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 w...
JRS USA President Kelly Ryan on refugees, Trump and the role of the church
On “Jesuitical” this week, Zac and Ashley chat with Kelly Ryan, the president of Jesuit Refugee Service USA, about her 30 years of experience working with refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in light of a second Trump administration. A two-time U.S. presidential political appointee, Kelly has also worked extensively with faith-based organizations, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Holy See.
Zac, Ashley and Kelly discuss:
- The origins of Jesuit Refugee Service, from its founding in 1980 by Pedro Arrupe, S.J., to assist refugees, especially those fleeing the Vietnam War
- Challenges at the U.S. southern border, including the dangerous journeys many migrants make and the difficulties in processing their asylum claims
- Concern about potential changes to refugee admissions and deportation policies under the incoming Trump administration
In Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley discuss Pope Francis’ autobiography Hope, which features critical reflections about his rowdy youth and staunch defenses of his most controversial moves; plus they chat about the 2025 College Football National Championship between the University of Notre Dame and Ohio State University, including some words on Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame’s current coach, a Catholic convert—and a former Buckeye.
Links for further reading:
Opening doors at Advent and all year long: How J.R.S. responds to the plight of refugees
Pope Francis acknowledges mistakes and defends most controversial decisions in new autobiography
Notre Dame story
Father Pedro Arrupe: a controversial Jesuit’s bumpy path to sainthood
A Jesuit border priest on Trump and the plight of migrants
109th World Day of Refugees and Migrants Message from Pope Francis
Jesuit Refugee Service
JRS is on Instagram: @jrs_usa
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51:09
Cardinal McElroy, DC’s new archbishop, wants a church of ‘radical inclusion’
On Jan. 6, Pope Francis announced that Cardinal Robert McElroy will be the next archbishop of Washington, D.C. Cardinal McElroy, currently the bishop of San Diego, spoke with Zac and Ashley on the “Jesuitical” podcast back in 2023, and this week, they’re revisiting that conversation. In it, Cardinal McElroy embraces the synodal vision and pastoral approach of Pope Francis and calls upon the church to dismantle the “structures and cultures of exclusion” that alienate some Catholics, including women, the poor, divorced-and-remarried couples and L.G.B.T. Catholics.
Zac, Ashley and Cardinal McElroy discuss:
- Cardinal McElroy’s 2023 article in America on the Eucharist and radical inclusion for L.G.B.T. people, women and others
- Why synodality is the connective tissue of the Catholic faith that enables us to work through disagreements in communion
- How to handle polarization in the church on issues like sexuality, marriage, racism and poverty
In Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley discuss President Joe Biden’s decision to commute the death sentences of 37 of the 40 prisoners on federal death row to a sentence of life in prison without parole; Pope Francis’ appointment of Italian missionary nun Sister Simona Brambilla as the first woman to lead a major Vatican dicastery; and the exciting news that a soccer-loving Catholic nun from Brazil is officially the oldest living person at nearly 117.
Links for further reading:
Cardinal McElroy to lead D.C. archdiocese, Vatican announces
Cardinal McElroy on ‘radical inclusion’ for L.G.B.T. people, women and others in the Catholic Church
Biden commutes 37 death row sentences before Trump can resume executions
A woman leads a Vatican office for the first time ever. Why now?
Historic first: Pope Francis appoints woman as prefect of Vatican dicastery
A soccer-loving nun from Brazil is world’s oldest living person at nearly 117
Zac’s New Year’s recommendation: What if you're already on top of things?
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1:03:02
Could the plot twist in “Conclave” actually happen?
On “Jesuitical” this week, Zac and Ashley chat with Colleen Dulle, an associate editor at America and co-host of the “Inside the Vatican” podcast, about how realistically the new film “Conclave” portrays the process of selecting a new pope. They praise the film’s historical accuracy but raise eyebrows over the complex theological implications around the film’s twist ending. Warning: This episode contains major spoilers.
