Topic:
Elements of the Domestic Monastery

Msgr. Michael Wrenn, born in 1936, received his B.A. in Philosophy from St. Joseph Seminary in Dunwoodie, NY, in 1957, his M.A. in Catechetical Theology from Manhattan College in 1970, his M.S. in Secondary Education Administration and Supervision from Fordham University in 1973, and his Doctorate in Humane Letters from Notre Dame Apostolic Catechetical Institute in Arlington, VA, in 1988. He was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of New York in 1961, was involved with parish work for seven years, and after seven years of high school teaching and administration, he became Director of Religious Education and the Founder and Director of the Drug Prevention Office for the Archdiocese in 1973. During those same years, Monsignor held memberships in the Chief Administrators of Catholic Education and the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA). He represented the Military Ordinariate of the U.S. on the Board of Directors of the National Conference of Diocesan Directors, served as a Representative of the International Catholic Education Office at the United Nations, and was the Founding Director of the Archdiocesan Catechetical Institute of St. Joseph's Seminary. From 1980-1989, Monsignor was a member of the Executive Board of the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars and contributed to The New Catholic Encyclopedia and to The Catholic Encyclopedia for School and Home. Aside from translating over a dozen books, including works written by Bishop Charue, Fr. Rene Laurentin, Paul Toinet, Fr. Carnignac, and Fr. Francis Dreyfus. Monsignor has authored and co-authored many books including Catechisms and Controversies: Religious Education in the Post Conciliar Years, Flawed Expectations: The Reception of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and Pope John Paul II and the Family. He was elevated to Monsignor in 1986, and Reverend Monsignor in 1990. Since 1987, Monsignor has been Pastor of the Church of St. John the Evangelist and was Special Consultant for Religion Education to John Cardinal O'Connor. He was a Member of the Board of Directors of the Notre Dame Catechetical Institute from 1990 to 1993, and is a Member of the Board of Trustees of Christendom College in Front Royal, VA. He is also President of the Historical Commission for the Canonization of Pierre Toussaint. Awards have included: Chevalier of the French Republic in the Order of Academic Palms (laurels) for contribution to French culture, Cardinal Wright Award of the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars, Knight Commander of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, and Honorary Fellow of Maryvale Institute, Birmingham, England. In 2001, His Eminence Christopher Schonborn, Chancellor, awarded Monsignor an Honorary Doctorate to the Institute for Marriage and Family in Gaming, Austria. In addition to writing and translating scholarly works, lecturing in the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Ireland, England and Burma, Monsignor is now Dean at the Institute of Religious Studies at St. Joseph Seminary (Dunwoodie) in Yonkers, NY.

Topic:
The Faith that Marks God's People - Catechesis for a New Milenium

Fr. Vincent P. Bork was born in Evansville, Indiana in 1959. He received his BS in Physics from Notre Dame University in 1981, and the Dean's Award from the College of Science at Notre Dame. After graduating from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, he received his PhD in Physics, specializing in the field of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance of Solids. Upon graduation, Fr. Bork did two years of post-doctoral work at Washington University before he joined the faculty at Christendom College in Front Royal, VA, where he was a teacher of Math and Science courses for three years before entering Mt. St. Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland to study for the priesthood. On May 21, 1995, he was ordained a priest of the Arlington Diocese in Virginia by Bishop John Keating. Currently serving as Parochial Vicar at St. John the Baptist Parish in Front Royal, Virginia, Father is also kept busy teaching Physics and Latin to parish home schoolers. Father is known for his great devotion to both Divine Mercy and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Topic:
Parents: Co-Mediators with Holy MARY of the Word of GOD

Fr. William Casey, C.F.M. was born in Philadelphia in 1955. He is a graduate of Temple University in Philadelphia. After graduating from college Father Casey served as an officer in the United States Army. Upon leaving military service, he entered the Congregation of the Fathers of Mercy in 1985. He attended Holy Apostles Seminary, Cromwell, Connecticut, where he studied theology and was ordained to the priesthood on May 31, 1991, and studied philosophy at Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia. Father became a member of the Fathers of Mercy Congregation in 1986. In 1992, Fr. Casey started serving as a parish mission preacher, and since 1997 he has been the Superior General of the Congregation which is located in South Union, Kentucky. The Congregation of the Fathers of Mercy was founded in 1808, originally under the title of "the Missionaries of France". The community was founded for the purpose of re-evangelizing the French people after the Catholic Faith had been subjected to years of attacks and persecution during the French Revolution. It is now exclusively an American community. The primary mission of the Fathers of Mercy is to conduct parish missions and retreats throughout the country with the Holy Eucharist as the primary focus. Father Casey's talks usually emphasize the need for spiritual renewal and the importance of making good confessions. While most of his talks are geared toward adults, Father has been very successful in exciting young people to consider the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Father attributes his call to the priesthood to the mercy of God, his love for the study of Sacred Scripture, and his strong devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In his mission talks, Father encourages parish communities to make a stronger, deeper personal commitment to Christ and to His Church. Among the talks that he normally speaks on are: the reality of personal sin and the need for personal repentance, the Holy Eucharist, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the power of prayer, the Ten Commandments and the Catholic Church. For Lent 2004, Father gave a series of six one-hour talks on EWTN Radio promoting the Sacraments, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and devotion to the Blessed Mother. Father has authored a video from his special EWTN series entitled Spiritual Revival: Sparking the Fire of Divine Love. He is also featured on another videotape, Reflection of the Mass, along with seven other speakers, who offer their insights on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Father was once quoted in a talk given by a brother priest of his community as saying, "that being a priest in the secular west is like being a traffic cop at the Indianapolis 500".

Topic:
The Vocation Crisis

The Priority of Family Prayer

Fr. Shannon Michael Collins, C.P.M., was born in 1964 and is a native of Cohasset, MA. After undergraduate and graduate work in history and education, Father taught in Catholic schools for a number of years. Fr. Collins became a member of the Congregation of the Fathers of Mercy in August of 1994. Having completed his seminary training at St. Philip Neri Seminary in Toronto, Ontario, he was ordained to the priesthood on June 10, 2000. Father is currently on assignment as the resident chaplain at Our Lady of the Angels Monastery and the Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, AL. EWTN covers a service at the Shrine each Sunday at 6:00 PM EST, at which Father celebrates Benediction and gives a sermon. Prior to this assignment, he served on the mission band of the Fathers of Mercy, and over the years has been a very strong proponent of Catholic home schooling. Father has been a very popular speaker at numerous Catholic home schooling conferences across the United States.

Topic:
Home Schooling: A Labor of Love

Enduring the Winter of Unbelief

Teen Talk:
Holy Mother Church and the Formation of the Catholic Conscience for the Youth

Fr. Thomas J. Euteneuer(pronounced EYE-ten-our) was born in Detroit, Mich., in 1962, the third of six children born to Joseph and Marian Euteneuer. Father has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, as well as a licentiate degree in biblical theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Italy. He speaks both Spanish and Italian. While in college, Fr. Euteneuer participated in the Marine Corps Officer Candidate Program and attended boot camp at Quantico, Virginia. After discerning that the Lord was calling him to the priesthood rather than the military, he entered the seminary. Since his ordination in 1988, Fr. Euteneuer has served as parish priest in five parishes of the Diocese of Palm Beach, Florida, (where he moved with his family at the age of 10), secretary to the bishop, director of vocations, and spiritual moderator for the diocesan Respect Life office. Father's pro-life activity began in the early years of his priesthood with prayer vigils and pickets at abortion mills, and has included speaking at conferences, sidewalk counseling, and the establishment of a crisis pregnancy center. He also serves the pro-life movement by leading annual pilgrimages to Mexico to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, for whom he has a deep devotion. He has taken upwards of 60 pilgrims with him at a time. These pilgrimages are offered for the conversion of abortion providers throughout the world. Since December 2000, Father has been President of Human Life International. Since becoming president, Fr. Euteneuer has traveled to more than 20 countries actively proclaiming the Gospel of Life. He has given more than 100 pro-life talks in the United States and abroad as well as appearing on EWTN and FoxNews numerous times.

Teen Talks:
Teen Apologetics: Not Apologizing for the Catholic Faith, but Defending It!

The Church Militant: Spiritual Warfare in a Secular Society

Fr. Robert J. Levis, Ph.D., priest of the Diocese of Erie, PA, since 1948, received his Ph. D. in Religious Education from the Catholic University of America and served at Gannon University in Erie as Professor and Chair of the Department of Theology, Chair of the Liberal Studies Curriculum, Founder and Chair of the Pontifical Center for Catechetical Studies, where for 19 years, he supervised and instructed candidates for the Master's Degree in Catechetics. This Center enjoyed approval and affiliation with the Sacred Congregation of the Clergy, the highest possible Roman Curial certification in Catholic catechetics. He has also taught catechetical courses at the undergraduate and graduate level at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH. He is a Co-Founder of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy, a national association of priests, seminarians, and deacons, and presently serves as its Vice President. He edited its newsletter, Sapientia, for many years, and sponsored an annual convention at Gannon University for almost 20 years. When the Catechism of the Catholic Church appeared in 1994, he pioneered the preparation of two widely accepted catechetical programs for use on the computer, one for grade school students, the other for high school students, in fidelity to this official catechism. In 1997, he wrote a popular catechism, Jesus, the Catechism, and Me, a condensed and faithful text in support of the official catechism. This catechism is also published in the Philipino tongue. He co-edited John Paul II, Catechist, now translated into French and Spanish, edited the History of Gannon University, has written regularly for the Canadian Challenge, National Catholic Register, Lake Shore Visitor, Catholic Encyclopedia, and many other publications. He has spoken often on theological topics across the States and in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Presently, he co-hosts the show Web of Faith on the international cable network, EWTN.

Topic:
The Future of Past Catholicism

Teen Talk :
Basic Sling-shot Workshop for Young Davids and Judiths

Fr. Frank E. Papa, S.O.L.T., J.C.D., Cand. S.R.R. Adv., spent more than 25 years working with youth before his ordination to the priesthood in 1989. He was Founder and Executive Director of Teens, Incorporated, a recreational character-building organization that expanded into "Teen Homes" for homeless youth. He earned his Doctorate in Canon Law from the Angelicum in Rome, graduated Magna Cum Laude, is a Candidate for Advocate for the Sacred Roman Rota, and taught at Holy Apostles Seminary in Cromwell, CT. He was a guest on radio and television shows from 1963 to 1978, and is a guest lecturer at State Agencies and Institutions, as well as Catholic home schooling conferences. As a priest with extensive backgrounds in both Canon Law and working with teenagers, Fr. Papa is uniquely qualified to give parents important tips from a Catholic perspective.

Topic:
Holiness and Harmony in the Homeschooling Home

Teen Talk:
Teens and Peer Pressure

Fr. John A. Perricone was ordained a priest in 1976 in Newark, NJ. He is a Professor of Philosophy at St. Francis College in Brooklyn, NY, and has taught and lectured on subjects ranging across the entire spectrum of the Catholic life, from politics to prayer. He is the Founder and Director of ChristiFideles, an organization established in 1989 that furnishes spiritual and doctrinal formation for Catholics. He regularly conducts the Aquinas Distinguished Lecture Series, and Chesterton/Belloc debates. He has published numerous articles, worked on the bi-monthly newsletter Exclesis, and hosted the 13-part EWTN series, "The Most Glorious Act: Understanding the Mass." Fr. Perricone holds Masters Degrees in both Biblical studies and Dogmatic Theology, and has completed all his course work for his Ph.D. in Philosophy at Fordham University. Last year, Father became Pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Orange, NJ.

Topic:
Angels

The Four Last Things

Fr. Eduard Perrone was born on November 16, 1948 in Detroit, Michigan. He attended Cass Technical High School, and majored in music at the Detroit Palestrina Institute. Father received a scholarship from the University of Louisville and received a degree in Music Theory and Composition. He performed with the Louisville Orchestra, the Aspen Festival Orchestra, and the Kentucky Opera Association. After his studies in music composition and conducting, Father Perrone entered St. John's Provincial Seminary in Plymouth, Michigan, where he earned a Master of Divinity degree before being ordained to the Priesthood in 1978 for the Archdiocese of Detroit. Since 1994, Father has been pastor of Assumption Grotto Church in the heart of urban Detroit. At this popular Marian Shrine, Catholic culture and tradition are of great interest to Grotto parishioners, and Father's parish includes quite of number of home schooling families. In September 1997, Father was awarded the St. Charles Borromeo Pro Musica Sacra Award during the Midwest Conference on Sacred Music. Father regularly performs a full repertoire of orchestral Masses, as well as many choral and instrumental works. In addition to his pastoral duties, he is currently devoted to performing, recording, and publishing music, in cooperation with Jobert, Paris, and the music of Paul Paray. Father is a Third Order Discalced Carmelite and serves as chaplain to his local community. Fr. Perrone often gives talks and days of recollection. Recently, Father was featured in the book Priest: Portraits of Ten Good Men Serving the Church Today.

Topic:
Home Schooling: A Catholic Classic Model

Crash Course on Virtues

Fr. Paul Scalia was born in Charlottesville, VA in 1970, was ordained deacon at St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City -State in 1995, and was ordained a Diocesan priest on May 18, 1996 at St. Thomas More Cathedral. After receiving his BA at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1992, Father then went on to receive his STB at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome in 1995, and his MA at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas also in Rome the following year. He was the Founder, Editor, and Publisher of The Fenwick Review at the College of the Holy Cross. Father is now Parochial Vicar at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He has written articles in Catholic Twin Circle Magazine, Human Life Review, Religion and Liberty and Adoremus Bulletin.

Topic:
Because I Said So: The Divine Wisdom of Parents

Fr. Pablo Straub is a missionary priest of St. Aphonsus' Redemptorist Order. After being ordained in the Hudson Valley in 1958, he spent twenty years evangelizing literally every city, town and village in Puerto Rico. Father has lived these last eighteen years in rural Mexico, where he is helping found two new Religious Orders, one of men and one of women, both orders contemplative and missionary. The local Archbishop often calls on Father and the Brothers and Sisters to evangelize Mexico's poorest. In the United States, Mexico and Guatemala, Father Straub directs missions, retreats and Marian Eucharistic Conferences, besides evangelizing on Mother Angelica's EWTN and on Mexican Catholic television. Over the years, Father Straub's travels have included going to the shores of Lake Titicaca giving retreats to Inca Indians and to the streets of Manila preaching Father Peyton's Family Prayer Crusade. Father spends his time now directing the two new religious orders, furthering the education of sisters and future priests, evangelizing the poor, as well as supervising the construction of a convent-Motherhouse and seminary-Motherhouse on a beautiful mountainside overlooking the Pacific in Mexico. Father Pablo adores Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, loves the Blessed Virgin Mary, and obeys the Pope. He hears confessions on missions from before sun-up to beyond midnight, preaches with a quiet passion born of love, and finds time to write an occasional Catholic tract for layfolk. He has produced audios and videos of the Catholic Catechism and Rosary meditations. Father is bilingual, and even in Spanish, his mother's Irish humor comes through.

Topic:
Everyone Has a Call from God

What is Truth?

