Best Vatican Observatory Podcasts (2025)

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Meet the Jesuit Ex-National Park Ranger at the Vatican Observatory 37:15

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5d ago37:15

37:15

Rob Lorenz was a National Park Ranger who spent time working at places Arches National Park in Utah and Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. One of his favorite things to do was to give tours and ranger talks to groups, explaining the extraordinary places of natural beauty in ways that were accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds. During a post…

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Anxious? These Spiritual Insights Will Help with Author Sara Billups 37:19

12h ago37:19

37:19

It’s a bit of a cliché to say that we live in uncertain times. Just look at the headlines. Relationships — from the global to the intimate — are fraying. We swim in waters full of fear and worry, contempt and disdain. Anxiety abounds.That’s why today’s guest — writer and cultural commentator, Sara Billups — has written a new book. It’s called “Nerv…

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Life as a Jesuit's Mom with Kristin Gilger and Fr. Paddy Gilger, SJ 41:33

13h ago41:33

41:33

Whenever a man joins the Society of Jesus, his family and friends have to process that big life change and figure out how it’s going to affect their relationship with the new Jesuit. In that way, Kristin Gilger is not unlike the thousands of mothers who have watched their sons join the order. Her son Patrick – who everyone else calls Paddy – joined…

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Why This Catholic Author Retold Bible Stories As Fairy Tales with Rose John Sheffler 41:25

21d ago41:25

41:25

“To many, Fantasy, this sub-creative art which plays strange tricks with the world and all that is in it, combining nouns and redistributing adjectives, has seemed suspect, if not illegitimate. To some it has seemed at least a childish folly” writes J.R.R. Tolkien in his classic essay, “On Fairy-Stories.” He goes on to insist: “Fantasy is a natural…

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The Fascinating World of Rare Books with Fr. Michael Suarez, SJ 47:46

20d ago47:46

47:46

If you love old books – if you love how they smell, if you love imagining their journeys through the world into your hands, if you can’t pass by a used bookstore without popping inside – then you’ll love today’s episode.Our guest is Fr. Michael Suarez, SJ, a Jesuit priest and the director of the Rare Book School at the University of Virginia. The R…

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Eclectic Astronomer - A Chat With Cliff Stoll 51:54

29d ago51:54

51:54

Br. Guy Consolmagno chats with Cliff Stoll - astronomer, teacher and author of the book The Cuckoo’s Egg, which tells the story of how he tracked down a group of German hackers working for the Soviet KGB in 1986. Cliff is also a long-time buddy of Br. Guy. Co-Hosts: Br. Guy Consolmagno SJ: Director of Vatican Observatory and President of the Vatica…

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Care for the Person, Care for the Mission: Why Cura Apostolica? with Fr. Matt Carnes, SJ 36:18

1M ago36:18

36:18

If you’ve hung around Jesuits and Jesuit organizations long enough, you surely have come in contact with the phrase cura personalis. In short, practicing cura personalis means caring for the whole person: body, mind and spirit. It’s an invitation to ask more questions, deeper questions, about who we are and where we’re going and what unique tools a…

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Unpacking Pope Leo XIV's "Dilexi te" with Fr. Chris Kellerman, SJ 38:36

1M ago38:36

38:36

Fr. Chris Kellerman, SJ, the Jesuit Conference's Secretary of Justice and Ecology, joins host Mike Jordan Laskey to discuss Pope Leo XIV's apostolic exhortation "Dilexi te," which calls on the church to remember that the care of those on the margins is at the heart of our mission. Read the exhortation: https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/apos…

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The Jesuit Border Podcast Crossover ft. Bishop Michael Pham 45:56

2M ago45:56

45:56

The Jesuit Border Podcast has just launched its ninth season, and to commemorate the event, we're featuring the first episode of season nine here on AMDG. You'll hear stories, reflections and an interview from hosts Fr. Brian Strassburger, SJ, and Joe Nolla, SJ, of Del Camino Jesuit Border Ministries.Bishop Michael Pham of the Diocese of San Diego …

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Making Theatre in Ukraine with Fr. George Drance, SJ 50:13

