The Story of the Dominican High Schools Preaching Conference

The first Dominican High Schools Preaching Conference was held at Queen of Peace High School in Burbank, IL (Chicago) from June 13-18, 1999. Thirty-nine students from 17 Dominican high schools participated in this ground-breaking event. Women and men representing many Dominican congregations/provinces participated in the conference as planners, presenters, prayer leaders, and mentors for the student group.

The following summer (2000), the conference was moved to Dominican University in River Forest, IL to accommodate an increased number of participants (seventy-four). Dominican University remained the host site for the 2001-2003 conferences. In 2004, the conference moved to Siena Heights University in Adrian, MI, where it continues to be hosted. At this point in time, several hundred young people have participated in these annual gatherings.

The theme of the conference has remained the same: each of us is called to preach the Gospel in our own unique way.  During the six-day conference, Dominicans (members of the Order of Preachers) highlight the charism of preaching as it has been practiced from the earliest days of the Order to the present. Participants meet many Dominicans who preach the Gospel in a variety of settings. Participants also have the opportunity to visit service sites where they can "put their preaching into action."

Each day begins and ends with a prayer/ritual prepared by the participants with the assistance of Dominican liturgists. At the closing Eucharistic celebration, school teams share ways that they can take the message of the conference back to their school communities.

Sr. Mary Soher, OP, (Adrian) is the director of the conference. The 2012 Dominican High Schools Preaching Conference will be held at Siena Heights University in Adrian, Michigan, beginning on June 26 and concluding on July 1.