The Ignatian Inquiry Podcast

In this episode, we welcome Fr. José Alberto Mesa SJ, the outgoing Secretary for Secondary and Pre-Secondary Education of the Society of Jesus. Learning from his experiences over his 15-year role as Secretariat, we reflect on the gifts and challenges of Jesuit Education across the globe. Fr. Mesa’s profound influence on the Jesuit Global Network of Schools is rooted in a deep respect of students a...

In this episode, we explore the story of Ignite the Mission , a new and evolving future non-profit dedicated to accelerating the growth of "Nested" NativityMiguel middle schools within existing Catholic high schools across the United States. We are joined by Co-Founders Michael Mott and Terry Shields, who share how Ignite the Mission operates as an accelerator supporting high schools' leadership,...

In this episode, we explore the experience of Scranton Preparatory School’s recent decision to ban smartphones in their community. We welcome Fr. A.J. Rizzo SJ, Scranton Prep’s President and Kris Cupillari, Scranton Prep’s Principal, who share the story of their experience navigating this timely issue that is on the minds of so many educators, parents, and students.

In this episode, we explore a recent research study from Marquette University that digs into Artificial Intelligence in the Minds of High School Students. We welcome researchers Dr. Gabriel Velez and Dr. Larry Zhiming Xu, who partnered with many JSN Member Schools to engage in this timely research study that captures the thinking and experiences of high school kids in the ever-changing world of AI...

In this episode, we welcome Jacques Joseph who discusses Loyola School’s INES Program (Institute for Nurture, Enrichment, and Self-Empowerment), a free educational and leadership enrichment program that prepares middle-school aged girls to succeed in top Catholic and independent high schools in New York City. Founded in 2019, this unique program is named in the spirit of Ines Pasqual, whose compas...

In this episode, we explore how one Jesuit school community has created space to infuse innovation and creativity into their learning community. We welcome Dr. Rinat Levy Cohen, the Director of Innovation at Fairfield College Preparatory School, who was brought on to establish and lead the McLeod Innovation Center, spearheading the school’s innovation initiatives. Under her leadership, the center...

In August of 2023, De Smet Jesuit became the first Catholic high school in St. Louis to launch an inclusive education program for young men with intellectual disabilities within a typical setting. This program – the first of its kind that we’re aware of within the Jesuit Schools Network – prepares students for future jobs and independent living as adults. Students in the inclusive education progra...

In this episode, we speak with David Card, President of Regis Jesuit High School, about the school’s thoughtful and forward-thinking efforts to support meaningful discourse within the community surrounding the upcoming presidential election.

College Admissions in 2024: Rising Tuition, Standardized Testing, Politics, Affirmative Action, Achievement Culture, the FAFSA, and So Much More. How Do Jesuit Schools Navigate the Continually Changing Landscape of Higher Education Enrollment? In this episode, we speak with Patrick Gallagher, Director of College Counseling at Gonzaga College High School in Washington DC, and a long-time enrollment...

In this episode of JSN's Ignatian Inquiry Podcast, we speak with Cindy Davis, Principal of Bellarmine Preparatory School in Tacoma, Washington and Dr. Kelly Goodsell, President of Bellarmine Preparatory School, who together form the first female President and Principal Team at Bellarmine, as well as the first female President-Principal team at a legacy Jesuit school in the JSN. Women's History Mon...

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Terra Caputo, the Director of the Center for Ignatian Pedagogy at Saint Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ohio, an institutional action research center that studies the cognitive, affective, and behavioral growth and wellness of adolescent boys. During the discussion, we delve into the evolution of the school’s commitment to to the Center for Ignatian Pedagogy th...

In this episode, we explore the roots of catechetical accompaniment, considering accompaniment as a practice of intentional relationships of guidance and companionship oriented towards growth in faith with Dr. Colleen Karchunas, Assistant Director of Campus Ministry at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, DC. During our conversation with Dr. Karchunas, we delve into the findings of her docto...

In this episode, Michelle Martin, M.Ed., shares about the evolution of her work at Brebeuf offering mindfulness meditation courses and how the program has grown into something that is woven throughout the school community via student athletics, clubs, retreats, faculty, staff, and adult formation, as well as a freshman seminar, new faculty orientation, parent program, and so much more. Listeners l...

On this episode, we’ll explore the experiences of Fr. Steve Katsouros, CEO and Founder of the Come to Believe Network, a mission-based organization that works to provide higher education institutions an innovative college model that's inclusive and accessible to students who are often underrepresented at selective universities. From Fr. Katsouros’ first-hand experience in crafting the unique cultu...

In this episode, we’ll explore the experiences of the Founding Principal of one of the newest "Nativity-like" model schools in the JSN, The Welsh Academy at Saint Ignatius High School. In conversation with Dr. Mary Ann Vogel, we will learn from her first-hand experience about crafting the unique culture at the Welsh Academy; about how the dedicated faculty creates a community where her young stude...

In this episode, we explore how educators utilize technology judiciously toward their learning goals, and how teachers and leaders across the JSN can learn from the world of higher education as they seek to craft their teaching in the hybrid world in which we now live. As we emerge from the lessons learned over the past few years, educators across the network have transitioned from the habits of f...

In this episode, we’ll explore the findings from the doctoral dissertation research undertaken by Dr. Sonya Arriola, Principal of Bellarmine College Preparatory School in San Jose, California. Her study, entitled “Fifty Years of Underrepresented Student Advocacy at One Jesuit Secondary School,” investigates what true inclusion looks like, how school culture changes over time amid cultural forces i...

The Story of One Leader’s Journey into the Connection Between Ecological Conversion and Ignatian Leadership – A Conversation with Dr. Karin Botto This episode focuses on the story of one leader’s journey into the connection between ecological conversion and Ignatian leadership, of understanding how to support and develop individuals to activate their leadership around environmental sustainability....

JSN Ignatian Inquiry Podcast: A Conversation on how Catholic schools incubate innovative and transformative pedagogies of character formation, with Dr.s Martin Scanlan and Andrew Miller of the Lynch School of Education and Human Development at Boston College. Character formation is at the heart of Catholic schooling. Catholic schools - which have earned a strong reputation for advancing the common...

On this episode of the Ignatian Inquiry Podcast we welcome Dr. Maura Toomb Estevez from the Theology Department at Regis High School in New York City, who has recently completed a doctoral research study out of Creighton University, where she explored the lived experiences of leadership among women who have served or are serving as President of a Jesuit secondary or pre-secondary school. Maura has...

In this episode, the JSN’s Dr. Kristin Cully and Julia Andretta welcomed Fr. Juan Cristóbal García, S.J., President of the Chilean Network of Jesuit and Ignatian Schools and Editor of Jesuit Education at the Crossroads: Discussions on Contemporary Jesuit Primary and Secondary Schools in North and Latin America, which brings together scattered studies on Jesuit education and asks experts on the iss...

In this episode, we welcomed Kent Hickey, former President of Seattle Preparatory School, to tell us about his new book 40 Days with God, a book of 40 reflections on 40 passages from scripture about being with God in short time and tight spaces.

At the Jesuit Schools Network, we are eager to encourage a spirit of inquiry across the many layers of our work in Jesuit secondary and pre-secondary education. We seek to create space to connect and learn about the good work that is going on across our schools in North America. To that end, we created the Ignatian Inquiry Podcast, so that no matter where they are or when they can tune in, Jesuit...