Simone Rizkallah is currently the Director of Program Growth for Endow Groups. Previously she worked at St. Mary’s Catholic High School in Phoenix, Arizona as Theology Department Chair and Senior Theology Teacher. She is also an Institute of Catholic Theology Fellow based on the campus of St. Thomas the Apostle in Phoenix, Arizona.

Her graduate degree is in Theological Studies from Christendom College with an emphasis in Systematic Theology. Her undergraduate studies and professional background include marketing communications, media, radio, and theatre before discovering her passion for the Faith and the call to evangelize through teaching and speaking.

Simone is also a Witherspoon/John Jay Institute Fellow and an Acton Institute Fellow. She has studied at the St. Albert the Great Center for Scholastic Studies in Norcia, Italy, at the Phoenix Institute at the International Theological Institute in Trumau, Austria, and at the Tertio Millennio Seminar in Krakow, Poland.

She has led local chapters of the ecclesial movement of Communion and Liberation in Virginia and Arizona and the Washington, D.C. based non-profit organization In Defense of Christians. She is also a member of Women Speak For Themselves. As the daughter of immigrants from the Armenian Diaspora in Cairo, Egypt, she has a particular interest in matters of religious freedom and culture. In her free time she enjoys teaching RCIA, speaking and writing. She has been published in ChurchPOP, Aleteia, Verily, CatholicU, Ethika Politika, The Catechetical Review and Angelus and was featured as a Guest Contributor in the book Road Signs for Catholic Teens published by Our Sunday Visitor.

She blogs at www.culturalgypsy.com.

A native of Colorado, Fr. Sam Morehead was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Denver in 2012. Having first studied broadcasting journalism and English at the University of Colorado at Boulder, he completed his formation and studies for the priesthood at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary. Having a passion for priestly formation, he has also served over the years as a regular guest lecturer on the Sacred Liturgy and the spiritual life for the Spirituality Year of his alma mater seminary, in addition to being a visiting professor for the Midwest Theological Forum’s Rome Experience summer formation program. He currently serves as Rector of the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception and Dean of the Cathedral Deanery. With a penchant for history and culture, he is particularly passionate about his family’s English homeland. Yet, his greatest loves are Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin, and the Catholic Church.

Dr. Michael Gama was born and baptized into Roman Catholicism, though at five years of age, his family left the Catholic Church. They then spent years in Evangelicalism.

Dr. Gama attended and graduated from Evangelical schools (Westmont College and Fuller Theological Seminary, respectively) for his BA and M.Div. degrees. Post-seminary he had a sense that even with, or perhaps even because of, his educational experience, his faith was missing something vitally important. He began reading extensively in the patristics, particularly in the monastics and the eastern fathers.

As a result, about 25 years ago he, his wife, and three children began attending an Orthodox church where they remained for five years. Then, 20 years ago they moved permanently to the Maronite Catholic Church, attending St. Sharbel Maronite Catholic Church in Portland, Oregon.

While there, Michael received his Abouna’s blessing to go through a doctoral program at a local seminary where he did his work primarily in the area of soteriology — theosis — the eastern Christian understanding of union with God, by grace. His doctoral dissertation was published by Wipf & Stock and is entitled, Theosis; Patristic Remedy for Evangelical Yearning at the Close of the Modern Age.

Dr. Gama is grateful for the opportunity to participate as an instructor at the Avila Institute, where he engages with students in exploring the call to grow toward being partakers of the divine nature, and entering into the fellowship of the Holy Trinity.

He and his wife, Carol, have been married 43 years, have three children and thirteen grandchildren.

Their entire family now lives in north Idaho, where they attend St. Thomas Catholic Church in Coeur d’ Alene.

Alphonso Lopez Pinto is an Associate Professor of Theology at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver, Colorado.

His main field of research is the relationship between Sacred Art and Theology during the Catholic Restoration of 16th – 17th century Rome and Bologna.

Liturgical and spirituality studies also play an important role in this research, illuminated by the eclectic resources of Catholic Tradition.

He also believes that after a great deal of theological research, there is nothing better than listening to Opera, especially in the works of Jules Massenet and Gioachino Rossini.

Fr. Boniface Hicks, O.S.B. became a Benedictine monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania in 1998. Since his ordination to the priesthood in 2004 he has provided spiritual direction for many men and women, including married couples, seminarians, consecrated religious and priests, even as he completed his Ph.D. in computer science at Penn State University. He became the programming manager and an on-air contributor for We Are One Body® Catholic radio in 2010 and has recorded thousands of radio programs on theology and the spiritual life. He has extensive experience as a retreat master for laity, consecrated religious and priests. He became the Director for Spiritual Formation for Saint Vincent Seminary in 2016 and Director of the Institute for Ministry Formation at Saint Vincent Seminary in 2019 and has offered many courses on spiritual direction and the spiritual life. While continuing his other responsibilities he is also currently enrolled in the STL program at Sacred Heart Seminary on the New Evangelization. He is author of Through the Heart of St. Joseph and together with Fr. Thomas Acklin, OSB he is author of the book Spiritual Direction: A Guide for Sharing the Father’s Love and Personal Prayer: A Guide for Receiving the Father’s Love, all published by Emmaus Road Publishing.