2M ago50:13

50:13

Fr. George Drance, SJ, is a great example of the fact that Jesuits can do and be anything. Fr. George is a theatre artist, which, in his case, encompasses acting on the stage, directing, teaching acting classes at Fordham University in New York, and writing and adapting his own shows. He’s also the artistic director for the Magis Theatre Company, w…

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Jesuit Stories From the Middle East with Michael Petro, SJ 48:50

2M ago48:50

48:50

On October 4 and 5, the Catholic Church will observe the 111th World Day of Migrants and Refugees. Today’s guest, who recently stopped by our studio in Washington, DC, is a perfect guest for the occasion. His name is Michael Petro, SJ, and he’s a Jesuit of the American East Coast province who is currently in the regency stage of his formation. Mich…

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Chasing St. Kevin: An Ignatian Pilgrimage into Ancient Ireland 56:59

2M ago56:59

56:59

St. Kevin is a 6th century Irish saint, best known, perhaps, for the monastery he founded at Glendalough, tucked deep into County Wicklow. Beyond the monastic community, Kevin has been immortalized by Irish poet Seamus Heaney in a poem called “St. Kevin and the Blackbird.” It’s a poem that speaks of a legend, a peculiar moment of prayer and stillne…

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Episode 17: Smells Like Alien Spirit 50:50

3M ago50:50

50:50

What connects garlic, truffles, and the smell of the sea? Believe it or not, but the compounds that unify all three – known as dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) – are signatures not just of familiar earthly experiences, but potentially of otherworldly bioactivity! In this episode of The Open Universe, we dive into a claimed disco…

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Meet Brian Gunn and Mark Gunn, Jesuit-Educated Hollywood Screenwriters 49:32

3M ago49:32

49:32

The screenwriters Brian Gunn and Mark Gunn are cousins, and they grew up in the 1970s and ’80s in a big Catholic extended family in St. Louis. The Gunns are an incredibly creative clan that has produced all sorts of actors and writers and directors, including Brian’s brother James, who you might know as the director of the most recent “Superman” mo…

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Meet The New Boss! 40:31

3M ago40:31

40:31

Br. Guy Consolmagno chats with Rev. Richard A. D'Souza - the incoming Director of the Vatican Observatory! He takes the reins from Br. Guy on September 19, 2025. Co-Hosts: Br. Guy Consolmagno SJ: Director of Vatican Observatory and President of the Vatican Observatory Foundation. Bob Trembley: Factotum for the Vatican Observatory Foundation. Guest:…

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Pope Leo XIV's First Four Months with Christopher White 46:41

3M ago46:41

46:41

It’s hard to believe, but Pope Leo XIV just passed the four-month mark of his papacy. That’s more than a full season. After the incredible amount of press coverage here in North America reacting in shock to the election of a pope originally from Chicago, the media frenzy quieted quickly and starkly. It’s fair to say Pope Leo doesn’t have a big, spl…

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Why This Season of Creation is a Time of Pilgrimage 39:21

3M ago39:21

39:21

As Catholics, we’re familiar with the seasons of the Church year. We know to mark the days of Advent and Lent. We know that Easter lasts fifty days and that Christmas, too, is more than just a 24-hour period of time. We know that we spend most of our time in days called ordinary — and of course, we’re reminded of all of these seasons by the colors …

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How To Embrace a Theology of Flourishing with Dr. Paul Schutz 51:16

3M ago51:16

51:16

What does it mean to flourish? What does it mean for you to flourish? Have you ever really thought about it? Too often, we’re forced to focus on mere survival. We limit our gaze to that which will get us through this moment and into the next. Too often, we obsess on all the things we’ve done wrong; we’re haunted by mistakes, fearful we’ll repeat pa…

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How to Thrive at the Intersection of Creativity and Spirituality with Songwriter Brody Bond 53:57

4M ago53:57

53:57

The Jesuit Media Lab was founded to help people navigate the intersection of creativity and spirituality. We know there are so many people out there who are creative—who want to make art and write poems and sing new songs—and who also draw their creativity from their faith lives, their own spiritual journeys. We know, too—from our own lived experie…

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What Fr. Jack Bentz, SJ, Is Learning from Young Catholics 50:40

