Phyllis Zagano is the author or editor of twenty-seven books in religious studies and hundreds of articles and reviews in popular and academic journals. She is recognized as one of the foremost authorities on the diaconate of women. In 2016, Pope Francis appointed her to the initial Pontifical Commission for the Study of the Diaconate of Women. Dr. Zagano holds a research appointment at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. Her most recent book is The Vatican and Women Deacons, which was published in April by Orbis Books.

In this conversation, Phyllis gives historical and cultural context for the office of the diaconate, including conciliar documents of the early church that support the ordination of women as deacons. She takes us through the findings of pontifical and theological commissions convened to study the issue of the women’s diaconate over the past fifty years, with a special focus on the problems of the second pontifical commission’s report published last December, and explores important distinctions between the priesthood and diaconate and installed and ordained ministries.

Phyllis also shares how lay ministries such as lector, acolyte, and catechist can function as avenues for lay preaching and help the church acclimate to seeing women at the altar, looks at the emerging role of parish life coordinator Pope Francis spoke of in his apostolic exhortation Querida Amazonia, and describes the idea that women cannot image Christ as a “heresy” with implications for female health and safety worldwide. “If the church is going to encourage the world to believe in the humanity of women,” she says, “the church has ways it can move.”

See also:

The Vatican and Women Deacons, official page at Orbis Books

Phyllis Zagano, “They Don’t Want to Say Yes,” Commonweal, July 28, 2026

Phyllis Zagano, “Where the Women Deacons Question Stands at the Vatican,” March 13, 2026

Justin McClellan, “Vatican Commission Votes Against Ordaining Female Deacons,” National Catholic Reporter, December 4, 2025

Colleen Dulle, “Vatican to German Bishops: No Lay People Preaching Homilies at Mass,” America, June 23, 2026

Annie McAuliffe, “New Book Illuminates True Barrier to Women’s Diaconate,” National Catholic Reporter, August 29, 2026

Daniel Horan is professor of philosophy, religious studies and theology at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana. A columnist for the National Catholic Reporter, he is the author or editor of sixteen books, including Catholicity and Emerging Personhood: A Contemporary Theological Anthropology, A White Catholic’s Guide to Racism and Privilege, and The Way of the Franciscans: A Prayer Journey Through Lent. His most recent books are titled Engaging Thomas Merton: Spirituality, Justice, and Racism and Fear and Faith: Hope and Wholeness in a Fractured World. Dan regularly lectures throughout the United States and abroad and serves on several university, academic, and publication editorial boards. He is recipient of numerous awards for his writing and service and is co-host of The Francis Effect Podcast.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Dan walks us through his spiritual autobiography and shares why he sees his decision to move on from ordained ministry “not as an end and a beginning, but a transition.” We explore the practice of writing as an act of discernment, look at how the “geographic perspective” of Pope Francis and Leo XIV has changed the tenor of the church, and discuss why the core of the Franciscan charism—to “see each other as the siblings that we are in God, and to recognize that that sibling connection extends beyond the human family to the more-than-human world”—is so vital to us today. We also make time to review some of the issues and concerns around artificial intelligence developed in Magnifica Humanitas, and Dan offers a series of images to help us think through the idea of “catholicity” as a theological and ecclesiological framework.

See also:

Dan’s column at the National Catholic Reporter

The Francis Effect Podcast

“Yeast,” an essay by Walter Ong, SJ

Lynn Anamasi is a faith‑led advocate and community builder whose work bridges spirituality, justice, and service. She is a board member and the Charlotte chapter president of the SOAP Project, a national anti‑trafficking organization that equips volunteers and hotel staff to recognize the signs of human trafficking and identify missing children through labeled bars of soap and targeted outreach.

Lynn’s commitment to mercy and justice is also shaped by her relationship with the Sisters of Mercy, with whom she is an Associate. Their charism of compassion, courage, and service to the most vulnerable continues to guide her advocacy and her leadership within SOAP.

In this episode, Lynn shares with us her spiritual background, with a special focus on the impact of the Cursillo movement on the development of her faith. She discusses how she became involved with the SOAP Project along with the origins, mission, and outreach efforts of the organization. We look at why it is so important to raise awareness and correct misconceptions around the issue of human trafficking, and Lynn offers real-life examples to show how SOAP is educating the public and helping survivors to heal.

See also:

The SOAP Project official website

National Cursillo USA

“More Than Soap—It’s a Lifeline,” article on Lynn’s involvement in the SOAP Project for the website of the Sisters of Mercy

“We Need to Protect Each Other,” Tomorrow’s American Catholic podcast with Sr. Leonida Katunge for the International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking, February 8, 2026

“Pastoral Orientations on Human Trafficking,” 2019 Vatican document published by the Migrants and Refugees Section of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development

Sr. Annie Killian is a vowed member of the Dominican Sisters of Peace, a congregation of Catholic women religious, as well as an assistant professor of English at the University of Notre Dame, where she teaches courses in medieval poetry and drama.

Sr. Annie holds a doctorate in English from Yale University, where she studied 15th-century religion and literature with a focus on women’s writing and church reform. She is the author of a monograph, Reforming Lyric: Poetry and Theology in England, 1380-1530, and is currently at work on a second book, Mystical Ecology, which will look at the way medieval writers engage with the natural world in their theory and practice of contemplation. Her writing has appeared in Commonweal, Global Sisters Report, Christian Century, Spiritus, and—we’re happy to include—Tomorrow’s American Catholic. Sr. Annie also has experience in prison education and nonviolent peacemaking, and currently serves as the vice chair of the Pax Christi USA National Council.

Just in time for the Feast of Saint Dominic on August 8, we’re pleased to share our recent conversation with Sr. Annie. She guided us through some formative moments in her spiritual journey, including her experiences with a small Christian community and her introduction to religious life, and spoke of how she sees contemplation as a “work of resistance” that both centers and strengthens her ministry. We touched on her research and teaching in the field of lyric poetry, and the ways that attending to poetic language can help “move us beyond ourselves” and bring us into the quiet presence of God. We also looked at Sr. Annie’s commitment to the “spirituality of nonviolence,” why letting go of control is itself a form of witness, and the importance of “living the questions” to the life-adventure of faith.

See also:

“Sisters on the Move: The Dominican Sisters of Peace,” Sr. Annie’s essay in Commonweal, November 12, 2021

“Reflection on My First Profession,” Sr. Annie’s article for Global Sisters Report, October 18, 2022

“A Greater Understanding of Truth: English Professor Studies Medieval Poetry to Converse with the Past,” a profile of Sr. Annie for the University of Notre Dame’s College of Arts and Letters

“Accompanying Families Facing Deportation,” Sr. Annie’s report from the Kino Border Initiative for Tomorrow’s American Catholic, June 16, 2026

John Fugelsang is an actor, author, political commentator, comedian, and broadcaster who currently hosts the progressive talk show Tell Me Everything on SiriusXM. His many and varied acting credits range across film, television, and stage productions. He has hosted and co-hosted multiple shows, including CNBC’s Bullseye and the political talk show Viewpoint. He is a regular guest on CNN, MSNBC, and other networks, and has contributed to the Huffington Post and the Daily Kos.

John’s 2015 film Dream On, structured as a road trip in search of the American Dream, was named Best Documentary at the New York Independent Film Festival. His first book, Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person’s Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds, was published in August 2025 by Avid Reader Press. Acclaimed novelist Anne Lamott called the book “brilliant and wise, rich in spiritual knowledge and humor, an exhilarating response to Christian nationalists, and a master class in Jesus, the true and Jesus-y Jesus, of love, caring and forgiveness.”

In this episode, John shares with us the story of his parents—a nun and Franciscan brother who fell in love and left their respective orders—and how they influenced his spiritual development and early relationship to the Catholic Church. He explores the image of Jesus as a “chain-breaker,” examines the gospel narrative as “an incredible example of resisting empire and authoritarianism in really interesting, creative, loving ways,” and engages with Christianity as a religion “not about domination, but transformation.” Along the way, we discuss issues confronting the church and world today—from gender equality and priestly celibacy to the rise of fundamentalism and Christian nationalism—and learn why John has come to believe that “the teachings of Christ might be America’s last hope.”

Fr. Carl J. Arico a priest of the archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey, and a founding member and former vice president of Contemplative Outreach. He is now retired and serves on the review committee that is preparing the works of the Trappist priest and teacher of Centering Prayer, Fr. Thomas Keating, to be made available on YouTube and in the archives at Emory University. Fr. Carl is a popular retreat leader and the author of a book, A Taste of Silence. He is a priest for 66 years and has been active with Contemplative Outreach and the Centering Prayer movement since 1974.

Our conversation with Fr. Carl takes us through his early years and burgeoning interest in contemplative life and Centering Prayer, including his retreats at Gethsemani Abbey in Kentucky and Spencer Abbey in Massachusetts. He introduces us to the four elements of Centering Prayer and explains why a key to the practice is to “stop thinking that you have to stop thinking.” In addition to sharing memories of Fr. Keating, Fr. Carl offers ways for us to deepen our own prayer lives by returning to what he calls “the basics”: that “God is already there if you’re existing, and that prayer is a relationship.”

John Pavlovitz is a writer, pastor, activist, and storyteller from Raleigh, North Carolina. A veteran of local church ministry, he is committed to equality, diversity, and justice, both inside and outside faith communities.

John’s many books include A Bigger Table: Building Messy, Authentic, and Hopeful Spiritual Community; Worth Fighting For: Finding Courage and Compassion When Cruelty Is Trending; and devotionals for the seasons of Advent and Lent. His thought-provoking blog, Stuff That Needs to Be Said, has reached a diverse worldwide audience with over one hundred million views.

Seeking a place to connect even more directly with his readers, John launched a Substack platform, The Beautiful Mess, which presently reaches over 116,000 subscribers. John also serves as director of the Empathetic People Network, a vibrant online community that connects people from all over the world who want to create a more compassionate planet.

In this episode, John shares with us his formative faith experiences in both the Catholic and Methodist Churches and how they prepared him for a “relationship with something far bigger than myself.” He explains how he was “drafted into ministry” and why it is so important for faith communities to honor people’s fears, doubts, and uncertainties; ways we can move from a “membership” to a “partnership” culture within our churches; and what he continues to glean from Jesus’s responses to the “collateral damage of the world.” He also speaks to the idea of “compassionate courage” and its link to what he sees as our fundamental task: “to show up as the most honest, most steadfast version of humanity that we can, make our offerings, and realize we’re not going to get to see the whole picture.”

Thomas Masaryk is an artist, deacon, and hospital chaplain. He holds degrees in fine arts from the Fashion Institute of Technology and Queens College in New York and has apprenticed with sculptor Donald Miller and master Sicilian wood carver Frank Licitra.

Thomas’s work has been featured in individual and group exhibitions, as well as numerous publications in the United States and overseas. Throughout his career he has given professional seminars and demonstrations in the Connecticut, New York, Boston, and Philadelphia areas.

In 2008 Bishop William Lori ordained Thomas as a Permanent Deacon in the Diocese of Bridgeport (Connecticut). In 2015, Bishop Frank Caggiano appointed Deacon Tom as Spiritual Director for the English-speaking Cursillo movement, a lay evangelizing movement of the Catholic Church, in the Diocese of Bridgeport. He is the first deacon in the diocese to be appointed to this position.

Deacon Tom took a year sabbatical in 2014 to serve as a full-time hospital chaplain at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport. The experience impacted him profoundly, motivating him to seek an assignment outside the walls of a parish and to reevaluate his artwork. In 2016, Bishop Frank Caggiano granted him a transfer to the Shrine of St. Margaret, the official diocesan shrine of Bridgeport, where he has been overseeing the renovation of the shrine’s grounds and statues.

In this episode, Deacon Tom takes us through the varied stages of his vocations as an artist and ordained minister. We look at the relationship between creative and spiritual practices, the need to find new sacred stories through visual language, and how Deacon Tom uses guided retreats to “help others find the sacredness of what they do.” Deacon Tom also shares with us what people get wrong about Vincent van Gogh, and why he believes “everybody knows how to create an image in some way, shape, or form.”

Dr. Amy-Jill Levine is the Rabbi Stanley M. Kessler Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace and University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies Emerita at Vanderbilt University.

Dr. Levine has been awarded grants from the Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the American Council of Learned Societies. In addition to receiving three audiences with Pope Francis (which she recalls for us here), in spring 2019 she was the first Jew to teach New Testament at Rome’s Pontifical Biblical Institute. In 2021, she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Her most recent books include The Bible with and Without Jesus, co-authored with Marc Z. Brettler, and The Pharisees, co-edited with Joseph Sievers, to which Pope Francis contributed an essay. With Marc Brettler, she co-edited The Jewish Annotated New Testament. She is also the editor of the 13-volume Feminist Companions to the New Testament and Early Christian Writings, and The Historical Jesus in Context. She has given close to 1,000 lectures on the Bible, Christian-Jewish relations, and religion, gender, and sexuality across the globe.

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Levine about her formative religious experiences and the development of her interest in Christianity and the New Testament, the impact of Nostra Aetate and the Second Vatican Council on Jewish-Christian relations, and various “blind spots and stumbling blocks” Christians might have about the representation of Jews and Judaism in the gospels. Along the way, Dr. Levine shares her thoughts on the rise of lectionary-based faith-sharing communities in the Catholic Church, explores why it is essential to preserve both the “logic and mystery” of Sacred Scripture, and explains why Jews and Christians are both “unfinished products” who can use their shared state as a means of dialogue and collaboration.

See also:

Faculty page at Hartford International University

The Pharisees, edited by Amy-Jill Levine and Joseph Sievers (Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2021)

Report on Dr. Levine’s lecture, “Reading the New Testament as Jews: History, Antisemitism, Respect,” Tomorrow’s American Catholic, March 19, 2026

“Celebrating the Jewish Annotated New Testament at the Gregorian University,” news brief from the Gregorian University Foundation, April 1, 2019

Mary Fontana is an author, essayist, and award-winning poet whose prose and poems have appeared in The Sun, America, BorderLore, Prairie Schooner, and other publications. Her book Strangers in the Province of Joy: Practicing Radical Hospitality on the US-Mexico Border was released in May by Orbis Books. This narrative history of Annunciation House, a house of hospitality for migrants and refugees in El Paso, Texas, where Mary has volunteered for two decades, draws on her personal experience and extensive interviews to tell the story of migration across the US-Mexico border over the past fifty years.

In addition to her literary output, Mary has a PhD in Immunology & Pathogenesis from the University of California–Berkeley and did infectious disease research for a decade, all the while volunteering part-time with Annunciation House. She lives in Seattle with her husband and two children.

In this episode, Mary shares the history and mission of Annunciation House and its culture rooted in personalism, liberation theology, and “doing small things with great love.” We look at how US immigration policies have changed over time, and how the lack of legal pathways in our current system ultimately endangers migrants’ lives. Mary also explains the importance of “humanizing people and seeing them as worthy of our compassion” and elaborates on the core goal of her book as helping readers “really come to know specific stories of immigrants, migrants, refugees, so that they can feel more of a kinship with them, more of an understanding of why they come.”

See also:

Mary Fontana’s official website

Strangers in the Province of Joy at Orbis Books

“Rio Grande Roulette,” essay at The Lemonwood Quarterly

Awareness by Anthony De Mello, a formative influence on Mary’s spirituality