PREACHER:
Parish Missions and Retreats
When the grammar school principal was looking for me, Sister Seraphim, my second grade teacher, replied, “Just look for a group of students. Wherever two or three are gathered, Albert is preaching in their midst.” I must have been a tad bit precocious.
My priestly ministry is primarily centered on the ministry of the Word. At least once a month, I am packing my bags and going somewhere to preach a parish mission or a retreat. It’s a real challenge for me to live out of a suitcase and sleep in different beds.
My approach to parish missions is a no-brainer: I preach all the weekend liturgies to introduce the theme of the parish mission. I offer both three-night and four-night parish missions. Each evening is centered around a Liturgy of the Word and a 35-minute homily. The service lasts for roughly one hour. I have two predesigned parish mission series which have received very positive feedback. Given enough lead time, though, I am willing to customize a series for a particular church. One of the most creative and challenging parish mission requests I ever received, was to preach on the saints portrayed in a church’s windows.
Parishes Where I've Preached Parish Missions in 2009:
St. Margaret Mary, Naperville, IL + Visitation Church, Elmhurst, IL
St. Isidore the Farmer, Dieterich, IL + St. Mary, Mokena, IL
St. Francis Solanus, Quincy, IL + Notre Dame, Clarendon Hills, IL
Christ the King, Lombard, IL + St. Joseph, Waconia, MN
Holy Family, Decatur, IL + St. Joseph, Springfield, IL
St. George, Tinley Park, IL + St. Christopher, Midlothian, IL
Parishes Where I've Preached Parish Missions in 2010:
St. Paul's Newman Center, Laramie, WY + Our Lady of Fatima, Monroe, LA
St. Alexander, Villa Park, IL + St. Daniel the Prophet, Wheaton, IL
I’ve also preached retreats and given workshops for clergy and religious. I’ve preached retreats to priests and permanent deacons (dioceses of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Peoria IL, Joliet IL, Evansville IN; the archdioceses of Santa Fe NM, Chicago IL) as well as to religious (the Poor Clare nuns in Omaha NE, New Orleans LA, Memphis TN, Spokane WA, Evansville IN; the Franciscan Sisters of St. Louis MO, Wheaton IL). I've also given days of recollection to various groups or parishes (St. Patrick's Church of Merna, Bloomington IL).
Retreats and Workshops I've Given in 2010:
+ Winter Institute of the International Institute for Clergy Formation, Sierra Madre, CA
+ Preached Retreat, Divine Word MIssionaries, Techny, IL
+ Day of Recollection, Chancery Office Personnel, Diocese of Springfield, IL
If you are interested in a parish mission or retreat, I suggest you call where I have already preached this year (listed above) and get the “skinny” on my content and preaching style. Though many people are polite and “guarded” in written evaluations, they will “sing like a canary” when asked over the phone.