4M ago50:40

50:40

Father Jack Bentz, SJ, is a Jesuit priest who works in campus ministry at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. He also has a new podcast called “Catholics in Ordinary Time,” which is just an awesome title. The podcast was inspired in large part by his work during the Synod on Synodality at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Hollywood, where he serve…

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Faith, Ethics and Artificial Intelligence with Brian P. Green 52:39

4M ago52:39

52:39

The Saturday after Pope Leo XIV was elected, he gave an address to cardinals in which he described his reasoning for selecting the name Leo. He said there were different reasons for his choice, “but mainly because Pope Leo XIII in his historic Encyclical Rerum Novarum addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolu…

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Why Ignatian Spirituality is a Green Spirituality with Sr. Margaret Scott 36:18

4M ago36:18

36:18

In honor of the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola on July 31, we're taking a green look at his Spiritual Exercises.When today's host, Eric Clayton, was in college, he stumbled upon a book entitled “The Eucharist and Social Justice.” It’s a small volume and was easily tucked into his bag when he went to Nicaragua on a service immersion trip. He rememb…

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What Leaders in All Fields Can Learn from St. Ignatius with Chris Lowney 59:44

4M ago59:44

59:44

When Chris Lowney started his career as an investment banker at JP Morgan in 1983, his background leading up to that job marked an unusual path to the corporation. He had spent the past few years as a Jesuit in formation, after entering the Society of Jesus as a novice straight out of high school. Chris went on to work 18 years at JP Morgan, and du…

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How Jesuits Are Supporting Immigrants in San Diego with Fr. Scott Santarosa, SJ 46:54

5M ago46:54

46:54

Father Scott Santarosa, SJ, is the pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe in San Diego, just a few miles from the U.S.-Mexico border. Founded in 1921 as the Mexican national parish of San Diego – meaning it could offer pastoral care to any Catholic in the city born in Mexico – the community has a long history of welcoming immigrants to the United States a…

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How Dorothy Day's Granddaughter Martha Hennessy Continues the Mission 40:50

5M ago40:50

40:50

This past spring, host Mike Jordan Laskey traveled to New York for a Jesuit Media Lab theatre event. He was coordinating the outing with our JML contributor Renee Roden, who lives at a Catholic Worker house in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Catholic Worker, of course, is the movement founded in 1933 by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin, which grew from a…

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A Conversation with Four Presidents on Jesuit Higher Education 46:18

5M ago46:18

46:18

From June 23 through June 27, 2025, on the campus of Loyola University New Orleans, student affairs professionals from across our network of Jesuit colleges and universities gathered to be formed and fueled by our shared Jesuit mission. One of the keynotes from the conference featured four university presidents: Tania Tetlow of Fordham University, …

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A Conversation with the Jesuit Chaplain to the US Military 45:59

5M ago45:59

45:59

Nestled in the Horn of Africa on the easternmost part of the African continent is a small country called Djibouti. It’s bordered by three other countries: Eritrea to the north, Ethiopia to the west, and Somalia to the south. Djibouti’s eastern border abuts the busy shipping lanes of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. These bodies of water are connected …

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Episode 16: The LEDA of the Rings 41:06

6M ago41:06

41:06

Long ago, in a time before the age of Men, nine rings were made… when the galaxy LEDA 1313424 was smashed into by its neighbour in a near head-on collision. The result was a cosmic spectacle: a galaxy surrounded by nine concentric rings of starlight acting as a memoir of this great interstellar battle. In this episode, we take a closer look at the …

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Six Picks for Summer Reading, Watching and Listening with Michael O'Connell 46:08

6M ago46:08

46:08

Host Mike Jordan Laskey is joined by Jesuit Media Lab fellow, Michael O'Connell, on this special episode of "AMDG: A Jesuit Podcast" to kickstart the summer.By Jesuit Conference

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Embracing Undaunted Joy with Author Shemaiah Gonzalez 35:48

6M ago35:48

35:48

Today we’re talking about joy. It can be a hard thing to hold onto in this moment: The headlines are scary; our lives are full of stress and worry; and, everywhere we turn there seems to be some new reason to be afraid.But none of that is of God. And indeed, even in such moments, joy is waiting to be found.It’s worth remembering that Jesus tells us…

