation for the Spiritual Life." In the series, more than 30 writers fix their attention on where they have found God at work in their lives, often in small, everyday places and moments:
How Early Jesuits Pioneered the School Play with Fr. Michael Zampelli, SJ
From the earliest years of the Society of Jesus almost 500 years ago, Jesuits have been involved in the performing arts. Fr. Michael Zampelli, SJ, today’s guest, is a leading scholar on the history of Jesuit performance. Fr. Zampelli teaches theatre history at Fordham University, where he also directs a master’s program in philosophy and society that Jesuit scholastics take in a period of their fo
How Summer Jobs Prepare Us For Life with Fr. James Martin, SJ
Today’s guest is no stranger to the AMDG podcast. Fr. James Martin is a Jesuit priest and editor-at-large at America Media. His newest book, “Work in Progress: Confessions of a Busboy, Dishwasher, Caddy, Usher, Factory Worker, Bank Teller, Corporate Tool and Priest” is now available. In it, Fr. Martin details his own experience of summer jobs — how they shaped him, what they taught him, who crosse
One Jesuit's Experience of Violence and Fear in Minneapolis: A Conversation with R.J. Fichtinger, SJ
As Catholics formed in the Ignatian tradition, we are called to welcome the stranger, to care for our neighbor and to respect one another as we answer our inherent call to live in community. Nowhere is this more needed today than the streets of Minnesota. So, to better help us understand both what is happening in Minnesota and how the Gospel calls us to respond, we called Fr. R.J. Fichtinger, SJ,
"LiturGPT": AI Is Coming for Worship with Fr. Phil Ganir, SJ
You might have read or thought about how the rise of artificial intelligence is affecting the economy or higher education or medicine or pretty much any other area of life. Our guest today has been focusing on an intersection you might not have thought about yet.
Father Phil Ganir has been spending time recently writing and teaching about AI’s impact on liturgy and sacred music. An assistant pro
Unpacking Pope Leo's Message to Catholic Schools with Michael O'Connor
Last year, Pope Leo XIV published an apostolic letter called “Drawing New Maps of Hope.” (This is not to be confused with his apostolic exhortation on poverty called “Dilexi te.” There are lots of types of papal writings and it’s tough to keep them all straight.)
Anyway, “Drawing New Maps of Hope” was all about Catholic education, and the letter itself was released to celebrate the 60th anniversa
Dungeons, Dragons and the Formation of a Moral Imagination with Susan Haarman
Last May, America Magazine ran an article entitled “Dungeons & Dragons—and Jesuits” by Robert Buckland, a Jesuit in formation. Buckland admits to being a longtime fan of D&D, but even he is surprised by how popular the game has become — and in the most surprising of places. Buckland describes how this role-playing game that was once shunned by religious communities is now aiding in the imaginative
Four Spiritual New Year's Resolutions with Laura Kelly Fanucci
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. As we welcome 2026, host Mike Jordan Laskey wanted to have a deeply thoughtful and faith-filled guest on the show to propose some spirituality-related New Year’s Resolutions for us. The award-winning Catholic writer Laura Kelly Fanucci did not disappoint. Laura is the author of great books like “Everyday Sacrament” and “Called on the Way,” among others, and she
Why Ignatian Spirituality Can Still Change the World with Lori Stanley & Mark Mossa, SJ
For you eleventh-hour Christmas shoppers out there, have I got a treat for you. There’s a new book out from Loyola Press, the second volume in an increasingly essential collection of Ignatian spirituality readers. This one is, aptly named, “An Ignatian Spirituality Reader: Contemporary Writings on St. Ignatius of Loyola, the Spiritual Exercises, Discernment and More—Volume II.”
The first of these
An Advent Pilgrimage to the US-Mexico Border
In this special crossover episode of "AMDG: A Jesuit Podcast" and "The Jesuit Border Podcast," we hear from both Fr. Brian Strassburger, SJ, the executive director of Del Camino Jesuit Border Ministries and Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, NJ.
