Events

John S. and Virginia Marten Lecture in Homiletics

Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology, St. Meinrad, IN, will present the annual John S. and Virginia Marten Lecture in Homiletics on Wednesday, October 1, at 9 a.m. Central Time in St. Bede Theater. This year’s program will be presented by Dr. Ann Garrido on the topic of “Preaching with Children: Exploring the Word of God with the Church’s Youngest Members.”

Preaching in settings with many children is one of the most difficult challenges many preachers face. Whether you are a priest, deacon, catechist, or prayer leader, this workshop will offer practical help in crafting homilies specifically for children. Drawing on insights gleaned over the past 70 years within the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd movement, Dr. Garrido will introduce key characteristics of childhood and children’s spirituality and present ways to reflect on Scripture through the lens of the young child. Preachers will discover possibilities for preaching with children, rather than preaching to them.

Dr. Garrido is an associate professor of homiletics at Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, MO. She has been a Catholic educator since 1991, teaching middle and high school in Guam before earning a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry in preaching at Aquinas Institute of Theology.

Dr. Garrido joined the Institute’s faculty in 2000 and has taught courses in pastoral theology, homiletics, and catechetics while serving in a variety of administrative roles. She is the founding director of the Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies-Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program at Aquinas Institute.

She has served as a CGS catechist with children ages 3-12 since 1996 and has been a formation leader with the U.S. National Association of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd since 1999. She has been a member of the association’s formation committee since 2004.

She’s the author of 10 books, as well as numerous essays and articles, including Preaching with Children (Liturgy Training Publications, 2022). Her newest book, Redeeming Power, was released in 2024.

Dr. Garrido served as a Marten Faculty Fellow in Homiletics at the University of Notre Dame and a Kilian McDonnell Fellow in Faith and Culture at the Collegeville Institute. She is a longtime consultant with Triad Consulting Group, bringing research on communication and conflict management into church settings.

This lecture/workshop series is made possible by an endowment established by the John S. Marten family of Indianapolis. Parking is available behind St. Bede Hall, as well as in the Guest House and student parking lots.