Fr. Ignatius John Schweitzer, O.P. is a Dominican priest of the St. Joseph (Eastern) Province. He was ordained in 2011. He spent six years living as a monk in a Carthusian monastery. He then returned to the Dominicans, discerning a strong call from the Lord to help others grow in the spiritual and mystical life. Upon returning, he completed his STL, writing on The Life, Light, and Fire of Triune Love: A Trinitarian Spirituality from Scripture, Aquinas, Ruusbroec, and John of the Cross. He is the prior of St. Catherine of Siena Priory in New York City, the promoter of the Dominican Laity, and adjunct professor, spiritual director, and formator at St. Joseph’s seminary in Dunwoodie. He hopes to be of service to the Lord’s loving cry to souls and souls’ cry for the Lord: “Abyss calls to abyss!”

Dr. John Bergsma is Full Professor of Theology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, in Steubenville, Ohio. He holds the M.Div. and Th.M. degrees from Calvin Seminary, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and served as a Protestant pastor for four years before entering the Catholic Church in 2001 while pursuing a Ph.D. in Theology from the University of Notre Dame. He specialized in the Old Testament and the Dead Sea Scrolls, graduating with high honors in 2004. His major study of the interpretation of the Year of Jubilee in ancient times is published as The Jubilee from Leviticus to Qumran (Brill Academic, 2007).

Dr. Bergsma’s articles, some co-authored with Dr. Scott Hahn, have appeared in several academic journals as well as Lay Witness, the magazine of Catholics United for the Faith, and he has published many books, A Catholic Introduction to the Bible: Old Testament (Ignatius Press, 2018), Stunned by Scripture: How the Bible Made Me Catholic (Our Sunday Visitor, 2018), Psalm Basics for Catholics (Ave Maria Press, 2018), and Yes! There is a God! And Other Answers to Life’s Big Questions (The Word Among Us, 2017), Bible Basics for Catholics (Ave Maria Press, 2012) and New Testament Basics for Catholics (Ave Maria Press, 2015). He also has several Bible studies on CD, DVD, and MP3.

Additionally, he has appeared as a guest on EWTN’s The Journey Home, Franciscan University Presents, and Relevant Radio’s Drew Mariani Show, and has given presentations internationally through Parousia Media. Twice voted Faculty of the Year by graduating classes of the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Dr. Bergsma is a popular teacher who inspires his students with a love of Scripture. He and his wife Dawn reside with their eight children in Steubenville, Ohio.

Dr. Margaret Turek is originally from the Midwest. She earned a B.A. at the University of San Francisco where she studied in the St. Ignatius Institute, an M.A. at the Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology, and a Doctor of Sacred Theology degree at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. Prior to her graduate studies, she received spiritual formation as a Carmelite for six years. Dr. Turek’s scholarly interests include Trinitarian theology, Soteriology, and the re-integration of Dogmatic Theology and Spirituality. Before joining the faculty at STPSU in 2001, she was a tenured Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at the University of Dallas. She also teaches in the Deacon Formation Program for the Archdiocese of San Francisco and the Diocese of Oakland.

Pia de Solenni is an internationally recognized Catholic theologian and speaker. Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and National Catholic Register; she has appeared on CNN, ABC News, and other television programs.

Solenni is an alumna of the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Angelicum where she earned a Bachelor of Sacred Theology. On November 8, 2001, she received the 2001 Award of the Pontifical Academies for her doctoral work. The award was presented by John Paul II. Dr. de Solenni has served on the Family Research Council.

Solenni has a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome. She is currently the chancellor of the Diocese of Orange.

Deacon Colin Coleman was baptized a Catholic but not raised in the faith, first encountering our Lord in a real way at age twenty-one, just before he met his wife. After their marriage, Deacon Colin helped found the St. Vinnies Youth Movement in New Zealand and then was asked by the bishop to join the diocesan youth team as director, a position he held for two years. Desiring a deeper and more radical relationship with Jesus, Deacon Colin and his wife joined the Community of the Beatitudes in 1993, joining in a Beatitude house in France that was only a few miles from Lourdes. They were then asked to help found the Beatitude house in Christchurch, New Zealand, where they stayed for nine years. During this time, Deacon Colin was asked take over as superior of the house. They were then led to the United States to assist in the mission in Denver, Colorado, where he works for the parish of St. Catherine of Siena as Director of Religious Education. On behalf of the Archdiocese, Deacon Colin teaches and provides formation for engaged couples preparing for marriage. As part of his responsibilities with the Beatitude community, he is in charge of the lay branch and assists in the formation of new members and the ongoing formation of existing members. Deacon Colin was ordained in 2013 and has been married to Maria for the past twenty six years and they have been blessed with seven children (four daughters, two sons and one son waiting for them in heaven).