First, Fr. Brian gives us an update on what it's like living and working on the US-Mexico border. He reflects on how Advent provides an important lens in
The Best Things About "A Christmas Carol"
Jesuit Media Lab fellows Mike O'Connell and Renée Roden join host Mike Jordan Laskey to draft their favorite things about Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." It's a celebration in honor of the Jesuit Media Lab's first published book -- a communal read-aloud version of the classic novella, formatted as a play. We're encouraging folks to gather with their friends, family, neighbors or fellow paris
Anxious? These Spiritual Insights Will Help with Author Sara Billups
It’s a bit of a cliché to say that we live in uncertain times. Just look at the headlines. Relationships — from the global to the intimate — are fraying. We swim in waters full of fear and worry, contempt and disdain. Anxiety abounds.
That’s why today’s guest — writer and cultural commentator, Sara Billups — has written a new book. It’s called “Nervous Systems: Spiritual Practices to Calm Anxiety
Life as a Jesuit's Mom with Kristin Gilger and Fr. Paddy Gilger, SJ
Whenever a man joins the Society of Jesus, his family and friends have to process that big life change and figure out how it’s going to affect their relationship with the new Jesuit. In that way, Kristin Gilger is not unlike the thousands of mothers who have watched their sons join the order. Her son Patrick – who everyone else calls Paddy – joined the Jesuits in 2002.
But one big way Kristin i
Meet the Jesuit Ex-National Park Ranger at the Vatican Observatory
Rob Lorenz was a National Park Ranger who spent time working at places Arches National Park in Utah and Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. One of his favorite things to do was to give tours and ranger talks to groups, explaining the extraordinary places of natural beauty in ways that were accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds. During a post in Washington, DC, where he worked near the Natio
Why This Catholic Author Retold Bible Stories As Fairy Tales with Rose John Sheffler
“To many, Fantasy, this sub-creative art which plays strange tricks with the world and all that is in it, combining nouns and redistributing adjectives, has seemed suspect, if not illegitimate. To some it has seemed at least a childish folly” writes J.R.R. Tolkien in his classic essay, “On Fairy-Stories.” He goes on to insist: “Fantasy is a natural human activity. It certainly does not destroy or
The Fascinating World of Rare Books with Fr. Michael Suarez, SJ
If you love old books – if you love how they smell, if you love imagining their journeys through the world into your hands, if you can’t pass by a used bookstore without popping inside – then you’ll love today’s episode.
Our guest is Fr. Michael Suarez, SJ, a Jesuit priest and the director of the Rare Book School at the University of Virginia. The Rare Book School runs courses for students and pr
Care for the Person, Care for the Mission: Why Cura Apostolica? with Fr. Matt Carnes, SJ
If you’ve hung around Jesuits and Jesuit organizations long enough, you surely have come in contact with the phrase cura personalis. In short, practicing cura personalis means caring for the whole person: body, mind and spirit. It’s an invitation to ask more questions, deeper questions, about who we are and where we’re going and what unique tools and experiences we might need to get there.
You kn
Unpacking Pope Leo XIV's "Dilexi te" with Fr. Chris Kellerman, SJ
Fr. Chris Kellerman, SJ, the Jesuit Conference's Secretary of Justice and Ecology, joins host Mike Jordan Laskey to discuss Pope Leo XIV's apostolic exhortation "Dilexi te," which calls on the church to remember that the care of those on the margins is at the heart of our mission.
Read the exhortation: https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/apost_exhortations/documents/20251004-dilexi-te.html
The Jesuit Border Podcast Crossover ft. Bishop Michael Pham
The Jesuit Border Podcast has just launched its ninth season, and to commemorate the event, we're featuring the first episode of season nine here on AMDG. You'll hear stories, reflections and an interview from hosts Fr. Brian Strassburger, SJ, and Joe Nolla, SJ, of Del Camino Jesuit Border Ministries.
