Agape Latte | The Podcast

Listen as Coach Bill O'Brien, Gregory P. Barber '69 and Family Head Coach of Boston College Football, shares the story of his career and how his faith accompanied him and his family along the way. Date of talk: April 8, 2025 Learn more about and follow Agape Latte: Website: https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/centers/church21/programs/agape-latte.html Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agapelatte/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AgapeLatte/ Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/AgapeLatte 

This Agape Latte, Dan Ponsetto, Welles Remy Crowther Director of the Volunteer Service Learning Center at Boston College, began the evening with a story about how his faith helped him through a challenging time in his life.

Experience the annual Christmas Agape Latte in a new way with a special Office of First Year Experience (FYE) Takeover featuring the team: Chris Darcy, Director; Matt Razek, Associate Director; Emily Rayball, Assistant Director of Orientation and Leadership & Student Engagement; and Phil Lee, Assistant Director of Formation & Inclusion. Date of talk: December 3, 2024 Learn more about and follow Agape Latte: Website: https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/centers/church21/programs/agape-latte.html Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agapelatte/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AgapeLatte/ Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/AgapeLatte 

Listen to Fr. Casey Beaumier, S.J., Boston College Vice President & University Secretary, as he shared his insights on the importance of friendship and how we are all worthy of it. Date of event: Tuesday, September 24, 2024 Learn more about and follow Agape Latte: Website: https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/centers/church21/programs/agape-latte.html Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agapelatte/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AgapeLatte/ Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/AgapeLatte 

Listen to Kwasi Sarkodie-Mensah, Senior Instruction & Programs Librarian, Boston College's O'Neill Library, speak about the ways in which he has found strength and meaning in his faith. Date of event: Tuesday, November 12, 2024 Learn more about and follow Agape Latte: Website: https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/centers/church21/programs/agape-latte.html Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agapelatte/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AgapeLatte/ Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/AgapeLatte 

Listen to Jack Dunn, Associate Vice President University Communications & University Spokesman at Boston College, share his story of friendship, faith, and trust.   Learn more about Agape Latte and stay updated across our channels: Website: bc.edu/agapelatte YouTube: Agape Latte Instagram: @agapelatte Facebook: Agape Latte Twitter/X: @agapelatte

Hear from Professor Steve Pope, Boston College Professor of Theology, about his faith journey.   Learn more about Agape Latte and stay updated across our channels: Website: bc.edu/agapelatte YouTube: Agape Latte Instagram: @agapelatte Facebook: Agape Latte Twitter/X: @agapelatte

Listen to our annual Christmas Agape Latte! Monsignor Liam Bergin shares his experiences and insights through story and helps us in "Finding Light in Darkness".

Dan Ponsetto, director of the Volunteer and Service Learning Center at Boston College, shares the story of the Christmas lesson he learned from a mysterious turtle his sons discovered in the backyard.   CONNECT WITH AGAPE LATTE: Instagram Twitter Facebook  

John Walsh, director of Creative Video Services at Boston College, shares his story about struggling with the tension between his head and heart while deciding if he should change career paths from accounting to video production before graduation.   MEET JOHN WALSH: John is the director of Creative Video Services at Boston College, a freelance filmmaker, and the man behind the camera for many of BC's videos including the new That BC Feeling dance video, Special Delivery (the Harry Potter themed admissions video), and Boston College's Shake It Off dance video. For more of John's work, visit johnwalshproductions.com.   CONNECT WITH AGAPE LATTE: Instagram Facebook Twitter  

Fr. Tom Stegman, dean of the School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College, shares his story about how he learned to trust his inner voice and lean into God's calling on his life as he discerned his vocation in the priesthood and then after his cancer diagnosis at 22.   MEET FR. TOM STEGMAN, S.J.: Fr. Tom Stegman, S.J., of the USA Midwest Province of the Society of Jesus, was raised in Holdrege, Nebraska. He is a graduate of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia (B.A., Philosophy). He holds an M.A. (Philosophy) from Marquette University, and both an M.Div. and S.T.L. (Hebrew Bible) from Weston Jesuit School of Theology. He earned his Ph.D. in New Testament studies at Emory University. In his spare time, he follows the Green Bay Packers, St. Louis Cardinals, and Nebraska Cornhuskers.   CONNECT WITH AGAPE LATTE: Instagram Twitter Facebook YouTube

