April Newsletter

Prayer Intentions

We thank God for all who came back to or entered the Catholic faith this year, and ask that they continue to grow closer to Christ.
For those called to participate in our 2026 cohort of Preaching for Encounter. This includes Catholic priests and lay members of their community who pray for them and help them to understand the needs of their listeners.

Comments from our recent participants of the Preaching for Encounter Program

Registrations for Priests CLOSING THIS FRIDAY

2026 Preaching for Encounter Program

Please see more here and use the contact information to express your interest

Visit here to apply by May 1

“My parish members have noticed my intentionality and willingness to try new things in my homilies, and they are staying engaged. I try to share stories that focus on the action of God and what it means in our own lives. Also, when I add more variation to how I use my voice and movement, people absorb the message in a more memorable way”.
– Fr. Jason Cargo, Diocese of Dallas

"I embraced spending more time in prayer as part of my homily preparation. I’ve become more relatable rather than academic, and I’m really thankful to my parishioners who have helped me to speak from my heart. This program is important. It has helped immensely and shown me I can go much further as long as I keep the Holy Spirit with me.”
– Deacon Jack Hayes, Diocese of Joliet, IL

"This program gave me much more than I expected! I now have a lot of tools to continue to improve my preparation of homilies. The experience with my coaches was especially meaningful to my growth. I feel like I now have the resources and relationships to help me keep learning and growing in my preaching for years to come."
– Fr. Miguel Martinez, Archdiocese of Chicago

Please visit our Preaching Program page for more details and more testimonials.

In The News

Bishop Brendan Cahill (center) and several Victoria Diocese priests gathered with Institute for Homiletics Executive Director Dr. Karla Bellinger (right of Bishop Cahill) and Coordinator for Clergy Programming Deacon James Baird (far right) to begin their PEP experience.

2026 Priest Cohort for the Preaching for Encounter Program (PEP) is underway!

This group is part of several that are in the initial process of applications, interviews, and orientations. The introductory summer retreat will be at Mundelein Seminary in Chicago on June 23-25, 2026. Stay tuned for more to come!

In other PEP news, the 2027 deacon cohort will launch with their introductory retreat on April 22-24, 2027.

As we continue to grow the number of clergy in our PEP program, we want to maintain the personal nature of our ongoing formation. To do that, we need more coaches. We will hold a national Homiletics Coach Training program October 15-17, 2026. Please contact us for more information if you think that you might like to apply for that initiative.

Lilly Endowment Grant News

Summary: The Lilly Endowment, Inc. invited the Institute for Homiletics to its Compelling Preaching Initiative annual gathering March 23-25, 2026, in Indianapolis for the third year.

Presenter: Dr. Karla Bellinger was one of the presenters for the plenary session “Learning Reimagined: Pedagogies of Preaching for a Changing World.”

Leaders from many Christian denominations share a common mission: to renew the art of preaching so that the Gospel may be proclaimed in more engaging and effective ways. More than 300 people gathered in Indianapolis on March 23-25 to talk about compelling preaching. Dr. Karla Bellinger (Executive Director) and Emily Lugo (Coordinator of Lay Programming) represented the Institute for Homiletics at the gathering.

The Lilly Endowment’s Compelling Preaching Initiative annual gathering provided days that were rich with opportunity. Plenary sessions blended ecumenical worship with thoughtful presentations and lively discussion, creating space to reflect together on how God is at work through this initiative. Everyone recognized that we are forming preachers for more and more diverse communities. Interactive elements, including live polling, invited real-time reflection and fostered a spirit of active engagement throughout the gathering.

One live poll revealed that “Community” was the key word of the gathering. Participants sat at round tables and talked and laughed. They came together not simply as colleagues, but as fellow laborers in the vineyard. For some, like us, it was the third year of the grant. We saw old friends. Others were new to their grant process. They made new friends. We shared joys and hopes, struggles and challenges. Each was seeking new and faithful ways to invite people into a deeper encounter with Christ through the preached Word.

