Disciples of the Word
Proclaiming the Word is a vital role of the clergy. Like many “professions”, preaching is perfected through practice, feedback and sharing best practices. Disciples of the Word is a mentoring and coaching experience for permanent deacons and priests seeking to improve their craft.
Beginning January 2025, the Catholic Preaching Institute will guide twelve cohorts through a 10-month-long coaching process designed to form compelling preachers. Each cohort will consist of a preaching fellow, a clergy mentor, and three lay advisors who will meet monthly to review each fellow’s homilies, provide constructive feedback, and suggest helpful recommendations for improvement.
Beginning in 2025, the Catholic Preaching Institute will guide twelve cohorts through a year-long coaching process designed to form compelling preachers.
Each cohort will consist of a preaching fellow, a clergy mentor, and three lay coaches who will meet monthly to review each fellow’s homilies, provide constructive feedback, and suggest helpful recommendations for improvement.
Contact us now if you are interested in participating in this process of forming preachers as “Disciples of the Word.”
Preaching Fellows
Disciples of the Word is a mentoring experience facilitated by twelve coaching cohorts. Each cohort is comprised of a preaching fellow, a clergy mentor and three lay advisors. Cohorts meet monthly.
Fellows are clergy seeking to improve their homilies, and not just what they preach, but also how. These priests and permanent deacons actively seek better ways to connect the faithful to the weekly Gospel readings. Recently ordained or seasoned homilists, fellows seek tailored feedback to incorporate into their homiletic preparation and delivery.
Details:
- Fellows are required to attend three in-person events at the seminary:
- January 25, 2025 – program launch
- June 28, 2025 – mid-program review
- November 22, 2025 – conclusion
- Fellows are paired with a clergy mentor (expert homilist) and 3 lay advisors (pew perspective) to form cohorts.
- Fellows are videotaped in their parishes giving their Sunday homilies and receive constructive feedback from members of their cohorts.
- Fellows must commit to the full 10 month program; monthly meetings are set at the convenience of the cohort.
- Fellows receive a stipend, as well as reimbursement for travel and meeting expenses.
UPDATE: The twelve Fellows who will participate in the 2025 Disciples of the Word mentoring experience have been identified. This program will run again in 2027; if you would like your name waitlisted, email preaching@scs.edu.
Clergy Mentors
Disciples of the Word is a mentoring experience facilitated by twelve coaching cohorts. Each cohort is comprised of a preaching fellow, a clergy mentor and three lay advisors. Cohorts meet monthly.
Mentors are expert clergy homilists actively engaged in supporting their brother priests and deacons in the art of preaching. By sharing best practices, spiritual insights and theological acumen, Mentors share a wealth of experience and knowledge particularly unique to those whose tasked with connecting God’s people with the Word through scripture.
Details:
- Mentors are required to attend three in-person events at the seminary:
- January 25, 2025 – program launch
- June 28, 2025 – mid-program review
- November 22, 2025 – conclusion
- Mentors are paired with a fellow (learner) and 3 lay advisors (pew perspective) to form cohorts.
- Mentors must commit to the full 10 month program; monthly meetings are set at the convenience of the cohort
- Mentors will review a fellow’s videotaped homilies, providing feedback at monthly meetings.
- Mentors receive a stipend, as well as reimbursement for travel expenses for meetings at parishes and the seminary.
UPDATE: The twelve Mentors who will participate in the 2025 Disciples of the Word mentoring experience have been identified. This program will run again in 2027; if you would like your name waitlisted, email preaching@scs.edu.
Lay Advisors
Disciples of the Word is a mentoring experience facilitated by twelve coaching cohorts. Each cohort is comprised of a preaching fellow, a clergy mentor and three lay advisors. Cohorts meet monthly.
Advisors are lay men and women who offer a perspective from the pew. Along with the clergy mentors, Advisors review a fellow’s videotaped homilies, providing constructive feedback on a homily’s clarity, instruction and emotional resonance.
