AMDG: A Jesuit Podcast

There are lots of tricky phrases that pop up often in Catholic faith and politics conversations these days: Constitutional originalism. Intrinsic evil. Prudential judgment. "Non-negotiable issues." Professor Cathleen Kaveny of Boston College helps host Mike Jordan Laskey unpack and understand these ideas and more. Dr. Kaveny is the first person in the history of BC to hold joint appointments in th...

Congressman Francis Rooney is a conservative Republican from a conservative district in Florida, but the issues he wanted to discuss with host Mike Jordan Laskey were not standard GOP talking points: he wanted to talk about fighting climate change, protecting the Everglades and stopping offshore drilling in Florida. He brought up economic inequality and his vote for a $15 per hour minimum wage. He...

Sr. Quincy Howard, OP, is the Coordinating Director of advocacy, outreach and campaigns for the Faithful Democracy coalition, which is a multi-faith community of organizations and congregations who share the moral imperative of fixing our democracy. She talks with host Mike Jordan Laskey about the threats to our democratic systems and how we can address them. She also shares her vocation story, wh...

To help you spiritually prepare for Election Day, we’re kicking off a series of episodes on faith and politics. You know, those topics you’re not supposed to discuss in polite company. These episodes are inspired by a new document by the Jesuits of Canada and the USA called “Contemplation and Political Action: An Ignatian Guide to Civic Engagement,” which reflects on how Ignatian spirituality can...

Fr. Jason Downer, SJ, had been studying to be a Jesuit priest for the better part of the last ten years. Somehow, though, ordination during a pandemic wasn't on the course list. Jason is today's guest. He reflects on how Ignatian spirituality grounded him during the uncertain months surrounding his ordination. And how his closeness to God continues to ground him during his first assignment in Saip...

Paisley Sierra grew up in a community where clean water is scarce. Her family's water sources are threatened by contamination from uranium mining and oil pipelines. Sierra lives in South Dakota, on the Pine Ridge reservation. As a member of the Oglala Lakota Nation, Sierra believes that "water is life." But, the Lakota must fight for this basic resource. On this episode of AMDG, guest host MegAnne...

On last week’s episode, we talked to Australian Jesuit Fr. Michael Hansen about the First Spiritual Exercises – otherwise known as the 18th Annotation Retreat – and dug into how this seemingly forgotten form of the Exercises can transform our thinking and approach to Ignatian Spirituality. Think of this week as “part 2”. Fr. Rob McChesney discovered the 18th Annotation Retreat only recently. He’s...

AMDG hosts Mike Jordan Laskey (dad to three young kids) and Eric Clayton (two young kids) welcome America Magazine executive editor Kerry Weber (three young kids) to discuss trying to parent intentionally in the pandemic. The author of the modern spiritual classic "Mercy in the City," Kerry is incredibly thoughtful and so committed to her faith. Part podcast and part group therapy session, we hope...

The idea of going on pilgrimage might sound preposterous to our pandemic mindset. Just getting groceries feels like pilgrimage enough! Fr. Brendan McManus, SJ, a Jesuit priest from Northern Ireland, is an expert pilgrim. And not so long ago, he went on the Ignatian Camino, the route that traces St. Ignatius' steps through Spain. He wrote a book about it: The Way to Manresa. And what he learned on...

On August 4, 2020, an explosion devastated the city of Beirut, the capital city – and the largest city – in Lebanon. At least 160 people were killed and more than 5,000 people injured. Homes were destroyed – and countless people suddenly found themselves without any shelter, food or water. Cultural artifacts and historic buildings vanished. And this on top of a global pandemic, a crumbling economy...

Cardinal Michael Czerny leads the Vatican’s Migrants and Refugees section. A Canadian Jesuit, he was stunned to hear last fall that Pope Francis was naming him a cardinal because he wasn’t even a bishop at the time. The surprising decision by the Holy Father was yet another example of how migrants have been so close to Pope Francis’ heart throughout his papacy. Cardinal Czerny and host Mike Jordan...

If you were going to pick a Bible passage to turn to in these difficult times, which would you choose? How about the one in the Gospel of Matthew about the inefficacy of worrying? It’s a neat little tidy message from Jesus and such an important lesson. Today's guest, Old Testament Scripture scholar Professor Mahri Leonard-Fleckman from the College of the Holy Cross, picked three sections of the Bi...

