AMDG: A Jesuit Podcast

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 know cura personalis. But have you ever heard of cura personalis mission-driven, organizationally-minded little sibling, cura apostolica? Cura apostolica means a care for the apostolate. This principle—like care for the fullness of a person—means recognizing and caring for the fullness of a mission. What is an organization meant to do? How can it persist in the work of shepherding a mission as time and circumstances change? I’ll confess that I was far more knowledgeable of and comfortable with cura personalis. Cura apostolica seems a bit esoteric, relevant only to CEOs and HR departments. What has it got to do with me in my daily life? Well, as today’s guest, Jesuit Fr. Matt Carnes insist, a lot. In fact, cura apostolica and cura personalis go hand-in-hand; they’re two sides of the same coin. Understanding and embodying one leads us to better live out the other. Fr. Carnes is the Vice President for Mission and Ministry at Santa Clara University, as well as the Executive Director of the Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education and Professor of Political Science. Prior to joining Santa Clara University, he was an associate professor at Georgetown University in the Department of Government and the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, and he served as Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs in the School of Foreign Service and as the Director of the Center for Latin American Studies. Most important to today’s conversation, Fr. Matt is the editor of an upcoming book from Georgetown University Press entitled “Leadership Lessons from the Jesuits: Cura Apostolica and the Mission-Driven Organization.” It’s due out sometime next year. I had a chance to read an early copy—and I found myself inspired by how cura apostolica can revolutionize how we approach our mission-driven work. I hope you get a sense of that today, and leave inspired to return to your own singular part of our shared mission. Preorder the book: https://press.georgetown.edu/Book/Leadership-Lessons-from-the-Jesuits Meet Fr. Carnes: https://www.scu.edu/cas/political-science/faculty--staff/matthew-e-carnes-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 Conference's Office of Justice and Ecology: https://www.jesuits.org/our-work/justice-and-ecology/oje/ Fr. Kellerman's book, "All Oppression Shall Cease": https://www.amazon.com/All-Oppression-Shall-Cease-Abolitionism/dp/1626984891 AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, which is a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

The 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. bishop appointed by Pope Leo XIV. He shares the harrowing story of fleeing Vietnam as a young boy on a small boat that nearly capsized in the sea. Bishop Pham also talks about an experience this summer attending immigration court to walk with migrants. He calls out our immigration enforcement approach that is criminalizing migrants and separating families, when our country should be a place of refuge, as it was for him and his family decades ago. Fr. Brian and Joe open up the new season talking about what it means to find refuge. Brian shares the story of Naomi, a single mom from Honduras with a five-month old son. They were denied refuge in the U.S. when they crossed the border and were rapidly sent back into Mexico. At the local shelter, the women rallied to support this young mother, showing her what it means to provide refuge. Joe shares the story of Marialex, a young girl in Matamoros, who showed how small actions can speak loudly in offering welcome and inclusion. You can learn more about the work of Del Camino Jesuit Border Ministries and subscribe to the Jesuit Border Podcast here: https://www.jesuitscentralsouthern.org/our-work/del-camino/

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 world: he has performed and directed in more than 25 countries on five continents. This past summer, Fr. George’s work took him to his ancestral homeland: Ukraine. Ukraine, of course, has been facing wartime conditions since 2014, and the full-scale invasion of the country Russia launched in February 2022 has disrupted or destroyed countless lives. In that context, Fr. George visited a former Fordham student of his who is now living in the city of Kyiv and running an experimental theatre company there. Fr. George ran a workshop with Ukrainian actors and was involved in some performances in the city. Host Mike Jordan Laskey asked him to talk about the experience of doing theatre in a war-torn land and why he thinks it’s so vital to keep making art in a world that’s on fire. It was a powerful conversation about his experiences in Ukraine and the inspiring artists he met there who are bringing beauty within a heartbreaking, enraging situation. Magis Theatre Company: https://www.magistheatre.org/ Nashi Experimental Theatre Club in Kyiv, Ukraine: https://www.instagram.com/nashi.etc/?hl=en Fr. George’s “Forming a Practice of Hope” series at the Jesuit Media Lab: https://jesuitmedialab.org/category/forming-a-practice-of-hope/ AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, which is a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

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, though – he’s working in Beirut, Lebanon with Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS). Michael has worn a lot of hats in his time in the country, including setting up and running an emergency shelter for men, women and children who were displaced by the war between Israel and Hezbollah. During a visit home to the U.S., Michael stopped by to share stories from his work in Beirut and to talk about his Jesuit vocation. It’s safe to say he never imagined he would be running a temporary emergency shelter in Lebanon when he joined the Jesuits in New York not long after he graduated college. Host Mike Jordan Laskey loved hearing from Michael about the people he has met and why it’s so important for the church to keep accompanying and serving migrants and refugees, even and especially when it’s not politically popular to do so. We think you’ll be moved by Michael’s stories and inspired by his faith in action. Learn more about Michael: https://jesuitspro.com/6373/ https://jrs.net/en/story/amid-bombs-in-lebanon-a-church-opens-its-doors-to-hundreds-of-migrants/ https://www.jesuits.global/2025/08/18/arrupe-migrant-center-in-beirut-to-gather-to-pray-to-play/ JRS in the Middle East and North Africa: https://jrs.net/en/jrs_offices/jrs-middle-east/ AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, which is a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

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 Clayton, knew very little about St. Kevin until a statue was erected on the campus of his alma mater to honor his late friend and spiritual mentor, the Jesuit priest Jim Bowler. The statue depicted Kevin and his blackbird, and Eric wondered why. Today’s episode tracks Eric’s own pilgrimage from a Connecticut university library to a cave over an Irish lake. His guide is the pilgrimage expert, Irish Jesuit Fr. Brendan McManus. Brendan is an award-winning author who has penned multiple books on the life-changing pilgrimages he’s made, most notably along the Camino de Santiago. Journey with Eric and Brendan as they set out into the spiritual heart of Ireland. Resources: Take a look at some of Eric's photos from the pilgrimage: https://www.jesuits.org/stories/now-discern-this-chasing-after-st-kevin/#anchor2 Read the poem, “St. Kevin and the Blackbird,” by Seamus Heaney: https://glendalough.wicklowheritage.org/new-contributions/st-kevin-and-the-blackbird-read-by-seamus-heaney Get a copy of Fr. Brendan’s classic book, “Redemption Road:” https://store.loyolapress.com/redemption-road

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. Brian and Mark are both Jesuit educated twice over, alumni of St. Louis University High School and the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. It was during college that they started performing sketch comedy together, and they both moved to Los Angeles in the ’90s to pursue Hollywood dreams. Since then, Brian and Mark have worked together on films and TV shows, including the family adventure movie “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and a 2019 superhero horror film called “Brightburn” featuring Elizabeth Banks. Their first project that made it big was a movie and series called “2gether,” which debuted on MTV in 2000. It was a hilarious parody of the boy band era of Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC and it was influential on the development of AMDG host Mike Jordan Laskey’s sense of humor. The actors playing the boy band became an actual boy band themselves, opening for Britney Spears and hitting the Billboard charts with two different albums. If you are an elder millennial, all we have to say is, “I know my calculus,” and you’ll sing back: “You plus me equals us.” Mike asked Brian and Mark about their family and their Jesuit education, how they work together as a writing team, and what it’s like to work in the film industry. Mark and Brian also shared some creative tips they’ve learned in more than a quarter century in the trade. Finally, Mike couldn’t let them go without reminiscing about “2gether” and marveling at the fact that 25 years after the movie’s debut, the most popular film in the world right now is another movie about a fictional boy band. Though this new one is composed of demons and they’re being hunted by a KPop girl group... Anyway, we think you’ll enjoy this sneak peek into the lives of Hollywood screenwriters. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

