Into the Deep: Renewing Liturgical Preaching to Reach Young Catholics
He worked hard at fishing all night. And he knows how to fish! But that night, he caught nothing. Why? Different conditions? A different region of the Sea? Jesus tells Peter to “put out into the deep.” Peter could have resisted: Jesus of Nazareth, the son of a carpenter, you really don’t know fishing, do you? But instead, the Big Fisherman obeys “at your command…” The catch is incredible. Astonishing. The boats were so heavy that they were in danger of sinking. That fishing story ends with Jesus’ famous line, ““Do not be afraid, Simon; from now on you will be catching men.” (Luke 5:10)
Preachers work hard at their preaching craft. They read scripture. They find a focal point. They strive to deliver their message well. And yet sometimes, speaking into a world so already full of noise, they feel like they have “worked hard all night and have caught nothing.”
What would Jesus tell us to do?
John Paul II spoke of new ardor, new methods, new expression in the “new evangelization.” We cannot just fish as we have always fished. There is more to be learned. There is a different region of the sea to be fished. There are deeper waters to be fathomed.
We have named our Lilly Endowment initiative “Into the Deep.” Our focus is on renewing liturgical preaching to evangelize a new generation. Within the beauty of a Catholic Mass, we believe that God wants to speak through the Liturgy of the Word. The liturgical homily has the opportunity to be a moment for depth. Homily preparation can be a time for prayer and fishing for words that will awaken the imagination and inspire the soul of a congregation. Homilists have a unique opportunity to drop their nets into the deep to “catch” a new generation. We want to be overjoyed at the catch.
Renewing the Church Through Compelling Preaching
For nearly a century, the Lilly Endowment Inc. has invested in work that strengthens the moral and spiritual life of society. Through its recent Compelling Preaching Initiative, the Endowment recognizes a critical truth: the future vitality of the Christian Church depends on the quality of its preaching. When preaching is vibrant and attentive to lived experience, it can foster a genuine encounter with God.
The Institute for Homiletics: A Strategic Investment in Renewal
The Institute for Homiletics exists to come into this moment. We help Catholic clergy to proclaim the Word of God with fervor and depth — particularly to teens and young adults who are searching for meaning but may find the liturgical homily to be disconnected from their reality. At the heart of this work is a simple but urgent question: How do we preach so that people encounter God?
Homilies that Reach Young Catholics
In 2022-2023, the Institute received a $1.3 million grant through Lilly Endowment’s Compelling Preaching Initiative for its “Into the Deep: Renewing Liturgical Preaching to Reach Young Catholics” project. This investment allows the Institute to:
- Deepen our understanding of how to form preachers through intensive, community-based learning
- Listen to advisory groups of
- young priests;
- national youth and young adult leaders; and
- homiletically trained young adults.
- Build awareness among bishops and Church leaders that preaching matters
- Develop accessible digital and in-person resources that extend our impact well beyond our formal programming.
This work is not just theoretical. It is grounded in listening to clergy, Church leaders, and young adults. We are doing “under-the-hood” research that discloses the relationship between the Catholic liturgical homily and the faith and practices of teens and young adults. Those voices reveal both a growing distance from faith and a deep openness to spiritual meaning.
What the Research Reveals—and Why It Matters
National studies of young adults and teenage youth, as well as direct listening initiatives show a striking gap:
- Many young people are open to inspiration but disconnected from Church life.
- The homily is often experienced as one of the least meaningful parts of Mass.
- Yet, even for those who have stepped away from faith, they may return for milestones like weddings and funerals These are moments when preaching still matters deeply.
This gap represents a challenge and an extraordinary opportunity. Compelling preaching can become a bridge that connects young people to faith at the moments they are most open to forming a relationship with the living God.
Measurable Impact, Growing Influence:
With Lilly Endowment support, the Institute is already seeing fruit:
- Nearly 100 Catholic clergy have completed the Preaching for Encounter Program.
- Approximately 800 lay participants have been formed as homiletically-trained conversation partners through the Saint Joseph’s Preachers program.
And our numbers continue to grow! Together, clergy and laity form a culture of shared responsibility for preaching that engages both heart and intellect, prayer and practice.
Why This Work Matters Now
The renewal of preaching is inseparable from the renewal of the Church. In a world hungry for meaning, compelling preaching helps people hear the Gospel and recognize the Lord at work in their own lives.
With visionary partners like Lilly Endowment, the Institute for Homiletics is helping to ensure that when the Word is proclaimed, it truly becomes Good News for the generations who are shaping the Church’s future.