Teen Talk:
You Have to Listen

Topic:
Gospel Models of Personal Conversion

Teen Talk :
The Gospel Walk with Christ

Congressman Robert K. Dornan, life-long Catholic, congressman for 20 years and now retired, was born to an Irish Catholic family in New York City. He served in the Air Force for 22 years as a fighter pilot and intelligence officer, and became active in the Civil Rights movement. Bob was the Host and Producer of the Emmy Award winning television talk programs "Tempo" (1967-1970), and "The Robert K. Dornan Show" (1970-1973). In 1970, Bob originated the POW/MIA bracelet, which was worn by over 10 million people. From 1973 to 1976 he was the National Spokesman for CDL, Citizens for Decency through Law, and in the fall of 1976 he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives where he served three terms before he was forced out by redistricting. Robert Dornan served in Congress continually from 1984 to 1997, was Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, and was Chairman of the Intelligence Committee. During his years in Congress, he had the distinction of being one of the top three pro-life legislators. Currently Bob is the Host and Producer of “The Robert K. Dornan Show: Defending Faith, Family, and Freedom” on the Talk Radio Network (TRN), which is heard in 42 states. Mr. Dornan and his wife Sallie have five married children and thirteen grandchildren.

Topic:
Are We Winning the Culture War?

Dr. Mary Kay Clark has taken an active role in educational and political issues for over 30 years. Since 1982, she has been Director of Seton Home Study School. Under her direction, Seton Home Study School has grown from 340 students in 1985 to more than 10,000 students currently enrolled in the United States and internationally. Besides being a frequent speaker at home education and family conferences, Dr. Clark is also a frequent guest on radio and television programs. She has written many articles on home schooling, and has authored the book, Catholic Home Schooling: A Handbook for Parents. Dr. Clark is the mother of seven children, all of whom she has educated at home.

Topic:
Burnout

Dr. Alice von Hildebrand is an internationally renowned lecturer, philosopher, and author, who currently works as a host on Mother Angelica's EWTN television network, and has lectured widely in Western Europe, Canada, the U.S., Venezuela, Colombia, and Mexico. She is a Professor Emerita of Philosophy at Hunter College of the City University of New York, where she taught for over thirty years, and currently serves as a trustee for the Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH. She has also taught at catechetical institutes in Arlington, VA, and Dunwoodie, NY, as well as Thomas More College in Rome and the Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH, where she received the Doctoris Honoris Causa. Dr. von Hildebrand has written many widely acclaimed books from a traditional Catholic perspective, including: The Soul of a Lion: Life of Dietrich von Hildebrand, a loving biography of her deceased husband; By Love Refined: Letters to a Young Bride; By Grief Refined: Letters to a Widow; and recently The Privilege to Be a Woman.

Topic:
Modern Educators: Pagans or Apostates vs. Catholic Education

Mr. Michael Brown was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. A graduate of Christendom College, he received his B.A. in English Literature in 1987, and his M.A. in Philosophy from Catholic University in 1999, where he is currently working on his PhD in Philosophy. His doctoral dissertation will compare St. Thomas Aquinas and Rene Descartes on the relationship between wonder and philosophical inquiry. Since 1993, Mr. Brown has taught at Christendom College, where he has been an adjunct instructor in the Philosophy Department, teaching the History of Modern Philosophy and the History of Medieval Philosophy. He has also been the Dean of Student Life at Christendom College for the past eleven years. He and his wife, Therese, have three children, aged nine, seven, and five - two daughters and a son. He enjoys cooking, tennis, chess, and reading philosophy.

Topic:
Our Role in Divine Providence

Topic:
Morality and Music (in conjunction with Mr. William Merimee)

Teen Talk:
Impact of the Arts and Media

Captain Guy Gruters graduated from the United States Air Force Academy with a degree in Engineering, graduated from Purdue University with an MS in Astronautical Engineering, and served in the USAF as a fighter pilot. He retired from the USAF as a captain in 1973. Missing flying, he became a pilot for Eastern Airlines in the 1980's. After becoming involved full time in the computer industry as a top-rated IBM salesman, be became a Fortune 500 small business owner; recently, he retired. During the Vietnam War, Captain Gruters flew more than 400 combat missions as a Forward Air Controller. He was shot down twice, and after being captured the second time, he spent 5 years and 4 months as a prisoner of war in Communist prison camps, including the notorious "Hanoi Hilton". Captain Gruters received two Silver Stars, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, one Bronze Star for Valor, two Purple Hearts, and over 20 air medals. Captain Gruters gives credit to his Catholic Faith for helping him through this extremely difficult time in his life. Two stories about some of his personal experiences in the Vietnam War appear in the book Misty, which was published by Major General Don Shepperd, USAF (Ret.). Captain Gruters' accounts include "A Fight Worth Fighting, and A Fight Well Fought", the first-hand recounting of an outstanding American military hero, Lieutenant Lance Sijan. (Captain Gruters was in the POW Camp with Lieutenant Sijan during the last days of Lieutenant Sijan's life.) His other account, a poem summarizing his personal war and fighting experience, is entitled, "American Tigers". Presently, Captain Gruters gives talks around the country to colleges and universities, ROTC units, and other military and civilian groups. His speaking engagements have included: the United States Air Force Academy, Virginia Military Institute, and the Franciscan University of Steubenville. His unique message - one full of faith and hope - is pro-military, pro-patriotic, and pro-God. Captain Guy Gruters and his wife, Sandy, have been married 40 years and have 7 children.

