How the Jesuit Prison Education Network is Changing Lives with Fr. Tom Curran, SJ

01/17/24 • 43 min

Have you ever met someone so passionate about something that you just couldn’t help getting excited about it, too? That was host Mike Jordan Laskey's experience when he first met Fr. Tom Curran, SJ, today's guest. Fr. Curran, who served as the president of Rockhurst University in Kansas City for 16 years, is now the coordinator of the Jesuit Prison Education Network (JPEN). Through participation in JPEN, nine different Jesuit institutes of higher learning offer college courses and degree programs -- taught by their own college/university professors -- at correctional facilities around the country. The programs are open to both those who are incarcerated and prison staff members, and Fr. Curran has some incredible stories about how the programs have changed the students and teachers lives and even the cultures of the correctional facilities themselves. In the conversation, Fr. Curran describes some of the ways our criminal justice system is dehumanizing and how prison education is a prophetic statement against that reality. He also talks about how Ignatian spirituality inspires his work and shared some of the most powerful stories from the JPEN programs. Subscribe to the JPEN email newsletter: https://jesuitscentralsouthern.us21.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=7e1f684649378603a3b6af1a0&id=6aee2e3285 AMDG is a production 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 https://jesuitmedialab.org/

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Still Following Yonder Stars with Br. Bob Macke, SJ

This past weekend, we celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany, when the three magi followed yonder star to God’s perfect light (to paraphrase the old song). By gazing at the stars, people from near and far we’re drawn to Christ—a reminder that, woven into the very fabric of the universe, God reveals Godself, guiding us deeper into God’s mystery and an encounter with Christ. What was true more than 2,000 years ago remains true today. Stars, meteorites, planets, the mysteries of space still speak to us of God and God’s dream for creation. And the Society of Jesus continues to be on the forefront of discerning God in the stars. More than 30 asteroids have been named for Jesuits. There are a similar number of craters on the moon bearing Jesuit names. And based on the work of today’s guest, it’s entirely possible that the Society of Jesus might find itself with a few more astral namesakes in the not-so-distant future. Br. Bob Macke, SJ, is one of the world’s foremost experts in the study of meteorites. And his work has been instrumental in OSIRIS-REx mission, a recent NASA mission that might reveal new insight into the earliest moments of the solar system. Today, he talks to us about his work, his vocation and what he hopes to learn as he continues to comb through space—that final frontier. Br. Bob studied physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Washington University in St. Louis, before entering the Society of Jesus in 2001. Between 2011 and 2013 he studied theology at Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, during which time he also constructed a new ideal-gas pycnometer for measuring meteorite densities. Br. Macke joined the Vatican Observatory in July 2013, where he studies meteorite physical properties in the observatory’s meteorite laboratory. In August 2014, Br. Macke became the curator of the Vatican collection of 1200 meteorite specimens.

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Beauty, Leadership and the Mystery of God with Fr. Leo O'Donovan, SJ

It’s hard to know where to start an interview with Jesuit Fr. Leo O’Donovan. At 89 years old, Fr. O’Donovan’s could boast a hefty list of accomplishments and accolades—though he’s not much interested in bragging. A theologian by training, he studied under the prominent Jesuit Fr. Karl Rahner in Munich, where O’Donovan’s own body of work would eventually earn him The Knight Commanders Cross of the Order of Merit, with Star, of the Federal Republic of Germany. For over a decade, Fr. O’Donovan served as president of Georgetown University. He also served on the board of the Walt Disney Company and the National Council on the Arts. Through his many leadership positions, he has become friends with global leaders such as German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeline Albright, and President Joe Biden—to name a few. Contrary to what his impressive CV might imply, Fr. O’Donovan is easy to talk to. He’s an eager storyteller, drawn to engaging people, whether that be his first-grade teacher, a Dominican nun, or his mentor Karl Rahner. For the last eight years, Fr. O’Donovan has served as the director of mission for the Jesuit Refugee Service in the U.S, a position which he calls “an incredible privilege.” Our conversation covers all this and more. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Learn more about the Jesuit Refugee Service at jrsusa.org This episode was produced and edited by MegAnne Liebsch