Speakers
The National Theology of the Body Congress Speakers
The Theology of the Body Congress has gathered an extensive list of marriage and family experts, Church leaders, authors and teachers to discuss Pope John Paul II’s revolutionary teaching—the Theology of the Body.
Speakers include:
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Justin Cardinal RigaliJustin Cardinal Rigali is the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, having previously served as Archbishop of St. Louis from 1994 to 2003. Cardinal Rigali was elevated to the cardinalate in 2003. Cardinal Rigali is the Chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee for Pro-Life Activities.
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Fr. Richard HoganFr. Richard Hogan is author of three books on the theology of Pope John Paul II and also one of the authors and editors of the Image of God series, a textbook for use in Catholic religion programs for grade-school age children. He has been seen as a regular guest on EWTN and has a TV series called Theology of the Body.
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Helen M. AlvaréHelen M. Alvaré is an Associate Professor of Law at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. She is an advisor to Pope Benedict XVI’s Pontifical Council for the Laity, as well as an ABC News consultant. She previously worked for the Office of General Counsel for the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, served with the Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities at the NCCB, and assisted the Holy See on matters concerning women, marriage and the family and respect for human life.
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Fr. Brian BransfieldFr. Brian Bransfield is the executive director of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Secretariat for Evangelization and Catechesis and is the Assistant General Secretary for the USCCB. Fr. Bransfield studied moral theology with a specialty in marriage and family at The Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Rome and Washington, DC where he received his licentiate in Sacred Theology in 2003, and doctorate in Moral Theology with a specialization in the theology of Marriage and Family in 2005.
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Dr. Rick FitzgibbonsDr. Rick Fitzgibbons is the director of the Institute for Marital Healing outside Philadelphia and has worked with several thousand couples over the past 30 years. He has contributed chapters to several books on the origin and healing of same sex attractions and has given a number of lectures on same sex unions and adoptions. He is an adjunct professor at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at Catholic University, Washington, DC. In December 2008, he was appointed as a consultant to the Congregation for Clergy at the Holy See.
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Fr. Thomas LoyaFr. Thomas Loya is an expert on the Theology of the Body. He currently serves as the pastor of Annunciation of the Mother of God Byzantine Catholic Church in Chicago, IL and the Eastern Catholic spiritual advisor for TOBIA. He offers a prospective of Theology of the Body from the rich tradition of Eastern Christianity. He is currently both a weekly host and guest on Relevant Radio, on the topics of Eastern Christianity and the Theology of the Body.
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Sr. Helena Burns, F.S.P.Sr. Helena Burns, F.S.P., is a member of the Daughters of St. Paul and leads workshops for teens and adults on Media Literacy, Philosophy, and Theology of the Body. As a young sister, Sr. Helena helped proofread the very first English edition of Theology of the Body.
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Dr. Janet SmithJanet E. Smith holds the Father Michael J. McGivney Chair of Life Ethics at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. She is the author of Humanae Vitae: A Generation Later and editor of Why Humanae Vitae Was Right: A Reader. She has two new books: one on bioethics, Life Issues, Medical Choices, Questions and Answers for Catholics, and the other on bioethics and culture, The Right to Privacy. She speaks nationally and internationally on the Catholic teachings on sexuality and bioethics.
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Katrina ZenoKatrina Zeno brings a dynamic and personal dimension to her speaking, specializing in the Theology of the Body, the single life, the genius of woman and passing on the Faith. Katrina earned her BA in theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville. Katrina is a well-published freelance writer and her articles can be found in Our Sunday Visitor, CRISIS magazine, Catholic Faith and Family, Pentecost Today, and Franciscan Way, and online at www.Christianity.com.
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Dr. Pia de SolenniDr. Pia de Solenni is an ethicist and moral theologian who speaks and writes on a variety of cultural and moral issues. She currently serves as director of Diotima Consulting and her expertise covers issues relating to women’s health, life issues and bioethics, the new feminism and culture. Her work has appeared in various publications including The Washington Post, The New York Times and The Associated Press. She is a frequent commentator on MSNBC, FOX, CNN and other nationally televised programs.
