Seminary Professors

Bringing everything together

At Holy Trinity in Georgetown near Washington, D.C., you can experience homilies that draw from the world of art, poetry, and theater, to bring the word of God alive today. They are preached by Father Jim Wallace, a professor at Washington Theological Union, a nearby Catholic graduate school of theology and ministry.

"The arts provide a link to people's everyday experiences that helps them make a deeper connection between the Gospels and their own lives," Father Wallace says. "The work of many artists gives us a window on the vulnerability of our fellow man."

After ordination, Father Wallace continued his studies, earning a master's and doctorate in communication in hopes of using his knowledge and experience in a parish. But in 1976, he began teaching seminarians at Mt. St. Alphonsus, then a Redemptorist seminary in Esopus, NY.

"I did not become a priest with teaching in mind," Father Wallace admits, "but a number of years ago, I realized that teaching is in fact my vocation within a vocation. Preaching demands reflection and Scriptural interpretation that allows the life-giving Word to speak to us today. The primary duty of the priest is proclaiming the doctrine, so teaching this art pulls everything together for me."

At Washington Theological Union also in Washington, D.C., Father Wallace teaches courses that help seminarians develop their preaching skills, including homiletic theory and practice, preaching the great feasts of the Church, and preaching mission and retreats. "It's exciting to see how each person comes to find his own voice as a preacher," he says.

Moral theology at the service of the people

When St. Alphonsus Liguori approached moral theology in the 1700s, he was dismayed to find a rigid set of teachings that was not designed to help lead everyday men and women to salvation. In response, he set out to create a moral theology rooted in pastoral experience and focused on the good of the people.

Today, Redemptorists like Father Kevin O'Neil continue the work St. Alphonsus started, practicing a moral theology that helps people deal with the practical concerns of life. Father O'Neil teaches moral theology at Washington Theological Union, where he has been on the faculty since 1992.

His confrere, Father Dennis Billy (right), holds the John Cardinal Krol Chair of Moral Theology at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, PA.

"To me, moral theology is faith seeking understanding about the kind of person we should be," Father O'Neil explains. "We must ask ourselves who we are, who we are meant to be, and what we must do to get there. God gives each of us the gift of freedom. We are free to make the choices that shape our lives. Moral theology helps guide us in the responsible use of that freedom so we can harmonize our relationship with God, other people, ourselves, and the world around us."