2019 Conference
Mystic and Mystagogue: Preaching as Spiritual Leadership
June 24–26, 2019
Thank you for coming to the 2019 Notre Dame Preaching Conference! There was much enthusiasm and energy about the spiritual dimensions of preaching. When the videos of the keynotes and the workshops become available, they will be posted in the Resources section of this Marten webpage, sorted by date of conference, name of presenter and topic. If you are looking for more input about preaching, please check out the Resources section for videos from past conferences - there is a wealth of preaching material there.
The theme for our 2019 conference was that a Catholic preacher is to be a shepherd and a spiritual leader. The key question in preaching is: how do we lead our people deeper into an encounter with the living God? In this conference, we looked to our roots in the Catholic spiritual tradition as a source for deepening our preaching. Together we discussed what makes preaching thrive: how can a preacher flourish as a spiritual leader? How can we lead others into committed discipleship through preaching?
The preacher must be in some sense a mystic, one who is filled with the Lord’s gracious presence and can overflow so as to lead others into that Presence. Because we are a sacramental people, the preacher must also be a mystagogue; one who can both lead the community’s ritual celebrations, and help the People of God to plunge into them with lively faith, and through them touch the holy realities behind them. We had much to ponder in our days together. Hopefully, these conversations can continue to enrich Catholic preaching.
Video Resources from the 2019 Conference
Keynote Speakers
Fr. Michael Connors, CSC - Welcome and Introduction to Preaching as Spiritual Leadership
Kerry Robinson - Exhortations of Beauty and Meaning: The Role of Preaching in Spiritual Leadership
Fr. Brian Daley, SJ - Speaking with "the Art of Arts": Preaching as Skilled Leadership in the Early Church
Deacon James Keating - The Mystery of Love, Beauty and Death: The Homily that is Prayer
Megan McKenna - Navigating Mystery
Presenters
Dr. Kimberly Baker - Preaching as Spiritual Formation: Augustine as a Guide
Fr. Arthur Baranowski - Forming Parishioners to Become “Hearers of the Word” Before They Come on Sunday
Dr. Kimberly Belcher - When All Heaven Breaks Loose: Realizing Eschatology in Worship and Preaching
Dr. Karla Bellinger - Fire in the Bones: The Mysticism of the Homiletic Encounter
Fr. Michael Connors, CSC - Preaching for Discipleship in the RCIA
Fr. Edward Foley, OFM Cap. - The Storytelling Animal: Preaching and the Sciences
Rev. Serge Halvorsen - Iconic Biblical Preaching: Homily as Sacred Image
Fr. Paul Janowiak, SJ - That I might know how to answer the weary a word that will rouse them” (Is. 50.4): Preaching from the Inside Out”
Fr. Ron Knott - Claiming the Pulpit for Spiritual Leadership and Personal Sanctification
Dr. Susan McGurgan - When We Remember Zion: Preaching, Memory, and Hope
Dr. Deborah Organ - Proclaiming the Word in Difficult Places: Insights and Practices
Dr. Joseph Paprocki - Preaching that Changes Lives
Ana Maria Pineda, RSM - Romero and the Word
Fr. Ron Raab, CSC - Bending toward the Light: Our Posture of Solidarity through Preaching
Bishop Craig Satterlee - Seeing with Eyes of Faith: The Mystagogy of Ambrose of Milan
Fr. Thomas Scirghi, SJ - Preaching: Telling the Faithful What They Want to Say
Deacon David Shea - Preaching Feedback that Matters: Transforming Pious Platitudes into Powerful Preaching
Fr. Paul Turner - Preaching as Pastoring
Sr. Catherine Vincie, RSHM - The Mystagogical Preacher as Community Spiritual Director
Fr. Michael Woroniewicz - Mystagogical Preaching throughout the Liturgical Year: How and When