Lavette Scott-Smith shares her story about getting her joy back after losing her mom.   Lavette Scott-Smith is an IT Training and Events Specialist for Information Technology Services at Boston College.   CONNECT WITH AGAPE LATTE: Instagram​ Facebook​ Twitter YouTube Questions?: agapelatte@bc.edu

Melodie Wyttenbach shares her story about falling in love with her life and discovering her calling when she was in college. For the past 20 years, she's been a teacher, a camp director, a principal, and now directing the Roche Center at Boston College supporting educators from all over the country. Her journey started on a school bus on an unexpected trip that changed her life.   Melodie Wyttenbach is the Executive Director for the Roche Center for Catholic Education at Boston College.   CONNECT WITH AGAPE LATTE: Follow on Instagram​ Follow on Facebook Follow on Twitter ​Follow on YouTube​ Email us at agapelatte@bc.edu​  

Karen Kiefer shares her story about guardian angels, unwrapping our worth, and celebrating that 'It's a Wonderful Life.' This episode is a live recording from Dec. 8, 2020 (the speaker is wearing a mask).     Karen Kiefer is the director of the C21 Center and Agape Latte at Boston College.     CONNECT WITH AGAPE LATTE: Follow on Youtube  Follow on Instagram Follow on Facebook Follow on Twitter Email us at agapelatte@bc.edu

Professor Brian Braman shares his story about navigating a major crossroads in his life and finding the grace in his depression diagnosis. This episode is a live recording from 2019.   Brian Braman is a professor in the Philosophy Department at Boston College.     CONNECT WITH AGAPE LATTE: Follow on Youtube  Follow on Instagram Follow on Facebook Follow on Twitter Email us at agapelatte@bc.edu

Professor Brian Robinette shares his story about the time he quit his “dream job” in advertising to become a janitor at a church after a massive quarter-life crisis. This is the story of the best mess he ever made. This episode is a live recording from 2018.     Brian Robinette is currently a professor in the Theology Department at Boston College.     “To actually take on this kind of crisis can feel like it’s going to destroy or unravel everything that you’ve been working towards all along and here’s what I have to say to you: Let it. Let that happen. Is to not be so focused on some sort of goal that you think that you have, or other people have of you, that you can’t take sufficient time to allow yourself to be deeply confused -to not really know what you’re doing and to really not know what you’re doing. To have a crisis more fully is what I’m suggesting, to have a more complete crisis where you lean into it. You’re not generating crisis or unnecessary drama in your life – you’re actually leaning in and allowing the confusion to be some sort of potential source of wisdom for you…” – Prof. Brian Robinette     CONNECT WITH AGAPE LATTE: Follow on Youtube  Follow on Instagram Follow on Facebook Follow on Twitter Email us at agapelatte@bc.edu

Fr. Casey Beaumier, S.J. shares his story about how a journey to try to meet Maya Angelou with $30, a one-way bus ticket, and a dream led him to a place he never expected: finding his purpose. This episode is a live recording from 2015.   To buy Fr. Casey's book, A Purposeful Path: https://amzn.to/3ozFRRZ   CONNECT WITH AGAPE LATTE: Instagram - http://bit.ly/2CuAcUK Facebook - http://bit.ly/2D0dox2 Twitter - http://bit.ly/2lYbXr6

How did Fr. Pat Nolan, S.J. decide to leave his career path in the sports marketing industry in New York to join the Jesuits? In this episode, he shares his story of how one fateful plane ride, a pair of forgotten headphones, and paying attention to the possibilities in front of him changed the course of his life.   BIO | FR. PATRICK NOLAN, S.J. Fr. Patrick Nolan, S.J., the youngest of seven children, grew up on Long Island, NY. After seven years working in the sports marketing industry, Nolan entered the Society of Jesus. As a Jesuit, he has worked as an orderly in cancer hospital, visited inmates in a jail, taught, coached, and served as a college counselor in the Pacific Islands of Micronesia, and studied at Loyola University Chicago and Boston College. Ordained in 2018, his current mission is at Boston College High School where he serves as assistant director of enrollment and chaplain to athletics. He also serves as the vocation promoter for the New England region of the USA East Province of the Jesuits. On the weekends, Fr. Pat says Mass in the parishes of South Boston and at various Boston-area colleges, including BC at the St. Ignatius 9:30 p.m. Mass.   CONNECT WITH AGAPE LATTE: Instagram - http://bit.ly/2CuAcUK Facebook - http://bit.ly/2D0dox2 Twitter - http://bit.ly/2lYbXr6

