Events

Dan Burke is an award-winning author/editor of seven books on Catholic spirituality. Dan is also sought after speaker on Catholic spirituality, sharing a contagious love for Jesus and His Church. Dan is the Founder and President of the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation, and he is the creator of Divine Intimacy Radio, SpiritualDirection.com, and the FireLight Student Formation Program. Dan also serves as President and Chief Operating Officer of EWTN News, Inc in addition to his appearances on many other EWTN television and radio programs. Above all, Dan is a grateful husband and father of four and a student sitting at the feet of His Master.

Speaking Topics:

• Into the Deep – Finding Peace Through Prayer
  • This is Dan’s most powerful and most frequently requested event. In this event, Dan provides three powerful talks on the secrets of the saints regarding how to deepen our prayer lives and answer Jesus invitation to “put out into the deep.” In this event, Dan also provides a very powerful approach to extending the impact of the event into our daily lives for months and years to come.
• From Suffering to Surrender – Dan’s Conversion Testimony
  • Dan’s story of conversion and pursuit of truth. He tailors his personal testimony by highlighting the individuals that demonstrated the extraordinary love he needed to come home. This topic is very good for diverse audiences.
• Navigating the Interior Life – Beginning and Deepening Your Walk with God
  • Dan speaks on prayer, growth in the interior life and more. Based on his book, Navigating the Interior Life: Spiritual Direction and the Journey to God. Dan enjoys talking about the universal call to holiness/contemplation and the three Ways of the Interior life (stages of growth and how to get through them). This topic is good for those looking to deepen their faith and prayer.
• Spiritual Growth Secrets of the Saints:
  • Secret of the Ways – The Three Ways of the Interior Life – Dan answers the following questions: Is there a map for spiritual growth and maturing in our relationship with Christ? If there is, what does it look like? How can I know if I am on the right path to deepen my relationship with him? If not, how can I figure that out and get back on the right path? This topic is good for those looking to begin or deepen their relationship with Christ.
  • Secret of the Skulls – Dan answers the question, “Why are saints often depicted holding or looking at skulls?” Dan explores this fascinating topic and teaches about the Last Four Things – Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell
  • Secret of the Fiat – Empowering Catholics to Deliberate and Effective Spiritual Growth – Dan reveals why so many saints were religious and specific practices that religious use to help in their spiritual growth that help them to say “yes” to God and how they can be easily applied to non-religious alike. His audience will learn about how they can create a “plan of love” (rule of life).
  • Secrets of the Waters – Progress of Prayer and Union with God – Dan reflects on St. Teresa of Avila’s teachings on the progressive nature of prayer and how when we understand this reality, we can always grow (no matter how advanced we are) in union with God.
• Love Builds a Bridge – Evangelization in a Hostile Culture
  • Dan shares his testimony of conversion from Judaism to Christianity and then to Catholicism with the theme of what it really means to communicate the gospel. This topic is very good for a diverse audience.
• Discernment of Spirits – Hearing the Voice of God
  • Setting the Captives free to live and life in the abundance that Christ promised through the wisdom of St. Ignatius and his teaching on discernment of spirits. The voice of God can become more and more clear as one progresses in the interior life and learns how God speaks to us.
• Spiritual Warfare According to St. Ignatius
  • Learn how and when God inspires us to act and how and when the enemy inspires us to act. This critical distinction then reveals the strategies of the enemy to seek to draw us to destruction and the draw of God who seeks to draw us to life, liberty, and union with Him.
• Spiritual Direction
  • St. Bernard of Clairvaux once said that “He who constitutes himself his own spiritual director is the disciple of a fool.” Why would such a gentle saint make such a harsh statement? It is because he saw many good souls get stuck spiritually. He once also lamented that many who make initial progress in the interior life get stuck and very few make it past the most basic progress. St. John of the Cross also reveals in his writings that very few gain the great graces of the life that God desires to give them because they don’t understand the spiritual life. The good news is that God has provided all we need to gain every grace He intends for us. Beyond the sacraments and prayer, there is no more powerful tool than spiritual direction. In this talk, Dan reveals what it is, how you can engage, and if you are engaged, how you can get more out of this powerful gift of the Church.
• The Quest for Contemplation: Breakthrough Strategies for Deepening Prayer
  • Dan reveals the wisdom of St. Teresa of Avila and the Spiritual Doctors of the Church regarding progress in prayer, the dark night of the soul, and how we can expect and experience constant growth in prayer and union with God.

Testimony on the Talk Love Builds a Bridge

Thank you so much for speaking at Bozeman’s MACC luncheon last week. Your talk was both engaging and inspiring. Now, just six days later, I have lost count of the number of people with whom I have shared your theme line: Extraordinary love builds a bridge over which truth can pass. (Did I get the wording correct?) What a perfect reminder for how to live our Christian lives! I know I’m not alone in my appreciation of your presentation.  I’ve gotten positive feedback from many people, via email and in person. Also, after Mass yesterday, I heard two other people telling others about your talk. You are truly doing the Lord’s work.

Dan’s story serves to remind us of the power of personal witness. Catholics need to hone the skill of sharing their testimony, the story of their own spiritual journeys because it helps us respond to JPII’s call to evangelize the world. Dan’s candid, humble tale opens our eyes to God’s work in the most ordinary situations, as well in the dramatic. I know Dan’s presentation has inspired me to share more readily my walk with the Lord.

Cheryl Roller – Montana