Rev. James D. Conley, D.D., S.T.L. | Diocese of Lincoln website

Lincoln, Nebraska, recently hosted the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education’s (ICLE) National Conference from July 15-18. The event attracted over 500 educators, principals, and administrators, marking ICLE's largest conference to date and its first in Nebraska.

The conference saw participation from more than 180 schools and 60 dioceses, with international attendees from Colombia, Peru, and Australia. The focus was on renewing Catholic education by returning to its classical roots integrated with faith. Dr. Ryan Messmore, president of ICLE, described this approach as “Catholic liberating education.”

“We’re trying to liberate students from ignorance,” Messmore stated. “Instead, we’re liberating them to flourish as children of God.”

This year's theme was "Cultivating the Heart," inspired by the image of the Sower atop the Nebraska State Capitol. Messmore emphasized that education should form both heart and mind.

“The true end of education is the formation of the whole human being in the image of God,” he added.

Bishop James Conley's support for Catholic education influenced the decision to hold the conference in Lincoln. “Bishop Conley gets it,” said Messmore.

Local schools were well represented at the conference. Bridget Doyle from Bishop Neumann Jr./Sr. High School noted how ICLE training reshaped her faculty's teaching approach.

“When we brought ICLE staff in for a two-day in-service last January... it felt like a retreat,” Doyle recalled.

Teresa Lewandowski from St. John the Baptist School found both spiritual upliftment and practical usefulness at the event.

“I expected to learn about education, but I’ve also learned so much about faith,” she shared.

With 59 speakers and a waitlist exceeding 100 educators, ICLE’s conference is part of a movement aimed at recovering Catholic intellectual tradition richness.

“We want our students to encounter wisdom... saints... philosophers...” Messmore explained.

For Nebraska Catholic schools, this gathering served as both affirmation and challenge toward deeper spiritual development among students.

As ICLE expands its reach further, Lincoln’s hosting role underscores its commitment to academically excellent yet faith-rooted Catholic education.

“We’re forming the whole person—head, heart, and soul,” concluded Messmore regarding their educational philosophy.