Jesuitical

Latest Episodes:

Pete Holmes needed his life to fall apart to lose God (and find him again). Ep. 144 Jun 05, 2020

Show notes

Pete Holmes played the game. He followed the rules. He went to church, attended a Christian college and saved himself for marriage. He was ready for God to hold up his end of the deal and deliver happiness and success.

Then his wife (the one he saved himself for) had an affair. Pete’s life started to spiral, sending him on a spiritual journey through atheism, agnosticism, drugs, to what he now calls “Christ-leaning spiritual seeker.” Pete is also the host of the podcast, “You Made It Weird,” where he talks to celebrities and spiritual masters about life’s big questions, and recently wrote a two-part episode of “The Simpsons,” “Warrin’ Priests.”

We talk to Pete about his journey, detailed in his memoir Comedy Sex God, his interest in Father Richard Rohr and make a not-so-subtle case for the Jesuits to him.

(The conversation went long, so no Signs of the Times or Consolations or Desolations this week.)

Links from the show:

Comedy Sex God

Warrin’ Priests

You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes

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The impact of Covid-19 on immigrant workers Jun 02, 2020

Show notes

“This is a group of people who are figuring out how to pay their bills every month. And now they’re going to be faced with a more difficult challenge, and the government isn’t coming in to help them.”

J.D. Long-Garcia is a senior editor at America working out of Phoenix, Az. He covers the south west, where the Catholic Church is growing. During the Covid-19 pandemic, his writing has focused on immigrant workers, an especially vulnerable group to the current economic disruption.

“In some sense today, social distancing is a privilege. It’s for the privileged class. And that’s not this group of people. If they social distance, they aren’t going to have any money.”

J.D. also discusses his journalistic approach to covering communities that are a part of his own life and heritage, and explains how undocumented immigrants bring much more to America than they take away.

Don’t forget to join Jesuitical’s Facebook group! We cannot make this show or grow this community without your support. Please consider giving through Patreon. And, thank you.

Links from the show:

Follow J.D. on Twitter
Articles by J.D.:
Immigrant workers face economic uncertainty during Covid-19 shutdown

Stimulus does little to stifle Covid-19 fears in the undocumented community
U.S.-Mexico border humanitarians scramble to curb coronavirus

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What happens when your faith and health come into conflict? Ep. 143 May 29, 2020

Show notes

What do you do if God has commanded you to do something that could put your health and even life at risk? This is the wrenching question faced by thousands of Jewish women who visit mikvah’s, small, public pools, which women immerse themselves in as part of the purity ritual after having their period. Unlike the obligation to attend Mass on Sunday, this religious requirement cannot be dispensed or suspended. Emma Green, a staff writer at The Atlantic, spoke with some of these women about their struggle to reconcile their fidelity to God-given laws for sexual purity and their desire to keep their families and communities safe during the coronavirus pandemic.

We ask Emma about this story as well as her insights into the reopening of houses of worship, how the pandemic will permanently change religious practice in the United States and the role of churches, synagogues and mosques in helping the nation to mourn.

In Signs of the Times, on the fifth anniversary of the promulgation of “Laudato Si’,” Pope Francis called on Catholics and all people of goodwill to join him in a yearlong period of prayer and action for the protection of the environment. Next, in an interview with America’s national correspondent, Michael O’Loughlin, Dr. Anthony Fauci says even as churches reopen, Catholics should not receive Communion in either form for the time being. Finally, we talk with Angelo Jesus Canta (former Jesuitical engineer and graphic designer) about what he has learned from participating in lay-led, at-home liturgies during the coronavirus pandemic.

Have you taken up new spiritual practices during this time of quarantine? Tell us about it on Jesuitical’s Facebook page. And if Jesuitical has been an important source of information or nourishment for you during these trying times, please consider becoming a member of our Patreon community. We can’t make the show without your support. Thank you.

Links from the show

Orthodox Jewish Women Are Facing an Impossible Choice Right Now

Nuns vs. the Coronavirus

Pope Francis announces year of reflection on “Laudato Si’” and prays for Catholics in China

Dr. Anthony Fauci: To keep churches safe, use masks, limit singing and wait to resume Communion

Learning to love lay-led liturgies in quarantine (while missing the Mass)

What’s on tap?

