Saint Meinrad Archabbey | Preaching Lecture and Workshop

Oct 04, 2023 @ 10:00 am - 1:00 pm

Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology, St. Meinrad, IN, will present the 32nd annual John S. and Virginia Marten Lecture and Workshop in Homiletics on Wednesday, October 4, on the Saint Meinrad campus.

The lecturer for this year’s program is Fr. Gustavo Castillo, eucharistic preacher for the Eucharistic Revival. His lecture is titled “Eucharistic Revival: Renewing Ourselves to Renew the World.” The lecture, open to the public, will begin at 9:00 a.m. Central Time in St. Bede Theater. The corresponding workshop, geared toward priests, permanent deacons and seminarians, titled “Learning from the Saints: The Witness of St. John of Avila for Effective Eucharistic Preaching” will follow in the fifth floor conference room in St. Bede Hall.

Fr. Castillo is originally from Jalisco, Mexico. He came to the United States at the age of 15. An alumnus of Saint Meinrad, he studied at the College from 1993 to 1997, earning a bachelor’s degree in Spanish literature, with minors in philosophy and psychology.

After attending St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, CA, he was ordained for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 2001. He went on to serve in two different parishes as an associate for the next five years, and then as pastor of St. Frances of Rome Church in Azusa, CA, from 2006 to 2012.

In 2012, he began studies in spiritual theology at the University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, where he earned his STL (2014) and STD (2016) degrees. His doctoral dissertation was published as a book under the title, Shepherding the Family of God: The Spirituality of Diocesan Priests in St. John of Avila.

He currently serves as the coordinator of spiritual formation at his alma mater, St. John’s Seminary, where he has served in that capacity since July 2016. He has published several articles on spirituality in local archdiocesan papers and has conducted retreats in English and Spanish for parishes, religious sisters, and priests.

In 2022, he was appointed as a eucharistic preacher for the Eucharistic Revival sponsored by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Since October of that same year, he has also served as president of the Federation of Seminary Spiritual Directors.

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.