Women Of Hope – 2024

Father Francis E Chambers, OSA has been an Augustinian Friar for fifty-one years and a priest for forty-five years. Most of his ministry has been in higher education at several universities. His primary interest is Spirituality leading to both a Master’s degree and a D.Min in the subject. He has given many retreats and Days of Recollection over the years. He is a regular confessor at Malvern Retreat House. He also has served as a week-end assistant at St. Elizabeth Parish in Uwchlan, PA for the past twenty-one years.

Luke was a cradle Catholic who fell into the habit of simply going through the motions. Amidst a series of challenging and life-altering events, the Holy Spirit went to work on Luke, divinely interceding as the catalyst for an epiphany that would lead to sobriety in 2015. The experience ignited in Luke a burning desire for God’s love and mercy and the passion to share his transformation with anyone looking for encouragement. Luke spent 19 years working within supply chain operations for a global company and focusing on leadership development, now he is blessed to be Co-Founder and CFO (Chief Fellowship Officer) of Live Vertical with his brother in Christ, Rob Longo. Luke and his wife Mary are blessed with eight children. In 2021, Luke after two years of formation, took a public profession with the Secular Franciscan Order (Ordo Franciscanus Sæcularis, OFS).

Nicky Verna is a Catholic wife of 30 years to her Deacon husband, Tom, and mother to their 4 young adult children. She entered into the fullness of the Catholic faith in 1992, holds a Masters degree in Theology from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary’s School of Theological Studies and is currently Director of the New Evangelization at St. Andrew the Apostle Church in Drexel Hill. Nicky has served the Church as a substitute teacher for area Catholic schools, a prayer intercessor and leader for Unbound, a board member for AbbeyFest Ministries and has served on the planning committee for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s Catholic Women’s Conference. Nicky is also a leader and regional ambassador for SoulCore, a Marian prayer apostolate which combines movement, core strengthening and functional exercises with the prayers of the Rosary. She is genuinely in love with Christ.