Jesuitical

Earlier this year, Pope Francis called most Catholic homilies “a disaster.” Well, we’re doing something about it. This week, Ashley and Zac welcome Ricardo da Silva, S.J., their colleague and the host of the brand new podcast from America Media, “Preach: The Catholic Homilies Podcast.”“Preach” releases weekly and features a diverse cast of the finest Catholic preachers. On each episode, preachers open up their hearts and minds, sharing their spiritual lives, approaches to interpreting Scripture and techniques for preparing the best homilies.Whether you’re curious about preaching methods, or you’re a preacher looking for inspiration and best practices, “Preach” is here to accompany you through the liturgical year with great homilies and conversations about them.Follow “Preach: The Catholic Homilies Podcast” on your podcast app! Or at AmericaMagazine.orgIf you know a priest, deacon or lay preacher who would benefit from “Preach,” please share it with them! And, if you want to recommend a great preacher for “Preach,” let us know here.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on “Jesuitical,” Zac and Ashley chat with Linda K. Wertheimer, a journalist and the author of the book Faith Ed: Teaching about Religion in an Age of Intolerance. In a recent article in The New Republic, Linda explores renewed efforts in some parts of the country to get prayer back into public schools. They discuss: Linda’s experience of being the only Jewish student in a public school with weekly Christian Bible classes The history of school prayer at the Supreme Court How to balance religious freedom and inclusion in an increasingly diverse country In Signs of the Times, the hosts give an update on Pope Francis’ recovery after his three-hour abdominal surgery and discuss the approval of what would be the first publicly funded religious charter school in the nation.Finally, Ashley reflects on her vision of heaven.Links from the show:Surgeon: Pope Francis is ‘alert’ and cracking jokes after hernia operationCatholic virtual school approved by Oklahoma board would be first religious charter in the U.S.Inside the Christian Legal Crusade to Revive School Prayer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Ashley and Zac are joined by Bishop John Dolan of the Diocese of Phoenix to talk about losing several members of his family to suicide, a groundbreaking new mental health ministry in his diocese and how the church can better support those struggling with mental health issues. They are also joined by America colleague James Martin, S.J., who serves as a consultor for the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication. They discuss the dicastery’s new document “Towards Full Presence: A Pastoral Reflection on Engagement with Social Media.”Finally, Zac brings a question to discuss: Does God take bribes? Links from the show: Bishop Dolan: How losing family to suicide led me to start a mental health ministryOffice of Mental Health Ministry of the Diocese of PhoenixNational Suicide Prevention LifelineAmerican Foundation for Suicide PreventionTowards Full Presence: A Pastoral Reflection on Engagement with Social MediaVatican tells the bishops of Catholic Twitter: be reflective, not reactiveGod doesn’t accept bribes in prayer. Or does he?What’s on tap? Maker’s MarkSupport Jesuitical by becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/americamedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Jesuitical is joined by Sister Donna Dodge, the president of the Sisters of Charity of New York, which recently decided to embark on a “path to completion,” meaning the over 200-year-old congregation will no longer accept new vocations (though their ministry continues). We discuss: How religious life has changed since Sister Donna joined in 1966 How the sisters discerned that it was time to let go—and how their charism of charity will live on in the work of lay collaborators Why the church needs to change the way it talks about “vocation” with young people And in Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley chat with America’s national correspondent, Michael O’Loughlin, about the controversy sparked by the Los Angeles Dodgers’ decision to include a group of “drag queen nuns” in their Pride Night this June.Links from the show:Drag queen ‘nuns’ will be included in LA Dodgers Pride Night. I have complicated feelings about it.The end of an era for the Sisters of Charity of New York Nerves, tears and chanting: What I saw during the New York Sisters of Charity vote to stop accepting membersWhat’s on tap? Scotch on the rocksSupport Jesuitical by becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/americamedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore Toni Morrison's Catholic upbringing and her deep fascination with the rituals and aesthetics of Catholicism. Delve into her evolving understanding of Catholicism, spirituality, and religious themes in her work. Discover the origins of Toni Morrison's spiritual vision and gain insight into her life and celebrated novels. Dive into an interview discussing her book on Toni Morrison's spiritual vision, including the canonization of a devoted woman serving marginalized people.

