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Arena session - “SYNC-TIFICATION”
Phones and MP3 players rock! Texts, voice mail, music,
apps: You can “trip out” your device ... but unless it’s charged and sync-ed …
it doesn’t do a lotta good. Be ready to be “called out” to charge yourself up
and then to share and blare your playlist to the world!
Mike Patin
“Faith horticulturist” Mike Patin has worked in youth
ministry since 1984, spending six years as a high school teacher and coach
before working for the CYO/Youth Ministry Offi ce for the New Orleans
Archdiocese. He was also on the adjunct faculty at the Notre Dame School of
Theology Seminary in New Orleans for two years. Since 2003, the Lafayette, La.,
resident has been speaking full time to young people and adults on issues of
Catholic faith. His book is titled “A Standing Invitation.”
A - BE A WITNESS! SHARING CHRIST WITH OTHERS
Sharing your faith does not mean you need to stand
in the hall of your school handing out pamphlets about Jesus! It means letting
God be a part of your life in everyday ways. It means being comfortable with
your faith and letting your actions speak louder than your words. Hey … light
travels faster than sound! Come learn the answers to the questions we are most
often asked about our faith and come see how we are all called to be
disciples in how we live, so that Christ can be seen … in us!
Steve Angrisano
Steve Angrisano is a musician, inspirational speaker and
workshop presenter. He has been featured at major youth events nationally and
internationally, including four World Youth Days, five National Catholic Youth
Conferences and numerous L.A. Congress Youth Days. Angrisano lives in Coppell,
Texas. His works include a CD called “Inescapable Love” and a book titled “Live:
Essential Songs for Youth Ministry.”
B - KEEPIN’ UR HUSTLE HOLY
In this workshop participants will look at who God made
them to be and how the world does its best to deter us from reaching our
God-given purpose. We will look at why we have problems and what we are supposed
to learn from them. Come and get a blessing!
Ansel J. Augustine, MPS
Ansel Augustine is Associate Director and Coordinator of Black
Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Catholic Youth Organization Office of the
New Orleans Archdiocese. He also serves on the faculty for the Institute for
Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University in Louisiana and with their Campus
Ministry, where he previously worked. Augustine has also published several
articles related to ministry and has keynoted and presented workshops at various
youth rallies and conferences around the country. He was MC and hosted the 2010
National Conference on Catholic Youth Ministry in New Orleans.
C - HOLDING ON TO REAL HOPE
The definition of the word “hope” is to “cherish a desire
with deep anticipation.” Because Renée Bondi has been a quadriplegic for over 20
years, imagine how she would love to have full use of her body again! Renée
shares her mental battle of fully accepting her paralysis and how she has come
to trust the God that allowed her injury to occur.
Renée Bondi
Recording artist and inspirational speaker, Renée Bondi travels
throughout the United States singing and speaking for conferences, churches,
retreats, youth rallies and corporate events. She has appeared as a guest on
EWTN’s “Life on the Rock” and on St. Joseph Radio. Bondi has been keynote at the
National Catholic Youth Conference and special guest for many adult formation
programs, sharing her life story before and after her accident.
D - ROMANCE WITHOUT REGRET
Looking for straight answers to tough questions on dating,
sexuality and relationships? Jason and Crystalina Evert offer a blunt, humorous
and powerful case for the virtue of chastity. While abstinence is merely the
absence of sex, chastity frees a couple to love, bringing them closer to one
another and offering them romance without the regrets. Through their captivating
testimonies, Jason and Crystalina show that purity is possible, regardless of
the past.
Crystalina & Jason Evert
After years of giving chastity presentations solo, Jason Evert
teamed up with Crystalina Padilla. After their year of speaking as an engaged
couple, they married in 2003. Since then, they have spoken to more than 1
million teens in Catholic, Christian and public high schools and universities
around the world. Together, the Everts have authored over 12 books, including
“How to Find Your Soulmate without Losing Your Soul.” They have made numerous
radio and TV appearances, have hosted a pair of TV series for teens on EWTN, and
have been awarded for their work with teens in America.