Dr. Joseph Hollcraft has taught at the middle school, high school, and university levels. He was also a Catholic radio host and apologist for fifteen years. Currently, Joseph Hollcraft is a Professor and Director of the High Calling Program at the Avila Institute.

Dr. Hollcraft is the author of A Heart for Evangelizing (Emmaus Road, 2016) and Unleashing the Power of Intercessory Prayer (Sophia Institute, 2020). Joseph has been seen on EWTN Live with Fr Mitch Pacwa, SJ, and Women of Grace with Johnette Williams. Dr. Hollcraft regularly contributes to multiple Catholic online journals and is frequently heard on Catholic radio airwaves discussing spiritual theology.

Joseph earned his B.A. and M.A. from the Franciscan University of Steubenville and received his Ph.D. from Graduate Theological Foundation with studies completed at Oxford University.

Most importantly, Joseph is a devoted husband and father. He lives in Canal Fulton, OH, with his beautiful wife Jackie and their four children: Kolbe, Avila, Isaac, and Siena.

For more than two decades, Dr. Andrew Seeley has been a Tutor at Thomas Aquinas College in California, where his love has been teaching and learning with his fellow faculty and students from the greatest minds of Western Civilization. A 1987 graduate of Thomas Aquinas, Dr. Seeley received his Licentiate from the Pontifical Institute in Medieval Studies (Toronto) and a Ph.D. in Medieval Studies from the University of Toronto (1995). His dissertation was a study in St. Thomas’s teaching about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

His teaching experience includes courses in Biblical Studies; Patristics; Logic; Language; Natural Philosophy; Biology; Geometry; Cartesian Algebra; Differential Calculus; Number Theory; non-Euclidean Geometry; Ancient, Medieval and Modern Philosophy and Literature; Classical Physics and Relativity; and Music Theory.

Desiring to share his love of learning, in 2005 Dr. Seeley became Executive Director of the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education. He has spoken at conferences, led in-service workshops, offered consultations to schools and colleges and directed the Institute’s Academic Retreat for Teachers.

Dr. Seeley is on the National Policy Advisory Board for the Catholic High School Honor Roll, Wyoming Catholic College’s Catholic Scholars Advisory Board, and a number of Catholic liberal arts schools around the country.  His articles have been published on-line in Crisis, First Things and The Imaginative Conservative, among others. He is co-author of Declaration Statesmanship: A Course in American Government.

Dr. Seeley is married to Lisa Seeley and is father to six children and grandfather to three.

Fr. Schreiner was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Crookston (MN) in 1989.  After ordination he completed a Licentiate in Sacred Theology at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein IL with his thesis on the Christology of Hans Urs von Balthasar.   Later he did Doctoral Studies at the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family.  In the Diocese he has served as pastor of various parishes and was the Rector of the Cathedral.  He was later tapped to begin the Office of the New Evangelization while serving as Chancellor and editor of the diocesan newspaper.  He currently serves as the pastor of two parishes in the Diocese.

Christopher Carstens is Director of the Office for Sacred Worship in the Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin, a visiting faculty member at Mundelein Seminary and the Liturgical Institute at the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Illinois, and editor of the Adoremus Bulletin. Along with Father Douglas Martis, Christopher is the co-author of Mystical Body, Mystical Voice: Encountering Christ in the Words of the Mass (Liturgy Training Publications). He lives in Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin, with his wife and eight children.

Josh Meeker joined the Avila Foundation team in September of 2014 after having been profoundly impacted by the classes he took as a student in the Avila Institute’s graduate level program. Through his experience as an Avila student he has come to know the importance of a life that flows out of prayer. As Academic Operations Manager of the Avila Institute, Josh is incredibly blessed to have at least some small part in bringing the wisdom of the Saints to others.

Hannah has been an elementary school teacher and currently works for the Avila Foundation helping with the Mission Engagement team.

Josh and Hannah have been married for 12 years and currently reside in Alabama with their daughter, Elizabeth.

Christine Flynn is a wife and mother of five children. On fire for the Catholic faith, Christine podcasts and blogs about all things Catholicism to help fellow parents feel more sure in their faith and raise confidently Catholic children. 

Ralph Martin is the president of Renewal Ministries (www.renewalministries.net), an organization devoted to Catholic renewal and evangelization. Renewal Ministries is the sponsor of The Choices We Face, a widely viewed weekly Catholic television and radio program distributed throughout the world, and engages in a wide variety of mission work in more than thirty countries. Ralph also is the director of Graduate Theology Programs in Evangelization and a professor of theology at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in the Archdiocese of Detroit (www.shms.edu). He holds a doctorate in theology from the Angelicum University in Rome. Pope Benedict XVI appointed Ralph as a consultor to the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization, and he continues to serve in this capacity. Ralph also was appointed as a theological expert for the Synod on the New Evangelization. He is the author of the widely read The Fulfillment of All Desire: A Guidebook for the Journey to God Based on the Wisdom of the Saints, and many books on spirituality and evangelization, such as Will Many Be Saved? What Vatican II Actually Teaches and Its Implications for the New Evangelization, and The Urgency of the New Evangelization, as well as many articles in scholarly and popular publications. Ralph and his wife, Anne, reside in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and have six children and seventeen grandchildren.

Fr. Chuck was born and raised in the small town of Zephyrhills near Tampa, FL. His practice of the faith began after his family experienced the generosity of his local parish. He entered St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami, FL immediately following High School. He then attended St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, FL and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of St. Petersburg on May 16, 2015. He served 4 years as the associate pastor of St. Lawrence in Tampa where he also became the team priest for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 2019 he was appointed Director of Vocations, serving as both vocations promoter and director of seminarians. He currently serves as a member-at-large on the executive board for the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors.

Fr. Rueb grew up on a farm in Eastern Colorado and is the oldest of three boys. He attended William Jewell College and graduated in 2012 with a BA in International Relations and Political Science. He worked for a political consultant for one year after school during the 2012 election cycle where he researched and wrote political direct mail. Fr. Rueb attended St. Gregory the Great Seminary in Seward, NE for two years of philosophical studies before being assigned to study at the Pontifical North American College and the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, in Rome, Italy. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 25, 2019. He is currently the Parochial Administrator of Coronation of Our Lady Parish, Grandview. He has also been appointed Director of Seminarians and is the Vocations Director for the Diocese.

Stacey Sumereau’s unique journey spans performing in Broadway National Tours of The Wizard of Oz and Beauty and the Beast, to discerning religious life on Reality TV in The Sisterhood, Becoming Nuns (Lifetime 2014), to marriage and motherhood. Stacey founded and hosted the Be Not Afraid Conference and the God’s Adventure Awaits Summit, serving over 20,000 people in 2020. Stacey hosts the popular Called and Caffeinated Podcast and YouTube show. In 2020 she wrote and taught the True North Discernment Course to people in 13 countries around the world. Stacey has contributed to the Ascension Presents YouTube Channel and has written for the National Catholic Register, Vocations and Prayer Magazine, and Life News. She and her husband John are raising their four children (aged six and under) in the Washington, D.C. area. She has presented at the National Catholic Youth Conference, the LA Religious Education Congress, and dioceses across the country encouraging young people to know their worth and to embrace God’s adventure.

Peter Stur is the founder of In Ipso, a Denver-based Catholic ministry designed to help the lay faithful develop a more intimate relationship with Christ through prayer. The ministry draws heavily on Saint Ignatius’ principles of prayer and discernment of spirits, but expands its Ignatian foundation with wisdom from other spiritualities within the Catholic Church, including the Dominican and the Carmelites, among others. Peter, was formed as Spiritual Director at the Lanteri Center for Ignatian Spirituality in Denver. In addition to conducting parish missions and public speaking programs, he directs silent retreats for laity and deacons, is one of the formators of future deacons at St. John Vianney seminary, guides faithful through the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius, teaches pre-seminary program at Avila Institute.

Reverend Samuel Aquila, S.T.L, Archbishop of Denver granted In Ipso the decree of Private Juridical Personality and its programs are supported and recommended many spiritual and retreat masters as Father Daniel Barron, Director of Spiritual Formation at the Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver, and Father Greg Cleveland, OMV, executive Director of the Lanteri Center for Ignatian Spirituality. Prior to founding In Ipso, Peter owned and operated a high-end custom kitchen and cabinet design, manufacture and installation business, and won a number of awards including Kitchen of the Year in 2007 according to Colorado Homes and Lifestyles Magazine.

Peter has been married for 32 years and has 10 children. He is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys hunting and falconry.

After a little over half a decade protecting and serving his community as a police officer, Jordan Burke traded in his badge and gun for a bible and a rosary. Falling deeply in love with the Church and Her teachings, he dove headfirst into the writings of the saints and all aspects of spiritual theology and hasn’t stopped learning since. Combining his love of The Truth, history, and tradition with practical application, Jordan turned his life motto, “Do The Harder Thing,” into a program of acquiring virtue and overcoming habitual sin for all who seek to become who God has called them to be. When he’s not writing, researching, farming, and praying, he is, most importantly, a loving father of a beautiful little girl and a zealous defender of souls.