AMDG: A Jesuit Podcast

At the end of October, about 1900 people arrived at a massive hotel in Washington, DC, for the 26th annual Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice, which is sponsored by the Ignatian Solidarity Network. Most of the attendees were students from Jesuit high schools and colleges, gathered for three days of prayer, encounter, Catholic social teaching education and political action. Like always, the energy at this year’s teach-in was palpable. There were great keynote speakers and informative workshops on topics like the war in Israel and Gaza and the legacy of Jesuit slaveholding. One new element of the teach-in, though, was a temporary art gallery assembled right outside the main hall. Organized through a joint project of the organizations Catholic Artist Connection and Discerning Deacons, the exhibit showed off the work of dozens of artists who had participated in three-month process of prayer and dialogue in response to the ongoing Synod on Synodality. The artists created paintings and sculptures and wrote poems in response to their experience. As host Mike Jordan Laskey walked around the gallery, one enormous canvas caught his eye: It’s a brightly colorful painting of Jesus titled “But Who Do You Say That I Am?” Jesus looks out at the viewer, gesturing toward us, inviting us to answer the question ourselves. Surrounding him on the canvas are some of Christ’s ancient titles: Bread of Life, Good Shepherd. The painter of the work is a California-based artist named Jen Norton, and she’s one of today’s guests. Our other guest is Allison Beyer, who was the Art & Synodality program coordinator. Mike asked them both about the project and why they think art is such a powerful force for healing in our divided church and world. Check out the virtual Art & Synodality gallery: https://catholicartistconnection.com/artandsynodality-virtual See more of Jen Norton’s work: https://www.jennortonartstudio.com/ AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus

Today’s episode is the second part of host Mike Jordan Laskey's conversation with Fr. David Collins, SJ, about his fabulous new book “The Jesuits in the United States: A Concise History.” If you didn’t hear the first part of the interview, you might want to go back to last week’s episode and catch up. On today’s show, we focus mostly on American Jesuit history from the 20th and 21st centuries. Fr. Collins is an associate professor in the Department of History at Georgetown University, where he’s also the Haub Director of Catholic Studies. “The Jesuits in the United States: A Concise History”: www.amazon.com/Jesuits-United-St…ory/dp/1647123488 Fr. David Collins, SJ: gufaculty360.georgetown.edu/s/contact/0…vid-collins AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus

“The history of America cannot be told without the history of religion, the history of American religion cannot be told without the history of Catholicism, and history of Catholicism in America cannot be told without the history of the Jesuits in America.” That’s the beginning of the dust jacket text for the new book “The Jesuits in the United States: A Concise History” by Fr. David J. Collins, SJ, published by Georgetown University Press. Fr. Collins is an associate professor in the Department of History at Georgetown University, where he’s also the Haub Director of Catholic Studies. It’s incredible how you can learn about America and the Society of Jesus in just 175 pages of Fr. Collins’ clear and engaging prose. If you have any interest at all in the Jesuits in the U.S., then we can’t recommend this book highly enough. Starting in 1566, the book traces the activity and growth of the Jesuits throughout America, highlighting key figures, landmark events, and important stories like the history of Jesuit slaveholding. When host Mike Jordan Laskey started the interview, hey thought they’d make it through the book in one episode, but there’s so much richness to cover that we’re splitting up the conversation into two parts. Today, we’re covering the 16th century up through the U.S. Civil War. Next week, you’ll hear their discussion about more modern Jesuit history. “The Jesuits in the United States: A Concise History”: https://www.amazon.com/Jesuits-United-States-Concise-History/dp/1647123488 Fr. David Collins, SJ: https://gufaculty360.georgetown.edu/s/contact/00336000014RZf9AAG/david-collins AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus

Decades before Virginia Senator Tim Kaine ran for vice president in 2016, he spent a year ministering alongside Jesuits in the country of Honduras. That experience changed his life forever. Even though Senator Kaine was in Honduras back in 1980 and 1981, he still talks about his time there as if he got back just yesterday. It was the experience in Honduras that exposed him to the horrors of poverty and led him to pursue a career in public interest law and then in politics. Host Mike Jordan Laskey asked Senator Kaine about his time in Honduras and how his faith informs his public service. After the conversation with Senator Kaine, stick around for more context on the Jesuits and Honduras. Harrison Hanvey, who works at the Jesuit Conference’s Office of Justice and Ecology, just got back from a trip to Honduras, where he was part of a delegation marking the 40th anniversary of the disappearance and death of the American Jesuit missionary Fr. Guadalupe Carney. Harrison’s stories provide some helpful context to Senator Kaine’s experience. Learn about Senator Kaine’s time in Honduras: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/03/us/politics/tim-kaine-honduras-jesuit.html?unlocked_article_code=1.5Ew.8Wj2.VBV-AGA2I3Eg&smid=url-share Learn about Fr. Guadalupe Carney, SJ: https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2023/09/20/james-carney-jesuit-revolutionary-honduras-martyr-246126 AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus

If you’ve ever been intimidated by Ignatian spirituality, today’s guest will put you at ease. In fact, Fr. Michael Hansen is determined to make the Ignatian exercises accessible to as many people as possible. Why? It’s simple: He knows that God is at work, whether you’re doing the full thirty day retreat or just a one-off reflection. Host Eric Clayton has been intrigued by Mick’s work for a while. In fact, longtime listeners will remember when he came on our podcast a few years ago. He talked about the First Spiritual Exercises. Mick wrote a book by the same name. But it’s also a shorthand for what Ignatius meant in the 18th Annotation of the full Spiritual Exercises. Both Mick and Ignatius want people to be able to access the riches of Ignatian spirituality, even if you don’t have thirty days to sit at a retreat center. Today, Mick brings us up to date on that work. But he also introduces us to a monthlong initiative he’s been steering that invites us to contemplate the many Marian devotions of Ignatus of Loyola. Mick and the Jesuits in Australia have produced a beautiful collection of short meditations that pair a Marian image—perhaps a statue that Ignatius would have seen in his childhood or a painting that hung in his room—with guided prayers to help us more intentionally journey through this month of Mary. If you’ve ever wanted to know what Ignatian contemplation of the Blessed Mothers looks like, this is the episode for you. Learn more about the First Spiritual Exercises: https://jesuit.org.au/ignatian-spirituality/first-spiritual-exercises/ Check out the Marian reflections and get on Mick’s mailing list: https://us10.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=75fd6f8cf8deaab17d0961da5&id=3f175b637a

If you have followed Jesuit-related headlines over the past few months, you might have heard about the situation in Nicaragua. In August, the government of dictator Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, closed the Jesuit-run University of Central America in the capital city of Managua. They confiscated the property, too, including the Jesuit residence there. While these developments have captured the attention of the Society of Jesus globally, they are just one part of a much larger trend of repression in Nicaragua. To learn more about the context, host Mike Jordan Laskey spoke recently with Juan Sebastián Chamorro. An economist by trade who ran for president of Nicaragua against Ortega in 2021, knowing full well the election would not be free and fair, Juan was arrested by the police in the middle of the night in June 2021. He would go on to spend 20 months behind bars as a political prisoner, separated from his wife and daughter. Last February, Juan was one of 222 political prisoners from the country who was freed and put on a plane to the United States. Nicaragua has revoked his citizenship, and Juan now lives here in exile with his family. This academic year, he is serving as a visiting fellow at the Kellogg Institute for International Studies at the University of Notre Dame. In the conversation, Juan described the context and background of the repression in Nicaragua. He also talked about the experience of his arrest, imprisonment and exile to the United States. Juan also has had a lifelong connection to the Jesuits and spoke of how his faith supported him during his incredible hardship. Juan is a member of one of the most prominent families devoted to public service in the modern history of Nicaragua – his aunt was the first female president of the country and his cousin Christiana was imprisoned at the same time Juan was. His commitment to carrying on his family’s legacy despite the risks, not to mention his impassioned defense of democracy in his beloved home country, made this conversation one of the most moving interviews in the history of AMDG. If you would like to learn more about how to support the Jesuits, students and faculty connected to the University of Central America, visit Jesuits.org/nicaragua. Learn more about Juan: https://kellogg.nd.edu/juan-sebasti%C3%A1n-chamorro AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus

You may have heard that the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops is meeting all month long in Rome. This is just the latest stage of the years-long Synod on Synodality, which included listening sessions in parishes and other Catholic ministry settings all over the world. Participants will be discussing issues connected to communion, participation and the mission of the church. One thing that makes this synod different from all the others that came before it is that this is the first time that laypeople – including women – are participating as voting members. And one of those laypeople is Julia Osęka, and she’s today’s guest. Julia is a physics and theology major at Saint Joseph’s University, the Jesuit college in Philadelphia. Originally from a small town in Poland, the story of how Julia came to represent North America and young adults at the synod is an incredible one. Julia got involved in a synod initiative that united the Catholic universities and Newman centers from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, a collaborative effort that was unique in the country. From there, thanks to her deep faith, thoughtful disposition and ability to listen intently and generously, Julia was selected to participate in the continental stage of the synod, and then finally chosen to participate in Rome. Host Mike Jordan Laskey asked her what it was like to find out she was going to the synod, and how she’s navigating missing a month’s worth of classes. They also talked about her background and how she found herself at Saint Joe’s in the first place. When you listen to the conversation, you’ll be able to tell how impressive and faith-filled Julia is. It’s so great that she’s representing young adults, Jesuit higher ed and all of us from North America at the synod. Along with this episode, we are publishing an article by one of Julia’s campus ministers at St. Joe’s, Beth Ford McNamee. In the piece, Beth describes the synod process in Philadelphia that eventually led to Julia’s participation in Rome. You can read that piece at Jesuits.org. Learn more about Julia: https://www.sju.edu/news/pope-francis-appoints-julia-oseka-25-delegate-universal-assembly-rome-marking-first-time AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus

Here’s a list of famous comedians who all have at least one thing in common that’s relevant to this podcast: Bob Newhart, Bill Murray, Bob Hope, Chris Farley, George Carlin, Amy Poehler, Conan O’Brien, Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, Dan Aykroyd, John Leguizamo, John Candy, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Jim Gaffigan, Janeane Garofalo and John Mulaney. Did you guess? They all have a Catholic background in some way or other. Some were raised Catholic and left the church, some are still practicing Catholics today or practiced throughout their lives, and Bob Hope was a famous convert to Catholicism thanks to his devout wife Dolores. Why are so many Catholics, including a bunch of Jesuit high school and college alumni, comedians? What is it about the faith that leads performers down this road? Today’s guest is uniquely qualified to reflect on this question. Fr. Jake Martin, SJ, is a Jesuit priest. He’s also a standup comedian with a deep background in theater, improv comedy and the study of film. After completing his Ph.D. in film studies at Trinity College Dublin earlier this year, Fr. Jake is now teaching film at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. He also writes about culture for America magazine. And it was a recent piece on the Catholic comedian Jim Gaffigan that led host Mike Jordan Laskey to reach out for this interview. Jim Gaffigan, an alum of Georgetown University, has never been shy about including his Catholicism in his standup comedy performances, but his most recent special, titled “Dark Pale,” takes the religiosity to a whole new level. There’s a whole segment in the performance when Gaffigan just tells the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Saint Juan Diego. There’s no big punchline or payoff. He just tells the story, in his own clever way. But it felt like it could’ve been a homily, or at least a talk at a parish mission. Mike asked Fr. Jake about Gaffigan and for Fr. Jake’s own theories about why there are so many Jesuit-educated, Catholic comedians out there. They also talked about Fr. Jake’s own background as a performer and how he integrates his identities as priest in comedian into a single, unified person. Read Fr. Jake Martin, SJ: https://www.americamagazine.org/voices/jake-martin AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus

If you’ve had any encounter with Jesuits or Ignatian spirituality, you know the whole thing rests on the simple yet radical idea that God is to be found in all things. And films — stories — are an obvious place to look for God. Stories reflect who we are as people; they point the way toward where we might yet go. We can all point to our favorite “religious” film, right? ("The Mission," "Of Gods and Men," "Calvary"...) But what about movies that are less obviously religious? That seems almost entirely bereft of any spirituality? Today’s topic—and guest—will provide some answers. John Dougherty has been working in Jesuit schools for more than a decade. He knows a thing or two about finding God in all things—and helping others do the same. As a writer, he’s penned many an essay at the intersection of faith, pop culture, parenting and spirituality. That’s why America Magazine asked him to helm the weekly “Catholic Movie Club” column. You can learn more about John at johndocwrites.com. And follow along at the Catholic Movie Club: https://www.americamagazine.org/section/catholic-movie-club

Fr. Chris Kellerman, SJ, is the author of "All Oppression Shall Cease: A History of Slavery, Abolitionism, and the Catholic Church" (Orbis, 2022), which provides a rigorously researched, era-by-era history of the Catholic Church’s teachings and actions related to slavery. The book gives a detailed account of the Church’s slaveholding past while issuing a call for the Church to take the necessary steps to reconcile with its history. Fr. Kellerman is also the brand-new Secretary of Justice and Ecology for the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. He talked with his colleague and guest host MegAnne Liebsch about the book and the Office of Justice and Ecology's advocacy work on a wide range of pressing social issues. Fr. Kellerman's book: https://www.amazon.com/All-Oppression-Shall-Cease-Abolitionism/dp/1626984891 Sign up for the Office of Justice and Ecology's newsletter and action alerts: https://jesuits.org/advocate AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus