Why people leave the church–and why they join

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

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

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

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

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

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 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

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 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

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. In this episode, Professor Kenneth Bartlett, a renowned Renaissance historian and author from the University of Toronto, explores the enduring legacy and allure of the eternal city of Rome for Catholics. Why did Peter go to Rome? Is he actually buried under St. Peter’s Basilica? And why has Rome remained the center of the Roman Catholic Church for 2,000 years? What’s on tap? Brunello di Montalcino (of course!) 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

This week on “Jesuitical,” Zac and Ashley chat with Christopher White, the former Vatican correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter. Next month, Chris will start a new position as the associate director for strategic engagement and a senior fellow at Georgetown University’s Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life. Chris’s forthcoming book is, Pope Leo XIV: Inside the Conclave and the Dawn of a New Papacy. Zac, Ashley and Chris discuss:  - Chris’s background as a Vatican reporter and the experience of covering the Vatican bureaucracy - Why Chris argues that the conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV was the most important conclave in 60 years - What Chris’s extensive research has revealed about the kind of person Pope Leo is  In Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley chat with Connor Hartigan, Leilani Fuentes and Grace Lenahan as they end their 2024-25 Joseph A. O’Hare, S.J., Postgraduate Media Fellowships at America. Click here to learn more about the program. If you’re interested or know someone who might be interested in the fellowship, applications for the 2026-27 year open in September 2025. If you’d like more information, email us at [email protected]. Links for further reading:  - Take the 2025 Jesuitical Listener Survey!  - Learn about the Joseph A. O’Hare, S.J., Postgraduate Media Fellowship - Pre-order Pope Leo XVI: Inside the Conclave and the Dawn of a New Papacy. - NCR’s Vatican correspondent to join initiative at Georgetown University  - Christopher White at National Catholic Reporter  What’s on tap? Chris: Gin martini Fellows: Sauvignon Blanc 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

This week on “Jesuitical,” Zac and Ashley are thrilled to speak with their friend and colleague Father James Martin about his new podcast, “The Spiritual Life with Fr. James Martin, S.J.,” which launched this week. We then share Jim’s conversation with actor and comedian Whoopi Goldberg. Whoopi is known for playing a larger-than-life nun in “Sister Act,” but did you know she was also raised Catholic and educated by nuns until the eighth grade? Jim and Whoopi talk about her struggles with organized religion, the importance of laughter in a life of faith and her bold request to Pope Francis when they met in 2024. Links from the show: Listen to (or watch) “The Spiritual Life with Fr. James Martin, S.J., on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Whoopi Goldberg on God, authenticity and ‘acting the fool’ Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe and the importance of friendship in the spiritual life LAST CHANCE TO JOIN THE FIRST-EVER JESUITICAL RETREAT! Join us at the studio and headquarters of America Media in New York City for two days of community, prayer and sharing stories of faith. Get a behind-the-scenes look at how we make the podcast, meet fellow young Catholics, pray with America staff and editor in chief Sam Sawyer, S.J., share meals and craft your own faith story with accompaniment from our team. There are only a few spots left, so sign up here today! We can’t wait to meet you. Jesuitical Young Adult Retreat: What’s Your Story? Open to ages 21-39 Friday, June 27th (evening) + Saturday, June 28th (all day) New York, NY Friday: America Media Office – 1212 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036 Saturday: Jesuits USA East Province – 39 E 83rd St, New York, NY 10028 Cost: $100  Housing: Participants are responsible for their own lodging in NYC Capacity: The retreat will be capped at 30 participants. First come, first served. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices