The Jesuit Border Podcast

Dec 03 2024 66 ep. 34 mins 43

The Jesuit Border Podcast artwork

Brian Strassburger, SJ, and Joe Nolla, SJ, are two Jesuits based in the diocese of Brownsville, TX, and working in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S.-Mexico Border. This podcast will share on-the-ground stories and interviews that highlight the tremendous response to the migrant situation from a Catholic perspective.

Religion & Spirituality

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S7E7: “Iglesia en Salida” with Bishop Joseph Tyson from the Diocese of Yakima, WA

Dec 03 2024 38 mins

For our final episode of Season 7, we are thrilled to welcome Bishop Joseph Tyson from the Diocese of Yakima, WA. He likes to describe his diocese as the largest border diocese without a border because the population is 75% Latino, with many migrants coming there to work in the fields picking fruit. He talks about what inspired him to require his seminarians to work next to migrant

S7E6: “Being Part of the Solution” with Harrison Hanvey, from the Office of Justice and Ecology at the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States

Nov 26 2024 43 mins

We are pleased to welcome Harrison Hanvey, the Manager of Outreach and Partnerships for the Office of Justice and Ecology at the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. Before working for the Jesuits, Harrison spent five years living in Central America, including time working side by side with Nicaraguans in plantain farms and coffee fields. He shares what inspired those

S7E5: “Missing Home” with Jeanne Rossomme, Parishioner at Holy Trinity Parish in Washington, D.C.

Nov 19 2024 40 mins

We are delighted to welcome Jeanne Rossomme, a parishioner at Holy Trinity Parish in Washington, D.C. She is one of the leaders of the migrant support team at the parish, or “Migrant Familia” as they call it, which is a team of volunteers that accompany, support and advocate for asylum seekers and refugees. Jeanne shares the origin story of the project that began with a visit t

S7E4: “The Joy of Participation” with Guerline Mardi, an asylum seeker from Haiti

Nov 12 2024 38 mins

We are delighted to welcome Guerline Mardi, an asylum seeker from Haiti. She is multilingual, including fluency in English, Spanish, French, and Haitian Creole. Guerline lived in Argentina for eleven years before migrating north and making the journey to the U.S. alone. She stayed in the Pumarejo shelter in Matamoros, Mexico for one and a half months, where she met the Jesuits when

S7E3: “Resisting Polarization in Politics” with Theresa Cardinal Brown, Senior Advisor at the Bipartisan Policy Center

Nov 04 2024 48 mins

We are thrilled to welcome Theresa Cardinal Brown to this special episode of the podcast. Tomorrow (November 5th) is the Presidential election, so we are bringing on a special guest with a wealth of experience in immigration politics. Theresa is a Senior Advisor at the Bipartisan Policy Center, which brings together strategists from the left and the right to help members of Congres

S7E2: “The Long Wait” with Pedro De Velasco, Director of Education and Advocacy at the Kino Border Initiative

Oct 29 2024 36 mins

We are excited to welcome Pedro De Velasco, who is the Director of Education and Advocacy at the Kino Border Initiative (KBI). KBI is a binational program that includes a shelter and soup kitchen for migrants in Nogales, Senora, and education and encounter programs, along with advocacy outreach in both the U.S. and Mexico. Pedro outlines the current dynamic of migrants arriving at

S7E1: “Starting Something New” with Fr. Tom Greene, SJ, Provincial of the U.S. Central and Southern Province of the Society of Jesus

Oct 22 2024 43 mins

For our first episode of Season 7, we are humbled to welcome Fr. Tom Greene, SJ, the Provincial of the U.S. Central and Southern Province of the Jesuits. Fr. Greene was the one who first conceived of this mission to the U.S.-Mexico border in south Texas over three years ago. In this episode, he shares the origin story of this mission and what inspired the idea to send Jesuits to t

Teaser: Season 7 of The Jesuit Border Podcast

Oct 15 2024 2 mins

We are getting ready for Season 7 of The Jesuit Border Podcast! As the migrant situation at the U.S.-Mexico border continues to evolve with new policies and political discourse, we will continue to share on-the-ground stories and experiences with you, along with interviews with inspiring people dedicated to accompanying migrants along the border and across the country. Join us ever

BONUS EPISODE: Easter Joy! Brian and Joe share stories of joy as migrants legally enter the U.S. and reunite with family and friends

May 21 2024 22 mins

In this bonus episode, Brian and Joe share stories of Easter joy. After a season dedicated to Lenten themes, this bonus episode shares moments of joy that break through even the most challenging moments of life, like a migrant journey. Brian recounts a recent trip to St. Louis, where he became travel partners with Oscar, a Honduran migrant who had lived at Casa del Migrante in Reyn

S6E7: “Holy Week” with Alejandro Olayo-Méndez, SJ, Jesuit priest and Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at Boston College

Mar 26 2024 38 mins

For our final episode of Season 6, we are pleased to welcome Fr. Alejandro Olayo-Méndez, SJ, a Jesuit priest and Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at Boston College. Alejandro’s expertise is in migration, refugees, and humanitarian interventions, especially along migration routes in Mexico. He has led small groups of Jesuits to follow the migrant route from Centra