Show Notes
This week on “Jesuitical,” Ashley and guest host Sebastian sit down with Eric Sundrup, S.J., a Jesuit priest who is the vice president for mission and ministry and university chaplain at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. Father Eric has also worked on “Jesuitical” since its inception (in 2017!) in a variety of roles; today, he continues to provide faith formation for the team.
Ashley, Sebastian and Father Eric discuss:
- What spiritual practices “worked” for them in 2025—and what they want to leave behind
- How to approach Mass with fresh eyes and ears in the new year
- Why you shouldn’t beat yourself up about not meeting your prayer goals
In Signs of the Times, Ashley and Sebastian discuss the conclusion of the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope and the next phase of Pope Leo’s pontificate. They unpack Catholic reactions to the capture of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro and his wife by U.S. forces and the recent news of Israel banning 37 humanitarian groups, including a Catholic aid group, from operating in Gaza.
Finally, Sebastian and Ashley talk about supposed divine intervention on the football field during last weekend’s Pittsburgh Steelers-Baltimore Ravens game.
Links for further reading:
- Pope Leo says he will hold consistories with the College of Cardinals every year
- Pope Leo XIV closes 2025 Holy Year with critique of consumerism and xenophobia
- Pope Leo XIV’s papacy began today
- Pope Leo’s first Extraordinary Consistory: What should we expect?
- Venezuela, Trump and the end of ‘Pax Americana’
- Inside Venezuela’s capital after Trump administration captures Maduro
- Pope Leo: ‘The good of the beloved Venezuelan people must prevail over every other consideration.’
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
More from Jesuitical
Where do U.S. politics and Catholicism intersect? On this week’s roundtable episode, “Jesuitical” host Ashley McKinless speaks with America’s chief correspondent, Kevin Clarke, and Father Thomas Reese, a Jesuit priest and senior analyst at Religion News Service, about today’s “signs of the times.” Together, Ashley, Kevin and Father Reese discuss Pope Leo’s health post-cancer surgery, immigrant detention as a religious liberty issue, the death penalty and how these all tie into how Catholics are feeling about politics ahead of the midterm elections.
This week on the “Jesuitical” podcast, Ashley McKinless and Zac Davis speak with National Public Radio’s Scott Detrow about Pope Leo’s cancer diagnosis and Scott’s new book, American Pope: Leo XIV's Road from the South Side of Chicago to Vatican City. Scott shares his initial reaction to the pope’s lung surgery this week and provides insights into Leo’s medical history. Then, Scott, Zac and Ashley follow Robert Prevost’s incredible journey from Chicago to Peru to the Vatican and discuss what makes the first American pope uniquely qualified to lead the Catholic Church.
This week on “Jesuitical,” hosts Zac Davis and Ashley McKinless speak with Joseph de Viveiros, C.R., about the pastoral consequences of Pope Francis’ groundbreaking 2016 document on family life, “Amoris Laetitia.” Father Joseph is a priest of the Congregation of the Resurrection, and chaplain for the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board in North Bay, Ontario. As Pope Leo gathers bishops from around the world at the Vatican to review the document’s implementation, Zac, Ashley and Father Joseph discuss the complex challenges facing families and young couples, and how a lot of work needs to be done, especially by priests, to realize Pope Francis’ vision.
This week on Jesuitical, Colleen Dulle joins hosts Zac Davis and Sebasian Gomes to discuss Pope Leo’s recent visit to France, including his messages on assisted dying, European identity and the role of the Catholic Church in a secular country. Colleen also reflects on her experience of traveling with the pope for the first time.
This week on the “Jesuitical” podcast, Ashley McKinless and Zac Davis speak with Rachel Lu about the beatification of Fulton Sheen, the American archbishop who was famous for his media evangelism in the mid-20th century. Rachel is a senior editor at Law and Liberty and a regular contributor to the National Review and America Magazine. Together they discuss Sheen’s charisma, cultural influence, and his lesser known political philosophy which defended both the public role of religion and the separation of church and state.