How should Catholics respond to the murder of Charlie Kirk?
This week on “Jesuitical,” Ashley sits down with Sam Sawyer, S.J., president and editor in chief of America Media, and J.D. Long-Garcia, senior editor for America to respond to the murder of Charlie Kirk.
Ashley, Fr. Sawyer and J.D. discuss:
- Why this is a difficult (but necessary) conversation
- Why people rush to say, "This is terrible, but..."
- Significance of the murder in national political life
In Signs of the Times, Ashley and Sebastian discussed some more of the reactions in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s death from prominent Catholics on both sides of the political aisle, including Pope Leo’s prayers for Kirk and his family.
They also discuss the recent “Grace for the World” concert in St. Peter’s Square and how Pope Leo celebrated his 70th birthday.
Links for further reading:
- Sam’s article: The aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination: If we have to look at violence, let’s do it the right way.
- Bishops and Catholic leaders call for prayer after conservative activist Charlie Kirk shot and killed
- Charlie Kirk, free speech and the danger of politics without God
- Pope Leo said he is praying for Charlie Kirk and his family
- How Pope Leo plans to govern the church: From Rome to China to Gaza
- Pope Leo calls out billionaires and income inequality in first interview
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52:33
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52:33
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
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59:58
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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
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1:14:52
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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
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34:44
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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
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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?
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