Topic:
Surviving with God in a Communist POW Camp

Mr. William Merimee currently lives in Cleveland, Ohio with his wife, Tanis and six children. A graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music with a degree in Violin Performance, Mr. Merimee has been a member of several professional orchestras, including the North Carolina Symphony and Erie Philharmonic, and he has toured extensively both in the United States and in Israel. Currently, Mr. Merimee maintains an active career in performing chamber music throughout Ohio. He was the Director of Operations for the Mary Foundation from 1994 through 1998. During this time period, he helped Bud McFarlane grow his organization, headquartered in the basement of his house, into one of the world's largest distributors of Catholic audiotapes and CD's. In 1996, he spearheaded the editing of Bud's best-selling novel, Pierced by a Sword, published by Saint Jude Media. In the same year, Mr. Merimee took over leadership of Saint Jude Media and acted as publisher for Bud's two subsequent novels, Conceived without Sin and House of Gold. Today, he remains involved as an accountant, advisor, and friend to the Mary Foundation, Saint Jude Media, and Catholicity (the apostolate's website). For the past several months, Mr. William Merimee and Eric Genuis have been performing music together and are scheduled to perform various concerts throughout the United States, South America and Europe. They have just completed their first violin and piano recording, see the website at www.eternitymedia.com for additional information.

Topic:
Morality and Music (in conjunction with Mr. Eric Genius)

Topic:
[To Be Announced]

Teen Talk :
The Evangelical Counsels: You Needn't Wear a Habit to Get in the Habit

 

Mrs. Catherine Moran has fourteen years of experience home schooling her five children, and is currently serving as the President of the Catholic Home School Network of America (CHSNA). She received a bachelor’s degree with majors in biology, chemistry, and speech/hearing therapy as well as a Masters of Science in Education in learning disabilities from Kent State University, and has successfully home schooled her second son who is a dyslexic and had ADHD. Mrs. Moran is a member of the “Round Table,” a national organization of Catholic home schooling leaders. She is a founder and past leader of the Ohio Educators’ Catholic Home Schooling Network, and was a member of the CHSNA delegation to Pope John Paul II in 1995 and 1997. Mrs. Moran is a secular Franciscan and served as prefect of her fraternity for three years. She is currently the Secretary-Treasurer of the Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima in Warren, OH.

Topic:
The Forgotten Virtue of Mary-like Modesty

The Two Hearts Are One

Mrs. Virginia Seuffert, a native of New York, currently resides in Illinois with her husband and the nine youngest of her twelve children. While in New York, she lectured and wrote articles for the pro-life movement, and after moving to Illinois she became a founding member of the Network of Illinois Catholic Home School Educators, helped establish the "Round Table" Catholic home school leadership discussion group, and became a founder and officer of the Catholic Home School Network of America. Mrs. Seuffert has appeared on EWTN and has spoken at Catholic family conferences all over the U.S. and Canada. She is also the author of numerous articles on home education, teaching purity and other virtues, and home management.

Topic:
Exploding Myths about Home Schooling and Getting Started

Defeating the Demons of Home Schooling and Staying the Course

Teen Talk:
Recipe for Pretty Painless High School Home Schooling