Zac, Ashley and Colleen discuss:
- The challenges of translating the complexities of the Catholic Church to a mainstream audience through a cinematic lens
- Varying reactions to “Conclave” from Catholics, including Bishop Robert Barron’s critique of the film
- The role and representation of women, including nuns, in the Catholic Church as depicted in the film
In Signs of the Times, Zac, Ashley and Colleen discuss Pope Francis’ new autobiography Hope, which reveals two assassination attempts on his life during his trip to Iraq in 2021; and a recent liturgical debate sparked by Cardinal Blase Cupich’s guidance to parishioners in the Archdiocese of Chicago that discouraged kneeling to receive Communion.
Links for further reading:
‘Conclave’ explainer: Could that twist ending really happen?
Your Take: Is ‘Conclave’ worth seeing for Catholics?
‘Conclave’ hits theaters. What really happens when a new pope is elected?
Pope Francis reveals he survived two assassination attempts during visit to Iraq
Hope: The Autobiography by Pope Francis
Should you stand or kneel to receive communion? Cardinal Cupich stirs debate after weighing in
What’s on tap?
French 75s
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45:45
How a modern-day shepherd found God on his Irish family farm
On this week’s episode of “Jesuitical,” Zac and Ashley interview bestselling Irish author John Connell on how embracing the farm life preserved by his family for generations brought him closer to God and greater inner peace. John’s new book, The Lambing Season, explores the rhythms and realities of raising livestock, as well as the profound spiritual guidance John gleaned from a simple flock of sheep.
Zac, Ashley and John discuss:
- How John’s spiritual awakening on a Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in Spain led to his transformation from journalist and world traveler to shepherd on his family’s farm
- John’s discovery of the spiritual and therapeutic power of lambing season in Ireland
- The contrast and balance between rural and urban life, and the need for citydwellers to “make appointments with nature”
In Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley discuss the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris after a fire in 2019, Pope Francis’ latest consistory that created 21 new cardinals on Saturday, Dec. 7, and how the Loyola Chicago Ramblers recovered after (seemingly) snubbing their very own Sister Jean from a celebratory fist bump after their win against Eastern Michigan.
Links for further reading:
The Lambing Season: Stories of Life on an Irish Family Farm
The Cow Book: A Story of Life on an Irish Family Farm
Pomp and presidents at the reopening of Notre Dame in Paris
Podcast: Pope Francis creates 21 cardinals, calls for an end to U.S. death penalty
Read: Pope Francis’ homily and message to new cardinals
A busy weekend for Pope Francis: The Immaculate Conception, a consistory and prayers for death row inmates in the United States
You can follow us on X and on Instagram @jesuiticalshow.
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52:14
The Catholic women bringing veiling back to Mass
On this week’s episode of “Jesuitical,” Ashley and Zac are joined by Madeleine Kearns, an associate editor at The Free Press, and the author of a recently reported article, “The Young Catholic Women Bringing Back Veils.” Maddy shares how the veil boom evokes a “lost type of Catholicism” that satisfies the desire for reverence challenged by the reforms of Vatican II.
They discuss:
- The motivations of young women who veil—from personal expressions of piety and nostalgia to political posturing
- Whether individual practices of worship impact communal worship in the church
- How young people engage with the “sacred space” of Mass today
In Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley discuss a Brooklyn priest wrapped up in scandals involving a federal corruption investigation, New York City’s Mayor Eric Adams and pop star Sabrina Carpenter. Plus: Environmentalists in Italy try (and fail) to stop Pope Francis from cutting down a Christmas tree to decorate St. Peter’s Square.
Links for further reading:
The Young Catholic Women Bringing Back Veils
NYC priest who allowed Sabrina Carpenter to shoot a music video in church further stripped of duties
The Priest, the Power Broker and the Pop Star
Local group protests cutting down 200-year-old tree for Vatican’s Christmas
You can follow us on X and on Instagram @jesuiticalshow.
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Please consider supporting Jesuitical by becoming a digital subscriber to America Media at americamagazine.org/subscribe.
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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?