In this episode, Mia Cruz shares a candid story about how navigating the uncertainty of the pandemic taught her how to make room for change, to embrace the non-linearity of life, and to create space for the hope that things will be better.   Mia Cruz is a professor in the Theology Department at Boston College.   Follow Agape Latte for more: Instagram Twitter Facebook YouTube

Dealing with changing plans, uncertainty about the future, and spending less time with the people we care about has seemed to become the new normal. Mike Serazio shares how he's been finding patience during this new normal. Mike Serazio is an associate professor in the Department of Communication at Boston College. Follow Agape Latte for more: Instagram Twitter Facebook

“Are you really always happy?” is a popular question for Ms. Smiley (Yvonne McBarnett). In this episode, she answers that question (spoiler alert: the struggle is real right now for her too), shares how she’s finding happiness during these uncertain and stressful times, and gives tips for how you can find it too!   Yvonne McBarnett (Ms. Smiley) is the program director for the Montserrat Coalition at Boston College.   FOLLOW AGAPE LATTE: Instagram Twitter Facebook YouTube

Will you live differently after everything goes back to "normal"? Dan Ponsetto shares what he's learned about moments of disruption. From the new normal after his cancer diagnosis, to life lessons during the pandemic, his takeaways have a common thread - taking the risk of slowing down can reveal what your busyness has been distracting you from.    Dan Ponsetto is the director of the Boston College Volunteer & Service Learning Center.     FOLLOW AGAPE LATTE: Instagram Twitter Facebook YouTube

How do you handle difficult conversations (about racism, social injustice, current events), especially with friends or family that you know you disagree with? In this Agape Latte, Prof. Steve Pope shares his thoughts on how to communicate a message you’re passionate about without judgement and how to use these conversations as an opportunity to learn about, connect with, and understand the other person.    Stephen Pope is a professor in the Theology Department at Boston College.

How do you find hope when life doesn’t go as planned? Fr. Michael Himes shares the story of his diagnosis and how he continues to find hope in it. To go straight to his story head to 21:26 on the podcast. “The whole of the universe is your gift. And if at some point in the universe, it’s shaking a little bit, that doesn’t take away its grandeur, its beauty, its wonder, and its capacity for love.” Highlights from this Episode: 4:15 – 5:40 // Optimism and hope are not the same thing 16:36 – 19:40 // Figuring out what you want to do with your life 21:26 – End // Story of his diagnosis and finding hope when life doesn’t go as planned Fr. Michael Himes is a professor of theology at Boston College and a priest from the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York. He's been awarded the "Teacher of the Year Award" at Boston College and the "Most Influential Teacher" award at the University of Notre Dame, where he taught before coming to BC.   CONNECT WITH AGAPE LATTE Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // YouTube

Prof. Amey Victoria Adkins-Jones received an unexpected wake-up call and a second chance at life after a near-death experience forced her to rethink the way she was living her life. She had to ask herself with equal parts humor, grit, and grace, ‘are you living your days like you mean it?'   Amey Victoria Adkins-Jones is an Assistant Professor of Theology and African and African Diaspora Studies at Boston College.

Fr. Ken Himes (Boston College, Theology Department) shares his story about the unexpected people who changed the course of his life, helping this cynical kid figure out what the point of it all was and in the process giving him a new way to look at the world. "People came into my life that didn't have to come into my life. These weren't relatives, these weren't people who owed me anything. But they took some time, they exerted some energy, they thought 'this guy's worth talking to'. Mentors are one of the great gifts of life... To have those kinds of people step into your life is an incredible, rich grace.” “It is all gift.” - Fr. Ken Himes

"Don’t let this mountain - don’t let Everest - be the greatest thing you ever do." Erik Weihenmayer - author, adventurer, and the first blind person to summit Mt. Everest - shares his powerful story about facing fear, finding a "No Barriers" approach to life after losing his sight, and continuing to push the limits each and every day.