AMDG: A Jesuit Podcast

What are you willing to risk for what you believe? Fr. Steve Kelly, SJ, is a peace activist and a member of the Plowshares movement, a largely Catholic movement of pacifists that protests nuclear weapons by damaging weapons and military property. He has spent at least a decade of his life behind bars for his witness, and was just released recently for what was called the Kings Bay Plowshares action. On April 4, 2018, Fr. Kelly and six other Catholic activists cut a hole in a security fence at the Kings Bay Naval Base in Georgia, where several nuclear submarines are kept. They hung a banner, spray painted Love One Another on the pavement, poured their own blood on a seal of the base, and pounded the display of a tomahawk missile with a hammer. They were willingly arrested two hours after entry. Host Mike Jordan Laskey asked Fr. Kelly about why he chooses to participate in these actions despite the risks. They also talked about his vocation story to the Jesuits and his experience with the criminal justice system. Fr. Kelly is a gentle, warm person and this conversation will quietly challenge you to think and pray about how you live what you say you believe. AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.

On July 7, one week ago today, in the early hours of the morning, the president of Haiti, Jovenal Moise, was assassinated in his home. The exact details of his death are still clouded in mystery, but the impact on the country is stark and tragic: Haiti, still recovering from the devastating 2010 earthquake, still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, plagued by violent gangs, economic insecurity and a widening gap between the haves and have-nots, now faces a future of uncertainty. But it’s far from a hopeless situation. As our guest today, Fr. Jean Denis Saint-Felix, the superior of the Jesuit community in Haiti, notes, there is reason to believe a better future is possible. Fr. Jean Denis issues a challenge for all of us on the outside looking in: To help usher in this new future, we have to be ready to listen to the needs, the pain and even the silence of the Haitian people.

Last month, Georgetown University professor of history Dr. Marcia Chatelain was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her book “Franchise: the Golden Arches in Black America." The book reveals the hidden history of how fast food became one of the greatest generators of Black wealth and power in American and the costs of this success story. Host Mike Jordan Laskey asked Professor Chatelain what it was like to hear she won the Pulitzer, and then they discussed the book and some of the most interesting things she learned during her years of research and writing. Professor Chatelain also shared what she has come to love about Jesuit spirituality since arriving at Georgetown 10 years ago. Lear more about Marcia Chatelain and "Franchise" here: http://www.marciachatelain.com./ AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.

When Fr. Bill Barry, SJ, passed away late in 2020 at the age of 90 years old, he left behind a long and storied legacy as a spiritual director, author and Jesuit priest. Though he wrote many, many books, mentored generations of Jesuits and guided countless retreatants, there was one consistent theme that everyone who encountered Fr. Barry walked away with: God desires a friendship with each of us. His final book, “God’s Great Story and You” – published by Loyola Press earlier this year – returns to that theme and pulls together insights and experiences from Fr. Barry’s nine decades of life with God. On today’s episode, Fr. James Martin, SJ, editor-at-large for America Magazine, and Vinita Wright, managing editor at Loyola Press, share stories, memories and reflections on Fr. Barry – his life, his work and his legacy. You can purchase a copy of his final book here: https://store.loyolapress.com/gods-great-story-and-you.

June is high school graduation season, and today's guest is one of the most impressive grads from the Jesuit Schools Network: Carlos Smith, who just finished his time at Loyola High School in Detroit. Loyola is an all-male Jesuit high school known for its rigorous academic standards and strong commitment to faith, and it serves about 150 predominantly Black young men. For the past 11 years, Loyola has achieved 100 percent college acceptance among its graduates. Carlos won two incredibly impressive honors during his senior year: First, he won a $25,000 Black History Month scholarship from the Detroit Pistons basketball team for a poem he wrote on the theme of powering humanity. Second, he was named the top high school debater in the entire state of Michigan. Carlos clearly has a way with words, and the energy and intelligence that made him a champion debater were on full display during his conversation with host Mike Jordan Laskey. In the episode, Carlos reads the winning poem, discusses its themes and talks about his experience at Loyola. Carlos is heading to the University of Arizona in the fall, and he hopes to one day be a Supreme Court justice. One quick announcement: We at AMDG were thrilled a couple weeks ago to hear that our show had won two first-place awards from the Catholic Media Association. We were named the best overall podcast in our division, and our collection of episodes on the pandemic won best podcast series. So now when you recommend this podcast to your friends and family, you can invite them to subscribe to the award-winning AMDG wherever they get podcasts. AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.