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Anastasia NorthropAnastasia Northrop is president of TOBIA, the Theology of the Body International Alliance, and has been promoting John Paul II’s understanding of the human person worldwide for the last ten years with OFWC Media (Our Father’s Will Communications). In addition, she is founder and director of the TOB-based National Catholic Singles Conference. Along with organizing events and writing articles related to the Theology of the Body, she has given talks and promoted study groups in the United States and several countries in Europe and South America. She is the author of the study guide for the text of the Theology of the Body entitled The Freedom of the Gift.
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Fr. Roger J. Landry Fr. Roger J. Landry is Executive Editor of The Anchor, the weekly newspaper of the Diocese of Fall River, MA, and pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in New Bedford, MA. After graduating from Harvard College with a degree in biology, Fr. Landry trained for the priesthood at the North American College in Rome, where he studied at the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family. Since his priestly ordination in 1999, he has spoken and written often on the Theology of the Body, bioethics and apologetics, including an eight-part introductory series that has run repeatedly on EWTN and CatholicTV.
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Dr. Peter ColosiDr. Peter Colosi is a faculty member at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, PA as assistant professor of moral theology. He was the main organizer of the first International Theology of the Body Symposium held in Gaming, Austria in 2007 and taught for nine years for Franciscan University of Steubenville’s program in Gaming, Austria.
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Bill DonaghyBill Donaghy is a certified speaker on Theology of the Body and a speaker for the Theology of the Body Institute. He has spoken in Canada and throughout the United States to a variety of audiences, and appears regularly on Sacred Heart Radio. In addition, he has hosted a Catholic radio show, has published articles in The Catholic Standard & Times and St. Austin Review, posts regularly at CatholicExchange.com, and runs several blogs dedicated to the New Evangelization.
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Sr. Mary Elizabeth, S.V.Sr. Mary Elizabeth, S.V. is a member of the Sisters of Life, a religious community founded in 1991 by John Cardinal O’Connor. The Sisters are consecrated for the protection and enhancement of a sense of the sacredness of all human life. Sr. Mary Elizabeth was the director of the Archdiocese of New York’s Family Life/ Respect Life Office from 2002-2009 and was a contributing author to “The Foundations of Religious Life: Revisiting the Vision.”
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Dr. Michael WaldsteinMichael Waldstein, Ph.D. is the Max Seckler Professor of Theology at Ave Maria University in Naples, FL. He was the founding president of the International Theological Institute in Gaming, Austria and served there as the St. Francis of Assisi Professor of New Testament. He is a member of the Pontifical Council for the Family and is a Distinguished Fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, Steubenville, OH. His published works include the definitive translation of John Paul II’s Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body.
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Monica AshourMonica Ashour is a co-founder of the Theology of the Body Evangelization Team (TOBET), a group based in Texas that promotes Pope John Paul II’s theology of the body through Bible study groups, speaking engagements, and retreats around the nation. As the primary speaker and executive director of TOBET, she has also helped initiate the “Theology of the Body For Teens By Teens,” set in motion by young people.
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Dr. Gregory Popcak, MSW, LISWDr. Gregory Popcak, MSW, LISW is a nationally recognized Catholic psychotherapist and author of six books integrating solid Christian teaching with cutting-edge counseling psychology. His columns and features regularly appear in periodicals such as Catholic Parent, Family Foundations, TORCH, Catholic Digest, New Covenant, Columbia, and others.
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Glenn StantonGlenn Stanton is the Director for Family Formation Studies at Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs and is directing a major research project on international family formation trends at the Institute of Marriage and Family in Ottawa. He debates and lectures extensively on the issues of gender, sexuality, marriage and parenting at universities and churches around the country. He served the George W. Bush administration for many years as a consultant on increasing fatherhood involvement in the Head Start program.
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Jake Samour, MTSJake Samour, MTS is originally from El Salvador. He studied at the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family Life in Washington, D.C., graduating in 2005. He is currently the Director for the Office of Marriage and Family Life for the Archdiocese of San Antonio.
