Meet Our Writers
Welcome to The Integrated Catholic Life. Our goal is to provide original content to help you integrate faith, family and work… To read more about the concept of integrating faith, family and work, read: Integration – An Idea Whose Time Has Come.
We invite you to “Put out into the deep and let your nets down for a catch.” – Luke 5:4
You can read about our contributors below.
List of Editors:
Deacon Mike Bickerstaff – Director and Editor-in-Chief
Deacon Mike is the Director of Adult Education and Evangelization for St. Peter Chanel Catholic Church in the Atlanta Archdiocese and has earned national attention for his innovative approach to sharing our Faith. The Faith Resources section of the St. Peter Chanel website is becoming a model for other parishes around the country.
He is also a co-founder of the successful annual Atlanta Catholic Business Conference; the Chaplain of the Atlanta Chapter of Georgetown University’s Woodstock Theological Center’s Business Conference; and Chaplains to the St. Peter Chanel Business Association and co-founder of the Marriages Are Covenants Ministry, both of which serve as models for similar parish-based ministries.
Deacon Mike has long had a large and loyal following of Catholics and non-Catholics who enjoy his presentations on every aspect of Church teaching.
Ordained to the diaconate on February 4, 2006 by Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory for the Atlanta Archdiocese, Deacon Mike Bickerstaff is assigned to St. Peter Chanel Catholic Church in Roswell, Georgia where he is the Director of Adult Education and Evangelization. He completed five years of education and spiritual formation at the St. Stephen Center for Diaconal Studies in Atlanta, Georgia prior to his ordination.
Deacon Bickerstaff is active in spreading the faith among both adults and youth as a witness, catechist and bible study leader at work, home and the parish. In the early days of connected personal computers, Deacon Mike helped to pioneer the Catholic presence on the internet as a senior designer and site moderator. Today, Deacon Mike continues that work through Catholic web design and communications and The Integrated Catholic Life eMagazine.
Deacon Mike has been very active in the effort to integrate faith, family and work. He has established a Major Speakers Series at St. Peter Chanel which attracts many of the most sought-after Catholic speakers from around the world and a Guest Speakers Series to showcase local Catholic leaders, both lay and clergy. A published author, he has written numerous articles on the faith and is currently co-authoring a book with Randy Hain titled, The Integrated Life: Practical Wisdom for Learning and Living the Faith. Deacon Mike has been interviewed concerning these writings on nationally-aired Catholic radio programs.
He is also the Executive Vice President of Integrated Benefit Systems, Inc., a national software company founded in 1993 by Mike and three others with extensive expertise in the tax-qualified retirement plan industry. He is a B.S.Bus.Ad. Graduate from the University of Southern Mississippi with a major in Accounting. He has been an innovator in meeting management and customer needs in accounting and tax-qualified plan compliance and administrtion through the design and deployment of state-of-the-art technology solutions.
Deacon Mike and his wife have two adult children and one grandson. He is a co-founder and the Director and Editor-in-Chief for The Integrated Catholic Life eMagazine.
Mr. Randy Hain – Business Manager and Senior Editor
Randy Hain is a devoted family man, business leader, active steward in our community, writer and a passionate advocate for our Faith. He converted to the Catholic Church along with his wife in 2006. Randy is involved in a number of ministries and groups whose mission is to promote a “unity of life,” centered in Christ, that will help Catholic men and women integrate faith, family and work. He is passionate about following the call of Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles Laici: “The unity of life of the lay faithful is of the greatest importance: indeed they must be sanctified in everyday professional and social life. Therefore, to respond to their vocation, the lay faithful must see their daily activities as an occasion to join themselves to God, fulfill his will, serve other people and lead them to communion with God in Christ.”
Randy leads the St. Peter Chanel Business Association, the Atlanta Chapter of the Woodstock Business Conference and has been a Eucharistic Adoration Guardian for over four years. He sits on the boards of Growing Leaders, the Aquinas Center of Theology at Emory University, Ethikos, the Atlanta Leadership Symposium and the Catholic Charities Leadership Class advisory board. Randy is also a regular guest on Sacred Heart Radio and is frequently quoted in numerous publications for his expertise in talent strategy, leadership and career search. He is also one of the co-founders of the Annual Atlanta Catholic Business Conference.
Randy writes extensively about leadership and his faith experiences and has had over 60 articles published in the last four years. He has authored his first book on the subject of being Catholic in the workplace titled “The Catholic Briefcase: Tools for Integrating Faith and Work” will be released in late November 2011 by Liguori Publications.
As Managing Partner for Bell Oaks Executive Search, he has led this well respected company to be named one of the Top 10 Best Places to Work in Atlanta by the Atlanta Business Chronicle for 3 of the last 5 years. Prior to entering the recruitment industry and joining Bell Oaks in 1999, Mr. Hain served as Vice President of Recruiting for Waffle House, an Atlanta-based restaurant chain with more than 1,500 restaurants and $900 million in annual revenue. He is a 1989 graduate of the University of Georgia.
Randy has been happily married for 17 years and he and his wife have 2 sons. He is the Business Manager and Senior Editor for The Integrated Catholic Life eMagazine which he co-founded with Deacon Mike Bickerstaff in 2010.
List of Contributors:
Mark Armstrong spent nearly 30 years as an award-winning broadcast journalist before accepting a position in state government in Communications for the State of North Dakota. He and his wife Patti have ten children, including two that were adopted as AIDS orphans from Kenya. He travels and presents PowerPoint presentations on “Our Lady of Guadalupe” and the “Shroud of Turin”.
Mark is also an occasional guest host for both Sean Herriott on Morning Air and The Drew Mariani Show on the Relevant Radio Network, Talk Radio for Your Catholic Life. He and his wife Patti co-authored the book, “Amazing Grace for Fathers” from Ascension Press.
The couple’s website is www.RaisingCatholicKids.com.
From living a life that ignored Catholic teachings to becoming a Catholic writer and speaker, Patti Maguire Armstrong was transformed after she began to learn and embrace her Catholic faith. She lives in North Dakota with her husband Mark. They are the parents of ten children, eight boys and two girls, including two adopted AIDS orphans from Kenya.
Patti has a degree in social work with a minor in psychology and a master’s in public administration. She worked in these fields before staying home full-time to raise her children.
Writing began as her hobby. As a freelance writer, Patti has published more than 400 articles for both secular and religious publications. She has authored 9 books including: Stories for the Homeschool Heart and also Dear God, I don’t get it! (both from Bezalel Books), Catholic Truths for Our Children (Scepter Publishers) as a guide to help parents pass on their Catholic faith, and served as the managing editor and co-author of the Catholic best-selling Amazing Grace book series (Ascension Press).
Patti has been a guest on EWTN Television’s “Live” program with Father Mitch Pacwa and twice on Doug Keck’s “Bookmark” program and on Catholic Radio programs around the country.
She will be contributing articles to the Integrated Catholic Life eMagazine with a focus on faith and family.
Father Robert Barron is a sought-after evangelist and speaker and on the spiritual life – from prestigious universities to YouTube to national conferences and private retreats. The prominent theologian and podcasting priest is one of the world’s great and most innovative teachers of Catholicism. His global media ministry called Word On Fire (the website draws over 600,000 visitors a year) has a simple but revolutionary mission – to evangelize the culture by utilizing advanced and emerging technologies. He also is the creator and host of the new CATHOLICISM documentary series. Word On Fire programming can be seen weekly on WGN America on Sunday mornings at 9:30 EST starting October 3, 2010.
Fr. Barron is the Francis Cardinal George Professor of Faith and Culture at University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois. Ordained an Archdiocesan priest in Chicago in 1986, he also has published numerous books, essays and DVDs.
Fr. Barron lectures extensively in the United States and abroad, including the Pontifical North American College at the Vatican and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. He also is a passionate student of art, architecture, music and history. Fr. Barron has been called “one of the Archdiocese’s greatest gifts” (Open Book, Amy Welborn).
Peggy Bowes is the author of The Rosary Workout, available on her website http://rosaryworkout.com/. She graduated from the US Air Force Academy in 1988 and served nine years as an Air Force pilot and Health and Wellness consultant.
After leaving the military to raise a family, Peggy continued her education in the fitness industry, becoming a personal trainer, Lifestyle and Weight Management Consultant, and aerobics instructor. Peggy is also very active in parish life. She has been a lector, CCD teacher, and Little Flowers Girls’ Club leader. She enjoys triathlons, hiking, adventure races, and other sports as she incorporates all the benefits and blessings of The Rosary Workout.
Peggy and her husband and two children currently reside in North Carolina. She is a contributing writer to the Faith category and the Today’s Catholic – Women in Faith category.
As of February, 2011, Dennis Buonafede has been teaching High School Religion and Philosophy in Ontario, Canada for the past 10 years. Dennis grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia before moving to Ontario where he completed his B.A. in Philosophy at St. Peter’s Seminary at the University of Western Ontario, his M.Div. as a lay student at St. Augustine’s Seminary at the University of Toronto and his Bachelor of Education degree at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. Prior to transferring to St. Augustine’s, he studied at Holy Apostles Seminary in Connecticut from 1990-1992.
Dennis has been married to Teresa for 15 years and they have two children aged 12 and 14. Dennis is an active member of his parish and has been a member of the Knights of Columbus since 1995. He was a Charter Member of Council 11708 and PGK of Council 8851. He co-developed a leadership program for the KofC sponsored Ontario Catholic Youth Leadership Camp and was the camp director for 3 years. Dennis is currently a Civilian Instructor with Air Cadet 242 Squadron where his son is a Sergeant.
Dennis is a voracious reader, likes to ride motorcycles and enjoys fishing. He follows hockey (Toronto Maple Leafs), football (Chicago Bears) and NASCAR (Dale Jr.). His family agrees that he makes THE best home made pizza ever!
Brad is the Director of Youth Ministry for the growing youth program at St. Gertrude Parish in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is actively involved in planning, leading worship for, and speaking at retreats and youth events in the Cincinnati area. He received his BA in English and Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville. Following his graduation in 2008, he spent a year teaching English in Denver at Bishop Machebeuf High School.
Brad and his wife Katie spend much of the day chasing around their 18 month old daughter. They are expecting their second child in October. In his spare time, Brad enjoys reading classic pieces of literature, writing, playing sports, listening to classic rock, and thinking about how funny he thinks he is.
Mike Carlton was born in Buffalo, NY. He married his college sweetheart Laurie and has six children. They were married in Ohio in 1991 and live in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. He is the son of former AFL football player, Wray Carlton. Mike currently works as the Vice President of worldwide sales and marketing for an orthopedic company in medical devices.
He graduated in 1989 from Miami University, Oxford Ohio with a B.S degree in Marketing and studied in the M.B.A. program at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. He earned an archdiocesan Catechetical Teaching Certificate for the Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta.