In the year 1838, the Jesuits of the Maryland Province sold at least 272 enslaved men, women and children to a plantation owner in Louisiana, in part to provide financial support to Georgetown University, which was struggling at the time. The Jesuits have long been aware of this shameful history, but living Descendants of the 272 enslaved persons have only learned about their ancestors over the past five years thanks to meticulous genealogical research. More than 10,000 living Descendants have been identified since 2016. Two of those Descendants are today's guests: Joe Stewart and Cheryllyn Branche. After learning of their family histories, Joe and Cheryllyn worked together with other Descendants to found the GU 272 Association. The association approached the Jesuits in 2017, looking to dialogue with the Society of Jesus in pursuit of creating a billion-dollar foundation to support racial justice work and educational opportunities for Descendants. Our third guest today is one of the Jesuits who participated in this dialogue process, Fr. Timothy P. Kesicki, SJ, the president of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. These three along with other Descendant leaders and representatives from the Jesuits and Georgetown University went through a years-long dialogue process and arrived at a memorandum of understanding: The Jesuits of the US would contribute $15 million to start the foundation and pledge to fundraise an additional $85 million. The result is the Descendants Truth and Reconciliation Foundation, which was announced this past March. The foundation marks the first time in history the Descendants of those enslaved have collaborated like this with successors of the enslavers. You can learn more about the history and the foundation at their website, which is www.descendants.org. Joe, Cheryllyn and Fr. Tim talked to host Mike Jordan Laskey about the dialogue process and their vision for the foundation. They hope this unique pathway forward might inspire similar efforts throughout the country. Learn more about the GU 272 Descendants Association: https://gu272.net/ Learn more about the Descendants Truth and Reconciliation Foundation: https://www.descendants.org/ AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.

As more and more of us are going back to Mass for the first time in over a year, today's episode is a celebration of our faith. Today's guest is the renowned theologian and teacher Dr. Thomas Groome, who serves as a professor of theology and religious education at Boston College’s School of Theology and Ministry. He has an incredible ability to make difficult concepts clear and engaging, often using his fabulous Irish storytelling skills in his work. In his conversation with host Mike Jordan Laskey, Dr. Groome goes deep into five things he loves about being Catholic. It's the spiritual boost we need as a new normal starts to unfold. Learn more about Dr. Groome here: https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/stm/faculty/faculty-directory/thomas-h-groome.html His book "What Makes Us Catholic" is a must-read and accessible to anyone, no matter your level of theological training: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/what-makes-us-catholic-thomas-h-groome?variant=32128767623202 AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. Subscribe to AMDG wherever you get podcasts.

Today’s episode is a challenging one. We take a deep dive into the tragic events gripping the people of India, and we reflect on the tremendous loss of life that has resulted from the second wave of COVID-19. According to Vatican News, as of May 29, there have been 27.7 million reported cases of COVID-19—second only to the US – and 322,512 deaths, placing India at the third highest death count after the US and Brazil. And these are just the cases that have been reported. In India, at least 400 of those dead due to COVID-19 are nuns and priests. As today’s guest, Jesuit priest Fr. Siji Chacko will explain, this is in large part due to the work these faith leaders do at the forefront of the nation’s suffering, accompanying the vulnerable, excluded and forgotten. Fr. Siji wears a lot of hats in the Jesuit Conference of India, but as you’ll hear, no matter what his role, his vocation is to constantly serve God’s people in whatever way is possible. The conversation spans his own calling to the Jesuits to his work advocating for human rights to his reflections on the life of Fr. Stan Swamy, the 84-year-old Jesuit priest who has been imprisoned by the Indian authorities for his human rights advocacy. Learn how you can help provide COVID-19 relief in India by visiting https://www.jesuits.org/stories/covid-19-emergency-response-in-india-ways-you-can-help/. Learn how you can advocate for Fr. Stan Swamy’s release from prison by visiting https://www.jesuits.org/our-work/justice-and-ecology/take-action-2/release-fr-stan/. And learn more of Fr. Stan’s story by visiting Jesuits.org/stories/jesuits-demand-immediate-release-of-fr-stan-swamy-sj/

Finding time to go on retreat is a challenge — even when there's not a global pandemic to contend with. But what if there was a way to go on retreat without having to book a room, set aside a weekend or travel out of state? What if you could just...go? In your own town, city or neighborhood? In this episode, co-host Eric Clayton talks with both retreatants and retreat leaders who have gone on what's called a Retreat in the Street in Toronto or Montreal, Canada. Each tells a life-changing story, an encounter with God that only required a bit of courage and some time to wander. What's more, this model of retreat is perfect for the ongoing Ignatian Year, a way to see all things new in Christ. These retreats help us find our way to God. They appeal in a particular way to young people, people who may have fallen away from faith – or who have never known faith. These retreats challenges us to walk with one another, to accompany the vulnerable and become vulnerable ourselves. And, as we journey through our own city, our own landscape, we see where God’s creation is flourishing – and where it needs our care. By the end of this episode, maybe you'll want to head out for a retreat on the streets.

For Maka Black Elk, being a member of the Oglala Lakota Tribe on Pine Ridge Reservation confers a great responsibility. And it forms the bedrock of Black Elk’s work — first as a teacher at Red Cloud Indian School and now as the school’s Executive Director for Truth and Healing. Red Cloud is a Jesuit-run school on the reservation. It was founded in 1877 and its history spans many turbulent and painful periods on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Maka Black Elk is helping Red Cloud face this past. On this episode of AMDG, host MegAnne Liebsch talks to Black Elk about what truth and healing means for the Red Cloud and Pine Ridge Communities. They have a powerful — and challenging — conversation about the school’s involvement in the Indian Boarding School Policy and how it impacts the Pine Ridge community today. They also talked about identity and culture, and how Black Elk’s faith runs through both. To learn more about Red Cloud’s Truth and Healing Committee go to: www.jesuits.org/https://www.jesuits.org/stories/new-truth-telling-initiative-confronts-red-cloud-indian-schools-past/ Stay up-to-date with the process: https://www.redcloudschool.org/pages/truth-and-healing#updates