Pineapple Gin & Tonics

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Harry Potter, Soul Cycle and the Internet: say hello to America’s new religions. Ep. 142 May 22, 2020

Show notes

You’ve heard of the “nones.” It seems like every week there is a new book, article or survey trying to explain the increasingly large segment of millennials and Gen-Zers who check “none” when asked about their religious affiliation. Tara Isabella Burton, a theologian, author and journalist, is less interested in what these young people are leaving behind (institutional religion) than in how they are finding or making their own meaning. From Harry Potter fan forums to SoulCycle, Crossfit and witchcraft, Americans are forming niche communities that play the role traditionally filled by churches.

We ask Tara about the origins of the trend, the dangers of picking and choosing our own beliefs and rituals and whether institutional religion has a chance of reaching what she calls religion “Remixers.”

In Signs of the Times, Pope Francis celebrates a Mass with 100 worshippers for the centenary of St. John Paul II’s birth—the first large gathering at St. Peter’s Basilica since the coronavirus shut down churches in Italy. Next, we bring on America’s national correspondent, Michael O’Loughlin, to talk about the reopening of churches in the United States. Finally, we ask: Should Michael Jordan be a (secular) saint? Zac makes the case for hagiography in the church and the world of sports.

Tell us what you think about the episode on our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and help other listeners find Jesuitical by leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts. Please consider supporting the show by becoming a member of our Patreon community. Patrons get access to an exclusive newsletter written by one of your hosts each week!

Links from the show:

Pope Francis celebrates St. John Paul II centenary: ‘God sent his people a prophet.’

U.S. Catholic dioceses release plans for reopening churches

Michael Jordan and the problem (and necessity) of hagiography

Strange Rites: New Religions for a Godless World

Why you (yes you) should care about theology

What’s on tap?
Old Fashioned’s

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What Pope Francis wants the world to look like post Covid-19 May 19, 2020

Show notes

Countries around the world are fighting the Covid-19 pandemic and Vatican City State is no exception. But since the coronavirus shut down Italy in early March, Pope Francis has pointed toward the world to come...on earth.

The host of America’s “Inside the Vatican” podcast, Colleen Dulle, joins Ashley, Zac and Vivian to explain what Pope Francis has done to respond to the pandemic at the Vatican while calling on humanity to collaborate in building a new world that is more equitable and sustainable.

Colleen also discusses the visionary life of Madeleine Delbrêl, “the French Dorothy Day,” as she is sometimes described. Colleen is currently working on a biography of the 20th century French activist, poet, mystic and visionary of lay leadership in the Catholic Church whom she describes as “the saint for Jesuitical listeners.”

We treasure the community you all have helped to build on Jesuitical’s Facebook page. Don’t hesitate to share your experience during this difficult moment in the life of our church and the world. We cannot make this show or grow this community without your support. Please consider giving through Patreon. And thank you.

Links from the show:
Subscribe to “Inside the Vatican” on Spotify, Apple, Google

Articles by Colleen Dulle:
Who is Madeleine Delbrêl—the “French Dorothy Day” Pope Francis made venerable this weekend?
Subway mysticism: How Madeleine Delbrêl transformed my commute

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The first Catholic high school for teens struggling with substance abuse. Ep. 141 May 15, 2020

Show notes

For teens struggling with substance abuse and addiction, the typical pressures of high school can spill over into the realm of disastrous. Recovery high schools—with smaller class sizes, counseling and sober social activities—are designed to support students in recovery. The first recovery high school opened in 1979; today there are over 40 nationwide. But before Kolbe Academy, which opened last year in Bethlehem, Pa., none of the recovery schools were Catholic.

This week we chat with the school’s (Jesuit-educated) founding principal, John Petruzzelli, about what makes Kolbe Academy unique and why he thinks it’s important for the church to be involved in supporting students in recovery.

In Signs of the Times, we talk about Ashley’s feature article on Wyoming Catholic College and look at how Covid-19 has affected men and women religious and other vulnerable elderly populations.

As always, thanks for listening and supporting our show. We’ll see you soon.

Links from the show:

Kolbe Academy
A visit to the rural Catholic college that has 171 students, 12 horses and zero textbooks
Supreme Court tackles clash of Catholic schools, ex-teachers
SOAR!

What’s on tap?
Water, carbonated (Ashley) and not (Zac).

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Living like monks in quarantine May 12, 2020

Show notes

In every age there are a small number of Catholics who intentionally isolate themselves from society to serve God and the church through lives of “prayer and labor.”. They’re called monks.