Mike was raised Presbyterian and converted to the Catholic Church in 2002. In 2003, he started an apologetics ministry called “Why Catholic” at his parish. In addition, Mike and Laurie started a chapter of Marriages Are Covenants, a ministry outreach program of The Integrated Catholic Life for married couples, at their parish. He teaches RCIA classes, leads small faith groups and has been interviewed on Sacred Heart Radio (EWTN affiliate). A popular apologetics speaker, Mike has given his conversion talk around the Archdiocese of Atlanta.
Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles
Promoting a Deeper Spiritual Life Among Families through Healthcare, Education and Retreats
The Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles strive to give striking witness as a vibrant, thriving community of dedicated women with an all-consuming mission. It is our God-given mission, a mission of the heart, a mission of loving service to the poor, the sick, the needy and the uneducated. Our loving service overflows from each sister’s profound life of prayer. We strive to reflect His life and hope and His promise to all that light has come into our world and darkness has not overcome it.
A look at the history of our community, with its motherhouse in Alhambra, California, reveals how its life-giving presence has come about. During the beginning decades of the 1900s just as the epic Mexican revolution was subsiding, a ruthless religious persecution was gaining momentum in Mexico. This horrible persecution accompanied the birth and humble beginnings of our community, a legacy that Mother Luisita, our foundress, and her two companions brought with them as religious refugees entering the Unites States in 1927.
Those seeds planted by Mother Luisita, now a candidate for sainthood, have taken deep root in the United States since those early days. People and places have changed throughout the years, yet the heart of our mission remains. As an autonomous religious institute since 1983 we continue to carry out our loving service in our healthcare facilities, retreat houses and schools which remain to this day centers of life and hope. Today we are moving forward together “Educating for Life with the Mind and Heart of Christ” in schools, being “At the Service of the Family for Life” through health and eldercare and “Fostering a Deeper Spiritual Life” through individual and group retreats. At the heart of our vocation is a passionate mission of loving service which facilitates our life-giving encounter with the living God.
The heritage of the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles is rooted in the spirituality of Carmel, the Gospels, the Church, with our particular charism derived from our beloved Foundress, Mother Maria Luisa Josefa of the Most Blessed Sacrament.
In His merciful goodness, God has graced our Institute with the Carmelite charism which has its roots in a long history and living tradition. The spirituality of St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross is rooted in this tradition. Carmel means enclosed garden in which God Himself dwells. The divine indwelling in the soul is the foundation of Teresa’s doctrine. Thus our vocation is a grace by which contemplation and action are blended to become an apostolic service to the Church.
Our ideal finds a living expression in the life and charism of our beloved Foundress, Mother Maria Luisa Josefa of the Most Blessed Sacrament, whose spirit we faithfully preserve and foster.
Our life is characterized by:
- A life of prayer and union with God
- A deep love for Jesus in the Holy Eucharist
- Devotion to our Blessed Mother
- Steadfast fidelity to the Magisterium of the Church
- Praying for priests
- Commitment to works of the apostolate in ecclesial service
Jeff Cavins is the director of the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute in St. Paul, MN. He is best-known as the founding host of Life on the Rock on EWTN and Morning Air™ on Relevant Radio. A popular speaker, Jeff is the creator of the Great Adventure Bible Timeline Seminar, author of My Life on the Rock, and co-editor of the Amazing Grace™ series of books.
He is recognized both nationally and internationally as an exciting public speaker who has a deep love for Jesus Christ and who communicates his zeal with clarity and enthusiasm. After twelve years as a Protestant pastor, Jeff returned to the Catholic Church under the guidance of Bishop Paul Dudley.
Cavins received his MA in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville with Catechetical Certification. Prior to that, Jeff received a BA with honors in Humanities from Antioch University, Yellow Springs, Ohio and then went on to receive Bible training from Christ for the Nations Institute, Dallas, Texas and the Institute of Ministry, Bradenton, Florida. Cavins also graduated from Brown Institute, Minneapolis, Minnesota, a school for radio and television broadcasting.
The story of Jeff’s return to the Catholic Church is available in his autobiography, My Life on the Rock.
Jeff and his wife Emily reside in Minnesota. They have three daughters, Carly, Jacqueline, and Antonia.
Raised in Italian/Irish neighborhood in Providence, RI, Marcellino D’Ambrosio never thought about being anything else but Catholic. But like other Catholic teens, his faith was the last place he looked for fulfillment. Following in the footsteps of his parents, both professional performers in their single years, Marcellino set his sights on stardom, playing bass guitar in several popular rock bands by the time he was 16. At that time he encountered a group of Catholics whose Christian life was an exciting adventure, an adventure worth living for. So he laid his bass guitar aside and embarked on a road that led to a Ph.D. in historical theology from the Catholic University of America. His doctoral dissertation, written under the direction of the renowned Jesuit theologian, Avery Cardinal Dulles, focused on one of the theological lights of the Second Vatican Council, Henri Cardinal de Lubac, and his recovery of biblical interpretation of the early Church fathers.
Dr. D’Ambrosio’s teaching has covered a broad range of subjects from historical, dogmatic, and sacramental theology to evangelization, ecumenism, and Vatican II. Yet throughout his academic career, Dr. D’Ambrosio always remained deeply involved in pastoral work, especially teen evangelization and Hispanic ministry, assuring that his teaching remained relevant to the challenges of everyday life.
His writing has been published in the international journal Communio, Abingdon’s Dictionary of Biblical Interpretation, the Tablet, Catholic Digest, Our Sunday Visitor, and Catholic News Service’s syndicated column “Faith Alive.” His popular book, Exploring the Catholic Church and video course by the same name (known as Touching Jesus through the Church in the USA) have been used in hundreds of parishes all throughout the English speaking world. The Guide to the Passion: 100 Questions about the Passion of the Christ, of which he is co-author and co-editor, may prove to be the fastest-selling Catholic book of all time with over a million copies sold in less than three months.
Dr. D’Ambrosio, the father of five and a business owner, brings to his teaching a practical, down-to-earth perspective that makes his words easy to understand and put into practice. Audio and video recordings of his popular teaching are internationally distributed. He often appears on the international Eternal Word Television Network is regularly heard on the nationally syndicated radio show “Catholic Answers Live.” Dr. D’Ambrosio has been a guest on Geraldo Rivera, At Large on FoxNews Channel, the Bill O’Reilly radio show and Radio America’s news program Dateline: Washington.
In 2001 Dr. D’Ambrosio left his position at the University of Dallas to develop the work of Crossroads Productions, the apostolate of Catholic renewal and evangelization that he co-founded twenty years ago, and to more directly oversee the growth of Wellness Opportunities Group a company dedicated to helping people improve the quality of their lives physically, mentally, and financially. He, his wife Susan, and their five children, reside just outside of San Antonio, TX.
Dr. Donald DeMarco is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, St. Jerome’s University, Waterloo, Ontario; a Visiting Scholar, Holy Apostles College and Seminary; a Distinguished Visiting Teacher, St. Hyacinth College, Granby, Massachusetts; Faculty Member at: Catholic Bible College of Canada; St. Joseph’s College, Edmonton; Mater Ecclesiae, Rhode Island; Domus Mariae, Rhode Island; John Paul II Institute, Melbourne, Australia; and a Lecturer for the Sisters of Mary Immaculate, Cambridge, Ontario.
He is the author of 21 books, including, How to be Virtuous in a Not-So-Virtuous World with Fr. Bill McCarthy, MSA (Los Angeles, CA: Queenship, 2007); several hundred articles in scholarly journals and in anthologies, and articles and essays appearing in other journals and magazines and in newspapers; and innumerable book reviews in a variety of publications.
His education includes: B.S. Stonehill College, North Easton, MA 1959 (General Science); A.B. Stonehill College, 1961 (Philosophy); Gregorian University, Rome, Italy, 1961-2 (Theology); M.A. St. John’s University, Jamaica, NY, 1965 (Philosophy); and Ph.D. At. John’s Univ., 1969 (Philosophy). His Master’s dissertation was “The Basic Concept in Hegel’s Dialectical Method” and his Doctor’s dissertation was “The Nature of the Relationship between the Mathematical and the Beautiful in Music”.
He is married to Mary Arendt DeMarco and they have five children.
Ms. Cheryl Dickow is a Catholic publisher, author, columnist, and speaker. To invite Cheryl to speak at your event, contact her at Cheryl@BezalelBooks.com or call her at 248-917-3865. She is the author of the exciting new book Our Jewish Roots: A Catholic Woman’s Guide which focuses on the joy found in connecting with our past. Our Jewish Roots, along with other excellent Catholic books, is available through her website: www.BezalelBooks.com.
Cheryl has a Master’s Degree in Education and lives in the beautiful state of Michigan with her husband and three sons.
Cheryl is a contributing writer to the Today’s Catholic – Women in Faith category, among others.
Charlie Douglas is a senior vice president with a leading global wealth management institution.
He is the author of two books: Awaken the American Dream and Rich Where It Counts. Charlie also serves as the editor for a national journal on estate and tax planning.
Charlie is a speaker on such topics as the pursuit of God and money and morality in the marketplace. He will be contributing articles on a variety of topics with an empahsis on informing our workplace and marketplace behaviors by our Catholic faith.
He is a past Board member for Catholic Charities of Atlanta and is active at St. Brigid Catholic Church with his wife, Lori and their daughter, Elizabeth.
Chris Findley is a former Episcopal Priest who converted to the Catholic Church in 2007. He currently serves as Head of the Theology Department at Pope John Paul II High School in Hendersonville, TN where he has taught Church History, Sacramental Theology and Scripture. Chris has written for national and international publications and various web resources. He is an occasional guest on Catholic radio and is available for speaking engagements, particularly on conversion and Scripture.
He is also an avid pilot holding Commercial, Instrument, Multi-Engine, and Flight Instructor ratings. He is the founder of myFlightCoach.com, an online educational service for pilots seeking beginning or recurrent training. He and his wife Sheryl live in Nashville with their two sons Aidan and Evan.
Chris will contribute articles with a focus on matters of faith, conversion, scripture and church history.
Deacon Tom Frankenfield is a Permanent Deacon from the Archdiocese of Omaha who is currently serving the people of Mary Our Queen Parish in Omaha.
He is a Spiritual Director, Retreat Master and noted speaker. For fun, he is a storyteller, potter, puppeteer, guitarist and poet. His gifts of telling a good story and writing will be a regular feature in his Integrated Catholic Life blog, aptly named, “Spirit-Filled”.
Deacon Tom is married and has three grown children and three amazing grandchildren.
Visit him at his website (under construction) or at his blog.
We are pleased to announce that the newest contibuting writer to the Integrated Catholic Life eMagazine is Dr. Ray Guarendi. Dr. Ray’s articles will focus primarily on the family and raising children.
Dr. Ray Guarendi is a father of 10, clinical psychologist, author, public speaker and radio host. His radio show― “The Doctor Is In” ― can be heard weekdays. Please see our radio affiliate listings (Ave Maria Radio & EWTN Radio) for a station in your area. You can also listen live online or on Sirius satellite radio, channel 160. His website is http://drray.com.
