Olympic gold medalist Nick Mead on rowing, religion and relationships

This week on “Jesuitical,” Zac and Ashley chat with gold medal-winning Olympic rower Nick Mead, who shares insights about being an Olympic athlete and praying with his team in Paris. Nick had the honor of being one of the two flag bearers at the 2024 closing ceremony (along with Catholic Olympic champion Katie Ledecky), and this fall, he’s preparing for his next win: a marriage in the Catholic Church. 

They discuss: 

• How it felt to experience the excitement, camaraderie and faith sharing at the highest stage of athletic accomplishment 
• The training and sacrifices involved in being an Olympic athlete, including the intense conditioning schedule, the toll on relationships and the pressure to perform. 
• Nick’s religious background and experience with pre-marital counseling in the Catholic Church

In Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley discuss Pope Francis’ recent trip to Asia and Oceania, including his stops in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and Singapore; and a new short documentary produced by their colleague and producer Sebastian Gomes on the state of the question of women deacons in the Catholic Church, which is now published on YouTube. Watch here! 

What’s on tap?

Gatorade

Links from the show: 

• Women Deacons and the Catholic Church | An Explainer
• Pope Francis visits ‘the periphery of the peripheries’ in Vanimo, Papua New Guinea
• Pope Francis celebrates Mass for nearly half the population of Timor Leste
• Pope Francis in Singapore: visiting a small but influential Catholic Church
• What does Pope Francis’ ‘no’ mean for the Catholic debate over women deacons?
• Beyond The Beacon Podcast 
• Become a Jesuitical Patron and get access to an exclusive synod Zoom event with James Martin, S.J., on Thursday, Sept. 19, from 6-7 p.m. ET.

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