Leila Miller

Leila Miller is an author, popular Catholic blogger, and a contributor to Catholic Answers Magazine Online. She has co-authored a book with Trent Horn, Made This Way: How to Prepare Kids to Face Today’s Tough Moral Issues.  I spoke with her about the natural law approach to some of the moral issues today.  As a woman and mother, she gives a needed perspective to issues facing the family today in a readily understandable way.

Leila and her husband have eight children and several grandchildren.

Fr. James McCurry, O.F.M. Conv.

Fr. James E. McCurry, O.F.M. Conv., is Minister Provincial of St. Anthony Province of the Franciscan Friars Conventual in Ellicott City, Maryland. Also the Past President of the Mariological Society of America, and an appointee to the Pontifical International Marian Academy.  He spoke to us about the Mariology of St Maximilian Kolbe.  Fr. McCurry has a real gift and insight in speaking about Mary.

Fr. Gabriel Gillen, O.P.

Father Gabriel Gillen, O.P., was born and raised in Rockaway Beach, New York. He attended the State University of New York in Stony Brook, graduating with a Bachelor of Liberal Arts and a Business Management Bachelor of Science.

He worked for several years in finance on Wall Street.  After studying at Franciscan University of Steubenville and earning degrees from the Angelicum in Rome, he was ordained in Italy to the priesthood in 2000.

He served as a hospital chaplain at Sloan Kettering and later as a college chaplain with the first FOCUS team at New York University.  Father Gabriel founded Blackfriars Media, a film incubator program for Catholic NYU film students.  He still produces documentaries for EWTN including one with Dr. Peter Kreeft on the spirituality of surfing and a Pro-life video on Naprotechnology.  

Father Gillen currently serves as the Director of the Rosary Shrine of Saint Jude which has over 80,000 members.  He also serves as the Executive Director of the Dominican Friars Foundation, which provides support for the record number of friars with the Province of Saint Joseph.  He is an auxiliary chaplain with the Knights of Malta. Father Gillen was recently asked to serve on one of the boards for the École Biblique,  a center of biblical research and teaching in Jerusalem.

Fr. John Riccardo

Fr. John Riccardo was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit in 1996.  He is the youngest of five children and a graduate of The University of Michigan.

After working for several years in the professional world, he entered the seminary to begin studies for the priesthood.  He studied philosophy at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, studied theology at the Gregorian University in Rome and received a Sacred License in Theology (S.T.L.) from The Pope John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family.

Since 2007, Fr. John has served as pastor at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Plymouth, Michigan.

Father talks to us about what has been effective in transforming his parish into a model for the new evangelization in new ministries and reaching people. Father also talks to us about the role his parents played in their witness to the faith (his father was also the CEO of Chrysler). We conclude with a discussion on Ephesians 5 and the Christian understanding of marriage.

Pete Burak

Pete Burak is the Director of i.d.9:16. He is a 2010 graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville, and has a Master’s in Theology from Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, MI. Pete is a frequent speaker at numerous youth and young adult events, and he is the Camp Co-Director of Pine Hills Boys Camp. Pete and his wife Cait, have two daughters, Grace and Erin, and a new baby boy, Donovan.

He talks to us about how to reach young adults today.

Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers

Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers is a powerful and passionate evangelist and preacher, whose no-nonsense approach to living and proclaiming the Catholic faith is sure to challenge and inspire those who hear him.

He travels across the United States and around the world speaking at conferences, workshops, retreats, parish missions, high schools, and young adult events.  His areas of expertise include marriage and family life, discerning the will of God, the sacraments, male spirituality, pro-life issues, evangelization, prayer, and many others.

Deacon Harold holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics and Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame, and a Master of Theological Studies Degree from the University of Dallas.

He speaks to us about his ministry and outreach to men with a biblical view of masculinity.

Fr. Romanus Cessario, O.P.

Fr. Romanus Cessario, O.P., completed doctoral studies at the University of Fribourg and continues to carry on research in psychology and moral theology. He is author of more than a hundred articles in theology and related fields and has published eighteen books mostly on the virtues and Christian ethics. Father Cessario teaches at St. John's Seminary in Brighton, Massachusetts, and is a Fellow of the Pontifical Academy of Saint Thomas Aquinas.

He speaks to us about the encyclical, Veritatis splendor (Latin: The Splendor of the Truth), and how it relates to the errors of the day.

Everett Fritz

Everett Fritz is a Catholic speaker and best-selling author. His most recent book is titled The Catholic Youth Ministry Problem. He is uniquely gifted in his work to restore the lost art of mentoring to the Catholic Church.

In 2016, Everett founded  St. Andrew Missionaries – an organization dedicated to training and equipping the Catholic Church and families in discipleship of young people.

