Best of Jesuitical: Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the Mass
On this last "best of" episode of summer 2025, Zac and Ashley resurrect an interview with the always entertaining Father Dave Dwyer, the executive director of Busted Halo, a media outreach of the Paulist Fathers, and the author of the book “Mass Class: Your Questions Answered.”
Is there a question you have about the Catholic Mass that you’ve always been too embarrassed to ask? Like: When we say, “Only say the word and my soul shall be healed,”...what’s “the word”? Well, you’re in luck. Press "play."
Mass Class: Your Questions Answered, by Father Dave Dwyer
What’s on tap?
Pick your poison: Negroni
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Best of Jesuitical: How a religious order decides it’s time to close up shop
This week, Jesuitical is bringing back a poignant yet hopeful conversation with Sister Donna Dodge, the president of the Sisters of Charity of New York, which recently decided to embark on a “path to completion.” That means the over 200-year-old congregation will no longer accept new vocations (though their ministry continues). We discuss:
- How religious life has changed since Sister Donna joined in 1966
- How the sisters discerned that it was time to let go—and how their charism of charity will live on in the work of lay collaborators
- Why the church needs to change the way it talks about “vocation” with young people
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Best of Jesuitical: What's the deal with the Traditional Latin Mass?
Pope Francis' 2021 decree, Traditionis custodes, which limited the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass, set off a heated and at times toxic debate between more traditionalist Catholics and those who want to see the reforms of the Second Vatican Council more fully implemented. Is there a way for us to talk about the liturgy without it turning into a war?
On this "best of" episode, we're revisiting a conversation with Rev. Pierre Amar, a priest in the Diocese of Versailles in France. Father Amar grew up attending the Latin Mass and was ordained into the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, an order dedicated to the celebration of the pre-Vatican II Mass rite. But he also loves and celebrates the novus ordo or ordinary form, and does not think the two forms of the liturgy need to be in conflict.
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Best of Jesuitical: Is Augustine the most relatable saint?
Forget what you think you know about Saint Augustine. Maybe you only know the cities that take his name, or you had a tough experience in your introduction to philosophy class and found him medieval (in the pejorative sense) and scrupulous.
But what if Augustine was actually the first to hone in on and clearly express our human desire for authenticity, that restlessness that all of us have felt at one point in our lives? What if, “Augustine might make Christianity believable for you even if you’ve heard it all, been there, done that, and left the stupid Christian t-shirt at home.”
On this "best of" Jesuitical episode, James K.A. Smith talks about his book “On the Road with St. Augustine: A Real World Spirituality for Restless Hearts.”
Read Smith's article on the election of Pope Leo XIV: "What to expect from an Augustinian pope": https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2025/05/12/smith-augustinian-pope-leo-250662
On the Road with Saint Augustine: A Real-World Spirituality for Restless Hearts by James K. A. Smith
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Best of Jesuitical: How to become a mystic (and keep your day job)
The hot weather couldn’t keep Ashley and Zac away from the mics, so they’re back with a summer “best of” series, featuring some of the most interesting and engaging interviews from the past few years.
What does it mean to be a mystic in the modern age? Many of us think of mysticism as something for spiritual masters who lock themselves away from the world in monasteries and convents and dedicate their lives to constant prayer. But we are all called to a close and yes mystical relationship with God and to lead lives of contemplation. And today's guest, Kelly Deutsch, wants to help people do just that.
After entering a convent, Kelly came down with an illness that left her bedridden for 18 months—and spurred great spiritual desolation and growth. She went on to found Wanderlust, a center for contemplative formation, which provides podcasts, courses and other spiritual resources to those hunger for a closer union with the divine.
What’s on tap? Seltzer Water with Lime
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Welcome to Jesuitical, a podcast for young Catholics hosted by two young, lay editors at America—Zac Davis and Ashley McKinless. Each episode features a guest who offers a unique perspective on faith, culture or current events. We also bring you some of the top (and maybe more obscure) Catholic news of the week. And we'll ask: Where do we find God in all this?
Ireland