St. Peter's
Seminary

 

 A. COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course focuses in on the practical study of preaching in a seminary and parish context. It provides the student with the opportunity to exercise the role of preaching, and to reflect theologically upon it.

B. GOALS

This course will assist students to grow in the following knowledge, skills and attitudes.

Knowledge
1. To come to a deeper knowledge of the students’ own strengths and weaknesses in the ministry of liturgical preaching.

2. To gain further insight into the elements of effective preaching.

Skills
1. To be able to do theological reflection on the ministry of preaching.

2. To be able to preach more effectively, through ongoing learning and reflection about preaching.

Attitudes
1. To appreciate more fully the importance of the ministry of liturgical preaching.

C. ASSIGNMENTS AND EVALUATIONS

a) Setting Of Goals:

Deacons are asked to articulate their Goals for Growth in preaching. This is to be a one-page submission, consisting of a few paragraphs (or a list in point form), setting concrete goals for growth in preparing for, and delivering homilies.

This one-page outline for Goals for Growth is due Friday, October 5, 2012.

b) Ongoing Homily Evaluation

Deacons will be evaluated and given feedback on strengths and needed growth through two means:

1. Seminary Main Chapel Mass Homilies. After each celebration at which one of the deacons preaches, a faculty member will meet briefly with him in Parlour B (St. Francis Room), to give feedback regarding the effectiveness of his homily.

2. Weekend Preaching in Parishes. The input of pastors and laity in the parishes where deacons preach will provide greater input from the People of God.

NOTE: I will meet twice during the year, once each term, with each of the deacons to go over your preaching, and the feedback I have received.

c) The Four Parish Homilies

For each of the four homilies, you are required to submit the following:

1) The full text, with the titles of the ‘homiletic moves’ inserted into the text.

2) As part of an addendum, the following are to be included:

i) Section 1: What was your ‘pearl’? How did you come to choose this pearl overothers?

ii) Section 2: What was the ‘end’ of your homily? (Clearness, Impression, Persuasion, Action) How did you go about consciously trying to accomplish
this in the homily?

iii) Section 3: Which homiletic ‘form’ did you use, and why?

iii) Section 4: Set one goal for each homily. It may be something that you want to improve upon in your preaching (eg. smoother transitions in the text, being
more deliberate with hand movements, using your voice in a more varied way,etc.). It may be something you want to experiment with (eg. preaching without
notes, a new homiletic form, etc.). In this section, reflect on your goal andwhether or not it was accomplished. If not, why?

At the top of your preaching text, put the date of preaching, the name of the parish, the liturgical day of the preaching (eg. 1st Sunday of Advent, Cycle B), and the scripture texts for your preaching.

After each parish homily, use the envelope provided, and place your materials at my suite door (SuiteH, Group B).

d) Written Reflection Paper

Near the end of the Academic Year, each deacon will write a 5 page reflection paper due Friday, March 8, 2013, expressing the following:

What have you learned this year from your preaching experience? As you think about your formation in preaching thus far, what key insights do you want to carry into your ongoing ministry? What are your areas of strength in preaching? What areas do you need to grow in? How concretely do you plan to commit yourself to ongoing, lifelong formation as a preacher?

e) Grading

Field Ed. 5581 is a credit course, to which a grade is assigned. The grade will be determined by assessing deacon’s written work, and by their preaching in various venues. The grading for the course will be determined in the following way:

Preaching and written reflections on it: 70% of final mark.

Final written reflection paper: 30% of final mark.