AMDG: A Jesuit Podcast

Joanna Williams has the kind of energy that sucks you in. Just talking to her is like getting a jolt of motivation. She’s passionate about social change and justice, but she’s also pragmatic. Williams recently became the executive director of Kino Border Initiative, a Jesuit-run ministry that accompanies migrants on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. She views her work at Kino like a global invitation. It’s not just her work—or the work of 22 staff members. Everyone has a responsibility, a share in the mission. On this episode of AMDG, Williams talks guest host MegAnne Liebsch about conditions at the border right now and how we can build a more welcoming society for migrants and asylum seekers. Learn more about KBI: https://www.kinoborderinitiative.org/ Join KBI's 100 Days Campaign here: bit.ly/kbileads Learn about migration advocacy at the Jesuit Conference: https://www.jesuits.org/our-work/justice-and-ecology/migration-and-immigration/

Matt Wooters, SJ, and Damian Torres-Botello, SJ, are back to journey with us along the way this Lent. Special guest Fr. James Martin, SJ. Tune in on Saturdays for new episodes.

Mark Kennedy Shriver has spent a lot of time with incredibly impressive people. His father was Sargent Shriver, who founded the Peace Corps, was the architect of Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty, and ran for vice president of the United States in 1972. Sargent Shriver was married to Mark’s mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver -- sister of JFK and RFK -- for 56 years. She, in turn, founded the Special Olympics, among many other accomplishments. The public service values Mark learned from his parents have taken root in his own life. Mark served as a Maryland state delegate for eight years and has been leading the Save the Children Action Network for the last seven. He knows what it means to be a servant leader. And he shares those lessons with a fresh generation in his brand-new children’s book “10 Hidden Heroes,” published by Loyola Press. The book is a vividly illustrated “Where’s Waldo?”-style collection of people serving their communities in big and small ways, meant to show kids that they don’t need a lot of money or superpowers to be a hero in their own communities. Mark talked to AMDG host Mike Jordan Laskey about why he wrote the book, how his Catholic faith and Jesuit education shape his values, and what today’s leaders navigating the coronavirus pandemic might learn from the example of his parents. Get your copy of "10 Hidden Heroes" here, written by Mark K. Shriver and illustrated by Laura Watson: https://store.loyolapress.com/10-hidden-heroes Mark's other two books: https://www.amazon.com/Mark-K-Shriver/e/B006LTJ19A AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.

Matt Wooters, SJ, and Damian Torres-Botello, SJ, are back to journey with us along the way this Lent. Tune in on Saturdays for new episodes.

If you have a Hulu subscription or the DVDs of "Seinfeld," pull up episode 16 of the eighth season. It’s called "The Pothole." A few minutes in to the episode, Elaine, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, is waiting for Chinese food delivery on the sidewalk. The delivery man approaches. A hilarious interaction ensues that we don’t want to spoil for you. The actor playing the delivery man is named Radmar Jao, who was an up-and-coming actor back then in 1997 and would go on to appear in shows like "ER" and "General Hospital" and the Steven Spielberg movie "Minority Report." But he left that career path about 20 years ago for something just a little bit different: Actor Radmar Jao is now Father Radmar Jao, a Jesuit priest and the director of vocations for the USA West Province. He talked with host Mike Jordan Laskey about his acting career, his entrance into the Jesuits, how he uses his acting talents in his ministry, and so much more. There’s no better way to get ready for the Golden Globe Awards this Sunday and the start of our delayed awards season than this incredibly fun conversation. AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. Subscribe wherever you get podcasts.

Matt Wooters, SJ, and Damian Torres-Botello, SJ, are back to journey with us along the way this Lent. Tune in on Saturdays for new episodes.

Prayer is one of the pillars of Lenten spirituality. But it’s hard, right? We’re constantly tempted to ask, “Am I doing this right? Am I doing this enough? Is it even working?” Prayer is so foundational to our lives as Christians and yet at the same time feels somewhat mysterious. We might even convince ourselves it’s just not worth the effort. Fortunately, today’s guest has some experience in prayer. And he’s familiar with these very struggles – these temptations to throw in the towel and assume praying is better left to someone else. That’s why he wrote a new book: Learning to Pray: A Guide for Everyone. Today, Fr. James Martin, SJ, returns to AMDG to kick off the Lenten season, to give us a little insight into prayer and to offer us a word of encouragement in our own spiritual lives.

Matt Wooters, SJ, and Damian Torres-Botello, SJ, are back to journey with us along the way this Lent. Tune in on Saturdays for new episodes.

Last year was a tough year. This year has gotten off to a rocky start. Many of us – on more than one occasion – have thrown up our hands and said, “Why God? Why is this happening?” Joe Hoover, a Jesuit brother, actor and writer, asked this very question in his new book, O Death, Where is Thy Sting? He asked it again and again as he reflected back on experiences his had throughout his own life: experiences in El Salvador, experiences at the gravesides of young people, experiences coping with 9/11 and the wars that followed. Suffering, as it turns out, is not a question easily answered. But it is one that demands contemplation – that very Ignatian approach to prayer. As Joe discusses in today’s episode, sometimes it just is, and we’re left to stand in wonder and awe, shock and horror at this unavoidable part of human existence. Nevertheless, there is hope to be found. And Joe speaks to that, too. Check out Joe's book: https://www.orbisbooks.com/o-death-where-is-thy-sting.html

Fr. Alan Fogarty, SJ, has been the CEO of Salt + Light Media, a Catholic TV network and media company based in Toronto, since August. Fr. Fogarty doesn’t have a traditional media background, but he radiates energy and bold vision, traits that served him well in his previous stops as the president of St. Paul’s High School in Winnipeg, Canada, and as the president of the Gregorian University Foundation in Rome. We need more compelling, high quality, balanced Catholic media in the worst way, and hearing his hopes for Salt and Light got host Mike Jordan Laskey so excited to watch them continue to grow in the months and years to come. Check out Salt + Light online: https://slmedia.org/ "Be Not Afraid" by Catholic Artists From Home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RF0DIpFOoBg Subscribe to AMDG wherever you get podcasts. AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.