This week, Jesuitical is joined by Pete Davis to talk about his new documentary “Join or Die,” “a film about why you should join a club — and why the fate of America depends on it.” They discuss: Why Americans join fewer clubs and associations than they used to Why churches are suffering the same fate The work of Robert Putnam in his groundbreaking book, Bowling Alone During Signs of the Times, Zac highlights a new transcript of Pope Francis in conversation with Jesuits in Hungary.Links from the show: “Join or Die”‘This is God’s Style’: Pope Francis’ conversation with Hungarian JesuitsHow could a country that was 90 percent Catholic “disappear” Catholic priests and seminarians?Who is the real Bergoglio?What’s on tap? Tank 7 American Saison Ale from Boulevard Brewing CompanySupport Jesuitical by becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/americamedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Jesuitical, we’re joined by Luke Russert, the author of the new memoir Look for Me There: Grieving My Father, Finding Myself. Luke is the son of Tim Russert, the legendary host of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” and served as an NBC News correspondent from 2008 to 2016. We talk to Luke about: What it was like to lose his father and hero Tim Russert the year he graduated from college Why he decided to leave a successful career in journalism to travel the world The limits of travel when it comes to processing grief and finding yourself And during Signs of the Times, Ashley and Zac discuss the following news stories:  The historic participation of Catholic cardinals and bishops at the coronation of King Charles III this weekend The Sisters of Charity of New York’s decision to no longer accept new members and to embark on a “path of completion” The maiden voyage of a Staten Island Ferry named for Dorothy Day Links from the show: Look for Me There: Grieving My Father, Finding Myself British Catholics will attend a coronation for the first time since the Reformation Sisters of Charity of New York Vote on Congregation’s Path to Completion Onboard the first journey of a Staten Island ferry named for Dorothy Day What’s on tap?Guinness  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everything is on the table: immigration and racism, women's ordination, abortion, sexual abuse, pornography, gender identity and dating apps. We’ve never seen a conversation with the pope like this. In Hulu’s “The Pope: Answers,” Francis sits with a group of 20 to 25-year-olds to discuss their most profound questions and struggles with faith and the church’s teachings. The young people also get practical, asking if the pope gets a salary.Ashley and Zac are joined by two Jesuit colleagues, Ricardo da Silva, S.J., and Jim McDermott, S.J., to discuss the new documentary and how Catholics can process this profoundly honest conversation that seemingly raised more questions than answers.Read more:In Hulu’s ‘The Pope: Answers,’ Pope Francis talks abortion, gender identity, dating apps and more with 10 young adults by Ricardo da Silva, S.J.Hulu’s ‘The Pope: Answers’ is the most thrilling movie out right now by Jim McDermott, S.J.Listen to the full conversation here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Jesuitical is joined by Sam Sawyer, S.J., the new editor in chief of America Media to talk about:  How Sam went from working as a software developer to joining the Jesuits The Catholic Church’s approach to technology, and what A.I. and ChatGPT have in store for it His latest essay in America: “Catholicism, authentic communion and the way out of our polarization trap” And during Signs of the Times, Ashley and Zac discuss the following news stories:  Pope Francis has given women the right to vote at the synod for the first time in history Pope Francis losing his blue verification checkmark on Twitter Two events in Catholic-Anglican relations: A gift from Pope Francis to King Charles III and a “breakdown in communication” between a visiting Anglican group in Rome and the Basilica of St. John Lateran  Links from the showSupport America’s Anniversary!“Catholicism, authentic communion and the way out of our polarization trap”Does ChatGPT have a soul? A conversation on Catholic ethics and A.I.Pope Francis gives relics of the True Cross to King Charles III for his coronationOver 50 Anglicans celebrate liturgy at Pope Francis’ cathedral after “breakdown in communication”What’s on tap? Negronis and Aeropress Coffee Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let’s face it: talking about climate change can feel depressing and futile. It seems like every few years there’s a new dire report, another agreement signed, and little progress is made. This week’s guest, Dorothy Fortenberry, is a writer and executive producer of “Extrapolations,” a new show from Apple TV+ that aims to shake us from our complacency by showing us what the world might look like in 10, 20, 30 years if we stay on our current trajectory. We talk to her about getting people to care about climate change, her love of Pope Francis’ environmental encyclical “Laudato Si’” and the ethics of having kids in a climate crisis.In Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley discuss a controversy between a group of Franciscans and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and talk about how Catholics should react to SatanCon, a gathering of members of the Satanic Temple in Boston next week.Links from the show:Military archdiocese: The end of Walter Reed’s pastoral care contract is ‘incomprehensible’Boston 'SatanCon' prompts Catholics to respond with prayer and the GospelWatch “Extrapolations” on Apple TV+I was at the first Earth Day. And I carry what I learned about care for creation to this day by James Martin, S.J.This Earth Day, meet the artist making beautiful icons of God’s endangered creatures by Jim McDermott, S.J.What’s on tap?MicheladasSupport Jesuitical! Become a digital subscriber to America Media! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices