Morning Keynote in English

Michelle Benzinger
Wife, Mother, and Co-Host, Abiding Together Podcast
Talk title: Finding Your Freedom in Christ

What Michelle will talk about:
Michelle’s morning keynote will open up our conference theme, Be Not Afraid: Finding Your Freedom in Christ. She will help us understand the freedom of heart that Jesus Christ is offering to each of us and how we can cooperate with God to let Him set us free.  Through personal stories and reflections on the teachings of the Church, Michelle will help us understand the kinds of chains that can bind our hearts and the path that the Church has laid out for us to find healing. This talk will set us up for a conference day of basking in the divine love that longs to make us free and whole.

Learn more about Michelle:
Michelle is a wife and mother of six children—four born from her womb and two born from her heart (adopted in Haiti). She is the visionary leader and creative director of Greenhouse Collective. Michelle has a heart for inspiring others to understand and share their unique voices and their God-given missions. Michelle co-hosts the nationwide podcast, Abiding Together, with Sister Miriam James Heidland, SOLT, and Heather Khym. She is the author of Restore the Beauty—a prayer journal that accompanies the “Four Women Doctors of the Church” Abiding Together series. Michelle and her family reside in Pensacola, Florida.

• www.abidingtogetherpodcast.com
• www.greenhousecollective.org

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Afternoon Keynote in English

Sr. Miriam James Heidland, SOLT
Sister of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) and Co-Host, Abiding Together Podcast
Talk title: Jesus Christ, Our Healer

What Sr. Miriam will talk about:
Sr. Miriam’s afternoon keynote will prepare us for the closing prayer service. Sister will share with us her own personal journey of healing and stories of those she has worked with in order to reveal for us how Jesus is the source of the healing of our wounds and author of the in-breaking of joy into our hearts.  Sister will help us understand how we can cooperate with the process of healing and in particular, how to “be” in the presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in order to receive from Him the freedom He wishes to give.

Learn more about Sr. Miriam:
Sr. Miriam James Heidland is a former Division I athlete who had a radical conversion and joined the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) in 1998. Her story has been featured on EWTN’s The Journey Home, SEEK Conferences, Steubenville Conferences and other outlets.

She holds a Master’s degree in Theology from the Augustine Institute and speaks extensively on the topics of conversion, authentic love, forgiveness and healing. She is also affiliated with the John Paul II Healing Center in leading healing retreats for priests and religious sisters across the nation.

Sr. Miriam’s podcast, Abiding Together, can be found on iTunes. Her books, Restore: A Guided Lent Journal and Loved As I Am can be found on Amazon.

She tweets at @onegroovynun

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Keynote in Spanish

Martha Reyes
Psychologist, International Catholic Speaker and Musician
Talk titles: Encontrando tu libertad en Cristo y Jesucristo, nuestro sanador

What Martha will talk about:

Encontrando tu libertad en Cristo
Esta plática de Martha abrirá el tema de nuestra conferencia, No tengas miedo: Encontrando tu libertad en Cristo. Ella nos ayudará a entender la libertad de corazón que Jesucristo nos está ofreciendo a cada una de nosotras y cómo podemos cooperar con Dios para dejar que Él nos libere.  A través de sus historias personales y reflexiones sobre las enseñanzas de la Iglesia, Martha nos ayudará a entender los tipos de cadenas que pueden atar nuestros corazones y el camino que la Iglesia ha trazado para que encontremos sanación. Esta plática nos preparará para un día de conferencia en el que disfrutaremos del amor divino que anhela hacernos libres y completa

Jesucristo, nuestro sanador
La plática de la tarde nos preparará para el servicio de oración de clausura. Martha compartirá con nosotros su jornada personal de sanación y las historias de aquellos con los que ha trabajado para revelarnos cómo Jesús es la fuente de sanación de nuestras heridas y el autor de la introducción de la alegría en nuestros corazones. Martha nos ayudará a entender cómo podemos cooperar con el proceso de sanación y, en particular, cómo «estar» en presencia de Jesús en el Santísimo Sacramento para recibir de Él la libertad que desea dar.

