AMDG: A Jesuit Podcast

Trusting that God will provide, Ignatius begs and travels through Rome and Venice before finally reaching Jerusalem. He longs to remain in the Holy Land and help souls, but the Franciscan authorities order him to leave — forcing him to surrender even this deeply cherished desire.

About the Series
We are bringing you the entire text of “The Autobiography of St. Ignatius Loyola” in podcast form. Over 12 episodes, join our pilgrimage guides Fr. Jack Bentz, SJ, and Cameron Bellm as we make our way through this spiritual classic.

The series premiered on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, with episode 2 dropping Friday, July 31 — the Feast of St. Ignatius Loyola. These first two episodes and the remaining 10 episodes (dropping on subsequent Fridays) will all appear here on the AMDG podcast feed.

The series is edited by Frank Tuson, who also composed all the music you hear on the podcast. The podcast uses a translation of the “Autobiography” by Fr. Parmananda Divarkar, SJ. The text is read by Fr. George Drance, SJ. Produced by Mike Jordan Laskey.

"The Autobiography of Saint Ignatius Loyola Podcast," a special-edition series of AMDG, is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, which is a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.

www.jesuits.org/
www.beajesuit.org/
twitter.com/jesuitnews
facebook.com/Jesuits
instagram.com/wearethejesuits
youtube.com/societyofjesus
www.jesuitmedialab.org/

Earlier this month, a law permitting physician-assisted suicide took effect in the state of New York. It was the 13th state in the county to pass such a law. Opponents of physician-assisted suicide, which often include Catholic institutions, pro-life groups, and disability rights advocates, have not been all that successful in stopping these laws from spreading in recent years. Why is that? What’s behind the continued expansion of the practice? And how might opponents articulate a different vision for how we take care of those who are vulnerable?

Our guest today is an ideal person to help us think through these questions. Professor Cathleen Kaveny is Darald and Juliet Libby Professor of Law and Theology at Boston College. Her position includes appointments in both BC’s theology department and its law school, and she is the first person ever to hold such a joint appointment there. In her scholarship, Professor Kaveny focuses on the relationship of law, religion and morality. Back in the summer of 2008, when she was teaching at Notre Dame, host Mike Jordan Laskey took one of Professor Kaveny’s theology classes during grad school and she instantly became one of his favorite teachers of all time. (We think you’ll see why in this episode.)

In addition to her scholarly work, Professor Kaveny regularly publishes essays in the Catholic press, including a recent one on physician-assisted suicide that appeared in Commonweal. Headlined “The Importance of Being a Burden,” Professor Kaveny’s relatively short piece examines the issue from theological, legal and social analysis perspectives. The article is a great example of the way Professor Kaveny works at intellectual intersections and makes thorny topics accessible and engaging.

We think you’ll learn a lot from the essay and from this wide-ranging conversation.

“The Importance of Being a Burden” by Professor Cathleen Kaveny: https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/importance-being-burden-kaveny-physician-assisted-suicide

More about Professor Kaveny: https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/law/academics-faculty/faculty-directory/cathleen-kaveny.html

AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, which is a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.

www.jesuits.org/
www.beajesuit.org/
twitter.com/jesuitnews
facebook.com/Jesuits
instagram.com/wearethejesuits
youtube.com/societyofjesus
www.jesuitmedialab.org/

Ignatius describes God teaching him “as a schoolmaster teaches a child” through prayer, visions and profound spiritual insight. His great illumination beside the Cardoner River transforms his understanding, while further experiences teach him to distinguish genuine grace from deceptive consolation.

UPDATE 8/24/26: The previous version of this episode, originally posted on August 21, included an incorrect excerpt from the text. We have now fixed the error!

About the Series
We are bringing you the entire text of “The Autobiography of St. Ignatius Loyola” in podcast form. Over 12 episodes, join our pilgrimage guides Fr. Jack Bentz, SJ, and Cameron Bellm as we make our way through this spiritual classic.

The series premiered on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, with episode 2 dropping Friday, July 31 — the Feast of St. Ignatius Loyola. These first two episodes and the remaining 10 episodes (dropping on subsequent Fridays) will all appear here on the AMDG podcast feed.

The series is edited by Frank Tuson, who also composed all the music you hear on the podcast. The podcast uses a translation of the “Autobiography” by Fr. Parmananda Divarkar, SJ. The text is read by Fr. George Drance, SJ. Produced by Mike Jordan Laskey.

"The Autobiography of Saint Ignatius Loyola Podcast," a special -edition series of AMDG, is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, which is a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.

www.jesuits.org/
www.beajesuit.org/
twitter.com/jesuitnews
facebook.com/Jesuits
instagram.com/wearethejesuits
youtube.com/societyofjesus
www.jesuitmedialab.org/

Ignatius describes God teaching him “as a schoolmaster teaches a child” through prayer, visions and profound spiritual insight. His great illumination beside the Cardoner River transforms his understanding, while further experiences teach him to distinguish genuine grace from deceptive consolation.

About the Series
We are bringing you the entire text of “The Autobiography of St. Ignatius Loyola” in podcast form. Over 12 episodes, join our pilgrimage guides Fr. Jack Bentz, SJ, and Cameron Bellm as we make our way through this spiritual classic.

The series premiered on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, with episode 2 dropping Friday, July 31 — the Feast of St. Ignatius Loyola. These first two episodes and the remaining 10 episodes (dropping on subsequent Fridays) will all appear here on the AMDG podcast feed.

The series is edited by Frank Tuson, who also composed all the music you hear on the podcast. The podcast uses a translation of the “Autobiography” by Fr. Parmananda Divarkar, SJ. The text is read by Fr. George Drance, SJ. Produced by Mike Jordan Laskey.

"The Autobiography of Saint Ignatius Loyola Podcast," a special-edition series of AMDG, is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, which is a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.

www.jesuits.org/
www.beajesuit.org/
twitter.com/jesuitnews
facebook.com/Jesuits
instagram.com/wearethejesuits
youtube.com/societyofjesus
www.jesuitmedialab.org/vb

It’s back to school season: new teachers, new classrooms, new bus routes, new friends. For today’s guest, back to school season has always been an important time — but this year, it brings not only a new academic calendar, but a brand new professional role.

Dr. Michele Murray has just begun her tenure as the president of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities — or, AJCU for short. She’s the first lay person to lead the organization, which consists of the twenty-seven Jesuit institutions in the United States and one in Belize, along with three associate members in Canada.

Dr. Murray brings a wealth of experience and insight to this role, having spent the previous three decades serving in Jesuit, Catholic higher education. She holds a Ph.D. in education policy from the University of Maryland and a Master’s in education and student affairs administration from the University of Vermont. Her career has brought her from Loyola University Maryland to Seattle University to the College of the Holy Cross where she has most recently served as senior vice president for student development and mission. She began her work at the AJCU on June 1, 2026. Her new role has already brought her to Rome where she met the Superior General of the Society of Jesus — Fr. Arturo Sosa — and Pope Leo XIV.

She talks with today’s host Eric Clayton about her time in Rome, her discernment around starting a new role and the unique mission of Jesuit higher education and more in our conversation today. Today’s episode is a great way to start off the new school year.

Learn more about the AJCU: https://ajcunet.edu/