He holds an MA in Theology with concentrations in Catechesis and Evangelization from the Augustine Institute as well as a BA in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville. He has been serving the Church in youth ministry for over a decade.

Everett talks to us about youth ministry with a small groups approach.

Dr. Christopher Kaczar

Dr. Christopher Kaczor (rhymes with razor) is Professor of Philosophy at Loyola Marymount University and a member of the James Madison Society of Princeton University.  He was appointed to the Pontifical Academy for Life of Vatican City and as a Consultor to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.  We spoke about his book, The Seven Big Myths about the Catholic Church.

Fr. John Burns

Fr. John Burns is a priest in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee who is studying for a doctorate in sacred theology at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome. Ordained a priest in 2010, he has served as an associate pastor and pastor in the archdiocese, as well as an adjunct professor of moral theology at the Sacred Heart School Seminary and School of Theology in Hales Corners, Wisconsin.  He spoke with us about forgiveness and the moral virtues.

 

Totus Tuus Summer Program in the Wichita Diocese

Insights on how the Totus Tuus Summer Program evangelize parishes throughout the Wichita Diocese.

Justin Fatica

Justin is the founder and director of Hard as Nails ministry. The ministry assists schools, churches, and other organizations in their efforts to introduce people to Jesus, develop individual relationships with Jesus, and cultivate local communities.

We had a wonderful discussion about his message to young people.  He talks about the gift of the cross and suffering well.  He also tells the story of meeting his wife and their journey to marriage.  He also tells about how he prays.

Fr. Peter John Cameron, O.P.

Fr. Peter John Cameron, O.P. was ordained a Dominican priest in 1986. In addition to his work as Editor-in-Chief of Magnificat, taught homiletics at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie, New York, and the artistic director of Blackfriars Repertory Theatre in New York City. He is the author of ten books and now works with Justin Fatica in Hard as Nails Ministry.

Cristina Barba

Cristina Barba is President of The Culture Project, an initiative of Catholic young adults who serve as missionaries to teens and other young adults to speak and build community on issues of chastity, respect for life, and the complementarity of man and woman. Cristina is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University and the Emmanuel School of Mission in Rome.

Cristina talks about the Culture Project and several issues facing youth today.  She speaks about the importance of community, beauty, truth and goodness in evangelizing the culture.  She also describes the chastity message that they deliver across the country.

Aurora Griffin

A Harvard graduate, Rhodes Scholar, and devout Catholic tells you everything you need to know about keeping your faith at a modern university. Drawing on her recent experience, Aurora Griffin shares forty practical tips relating to academics, community, prayer, and service that helped her stay Catholic in college in her book, "How I stayed Catholic at Harvard."

In this blog interview, we speak about her dissertation at Oxford about women and leadership in the Church.

Chris Stefanick

Chris Stefanick, a consultant to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth, is an internationally acclaimed author and speaker who has devoted his life to inspiring people to live a bold, contagious faith. Chris' live talks reach over 85,000 people per year. His videos and radio spots reach over one million people every month. His initiatives are turning the tide in the Church. Chris founded Real Life Catholic, a Denver-based nonprofit that operates as the headquarters for various initiatives. Chris is most proud to be the husband to wife Natalie and father to their six children.

He tells us his conversion story and about his ministry of giving parish missions and Real Life Catholic. Chris also talks to us about his prayer life.

Ken Yasinski

Ken Yasinski is one of Canada’s most sought after Catholic speakers. He currently speaks regularly for parish missions, conferences, and retreats across Canada and internationally. Ken is the founder of Face to Face Ministries, a Lighthouse Catholic Media Speaker, author, and songwriter. Ken is also a busy husband currently residing in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada with his wife Janelle, and their three children.

He talks to us about his conversion, his work, marriage and family life, and even taking care of ourselves through a balanced approach of diet and exercise.

 

Fr. Timothy Gallagher, O.M.V.

Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., was ordained in 1979 as a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual formation according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Having obtained his doctorate in 1983 from the Gregorian University, he has taught (St. John's Seminary, Brighton, MA; Our Lady of Grace Seminary Residence, Boston, MA), assisted in formation work, and served two terms as provincial in his own community. He has dedicated many years to an extensive international ministry of retreats, spiritual direction, and teaching about the spiritual life. He is a frequent speaker on EWTN, and his digitally recorded talks are utilized internationally. He currently holds the St. Ignatius Chair for Spiritual Formation at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver.

He speaks about prayer, spirituality, and Ignatian retreats. Fr. Gallagher concludes with a discussion on overcoming our weaknesses, faults, and sins and becoming aware of God's love for us.