Learn more about Martha:
Martha Reyes nació en Puerto Rico y ha residido en California la mayor parte de su vida. Obtuvo un  bachillerato y maestría en Psicología en la Universidad Estatal de California y una maestría adicional y doctorado en Psicología Clínica en Ryokan College en Los Ángeles, CA. Ella tomó cursos adicionales en estudios bíblicos en el Mount Saint Mary College en Los Ángeles y en el Instituto de Tantur, en Jerusalén.

Martha es autora de varios artículos publicados en periódicos; tres libros: Jesús y la mujer herida, Jesucristo, tu psicólogo personal, Por qué no soy feliz y Quiero hijos sanos; y más de 60 CD grabados en diversas enseñanzas y música católica. Semanalmente, Martha conduce un programa de radio por En Familia, Catholic Radio desde Phoenix, Arizona y es presentadora del programa de televisión Sanando el Corazón Herido transmitido por ESNE TV.

Martha dirige Hosanna Internacional Foundation, una organización sin fines de lucro que ofrece una serie de cursos y talleres sobre vida familiar, programas para padres, sanación interior y superación personal. En 1989 filmó una entrevista televisiva con Madre Teresa de Calcuta y en 1992 fue recibida por el papa Juan Pablo II en una audiencia en el Vaticano.

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Keynote in American Sign Language

Sue Gudenkauf
Consecrated Virgin and Sign Language Interpreter
Talk Title: Be Not Afraid:  Finding your Freedom in Christ I & II

What Sue will talk about:

Be Not Afraid:  Finding your Freedom in Christ I & II
In this workshop, we will look at God’s call repeatedly in Scripture to “Be Not Afraid”. This call is vital to our hearts and our minds to hold fast to God’s promise, to trust in His goodness. In this lies our hope, our freedom, our joy. We will also explore Pope St. John Paul II’s legacy of “Be Not Afraid” and how this applies to us in our everyday lives.

Learn more about Sue:
Sue Gudenkauf is a Consecrated Virgin within the Catholic Church.  Her primary charism is to serve the Church and community using the gifts she has been given and to be a listening heart.  She is a Sign Language Interpreter, nationally certified through RID holding CT, CI and SC:L as well as a credential as a qualified mental health interpreter.  Sue has worked in a variety of settings and has a passion for religious interpreting. She completed her M.A.  in Theology and a certification in Sacred Scripture from the Augustine Institute in Denver, CO.  Sue who currently lives and works in Iowa, has presented workshops and retreats throughout the United States.

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Regina Boyd
Catholic Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Talk title: Finding Healing Through Relationship

What Regina will talk about:
The Church teaches us that “man… cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself” (Gaudium Et Spes 24). This means that each one of us becomes truly ourselves when we live in communion with others.  In this breakout session, Regina will lead us in an exploration of healthy human relationships and how God uses them to heal us. She will give us some tips from her years as a therapist on how to cultivate healthy relationships and help them grow deeper. She will also provide some insight into the red flags that indicate an unhealthy relationship and what we can do about them.  The goal is that we will be able to open ourselves anew to the ways that God wants to heal us through the people He has brought into our lives, your husband, children, extended family and friends.

Learn more about Regina:
Regina is the Founder of Boyd Counseling Services, a Catholic licensed mental health and coaching practice that provides in-person and virtual services for couples and individuals. She works with clients who are experiencing stress & anxiety, life changes, desire healthy emotional connection, and seek to develop problem solving strategies within their relationships. Regina is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, and a Life and Relationship Coach. She is a featured contributor to the #1 Catholic App, Hallow, providing reflections on stress and anxiety through a Catholic lens. Regina is also a regular speaker and facilitator on mental health all from a Catholic perspective. She lives in Orlando, Florida with her husband of 12 years and their 4 year old daughter. Her website is https://www.reginaboyd.com/.

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Matt and Jenn Lozano
Husband and Wife, Parents, and Staff of Heart of the Father Ministries
Talk title: Coming soon

What Matt and Jenn will talk about:
As parents of five children, Matt and Jenn know how much kids can carry burdens in their hearts, just like adults.  In this breakout session, Matt and Jenn will share a simple process of prayer that you can use with the young people in your life to help them take hold of the freedom that Jesus wishes to give them.  They will draw from their many years praying with others using the Five Keys of the Unbound Ministry and share stories of the freedom and healing they have witnessed among young people, including in their own family. This talk is great for mothers, grandmothers, teachers, catechists and anyone who works with young people!

Learn more about Matt and Jenn:
Matthew Lozano serves as Director of Leadership Development for Heart of the Father Ministries.  He has twelve years of teaching experience and holds a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Villanova University and a Master’s Degree in Theology from the Augustine Institute.  He and his wife Jennifer have five children and live in the Philadelphia area.  He is the coauthor of the Unbound Ministry Guidebook and Abba’s Heart.

Jennifer has served on the Heart of the Father team since 2004.  Jenn currently coordinates our local conferences and acts as a liaison for those hosting Unbound events around the world.   Along with oversight of the administrative team, Jenn helps with strategic planning for Heart of the Father.  Jenn earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a Human Resource Management concentration at James Madison University.  Although mostly serving on the home front, you might occasionally meet Jenn on the road when she travels and speaks at conferences with Matt.  She has been married to Matt for 21 years.  Matt and Jenn live outside of Philadelphia with their 5 amazing children.

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Katie Weiss
Founder, Behold Visio Divina
Talk title: Visio Divina: Receiving Freedom through the Beauty of God

What Katie will talk about:
Sacred images are sacramental. Visio Divina is a way of praying with sacred images in order receive through them the graces that God wants to pour into our hearts. In this breakout session, Katie will lead participants in a Visio Divina meditation, allowing us to identify areas of our hearts that need healing and to lay those burdens before Jesus. The process will lead us into a posture of receptivity before the healing power of Jesus’ love and allow His grace to touch our hearts in a new way.

Note: This breakout session will take place in a smaller room to create a more intimate atmosphere for Visio Divina prayer. Seating is limited for this breakout session and will close when full. 

Learn more about Katie:
Katie Weiss is the foundress of Behold Visio Divina, an organization dedicated to giving women the opportunity to encounter the beauty of God and themselves through Sacred Art, and go forth into the world sharing this beauty. She is the author of Behold, the Joyful Mysteries, a book dedicated to helping women pray and grow in intimacy with God through art.  Teacher, cake decorator, artist, and lover of all things that tug on the human heart, Katie has always enjoyed finding God in the moments of everyday. Visit her website at https://www.beholdvisiodivina.com/.

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Sr. Cora Caeli, SV
Sisters of Life
Talk title: Healing for Others: Reflective Listening

What Sister will talk about:
One of the many gifts of the “feminine genius” is a woman’s capacity to listen. Women were created to receive the other person as they are and love them into freedom and healing.  This requires learning to listen with ever greater love. In this breakout session, Sister will help us deepen our capacity to listen to others and learn the practice of reflective listening, a way of listening that will help us to be present another person in a way that heals them.

Learn more about Sr. Cora:
Sister Cora Caeli, SV was raised in Pleasant Valley, NY and graduated from Marywood University in Scranton, PA with a degree in Religious Studies and from Ave Maria University with a Master’s degree in Theological Studies. She entered the Sisters of Life in 2016, and professed first vows on August 4, 2019. Sister Cora Caeli currently lives at St. Malachy’s Convent in Philadelphia, PA where she serves pregnant women in need. She loves sharing the truth of each person’s call to sanctity.

Founded in 1991 by Cardinal John O’Connor in New York, the Sisters of Life are consecrated to protect and enhance the sacredness of human life. Living intimately with Jesus in Eucharistic prayer, the Sisters share in a vibrant community life and seek to imitate the Blessed Mother, bringing the consoling presence of Christ to all those they encounter. Their missions include serving vulnerable pregnant women and their unborn children; serving those suffering after an abortion through accompaniment and retreats, fostering a culture of life through evangelization and retreat works.

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