National homiletics gathering concludes today at Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity
The Catholic Association of Teachers of Homiletics today is concluding its three-day annual meeting at the Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity of the University of St. Thomas.
In addition to its annual-meeting agenda, the conference included an extended consultation on a paper under development by the organization.
The Catholic Association of Teachers of Homiletics exists to provide a common organization for the study of Catholic homiletics. This national organization provides professional-development opportunities for its members, provides resources for the development of homiletics programs and serves as a resource for bishops. Forty members of the association are attending the conference.
Much of the group’s time together here has been devoted to a structured conversation about preaching at this moment in the church. Input gathered during the conference will be used by a team of 12 writers who are preparing a commentary on the U. S. Council of Catholic Bishops’ 1982 “Fullfilled in Your Hearing,” a document about the Sunday homily.
Dr. Deborah Organ, an assistant professor of homiletics at the Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity, and Father Michael Joncas, an associate professor in the Departments of Catholic Studies and Theology at St. Thomas, serve on the writing team for this national paper. The production of this document was funded by an anonymous donor.
“We are honored to be hosting this important national convening on homiletics,” said Organ. “We hope that the work we do during the conference will serve to support those who teach homiletics and those who preach as well as provide input for the bishops’ consideration as they continue to promote quality homiletic preaching in dioceses all over the country.”
