Avera Maria Santo is 21-year-old, vibrant, and joyful speaker, known for her love of the Catholic Church’s teachings on homosexuality. In May of 2017, she created a blog titled Inside My Holy of Holies, where she blogs about her experiences as a Catholic woman carrying the cross of same-sex attraction.

Her passion lies in traveling the country, and eventually the world, sharing the joy and freedom she’s experienced living according to the truth upheld by the Catholic Church. This joyful experience has caught the attention of people like Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers, Leah Darrow, author Daniel Mattson, and Courage International.

Amanda Zurface

October 25, 2019Bismarck Eucharistic Conference, SpeakersBeth Price

Amanda Zurface

Amanda Zurface has served as the Catholic Content Specialist for Covenant Eyes since February 2016. Prior to her work there, she served as the Coordinator of Marriage, Family Life and Justice in the Diocese of Crookston, Minnesota. Amanda studied at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome and received her licentiate and master’s degree in Canon Law from Saint Paul University in Ottawa, Canada. During her time of study in Rome, she interned for the Caritas Internationalis Secretariat. Following the completion of her licentiate, Amanda resided in Geneva, Switzerland, where she interned for the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations.

Amanda is the co-author of Equipped: Smart Catholic Parenting in a Sexualized Culture, Confident: Helping Parents Navigate Online Exposure, and Transformed by Beauty. Amanda also contributes to publications, including Aleteia, the Chastity Project, Integrity Restored, Catholic Mom and Blessed is She.

In addition to her licentiate and master’s degree in Canon Law, Amanda holds undergraduate degrees in Theology and Social Justice from Ohio Dominican University. Amanda currently resides in Pueblo, Colorado, where she serves as the Vice-Chancellor for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pueblo.

For more about Amanda, click here.

Kendra Tierney

October 25, 2019SpeakersBeth Price

Kendra Tierney

Kendra Tierney is a wife and mother of ten children from newborn to teenager, living in Los Angeles, California. She has been writing the award-winning blog, Catholic All Year, for eight years. She is the author of A Little Book About Confession for Children, The Catholic All Year Compendium: Liturgical Living for Real Life, and a series of seventeen booklets on prayers and devotions for liturgical living. New episodes of her Catholic living YouTube series can be seen each month. She is a regular contributor to Blessed is She ministries and is the voice of liturgical living at Endow Ministries.

Check out Kendra’s Blog here!

Janette Howe

October 25, 2019SpeakersAndrea Perry

Janette Howe

Janette and husband, Jeff, make their home in St Paul, Minnesota
as long-time Cathedral members. They have two grown children, a
married daughter who works for the Institute of Priestly Formation
in Omaha, and a son ordained to the priesthood in 2013, currently
serving the Archdiocese of St Paul-Minneapolis.

Janette is a registered nurse and also an active Lay Missionary of
Charity, which supports a disciplined Eucharistic life, coupled with
knowing, loving and serving the poor among us.
She received a Masters of Theological Studies from Ave Maria University in 2010
and has initiated two apostolates. One in 2005, “Truth Himself,” whose mission is
to encourage a Eucharistic way of life through daily email Reflections. The second
supports consistent, united prayer for the sanctity of priests, called “Seven Sisters
Apostolate.” Currently, there are 1200 active groups internationally, nearing 10,000
intercessors.

Spiritual Direction

October 25, 2019SpeakersAndrea Perry

Exploring Spiritual Direction

Each person has a unique calling, but many of us struggle to understand the design of our lives and to know ourselves in relation to God. Spiritual Direction is best described as spiritual companionship or friendship. The term spiritual direction is the original, ancient description of conversations about life in the light of the soul.

A spiritual director can help you examine the general ways God may be touching your life directly or indirectly. A spiritual director is present as a trusted and attentive friend…providing an open and safe environment to explore and nurture a more intimate relationship with God.

This session will consist of a panel of individuals who are in spiritual direction themselves and who have completed a course of study in Spiritual Direction to companion with others. There will also be time for questions by attendees.

PICTURE OF PANEL LEFT TO RIGHT:

Marsha Reinisch, Sr. Phoebe Schwartze, Jane Greer, Carol Andreini, Eileen Wiese, Joyce McDowall

Not pictured Dennis Larkin.