Dr. Ray’s experience includes school districts, Head Start programs, mental health centers, substance abuse programs, inpatient psychiatric centers, juvenile courts, and a private practice.
Dr. Ray has been a regular guest on national radio and television, including Oprah, Joan Rivers, Scott Ross Prime Time, 700 Club, Gordon Elliot, and CBS This Morning. He’s appeared on regional radio and television shows in over 40 states and Canada. He has been the program psychologist for Cleveland’s Morning Exchange, Pittsburgh 2-Day, and AM Indiana. He has written several books, including Discipline That Lasts a Lifetime, You’re a Better Parent Than You Think!, now in its twenty-fifth printing, Back to the Family, Good Discipline, Great Teens, and his newest book, Adoption: Choosing It, Living It, Loving It.
Lisa M. Hendey is the founder and editor of www.CatholicMom.com and the author of The Handbook for Catholic Moms: Nurturing Your Heart, Mind, Body and Soul (Ave Maria Press). Lisa hosts the weekly Catholic Moments Podcast and the “Catholic Mom” television segments on KNXT-TV. In addition to her book and internet publishing, her articles have appeared in the National Catholic Register, Our Sunday Visitor, Faith and Family Magazine, Canticle Magazine, Grapevine Magazine and Kids’ Ark Magazine.
Lisa recently released her best-selling first book, entitled The Handbook for Catholic Moms: Nurturing Your Heart, Mind, Body and Soul with publisher Ave Maria Press. The book encourages mothers to nurture themselves through healthy relationships, mentally, physically and employing the tools of the Catholic Church in order to better care for their families, communities, the Catholic Church and the world it is sent to serve.
Lisa M. Hendey is available to speak to your group on Catholic faith, family, new media, personal productivity and healthy living topics. Lisa is domiciled in the Diocese of Fresno and has received authorization and permission from Bishop John T. Steinbock to speak both within and outside of the Diocese of Fresno.
Lisa, her husband Greg and their teenage sons Eric and Adam are active parishioners at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church. Lisa enjoys discussing faith and family issues with readers.
Matthew Kelly was born in Sydney, Australia, where he began speaking and writing in 1993. Since that time he has travelled in more than fifty countries and spoken to over four million people. He has written twelve books which have appeared on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestseller lists and have been published in twenty-five languages. His titles include: The Rhythm of Life, The Seven Levels of Intimacy, The Dream Manager, and Building Better Families.
In addition to his efforts to help individuals become the-best-version-of-themselves, Kelly is also a partner at Floyd Consulting, a Chicago based management consulting firm. His clients include: Pepsi, Proctor and Gamble, the Department of Defense, McDonalds, USBank, 3M, Ernst & Young, HSBC, the U.S Navy, the U.S. Air Force, and more than 35 other Fortune 500 companies.
His core message, regardless of whether he is speaking in a business, a school or at a Church, invites listeners to become the-best-version-of-themselves. Kelly convincingly communicates this message as God’s desire for each of us. And he insists that it is also the desire of parents for their children, husbands and wives for each other, CEOs for their companies and employees, pastors for their communities and members, and managers for those they lead and instruct.
Matthew is a contributing writer to the Faith, Family and Work categories at The Integrated Catholic Life eMagazine.
Peter Kreeft, Ph.D., is a professor of philosophy at Boston College and also at the King’s College (Empire State Building), in New York City. He is a regular contributor to several Christian publications, is in wide demand as a speaker at conferences, and is the author of over 55 books including: Back to Virtue; The God Who Loves You; Heaven, The Heart’s Deepest Longing; Everything You wanted to Know About Heaven; Your Questions – God’s Answers; How To Win The Culture War; The Journey; Before I Go – Letters to Our Children About What Really Matters; and Jesus Shock.
Dr. Kreeft is a convert to the Catholic Church from reformed Protestantism. He earned an A.B. degree from Calvin College, an M.A. and Ph.D. from Fordham University, followed by post-doctoral work at Yale University. He has received several honors for achievements in the field of philosophy, including the Woodrow Wilson Award, Yale-Sterling Fellowship, Newman Alumni Scholarship, Danforth Asian Religions Fellowship, and a Weathersfield Homeland Foundation Fellowship.
Father Roger J. Landry is a priest of the Diocese of Fall River, MA, where he was ordained by the Most Reverend Sean O’Malley, OFM Cap. in 1999. In addition to his duties as pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in New Bedford and as executive editor of The Anchor, the weekly newspaper of the Diocese of Fall River, Father Landry speaks widely on the thought of Pope John Paul II and on controversial and often misunderstood issues in Catholicism, especially in the realm of bioethics and the convergence of Catholic teaching and popular culture. He also has preached retreats in various states and leads pilgrimages regularly to Rome.
Father prepared for the priesthood at Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, St. Philip’s Seminary in Toronto and for five-plus years in Rome, where he lived at the North American College and studied at the Angelicum, Gregorian and Lateran Universities.
After his ordination as a priest, Bishop Sean O’Malley sent him back to Rome complete advanced degrees in moral theology — specializing in marriage, family and sexuality issues — and bioethics. While in Rome, he was for several years an official Vatican guide to the necropolis under St. Peter’s Basilica, did a multipart series for Vatican radio on the principle Churches of Rome and led thousands of pilgrims to the other major Christian monuments in the city.
Upon return from the eternal city, Father Landry served for three years as parochial vicar of Espirito Santo Parish in Fall River and as chaplain at Bishop Connolly High School. After that, he spent two years as parochial vicar at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Hyannis.
Prior to the priesthood, Father Landry worked in biological research and in politics.
He graduated with a biology degree from Harvard College and worked for four years at Massachusetts General Hospital researching the circadian neuroendocrine control of metabolism and immunology in the laboratory of Anthony Cincotta, Ph.D.
During his years at Harvard, after the magazine he co-founded — Peninsula — started to receive national attention as a result of controversies generated by it, Father Landry received political training from Virginia’s Leadership Institute, which he put to use first for the campaign of Congressman Frank R. Wolf from Virginia and then as the executive director of the Conservative Leadership Political Action Committee, a small PAC that focused on identifying, training and placing young people onto hotly contested congressional and senatorial campaigns in which the pro-life cause was at issue.
Father Landry was one of the six seminarians profiled in the 1997 book The New Men: Inside the Vatican’s Elite School for Priests by Brian Murphy and the subject of profiles by the USA Today in June 2002, The National Catholic Register in October 2003, and Columbia Magazine in July 2004. He writes regularly for Catholic newspapers and magazines and pens a weekly column entitled Putting Into The Deep for his diocesan newspaper, The Anchor. Fr. Landry’s homilies and articles can be found at CatholicPreaching.com.
In 2004, with Fr. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, he founded the Donum Vitae Center for Bioethics, in order to make Catholic bioethical teaching accessible to non-specialists.
Patrick Lencioni is founder and president of The Table Group, Inc., a specialized management-consulting firm focused on organizational health. He has been described by The One-Minute Manager’s Ken Blanchard as “fast defining the next generation of leadership thinkers.”
Pat’s passion for organizations and teams is reflected in his writing, speaking, and consulting. Lencioni is the author of nine best-selling books with nearly 3 million copies sold. After several years in print, his book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team continues to be a fixture on national best-seller lists. The Three Signs of a Miserable Job, became an instant best-seller in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and BusinessWeek. And his latest work, Getting Naked, was released in February 2010.
The Wall Street Journal has named Lencioni one of the most in-demand business speakers. And he has been a keynote speaker on the same ticket with George Bush Sr., Jack Welch, Rudy Guiliani, and General Colin Powell.
Pat’s work has been featured in numerous publications such as BusinessWeek, Fast Company, INC Magazine, USA Today, Fortune, Drucker Foundation’ Leader to Leader, and Harvard Business Review.
As a consultant and speaker, he has worked with thousands of senior executives in organizations ranging from Fortune 500 corporations and professional sports teams to universities and nonprofits, including Southwest Airlines, Barnes & Noble, General Mills, Newell Rubbermaid, SAP, Washington Mutual, and the US Military Academy at West Point.
Prior to founding The Table Group, Pat worked at Bain & Company, Oracle Corporation, and Sybase, where he was vice president of organizational development. He also served on the National Board of Directors for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America from 2000-2003.
Pat is a lifelong Catholic who is passionate about his faith. He is a co-founder of Strong Men/Strong Faith (www.strongmenstrongfaith.com), a movement designed for busy men who are interested in deepening their Catholic faith.
Pat lives in the Bay Area with his wife Laura and their four boys.
Hallie Lord is a homeschooling mother of five young children who grew up in Northern California but now finds herself happily nestled in the Deep South.
She left her career in marketing to focus on her family, and is now a part-time freelance writer. After growing up in a secular environment, surrounded by the modern feminist movement, Hallie has a special passion for sharing the beauty of the Church’s teaching on the vocation of marriage and authentic womanhood.
Her style ranges from light, humorous pieces on romance or fashion, to more serious reflections on modern marriage or the value of modesty.
She has written for This Rock, Catholic Exchange, and Fathers for Good, and has been a guest on multiple podcasts. She is also a regular contributor to Faith & Family Live! and her blog, Betty Beguiles, draws thousands of readers from all over the world each month.
Hallie enjoys interacting with the lively community her blog attracts, and hopes her writing might be a source of inspiration to others.
Kevin M. Lowry is an enthusiastic convert to the Catholic faith, and the son of a former Presbyterian minister who also became Catholic. A graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville and Franklin University, Kevin spent over twenty years in secular financial and executive management roles.
Kevin serves as Chief Operating Officer for The Coming Home Network International, a Catholic apostolate that assists non-Catholic clergy and laity on the journey to the Catholic Church and beyond. Kevin is a member of the Board of Directors of Our Sunday Visitor and the Columbus chapter of Legatus.
Kevin’s first book, entitled “Faith at Work: Making a Career of Becoming a Saint” will be released in Spring 2012. The book encourages readers to integrate their faith and work in order to draw closer to Christ. The story of his conversion to Catholicism appears in Patrick Madrid’s popular book, “Surprised by Truth 2.” His web site and blog can be found at http://gratefulconvert.com. Kevin and his wife Kathi live in Columbus Ohio and have eight children.
Anna is the news director and anchor for the “Son Rise Morning Show” on the EWTN Global Catholic Radio Network. As a reporter, she has covered the controversial commencement at Notre Dame that honored President Barack Obama, the 2010 Pallium Mass in Rome and the first-ever National Theology of the Body Congress. She is a contributor to the “Today’s Catholics – Young Adults” section for the Integrated Catholic Life.
Anna’s favorite hobby is collecting old books to add to her bookshelves in her trendy downtown apartment in Cincinnati, Ohio. She graduated from Ohio University in 2006 with degrees in Journalism and History. She loves reading, writing, playing guitar, and watching Reds baseball, Ohio State football and Project Runway. Anna is learning Italian so she can live in Rome someday, and is also very active in the St. Gertrude 20s Group in Cincinnati.
Sister Marie Morgan, OSF is a member of the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration in Mishawaka, Indiana. She has taught for nine years; two of these in elementary school and seven in high school.
After receiving a B.A. in General Studies with an emphasis in secondary education at Indiana University, Sister Marie attended the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the “Angelicum”) in Rome, Italy where she received a B.A. in Theology and an M.A. in Spiritual Theology. She currently resides in Mishawaka, Indiana where she teaches Theology and serves as part-time pastoral counselor at Marian High School.
Jef Murray (www.JefMurray.com) is an internationally known Tolkien and fantasy artist/illustrator and counterfeit essayist. His paintings, sketches, and writings sprout sporadically from the leaves of Tolkien and Inklings publications (Amon Hen, Mallorn, Beyond Bree, Silver Leaves, Mythprints) and Catholic journals (The St. Austin Review, Gilbert Magazine, The Georgia Bulletin) worldwide.
Contrary to all sense and sensibility, his images most recently wended their way into The Magic Ring: Deluxe Illustrated Edition by Friedrich de la Motte Fouque and Black & White Ogre Country: The Lost Tales of Hilary Tolkien by Hilary A. R. Tolkien.
Lorraine V. Murray grew up in Miami, and graduated from Immaculata Academy High School. One of the nuns there predicted that if Lorraine went to a secular college, she would be in great danger of losing her faith. Lorraine thought that was funny, but in fact the sister’s prediction came true.
Majoring in English at the University of Florida, Lorraine bid farewell to her Catholicism when she was 19. She went on to get a Ph.D. in philosophy and became a radical feminist and atheist for over 20 years.
After teaching courses in English and philosophy on the college level, Lorraine worked as an editor in a university publications office. In her forties, the Lord called her back to her Catholic roots, and she went on to write about her conversion journey in her book “Confessions of an Ex-Feminist.”
Her recent books are “Death of a Liturgist,” a fun-filled mystery featuring murder and mayhem in a Georgia parish, and “The Abbess of Andalusia,” which explores Flannery O’Connor’s Catholic journey. All her books can be seen at www.lorrainevmurray.com.
Lorraine writes regular columns for the religion section of “The Atlanta Journal-Constitution” and “The Georgia Bulletin.” She lives in Decatur, Georgia, with her husband, Jef, a Tolkien artist and book illustrator. In her spare time, she bakes bread, watches hummingbirds, and chases squirrels out of her garden.
Communications Manager at Catholics Come Home, Inc. and VirtueMedia, Inc.
Ms. Katie Peterson has spoken at pro-life, Catholic and secular venues on topics ranging from media and the culture of life to evangelization in the 21st century, in addition to a variety of apologetics and theological topics. Since her youth, her passion has always been to use her speaking and writing skills to serve the evangelization mission of the Church.
Katie currently works for Catholics Come Home, a national Catholic evangelism apostolate working to invite fallen-away Catholics and non-Catholics home to the Catholic Church. She also works for Virtue Media, a national pro-life apostolate that has helped save thousands of babies and mothers from abortion in the past decade, through compassionate and educational sanctity of life television commercials.
Katie helps lead St. Peter Chanel’s growing Young Adult Ministry and occasionally gives talks at retreats, RCIA classes, and other ministry events in the parish. Upon completion of her degree in Communication and Professional Writing, Katie will study in the Evangelization and Catechesis graduate program at the Augustine Institute in Denver, Colorado. Katie plans to devote her life’s work entirely to Jesus, His Church, evangelization, and the sanctity of human life.
Katie is a contributing writer to the Today’s Catholic - Young Adults category at The Integrated Catholic Life eMagazine.
Dr. Edward Sri is a nationally-known Catholic speaker who appears regularly on EWTN and is the author of several Catholic best selling books, including The New Rosary in Scripture: Biblical Insights for Praying the 20 Mysteries (Servant) and Men, Women and the Mystery of Love: Practical Insights on John Paul II’s Love and Responsibility (Servant).
His most recent books are The Bible Compass: A Catholic’s Guide to Navigating the Scriptures (Ascension Press) and The Gospel of Matthew (Baker Academic – Fall 2010).
Edward is a founding leader with Curtis Martin of FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students), and he currently serves as the provost and professor of theology and Scripture at the Augustine Institute Master’s program in Denver, Colorado. He also teaches as a visiting professor at Benedictine College, where he taught full-time for nine years. Edward holds a doctorate from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. He resides with his wife Elizabeth and their five children in Littleton, Colorado.
Other books by Edward Sri include: Mystery of the Kingdom: On the Gospel of Matthew (Emmaus Road), Queen Mother: A Biblical Theology of Mary’s Queenship (Emmaus Road); Dawn of the Messiah: The Coming of Christ in Scripture (Servant) and The Da Vinci Deception: 100 Questions About the Facts and Fiction of The Da Vinci Code (Ascension Press) (coauthored with Mark Shea). He also is a contributor to the popular apologetics series, Catholic for a Reason and a recent volume on Catholic Marian theology called Mariology (Queenship Publishing).
Matthew Swaim works at Sacred Heart Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio and is the producer of “The Son Rise Morning Show,” a nationally syndicated program on the EWTN global Catholic radio network. He holds a B.S. degree in Media Communications (2002) from Asbury College.
Though serving in many non-Catholic Christian ministries prior to his conversion, Swaim entered the Catholic Church during the Easter Vigil of 2005, and his “zeal of conversion” brings an added excitement to his practice of the faith. Matt is the author of The Eucharist and the Rosary: Mystery, Meditation, Power, Prayer published by Liguori Publications.