In honor of the Feast of St. Ignatius coming up on July 31, we’ve got a special Jesuit podcast crossover episode today. Ashley McKinless and Zac Davis are the hosts of Jesuitical, a podcast for young Catholics from America Media. They are real pioneers in the Catholic podcast world. They talked to host Mike Jordan Laskey about pandemic life in their shared adopted hometown of New York City, plus t...

Scott Detrow is a political correspondent for NPR and a co-host of the incredibly popular NPR Politics Podcast. He's covering the Joe Biden campaign this year. He shared with AMDG host Mike Jordan Laskey what it's like to attend campaign events with a few dozen people in the room instead of a few thousand, plus some observations on the role of faith in both Donald Trump's and Joe Biden's campaigns...

Today's guest is Olga Segura, freelance writer from the Bronx who’s currently working on a book about race, the Black Lives Matter movement and the Catholic Church. Previously, Olga was an associate editor at America Magazine and the co-host of the podcast Jesuitical. Host Mike Jordan Laskey asked her about two pieces she wrote that came out this summer: first, a piece for America about how the Ca...

One of the new pandemic phrases that has become ubiquitous over the past four months is essential workers. From health care to agriculture, these workers are helping to move society forward amid a pandemic that has brought much of the world to a halt. On this special episode of AMDG, guest host Caitlin-Marie Ward speaks with migrant essential workers, who tell stories of incredible sacrifice, cour...

Today's guest is Dr. M. Shawn Copeland, professor emerita of theology at Boston College and one of the most distinguished religion scholars of our time. Dr. Copeland has written and spoken widely on a range of topics from theological anthropology to Black Catholicism to political theology. Her most recent book is "Knowing Christ Crucified: The Witness of African American Religious Experience." Dr....

As the COVID-19 pandemic has descended upon the United States over the past three months, today's guest, Dr. Anthony Fauci, has become a household name thanks to his expertise and his clear and calm communication style. Though many of us have just learned about his work recently, Dr. Fauci has been in public service for decades, directing the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases s...

June 20 is World Refugee Day. While local headlines have taken over our consciousness even more than usual, our faith calls us to have a global vision. Plus, the COVID-19 pandemic has a disproportionate impact on those who are already vulnerable, including refugees. Many displaced persons live in close quarters in refugee camps or urban areas with limited access to healthcare. Global resettlement...

Fr. Mario Powell, SJ, is a Jesuit priest and the president of Brooklyn Jesuit Prep, which is a middle school serving low-income families of diverse races, ethnicities and faiths in New York City. Last week, Fr. Mario wrote a piece for America, the Jesuit review, headlined “‘How long, O Lord?’ Psalm 13 is the cry of black Americans.” He and host Mike Jordan Laskey use that piece as a jumping-off po...

Becky Eldredge knows what it means to turn a moment of intense suffering into a creative opportunity for God’s Spirit to work. In her latest book – “The Inner Chapel” – she applies Ignatian spirituality to the everyday struggles of ordinary people – and in so doing, encounters God. Eldredge, an accomplished author and spiritual director – and mother of three – shares with us her reflections on how...

When California Governor Gavin Newsom wanted to assemble a task force on business and jobs recovery for the state, he turned to some usual suspects: Tim Cook of Apple, Bob Iger of Disney and former fed chair Janet Yellen, among others. But right toward the top of the alphabetical list of 80 some-odd prominent Californians is a Jesuit priest and today's guest Fr. Greg Boyle, SJ, the founder of Home...

Catholic parish leaders around the world have been grappling with the pandemic in a unique way: How do you function when your existence as a community is dependent on people gathering for worship, education, and service and social events? Host Mike Jordan Laskey poses this question and others to today's guest, Fr. John Whitney, SJ, who is the pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Seattle, the Jesuit pari...

Our special guest is Senator Bob Casey, who has been representing the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the Senate since 2007. In addition to being a dedicated public servant, Senator Casey has major Jesuit cred: He graduated from a Jesuit high school (Scranton Prep, Class of 1978). He graduated from a Jesuit college (The College of the Holy Cross, Class of 1982). Then, he spent a year with the Jesu...

We have never needed good leadership more than we need it right now. The COVID-19 pandemic is begging for excellent leadership in every sphere of life: Government at all levels, business, education, sports, all the way down to our own family systems. If you’re tasked with leading anything in any way these days, you’d be smart to draw some lessons from the 500-year old wisdom of St. Ignatius Loyola...