jesuitical

Does capitalism not do it for you? Communism a bit much? There's another way. This week we're talking with Nathan Schneider (and his adorable baby, Daniel) about co-ops. Now, that word might bring to mind hippies living together and making vegan meals from the community garden (which Nathan did)—but there are hidden cooperative businesses all around you: REI, Dairy Queen, Southwest Airlines. We ask him about the Catholic roots of the co-op movement and why he thinks it's making a comeback.  In Signs of the Times, President Trump is heading to the Vatican. Will Francis be "pope-like" enough for him? And, Simone Biles: great Catholic gymnast or the greatest Catholic gymnast? Next, it's commencement speech controversy season. Do speakers at Catholic colleges need to agree with church teaching? Does anyone even remember commencement speeches? We discuss. Finally, some Zac-splaining on the apparitions at Medjugorje—the site of Marian devotion (not worship) that has attracted millions of pilgrims since 1981. Special shout out this week to Stephen Grant, who generously provided a fine selection of adverbs and monastic beers. And to Rosa Del Saz, America's vice president for finance and operations (and jesuitical's #1 Fan), for her moral and monetary support.   

Aside from being fodder for tattoos and Twitter bios, “Finding God in all things,” is a powerful idea that can spark an exploration into realms of pop culture that often are considered... surprising. This week we chat with Professor Tom Beaudoin from Fordham University about his course: "Faith in Music: Sound Theology From the Blues to Beyoncé." In Signs of the Times, we'll catch up on the recently unemployed James Comey and the flood of news surrounding President Trump and his visit to Rome. All that and more on this week's epsiode of Jesuitical.

Are you a Sorta Catholic? Symptoms include: residual guilt, love for Pope Francis, alternating between church and SoulCycle Sundays. This week's guest is a Sorta Catholic who wound up having a Very Catholic Wedding. Tracey Wigfield won an Emmy as a writer for “30 Rock” and is a graduate of Boston College (you can decide which is more impressive). In Signs of the Times, we check in on the bros of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Much to our dismay, the Ringling Bros are not a traveling fraternity. May Day, Catholic scientists, Pope Francis in Egypt and a new study on college education and religion, all that and more this week on Jesuitical.  

This week we're talking with Brother Joseph Hoover, S.J., about the Catholic Church's fight against the death penalty. Signs of the Times includes a band formed by four Dominican sisters. On the Pope Francis news front, we've got his latest donations to an Italian non-profit, his comparison of refugee camps to concentration camps and his surprise TED Talk calling for a "revolution of tenderness." And finally, we wade into the debate around being a Catholic and a member of the Democratic Party.

He is risen! And so are our pint glasses, now that Lent is over. This week, we chat with Andy Otto, author of the new book God Moments: Unexpected Encounters in the Ordinary and author of the blog godinallthings.com. Who gets to be an expert on Ignatian spirituality? What are “God moments?” And how can Ignatian discernment help you with making the big and small choices in life? In Signs of the Times, we open up Pope Francis’ annual Easter message, “Urbi et Orbi,” Bill O'Reilly's up-and-down Wednesday, anti-Catholic Irish slurs, what schism really means and whether you should put down your yoga mat and pick up your cross. Finally, in consolations and desolations, which is quickly devolving to the “we go to church with our significant others” part of the show, we look at where we found God in our Holy Week and Easter.

Why is the Easter Vigil so long and why should you definitely attend it? We sat down with Fr. James Martin, S.J. (again) to talk about all things Holy Week. This week we also explain where we got the phrase "Signs of the Times," no we didn't make it up. All that and more for this, the holiest week of the year, and perhaps the holiest of all Jesuitical episodes.

You've probably said it. You wake up—head pounding, body sore. “I feel like I got hit by a truck.” Well, Katie McKenna actually got run over by a truck. An 18-wheeler to be exact. This week on jesuitical, we talk with Katie about her aptly named memoir How to Get Run Over by a Truck.

We had so much fun talking Beauty and the Beast last week, that we decided to take a deeper dive into how Disney influenced our upbringings. So we decided to ring up the people best able to assess that: our mothers.   

This week we are talking all things "Beauty and the Beast." Alfonso Pizano, S.J., who spent 14 years working at Disneyland, “where he piloted the monorail, sailed submarines, hawked souvenirs and danced in the Christmas Fantasy Parade,” joins to offer his expertise. He is currently a Jesuit scholastic studying philosophy at Fordham University in New York. This week on jesuitical, we talk with Alfie about some of his favorite Disney moments and what makes the 2017 version of “Beauty” different than its Oscar-nominated original. In Signs of the Times, we discuss Pope Francis landing the third spot on Fortune’s world leaders list, why the pope wants you to stop bullying, zombie Catholics and President Trump’s latest executive order.

Our brackets are busted! Back in Episode 4, we talked March Madness with Paddy Gilger, SJ.  We decided to give Paddy a call and rub in the fact that Zac predicted the Jesuit Elite Eight matchup between Xavier and Gonzaga. Who are the Jesuits rooting for this round, Xavier or Gonzaga?

Four years ago this month, the Argentine cardinal (and Jesuit) Jorge Bergoglio became Pope Francis. Michael O'Loughlin, America's national correspondent and author of The Tweetable Pope: A Spiritual Revolution in 140 Characters, has been covering this historic papacy ever since. This week on jesuitical, we ask Mike who has a better Twitter game: Pope Francis or President Trump? And in Signs of the Times, we discuss the wrong ways to use the rosary, the right ways to use technology and a meeting of prominent Catholics at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Is your bracket busted? Did you pick an upset, just the wrong one? Take a break from the madness of March and listen in as we talk with Paddy Gilger, S.J., about the top Jesuit moments in the NCAA tournament's history, the good things sports can do for us and when they become a religion of their own.  In our review of this week's Catholic news, we look at where you can eat corned beef this St. Patrick's Day Friday, mark Pope Francis' four years as pope and return to last week's debate about ouija boards (I get some vindication, here, I'm not proud to admit).  And finally, in Consolations and Desolations we fess up to not being experts in Ignatian spirituality. But we believe that God loves us when we try, as do our Jesuit colleagues. 

One year ago, on International Women's Day, Nicole Perone had the opportunity to speak at the Vatican before hundreds of activists and Catholic leaders about the importance of giving young Catholics and women real leadership in the church. This year, she had the opportunity to tell jesuitical all about it.... Upgrade?  And in Signs of the Times, we discuss the Catholic high school that made millions off of Snapchat, Pope Francis says, "Get off Snapchat!" and we return to the age old question: Should you give a beggar money, even if “he just spends it on a glass of wine”?

So since we weren't canceled after one episode, we're happy to present Episode 2! We speak with Jorgé Corona, a producer at Gizmodo Media Company, about a viral video he made about what it's like to be an undocumented immigrant in the United States. And in Signs of the Times, we shine some more light on the chaplain to Loyola University Chicago's basketball team: 97-year-old Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt. And Pope Francis settles the eternal question: Should you give money to homeless people who ask you?

So since we weren't canceled after one episode, we're happy to present Episode 2! We speak with Jorgé Corona, a producer at Gizmodo Media Company, about a viral video he made about what it's like to be an undocumented immigrant in the United States. And in Signs of the Times, we shine some more light on the chaplain to Loyola University Chicago's basketball team: 97-year-old Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt. And Pope Francis settles the eternal question: Should you give money to homeless people who ask you?