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 political headlines in the months since his election, it’s not surprising that Pope Leo has receded from the spotlight a bit. That’s probably a good thing; celebrity culture and Catholic culture don’t go all that well together anyway. But Pope Leo has certainly been busy despite fading from the headlines, filling his days with meetings and setting about the work of governing the church. At this point in his papacy, we thought it was worthwhile to check in on these four months, and today’s guest is among the most qualified people on the planet to talk about it. Christopher White is the associate director for strategic initiatives and senior fellow of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University, and he’s also the author of the recent book “Pope Leo XIV: Inside the Conclave and the Dawn of a New Papacy,” published by Loyola Press. Before Chris started his job at Georgetown this past summer, he spent four years as the Vatican correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter. He lived in Rome and spent his days meeting with Vatican sources and attending big papal events. He visited more than 20 countries with Pope Francis as part of the press corps. He is one of most astute and thoughtful church observers and commentators. Host Mike Jordan Laskey asked Chris about these first months of Leo’s papacy and what we might want to be looking out for in the months ahead. We also talked about life as a Vatican reporter and what it’s like to cover an institution that is also your own spiritual home. We think you’ll learn a lot from Chris about Pope Leo’s priorities and how the institutional Church operates. "Pope Leo XIV: Inside the Conclave and the Dawn of a New Papacy": https://bookshop.org/p/books/pope-leo-xiv-inside-the-conclave-and-the-dawn-of-a-new-papacy-christopher-white/a5f501d1c6a575db?ean=9780829459470&next=t Chris' page at the Georgetown Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life: https://catholicsocialthought.georgetown.edu/people/christopher-white www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

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 you may have missed — it’s a green season, yes. But I wouldn’t call it ordinary. And right now, we’re celebrating — we’re in it! I’m talking about the Season of Creation. I know — it’s not a liturgical season. But as of 2019, Pope Francis has invited us to mark this important moment of the year as a time to recall our Gospel mission to care for creation. The season begins on September 1 with the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation and runs through October 4, which is the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology. What’s more, the Season of Creation isn’t just a Catholic thing. In fact, the Orthodox Church as been commemorating this season in some way since 1989. And so, the Season of Creation is a time not just to seek God out in the created world, but to do so in the company of others — people of other denominations, other faiths. We care for our common home, and we necessarily do so together. Today’s guests are here to talk to us about this important season — and to invite us to participate in a Pilgrimages of Hope to mark both this particular moment on the calendar and this Jubilee Year. Dan Misleh is the founder of the Catholic Climate Covenant and has been working at this intersection of ecology and the Catholic church for decades. Prior to beginning the Covenant, he worked at the Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Annie Fox is the provincial assistant for social ministry organizing in the Jesuits US West Province. She has more than thirteen years of grassroots organizing experience, and is passionate about interfaith relationship building. You’ll hear Annie speak quite powerfully about the importance of these pilgrimages, and so as you listen, if you find yourself moved to organize one of your own, I hope you’ll check out the links below. We have a lot of good stuff to resource you and your communities during this Season of Creation. Pilgrims of Hope for Creation: https://catholicpilgrimsofhope.org/ Catholic Climate Covenant: https://catholicclimatecovenant.org/ Video on Youth Pilgrims: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucyABWXcYEQ Register for high school workshops: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kVzdNfLoPggBfuttCulaP8q6SA0uQbo_DcwoB2g9Cog/edit?tab=t.0 Register for college and university workshops: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/7aGaPyAgQSOP0O0y52xRSg#/registration More about the Season of Creation: https://seasonofcreation.org/about/

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 scarcity, assuming there’s not really enough to go around and anything we’ve got must be protected at all costs. What does it mean to flourish? None of that, that’s for sure. But do we dare dream about abundance? Do we even remember that Jesus told us that he came so that we may have life and have it abundantly? God desires that we flourish. That’s why God created a good world. And that’s why today’s guest, Dr. Paul Schutz, has written a new book from Orbis Press called “A Theology of Flourishing: The Fullness of Life for All Creation.” Paul is an associate professor of religious studies at Santa Clara University. He received his B.A. in English from Boston College and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Fordham University. His research focuses on the meaning and significance of creation in the Christian tradition, with an emphasis on how scientific research might inform religious accounts of humanity's relationship with other-than-human creatures. As you’ll hear, his book is a great resource to anyone looking to reimagine and reorient our relationship to creation. About Paul: https://www.scu.edu/cas/religious-studies/faculty--staff/paul-schutz/ Get his book: https://orbisbooks.com/collections/new-titles-spring-2026/products/creaturely-flourishing-a-new-theology-of-creation?variant=49699836920109