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Bob Schuchts Ph. D.Bob Schuchts Ph. D. is co-founder of the Theology of the Body Healing and Training Center (www.TOBHealing.com), along with Mario Sacasa M Ed., LMFT and, Carlos Gomez-Estefan Ph.D. The center is located in Tallahassee, FL and is dedicated to providing resources for the integration of the Theology of the Body and Healing. Courses and Seminars include: “Sexual Healing and Redemption”; “Healing the Whole Person”; “Freedom and Victory” and “Christ-Centered Family Reconstruction.”
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Dr. Philip MangoDr. Philip Mango is a licensed, board certified psychotherapist with 35 years experience in mental health counseling, education and consulting, working with individuals, marriages, families and organizations. He is the President of St. Michael’s Institute for the Psychological Sciences and captain and founder of Warrior Brothers – an international organization committed to developing strong, happy, Catholic men. Dr. Mango worked with Mother Teresa on mental health projects for the poor and has lectured at the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Washington , DC.
Panel Moderators:
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Lisa M. HendeyLisa M. Hendey is the founder and editor of CatholicMom.com, a Catholic website focusing on the Catholic faith, Catholic parenting and family life, and Catholic cultural topics, and the author of The Handbook for Catholic Moms: Nurturing Your Heart, Mind, Body and Soul. Lisa hosts the weekly Catholic Moments Podcast and the “Catholic Mom” television segment on KNXT TV. As a freelance writer, Lisa is a regular contributor to Catholic Exchange, Catholic Online, and Catholic.net. Her articles have appeared in the National Catholic Register, Our Sunday Visitor, Canticle Magazine, Grapevine Magazine and Kids’ Ark Magazine.
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Brian J. GailBrian J. Gail is the author of Fatherless, a book describing great spiritual battles in the U.S. Catholic church during the late 20th century. Gail is now a retired entrepreneur and CEO who provided strategic marketing counsel to elite Fortune 500 corporations and directed a variety of non-profit assistance efforts for the underprivileged in Philadelphia. Through his firm, Gailforce Communications Inc., he funded a Catholic school tuition voucher program for over 60 inner city children of single minority mothers.
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Matt PintoMatthew Pinto is the founder and president of Ascension Press — the leading source for Theology of the Body books and products) and Luminous Media and a co-founder of both CatholicExchange.com and Envoy Magazine. He is a best-selling author of a variety of works including Did Adam and Eve Have Belly Buttons?, the creator of the Friendly Defenders Catholic Flash Cards, co-editor of the Amazing Grace series and co-author of A Guide to the Passion: 100 Questions About the Passion of the Christ. He has appeared on numerous television and radio programs explaining and defending the Catholic Faith and has conducted seminars on a variety of Catholic issues throughout the country.
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Joan Frawley DesmondJoan Frawley Desmond is a graduate of the John Paul II Institute for Studies of Marriage and Family, a widely published freelance writer, a weekly contributor to the National Catholic Register, and a member of the executive committee of Imago Dei, Inc., a non-profit that promotes theology of the body study groups.
Congress MCs:
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Damon OwensDamon Owens founded Joy Filled Marriage NJ, a non-profit organization providing training, resources and support for engaged and married couples and serves as a speaker for the Theology of the Body Institute. He has published numerous articles and appeared on EWTN’s Life on the Rock and March for Life 2006, ABC World News Tonight, CBS News 48 Hours, BET Evening News and National Public Radio. He is also an accomplished gospel singer with such honors as a solo during the 1995 Papal Mass at Giants Stadium and the funeral mass for Bishop Joseph Francis at Sacred Heart Basilica in Newark.
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David SavageDavid Savage is Chairman of the Board at the Theology of the Body Institute and a managing partner of one of the country’s leading direct response television advertising agencies. Savage serves on the executive committee and board of directors of Catholic Leadership Institute, a non-profit leadership training organization based in Malvern, PA.
David became passionate about Theology of the Body after listening to tapes of Christopher West’s presentations. In 2004, he approached Matthew Pinto and Christopher West about forming a non-profit apostolate that would help spread the word about Theology of the Body. The Theology of the Body Institute was incorporated in April 2004 and presented its first week-long conference in the summer of 2005. David was an attendee.
