This week on “Jesuitical,” Ashley and guest host Sebastian sit down with Jack Bentz, S.J., a Jesuit priest and the host of the “Catholics in Ordinary Time” podcast and Substack. Father Jack also works in campus ministry at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington.
Ashley, Sebastian and Father Jack discuss:
- What kids are looking for in campus ministry and parish settings
- Surprise lessons from a Jordan Peterson talk
- The ways parishes can get people coming back to Mass
In Signs of the Times, Ashley and Sebastian discuss the recent canonizations of Saints Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati, the “Grace for the World” concert being hosted at the Vatican with notable A-listers and Pope Leo’s upcoming 70th birthday.
In a new expanded version of our faith sharing segment, “As One Friend Speaks to Another,” Jack Consolie, Outreach’s communications and development associate, discusses his recent article: “Carlo Acutis and I: The (complicated) spiritual connection of a shared cancer journey.” Our faith sharing segment is a project funded by a grant from Lilly Endowment, Inc.
Links for further reading:
- Fr. Jack’s podcast: Catholics in Ordinary Time
- Fr. Jack’s Substack
- Jack Consolie’s article: “Carlo Acutis and I: The (complicated) spiritual connection of a shared cancer journey”
- Pope Leo XIV declares Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati saints in a celebration of youthful devotion
- On the ground for the canonization of Saints Acutis and Frassati: Crowds, communion and Cheez-Its
You can follow us on X and on Instagram @jesuiticalshow.
You can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/jesuitical.
Please consider supporting Jesuitical by becoming a digital subscriber to America magazine at americamagazine.org/subscribe
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
59:58
--------
59:58
We need to talk about ‘hot priests’
This week on “Jesuitical,” Ashley and guest host Sebastian unpack the trend of “hot priests” on social media with Maggie Phillips, a contributing writer for Tablet Magazine. Maggie recently published an article exploring the phenomenon of the “hot priest”: Thou Shalt Not Scroll Past a Hot Priest.
Ashley, Sebastian and Maggie discuss:
- What the “hot priest” trend says about the cultural status of the Catholic Church
- Is there a benefit to being recognizably religious?
- The dangers of conflating social media engagement and evangelization
In Signs of the Times, Colleen Dulle, America’s Vatican correspondent and host of “Inside the Vatican,” sits down with Ashley and Sebastian to discuss Pope Leo’s response to the tragic shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis as well as his recent meeting with Father James Martin. They also take a look back at his summer activities and discuss what Leo’s talkative brother, John Prevost, has revealed about our new pope.
In a new expanded version of our “As One Friend Speaks to Another” segment, Emma Camp, an assistant editor at Reason magazine, discusses her Faith in Focus article “The case for showing up to church—even if you don’t believe in God.”
Links for further reading:
“Thou Shalt Not Scroll Past a Hot Priest”
Maggie’s article in America: "Lay volunteers are often the backbone of Catholic parishes. But they need support, too"
Emma’s article: “The case for showing up to church—even if you don’t believe in God”
“Pope Leo calls for stop to ‘the pandemic of arms’ after Minnesota Catholic school shooting”
“Pope Leo’s response to the Minneapolis Catholic school shooting: 3 takeaways”
“Father James Martin: Pope Leo wants to continue Francis’ approach to LGBTQ Catholics”
“Pope Leo just extended his vacation. What do popes do to relax?”
“14 Things We Learned About Pope Leo From His Brother’s Latest Interview”
What’s on tap?
Aperol Spritz
You can follow us on X and on Instagram @jesuiticalshow.
You can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/jesuitical.
Please consider supporting Jesuitical by becoming a digital subscriber to America magazine at https://www.americamagazine.org/subscribe
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
1:14:52
--------
1:14:52
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
You can follow us on X and on Instagram: @jesuiticalshow
You can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/jesuitical
Please consider supporting Jesuitical by becoming a digital subscriber to America magazine at https://www.americamagazine.org/subscribe
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
34:44
--------
34:44
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
You can follow us on X and on Instagram: @jesuiticalshow
You can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/jesuitical
Please consider supporting Jesuitical by becoming a digital subscriber to America magazine at https://www.americamagazine.org/subscribe
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
26:59
--------
26:59
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.
You can follow us on X and on Instagram: @jesuiticalshow
You can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/jesuitical
Please consider supporting Jesuitical by becoming a digital subscriber to America magazine at americamagazine.org/subscribe
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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?
México