AMDG: A Jesuit Podcast

If you know anything about Jesuit formation, you probably know that it takes a long time: two years for novitiate, three years for first studies, three more of regency, and then two or more years of theology studies and then—if a Jesuit has discern the priesthood—ordination. On average, a Jesuit is looking at ten to twelve years before becoming a priest!

So, formation takes a long time. But then, once you’re a priest, you’re all set, right? Wrong! There’s another stage of Jesuit formation called tertianship. This is a stage of renewal and recommitment, a period of time that happens years after ordination when a Jesuit returns to some of the foundational documents and experiences of Jesuit life. The Jesuit makes the Spiritual Exercises again, prays with the Constitutions and more. Tertianship takes a Jesuit out of their usual routines, often for an extended period of time, and prepares them for final vows.

Tertianship has always been a little mysterious, for host Eric Clayton, at least. That’s why he was so excited to talk to his friend, Fr. Andrew Laguna, who just returned from his tertianship in Salamanca, Spain. And that’s the conversation you’re about to hear today. Andrew breaks down what tertianship is, why it’s important, what graces he experienced while there and, ultimately, why it matters for all of us, whether we’re Jesuits or not.

Whether you’re interested in Jesuit life or formation or just want to hear from a wise Jesuit priest eager to share about how God is at work in his own vocation, you won’t want to miss this conversation.

The cultivation of mission and identity is pivotal to any mission-driven organization. It gets to not only the why of the work, but also the larger context, the history and the people. A shared mission can sustain work across time zones and languages and varied socio-political contexts. Understanding the mission of an organization — how it’s been interpreted and applied and lived out of — is crucial to that organization’s continued success. It’s more than a common language; it’s a shared lifeblood.

Jesuit institutions take mission and identity work seriously. You see offices for mission and Jesuit colleges and universities; you meet mission officers in Jesuit apostolates the world over. These are the folks who help you not only remember Latin words like cura personalis; these are the folks who help you understand how to live it out in your particular context based on your particular skills.

Mark Dushel stands in the long, storied legacy of Ignatian collaborators entrusted with passing on our Jesuit mission and charism. But Mark has been given a unique role through which to do so. He is the newly minted director of Ignatian Mission and Faith Formation for three different yet interrelated schools in Baltimore, MD: Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, St. Ignatius Loyola Academy and The Loyola School. These schools — all founded by Jesuit priest, Fr. Bill Watters, over the course of several decades — allow children from as early as two years old all the way through high school to pursue a tuition-free Jesuit education. The mission is critical and has been bearing fruit for generations.

Mark, for his part, comes to this work well-prepared. He has a Master’s in theology and ministry from Boston College — where he first encountered the Jesuits — and served in campus ministry at St. Joseph’s Preparatory School in Philadelphia and later at Loyola University Maryland. He began his work as director for mission in 2025.

There’s a lot we can learn from Mark’s work, from his collaboration across schools to his efforts to introduce the Ignatian charism to children as young as two to the accompaniment his mission-centered role means for the families of his students. That’s why today's host Eric was excited to talk with Mark — and why we know you will enjoy this conversation.

Read more about Mark's work here: https://loyolaschoolbaltimore.org/mark-dushel-is-serving-three-jesuit-schools-in-baltimore/

Welcome to the third season — and the final episode — of our annual series “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 we wrestle with some of the biggest questions surrounding priestly ordination.

On this episode, Eric talks with Shane Liesegang. Shane is a Jesuit of the US West province. Shane’s Jesuit formation has brought him around the world including to Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan and Syria with the Jesuit Refugee Service, as well as to the Philippines where he was ordained a deacon.

As you listen to Shane’s stories and reflections, we invite you to consider whether you or someone you know might be interested in discerning a call to Jesuit life. If so, head over to beajesuit.org.

It’s commencement season. Graduates are preparing to step into a new chapter of their lives, to leave familiar faces and places behind and chart a new path. And perhaps one of the most iconic moments of graduation is the commencement speech: a few moments of reflection, inspiration and encouragement before crossing one of life’s many thresholds.

Many of us have heard a commencement speech or two in our lives; many of us may have even heard such an address given at a Jesuit institution. But how many of us remember those addresses? More importantly, how many of us continue to live our lives informed by the best hopes and values and encouragement that such an address intends to convey? For many of us, as the daily grind of life churns ever onward, those words fade and are forgotten.

That was the worry, at least, of our guests today. Two longtime veterans of Jesuit higher education, Patrick Furlong and Marissa Papula want us to remember what it means to go out and into the world intent in setting it aflame with the fire of the Holy Spirit. Patrick is the director of the Pam Rector Center for Service and Action at—and a two time alum of—Loyola Marymount University. Marissa Papula is now the director of development for Discerning Deacons but spent more than a decade in Jesuit higher education. And they’re here today to offer all of us a commencement address of sorts.

Before we get to it, before they share prepared remarks, we wanted to sit down and get to them a little bit, to hear about their journeys and why this time of year is important. So, you’ll hear that first. Then, stay tuned for their full commencement address, words to inspire each of us no matter how far out from a graduation we may be.

Welcome to the third season of our annual series “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 some of the biggest questions surrounding priestly ordination.

On this episode, Eric talks with Daniel Mascarenhas. Daniel is a Jesuit of the US West province. Originally from Goa, India, Daniel’s Jesuit formation has brought him to the L’Arche community in Tacoma, WA, to Jesuit High School Sacramento and to St. Columbkille Parish in Brighton, MA, where he is finishing his time as a deacon.

As you listen to Daniel’s stories and reflections, we invite you to consider whether you or someone you know might be interested in discerning a call to Jesuit life. If so, head over to beajesuit.org.