Articles by Walter J. Burghardt
Father Burghardt was a Jesuit priest who spent most of his career -- much of it in Maryland and Washington -- as a scholar of church history and theology. He was never a parish priest, yet he was considered a spellbinding preacher whose powerful calls for social justice and understanding influenced generations of Catholic priests and Protestant pastors. In 1991, when he was 77, Father Burghardt embarked on what became a global project called "Preaching the Just Word." Traveling the world, he led more than 125 intensive, five-day retreats for 7,500 priests and deacons. The goal was to instill both moral fervor and a "fire in the belly" for preaching from the pulpit.
By Walter J. Burghardt
Today, in our Jubilee year, we Christians have our own needs that call for various kinds ofliberation. I shall focus on one such need: justice. Specifically, justice for prisoners, for the men and women incarcerated for crimes. Three stages to my reflection: (1) the justice that is retributive, punitive, vengeful; (2) the justice that is restorative; (3) the justice that is capital punishment.
by Walter J. Burghardt
We can find no better tribute to this man and no better contribution to this issue’s theme of discipleship than to revisit his own words on the subject.
by Walter J. Burghardt
A homily is a true homily when the believer asks, “What do you want from me, Lord?”
