Institute for Homiletics

This past Friday, we gathered to thank the wonderful supporters of the Institute for Homiletics and celebrate our fifth birthday! 🥳

Guests enjoyed a talk by Dr. Karla Bellinger entitled, “Where Is the God of Love in the Suffering of Life?” Karla also shared her vision for the future of the Institute and the many blessings still to come. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has supported our mission throughout these five years. Here’s to many more! 🙌🏼

Meet the 2026 cohort! 🔥

We are grateful to welcome these priests as they begin their journey of prayer, formation, coaching, and fraternity through the Preaching for Encounter Program.

Please join us in praying for them as they continue growing in their ministry and helping others encounter God through preaching.

Fr Joseph Van House, O’Cist and Fr. Thomas Esposito, O’Cist, are familiar faces within the University of Dallas. As Cistercian monks and members of the UD faculty, they bring a deep love and understanding to theology and to Sacred Scripture to their students and community.

They also continue to learn as participants in the 2026 Cohort of the Preaching for Encounter program. We are excited for them to continue growing in their ministry. Please keep them and all the members of our new cohort in your prayers. 🙏🏼

Strengthen your skills through the National Homiletics Coaching Training:
📍 University of Saint Mary of the Lake
📅 October 15–17
💻 Plus five online sessions

This training is designed for seminary professors, deacon mentors, preaching educators, and anyone seeking to strengthen their coaching or mentoring outreach.

Apply by September 30, 2026. Limited spots remain—contact us to learn more! 🔥

After celebrating its milestone fifth anniversary, the Institute for Homiletics at the University of Dallas launched a new cohort exclusively dedicated to permanent deacons.

This new cohort, part of the Preaching for Encounter Program at the University of Homiletics, will begin its twenty-month program beginning April 2027. The Preaching for Encounter Program cultivates priests and deacons in building deeper relationships with their congregations through preaching.

Deacon Jack Hayes, a 2024 cohort member, reflected on the growth he received from the program, "I've become more relatable rather than academic, and I'm really thankful to my parishioners who have helped me to speak from my heart."

Read more at https://hubs.ly/Q04x9PTG0

(Photo: University of Dallas Chief of Staff Ryan Reedy, BA '05 MH '10, and Institute for Homiletics Executive Director Dr. Karla Bellinger hold a plaque marking the Institute's fifth anniversary.)

Ten years after SB Hall first opened its doors, a new generation of students is finding community within its walls.

This fall, on just their third day at UD, Dominick Ragle and Colton Aleman crossed paths in the Veterans Lounge. Dominick, a freshman with 10 years of military service, and Colton, a first-year graduate student who served five years in the Navy, are both pursuing theology degrees while balancing life as commuters and fathers.

Their story is one small example of the community SB Hall has helped foster over the past decade.

Made possible through the generosity of Satish Gupta, MBA ’81, and Yasmin Gupta, MBA ’82, SB Hall is home to the Gupta College of Business, the Neuhoff Institute, the Institute for Homiletics and Campus Ministry—bringing together students, faculty and programs from across the University.

As SB Hall celebrates its 10th anniversary and welcomes its 10th incoming class, we celebrate not only the building, but the people and connections that continue to give it life.

At the Institute for Homiletics, we believe that homilies matter. ❤️‍🔥 Our mission is to strengthen the bond between preachers and their communities, rooted in the power of the Word and guided by the Holy Spirit. 🕊️

This mission comes to life through three core initiatives:
🔥 Preaching for Encounter
🔥 St. Joseph’s Preachers Program
🔥 Research & Content

Together, these initiatives support preachers, equip lay leaders, and help renew parish communities through stronger Catholic preaching.