Bishop Michael Pham of the Diocese of San Diego is today's guest. Bishop Pham was the first U.S.
Making Theatre in Ukraine with Fr. George Drance, SJ
Fr. George Drance, SJ, is a great example of the fact that Jesuits can do and be anything. Fr. George is a theatre artist, which, in his case, encompasses acting on the stage, directing, teaching acting classes at Fordham University in New York, and writing and adapting his own shows. He’s also the artistic director for the Magis Theatre Company, which he founded.
His work takes him all over the
Jesuit Stories From the Middle East with Michael Petro, SJ
On October 4 and 5, the Catholic Church will observe the 111th World Day of Migrants and Refugees. Today’s guest, who recently stopped by our studio in Washington, DC, is a perfect guest for the occasion. His name is Michael Petro, SJ, and he’s a Jesuit of the American East Coast province who is currently in the regency stage of his formation.
Michael’s regency has been quite far from the norm,
Chasing St. Kevin: An Ignatian Pilgrimage into Ancient Ireland
St. Kevin is a 6th century Irish saint, best known, perhaps, for the monastery he founded at Glendalough, tucked deep into County Wicklow. Beyond the monastic community, Kevin has been immortalized by Irish poet Seamus Heaney in a poem called “St. Kevin and the Blackbird.” It’s a poem that speaks of a legend, a peculiar moment of prayer and stillness.
Our own communications team member, Eric Cla
Meet Brian Gunn and Mark Gunn, Jesuit-Educated Hollywood Screenwriters
The screenwriters Brian Gunn and Mark Gunn are cousins, and they grew up in the 1970s and ’80s in a big Catholic extended family in St. Louis. The Gunns are an incredibly creative clan that has produced all sorts of actors and writers and directors, including Brian’s brother James, who you might know as the director of the most recent “Superman” movie and the “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise.
Pope Leo XIV's First Four Months with Christopher White
It’s hard to believe, but Pope Leo XIV just passed the four-month mark of his papacy. That’s more than a full season. After the incredible amount of press coverage here in North America reacting in shock to the election of a pope originally from Chicago, the media frenzy quieted quickly and starkly. It’s fair to say Pope Leo doesn’t have a big, splashy personality, and add to that all the wild pol
Why This Season of Creation is a Time of Pilgrimage
As Catholics, we’re familiar with the seasons of the Church year. We know to mark the days of Advent and Lent. We know that Easter lasts fifty days and that Christmas, too, is more than just a 24-hour period of time. We know that we spend most of our time in days called ordinary — and of course, we’re reminded of all of these seasons by the colors the priests wears at Mass.
But here’s a season yo
How To Embrace a Theology of Flourishing with Dr. Paul Schutz
What does it mean to flourish? What does it mean for you to flourish? Have you ever really thought about it?
Too often, we’re forced to focus on mere survival. We limit our gaze to that which will get us through this moment and into the next. Too often, we obsess on all the things we’ve done wrong; we’re haunted by mistakes, fearful we’ll repeat past errors. Too often, we embody a disposition of
How to Thrive at the Intersection of Creativity and Spirituality with Songwriter Brody Bond
The Jesuit Media Lab was founded to help people navigate the intersection of creativity and spirituality. We know there are so many people out there who are creative—who want to make art and write poems and sing new songs—and who also draw their creativity from their faith lives, their own spiritual journeys. We know, too—from our own lived experience as well as from conversations with people all
What Fr. Jack Bentz, SJ, Is Learning from Young Catholics
Father Jack Bentz, SJ, is a Jesuit priest who works in campus ministry at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. He also has a new podcast called “Catholics in Ordinary Time,” which is just an awesome title. The podcast was inspired in large part by his work during the Synod on Synodality at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Hollywood, where he served before moving to Spokane. The parish conducted a
Faith, Ethics and Artificial Intelligence with Brian P. Green
The Saturday after Pope Leo XIV was elected, he gave an address to cardinals in which he described his reasoning for selecting the name Leo.
