How can the non-ordained, the lay faithful, engage in preaching the faith? This was the question tackled in a new book chapter entitled 鈥淭owards an Inclusive Model of Eucharistic Preaching in the Catholic Church,鈥� authored by the Institute of Religion鈥檚 Assoc. Prof. Mary Erika N. Bola帽os, PhD, concurrent Principal of the Senior High School.
Engaging with Edward Hahnenberg鈥檚 insights on lay homiletics, the new work explores an inclusive model of Eucharistic preaching within the Catholic Church to examine the 鈥渆volving ecclesiology since Vatican II, emphasizing a synodal and participatory Church.鈥� Using the experiences of lay Catholic preachers as data, Bola帽os argued that these 鈥渆xemplify the potential for engaging the faithful,鈥� acknowledging diversity of charisms and pastoral adaptability, among others. Bola帽os called for a broader understanding of 鈥淓ucharistic preaching beyond ordained ministry.鈥�
The SHS Principal, who also teaches at the Institute of Preaching of the Philippine Dominican Center for Institutional Studies stated that there is a need for 鈥渞esponsible lay involvement in preaching, recognizing the Spirit鈥檚 call for an inclusive and authentic ministry while upholding the liturgical and sacramental integrity of the Eucharistic celebration.鈥�
The chapter is part of the new book entitled 鈥淟ay Eucharistic Preaching in a Synodal Catholic Church,鈥� edited by fr. Gregory Heille, O.P. of the Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. The book is a product of a March 2024 gathering of twenty-seven preachers and theologians, who delved into the question of whether 鈥渁 synodal church in mission could make a theological case to commission a more extensive and diverse pool of qualified lay preachers and evangelists to preach the Word of God at the Eucharist.鈥�
