UPCOMING SPEAKERS

John Green attended Wheaton College where he was 1 of 12 Roman Catholics out of 3,000 Evangelical Protestants. After marrying his wife, Carolyn, the Greens have enjoyed a life of ministry and service together for 32 years. For twenty years they lived with and ministered to men involved in prostitution on the streets of Chicago. John was ordained a Permanent Deacon by Cardinal Francis George in 2002. Over the last decade and a half, he and his wife have been small business owners, caregivers to elderly parents and family members, and have been blessed to raise 4 kids who love the Lord and one dog that they are still praying for. Today they minister at Holy Family Parish in Stow, OH. Deacon John works with Catholic parishes throughout the United States through his work with The Evangelical Catholic.

Patrick is a Catholic writer and podcaster from Melbourne, FL. He is the co-host of The Crunch Podcast, the top comedy podcast for young Catholics. He is a former comedian with a Masters Degree in Systematic Theology from Franciscan University. He is married to his wife Phoebe and is father to two children: Leo (3) and Josephine (1).

Dr. Mario Sacasa is the associate director of the Faith and Marriage Apostolate of the Willwoods Community in Louisiana. He is a licensed marriage and family therapist and operates a private counseling practice in Charlotte, NC. He earned a Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision from the University of Holy Cross in New Orleans, LA. He also holds a combined M.S./Ed.S. in marriage and family counseling from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Dr. Sacasa travels the country offering lectures to dioceses, parishes, seminaries, and college campuses on the themes of marriage, relationships, sexuality, hope, and positive psychology. He has been on faculty at Notre Dame Seminary, Divine Mercy University, and the Institute for Priestly Formation. He has lectured for the Theology of the Body Institute and The National Catholic Singles Conference. Dr. Sacasa creates and hosts the Always Hope podcast, a long-form interview show aimed at helping the listener grow in their emotional and spiritual health.

Mary Kate Conner is passionate about preaching the good news of life with Christ and teaching people how to pray. After graduating from Georgia College, Mary Kate served as a Life Teen Missionary in Georgia for two years before moving to Denver, CO to work as a guidance counselor in a Catholic grade school. After a few years of discernment in religious life, Mary Kate returned to the North Georgia mountains to serve with Life Teen as the Missions Coordinator, where she is now dedicated to the formation and discipleship of Life Teen full-time missionaries.

Mari Pablo is a proud Hispanic and cradle Catholic whose life was wrecked in the best possible way when she finally decided to stop fighting and surrender it all to Him. She holds bachelor’s degrees in theology and psychology from Franciscan University of Steubenville, and a master’s degree in theology from the Augustine Institute. Mari has worked in youth ministry for over fifteen years, both as a youth minister and theology teacher. She is currently serving parishes and universities across the country with The Evangelical Catholic. Mari is well known for her dynamic presentations at the Steubenville Youth Conferences, SEEK and other national outlets. She is a presenter for Ascension press in YOU- Theology of the Body for Teens, CHOSEN, and Connected- Catholic Social Teaching for this generation. Mari has a deep love for food but an even greater love for Christ and is dedicated to helping others encounter Him. You can learn more at www.MariPablo.com 

Nathan Crankfield converted to Catholicism at the age of 13, becoming the first Catholic in his entire family. After graduating from Mount St. Mary’s University, he was commissioned as an Infantry Officer in the US Army. Nathan served as a ranger-qualified platoon leader in the 82nd Airborne Division for four years, including one combat deployment to Afghanistan. After the Army, Nathan has worked for the Church in several different roles in parish and young adult ministry. He is now a Partnership Executive at Hallow and the host of his podcast, Seeking Excellence with Nathan Crankfield. Nathan lives in Denver with his wife, Emily, and their son, Jordan.

Shaun Garrison is a missionary evangelist who has committed his entire life to making Jesus Christ known in the world. Through speaking, worship, song writing, recording, and outdoor adventures, he strives to evoke wonder in response to all God has done. Shaun and his wife Joy have six amazing children and reside in Denver, Colorado. You can listen to Shaun’s music on digital platforms and shaungarrison.com, and visit windswept.co to learn more about Windswept Treks and strengthening families through shared outdoor adventure.

The Children of Mary Sisters are based in Newark and Cincinnati, Ohio. A semi-contemplative community, the sisters spend their lives adoring Jesus enthroned on the altar, and continuing our adoration of Jesus with acts of love as we work in household duties, outdoor chores, or apostolic work.

Mike Patin uses energy, humor and stories to remind people of God’s presence among us while inviting others (and himself) to take the “next step” in our journey with God. In 1984, his ministry career began as a high school teacher & coach. He then moved to do diocesan youth ministry in New Orleans for 13 years. Since 2003, he has been a full-time speaker and “faith horticulturist.” He has engaged groups sized from 10 to 23,000 in over 130 U.S. and Canadian dioceses, speaking at parish missions, conferences, rallies, retreats, and in-services. His audiences have included youth, adults, families, clergy, seminarians, faculties, businesses, athletic teams and hospital staffs. Mike has published two books: A Standing Invitation, and This Was Not in the Brochure: Lessons from Work, Life and Ministry. In 2006, he received the National Catholic Youth Ministry Award. Mike lives in Lafayette, LA.

Santonio Hill is a dynamic speaker driven by a passion for inspiring others through the Gospel. With a degree in Philosophy from the Catholic University of America, Santonio brings a unique perspective and depth to his talks that resonate with audiences of all ages. For over a decade, Santonio has been actively involved in youth and young adult ministry, dedicating his life to empowering the next generation. His speaking engagements have included various platforms and events, such as conferences, workshops, retreats, parish missions, colleges, high schools, and young adult events. He was previously the Executive Director of Gift of Mary Women’s Shelter and Director of Recruitment for Vagabond Missions. Currently based in Pittsburgh, PA, Santonio resides with his wife Kristen and their children, Fatima and Andre. Through his engaging presentations and personal commitment to faith and family, Santonio continues to inspire and uplift communities, leaving a lasting impact wherever he goes.

The founder and president of Restored, Joey Pontarelli received his bachelor’s degree in Finance from Franciscan University of Steubenville and his MBA from Benedictine College. He’s spoken around the U.S., Europe, and Central America. His articles have been featured on various blogs such as the Chastity Project, the Culture Project, FOCUS, and in Shalom Tidings Magazine. Joey lives in Colorado with his wife, Brigid. As a child of divorce, Joey Pontarelli started Restored to help other children of divorce. Restored creates content that gives practical advice to teens and young adults on how to cope and heal after the trauma of their parents’ divorce or separation, so they can feel whole again. 

Gabriel founded Catholics for Life in 2021, by the grace of God, after seeing a need for more Catholics to be committed to defending the preborn as well as a need for pro-life activism to center around the fullness of the Catholic faith. Catholics for Life strives to rely on the grace of the Eucharist and Mary’s intercession as they equip Catholics for life-saving missionary work sidewalk counseling outside abortion facilities and leading street evangelizations with a pro-life focus. Gabriel was also the Director of External Affairs for Created Equal, an anti-abortion activism group based in Columbus, OH for over six years. He received his B.A. in Theology from Ohio Dominican University in 2016. Gabriel has been married to his wife, Anna, since 2015. They have been blessed with six children.