E - “I PRAISE YOU, FOR I AM WONDERFULLY MADE”
If you’ve ever thought you’re not good enough, pretty
enough, smart enough, or (blank) enough, this workshop is for you! God
does not make junk but has created you with every gift and talent you need to
serve Him and others! Dubbing herself the original “Ugly Betty,” Noelle Garcia
will share her own self-esteem struggles as a teen, through depression, cutting
and thoughts of suicide. She will share how she came to know the Lord loved her
just the way she is, and to praise Him for she is “wonderfully made!”
Noelle Garcia
Noelle Garcia is a Catholic recording artist with World Library
Publications. She was featured on CNN’s “Latino in America” and EWTN’s “Life on
the Rock” programs sharing her inspirational testimony and Gospel message of
love and hope for teens and young adults. Garia currently works in the Diocese
of Lansing, Mich., as a Director of Music, and travels throughout the country
speaking and performing “wherever God calls”! She lives in Michigan with her
husband, fellow youth and music minister, David McHugh.
H - PRAYER ISN'T BORING, YOU ARE ... HAHA!
So many people complain about how boring church is, Mass
is, and praying is … when in reality those people haven’t experienced the
goodness of the One they pray to: God! In this workshop, Paul Kim uses his
captivating speaking abilities, humor and music (beatboxing), to show that
prayer isn’t just for the elderly, but for anyone with a heart that longs for
more!
Paul J. Kim
Paul Kim formerly served as youth minister, missionary and
counselor. Today, he is a nationally known youth speaker and musician who
presents regularly at Catholic youth and young adult events throughout the
country, including the Steubenville Youth Conferences in Ohio; Catholic
Underground events; and the Sacramento Young Adult Conference and San Jose
Diocesan Youth Retreat in California. In 2010, Kim released his first CD
entitled “Run Fly Fall.”
K - FORGIVENESS: DISARMING THE HEART
Forgive and forget – not likely! Forgive 7 x 70 times
(Jesus) – are you kidding? Forgiveness sounds great until we have been hurt by
someone – and we have all been hurt by someone in some way. But unless we learn
to disarm our hearts, we will be trapped by past pains. This workshop will
describe a way to disarm, forgive and move on in a healthy way.
Robert J. McCarty, DMin
Bob McCarty is Executive Director of the National Federation for
Catholic Youth Ministry, based in Washington, D.C. He has been in youth ministry
since 1973, serving in parish, school, community and diocesan settings. Bob is
an author with several books, and provides training in ministry skills and
issues internationally. He also serves as a volunteer in his parish youth
ministry and catechetical program at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fulton,
Md.
Maggie McCarty, DMin
Based in Maryland, Dr. Maggie McCarty is Executive Director for
the USA-Toronto Region of the Christian Brothers Conference. She has worked with
youth and youth ministry for three decades and has experience at the parish,
diocesan and national levels. Maggie teaches courses in youth ministry at
several universities and does training and retreat work internationally. She
also is a youth ministry volunteer at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fulton,
Md.
M - MY CATHOLIC LIFE
What does a day in the life of a Catholic teen look like?
How does a young person live their Catholic faith in the world today? Come learn
and laugh!
Judy McDonald
Judy McDonald has been a professional comedienne for 17 years;
for the past seven years her full-time traveling ministry has included shows for
military bases in Germany, Italy, Belgium and parishes in Ireland, Croatia,
Scotland and across the United States. McDonald is a former youth minister in
the San Diego Diocese and former residential minister at the University of San
Diego.
P - FOOD IS LOVE: WHAT ALL TEENS ARE HUNGERING FOR
Fr. Leo Patalinghug, the popular host of the international
Grace Before Meals movement, offers deep spiritual guidance and encouragement
for people of all ages as he invites families back to the dinner table … with
good food! In our modern world, families are being pulled apart from the Lord’s
Table and from their dining room table. Jesus shows us the way to win this “food
fight” is to feed our families with love – what we all crave! Join this
inspiring, funny and theologically profound talk with the winner of the “Steak
Fajita Throwdown with Bobby Flay” on Food Network to learn more about Fr. Leo’s
movement.
