(YM) Youth Ministry (Yr. 1 or Yr. 2)
2:00 pm – 3:15 pm

St. Joseph Center: Classroom A

Gina Bauer is a dynamic presenter, with 25 years of experience serving the Church as a youth director, religious educator, and speaker. Gina is able to convey Catholic teachings in a compassionate, down-to-earth style that reaches the hearts of listeners, equipping them with practical tools to live holy lives in today’s culture. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, and her master’s in theological studies from the University of Dallas Institute for Religious and Pastoral Studies. Gina currently works at St. Joseph in West St. Paul. She and her husband, Duane, have four children.

(YM) Youth Ministry (Yr. 1 or Yr. 2)
2:00 pm – 3:15 pm

St. Joseph Center: Classroom B

Dr. Eric J. Westby is an assistant professor of theology and catechetics at Franciscan University of Steubenville. He completed his doctoral studies at the Maryvale Institute of Birmingham, England, offering a critique of seminary formation in light of priestly catechetical ministry. He holds a master of arts degree in theology and Christian ministry from Franciscan University, from where he was the first student to complete the certification in catechetics. He has been involved in parish catechetics since 1988 and is the founder of ymcentral.com and rciacentral.com. More importantly, he is husband to Nikki and father of five girls.

(OT) Open Track (non-certification)
2:00 pm – 3:15 pm

Fieldhouse: Aerobics Room, 2nd floor

Dr. Greg Popcak is the author of many books and the director of Pastoral Solutions Institute, an organization providing Catholic-integrated tele-counseling services to the faithful worldwide. Together with his wife, Lisa, he is the host of More2Life Radio, airing weekdays at 10 a.m. Eastern across the EWTN Radio Network and on SiriusXM 130. In addition to his ministry work, Dr. Popcak is the director of the MA in Pastoral Studies Program at Holy Apostles College.

Lisa Popcak is the vice president of Pastoral Solutions Institute and author of many books on marriage and parenting. Together with her husband, Greg, she is the host of More2Life Radio, airing weekdays at 10 a.m. Eastern across the EWTN Radio Network and on SiriusXM 130.

(PCL) Director of Religious Education (Yr. 1 or Yr. 2)
9:00 am – 10:15 am

Cosmas & Damian: Pugliese Auditorium

Bill Keimig is the assistant director of the Catechetical Institute at Franciscan University. For 15 years, he served as DRE at St. Mary’s of Piscataway in Clinton, Maryland, and served for nine years as director of the Association for Catechumenal Ministry (ACM). He has served as a speaker in many settings in over 30 dioceses. Bill holds master’s degrees in public management from the University of Maryland and in theology from Franciscan University and is completing a doctorate at The Catholic University of America. He and his wife, Heather, have six children, Rose, William, Julianna, Theodore, Elizabeth, and Gregory.

(HFF) Hispanic Faith Formation
9:00 am – 10:15 am

Cosmas & Damian: Room 300

Marlon De La Torre is the current department director of Evangelization and Catechesis for the Diocese of Fort Worth. For over 20 years, he has ministered as a professor of catechetics for Seminary and Deaconate Formation with Catholic Distance University, a parish/diocesan DRE, Catholic high school principal (Diocese of Memphis), and superintendent of Catholic schools (Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph). The author of Screwtape Teaches the Faith, he has been published with knowingisdoing.org, catholicmom.com, The Sower, New Advent.org, and EWTN Live. He holds an MA in theology and catechesis from Franciscan University and an MEd from the University of Saint Mary and is a PhD candidate at The University of Notre Dame-Australia. He and his wife, Amy, have four children, Miguel, Gabriella, Maria, and Gianna.

(DO) Diocesan Officials
9:00 am – 10:15 am

Cosmas & Damian: Room 206

Ann Lankford has served as the director for the Office of Catechesis and Evangelization for the Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin, since 2002. She received her MA in theology and Christian ministry with a specialization in catechetics from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 1998 and received the St. John Bosco Conference DRE Certification. At heart, Ann is a “people person.” Helping children, young people, and adults to fall in love with Jesus Christ and to be more fully committed to him in every area of their lives gives her great joy.

(RT) Retreat Track
2:00 pm – 3:15 pm

Chapel: Side Chapel

Sister Ann Shields, SGL, is an internationally known evangelist, noted speaker, and author whose activities have taken her to Eastern Europe, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean, Central America, Israel, the Philippines, and the British Isles. Based in Ann Arbor, she is a member of Servants of God’s Love, a Catholic charismatic religious community canonically established in the Diocese of Lansing, Michigan. She hosts the daily radio program Food for the Journey, heard on 35 U.S. and Canadian stations and the internet. Some of Sister Ann’s works include Deeper Conversion: Extraordinary Grace in Ordinary Times, Hope in the Midst of Suffering, and Yielding to the Power of God, as well as And Their Eyes Were Opened: Encountering Jesus in the Sacraments, co-authored with the late Father Michael Scanlan, TOR.

(RCIA) Rite of Christian Initiation (Yr. 1 or Yr. 2)
2:00 pm – 3:15 pm

Fieldhouse: Side of Main Stage

Marc Cardaronella is director of the Office of Discipleship and Faith Formation for the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Missouri. He graduated from Franciscan University with a master’s degree in theology and catechetics and served for 12 years as a parish director of religious education. Marc is the author of Keep Your Kids Catholic: Sharing Your Faith and Making It Stick from Ave Maria Press. His articles have appeared in CATECHIST, The Catechetical Review, and numerous websites including Amazing Catechist, CatholicMom.com, The Big Pulpit, and National Catholic Register. Marc writes about evangelization, catechesis, and faith-parenting on his personal blog, MarcCardaronella.com.

(PCL) Director of Religious Education (Yr. 1 or Yr. 2)
2:00 pm – 3:15 pm

Cosmas & Damian: Pugliese Auditorium

For the last 20 years, William O’Leary has worked in parish ministry as a director of Religious Education and Youth Ministry in a number of parishes. He currently works as director of Religious Formation for a large parish in Overland Park, Kansas. His passion is catechist formation and curriculum development.