Lilly Endowment’s initiative intends to help Christian pastors — including Catholic priests and deacons — to proclaim the Gospel “in more engaging and effective ways” and “support preaching that inspires, encourages, and guides people to come to know and love God and to live out their Christian faith more fully,” according to information from the foundation.“Throughout history, preachers often have needed to adapt their preaching practices to engage new generations of hearers more effectively,” said Christopher L. Coble, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for religion, in a statement. “We are pleased that the organizations receiving grants in this initiative will help pastors and others in ministry engage in the kinds of preaching needed today to ensure that the Gospel message is heard and accessible for all audiences.”Thanks to the five-year grant, St. Charles Borromeo Seminary will establish a Catholic Preaching Institute to develop programs that, according to seminary officials, will help parishioners better appreciate the word of God and enable clergy to prepare and deliver “more impactful” homilies.Among its planned activities, the institute will conduct yearlong mentoring programs in which teams comprised of “master preachers” and lay evaluators work directly with priests and deacons to help them improve their craft, according to the seminary.As St. Charles Seminary prepares to relocate from its Wynnewood campus to Upper Gwynedd in 2024, the new institute will represent “an exciting new venture in the continuing formation of seminarians and ordained clergy,” said seminary rector Father Keith Chylinski in a statement. “Through its innovative work, we hope to spark a homiletic revival that benefits the spiritual life of all the faithful whom we serve.”Catholic parishioners consistently indicate in surveys that the most important elements to attract people to the celebration of Mass are liturgical music, a welcoming community, and strong preaching.

Daniel Cellucci, chief executive officer of the Catholic Leadership Institute, said research by his organization with numerous dioceses and parishes in the U.S. “shows that preaching that connects Scripture to everyday life is a critical driver in a parish’s spiritual health.”“We also know that people in the pews want more, they need more, and they deserve more. This innovative institute will better prepare priests to meet those needs,” he said.The work of the Catholic Preaching Institute will begin next year and will be directed by the seminary’s Cardinal Foley Chair of Homiletics and Social Communications, currently held by Father Thomas Dailey, OSFS.