Archives: Faculty Members

Faculty Members of the Avila Institute

Anthony Lilles
Anthony Lilles

Dr. Anthony Lilles

Chief Academic Officer, Instructor, Spiritual Theology and the Interior Life

  • B.A. in Theology (Franciscan University of Steubenville)
  • S.T.L. (Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas)
  • S.T.D. in Spiritual Theology (Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas)

Dr. Anthony Lilles, completed his graduate and post-graduate studies in Rome at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas. Living in Oxnard, California with his wife Agnes, they are blessed to be parents of three young adults. Dr. Lilles also serves as Associate Professor, Admissions Director and Academic Advisor to the Academic Dean of St. John’s Seminary; and has been appointed as the Academic Dean of St. Patrick’s Seminary and University in Menlo Park. Having taught graduate level theology for over 20 years, Dr. Lilles is specialized in Spiritual Theology, Spiritual Direction, and various classics of Catholic Spirituality. His expertise is in the spiritual doctrine of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity and the Carmelite Doctors of the Church: St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and St. Thérèse of Lisieux. He’s the author of Fire From Above, published by Sophia Institute Press, Living the Mystery of Merciful Love: 30 Days with Thérèse of Lisieux and 30 days with Teresa of Avila – both published by Emmaus Road.

  • Module 4: St. Thérèse and Foundations of the Little Way

    This Propaedeutic Year course on St. Thérèse of Lisieux will introduce students to the principal themes of her spirituality, and a glimpse at her works. Students will have an opportunity to reflect on why her “Little Way” is so important even now and how St. Thérèse attained the summit of love by facing the depths of her own powerlessness and by abandoning herself more and more to the incarnation of God’s mercy: Jesus Christ. By entering with Thérèse into her way of humility, suffering, beauty, and spiritual thoughtfulness, we too can grow in holiness and in awareness of being loved by an infinitely merciful Father.

  • Module 2: Introduction to Spiritual Theology

    In this Propaedeutic Year course, the systematic presentation of Spiritual Theology and the principles of spiritual direction is geared toward personal appropriation for those involved in the apostolate. Lecture topics include the universal call to holiness, the indwelling of the Trinity, the nature and stages of Christian perfection, the supernatural organism and the Christian life, identification with Jesus and Mary, kinds and stages of prayer, the means to spiritual maturity appropriate for the various states of life, discernment of spirits, and ordinary and extraordinary mystical phenomena.

  • Module 0: The Way of Holiness/Orientation Seminar

    God has called us out from the world and into the life of the Church. What does that mean?

    The opening module addresses this question by reflecting on the call of God and the way of personal holiness. God has a specific plan for each of us, but knowing this plan is to take the first step of claiming our sonship in Christ and allowing God to mold our hearts as His own (cf CCC, 2563).

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Fr. Sean Kilcawley

Instructor, Moral Theology in Modern Media

  • S.T.L (John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family in Rome)

Fr. Sean Kilcawley is a nationally recognized speaker on Theology of the Body, Human Love and pornography addiction. Fr. Kilcawley is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. After serving three years of active duty as an infantry officer, he entered seminary formation for the Diocese of Lincoln and was ordained to the priesthood in 2005. In 2013, Fr. Kilcawley completed a License in Sacred Theology at the John Paul II institute for marriage and family studies in Rome, and in 2019, he completed certification as a Pastoral Sexual Addiction Practitioner from the International Institute for Trauma and addictions professionals. Fr. Kilcawley has provided continuing education formation in over 40 dioceses and has served as a faculty member for the Institute for Priestly Formation summer program for seminarians and the Sexual Addiction Treatment Professional (SATP) certification program at MidAmerica Nazarene University. He now serves as the pastor of St. Leo and St. Martin Parishes.

  • Module 8: The Way of Affective Maturity and Practical Chastity

    This module reviews specific challenges present in the entertainment industry and offers life skills for dealing with them. The unit suggests apps and other resources that promote balanced participation in social media, protect against pornography, and support Catholic spirituality. By discussing practices such as periodic “media” fasts and other helpful suggestions, seminary applicants will discern ways to become wise media consumers and good witnesses to the faith.

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Joseph Hollcraft
Joseph Hollcraft

Dr. Joseph Hollcraft

Director of the High Calling Program, Instructor

  • B.A., M.A., in Theology (Franciscan University Steubenville)
  • PhD in Theology (Graduate Theological Foundation)
  • Further Studies (Oxford University)

Dr. Joseph Hollcraft has taught at the Middle School, High School, and University level. During that period, Dr. Hollcraft also hosted the radio broadcast, Seeds of Truth, which reached thousands of listeners in over 40 countries. Seeds of Truth radio can still be found as an iTunes podcast. Currently, Joseph Hollcraft is a Professor and Director of the High Calling Program with the Avila Institute.

Dr. Hollcraft is also the author of A Heart for Evangelizing (Emmaus Road, 2016) and Unleashing the Power of Intercessory Prayer (Sophia Institute, 2020). Joseph has been published with aleteia.org and is a regular contributor to The Catechetical Review, the Homiletic and Pastoral Review, and spiritualdirection.com.

Joseph earned his B.A. and M.A. from the Franciscan University of Steubenville and received his PhD from Graduate Theological Foundation with studies completed at Oxford University.