Details:
- Advisors are required to attend two in-person events at the seminary:
- January 25, 2025 – program launch
- November 22, 2025 – conclusion
- Advisors are paired with a fellow (learner) and a mentor (clergy) to form cohorts.
- Advisors will review a fellow’s videotaped homilies, providing monthly feedback.
- Advisors must commit to the full 10 month program; monthly meetings are set at the convenience of the cohort.
- Advisors receive a stipend, as well as reimbursement for travel expenses for meetings at parishes and the seminary.
Cohorts are now forming! If you are interested in becoming an Advisor, please complete the email form below. Participants will be notified by November 25, 2024.
Preaching Fellows
Disciples of the Word is a mentoring experience facilitated by twelve coaching cohorts. Each cohort is comprised of a preaching fellow, a clergy mentor and three lay advisors. Cohorts meet monthly.
Fellows are clergy seeking to improve their homilies, and not just what they preach, but also how. These priests and permanent deacons actively seek better ways to connect the faithful to the weekly Gospel readings. Recently ordained or seasoned homilists, fellows seek tailored feedback to incorporate into their homiletic preparation and delivery.
Details:
- Fellows are required to attend three in-person events at the seminary:
- January 25, 2025 – program launch
- June 28, 2025 – mid-program review
- November 22, 2025 – conclusion
- Fellows are paired with a clergy mentor (expert homilist) and 3 lay advisors (pew perspective) to form cohorts.
- Fellows are videotaped in their parishes giving their Sunday homilies and receive constructive feedback from members of their cohorts.
- Fellows must commit to the full 10 month program; monthly meetings are set at the convenience of the cohort.
- Fellows receive a stipend, as well as reimbursement for travel and meeting expenses.
UPDATE: The twelve Fellows who will participate in the 2025 Disciples of the Word mentoring experience have been identified. This program will run again in 2027; if you would like your name waitlisted, email preaching@scs.edu.
Clergy Mentors
Disciples of the Word is a mentoring experience facilitated by twelve coaching cohorts. Each cohort is comprised of a preaching fellow, a clergy mentor and three lay advisors. Cohorts meet monthly.
Mentors are expert clergy homilists actively engaged in supporting their brother priests and deacons in the art of preaching. By sharing best practices, spiritual insights and theological acumen, Mentors share a wealth of experience and knowledge particularly unique to those whose tasked with connecting God’s people with the Word through scripture.
Details:
- Mentors are required to attend three in-person events at the seminary:
- January 25, 2025 – program launch
- June 28, 2025 – mid-program review
- November 22, 2025 – conclusion
- Mentors are paired with a fellow (learner) and 3 lay advisors (pew perspective) to form cohorts.
- Mentors must commit to the full 10 month program; monthly meetings are set at the convenience of the cohort
- Mentors will review a fellow’s videotaped homilies, providing feedback at monthly meetings.
- Mentors receive a stipend, as well as reimbursement for travel expenses for meetings at parishes and the seminary.
UPDATE: The twelve Mentors who will participate in the 2025 Disciples of the Word mentoring experience have been identified. This program will run again in 2027; if you would like your name waitlisted, email preaching@scs.edu.
Lay Advisors
Disciples of the Word is a mentoring experience facilitated by twelve coaching cohorts. Each cohort is comprised of a preaching fellow, a clergy mentor and three lay advisors. Cohorts meet monthly.
Advisors are lay men and women who offer a perspective from the pew. Along with the clergy mentors, Advisors review a fellow’s videotaped homilies, providing constructive feedback on a homily’s clarity, instruction and emotional resonance.
Details:
- Advisors are required to attend two in-person events at the seminary:
- January 25, 2025 – program launch
- November 22, 2025 – conclusion
- Advisors are paired with a fellow (learner) and a mentor (clergy) to form cohorts.
- Advisors will review a fellow’s videotaped homilies, providing monthly feedback.