Fr. Leo Patalinghug
Fr. Leo Patalinghug, a priest of the Baltimore Archdiocese, is a
professor at Mount St. Mary’s University and Seminary in Maryland, where he is
also Chair of Pastoral Theology. Fr. Patalinghug is an internationally known
conference speaker and popular TV and radio personality has appeared on ABC,
EWTN, CBS and even The Food Network, as he hosts the movement, “Grace Before
Meals.” He is author of the book “Grace Before Meals: Recipes and Inspirations
for Family Meals and Family Life.”
S - SOCIAL JUSTICE: RESPECTING ALL LIFE
In this workshop, we will link the Gospel parables of Jesus
with today’s “parables” that reflect a respect for life: abortion, health care,
immigration, the environment, and war. Fr. Chris Ponnet will use the Bible, the
Catechism, social justice teaching, music, media and resources from the U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops and Pax Christi USA. The Pax Christi group from
Bishop Alemany High School in Mission Hills, Calif., will help illustrate these
life justice issues through today’s “parable” stories. You’ll walk away with
concrete action plans and resources to implement in your school or parish to
link all respect life issues.
Fr. Chris Ponnet
For over 25 years, Fr. Chris Ponnet, ordained for the Los
Angeles Archdiocese, has been involved in AIDS ministry and has spoken about
consistent life ethics and the death penalty at Pax Christi Peace and Justice
Conferences and at the L.A. Congress and at the regional congresses. Fr. Ponnet
is Director for the Office of Catholic HIV/AIDS Ministry and Pastor at St.
Camillus Center for Pastoral Care in Los Angeles. He is a board-certified
Chaplain and Director of Pastoral Care at LAC+USC Medical Center in Los Angeles.
T - IGNORANCE IS NOT BLISS
“Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere
ignorance and conscientious stupidity,” said Martin Luther King, Jr. Was
Jesus kidding when he said, “Love your neighbor as yourself”? We think not!
Based on Greg Walton’s Top 20 Christian radio single, “Tune of Ignorance,” this
workshop takes Jesus’ second greatest commandment seriously. Come dive into the
wisdom of the seven points of Catholic social teaching and find tools to answer
the tricky questions surrounding injustice. Explore the corporal works of mercy
and learn their integral role in every Christian’s personal mission!
Greg Walton
Greg Walton is a seasoned catechist, retreat and workshop
leader, pastoral musician and performer. He is founder and Director of Jesus
Glue Ministries, based in Nashville, Tenn., and Youth Minister for Church of the
Nativity Catholic Parish in Spring Hill, Tenn. As a recording artist, Walton has
released four CDs and has received numerous industry awards, including Male
Vocalist of the Year. He is also a composer and artist with OCP/spiritandsong.com.
X - SAFETY IN CYBERSPACE
This interactive workshop for youth covers a range of
topics including Internet safety and the perils of video games, social
networking sites, “sexting,” geo-tagging and cyber bullying. Today, youth can
connect with almost anyone from almost anywhere – from a home computer, a
friend’s computer, libraries, schools, PDAs, BlackBerrys, iPhones and cell
phones. Internet-enabled video game systems allow them to contact and compete
against and chat with players around the world. This workshop will help youth
better understand and navigate this strange new world with strategies to help
them benefit from web resources while avoiding the many risks.
Tracy Webb
Tracy Webb is a Senior Trial Attorney and heads the Cyber Crime
and Child Abuse Prevention Division at the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office.
She has spent a large part of her career prosecuting physical, sexual,
exploitation and technologically facilitated crimes against children. Webb is
currently an active member of the Federal Internet Crimes against Children Task
Force and co-chair of the Los Angeles County Cyber Crime Task Force. She is a
frequent speaker locally and nationally, and is an Emmy award-winning producer
of a documentary film on gang violence.
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