AMDG: A Jesuit Podcast

Our very special guest is Fr. Arturo Sosa, who is the 31st Superior General of the Society of Jesus -- the leader of the Jesuits worldwide. Fr. Sosa is originally from Venezuela, where he was a political science professor and the provincial superior for a time. He’s the first person born in South America to lead the Jesuits, and he has been serving in the role since 2016, when his Jesuit brothers elected him at the Society’s 36th General Congregation. Serving as Fr. General, as the role is called within the Society of Jesus, is a massive job. With over 16,000 Jesuits from practically every culture scattered across the globe, Fr. General is responsible for guiding the Society in the same direction and building unity within diversity. A lot of Fr. General’s time is spent on the road, visiting Jesuit communities and works around the world to help him get a bird’s-eye view of the large Society he leads. Earlier this month, his travels led him to the West Coast of the United States, including the Jesuit retreat center in Los Altos, California, which is where host Mike Jordan Laskey sat down with him. They talked about Fr. General's visit to the States, the four Universal Apostolic Preferences that are guiding Jesuit life and mission for the next decade, and what it’s like to see his photograph on the wall of every Jesuit community on every continent he visits. In addition to the podcast, a transcript of highlights from this conversation is available at jesuits.org.

We Americans are obsessed with work. We want meaning in our work. We want work to align perfectly with our values. It’s a badge of honor to tell people how busy we are. And one of the nicest things you can say about someone is that they’re a hard worker. What if we have it all wrong? What if our relationship to work is dysfunctional? And maybe even demonic? Guest Jonathan Malesic has written extensively about work and burnout for publications like the New Republic and America Magazine. He’s currently writing a book on the topic. Earlier in the 2000s, Jon had his dream job as a college theology professor, but the reality of the work was sapping his energy and his spirit until he had to walk away. Since that big decision, he has devoted much of his professional life to studying Americans’ relationship to work, why it’s broken, and how we might be able to fix it. He talks with host Mike Jordan Laskey about his research, including the story of a Benedictine monastery in New Mexico that ran a successful web design business in the 90s until they just shut it down because it was interfering with their life of communal prayer. They also hit on the temptation for folks in Jesuit circles to misuse the popular Ignatian term “magis.” Keep up with Jon’s work and find a list of all the articles discussed on today’s show at jonmalesic.com.

One great thing about Ignatian spirituality is how practical it is: Faith isn’t a separate part of your life you observe only on Sundays. Instead, Jesuit tradition talks about finding and serving God in all things and places – including where you work. Mike Barkley is all about bringing Ignatian Spirituality into his everyday life. Mike is the CEO at KIND snacks, the company that makes those granola bars with the clear wrapper and rainbow logo you might pick up impulsively at Starbucks. Mike is an alum of St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, and in recent years he has really worked at growing his faith in a bunch of ways, including the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius. In his conversation with host Mike Jordan Laskey (who used to be the youth minister at the Barkley family parish), Mike talks about how he has used Ignatian tools to discern big family and career choices, plus how a character from Star Wars helped him completely re-frame his approach as a manager. Subscribe to AMDG on iTunes, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Last week, hundreds of students from Jesuit high schools and colleges from around the country came to Washington, DC, to speak up for the unborn at the March for Life. Before the march, they gathered at Holy Trinity Church in Georgetown for the Ignatian Mass for Life, with the Jesuit Conference president Fr. Tim Kesicki, SJ, presiding. Host Mike Jordan Laskey talked to six of the attendees about why they showed up and why our Jesuit values drive us to protect human life and work for justice for all.

How do we ensure that Jesuit higher education is accessible to everyone? The cost of college tuition has been in the news lately—and on the presidential debate stage. Guest Fr. Steve Katsouros, SJ, is the founder of the innovative Arrupe College at Loyola University Chicago, the first Jesuit community college in the world. He is preparing to expand the Arrupe College model nationwide. In this episode, he shares with guest host Eric Clayton some reflections from his last six years. What’s worked, what’s been challenging, and what continues to get him out of bed in the morning. If you like what you hear at AMDG, give us a like and tell your friends.

