Jesuitical

By America MediaNews Religion & Spirituality Christianity News Commentary Spirituality

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55 min
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Jesuitical episodes

September 22, 2023The Catholics responding to New York’s migrant crisis
This week on Jesuitical, Zac and Ashley are talking about the migrant crisis in New York City and the work Catholics are doing to respond. They are joined by Richard Slizeski, the senior vice president for mission at Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens. They talk to him about:
Migrants’ often harrowing experiences coming to the United States
What’s missing in the political debates around the migrant crisis in New York
How Catholic Charities’ mission and Catholic identity informs their work on the ground
In Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley discuss recent revelations about what World War II-era Pope Pius XII knew about the Holocaust as it was occuring, as well as Pope Francis’ recent conversation with Bill Clinton.
Links from the Show
As New York’s migrant crisis makes headlines, Catholic Charities gets to work
Letter Found in Vatican Archives Confirms Church Was Told About Death Camps; more info
Conversation between Pope Francis and Bill Clinton

What’s on Tap?
Dark beer—Guinness stout, specifically

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48 min
September 15, 2023Catholic seminarians need therapy (like the rest of us)
This week, Zac and Ashley are talking about the psychological care that seminarians (i.e., priests-in-training) receive as part of their formation. They are joined by Maribel Laguna, the founder and owner of Cor Sacrum Counseling and Consulting. They talk to Maribel about:
The Catholic Church’s relationship with psychology and counseling, historically and today
The unique challenges seminarians are facing
The type of psychological screening that goes into the decision to accept someone into a seminary program

In Signs of the Times, they discuss Pope Francis’ new pick to lead the Vatican’s doctrinal office and the best thing to go on tour in the United States this year: the relic of St. Jude’s arm.
Links from the show:
Pope Francis appoints Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernandez as the new head of Vatican office for doctrine
St. Jude’s arm is on tour in the US; tour schedule
Become a member of Jesuitical’s Patreon community
Invite Jesuitical to your college, parish or community! Send us an email: [email protected]
What’s on tap?
Grapefruit Margarita

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55 min
September 08, 2023Father James Martin on Jesus’s Greatest Miracle
On the season premier of Jesuitical’s seventh season, Zac and Ashley talk with their friend and colleague James Martin, S.J., who is out with a brand new book, Come Forth: The Promise of Jesus's Greatest Miracle. They ask Father Martin:
If Jesus actually raised Lazarus from the dead (and do Catholic have to believe it)
What Mary, Martha and Lazarus can teach us about friendship
And how we can all come forth into new life in our daily lives

In Signs of the Times, we discuss the “DJ Priest” who made headlines at World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal, and ask: Were Pope Francis’ criticisms of “reactionary” Catholics in the United States fair (or helpful)?
Links from the show:
The (not so) curious case of priests who DJ in the history of electronic music
Pope Francis speaks out against his critics in the U.S. Catholic Church
Pope Francis’ criticisms of ‘reactionary’ U.S. Catholics are counterproductive
Come Forth: The Promise of Jesus's Greatest Miracle
Exclusive Excerpt: What can the story of Lazarus teach us about new life?
Become a member of Jesuitical’s Patreon community
What’s on tap?
Corpse Reviver No. 2

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57 min
August 19, 2023 What the Catholic Church can learn about change from baseball’s pitch-clock innovation
We have a great summer bonus episode, all about baseball! To listen to the full episode, become a patron of Jesuitical!
This is the first season with a pitch clock in Major League Baseball, which was implemented to try to speed up the game and appeal to younger viewers. But to some longtime baseball fans the rule change feels gimmicky and disrespectful to the grand tradition of America's pastime.
If the debate sounds familiar, that's because the Catholic Church is at a similar pivotal moment in its history. Younger people are not filling the pews as previous generations have, and Catholics are grappling with how to reform itself without compromising its authentic tradition.
On today's episode, two past guests and baseball fanatics return to debate the pitch clock and draw analogies between the game and the church they love. J.D. Long-Garcia is a senior editor at America and Greg Hillis runs the Aquinas Center of Theology at Emory University. You can read their takes on the pitch clock here:
J.D. Long-Garcia, "The pitch clock is a travesty. The Catholic Church must learn from baseball’s mistake."
Greg Hillis, "Quit Trying to ‘Fix’ Baseball" and "In Praise of the Pitch Clock"
Help support the production of Jesuitical by becoming a patron! It's simple, easy, and you can listen to bonus episodes on your podcast app!

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10 min
June 30, 2023Cardinal Czerny on Pope Francis, Catholic social teaching and the legacy of Vatican II
On the season finale of “Jesuitical,” Zac and producer Sebastian Gomes talk with Cardinal Michael Czerny, S.J., who leads the Vatican’s department for social justice and human development. (Ashley was out of the country at the time of the interview). Cardinal Czerny is also the co-author of the new book Siblings All, Sign of the Times: The Social Teaching of Pope Francis. We talk to him about:
The disputed legacy of Vatican II
How Pope Francis has developed the church’s social teaching
How the church should relate to the outside world

In Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley point ahead to some stories to look out for this summer. And in As One Friend Speaks to Another, they look back at the season and the many graces it held.
Links from the show:
Jesuitical listener survey
Learn more about the O’Hare fellowship
Vatican confirms Pope Francis will enjoy a ‘staycation’ in July
Pope Francis’ prep advice for World Youth Day: talk to your grandparents first
Siblings All, Sign of the Times: The Social Teaching of Pope Francis by Cardinal Michael Czerny and Father Christian Barone
Ignatian Wisdom Fellowship from Loyola University Chicago
Sacred Heart Major Seminary’s online course "An Introduction to Spirituality”
What’s on tap?
Rum sunset, prepared by outgoing O’Hare fellow, Chris Parker

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58 min
June 23, 2023A Religious Trip: Finding God on Psychedelic Drugs
This week on Jesuitical, Ashley and Zac chat with Bryan McCarthy, who teaches philosophy at the University of Pittsburgh, Greensburg, and is the author of a new paper, “Christianity and Psychedelic Medicine: A Pastoral Approach.” They discuss:
What the church teaches about drugs and intoxication
How psychedelic drugs are being used in therapeutic settings, and how Christians should respond
Bryan’s own religious experiences while using psychedelic drugs
During Signs of the Times, Ashley and Zac give initial reactions to the new working document for the Synod on Synodality and discuss a curious story involving a fake priest and serious labor violations out of California.
Links from the show:
Bryan’s paper
Vatican releases Synod document calling for discussion of women, LGBT Catholics, church authority and more
California restaurant had fake priest hear workers’ confessions, Labor Department says

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1 hr 4 min
June 16, 2023 Pope Francis called homilies “a disaster.” Here’s what we can do about it.
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.org
If 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.

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47 min
June 09, 2023Does prayer belong in a public school?
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 operation
Catholic virtual school approved by Oklahoma board would be first religious charter in the U.S.
Inside the Christian Legal Crusade to Revive School Prayer

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44 min
June 02, 2023 How one bishop’s experience of suicide loss led him to start a mental health ministry
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 ministry
Office of Mental Health Ministry of the Diocese of Phoenix
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Towards Full Presence: A Pastoral Reflection on Engagement with Social Media
Vatican tells the bishops of Catholic Twitter: be reflective, not reactive
God doesn’t accept bribes in prayer. Or does he?
What’s on tap?
Maker’s Mark
Support Jesuitical by becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/americamedia

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52 min
May 26, 2023How a religious congregation decides it’s time to close up shop
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 members
What’s on tap?
Scotch on the rocks
Support Jesuitical by becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/americamedia

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43 min

About Jesuitical

From the publisher's feed

Jesuitical is a podcast from America Media for saints and sinners. Tune in every week for honest conversations about the Catholic Church and our world today—sometimes over drinks. Hosted by Ashley McKinless and Zac Davis.