2016 Mission

Parish Mission 2016

Theme of the Mission:
A Mission of Mercy:  Living Out the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy

Talk Titles

1. Pope Francis and the Corporal Works of Mercy

Pope Francis has encouraged the Church to reconsider the seven corporal works of mercy in our daily lives. This presentation provides the Scriptural roots and practical application for our personal lives and households concerning feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, visiting the imprisoned, caring for the sick and afflicted, burying the dead and giving alms to the poor.

2. Pope Francis and the Spiritual Works of Mercy

Pope Francis is concerned about providing the poor and marginalized not only material support, but also spiritual accompaniment.  This presentation challenges us to make our homes places of counseling the doubtful, instructing the ignorant, admonishing the sinner, comforting the sorrowful, forgiving injuries, bearing with wrongs patiently, and praying for the living and the dead.

3. The Merciful Love of God and the Holy Face

The mercy we share for one another as Christians does not come from ourselves, but is a gift from God.  In the Holy Face of Christ Crucified we see the radical extent of God's faithfulness and concern for humanity.  For great saints like Therese of Lisieux, Faustina Kowalska, and John Paul II, what they beheld in the Face of Christ gave them the strength to be merciful even in extreme circumstances. By considering what they contemplated in the Face of Christ, we will discover the inexhaustible treasures of mercy God has entrusted to us through His Son.

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Mission Speaker

Dr. Anthony Lilles, S.T.D. 

Anthony Lilles, a graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville, completed his ecclesiastical licentiate (S.T.L.) and doctorate (S.T.D.) in spiritual theology in Rome at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas.  He and his lovely wife, Agnes, are blessed with three children and live in California, where he is the Academic Dean and Associate Professor of Theology at St. John's Seminary of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, as well as Academic Advisor at Juan Diego House, House of Formation for Seminarians.  For over twenty years, Dr. Lilles worked for the Denver Archdiocese directing parish religious education, R.C.I.A., and youth ministry, as well as serving as Director of the Office of Liturgy for the Archdiocese and as Coordinator of Spiritual Formation for the permanent diaconate.  In 1999, he became a founding faculty member of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary, where he was Academic Dean for nine years and Associate Professor of Theology.  He is a Board Member for the Society of Catholic Liturgy.

Dr. Lilles has provided graduate level courses on a variety of topics, including the Eucharist, the Sacraments of Healing, Church History, Spiritual Theology, Spiritual Direction, and on various classics of Catholic Spirituality.  His expertise is in the spiritual doctrine of Blessed Elisabeth of the Trinity and the Carmelite Doctors of the Church: St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and St. Thérèse of Lisieux.  In 2012, Discerning Hearts published his book "Hidden Mountain, Secret Garden: A Theological Contemplation on Prayer," a compilation of discussions with seminarians, students, and contemplatives about the spiritual life.  He collaborated with Dan Burke on the book "30 Days with Teresa of Avila". Among his many accomplishments and responsibilities, Dr. Lilles now teaches theology for the Avila Institute.  He blogs at www.beginningtopray.com and www.spiritualdirection.com.