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Pathway to Priesthood: Knowing When You're Ready with Joe Lorenz, SJ, and Orlando Portalatin, SJ 41:36

6M ago41:36

41:36

Welcome to “Pathway to Priesthood”—a special podcast series from the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.In these conversations, we’ve been talking with Jesuits who are in the final days of preparing for ordination to the priesthood. We’ve reflected back on their vocation stories and experience of Jesuit formation, and we’ve wrestled …

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Shakespeare Through a Catholic Lens with Luke Taylor, SJ 49:31

6M ago49:31

49:31

If you stop and think about it, it’s amazing that the work of William Shakespeare, more than 400 years old, is still read by pretty much every student in the English-speaking world starting in high school or before. Our guest today, Luke Taylor, SJ, has recently co-written and edited a volume that brings together two of his passions: the Bard’s wor…

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Pathway to Priesthood: The Power of Relationships with Chris Williams, SJ 29:44

6M ago29:44

29:44

Welcome to “Pathway to Priesthood”—a special podcast series from the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.In these conversations, host Eric Clayton talks with Jesuits who are in the final days of preparing for ordination to the priesthood. They reflect back on their vocation stories and experience of Jesuit formation, and wrestle with …

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A Strategic, Ignatian Path to Easter Joy with Lisa Kelly 36:26

6M ago36:26

36:26

The Easter season is about new life. Jesus rises from the dead and in so doing resets the horizon on what is possible for each and every one of us. We see in the risen Lord God’s own invitation, an invitation that calls us beyond ourselves, beyond what even dreamed was possible.Ignatian spirituality offers us time-tested tools to embark on this jou…

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Pathway to Priesthood: Bringing Our Full Selves to God with Fernando Saldivar, SJ 32:07

6M ago32:07

32:07

Welcome to “Pathway to Priesthood”—a special podcast series from the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.In these conversations, host Eric Clayton talks with Jesuits who are in the final days of preparing for ordination to the priesthood. They reflect back on their vocation stories and experience of Jesuit formation, and wrestle with …

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Witnessing Church History (And Analyzing It on TV) with Fr. James Martin, SJ 28:32

7M ago28:32

28:32

After the white smoke poured out of the Sistine Chapel chimney on May 8, we turned on the TV here at the Jesuit Conference HQ in Washington and landed randomly on ABC News. We immediately heard a familiar voice: It was Fr. James Martin, the Jesuit author who certainly needs no introduction to AMDG listeners. In addition to writing bestselling books…

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Pathway to Priesthood: Reflecting on Jesuit Community with Marc-André Veselovsky, SJ 32:34

7M ago32:34

32:34

Welcome to “Pathway to Priesthood”—a special podcast series from the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.In these conversations, host Eric Clayton talks with Jesuits who are in the final days of preparing for ordination to the priesthood. They reflect back on their vocation stories and experience of Jesuit formation, and wrestle with …

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Get to Know Pope Leo XIV with Fr. Kevin DePrinzio, OSA 51:09

7M ago51:09

51:09

Fr. Kevin DePrinzio, OSA, is an Augustinian priest who has known Pope Leo XIV -- his fellow Augustinian friar -- since the late 1990s. Fr. Kevin is now the vice president for mission and ministry at Villanova University outside Philadelphia -- Pope Leo's alma mater -- and he talked to host Mike Jordan Laskey about his connections with the Holy Fath…

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Pathway to Priesthood: Choosing Religious Life with David Inczauskis, SJ 29:36

7M ago29:36

29:36

Welcome to “Pathway to Priesthood”—a special podcast series from the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. We’re back for season 2! In these conversations, host Eric Clayton talks with Jesuits who are in the final days of preparing for ordination to the priesthood. They reflect back on their vocation stories and experience of Jesuit fo…

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How to Pray with the Stars with Br. Guy Consolmagno, SJ 47:12

