Lilly Endowment’s initiative intends to help Christian pastors — including Catholic priests and deacons — to proclaim the Gospel “in more engaging and effective ways” and “support preaching that inspires, encourages, and guides people to come to know and love God and to live out their Christian faith more fully,” according to information from the foundation.
“Throughout history, preachers often have needed to adapt their preaching practices to engage new generations of hearers more effectively,” said Christopher L. Coble, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for religion, in a statement. “We are pleased that the organizations receiving grants in this initiative will help pastors and others in ministry engage in the kinds of preaching needed today to ensure that the Gospel message is heard and accessible for all audiences.”
Thanks to the five-year grant, St. Charles Borromeo Seminary will establish a Catholic Preaching Institute to develop programs that, according to seminary officials, will help parishioners better appreciate the word of God and enable clergy to prepare and deliver “more impactful” homilies.
Among its planned activities, the institute will conduct yearlong mentoring programs in which teams comprised of “master preachers” and lay evaluators work directly with priests and deacons to help them improve their craft, according to the seminary.
As St. Charles Seminary prepares to relocate from its Wynnewood campus to Upper Gwynedd in 2024, the new institute will represent “an exciting new venture in the continuing formation of seminarians and ordained clergy,” said seminary rector Father Keith Chylinski in a statement. “Through its innovative work, we hope to spark a homiletic revival that benefits the spiritual life of all the faithful whom we serve.”
Catholic parishioners consistently indicate in surveys that the most important elements to attract people to the celebration of Mass are liturgical music, a welcoming community, and strong preaching.