He said there were different reasons for his choice, “but mainly because Pope Leo XIII in his historic Encyclical Rerum Novarum addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution,” Pope Leo XIV said. “In our own day, the C
Why Ignatian Spirituality is a Green Spirituality with Sr. Margaret Scott
In honor of the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola on July 31, we're taking a green look at his Spiritual Exercises.
When today's host, Eric Clayton, was in college, he stumbled upon a book entitled “The Eucharist and Social Justice.” It’s a small volume and was easily tucked into his bag when he went to Nicaragua on a service immersion trip. He remembers paging through that book with an excitement
What Leaders in All Fields Can Learn from St. Ignatius with Chris Lowney
When Chris Lowney started his career as an investment banker at JP Morgan in 1983, his background leading up to that job marked an unusual path to the corporation. He had spent the past few years as a Jesuit in formation, after entering the Society of Jesus as a novice straight out of high school. Chris went on to work 18 years at JP Morgan, and during his tenure there, he started realizing that a
How Jesuits Are Supporting Immigrants in San Diego with Fr. Scott Santarosa, SJ
Father Scott Santarosa, SJ, is the pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe in San Diego, just a few miles from the U.S.-Mexico border. Founded in 1921 as the Mexican national parish of San Diego – meaning it could offer pastoral care to any Catholic in the city born in Mexico – the community has a long history of welcoming immigrants to the United States and their descendants. Under Fr. Scott’s leadership
How Dorothy Day's Granddaughter Martha Hennessy Continues the Mission
This past spring, host Mike Jordan Laskey traveled to New York for a Jesuit Media Lab theatre event. He was coordinating the outing with our JML contributor Renee Roden, who lives at a Catholic Worker house in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Catholic Worker, of course, is the movement founded in 1933 by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin, which grew from a newspaper dedicated to Catholic social teaching a
A Conversation with Four Presidents on Jesuit Higher Education
From June 23 through June 27, 2025, on the campus of Loyola University New Orleans, student affairs professionals from across our network of Jesuit colleges and universities gathered to be formed and fueled by our shared Jesuit mission.
One of the keynotes from the conference featured four university presidents: Tania Tetlow of Fordham University, Vincent Rougeau of the College of the Holy Cross
A Conversation with the Jesuit Chaplain to the US Military
Nestled in the Horn of Africa on the easternmost part of the African continent is a small country called Djibouti. It’s bordered by three other countries: Eritrea to the north, Ethiopia to the west, and Somalia to the south. Djibouti’s eastern border abuts the busy shipping lanes of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. These bodies of water are connected by the Bab al-Mandab Strait which serves as an ess
Six Picks for Summer Reading, Watching and Listening with Michael O'Connell
Host Mike Jordan Laskey is joined by Jesuit Media Lab fellow, Michael O'Connell, on this special episode of "AMDG: A Jesuit Podcast" to kickstart the summer.
Embracing Undaunted Joy with Author Shemaiah Gonzalez
Today we’re talking about joy. It can be a hard thing to hold onto in this moment: The headlines are scary; our lives are full of stress and worry; and, everywhere we turn there seems to be some new reason to be afraid.
But none of that is of God. And indeed, even in such moments, joy is waiting to be found.
It’s worth remembering that Jesus tells us he has come so that we might have life and ha
Pathway to Priesthood: Knowing When You're Ready with Joe Lorenz, SJ, and Orlando Portalatin, SJ
Welcome to “Pathway to Priesthood”—a special podcast series from the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.
In these conversations, we’ve been talking with Jesuits who are in the final days of preparing for ordination to the priesthood. We’ve reflected back on their vocation stories and experience of Jesuit formation, and we’ve wrestled with some of the biggest questions surrounding p
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