Theological Symposium at Aquinas Institute of Theology

From March 11 - 14, 2024, Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, MO, hosted a homiletic and theological symposium on The Pastoral Charge for Lay Catholic Eucharistic Preaching. A closed gathering of foremost theologians from around the world, it was the concluding event of the Delaplane Preaching Initiative, a grant program funded by the Lilly Endowment's Initiative on Strengthening the Quality of Preaching. Aquinas Institute invited preachers, practical theologians, and ecclesiologists to this symposium. 

The symposium participants considered that while canon law permits lay preaching, it restricts lay ecclesial ministers from preaching the homily at Mass. Observing that many theologically trained lay ecclesial ministers have received preaching formation but do not receive an ecclesial commission to preach, participants explored whether a theological case can be made for the Church to charge or commission a more extensive and diverse pool to preach the Word of God at the Eucharist, including qualified lay preachers and evangelists.

Participants worked over the three days toward making a constructive homiletic and ecclesiological appeal by which the Church can grant a pastoral charge for the ministry of eucharistic preaching to qualified lay ecclesial ministers. The process for the Symposium was modeled on the first Synod on Synodality. The outcome included a two-page document with the Symposium conclusions that would be sent in for consideration by the upcoming Synod. Symposium participants numbered 28, including 18 women and 10 men, including eight Dominican friars and sisters. 

Fr. Maxime Allard, OP PhD; Kayla August, MPS; Kerstin-Marie Berretz, OP; Mary Erika Bolanos, PhD; Fr. Wayne Cavalier, OP, PhD; Emmanuel Diaz, MDiv student; Elizabeth Anne (Betty Anne) Donnelly, MTS; Megan Effron, MDiv; Fr. Tom Esselman, CM, PhD; Sara Fairbanks, OP, PhD; Ann Garrido, DMin; Edward Hahnenberg, PhD; Grant Hartley, MDiv student; Fr. Gregory Heille, OP, DMin; Ruth Anne Henderson, OP, MA; Mary Catherine Hilkert, OP, PhD; Emma Grace Johnson, MDiv student; Layla Karst, PhD; Martin Madar, PhD; Megan McElroy, OP, DMin; Fr. Maurice Nutt, CSsR, DMin; F. Javier Orozco, OFS, PhD; Barbara Reid, OP, PhD; Theresa Rickard, OP, DMin; Elissa Rinere, CP, JCD; Casey Stanton, MDiv; Deborah Wilhelm, DMin; and Carolyn Wright, DMin.

 

Fr. Wayne Cavalier, OP

Congar Institute for Ministry Development

San Antonio, TX 

Thanks to Fr. Greg Heille, OP