7M ago47:12

47:12

How do you pray with the stars? That’s the question underpinning today’s conversation with returning guest, Br. Guy Consolmagno. Guy is a Jesuit brother and director of the Vatican Observatory. He’s also the author of the new book, “A Jesuit’s Guide to the Stars: Exploring Wonder, Beauty and Science.”As you’ll soon learn, Br. Guy is infinitely quot…

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BONUS AMDG: An Ignatian Approach to the Conclave with Fr. Bill McCormick, SJ 40:28

7M ago40:28

40:28

Fr. Bill McCormick, SJ, is a political scientist by trade and a current writer at the Vatican-sponsored, Jesuit-run journal La Civiltà Cattolica in Rome. Host Mike Jordan Laskey invited him onto the podcast for a special bonus episode on this moment of transition for the Catholic Church. They discussed the current mood in Rome; Pope Francis’ legacy…

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Signs of Easter Hope in Uncertain Times with Emma Hudson 38:20

7M ago38:20

38:20

Even though Easter started ten days ago now, the season continues for a full 50 days. So we will wish you a happy Easter and encourage you to keep that going for a few weeks, even if it confuses your friends and neighbors. Last month, as the famous cherry blossoms hit their peak bloom in Washington, DC, host Mike Jordan Laskey sat down in our studi…

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Remembering Pope Francis with Fr. Brian Paulson, SJ 39:53

7M ago39:53

39:53

Fr. Brian Paulson, SJ, the president of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States, reflects on the legacy and witness of Pope Francis. Fr. Paulson and host Mike Jordan Laskey discussed the Holy Father's pastoral style, his Ignatian spirit, his approach to leadership, and some of the Pope's decisions that will likely affect the Catholic …

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Episode 15: Riding the solar wind: Eugene Parker's "magnetic" legacy 46:02

8M ago46:02

46:02

On December 24, 2024, NASA's Parker Solar Probe shattered records: becoming simultaneously the closest a human-made object has ever approached the Sun, and, travelling at 430,000 mph, the fastest object ever built on Earth. This was the culmination of a 70-year long legacy of its namesake, Eugene Parker, who in 1958 transformed our understanding of…

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The Work of Lent: Holy Week 34:18

8M ago34:18

34:18

In this final episode of "The Work of Lent," Fr. Eric Immel, SJ, accompanies us through Holy Week to Easter and challenges our assumptions about suffering.By Jesuit Conference

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The Work of Lent: Time to Reconcile 34:43

7M ago34:43

34:43

On this episode of our limited series, "The Work of Lent," we talk to Mike Jordan Laskey, director of communications for the Jesuit Conference and Jesuit Media Lab, about Lent as a time of reconciliation.By Jesuit Conference

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Your Crash Course in Ignatian Discernment with Mark Thibodeaux, SJ 40:12

8M ago40:12

40:12

The art of discernment is a hallmark feature of Ignatian spirituality. From the moment Ignatius began to differentiate between consolations and desolations during his eleven-month convalescence in Loyola to today, Jesuits and lay collaborators have been mining the depths of what it means to listen to and act on God’s invitation in our lives.Today, …

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Is Jesus the Monster? Horror & Theology with Ryan Duns, SJ 49:31

8M ago49:31

49:31

I’m not much of a fan of horror films. But I do love speculative storytelling — of which horror is a sub-genre. Even more, I love using stories of pop culture to dive deeper into faith, spirituality and the nuances of scripture. Which is how we’ve arrived at today’s horror-themed episode.Fr. Ryan Duns — a Jesuit priest and professor at Marquette Un…

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The Work of Lent: Why We Dare to Hope 28:37

8M ago28:37

28:37

In this episode of our limited Lenten series, Sr. Erin McDonald, CSJ, digital youth minister for the Congregation of St. Joseph and co-host of the "Beyond the Habit" podcast challenges us to hope.By Jesuit Conference

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How This Catholic is Fighting for Workers with Chuck Hendricks 45:19

8M ago45:19

45:19

If you’ve ever eaten at a university dining hall or at an airport bar or in a corporate cafeteria, you have relied on the labor of thousands and thousands of people whose work often goes unseen. Our guest today spends his own working hours fighting to make sure those food service workers are paid fairly and have access to good benefits and safe wor…