On January 20, 2020, the United States celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Dr. King is so often remembered for his dream of racial equality, so eloquently articulated in his speeches and letters. But, as my guest today, Dr. Nicholas Mitchell of the Jesuit Social Research Institute, reminds us, Dr. King’s legacy is one that calls us to continue challenging the status quo, to live as radically as he did. From #BlackLivesMatter to prison reform, Dr. King’s dream remains, in many ways, just that: a dream that demands action, commitment and change. Dr. Mitchell reflects on King’s legacy for us as Catholics and members of Jesuit institutions. Dr. Mithcell is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He earned his bachelors and master’s degrees in history and his Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Louisiana State University. Over the last 9 years, he has served as a teacher in both the public and private school systems, in the community college system, and at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and is a trained community organizer. In 2016, he became a fellow at the Jesuit Social Research Institute with a special focus on race and racism. As we reflect on the legacy of Dr. King and the ongoing scourge race and racism in our country, I encourage each of us to return to that most Ignatian of prayers: the Examen. Let us ask God to reveal where in our daily lives we have ignored or enabled racism, where we are blinded by our privilege, and where we need to ask forgiveness.

A Jesuit vocation can mean a lot of things: there are Jesuits in medicine, astronomy, international relief and development, journalism, publishing and so much more. But perhaps the line of work most often associated with Jesuits is education. Fr. Bill Watters is passionate about education—and he’s my guest today. Fr. Watters knows the value an education can have on an individual and a community. And he’s spent a good number of years expanding the educational opportunities available to young people by founding schools in the varied and diverse communities in Baltimore, Maryland. Fr. Watters has been a priest for more than 50 years, and he shares, here, reflections and stories from the many people he’s encountered over that time. His memory for people—their names, their faces, their stories—constantly amazes me. It’s one of the reasons he was such a beloved pastor of St. Ignatius Church in Downtown Baltimore, transforming the parish from a struggling institution on the verge of closure to the vibrant community it is today.

January 1 is a day of resolutions, promises, and commitments to form better habits, get back into shape, pick up an old hobby. January 17—more or less—is when all of those commitments begin to fade, and we look accusingly at that new gym membership. New Years resolutions can feel like we’re set up to fail, set up for disappointment. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Today’s guest, Vinita Wright, is a spiritual author and spiritual director, a retreat facilitator and the managing editor at Loyola Press in the trade books department. She’s written fiction and non-fiction, and shares some insights and reflections from her life as a writer that can help us create better habits—and look at the process of creating those habits from a place of love and self-worth, rather than frustration. Vinita is also a student and practitioner of Ignatian Spirituality, so you can bet we spent a good deal of time exploring how St. Ignatius’ insights can help us all as we begin this new year. (Here’s a hint: it has to do with contemplation and action.) Please remember to subscribe to AMDG wherever you listen to podcasts, and don’t forget to leave us a nice review.

There’s a lot of movement in Scripture during this Christmas season. God comes among humanity through the Incarnation. The Holy Family travels to Bethlehem for a census and then flees to Egypt under threat of death. The shepherds and magi travel varying distances to be present to and encounter God. Scripture isn’t just a historical retelling of holy events—it’s alive and speaking to us today. And when we reflect on all of these stories where we see God’s people on the move, we can’t help but think about the enormous numbers of people on the move today, forced to flee their homes due to violence, lack of opportunity, or environmental destruction. So, for this Christmas episode, we turn to someone who is always thinking about issues impacting God’s people on the move: Joan Rosenhauer, Executive Director of Jesuit Refuge Service/USA. In this role, Joan leads the organization’s efforts in the U.S. to fulfill its mission to accompany, serve, and advocate for refugees and displaced people. As a member of JRS’s global Senior Leadership Team, she also helps lead JRS’s global operations. Joan has a long and impressive career at the crossroads of faith and justice. She was the Executive Vice President of Catholic Relief Services, spent 16 years with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops as associate director of the Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development, and has degrees in social work and public policy management. Today’s episode may not put you in the Christmas spirit in the traditional sense—tidings of comfort and joy and all that—but it will remind you what Christ’s coming points to: a reordering of relationships to bring about God’s justice and peace. Don’t forget: if you like what you hear on AMDG: tell your friends, subscribe and leave us a nice comment.

This is the podcast you're looking for. Full disclosure on today’s episode: it’s a deep dive into the cultural and spiritual impacts of Star Wars — just in time for the release of the latest and final installment, The Rise of Skywalker. And it’s a real opportunity to find God in all things. Fr. Jim McDermott, SJ, is a big Star Wars nerd. He’s a screenwriter and the Los Angeles correspondent for America Magazine, and he writes a weekly newsletter about pop culture and spirituality called Pop Culture Spirit Wow. And, naturally, he’s done a lot of writing, reading and thinking about Star Wars. This conversation on Star Wars isn’t really just about Star Wars. We’re talking here about the nature of forgiveness and redemption, the impacts of structural sin and violence and the role stories play in our understanding of spirituality. You should have a good feeling about this. Subscribe — or subscribe not — to AMDG wherever you listen to podcasts. And if you think this is the Baby Yoda of podcasts, then don’t forget to leave us a nice review.