Malvern on Facebook
News and Events
Event Photos
Malvern Videos
How to Volunteer
Contact Us
Directions to Malvern
Captains & Recruiters Login

 

Malvern Retreat House... an oasis of peace
"Created for the praise and glory of God." St. Ignatius Loyola
 
     
 

Retreat Director Biographies

 

 

Back to top FATHER LUKE ANDERSON, O.Cist

Luke Anderson, a Cistercian monk and priest, is the Prior of St. Mary’s Monastery at New Ringgold, PA.

Born in NYC, he completed his classical studies at the Louis de Montfort Seminary, Bay Shore, Long Island. He received his Ph.L. from the University of St. Thomas (Angelicum) in Rome. He earned his Th.M from Princeton Theological and a Ph.D. in Rome at the University of St. Thomas.

He has published a wide variety of philosophical monographs. And recently completed a scholarly volume: The Image and Likeness of God in St. Bernard of Clairvaux’s Free Choice and Grace. For thirty years he was a member of the Boards of Directors and Editors of Cistercian Publications at Western Michigan University. An internationally known university lecturer, he is a member of the National Association of Scholars, the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars and the Calvin Studies Society. Anderson’s pastoral activities, at the international level, have been restricted to work within the Cistercian Order. For more than a decade, he has served Blessed Mother Teresa’s sisters as retreat master and workshop leader both in the US and abroad.

 

Back to top FATHER STEPHEN J. BAKER, OSA

Father Baker is a graduate of Monsignor Bonner High School and Villanova University. He professed his vows as an Augustinian Friar in 1985 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1990. Father has served in parish ministry in Upstate New York, Massachusetts and Staten Island, NY. He has also served at Monsignor Bonner High School as a Theology Teacher and School Minister and at Malvern Preparatory School as an English and Theology Teacher and as Theology Department Chair. Father holds Masters degrees in Theology and Education and is presently completing his doctoral work in Educational Leadership at Saint Joseph's University. Fr. Baker has given retreats at Malvern Retreat House as well as for religious Sisters and high school students.

 

Back to top FATHER PETER M. BATTS, OP

 

St. Joseph Rectory, 371 Sixth Ave, New York, NY  10014

(201) 303-5763

Email: peterbatts@juno.com

 

 A Virginian by birth, Peter Batts graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 1971 with a degree in Philosophy and History. He then received Masters Degrees in Library Science from Columbia University and Church History from Harvard University. He worked as a Librarian at Howard University from 1974-75 before entering the Dominican Order. After his ordination to the priesthood in 1981 in Providence, RI, Father Peter M. Batts, O.P. first served in Saint Dominic's Church in Youngstown, OH, for four years before leaving to teach theology at Providence College, a position he held until 1989. While Father was studying for his doctorate in Church History through the 1990's, he served as Campus Minister at the University of Virginia and then Director of the Dominican Seminary Library in Washington, D.C. He received his doctorate in Church History from the University of Ottawa in 1999. He came to the Archdiocese of Newark from Saint Dominic's Parish in Washington, D.C. when he was elected to be the prior of the Dominican community at Sacred Heart in Jersey City. Father Batts was selected to serve first as the administrator of Sacred Heart Church, until his appointment as its pastor.

 

Back to top JOHNNETTE BENKOVIC

Johnnette S. Benkovic is Founder and President of Living His Life AbundantlyŽ International, Inc., a Catholic evangelization apostolate with outreaches in television, radio, print, and internet communications. She is also Founder of Women of GraceŽ, a Catholic apostolate for Christian women that features a number of outreaches including conferences, curricula, study groups and more.

After years of being a non-practicing Catholic, Johnnette experienced a deep conversion back to her Catholic faith in 1981and discerned a call to share the Gospel message through the media. She has been a consistent presence in Catholic radio since 1987 and in Catholic television since 1988.

Johnnette is Executive Producer of the Women of Grace television program, which is aired on EWTN internationally, Monday through Friday. The program discusses contemporary issues from a Catholic perspective. Johnnette is also host of Women of Grace Live, a one hour call-in radio talk show that airs five times a week.

In addition, Johnnette is a popular conference speaker, retreat conductor, and seminar presenter, and has been published in major Catholic magazines. She is the author of several books. Johnnette was married to her husband, Anthony, for nearly 34 years and became widowed in 2007. She is the mother of three adult children, two living.

 

Back to topFATHER BOLGER

Rev. Msgr. Richard T. Bolger
St. David R C. Church
316 N. Easton Road
Willow Grove, PA 19090
(215) 657-0252

1) Born and raised in Jenkintown, Pa and attended Immaculate Conception Parochial School and Northeast High School for Boys (Class of 1955)

2)  Entered St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Overbrook in September, 1956 and was ordained on May 21, 1966 by John Cardinal Krol.

3)  Obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree from St. Charles Seminary in 1961, a Master of Divinity Degree in 1981 and a Master of Arts in Religious Studies in 1987.

4)  2 Parochial Assignments and for 19 years a hospital chaplain (Presbyterian Hospital, Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Holy Redeemer Hospital and Norristown State Hospital.

5)  On the Archdiocesan Board of Catholic Social Services Advisory Board - Holy Family Home, Phila.

Board of Montgomery County Central MH/MR.

 

Back to topFATHER RAPHAEL BONANNO, OFM

Fr. Raphael was born in Belmont, MA in 1936 and at the age of twenty made his first vows as a Franciscan.  Ordained in 1962, in 1964 he received an MA in literature from St Bonaventure?s University, Olean, NY. with a thesis on Flannery O?Connor.  He left for the missions in Brazil and worked there for sixteen years and then from 1980 to 1993 worked in the Holy Land as a missionary.  Then he was called by his minister general to set up a communications department in the Order?s headquarters in Rome from 1993 to 1995.  Back in the USA, he joined the Franciscan Ministry of the Word in Boston, MA and has preached all over the USA and in Canada with retreats, parish missions, novenas, days of recollection and workshops.  

In 2006 he received another MA from St. Bonnie’s, this time in Franciscan Studies with emphasis on St Francis and the Theology of the Body.  In 2007 he finished the translation from Italian of the latest history of the Franciscan Order, entitled “In the Name of St Francis” by Grado G. Merlo. It will be published by the Franciscan Institute in Dec. 2007.

Fr. Raphael’s interests include travel, swimming, movies, walking, and books.  Of late, computers and translations have been significant.

 

Back to topREV. PATRICK BRANNAN

St. Mary of Providence
227 Isabella Road
Elverson, PA 15250

Rev. Patrick T. Brannan, S.J. graduated from Our Mother of Sorrows Parochial School at 48th St. and Wyalusing Ave. in 1946 and from St. Joe's Prep in 1950 when he entered the Society of Jesus.  He was ordained in 1963 and was sent to Europe for studies when he completed his theology.  He has lived in Europe (Germany, England, and Italy) for about six years.  He did two degrees at Cambridge University in England, and worked in the Jesuit Headquarters in Rome for two years and at the same time also helped in the Vatican, which is just down the street.  He holds advanced degrees in Teaching, Philosophy, and Theology, and a Ph. D. in Classical Philology (Latin and Greek) from Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA.

He has taught at St. Joe's Prep, Scranton Prep and Scranton University, St. Louis University High School, Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA and in several seminaries throughout the U.S. with about eleven years at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Overbrook.  He served as chaplain for the Little Sisters of the Assumption in Overbrook, and the Sisters of the Visitation of Holy Mary on City Ave. (next to the Cardinal's residence).

He has given retreats to Priests, Religious, and lay people and has given some here at Malvern.  He confesses to being an "old-fashioned" Jesuit who believes he was ordained from the service of the Church and, as St. Ignatius Loyola expressed it, "TO SERVE THE LORD ALONE AND HIS VICAR ON EARTH.

 

Back to topREV. J. BRIAN BRANSFIELD

Rev. J. Brian Bransfield, S.T. L., M.A., M. Div.
Faculty, St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
100 E. Wynnewood Road
Wynnewood, Pa 19096

Ordination
1994 Ordination to Priesthood for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia

Chronology
June 2005 - Assistant Professor of Moral Theology, St. Charles Borromeo Seminary

2002-2005 - Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, Washington DC Campus

2001-2002  Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, Rome Campus

Pastoral Assignments
1998-2001 - Faculty, Archbishop Wood High School, Warminster, PA

1994-1998 - Parochial Vicar, St. Andrew Parish, Newtown, PA

Courses Taught
RS 721 - Sexuality and Marriage in Catholic Teachings
RS 707 - Theological and Moral Virtues
MTH 701 - Sexuality and Marriage in Catholic Teachings
THL - Practical Theological Concepts
MTH 9587 - The Nuptial Mystery as a Paradigm for the Expression of the
STH - Mysteries of the Faith Education
S.T.D. - Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and  Family, Washington, DC
S.T.L. - Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, Washington, DC
M.A. - St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Overbrook
M.Div - St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Overbrook
B.A. - St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Overbrook 

Publications
“The Primacy of the Total Gift of Self: Anthropology and Homosexual ‘Marriage’ Ethics and Medics, November, 2003.

Lectures
“The Theology of the Body in Confession” to the Priests of the Diocese of Scranton, Continuing Formation Workshop, February 15, 2005.

 

Back to topFATHER JOSEPH F. BREIGHNER

Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, 5300 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD  21210
410 433 8800 (B) - 410 323 6088 (P)

Birth Date: 3/1/45 - Date of Ordination: 5/15/71
Archdiocese of Baltimore

Comes to us from the Archdiocese of Baltimore where he began his ministry as a parish priest from 1971 to 1977.  He was assigned to pastoral counseling and from 1979 to 1989 was the coordinator of evangelization for the archdiocese.  His full time ministry presently is preaching, writing and workshops.  He is a weekly participant on the nationally syndicated radio show, Country Road, writes a weekly column in the Catholic Review and has written a book entitled "Does it all make Sense?"

 

Back to topFATHER STEPHEN F. BRETT, SSJ

Rev. Stephen F. Brett, SSJ, is a Josephite priest and a native of Philadelphia, PA. Ordained in 1976, he has a JD and PhD in theology from Catholic University. He currently serves as Rector of St. Joseph Manor, Baltimore, MD, the retirement home of the Josephite community. Fr. Brett has taught theology at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia, and was the Chair of the Moral Theology department from 1995 until 2001. He is the author of two books, Slavery and the Catholic Tradition and The Law of Love. He has given many retreats for lay groups at the Villa of Our Lady, Mt. Pocono. He has also given retreats for religious and priests in the Philadelphia area.

 

Back to top SUSAN BRINKMANN

Award-winning journalist and author, compiled “The Kinsey Corruption” from the work of Dr. Judith Reisman, who has systematically exposed Alfred Kinsey’s research as fraudulent.  Ms. Brinkmann is a correspondent for The Catholic Standard & Times, a weekly newspaper published by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.  She is the author of two novels published by HarperCollins, and has written numerous children’s plays, as well as a national newsletter entitled “Divine Intervention.”

Ms. Brinkmann received the Barnardin-O?Connor Award for Pro-Life Journalism in 2002 and 2003.  She is a professed member of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites.

 

Back to topFATHER WILLIAM BYRON, SJ

The Reverend William J. Byron, S.J., is research professor at the Sellinger School of Business and Management, Loyola College in Maryland.  He served as interim president of Loyola University New Orleans in academic year 2003-04.  From August, 2000 until June, 2003, he was pastor of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Washington, DC.  From 1992 to 2000, he taught “Social Responsibilities of Business” in the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, where he held an appointment as Distinguished Professor of the Practice of Ethics and served as rector of the Georgetown Jesuit Community.  From 1982-1992, he was president of The Catholic University of America.  Prior assignments include service as president of the University of Scranton (1975-82), Dean of Arts and Sciences at Loyola University of New Orleans (1973-75), various teaching positions in his file of economics and social ethics.

Fr. Byron writes a syndicated bi-weekly column (?Looking Around?) for Catholic News Service.  He is the author of Toward Stewardship (Paulist, 1975), Quadrangle Considerations [Loyola, 1989 (winner of the Catholic Press Association?s 1990 Best Book Award in Education] Take Your Diploma and Run! (Paulist, 1992), Finding Work without Losing Heart (Adams, 1995), The  365 Days of Christmas (Paulist, 1996), Answers from Within; Spiritual Guidelines for Managing Setbacks in Work and Life (Macmillan, 1998), Jesuit Saturdays: Sharing the Ignatian Spirit with lay Colleagues and Friends (Loyola, 2000), A Book of Quiet Prayer (Paulist, 2006), and The Power of Principles: Ethics in the New Corporate Culture (Orbis, 2006): he edited The Causes of World Hunger (Paulist, 1982) and Take Courage: Psalms of Support and Encouragement (Sheed & Ward, 1995)     

He is a past trustee of Georgetown University and the University of San Francisco.  Current directorships include Loyola University New Orleans, Georgetown University Hospital, CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, and The Friends of New Orleans.  He was a founding director and past chairman of Bread for the World, a public member of the Board of Commissioners of the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, and an original member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Commission on National and Community Service (now the Corporation for National Service).

He holds a Ph. D. in economics from the University of Maryland, two theology degrees from Woodstock College, a bachelor?s in philosophy and master?s in economics from Saint Louis University.  He was the 1999 recipient of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities? Theodore M. Hesburgh Award for his contributions over the years to the advancement of Catholic higher education.  In that same year he received the Council of Independent Colleges? Academic Leadership Award.  He holds 30 honorary degrees. 

A native of Pittsburgh, Fr. Bryon grew up in Philadelphia, where he attended St. Joseph?s Preparatory School.  After service in the army?s 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment in 1945-46, he attended St. Joseph?s University in Philadelphia for three years before entering the Jesuit order in 1950.  He was ordained a priest in 1961.

 

Back to topFATHER ANGELO HENRY CAMACHO, O.P.

 

Dominican Friars, St. Mary’s Priory, 5 Hillhouse Ave, New Haven, CT 06511
Dominican Friars, St. Joseph Province, 141 East 65th St., NY, NY 10021

Birth date: July 16, 1932 - Date of Ordination: June 16, 1960 

 

Rev. Angelo Henry Camacho, a native of Somerville, MA and a Dominican Friar of the Province of St. Joseph, NY has preached the Gospel as a missionary in Peru for over thirty years. His experience includes parish ministry, both in the US and Latin America, pastoral and administrative ministry on the diocesan and international level, the design and development of marriage enrichment and parish renewal programs, social action ministry among the poor, community organizing and leadership training. He is founder President of the Latin American Institute for Christopher Leadership, and also founder director of   a marriage renewal program in Spanish called: REMA- Renovacion Matrimonial. 

He is a co-founder of the Worldwide Marriage Encounter Secretariat for Latin American and the founder and first director of the Family Life Commission for the diocese of Chimbote, Peru. Fr. Camacho, who has a Licentiate in Sacred Theology, has published articles, manuals and books in the areas of parish renewal, marriage enrichment and leadership training. He offers various training workshops in these areas and an introductory program to the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator (MBTI) and its applications for spiritual growth and human development, and its application to married couples.

Fr. Camacho is now based in the Priory of St. Mary, New Haven, CT, USA and engaged in full time itinerant preaching, specializing in parish missions, retreats and workshops while continuing his writing career. He is fluent in English and Spanish and conversant in Portuguese.

 

Back to topFATHER JAMES CAFONE

Father James M. Cafone is the assistant professor of religious studies at Seton Hall University and has served there since 1968.  He has been a long-time member of the Editorial Board of the Catholic Advocate, the paper for the Archdiocese of Newark.  Over the years, Father Cafone has taught numerous courses in adult education in various parishes in the Archdiocese and the Diocese of Metuchen.  He also is the weekend assistant to many local parishes in the South Orange area.

He is also a counselor and friend to numerous priests as well as students and serves as a sacramental minister for Seton Hall’s campus ministry.

Father grew up in the South Orange area and attended Seton Hall Preparatory School on a full academic scholarship. Upon graduation he was awarded another full four year academic scholarship (on the basis of competitive examinations) to the University and received a BA degree.  He received his Doctorate in Moral and Spiritual Theology from Catholic University of America in 1979.

 

Back to topFATHER FRANK CHAMBERS, OSA

Rev. Francis E. Chambers, OSA is a seasoned retreat director with extensive experience in counseling, formative spirituality and theological studies. He is currently the Associate Director of International Admissions at Villanova University.  As the former chaplain for the Miami Dolphins from 1980-1988, Fr. Chambers is also a published educator, campus minister and adjunct chaplain.  Fr. Chambers holds a MA in Formative Spirituality from Duquesne University; a MTS in Theological Studies from Washington Theological Union; an MA in Counseling from Villanova University and a BA in Liberal Arts from Villanova University.  He currently resides in Villanova, PA.

 

Back to topFATHER BILL CLEARY, OSA

Father Bill Cleary, O.S.A. is an Augustinian priest based at Villanova University. He has worked as a high school teacher, professor, and parish priest and pastor. During a five-year assignment in California, he began interfaith marriage encounters in a reflection of his abiding concern for couples and families. Fr. Cleary is trained as a canon lawyer with degrees from Catholic University of America and the Gregorian University in Rome.

 

Back to topFATHER THOMAS F. DAILEY, OSFS

Father Dailey was born May 7, 1959 and was ordained a priest in 1987 by Bishop Mulvee in Wilmington DE. He is currently a teaching Professor of Theology at DeSales University in Center Valley, Pennsylvania.  He has taught a combination of Introductory Theology course as well as advanced.  On the graduate level, he has taught Introduction to Salesian Spirituality at the Washington Theological Union.

He is the author of many articles and books centered on the theme of prayer and the Salesian way of living.

 

Back to top SR. CAROL DAVIS, OP, MA, CASAC

 

Sr. Carol Davis, OP
Dominican Pastoral Counseling Center, 1945 Union St, Niskayuna, NY 12309

 

Sr. Carol does Psychospiritual counseling at the Dominican pastoral Counseling Center in upstate New York and has led retreats throughout the United States.  Sr. Carol has a rich background in spirituality, addictions and trauma recovery counseling, university teaching and campus ministry.

Sr. Carol is personally familiar with the long-term effects of addiction and violence.  She rejoices in the grace of healing.  She brings compassion and creativity to the process of teaching and traveling with others on the paths of healing, love and light.  She has recorded two CD's of guided imagery that come from her dreams and prayer.

 

Back to top FR. STEPHEN DELACY

Fr. DeLacy is the school minister at Pope John Paul II High School. He graduated from Msgr. Bonnor High School in 1993 and West Chester University in 1997. He then entered St. Charles Borrromeo Seminary and was ordained a priest in 2004. From 2004 to 2007, he served as Parochial Vicar to SS. Peter and Paul parish. From 2007 to 2010, he was the school minister at Archbishop Carroll High School.

 

Back to topFR. PETER J. DI MARIA

Born in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, Father Peter J. DiMaria was raised in Glenside.  He graduated from St. Luke the Evangelist parochial school. After his graduation from Bishop McDevitt High School, Father entered St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.

Ordained a priest in 1993 by His Eminence, Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua, Father DiMaria  served seven years as a parochial vicar at Nativity B.V.M. parish, Media. He later served at St. Anselm parish. 

From 2001 ? 2006 Father was a full time faculty member of Bishop Shanahan High School while at the same time serving as chaplain of St. Mary of Providence Retreat Center.  In June 2006 Father was assigned to St. Francis of Assisi parish, Springfield, as Parochial Vicar.  He has served as a regular confessor at Malvern for the last 4 years.

 

Back to topFR. CLIFF ERMATINGER, L.C.

Father Clifford Ermatinger, LC is a priest of the Legionaires of Christ.  As a noted author and inspirational preacher, Fr. Ermatinger is an accomplished linguist, a regarded bagpiper and gritty rugby player.  He considers himself a ‘faithful priest who is passionate and ardent about his work.  I’m a priest of Jesus Christ and that’s all I really want to be.”  He has given courses all over the world in Spiritual Theology, Spiritual Direction, Apologetics and Youth Formation.  In addition, he has been a media spokesman for the funeral of Pope John Paul II and the election of Benedict XVI on Good Morning America, the BBC, CBS, Vatican and international television stations.  He has numerous publications including Common Nonsense-25 Fallacies About Life Rebutted; Into the Deep-Meditations for Evangelizers of the New Millennium; On Perfection and St. Theresa of Lisieux.

 

Back to topMRS. EILEEN GEORGE

"Meet the Father Ministry", 363 Greenwood St, Millbury, MA  01527

Mrs. Eileen George is the mother of eight children, from the diocese of Worcester, MA.  She is renowned for her healing ministry.  As a retreat master, Eileen has given retreats throughout the United States, Canada, the Philippines, and Korea.  Her ministry has the approval of the Bishop.  Eileen has a regular teaching ministry and prayer service at St. John's Church in Worcester, MA.

 

Back to topFATHER JOSEPH F. GLEASON

 

DIRECTOR OF SPIRITUAL FORMATION

ST. Chareles Borromeo Seminary

100 East Wynnewood Road, Wynnewood, PA 19096 

610 667-3394 (P)     610 785-6202 (W)       610 667-1422 (F)

 

I attended St. Bridget Church and School in the East Falls section of Philadelphia.  After graduating from St. Bridget School, I went to Roman Catholic High School.  Upon graduation from Roman, I continued my studies at St. Joseph University where I majored in English and received my B.A. in 1979.  In 1982, I entered St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, and was ordained in 1987 with a Master of Divinity degree.

After ordination, I spent three years as an assistant pastor at St. Bede the Venerable Parish in Holland, PA. In 1990, I was assigned to the faculty of Roman Catholic High School where I served as a teacher of Theology.  In 1993, I was appointed School Minister at Roman.  In 1997, I received my M.S. degree from Villanova University in Counseling and Human Relations.  The following year, I was appointed Director of Spiritual Formation for the Theology Division at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, a position where I am currently serving.

In the summer of 2003, I received an MA in Christian Spirituality with a certificate in Spiritual Direction from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.

 

Back to topFATHER MATTHEW W. GUCKIN

St. Patrick Parish, 120 Woodland Avenue, Malvern, PA  19355

In 1988 Fr. Guckin received a BS degree in Logistics Management from Penn State University.

The following four years he worked for a Management Consulting firm in the Washington DC area.

Father entered the seminary in the fall of 1992 and was ordained May 15, 1999. He served as assistant Pastor for  St. Cecilia’s parish in the Fox Chase section of Philadelphia.

Father is currently a Professor of Theology for Bishop Shanahan High School in Downingtown, PA.

 

Back to topDR. SCOTT HAHN

Dr. Scott Hahn was born in 1957, has been married to Kimberly since 1979, and has six children. An exceptionally popular speaker and teacher, Dr. Hahn has delivered numerous talks nationally and internationally on a wide variety of topics talks related to Scripture and the Catholic faith.  Over 500 of these talks have been produced on audio and videotapes by St. Joseph Communications.  These tapes have been effective in helping thousands of Protestants and fallen away Catholics to (re)embrace the Catholic faith.

He is currently a Professor of Theology and Scripture at Franciscan University of Steubenville, where he has taught since 1990, and is the founder and director of the Saint Paul Center for Biblical Theology. In 2005, he was appointed as the inaugural Chair of Biblical Theology and Liturgical Proclamation at St. Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.

Letter and Spirit (Doubleday: New York, 2005) and Understanding the Scriptures (Midwest Theological Forum: Chicago, 2005) are the titles of his newest books.  He is also the author of Swear to God  (Doubleday: New York, 2004), Scripture Matters (Emmaus Road: Steubenville, 2003), Lord Have Mercy (Doubleday: New York, 2003), Understanding Our Father (Emmaus Road: Steubenville, OH, 2002); First Comes Love: Finding Your Family in the Church and the Trinity (Doubleday: New York, 2002); Hail Holy Queen: The Mother of God in the Word of God (Doubleday: New York, 2001), The Lamb’s Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth (Doubleday: New York, 1999); A Father Who Keeps His Promises: God’s Covenant Love in Scripture (Servant Publications: Ann Arbor, MI 1998), co-author (along with his wife, Kimberly) of Rome Sweet Home: Our Journey to Catholicism (Ignatius Press: San Francisco, 1993), and co-editor of Catholic for a Reason: Scripture and the Mystery of the Family of God (Emmaus Road: Steubenville, OH 1998). Dr. Hahn has also written numerous articles in lay and academic publications.

Scott received his Bachelor of Arts degree with a triple-major in Theology, Philosophy and Economics from Grove City College, Pennsylvania, in 1979, his Masters of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in 1982, and his Ph.D. in Biblical Theology from Marquette University in 1995.  Scott has ten years of youth and pastoral ministry experience in Protestant congregations (in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Massachusetts, Kansas and Virginia) and is a former Professor of Theology at Chesapeake Theological Seminary.  He was ordained in 1982 at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Fairfax, Virginia.  He entered the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil, 1986.

 

Back to topFATHER JOHN M. HAMROGUE, CSSR

 

St. Mary’s Church, 109 Duke of Gloucester Street, Annapolis, MD 21401
Ph: 410-990-4013

 

Father John M. Hamrogue, C.Ss.R. was ordained in 1963. He has served as professor in the former Redemptorist College Seminary and as Director of Formation. He has served as parish priest, pastor, preacher of parish missions, and of retreats to lay people, priests, and religious. For seven years he lived and worked on the islands of St. Lucia and Dominica in the Caribbean, and got used to endless summer.

He has written a few little things. Now he is a parish priest at St. Mary?s, Annapolis, and is most notably involved with children and their parents, in the grammar school and the sacramental programs of religious education. He works in Spanish, too, acquired in his age.

 

Back to topFATHER GREGORY J. HICKEY

Fr. Gregory Hickey  is the pastor of St. John Fisher parish in Delaware County, He served as the Rector of Malvern Retreat House from 2007-2011. He was ordained a priest in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 1979.  He has served as a Parochial Vicar in the following parishes: SS. Simon and Jude, Westtown; Saint Augustine, Bridgeport, and Saint Leo in Tacony. The majority of his priestly assignments have been in education:  Cardinal Dougherty, Saint Hubert’s, Bishop Conwell, Roman Catholic, and Kennedy-Kenrick where he was both Principal and President. While serving in the high school apostolate, he was in residence at both Our Lady Help of Christians in Philadelphia and Saint Helena in Center Square.  He is a post-doctoral candidate in education at St. Joseph’s University. In addition, he served on numerous boards as well as chairing several Middle States evaluations, which is an accrediting agency in education.  He was the Chaplain of Immaculata University and a full-time member of the Theology Department.

 

Back to topFATHER PETER HOPKINS

Fr. Peter Hopkins, LC studied Liberal Arts at Thomas Aquinas College in California before entering the Legionaries of Christ in 1977.   He completed his philosophical and theological studies in Rome at the Pontifical Gregorian University and the University of St. Thomas Aquinas.  He has worked in Ireland and Mexico in the Catholic formation of youth and family.   He is currently director of the Thornwood Conference and Training Center in Thornwood  which specializes in marriage preparation courses, retreats, spiritual exercises, family counseling, marriage enrichment retreats and youth activities.  He was ordained by the Holy Father John Paul II along with his two younger brothers on the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the Legionaries of Christ in St. Peter’s Basilica in 1991.  He also has a sister who is a Nashville Dominican sister.

 

Back to topANNA IATESTA

Anna Iatesta and her husband, Bob have been in full-time service to families and children since 1977, when they founded Families in Christ, a Catholic lay ministry dedicated to strengthening Christian family life.  In 1985, Anna founded Living Bridges, with the mission of saving children, strengthening families and stirring faith in God.  This work has grown dramatically into the full service organization as it is today.  Anna co-hosted On the Way, a Gabriel award-winning television series; she is also the recipient of the Catholic Campaign for America’s Catholic Contribution Award.  She is a national conference speaker and media guest on radio and television.  Currently, Anna is the Director for a weekly support program for Catholic home-based educators and the Living Bridges Hosting Program for international orphan children.

 

Back to topCAROL JENSEN, M.A.

Carol Jensen, M.A. is a spiritual companion trained in the Ignatian tradition. She holds degrees in Social Work from the University of Michigan and Holistic Spirituality from Chestnut Hill College.

 

Back to topFATHER TIMOTHY KEATING, CSSR

Rev. Timothy F. Keating, CSsR was ordained a priest at the Redemptorist seminary Mt. St. Alphonsus in 1966.  He served in an inner-city parish in Baltimore, MD for four years.

He received an STL from Catholic University and his doctorate in theology form the University of St. Michael’s College in Toronto.

He taught some years in the Redemptorist College Seminary in Suffield, CT. He also offered courses for the St. Bernard’s Institute in Rochester and adult education courses at Nazareth College also in Rochester.

For the past 20 years he has ministered at retreat centers operated by his community in western NY, in the Hudson Valley, and on the NJ coast.  He has also conducted many parish missions and retreats.  As well he has done a significant amount of adult education programs in non-academic settings (parish-based, Elderhostel, etc.) He also has done a considerable amount of spiritual direction.

At the present time he is part of the parish mission team of the Redemptorists leading parish renewals and retreats, ministering mostly in upstate NY as well as in other places in the Northeast.

He resides with the Redemptorist community at St. Clement?s parish in Saratoga Springs, NY.

 

Back to topMATTHEW KELLY

Matthew Kelly was born in Sydney, Australia, on July 12, 1973.  Kelly is a New York Times bestselling author and is widely recognized today as one of the best speakers in the world.  With his keen sense of humor and heart-warming charm, Kelly has been effortlessly elevating and energizing audiences in more than 50 countries for the past decade.

Matthew Kelly is an international retreat director, author and motivational speaker.

Click here for the Matthew Kelly Foundation website

 

Back to topFATHER JUDE MICHAEL KRILL, OFM CONV.

Originally from St. Matthew's in Conshohocken, PA.

Holds degrees from:    St. Hyacinth College and St. Anthony on Hudson Theological University of Notre Dame, South Bend

Entered Franciscans in 1973; made solemn vows in 1978

Ordained priest in 1983

Taught high school for 12 years/college for 8 years

Teaches English and Theology

Currently is Chaplain, Campus Minister and Teacher at Neumann College, Aston, PA

Father Jude Michael taught literature at Archbishop Curley High School and Loyola.  He served as English department chair, student government and national honor society moderators, and director of retreats for campus ministry.  He has been spiritual director for local Franciscans and a member of St. Anthony Province Spiritual Life Commission.  Father has even made room for pastoral ministries by preaching missions and Sunday liturgies. 

As of August 15, Father Jude Michael began continuing his commitment to helping students grow intellectually and spiritually as Chaplain, Campus Minister, and faculty member for Neumann College.  

 

Back to topFATHER LOWE Ed.D., M.Div.

2129 N. Broad St, Philadelphia, PA  19122

PERSONAL HISTORY 
Born in 1956 and raised in northeast Philadelphia by Philip J. Lowe, Jr., a Philadelphia policeman, and Emily M. Lowe, a private secretary.  

PROFESSIONAL STUDIES 
Doctor of Education, August 1996

Department of Educational Administration, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA

Graduate Course Concentration: Supervision of Instruction, School Administration

Dissertation: Clinical Supervision Practices of the Secondary School Principals of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Master of Divinity, May 1982 - Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia, PA
Major: Pastoral Theology

Bachelor of Arts, May 1978 - Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia, PA
Major: Philosophy 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 
Director, Newman Center – Temple University, Philadelphia, PA - June 2000-present

Directs pastoral ministry to Temple University’s Roman Catholic community and the wider university community. 

Principal, Saint Pius X High School, Pottstown, PA - June 1993-June 2000

Oversaw all academics and auxiliary personnel with full responsibility for supervision, evaluation, and hiring. Directed administrative team of five full-time persons using a collaborative style of management.

 

Back to topREV. DANIEL E. MACKLE, M.A., M.Div.

Ordained 1980 following studies at the University of Notre Dame and St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.

School Minister at St. Pius X. High School and Archbishop Kennedy High School (1981-1988)

Director, Archdiocesan Office for Workshop (1988-2004)

Pastor, St. Patrick's Parish, Philadelphia (2004-present)

Adjunct faculty, St. Charles Borromeo Seminary (1980-present)

 

Back to topFATHER SHAUN MAHONEY

Fr. Shaun Mahoney is the Rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia. A graduate of Archbishop Carroll High School for Boys in Radnor PA and Harvard University, he was ordained for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 1991.  He served as a parochial vicar at St. Bernadette Church in Drexel Hill from 1991 to 1993. From 1993 to 1999 he studied at the Gregorian University in Rome, where he obtained a license and a doctorate in Dogmatic Theology.  Upon completing his studies, he was assigned as Assistant Professor of Theology and Formation Advisor at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. His term at the Seminary extended from 1999 to 2005. From 2005-2010, he served as the Director for the Newman Center at Temple University.

 

Back to top REV. THOMAS PATRICK MALLAGHAN, CM

Father Mallaghan was born and educated in Brooklyn New York.  Following his ordination he earned a MA in United States and European History and a Ph. D. in Religious Studies.

He taught History, Theology, and Scripture at St. John’s University and was Superior of the Order there for ten years.  For the past 20 years he has been involved in counseling and spiritual direction.  He is also a spiritual advisor to 12-step Fellowships.

 

Back to topFATHER JUSTIN MATRO

Father Justin M. Matro, O.S.B., has been named the Rector of Saint Vincent Seminary by Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., Chancellor. The appointment becomes effective Monday, August 14.

“I am pleased to announce the appointment of Father Justin as the Rector of the Seminary,” said Archabbot Douglas. “His years of experience in Seminary formation provide a solid foundation for preparing priesthood students for future leadership and service in the Church.”

Father Justin has been a member of the Seminary faculty and staff for the past 13 years. For eight years, Father Justin served as Director of Spiritual Formation. Father Justin has served as Vice Rector of the Seminary and Dean of Human Formation since 2003. An Assistant Professor of Spiritual Theology, he has taught at the Seminary since 1993.

He attended St. Louise de Marillac School in Upper St. Clair, PA and then Highland Avenue School in Midland Park, New Jersey. He is a 1976 graduate of Midland Park High School. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from Seton Hall University in 1981, a master of divinity degree from Saint Vincent Seminary in 1988, a master of arts degree in systematic theology from Saint Vincent Seminary in 1989, a master of arts degree in formative spirituality from Duquesne University in 1991, and a doctorate in sacred theology from the Gregorian Pontifical University in January of 2000.

He made simple profession of vows at Saint Vincent Archabbey on July 10, 1984, and solemn profession of vows on July 11, 1987. He served his diaconate internship at Sacred Heart Parish, Jeannette (1988-1989), and was ordained a priest on May 27, 1989 by Bishop Anthony G. Bosco of Greensburg.

Father Justin is the son of Nicholas P. Matro of Crabtree and the late Marguerite (Monnich) Matro. He is one of six children, including Mary M. Abrey, Washingtonville, New York; N. P. Matro, Jr., Hawthorne, New Jersey; John Matro, Ramsey, New Jersey; Claire Matro, Monroeville; and William Matro, Latrobe.

He has also previously served as Director of the Retreat Program at Saint Vincent Archabbey (1988-1990); Vocation Director of the Archabbey (2000-2003); and Assistant in the Seminary Development Office (1987-1991) and in a number of other capacities.

Father Justin succeeds Father Kurt Belsole, O.S.B., who has completed six years as Rector of the Seminary.

According to John C. Marous, Jr., Chairman of the Seminary’s Board of Regents, “Father Kurt has provided effective leadership and service to the Seminary community as Rector since May of 2000.” “During the past six years Father Kurt has worked hard to advance the academic programs and the liturgical life of the Seminary,” Archabbot Douglas said. “During his years of service, the John and Annette Brownfield Center underwent a substantial renovation including the addition of wireless internet access and state of the art information technology. In addition, the Pastoral Stewardship Program, the Pope Benedict XVI Chair in Biblical Theology and Liturgical Proclamation, and the Apostolic Visitation were all completed during his tenure.”

“We are all deeply grateful to Father Kurt and to Father Justin for their contributions to the advancement of Saint Vincent Seminary and assure them of our continued gratitude and prayers,” Archabbot Douglas said.

 

Back to topSISTER SUZANNE MAYER, I.H.M.

Sister Suzanne Mayer, Ph.D., AAPC, NCC, an Immaculate Heart Sister, knows well the gift and cost of being a sibling of a special needs child.  The oldest of eight children, Sister Suzanne’s youngest brother is multiply handicapped and retarded.  For the past ten years, Sister has served not only as her brother’s confident, friend and co-vacationer, but also as his guardian.  Professionally, Sister has worked with special needs children both as a teacher of CCD in various parish programs and as a pastoral counselor in both school and private settings.  Currently, Sister Suzanne teaches part-time at Immaculate College in the Master’s in Clinical Psychology program and full-time at Neumann College in the Master’s program in Pastoral Counseling.  Sister, herself a pastoral counselor, has a small practice as part of her ministry.  Many residents of Chester County and the surrounding areas know Sister as the recent director of the IHM Spirituality Center where she ministered for the past eight years and as a frequent presenter in retreats, parish conferences, faculty meetings and parent programs.  Over the last thirty years Sister has taught “every grade from K through postgraduate” and has counseled individuals from age four through eighty.  Obviously, the area of developmental psychology is a favorite of Sister Suzanne’s as well as helping those recovering from trauma.  Sister Suzanne has published poetry, articles and reflections in such journals as Review for Religious, Human Development, Spiritual Life, and The Journal of Pastoral Care and has published a book, Celebrating the Woman You Are as well as chapters in several pastoral counseling collections.

 

Back to topKATHLEEN MC CARTHY

Kathleen McCarthy is the mother of twelve children and is a member of Corpus Christi Parish in Lansdale, PA where she is a Eucharistic Minister.  She has published two books, ?What the World Needs Now? and ?He is Alive? and founded the Morning Star*New Dawn Ministries, a Catholic lay apostolate to encourage all to respond to their baptismal call to ?Go and make disciples.? 

Kathleen hosts her own Catholic radio program, ?What the World Needs Now? and conducts spiritual seminars, workshops and facilitates parish retreats in the Philadelphia, Camden and Baltimore Dioceses.  She is a frequent guest and monthly co-host on Dominic Lettieri?s Catholic radio show, ?Putting it on the Line?. Kathleen?s life experiences have given her special insights into God?s love working within the family, especially in the hearts of young people.  She speaks from her heart and is a dynamic instrument for proclaiming God?s word in both believers and inactive Catholics of all ages.

 

Back to top REV. WILLIAM MC CARTHY

Rev. William McCarthy is the founder of My Father's House Spiritual Retreat Center, Moodus, CT.  He is a nationally known retreat director an published author of well-known Catholic books on topics relating to the Holy Eucharist, the Blessed Mother and prayer. People travel from all over the US to pray with Fr. McCarthy.

 

Back to top FATHER JOSEPH M. MC CLOSKEY, SJ

2000-2005  Spiritual Direction and Retreat Work

1997-1999  R.A.P.T. (taught drug and alcohol teachers,  Writer

1991-1996  McKenna Center, Drop-in-center, kitchen, shelter for the homeless and hungry.

1982-1991  Shalom House Retreat Center, Richmond Diocese, Director and Retreat Master.

1979-1982  Jesuit Retreat House, Charlotte Diocese, Director and Retreat Master

1977-1979 Loyola Retreat House, Wash. Diocese, Director and Retreat Master

1976           Moamoa Seminary, Western Samoa, Visiting Professor

1972-1976 OConnell HS. Student Counselor

1970-1971 Gonzaga HS, Student Counselor

1968-1969 Parish Priest, Santiago, Chile

1965-1968 San Mateo HS, Osorno, Chile, teacher

1950-1964 Jesuit Education

1946-1950 Xavier HS, Secondary Education

DEGREES

B.A Classics, Fordham

M.A. Education, Fordham

Certification in catechetics at the Catholic University of Santiago, Chile.

M.A. Counseling, George Washington

WORK EXPERIENCE

Teacher - Gonzaga, D.C., 57-60 and 97: San Mateo, Osorno, 65-68: Moamoa, Samoa, 75-76

Counselor - Gonzaga - 70-71: O'Connell - 71-75

Parish Work - Santiago, Chile: McLean, Va., Savaii, Western Samoa

Retreat Houses - Loyola -70-75: Jesuit House of Prayer, N.C., 79-81

Shalom House, Va. 82-91

Parish Renewals - Charlotte and Richmond Dioceses - 79-91

Preached Retreats - 1970-2005

Shelter and Soup Kitchen - 91-96

Cursillos - dioceses of Richmond and Arlington and Washington - 1970 -2004

Spiritual Director of Area II of Cursillo 1996- 1999

Spirtiual  Director for Cursillo, Washington DC 2005-present

Writer - articles published on Spirituality - Review for Religious, Sisters Today, Catholic Digest,

Priest, Word & Spirit, Queen of All Hearts. 1979-1995

Chaplain of Alumni at Gonzaga – (2003  2005)

 

Back to topFATHER EDWARD MCELDUFF

Rev. Edward McElduff, 2586 Mountain Road, Slatington, PA 18080-3548
610-824-8810

I was born January 16, 1922 in New York, NY.  My dad was in the Navy, and I followed him overseas and many places in U.S.A.

Education:

Graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California in 1940.  Attended University of California in Long Beach and St. Joseph’s College in Philadelphia.  Received a BA Degree in Physics from St. Joseph’s 1973.

Entered seminary at St. Charles Borromeo in Philadelphia, PA in 1946. Master of Theology in 1953 and ordained a priest in 1953.  I served in seven parishes in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Diocese of Allentown until 2001. 

I served in the Navy from 1942-1946 in both European and Pacific operations.  I was wounded and awarded the Purple Heart for action on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

Presently I am retired and live in Palmerton, PA.

 

Back to topANNE MCGLONE

Anne McGlone is the President and Founder of McGlone & Associates, LLC and Agnus Dei Communications, Ltd. She is a seasoned retreat director and motivational speaker with thirty-five years in corporate management and ministry. As a radio host on Radio Maria USA, Anne has been broadcasting a weekly nationally syndicated radio program entitled, "Don't Give Up" for over six years. Many of her Catholic documentaries have appeared on EWTN, the Eternal Word Television Network and the Arts & Entertainment Network (A & E); most notably, Marian Apparitions of the 20th Century with Ricardo Montalban and The Father's Gift. As an international event planner for the Sacred Heart Apostolate in New York, Anne also manages several renowned Catholic personalities in her daily work. She has authored a new book entitled, "The Whisper in the Wind" to be released in the spring of 2012. She is married to Jim for thirty-one years, mother of two daughters and grandmother.

 

Back to top FATHER DONALD MINISCALCO, CSsR

Father Donald Miniscalco, a Philadelphia native, is currently stationed at St. Peter’s Church, 5th and Girard Avenue, the shrine of St. John Neumann.  Father is a Redemptorist priest, ordained in 1968.  He pursued advanced studies at the Sorbonne University in Paris and the Gregorian University in Rome and has taught in various seminaries and universities in this country.  Father also served at parishes in Buffalo and New York City’s colorful East Side.

