Students Explore Dominican Spirituality at Preaching in Action Conference

Pictured above: Caldwell student Leo Leberatto, Director of Campus Ministry Christina Bryant, and Caldwell student Anthony Del Debbio at the Dominican Preaching in Action Conference

Caldwell University students Anthony Del Debbio and Leo Leberatto, along with Director of Campus Ministry Christina Bryant, Ph.D., joined students, faculty and staff from Dominican institutions across the United States at the National College “Preaching in Action” Conference May 23-28 at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Student delegates identified their spiritual gifts and unique talents and explored how to live out the Dominican charism.

“The conference taught me different ways of being a leader and how you can lead through art, speech, service” and other areas, said Del Debbio, a rising senior and sports management major with a minor in theology. 

Workshops focused on subjects such as the rich 800-year history of the Dominicans, Dominican Saints Through the Ages, Responding to the Signs of the Times,  Preaching Through the Arts and Preaching Through Service.  A Dominican family panel featured Sisters, nuns, friars, associates and the laity witnessing about how they live out the charism. Attendants gathered every evening for communal prayer and liturgy. 

“The best part of the conference for me was interacting with our different Dominican schools across the east and midwest,” and learning about their ideas and ways of life, said Del Debbio. The conference gave him a “sense of renewed energy” and he is excited to bring back to Caldwell a new leadership training idea he was involved in creating during the “action plan” part of the conference. To implement the new idea in the upcoming academic year, said Del Debbio, “would be very special.”