For us, the gathering was also a time of meaningful connection with fellow Catholic grantees. We came together to celebrate Mass together on the Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord. Fr. Anthony Ruff, OSB, presided. Deacon Frank Agnoli of Davenport, Iowa preached a powerful reminder of our shared call to proclaim Christ with humility and courage, echoing Mary’s own “yes” to God’s Word.

We were especially honored that Dr. Karla Bellinger was invited to contribute to a plenary panel, “Learning Reimagined: Pedagogies of Preaching for a Changing World.” The framework for the panel was to speak to the three components of teaching – the relational, the content, and the fruit of the teaching. The question asked of each of the panelists was “What is unique about your program?” Dr. Bellinger shared that the Preaching for Encounter Program at our institute builds on the four-fold relationality of 1) clergy peer groups, 2) personal coaching, 3) lay support groups, and 4) large group teaching retreats. From this relational foundation, our unique strength is our content: compelling preaching is preaching that brings the community (both hearer and preacher) into an encounter with the living God. That is our focus for all that we teach. From that shared encounter, the community “goes out” to make a difference in the world. She shared insights into the Institute’s distinctive approach to forming preachers—one that emphasizes not only homiletic skill, but deep spiritual attentiveness and listening.

Our team returned from this gathering filled with gratitude and renewed hope. It is a blessing to witness the many ways the Holy Spirit is moving through this initiative, and to celebrate the fruits already emerging from this work. We remain committed and true to our mission of renewing liturgical preaching, especially in ways that speak to and inspire young Catholics. Watch for more to come about our exciting work made possible by this Lilly Endowment Grant.

Institute 'On the Road'

 You may have noticed in our News section of the website, our Coordinator of Clergy Programming Deacon James Baird attended the Association for the Ongoing Formation of Priests (AOFP) gathering in San Antonio this month. This group helps priests to grow in holiness and their ministerial life, and we were pleased to be part of their conversation. We introduced them to the opportunity to use our website resources or to renew themselves and their homilies through the PEP program.

 Deacon James is also attending the National Association of Diocesan Deaconate (NADD) gathering in Fort Worth this week. The NADD supports the Formation, Ministry, and Life of Permanent Deacons in the United States. Deacon James was there to begin recruiting for our deacon cohort, alongside other formation leaders.

Coaches Corner

Spirituality and Tone of Voice, by Dr. Karla Bellinger

Tone of voice reveals your inner life. This is true for a homilist when he preaches from the ambo. This holds true when a lay person shares a witness or a story to a fellow follower or to an unbeliever. A parent’s tone of voice conveys to a toddler how he or she feels when
speaking the name of Jesus. Your interior life leaks out. Your closeness (or distance) with the Lord comes through your voice. Here is an exercise that we have done at retreats. Find a friend and pair off. (Or try it on your own.) Say the name of God.

Now set a timer for one minute and pray and think of a time when you deeply sensed the closeness of the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit. Then say the word “God” again.
How did your tone change?

Those who listen to us, ask, “Is Father friendly?” “Does Deacon care about us?” “Does my mother really love me?” “Do I matter to my dad?” Put warmth in your voice today. It makes a difference in how you are heard.

Resources

There is still much to be learned from the Gospel through the Easter season and into Pentecost. Here are some resources for your consideration.

Preaching
Wall of Honor

Remember, we are happy to receive your input about a preacher you believe is connected people with God. Please submit the name of a preacher who has touched your life.

Here is an honor bestowed in recent months upon Bishop Emeritus Arthur J. Serratelli, STD, SSL of Paterson, NJ. "His homilies are always precise, not too long, always an anecdote and an application. He speaks from the heart and has always touched my heart and inspired me. When recently preaching about St. Carlo Acutis, he quoted Ven. Archbishop Fulton Sheen, 'It doesn't take much time to be a saint, but much love.' How perfect is that?!"

We will inform them of the honor and place their name on our Preacher’s Wall of Honor. If you like, you may visit www.instituteforhomiletics.org/ donate to give to The Institute of Homiletics Saint John Chrysostom Fund at The Catholic Foundation to help us renew preaching. Thank you!