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Jesuitical

A Jesuit reflects on coronavirus quarantine in Milan

Jesuitical

America Media

News, News Commentary, Spirituality, Religion & Spirituality, Christianity

4.71K Ratings

🗓️ 21 April 2020

⏱️ 27 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In early March, Patrick Gilger, S.J., boarded a plane in New York en route to Milan. He was on a research trip and going to study Italian in the historic cosmopolitan city located in Italy’s northern Lombardy region. The cross-Atlantic flight had only 12 passengers on it. When he arrived, the city had just been shuttered. Italy was on the verge of a brutal month of suffering and death at the hands of Covid-19. Outside of his window, in the otherwise empty piazza below, a group of teenagers sat casually, drinking and singing. “It feels different here,” he wrote in America, “It is as if Milan, under quarantine, has asked me to renounce the particular version of our American response to fear that I have made my own: the unceasing effort to control, to master, to define and thereby dictate what is really real and truly true. And thereby be secure.” In this bonus episode, “Father Paddy” as he’s known on the popular YouTube series “Jesuit Autocomplete,” reflects on his experience living in an epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, the humiliations (and humility!) that come with learning a new language and how his isolation has connected him to God and others. We treasure the community you all have helped to build on Jesuitical’s Facebook page. Don’t hesitate to share both the joys and challenges you experience during this difficult moment in the life of our church and the world. We cannot make this show or grow this community without your support. Please consider giving through Patreon. And thank you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Hello and

0:05.0

welcome to Jesuitical, a podcast by the Young Hip and Lay editors of American media.

0:09.0

That lay part means we aren't Jesuits, but we work with them.

0:12.0

Join us each week for a smart Catholic take on Facebook. part means we aren't Jesuits but we work with them.

0:12.6

Join us each week for a smart Catholic take on faith culture in the news,

0:16.2

often over drinks.

0:17.6

I'm Ashley McKinless and I'm joined by Zach Davis.

0:20.6

Good to be with you, Ashley.

0:22.1

Hey Zach, and Vivian Cabrera.

0:24.0

What is up my friends?

0:25.0

Hey, how is everyone doing?

0:27.0

I am good.

0:29.0

Here in my apartment, we are, one of my roommates has hidden 12 Cadbury Easter eggs

0:36.0

So it's been a lot of fun just like going about our day trying to see how many we can find so So far I found four. Oh that's so fun. Six eggs if you're

0:46.2

listening I'm coming for you. That's awesome. I am sad to report that I my sister brought her Xbox over for quarantine for us to be together and I'm not I haven't really been a big video game player in my adult life, but I'm sad to say it's very easy to fall back into

1:08.7

The old ways because it turns out it is more fun than reading sometimes.

1:13.0

I believe that.

1:15.0

That's great.

1:16.0

I haven't been the most productive, but Star Wars Battlefront too is really cool.

1:18.8

So that's what I've discovered that recently.

1:21.7

Ashley, how are you doing? I'm good. I wish my that recently. Ashley, how are you doing?

1:22.8

I'm good.

...

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