Since 1980, Father Don has devoted full time energy to conducting parish Missions. Although he works primarily in the Philadelphia region, he has also conducted renewals in Ireland, Canada, and the Caribbean and has directed retreats for priests, sisters and lay people in the United States and abroad.

In 2003, Pope John Paul III bestowed the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice honor on Father Miniscalco at the request of the Philadelphia Archdiocese in recognition of his service in the new evangelism.

 

Back to topFATHER JOHN S. MRAZ, M.A.M.ED M.DIV.

Fr. Mraz was born and raised in the Bethlehem area.  He is a graduate of Lehigh University and Mount Saint Mary’s University.  Fr. Mraz was ordained a priest for the Allentown diocese.

Fr. Mraz has been a Theology teacher, Vice Principal, Assistant Superintendent of Education, Director of the Newman Center at Lehigh and is now the pastor at Assumption BVM in Northampton, PA and Director of the Office for Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue for the Diocese of Allentown.

In the year 2000 he was installed in the Equestrian Order of Knights of the Holy Sepulcher at St. Patrick?s Cathedral in New York City.

 

Back to topREV. EAMONN MULCAHY, CSSP

Rev. Eamonn Mulcahy, CSSP is a Spiritan priest ordained in his home town of Manchester, England in1980.He received his Licentiate in Dogmatic Theology in 1983 and his Doctorate in Systematic Theology in 2004 from the Gregorian University, Rome. He has been involved in parish ministry in Congo-Brazzaville and in Northern Nigeria. For seven years he worked in Vocations& Youth ministry in Scotland, and then taught theology for nine years at the Missionary Institute London, being on the Provincial Leadership Team of the Spiritans in Britain for six of those years. He has extensive experience in adult faith formation courses and giving retreats to priests, religious and lay-people in Europe, North America and Africa. He recently published a study of contemporary soteriology entitled The Cause of our Salvation (Rome: Tesi Gregoriana, 2007). Since 2006 he has been a Formator at the Spiritan International Scholasticate outside Nairobi, Kenya, whilst lecturing in Systematic Theology at Tangaza College, which is part of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa.

 

Back to topFATHER JOHN MURRAY, C.Ss.R.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, 526 59th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11220
917-364-9244
718-492-4266 Fax

Father John Murray, C.Ss.R. was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1948.  In 1966 he professed vows as a Redemptorist and in 1973, he was ordained by Cardinal Cooke.  From 1974 until 1981, was Vocation director for Redemptorists.  In 1981, he became Pastor of St. Wenceslaus Church, Baltimore, MD.  Then, in 1987, he was appointed pastor of St. Mary’s Church, Annapolis, MD.  From 1993 to 1999, he was Director and Rector, San Alfonso Retreat House, Long Branch, NJ. Presently, he is a full time Retreat and Mission preacher.

He has preached over ninety Missions, twenty priest retreats and thirty Sister’s retreats as well as a number of Cursillo weekends, Marriage Encounters and Retrouvaille Weekends.

He is also the author of Strictly Spiritual, a weekly column on spirituality for a few Catholic newspapers, winning the Catholic Press Association award for columnist.  He also has written a number of ?Dear Padre? columns for Liguori Publications. 

Curriculum Vitae

  • 1948 – Born in Brooklyn, NY

  • 1966 – Professed vows as a Redemptorist

  • 1973 – Ordained by Cardinal Cooke

  • 1974 – 1981 Vocation Director for the Baltimore Province, Redemptorists

  • 1981 – 1987 Pastor, St. Wenceslaus Church, Baltimore. MD

  • 1987 – 1993 Pastor, St. Mary’s Church, Annapolis, MD

  • 1993 – 1999 Director and Rector, San Alfonso retreat House, Long Branch, NJ

  • 1999 – Present – Mission and retreat Preacher


  •  

    Back to topFATHER MICHAEL MURRAY, OSFS

    Director, Spirituality Center, 2200 Kentmere Pkwy, Wilmington, DE 19806
    302-383-3585 

    Rev. Michael S. Murray, OSFS, is Executive Director of the De Sales Spirituality Center, a ministry of the Wilmington-Philadelphia province of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales. A native of Wilmington, Delaware, and the oldest of three children, Michael joined the community of priests and brothers dedicated to the spirit of St. Francis de Sales in 1975. Ordained a priest in 1986, he holds a BA in Psychology, a Master of Divinity and an MA in Educational Administration. Before assuming the position as Executive Director of the De Sales Spirituality Center - a post he has held for nearly eight years - Fr. Murray served for fourteen years in secondary education in Wilmington, Delaware and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, twelve of these in leadership positions.

    In addition to the arena of Christian spirituality, Fr. Murray's other interests include transportation, photography and military history. He has been published in a number of railroad-related periodicals, including Railpace Newsmagazine, CTC Board, Rail Classics and TRAINS Magazine. Michael has also authored an all-color book featuring the Pennsylvania Railroad during the 1950's and 1960's.

     

    Back to top FATHER JOHN J. NORDEMANN

    Fr. Nordemann is a graduate of Cardinal Dougherty HS and Penn State University with a BS in Finance. After working for seven years, he entered St. Charles Seminary in 1995.  He was ordained in 2001.

    He has worked in parishes, gives Days of Recollection, youth retreats, and also the RCIA program.

    He is on the faculty of Cardinal O'Hara High School residing in Sacred Heart Parish in Havertown.

     

    Back to topFATHER DENNIS J.W. O'DONNELL

     

    Holy Redeemer Health System, 667 Welsh Road, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006
    (215) 938-4685 or (610) 644-8237

    Fax: (215) 938-4678 

    E-mail: dodonnell@holyredeemer.com or Padre@amigosdejesus.org

    website: www.AmigosdeJesus.org

     

    Born 23 April 1947  - Baptized 18 May 1947 

    Ordained 18 May 1974

    Father Dennis JW O'Donnell, Ph.D. currently is the coordinator of Integrated Health Services (IHS).  This program offered by Holy Redeemer Health System provides a wholistic, integrated assessment of a person from a physical, psychological and spiritual perspective.  Based on the assessment, consultation is offered to help a person?s decision to further enhance his or her health in a balanced, integrated manner.

    From 1989 to 2006 Father O’Donnell served as the Rector and Spiritual Director of St. Joseph-in-the-Hills, the Malvern Retreat House in Pennsylvania.

    In 1996 Father co-founded an orphanage in Honduras, Amigos de Jesus.  Along with the children in the orphanage, Amigos de Jesus financially supports two other orphanages serving over 200 abused and abandoned children who are now given a safe home to live and grow intellectually, socially, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

    From 1982 to 1989 he was the assistant superintendent for Catholic Education in Philadelphia responsible for five special education day schools and for the curriculum in the secondary schools.  He also had the responsibility for BLOCS, a development program of business leaders in Philadelphia for the Catholic schools.

    Between the years of 1980 and 1982 he studied at Fordham University receiving a Ph.D.

    Between 1976 and 1980 Father O'Donnell was a teacher and chaplain at Cardinal Dougherty High School, and a chaplain for the Dominican Sisters of Catherine de Ricci, who staff a retreat center primarily for women.

    Immediately after ordination in 1974, he was assigned to Maternity BVM Parish in Philadelphia where he served as an associate-pastor for two years.  After ordination to the Deaconate, Father O'Donnell was assigned as Assistant Chaplain at Philadelphia State Mental Hospital.

    Father conducts weekend retreats and days of recollection for various groups (senior citizens, married couples, faculty, students).  Father also directs retreats for religious, clergy and parish missions/retreats throughout the USA.

     

    Back to topFATHER MICHAEL S. OLIVERE, M.A., MDiv.

    Father Michael S. Olivere has been a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for approximately 13 years. A native of Philadelphia, Father Mike grew up in St. Lucy’s parish, in Manayunk. After graduating from LaSalle University, Father Mike taught at the elementary school level for a number of years. He later went on to receive a doctorate in education. Father Mike was ordained to the priesthood in 1994. For over ten years, he served as president of St. John Neumann High School, which later became Neumann-Goretti High School. For the past year, Father Mike has been assigned as the parochial vicar for Assumption BVM parish in Feastervile, PA. Father Mike is also on the faculty of St. Charles Seminary in the Permanent Diaconate program. Finally, Father Mike is a certified spiritual director for priests, deacons, and clergy in training. He is a warm and friendly person, and his engaging talks will be an inspiration to both children and adults.

     

    Back to topFATHER MITCH PACWA, SJ

    Father Mitchell C. Pacwa, S.J., Senior Fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, is President and Founder of Ignatius Productions, world-renowned lecturer, spiritual director for over 50 Holy Land pilgrimages, and is best known for his appearances on EWTN (Eternal World Global Catholic Network) as host of television and radio programs.

    An accomplished Biblical Scholar and Apologist, Father Pacwa, S.J. earned his Ph.D. in Old Testament from Vanderbilt University. He also holds a Master of Divinity and S.T.B. from the Jesuit School of Theology at Loyola University. He speaks 12 languages, including Arabic, Aramaic, Hebrew, and Koine Greek.

    Father Pacwa, ordained in 1976, is a best-selling author, including Saint Paul: A Study Guide for Catholics (2008) published by Our Sunday Visitor and How to Listen When God is Speaking: A Guide for Modern Day Catholics (2011) published by The Word Among Us Press.

    Father Pacwa has a new book being released in August 2012 with Our Sunday Visitor celebrating the Year of Faith called, “The Year of Faith: A Bible Study for Catholics.”

     

    Back to top FATHER LUIS R. RODRIGUEZ

    Father Rodriguez was born in Puerto Rico in 1966. He was raised in Brooklyn NY.  His high school and university years were in Puerto Rico.  In 1987 he entered St. Charles Borromeo Seminary as a seminarian from the diocese of Harrisburg. He was ordained in 1993.

    Father is presently pastor of St. Benedict the Abbot parish in Lebanon, PA and regularly appears on EWTN answering Spanish questions on various topics.  He enjoys a good game of chess and speaks Spanish fluently.

     

    Back to topFATHER CHRIS ROGERS

    Ordained in the Jubilee Year 2000, for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Fr. Rogers is currently the Vocation Director for Diocesan Priesthood in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

    The oldest of 5 children, Fr Rogers was raised in Northeast Philadelphia and graduated from Bishop McDevitt High School in 1991. Upon graduation, he entered St. Charles Borromeo Seminary where he completed his college education earning a B.A. degree in Philosophy. After college, he moved on to the Spirituality Year Program and then onto Theology Studies at St. Charles where he earned a Master of Divinity, Master of Arts and a Bachelor in Sacred Theology Degrees. He spent the first 5 years of priesthood as parochial vicar of Sts. Philip and James Parish in Exton, has been involved with prayer groups for over 10 years and is convinced that encountering the living presence of Christ in the Eucharist and growing in Christ is the most important gift we could ever receive.

     

    Back to topMARTY ROTELLA

    Marty Rotella is a five-time Grammy nominee, international recording artist and inspirational, national evangelist. As the founder of Spirit Power, Rotella conducts Spirit Power retreats and conferences throughout the US for men, women and teens.

     

    Back to topJOSEPH A. SERANO, O.PRAEM

    Father Joseph Serano is a Priest of Daylesford Abbey, with a doctorate from The Catholic University of America. For 25 years, he taught theology at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. He presently teaches at the Abbey’s Spirituality Center and assists at Bethesda Project in its ministry to the homeless in the city. He also serves as Abbey treasurer.

     

    Back to top FATHER ANGELUS SHAUGHNESSY

    Order of Friars Minor Capuchin

    Matthew Edmund Shaughnessy, fourth son and ninth child of John and Anna Shaughnessy, was born on November 16, 1929 in Rochester, Pa. He was baptized on November 24, 1929 at St. Cecelia's Church in Rochester.  For eight years he attended school there under the guidance of the Sisters of Divine Providence and graduated in 1943.  Upon graduation,  he entered St. Fidelis College and Seminary in Herman, Pa. which was staffed by the Capuchin-Franciscan Friars of the St. Augustine Province where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts.

    A talented and capable athlete in his youth, Father Angelus turned down an offer to play professional baseball as a left-handed pitcher for the Cleveland Indians to enter the Capuchin Novitiate in Cumberland, Maryland.  On July 14, 1953, Father solemnly professed his perpetual vows as a Capuchin Friar.

    Father’s theological studies took him to Capuchin College in Washington, DC for four years where he received a Master’s Degree in Religious Education.  On June 4, 1955, Father Angelus was ordained to the priesthood at the hands of Bishop John McNamara in the crypt of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

    From 1956 until 1966, Father Angelus served as the Director of the Secular Franciscan Order (S.F.O. ) at St. Augustine Church in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. During that same period, he was Commissary Provincial for the St. Augustine Province. He also assisted Rev. Urban Adelman, O.F.M. Cap., who was the retreatmaster at St. Francis Retreat House in Pittsburgh.

    In October of 1966, Father Angelus volunteered to work as a missionary in Papua New Guinea (P.N.G.) where he was spiritual director and teacher in the Pontifical Seminary of Madang for eleven years.

    For three years, Father Angelus did pastoral work in the Mendi Diocese of the Southern Highlands.  As a major part of his parochial ministry, Father and his parishioners built eleven permanent churches and three bush churches.

    While ministering to the needs of the people of P.N.G.,   Father was privileged to baptize 1,227 men, women, and children.  It was there also that Father's fondness for swimming led to his mastery of walking in deep water for any distance - an unmatched record that was submitted to the Guinness Book of Records in London.

    Results of his physical examination revealed that his cardiogram was unsatisfactory and in the summer of 1980,  Father was reassigned to Western Pennsylvania.  Under the auspices of St. Fidelis Retreat Center, he maintained a rigorous schedule of parish mission and renewals, preached and directed retreats, accepted parish help-outs, days of recollection and appointments for personal individual counseling.  He continued this work for nine years out of St. Mary's Friary, Export, PA and four years with St. Paulinus Church in Clairton, PA.

    Since July 1, 2001, Father Angelus has been stationed at Birmingham, Alabama as the Minister General to the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word.

    After circling the globe four times and traveling thousands of miles over barely navigable terrain, Father delights in characterizing his present ministry as " the good life - a taste of the hundredfold here on earth".

     

    Back to topREV. CHARLIE SMIECH, OFM

    My name is Father Charlie Smiech and I am a Franciscan Friar of St. John the Baptist Province. As an International Retreat Director and Spiritual Advisor, I am honored to serve our religious communities, priests, deacons and the people of God. Preaching the love of God, exploring the Sacred Scripture and being nourished by the sacraments, brings me great joy and I have a burning desire to share these precious gifts with you! After looking at my website, it is my hope that I may be of service to you! Together may we be faithful to the Gospel and May the Lord grant you peace and countless blessings!

     

    Back to topFATHER HERBERT J. SPERGER

    Father Herb Sperger, who has served the Archdiocese of Philadelphia since his ordination in 1979, started at Malvern Retreat as Rector, pro tem, in 2011 while he continues a period of discernment with the Norbertine Order at the Daylesford Abbey. Previously, he served as pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas parish in South Philadelphia and has extensive experience in adult faith formation in both English and Spanish.

    Father Sperger also served as pastor of St. Michael and Immaculate Conception, twinned parishes in Philadelphia and worked in the Hispanic Apostolate (1985-2006) while teaching for four years at Bishop Shanahan, Cardinal Dougherty and Roman Catholic High Schools.

    He has been an adjunct personal spiritual director at St Charles Borromeo Seminary and a visiting retreat director at the Jesuit Center for Spiritual Growth, the IHM Sisters’ Villa Maria by the Sea, and Daylesford Abbey.

    A graduate of  Bishop McDevitt High School in suburban Philadelphia in 1971, he graduated with a Masters in Divinity from St Charles Borromeo Seminary in 1979.

     

    Back to topREV. PAUL STENSON

    St. Thomas the Apostle Church 610-459-2224 I was born and raised in Delaware County where I attended St. Charles, St. Francis of Assisi and Cardinal O?Hara schools. My undergraduate degree is in Journalism and Advertising from Temple University. While at Temple, my vocation was still hidden from me. My awakening came through family prayer, the Blessed Mother and a few holy priests.

    I was ordained a priest in 1998 and spent my first seven years of priesthood in the great Northeast. I was happy to be sent back to Delaware County where I now serve the good people of St. Thomas the Apostle in Glen Mills.

    My father took me to Malvern with him while I was a teenager. I enjoyed many retreats at there over the years and Malvern has a special place in my heart. I look forward to journeying with you.

     

    Back to top FATHER PABLO STRAUB, CSsR

    Fr. Pablo Straub is a missionary priest of St. Alphonsus’ Redemptorist order.  Ordained in the Hudson Valley in 1958 he then spent twenty years evangelizing literally every city, town and village in Puerto Rico.  Father Pablo has lived these last 18 years in rural Mexico, where he is helping to establish two new Religious Orders, one for men and one for women. Both orders are contemplative and missionary.

    In the United States, Mexico and Guatemala, Father Pablo directs mission retreats and Marian Eucharistic Conferences.

    Father is bilingual, and even when speaking Spanish, his mother’s Irish humor comes through.

     

    Back to top FATHER FRANK SUTMAN, OP

    St. Stephen Priory, 130 N. 5th Street, Zanesville, OH 43701-3583

    508-785-0123 X 159

    Fr. Sutman is currently the Director of Preaching for the Dominican Eastern Province  (New York).  He is a very active itinerant preacher conducting parish missions, and member of the retreat staff at the St. Stephen Spiritual Center in Dover, Massachusetts.  Fr. Frank has a B.S. in Education from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. an M.Ed. in Special Education from the University of Cincinnati, and STB./M Div. from the Dominican House of Studies in Washington DC.  Ordained to the priesthood in 1985, he has served as a hospital chaplain, parochial assistant, college administrator, Chairman of the Religious Education Commission for European Russia, religious superior, and a professor of preaching in Catholic seminaries in Kenya, East Africa and Russia.

     

    Back to top FATHER EDMUND SYLVIA, CSC

    Fr. Edmund Sylvia, CSC, is a member of the Eastern Province of the Congregation of Holy Cross. Ordained in 1977, Fr. Sylvia has served in North Eastern Massachusetts, Baltimore, Maryland, Steubenville, Ohio and Clearwater, Florida. Besides his priestly duties, he is involved in retreat work, teaching and is co-host of The Abundant Life television program and the Women of Grace Live radio program. Fr. Sylvia is the oldest of eight children and his father still resides in the family home in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He is Theological Advisor and Chaplain to Living His Life AbundantlyŽ International, Inc. and all its productions and to Women of GraceŽ.

     

    Back to top FATHER TERRENCE TOLAND, SJ

    A Jesuit since 1939 and a priest since 1952.  Fr. Toland received a doctorate in Theology from the Gregorian University in Rome in 1956.  He has spent most of his life since then as a Theology teacher and Educational Administrator.

    From 1958 to 1966 he was Prefect of Studies and Dean of the Theology faculty of Woodstock College in Maryland, a Jesuit Theological seminary. 

    He was President of St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia 1968-76 and lecturer and campus minister at Loyola College in Baltimore 1976-81.

    He was Provincial Assistant for higher education of the Jesuit?s Maryland Province 1981-89, overseeing Jesuit colleges or universities in Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia and in Scranton, PA. and Wheeling, W.Va.

    Last school year he was interim Vice President for academic affairs and Dean of Carroll College in Helena, Mont.  Before that he was Director of the Jesuit Retreat Center, Manresa on Severn in Annapolis, MD., and Jesuit community administrator at St. Joseph’s University and at Loyola College.

     

    Back to topFATHER MICHAEL V. TUETH, SJ

    Rev. Michael V. Tueth, SJ is currently an associate professor in the Department of Communication and Media Studies at Fordham University in New York City, where he teaches film and television studies. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, where he attended Chaminade College Preparatory After high school graduation; he began his training in the Jesuit order and earned his undergraduate degree in philosophy and Master of Arts degree in English from Saint Louis University.  He taught English and Latin at Regis High School in Denver, Colorado, where he also coached speech and debate. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1971, and spent the following year as the Jesuit Superior of North House, an inner-city tutoring center for inner-city high school students, where he directed the theater program. He then studied at New York University, acquiring a doctorate in American Studies in 1977.

    Over the years, Father Tueth has conducted over 100 retreats and workshops at colleges, parishes, and retreat centers throughout the United States and Canada, mostly at Jesuit retreat houses and Cenacle retreat centers. From 1987 to 1994 he served as Executive Director of the Sacred Heart Program, the international Jesuit radio and television apostolate located in St. Louis. During that time he also was the director and host for the program’s nationally syndicated television show, the Jesuit Journal, as well as producer and director of several non-broadcast videotaped productions. He appeared as the host of the popular catechetical videotape series, What Catholics Believe, produced and distributed by Ligouri Productions.

    Father Tueth taught for ten years on the faculty of Regis University in Denver and has also taught at Loyola University of Chicago, Georgetown University, Santa Clara University, and the University of Maryland. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Loyola University of Chicago and Loyola Productions, the Jesuit media production center at Loyola-Marymount University in Los Angeles. He has provided many  theater and book reviews for America magazine, the Jesuit journal of opinion, and he has published several articles on the mass media. He has always enjoyed the opportunity to conduct retreats and conferences along with his teaching and other academic activities.

     

    Back to top FATHER CHRISTOPHER M. WALSH

    Father Walsh graduated from Temple University with a BA in Sociology.  He worked at the Devereaux Foundation’s Brandywine Treatment Center, supervising a program for conduct disordered adolescent males and served on their Behavior Management Team. During this time he was actively involved in Youth Ministry at St. Joseph Church in Downingtown.

    Two years later he entered St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.  His first assignment was Our Lady of Ransom parish where he worked to develop the liturgical and devotional life of the parish.  He was recently assigned to Archbishop Wood HS as School Minister. 

    He has given days of recollection and retreats at the parish level and preached retreats to priests and religious.  He received training in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola at the Jesuit Center at Wernersville.

     

    Back to topFATHER DENNIS WEBER, SC

    Fr. Dennis M. Weber, S.C. is a priest of the Servants of Charity, a congregation founded by Blessed Louis Guanella, who assists in the pastoral care, administration and program development and implementation of Don Guanella Village and of the Mental Retardation Services Division of Catholic Social Services. Fr. Dennis has been involved at Don Guanella Village as a lay employee, a seminarian and priest since 1989 and has resided at Don Guanella Village since 1992. Don Guanella Village and the Mental Retardation Services Division of Catholic Social Services offers residential, community and day program services to persons with mental retardation.

    Fr. Dennis is the second of ten children of the late Francis and Elizabeth Weber and was born in S. Philadelphia and lived his formative years in St. Joseph’s Parish in Collingdale, PA. He is a 1972 graduate of Monsignor Bonner H.S., a 1976 graduate of Villanova University and a 1997 graduate of St. Charles Seminary and Widener University. Prior to entering St. Charles Seminary in September of 1990, Fr. Dennis enjoyed a 12 year career with Beneficial Corporation, a financial services company. Fr. Dennis was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Edward Cullen, at St. Joseph’s Church in Collingdale, on November 22, 1997. Along with his current responsibilities at Don Guanella Village and the Mental Retardation Services Division, Fr. Dennis is a member of the governing council for the Immaculate Conception Vice-Province of the Servants of Charity and a part-time pastoral associate with Priests for Life.

     

    Back to topFATHER DENIS G. WILDE, OSA

    REV. DENIS G. WILDE, O.S.A. is a member of the Augustinian Province of St. Thomas of Villanova, was associate professor of music at Villanova University from 1977 to 1998, before he joined Priests for Life. A Long Island native, Fr. Wilde is a professional pianist and presents piano recitals around the country in conjunction with pro-life ministry. Father Wilde received his Ph.D. in music from The Catholic University of America (1984) and had been professionally engaged as choral director at Villanova and as guest conductor in five continents. Father feels a unique interest in relating music and pro-life ministry much as the heart is moved through beauty in life. Fr. Denis has been actively involved in pro-life concerns since before Roe v. Wade. In the 80s he

    personally witnessed to the "rescue" movement and thereby developed ecumenical ties from the expression of common faith in God as the Author of Life. Beyond preaching and teaching on campus he has now traveled to over 450 venues in 43 states delivering the Gospel of Life and supporting the local pro-life efforts of clergy and laity. Fr. Denis writes: "There is sadly no more dangerous place to live than the womb. This bizarre

    situation of a culture of death propped up by law and camouflaged as medicine perpetuates a lie of a colossal order. Its consequence is a dead end street to baby, mother and civilization. "Our days, seen against this backdrop, can be foreboding. But they can also serve as a national and church wake-up call to act on the promise God has given us all - to thwart evil and reclaim His Victory over death. A priest therefore needs to be at the front, side by side and supporting his flock in this battle for life. Ours is not an option to wait for someone else to come along. What a joy it is to know that God is in charge and will not fail to lead us forward to end this 'unspeakable crime’.”

    To arrange a media interview, contact Jerry Horn at (540) 785-4733, Email: media@priestsforlife.org

    To invite Fr. Wilde to speak in your area, contact our Travel Department at 888-PFL-3448 ext. 258

    Fax: 718-980-7191 Email: travels@priestsforlife.org

     

    Back to topFATHER DANIEL WILSON

    Fr. Wilson is a Legionary of Christ Priest

    Ordained 2002 in Rome by Archbishop Leonardo Sandri - Substitute Secretary of Vatican State

    12 yrs formation (7 of which in Rome)

    Stationed in Rome & Florence - Italy; Cracow - Poland; Aachen & Ingolstadt - Germany; and present assignment in Philadelphia.

    Degrees: BA liberal arts - Univ. of Dallas, Pontifical Univ. Regina Apostolorum: BA Philosophy, Licentiate Philosophy, MDiv. Theology.

    Current assignment:  Director for Regnum Christi Movement youth section and Vocations.

     
     
     


    Loading

     

    Call us today! (610) 644-0400
    Contact usDirectionsPrivacy PolicySite Map



    Copyright 1998-2012 The Laymen's Retreat League All rights reserved
    Site designed by Holberg Design Inc.