Category Archives: NCCL Monday PM Speakers

Tom East

1:30 – 3:00 pm | River Terrace 2

205: Catechizing Youth for Missionary Discipleship

Tom is the Director of the Center for Ministry Development and author of numerous books including, Leadership for Catholic Youth Ministry. Tom holds a Master of Arts degree in Religious Studies from Mount St. Mary’s College in Los Angeles. Previously, Tom was the Director of Youth Ministry and the Associate Director of Religious Education for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Tom is a popular speaker at youth and religious education conferences nationwide.

David Dayler, M.T.S

1:30 – 3:00 pm | City Terrace 6

203: Sharing Our Stories: Sharing Our Faith

David Dayler is the Director of the Office for Discipleship and Parish Life for the Diocese of Hamilton. Educator, writer, workshop facilitator David has his Masters of Theological Studies from St. Michael’s University and the Toronto School of Theology. David taught in the Secondary School system for over 30 years and has been an adjunct member of the faculty of St. Michael’s College in Theological Reflection.

His first book, Being a Man After God’s Own Heart, was published by Novalis in 2013. Psalms of Mercy, ( 2015) was recently published by Novalis as a book of reflections for the Year of Mercy. David is also the co-author of Gifted by God… a Confirmation retreat kit with Anne Jamieson, also recently released and currently he is prepping Sharing Our Stories: Sharing Our Faith, a book for Grandparents on handing on the faith to their grand-children to be published in 2017.

Married for 45 years to his wife Linda they have three grown sons and three beautiful grandchildren.

Matthew Pinto

1:30 – 3:00 pm | City Terrace 9

209: The Gift of Being Catholic

Matt is the founder and president of Ascension Press and the author or co-author of a variety of best-selling works, including the teen question-and-answer books Did Adam and Eve Have Belly Buttons?, Did Jesus Have a Last Name?, and Do I Have to Go: 101 Questions about the Mass, the Eucharist, and Your Spiritual Life. He is also the co-creator of the Friendly Defenders Catholic Flash Cards and the Amazing Grace Series. Matt also co-authored A Guide to the Passion: 100 Questions About the Passion of the Christ, which went on to sell more than a million copies and hit #6 on the New York Times Religion Best-Seller List.

Matt has appeared on numerous television and radio programs explaining and defending the Catholic Faith, and he has conducted seminars on a variety of Catholic issues throughout the country. He was also a recipient of the Catholic Leadership Institute’s 2004 Award for Outstanding Catholic Leadership. Matt serves on advisory boards for a number of institutions and apostolates including Theology of the Body Institute, Association of Catholic Publishers and John Paul the Great University. Matt and his wife, Maryanne, live in Pennsylvania, and are the parents of six children.

Katie Muller

1:30 – 3:00 pm | Clearwater

212: Why Do They Do It That Way? Mentoring Millennials in an Intergenerational Church

Katie Muller has served the Church in parish ministry, high school campus ministry, and as a middle school religion teacher. Studying theology and secondary education at Marquette University helped her to deepen her love of teaching the faith, and her experience as an apprentice catechetical leader through the Echo program led her to fall in love with the beautiful mess that is parish ministry. In late 2013, Katie moved to South Bend to focus on forming the next generation of catechetical leaders as an assistant director of Echo.

Victor Valenzula

1:30 – 3:00 pm | City Terrace 10

213: Connecting with Generation “C”

Victor is a National Religion Consultant for Bilingual Resources for William H. Sadlier, Inc. He has presented workshops to numerous groups both regionally and nationally. Victor has been in ministry for 25 years including classroom teaching, youth ministry, teacher training, and writing and development of new materials. He has a Bachelor of Arts from St. Joseph Seminary in Menlo Park, CA and a Masters of Arts from the University of San Francisco. Currently, enrolled in a doctor of ministry degree at Barry University in Miami. Born in Arizona to parents of Mexican descent, he is fully bilingual and bicultural. He currently lives in Alameda, CA.

Dr. Jo Ann Paradise

1:30 – 3:00 pm | City Terrace 5

208: Do You Dare?

Dr. Jo Ann Paradise is a National Consultant for Our Sunday Visitor Curriculum Division and works with the product development team in creating resources for children and their families. Jo Ann has served as catechetical leader in the Diocese of Pittsburgh for over 32 years. She has been an adjunct faculty member of several universities in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Through her stories, Jo Ann motivates educators and catechists to prepare their children to meet the risen Lord and then learn how to respond to his invitation through a life of discipleship. She is a popular retreat director and provides spiritual direction.

Colleen Moore

1:30 – 3:00 pm | Clearwater

212: Why Do They Do It That Way? Mentoring Millennials in an Intergenerational Church

Colleen Moore received her B.A. and M.Div. degrees from the University of Notre Dame and has served in parish catechetical ministry in Calle Larga, Chile, and South Bend, Indiana. She joined the Echo staff in 2004 and became director of the program in 2011. Echo is a two-year graduate service program dedicated to partnering with dioceses throughout the U.S. to prepare the next generation of well formed and informed parish catechetical leaders and theology teachers.

Jared Dees

1:30 – 3:00 pm | City Terrace 7

204: Empowering Parents as Disciples and Teachers

Jared Dees is the creator of the popular website The Religion Teacher, which provides practical resources and effective teaching strategies to religious educators. He is the author of 31 Days to Becoming a Better Religious Educator and To Heal, Proclaim, and Teach. Dees lives in South Bend, Indiana, with his wife and three children.

Michael Ruzicki

1:30 – 3:00 pm | River Terrace 3

210: From Mass to Mission: The Connection between Liturgical Catechesis and Dynamic Discipleship

Michael Ruzicki serves as Editor and Liturgical Training Consultant for Liturgy Training Publications and the Director of Music for Notre Dame de Chicago Parish. In addition to having served as a team member of the North American Forum on the Catechumenate, Michael has experience as a parish pastoral associate and archdiocesan coordinator of adult faith formation and RCIA and director of archdiocesan music ministry. He is a graduate of The Catholic University of America and the Washington Theological Union in Washington, DC.

Sr. Janet Schaeffler, OP

1:30 – 3:00 pm | St. John

211: The Future of Adult Faith Formation

Sr. Janet Schaeffler, OP , is currently ministering as: a facilitator of retreats, workshops, and parish missions; author; teacher; a member of the NCCL Adult Faith Formation Committee; a member of the Project Team for Faith Formation Learning Exchange; facilitator of online courses for: VLCFF at the University of Dayton & C21 Online at Boston College; Faculty for the College Out Reach Education Program, Graduate Theological Foundation. Janet created and publishes GEMS (Great Endeavors Mined and Shared) – a monthly newsletter from an ongoing international best practices study on adult faith formation. She is the author of hundreds of articles and several publications in catechetical and parish ministry. She served for many years in parish and archdiocesan catechetical ministry, especially as Director of Adult Faith Formation for the Archdiocese of Detroit.