News and Announcements
Stay up to date on all that is happening at the Institute for Homiletics.
Preaching for Encounter Program – Preachers’ Progress Report 2024 Cohort
Executive Summary: Catholic preaching can improve. At the Institute for Homiletics, we have witnessed homiletic growth anecdotally and we have measured it statistically. The 2024 cohort of the Preaching for Encounter Program worked on their...
A Reflection for the Feast of St. Monica: Grace Comes into the Gap
By Dr. Karla Bellinger – 1 Corinthians 1: 26-31 Consider your own calling, brothers and sisters. Not many of you were side by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth....
Preaching in Ordinary Time Doesn’t Have to be ‘Ordinary’
By Dr. Suzanne Nawrocki, Institute for Homiletics Coach: According to Merriam-Webster, ordinary means “to be expected,” “usual,” or “of a common kind.” In everyday speech, we often use the word to describe something that is...
The Feast of Ignatius of Loyola: the Mystic of the Ordinary and Everyday
In homiletics, we can lose the mystery dimension of preaching. It is a miracle when a listener says, “You touched me today.” The Holy Spirit is the One who makes that encounter happen. But sometimes, homileticians...
NADD The Deacon Article: The Homily – Preaching for Encounter
By Deacon Matthew Napoli “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:21) In our imagination, we might sense the excitement in the synagogue when Christ rolled up the scroll and handed it...
The Preacher as Witness in Ordinary Time
By Dcn. Bill Eckert, Institute for Homiletics Coach: On the road to Emmaus, two disciples encountered the risen Lord in the breaking of the bread. They immediately took to the road to spread the good...
Catholic Young Adult Study: Better Homilies Correlate with Stronger Parishes
By Dr. William E. Baker and Dr. Karla J. Bellinger A friend jokes that she is a “Roamin’ Catholic” – she and her husband and their young family travel around to Catholic parishes in her...
Feed My Sheep: Two Cistercian Monks Among 26 Priests Join New Cohort At Institute for Homiletics at the University of Dallas
For the third cohort in a row, Cistercian monks are among the priests who know the Word and hunger to give it away. By Anna Liza Denny IRVING, Texas (June 12, 2026) — During a...
Victoria Lighthouse article: Alongside Bishop Cahill, Diocese Priests Aim for Better Homilies
The Diocese of Victoria, Texas has had a number of priests complete the Institute for Homiletics’ Preaching for Encounter program, and for the 2026 cohort we welcome Bishop Brendan Cahill and seven more priests. Bishop...