Matt is a contributing writer to the Today’s Catholic - Young Adults and Faith categories at The Integrated Catholic Life eMagazine. He and his wife Colleen reside in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Theresa A. Thomas is a happy Catholic, wife to David, and home-schooling mother of nine children, ages five to 22. She is a columnist (“Everyday Catholic”) for Today’s Catholic newspaper, and occasional freelance writer and speaker. Her work has appeared the National Catholic Register, Michiana Family Magazine, Catholic Exchange, Family Foundations, home school newsletters and other national and local publications. She was a story contributor to Amazing Grace for Mothers, Amazing Grace for Fathers, Amazing Grace for Families (Ascension Press) and is currently collaborating with Patti Maguire Armstrong on “Stories for the Homeschool Heart”, to be published by Bezalel Books in July, 2010.
Theresa grew up the oldest of 13 children in the Midwest, and graduated magna cum laude from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN with a BA in English. She is owner and administrator of ‘Ora et Labora’, Catholic home-education message board, and was appointed by Fort Wayne/South Bend Bishop John D’Arcy to serve as a member of St. Joseph High School Board of Education and Catholic identity sub-committee in 2003. She has been home schooling since 1996.
Catholic education and curriculum, fitness, healthy living, saints, homemaking, reading, and assisting her husband and children reach their goals are Theresa’s primary interests. She enjoys helping her husband raise chickens and grow organic vegetables…and kids.
Theresa is a contributing writer at The Integrated Catholic Life eMagazine. She will provide a much needed voice in the area of homeschooling and parenting, drawing from her many years of experience.
Teresa Tomeo is an author, syndicated Catholic talk show host, and motivational speaker with nearly 30 years of experience in TV, radio and newspaper.
In the year 2000, Teresa left the secular media to start her own speaking and communications company. Many of you remember Teresa from her days in the Detroit media, especially her awarding winning radio work and her many years on Channel 7 and Channel 50.
Teresa’s daily morning radio program, “Catholic Connection”, is produced by Ave Maria Radio in Ann Arbor, and now heard on over 150 Catholic stations nationwide. Her talk show is also carried on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio.
Teresa is a columnist and special correspondent for the national Catholic newspaper, “Our Sunday Visitor”. She appears frequently on EWTN Catholic Television, most recently covering the March for Life in Washington D.C. Teresa has also been featured on “The O’Reilly Factor” and Fox News.
In 2008 Teresa was chosen as only one of 250 delegates from around the world to attend the Vatican Women’s Congress held in Rome marking the 20th Anniversary of John Paul the Second’s Letter entitled “On the Dignity and Vocation of Women.”
As a speaker Teresa travels around the country addressing media awareness and activism, as well as sharing her reversion to the Catholic Church. Her first book, “Noise—How Our Media Saturated Culture Dominates Lives and Dismantles Families”, published by Ascension Press is a Catholic best-seller and now in its second printing. Her second book, “Newsflash! My Surprising Journey from Secular Anchor to Media Evangelist” was published in September of 2008. Teresa has also co-authored a series of best selling Catholic books called “All Things Girl” for tween girls focusing on modesty and chastity. Her website is located at www.teresatomeo.com.
Kelly Wahlquist is the Assistant Director of the Evangelization and Development Office for Parish Evangelization for the Association of Marian Helpers in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, where she works for the Marians of the Immaculate Conception. She manages and advises for the Hearts Afire Parish-based Programs for the New Evangelization. This bold, vibrant approach is designed to help people live the complete Catholic life of Faith, Hope, and Christian Charity in the Sacraments through parish-based small group faith renewal programs. Working with parish groups, pastors, and directors of parish religious education she assists them in organizing, implementing, and running the fruitful Hearts Afire Programs in their parish communities.
Kelly is the Program Manager for the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute, an ongoing Catholic formation resource, at the St. Paul Seminary. This program serves Catholic adults of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, in Minnesota. Catholic participants deepen their knowledge of the Catholic Faith and further their spiritual formation in the study of Scripture and theology. Her responsibility involves managing two campuses and providing organizational, marketing, and instructional support.
Kelly is a contributing writer for The Integrated Catholic Life, an eMagazine about integrating faith, family, and work, and is the editor of Catholicism 101, a program by Jeff Cavins on the basics of Catholicism.
Kelly works with Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio at the Crossroads Initiative promoting evangelization through various apostolates and assisting with pilgrimages, and is pursuing a Master’s degree in Sacred Scripture at the Augustine Institute in Denver. She resides in Minnesota with her husband, Andy, and their three children, and is very active in their parish, Holy Name of Jesus. Her great passion is spreading the message of Jesus in the New Evangelization.
Katie Walker is the Communications Director at American Life League – the nation’s largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization, where she is in charge of advancing universal recognition of human personhood and the dignity of every human being’s life through traditional and new media.
A native of Cincinnati, Katie is the oldest of seven and graduated cum laude from Northern Kentucky University in 2008 with a degree in journalism and political science. While at NKU she served as founding president of Northern Right to Life and founding vice-president of Students for Life of Kentucky.
Before heading to Washington D.C. to work for the pro-life movement, Katie served in communications and fundraising for the Comboni Missionaries, an institute of Catholic priests dedicated to service of the poorest of the poor.
She has appeared on FOX News, MSNBC, The Laura Ingraham Show and CBN News as well as many local television and radio shows. Katie has been published in the Washington Post, the Remnant newspaper and Celebrate Life magazine and quoted in Reuters, OneNewsNow, World Net Daily and Politico.
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