S5E2: “The Tangible Dimension of Our Faith” with Susan Bigelow-Reynolds, Assistant Professor of Catholic Studies at Emory University

The Jesuit Border Podcast

We are excited to welcome Susan Bigelow-Reynolds, Assistant Professor of Catholic Studies at Emory University and author of the recently published book, People Get Ready: Ritual, Solidarity, and Lived Ecclesiology in Catholic Roxbury. Susan shares her experience of living in Brownsville years ago and watching out her front window as the border wall was being constructed, an experience that helped inspire her to study theology. Susan spent Holy Week with us in April of 2023, so she reflects on that experience, and especially the power of the liturgy and its symbols in the midst of marginalized communities like a migrant camp.

Brian and Joe share stories about the tangible dimension of our faith, including the popularity of getting sprinkled with holy water and the high demand for rosaries. They also share a moving story of a couple of young migrant girls turning waste into beauty by making crosses out of discarded items that they scrounged together in their camp in Reynosa. And at the end of the episode, you’ll hear Brian’s inevitable future assignment!