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Preaching as an Art Form “I by Cherise (LaPine) Threewitt ’04
t is my personal opinion that preaching is, or should be considered, an art,” says Father Ray Doherty, SSE. “It may fall short of this in practice and perhaps too often does, but I firmly believe that preaching deserves the talent, reflection, training, study, love, and preparation that any work of art requires, with the utmost important addition of sincere prayer.”
Fr. Ray is well-loved by the campus community for his constant, comforting presence. This coming May will mark his 60th anniversary as an ordained priest. (Fr. Ray became a member of the Society of Saint Edmund when he took first vows in 1954.) As Senator Patrick Leahy ’61 told the United States Senate this past February, “[Fr. Ray’s] leadership on campus focuses on setting a good example through actions rather than words.” Father Michael Carter, SSE is a member of the Class of 2012 and was ordained an Edmundite priest just this fall, though he has been a member of the Society of Saint Edmund since 2012. A Burlington native, Fr. Michael says that he had a notion to join the priesthood during his undergrad years at Saint Michael’s College. Though he is shy “in everyday life,” he says his enjoyment when giving presentations helped him make the decision. Both priests have a background in theatre, an art form that engages an audience with speech and movement. Preaching comes naturally, but both say that developing one’s style is a lifelong endeavor. What many people may not realize is that writing and delivering a good homily requires a lot of preparation and inspiration from different sources. While Fr.Ray studies the words and styles of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Pope Francis, Fr. Michael draws from more contemporary influences, such as stand-up comedy and the Orson Welles film Citizen Kane.