Most importantly, Joseph is a devoted husband and father. He lives in Canal Fulton, OH with his beautiful wife Jackie, and their four children: Kolbe, Avila, Isaac, and Siena.

  • Module 0: The Way of Holiness/Orientation Seminar

    God has called us out from the world and into the life of the Church. What does that mean?

    The opening module addresses this question by reflecting on the call of God and the way of personal holiness. God has a specific plan for each of us, but knowing this plan is to take the first step of claiming our sonship in Christ and allowing God to mold our hearts as His own (cf CCC, 2563).

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Fr. Boniface Hicks, O.S.B.
Fr. Boniface Hicks, O.S.B.

Fr. Boniface Hicks, O.S.B.

Instructor, Spiritual Theology and the Interior Life

  • M.Div. in Theology (Saint Vincent Seminary)
  • Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering (Penn State University)

Fr. Boniface Hicks, O.S.B. became a Benedictine monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania in 1998. Since his ordination to the priesthood in 2004 he has provided spiritual direction for many men and women, including married couples, seminarians, consecrated religious and priests, even as he completed his Ph.D. in computer science at Penn State University. He became the programming manager and an on-air contributor for We Are One Body® Catholic radio in 2010 and has recorded thousands of radio programs on theology and the spiritual life. He has extensive experience as a retreat master for laity, consecrated religious and priests. He became the Director for Spiritual Formation for Saint Vincent Seminary in 2016 and Director of the Institute for Ministry Formation at Saint Vincent Seminary in 2019 and has offered many courses on spiritual direction and the spiritual life. While continuing his other responsibilities he is also currently enrolled in the STL program at Sacred Heart Seminary on the New Evangelization. He is author of Through the Heart of St. Joseph and together with Fr. Thomas Acklin, OSB he is author of the book Spiritual Direction: A Guide for Sharing the Father’s Love and Personal Prayer: A Guide for Receiving the Father’s Love, all published by Emmaus Road Publishing.

  • Module 7: Option 2: The Way of Wisdom

    In this module, Fr. Jesse delves into the profound meaning and enduring relevance of Saint Thomas Aquinas’s reflections on wisdom—describing it as “the most noble, the most useful, and the most joyful” of pursuits, one that draws us closest to the divine. At its heart, wisdom is a “taste” for the things of God—a way of perceiving the world through the lens of ultimate truth, especially the truth of who God is. Fr. Jesse will highlight how wisdom shapes our discernment and deepens our relationship with the Father. For Aquinas, wisdom is not merely the result of intellectual effort, but a divine gift—bestowed by grace rather than earned by merit. This module will also explore the vital role of Eucharistic adoration in cultivating this spiritual “taste” for God, offering a path to encounter divine wisdom in a deeply personal and transformative way.

  • Module 1: The Way of Prayer

    This module explores the wisdom of St. Teresa, Doctor of the Church, and the normal progress of prayer and holiness of life as revealed in her writings.

    An advocate of contemplative prayer, her writings are filled with practical suggestions and a living devotion to Christ that can enrich one’s prayer and discernment.

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Christopher Carstens
Christopher Carstens

Christopher Carstens

Instructor, Liturgy

Christopher Carstens is director of the Office for Sacred Worship in the Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin; a visiting faculty member at the Liturgical Institute at the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Illinois; editor of the Adoremus Bulletin; and one of the voices on The Liturgy Guys podcast. He is author of A Devotional Journey into the Mass and A Devotional Journey into the Easter Mystery (Sophia), as well as Principles of Sacred Liturgy: Forming a Sacramental Vision (Hillenbrand Books). He lives in Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin, with his wife and eight children.

  • Module 2: The Way of Praying the Mass

    This module will explore how each element of the Liturgy has a sacramental quality about it, and can be for you a grace-filled encounter with Jesus as well as how to transform your prayers at mass into a conversation with God. Chris Carstens will walk through the spiritual meanings behind the signs, symbols, words, and actions of the mass to spiritually enrich your experience of Holy Mass.

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Dan Burke
Dan Burke

Dan Burke

Chairman, President & Instructor, Spiritual Theology and the Interior Life

Dan Burke is the founder and President of the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation, which offers graduate and personal enrichment studies in spiritual theology to priests, deacons, religious, and laity in 72 countries and prepares men for seminary in 14 dioceses.

Dan is the author and editor of more than 15 books on authentic Catholic spirituality and hosts the Divine Intimacy Radio show with his wife, Stephanie, which is broadcast weekly on EWTN Radio. Past episodes can be found, along with thousands of articles on the interior life, at SpiritualDirection.com.

In his deep commitment to the advancement of faithful Catholic spirituality, he is also the founder of Apostoli Viae, a world-wide, private association of the faithful dedicated to living and advancing the authentic spiritual patrimony of the Church.

Most importantly, Dan is a blessed husband, father of four, grandfather of one - and grateful to be Catholic.

  • Module 3: The Way of Discernment

    This module will explore the time-tested wisdom of the Catholic mystics to better understand the enemy’s influence on the mind and heart, and the tactics needed to combat him. This examination of spiritual warfare will include a reflection on the ebbs and flows of consolation and desolation and teaching to distinguish between the voices of God and Satan. After this module, you will come to see the spiritual life not as a science to be learned, but as an intuitive art to be practiced as you move with increasing success from habitual sin to sanctity and holiness.

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