Gregory Hillis, an associate professor of theology at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Ky., knows one community of monks particularly well: the Cistercian monks at the Abbey of Gethsemani. In a recent essay for America, he shares some wisdom from the monks for living in solitude during a time of pandemic.

Greg joins Ashley, Zac and Vivian in this bonus episode to explore the rigorous yet transforming practices of monastic life, the power of silence and letting go of a false sense of control over our lives. They also discuss the most famous monk of Gethsemani Abbey, the writer and mystic Thomas Merton.

Links from the show:

“We’re all monks now,” by Gregory Hillis

Books by Thomas Merton referenced by Greg Hillis:

"The Intimate Merton: His Life from His Journals"
"New Seeds of Contemplation"

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How will the Catholic Church change after the coronavirus pandemic? Ep. 140 May 08, 2020

Show notes

A 25-minute conversation between President Trump and hundreds of bishops and other Catholic leaders sparked an intense debate about the right way for Catholic leaders to engage in politics. While the conference call got a lot of attention, it is just one story among many affecting the church in the United States, and as the national correspondent for Crux, Chris White has to try to cover them all.

We talk to Chris about how he broke the story of the conference call, what the church might look like after the coronavirus pandemic and how he understands the relationship between his identities as a “Catholic” and a “journalist.”

In our weekly survey of Catholic news, we highlight the Franciscan spiritual master Richard Rohr’s cameo on “The Simpsons” and a study examining the efficacy of prayer on patients recovering from Covid-19. We also discuss the disproportionate effect that the coronavirus pandemic is having on black Americans.

Links from the show:
Richard Rohr on The Simpsons
Clinical Study Considers The Power Of Prayer To Combat COVID-19
U.S. Bishop Chairmen Issue Statement Urging State and National Leaders to Examine African American Communities by COVID-19
Trump says he’s ‘best president in history of the Church’ in call with Catholic leaders
Chris White on Twitter

What’s on tap?
Margaritas (kind of)

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Father James Martin on praying in quarantine May 05, 2020

Show notes

When the Covid-19 pandemic quarantined America’s editor at large, James Martin, S.J., he felt he had to offer some spiritual solace to people struggling with fear, isolation and uncertainty. So, he logged onto Facebook from his room in the America House Jesuit community and went live.

Father Martin’s daily “faith sharings,” as he calls them, reach tens of thousands of people around the world who are cooped up at home because of the pandemic. They include Scripture readings and his personal reflections, scholarly commentary and live Q&A, including prayer requests.

“Most of it is fun and upbeat. But in the comments from time to time you’ll see, ‘My father just died of coronavirus,’” Father Martin says. “It’s a sad time for so many people, but they’re desiring a sense of community, and that’s why so many people have tuned in.”

Ashley, Zac and Vivian discuss with Father Martin how to pray in quarantine and what life is like in a small Jesuit community in Midtown Manhattan.

Links from the show:

Daily faith sharing with James Martin, S.J.
James Martin's weekly newsletter
“The Examen”, a podcast for daily prayer hosted by James Martin, S.J.
“Jesus, A Pilgrimage” by James Martin, S.J.

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Meet the 30-year-old priest anointing coronavirus patients. Ep. 139 May 01, 2020

Show notes

Father Michael Trail had administered the anointing of the sick many times in his first three years as a priest in the Archdiocese of Chicago. Usually, he would sit at the bedside and hold the hand of a person nearing death while family and other loved ones gathered around to pray and say goodbye. In the time of the coronavirus pandemic, the essentials of the sacrament are the same but it looks very different. As part of the archdiocese’s task force of “priest-anointers” ministering to Covid-19 patients, Father Michael must now wear a gown, mask and gloves while administering the sacrament. There is no hand-holding, and no family members are allowed in the room.

We ask Father Michael about the spiritual and emotional toll of ministering to patients and families in these difficult circumstances and how he thinks about the growing calls to reopen society given the suffering he has seen up close.

In Signs of the Times, we discuss the meeting between President Trump and Catholic bishops and education leaders. Plus, a look at the annual survey of the priestly class of 2020 and how the coronavirus is affecting those without stable housing.

Links from the show

Stories
Trump says he’s ‘best president in history of the Church’ in call with Catholic leaders
CARA study on new ordinands spots trends worth watching
Seminaries must hire, involve more women, Cardinal Ouellet says
What will happen to people who are homeless as Covid-19 crisis continues?

How you can help
Catholic Charities USA
National Alliance to End Homelessness

What’s on tap?
Miscellaneous brews from our understocked bars

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