- Advisors must commit to the full 10 month program; monthly meetings are set at the convenience of the cohort.
- Advisors receive a stipend, as well as reimbursement for travel expenses for meetings at parishes and the seminary.
Cohorts are now forming! If you are interested in becoming an Advisor, please complete the email form below. Participants will be notified by November 25, 2024.
Preaching Fellows
Disciples of the Word is a mentoring experience facilitated by twelve coaching cohorts. Each cohort is comprised of a preaching fellow, a clergy mentor and three lay advisors. Cohorts meet monthly.
Fellows are clergy seeking to improve their homilies, and not just what they preach, but also how. These priests and permanent deacons actively seek better ways to connect the faithful to the weekly Gospel readings. Recently ordained or seasoned homilists, fellows seek tailored feedback to incorporate into their homiletic preparation and delivery.
Details:
- Fellows are required to attend three in-person events at the seminary:
- January 25, 2025 – program launch
- June 28, 2025 – mid-program review
- November 22, 2025 – conclusion
- Fellows are paired with a clergy mentor (expert homilist) and 3 lay advisors (pew perspective) to form cohorts.
- Fellows are videotaped in their parishes giving their Sunday homilies and receive constructive feedback from members of their cohorts.
- Fellows must commit to the full 10 month program; monthly meetings are set at the convenience of the cohort.
- Fellows receive a stipend, as well as reimbursement for travel and meeting expenses.
UPDATE: The twelve Fellows who will participate in the 2025 Disciples of the Word mentoring experience have been identified. This program will run again in 2027; if you would like your name waitlisted, email preaching@scs.edu.
Clergy Mentors
Disciples of the Word is a mentoring experience facilitated by twelve coaching cohorts. Each cohort is comprised of a preaching fellow, a clergy mentor and three lay advisors. Cohorts meet monthly.
Mentors are expert clergy homilists actively engaged in supporting their brother priests and deacons in the art of preaching. By sharing best practices, spiritual insights and theological acumen, Mentors share a wealth of experience and knowledge particularly unique to those whose tasked with connecting God’s people with the Word through scripture.
Details:
- Mentors are required to attend three in-person events at the seminary:
- January 25, 2025 – program launch
- June 28, 2025 – mid-program review
- November 22, 2025 – conclusion
- Mentors are paired with a fellow (learner) and 3 lay advisors (pew perspective) to form cohorts.
- Mentors must commit to the full 10 month program; monthly meetings are set at the convenience of the cohort
- Mentors will review a fellow’s videotaped homilies, providing feedback at monthly meetings.
- Mentors receive a stipend, as well as reimbursement for travel expenses for meetings at parishes and the seminary.
UPDATE: The twelve Mentors who will participate in the 2025 Disciples of the Word mentoring experience have been identified. This program will run again in 2027; if you would like your name waitlisted, email preaching@scs.edu.
Lay Advisors
Disciples of the Word is a mentoring experience facilitated by twelve coaching cohorts. Each cohort is comprised of a preaching fellow, a clergy mentor and three lay advisors. Cohorts meet monthly.
Advisors are lay men and women who offer a perspective from the pew. Along with the clergy mentors, Advisors review a fellow’s videotaped homilies, providing constructive feedback on a homily’s clarity, instruction and emotional resonance.
Details:
- Advisors are required to attend two in-person events at the seminary:
- January 25, 2025 – program launch
- November 22, 2025 – conclusion
- Advisors are paired with a fellow (learner) and a mentor (clergy) to form cohorts.
- Advisors will review a fellow’s videotaped homilies, providing monthly feedback.
- Advisors must commit to the full 10 month program; monthly meetings are set at the convenience of the cohort.
- Advisors receive a stipend, as well as reimbursement for travel expenses for meetings at parishes and the seminary.
Cohorts are now forming! If you are interested in becoming an Advisor, please complete the email form below. Participants will be notified by November 25, 2024.
