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Contributors

Many people have contributed to this website and we are thankful to them all for their hard work.

Dr. Rasmussen is a Religious Studies teacher at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney, MD. He has a Ph.D. in Theology and Religious studies from The Catholic University of America, specializing in historical theology and early Christianity. He is the author of Genesis and Cosmos: Basil and Origen on Genesis 1 and Cosmology (Bible in Ancient Christianity 14; Brill, 2019).

Adam Stengel started out studying to be a medical doctor, then moved to Honduras to start a family and pursue a love for missionary work.  He now lives in rural Arkansas with his wife and three children and is employed as a custom cabinet maker in a family owned shop.

Alessandra Harris is a writer, author, wife, and mother of four. She earned degrees in comparative religious studies and Middle East studies. Her fourth book, In the Shadow of Freedom: A Catholic Call for Justice, is forthcoming from Orbis Books in fall 2023.

Alexander Pyles is a writer and book reviewer based in Northern Illinois. When not wrangling his two kids, he is usually reading or writing. You can find him at www.pylesofbooks.com or @Pylesofbooks.

Andrew Likoudis is a student of business and entrepreneurship at Towson University, an associate member of the Society for Catholic Liturgy, and the editor of several books on the papacy and Catholic ecclesiology. He runs a column titled Nature & Grace at Patheos.com.

Andrew Uttaro has undergraduate degrees in Social Work and Religious Studies from Niagara University as well as a graduate degree in Public Administration from Buffalo State University. He is a former Youth Minister and author of How to Catch Feelings for Jesus (2022).

Andy Thomas is a husband, father of 3, Catholic convert, engineer, and Aussie. He enjoys thinking and writing about various topics, such as theology, philosophy, science, and AI. You can follow him on Twitter @thomas_catholic or read more at In The Desert.

Angela Rasmussen has a Ph.D. in biblical studies. She teaches at Georgetown University and The Catholic University of America. She is married with three daughters.

Anne Murphy is a writer and consultant living in the Boston area. The mother of three adult children, she has led Catholic schools and served as international director of communications and fundraising for the Jesuit Refugee Service in Rome. In 2007, she co-founded a parish ministry to welcome and help resettle refugee families in the Archdiocese of Boston. Anne's writing has appeared in national magazines and newspapers. She holds a master's degree from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and an undergraduate degree from Fordham University.

Anthony Annett is a Senior Advisor at the Sustainable Development Solutions Network and the author of Cathonomics: How Catholic Tradition Can Create a More Just Economy.

Anthony Steinhauser was born in Czech Republic. He has PhD in Computer security and Masters at Law. Currently he lives in the San Francisco Bay area and works as a software engineer. Among his interests are dogmatic theology, epistemology, moral theology, and philosophy of God.

Ariane Sroubek is a writer, school psychologist and mother to two children here on earth. Prior to converting to Catholicism, she completed undergraduate studies in Bible and Theology at Gordon College in Wenham, MA. She then went on to obtain her doctorate in School and Child Clinical Psychology. Ariane’s writing is inspired by her faith, daily life experiences and education. More of her work can be found at medium.com/@sroubek.ariane and at https://mysustaininggrace.com.

Dr. Austen Ivereigh, a contributor to Where Peter Is, is Fellow in Contemporary Church History at Campion Hall, Oxford, the author of two major biographies of Pope Francis (The Great Reformer, 2014, and Wounded Shepherd, 2019) and his collaborator on the book Let Us Dream: the Path to a Better Future. Follow him on Twitter (@austeni) and his website (austeni.org).

Benjamin O’Hearn is an attorney for migrant farmworkers. In a previous life, he taught high school theology.

Georg Bätzing has been the bishop of the Diocese of Limburg, Germany, since 2016. He was elected chairman of the German Bishops' Conference in March 2020.

Bishop Richard Umbers, a New Zealand native, was ordained a priest of Opus Dei in Spain in 2002, and has been based in Sydney since 2003. As a priest, he served as the chaplain of several educational institutions. He was ordained a bishop in 2016 and now serves as an Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Sydney. Bishop Richard is widely published in the area of philosophy, regularly addresses youth gatherings, has a large social media presence, and is the host of The Episcopal Podcast. He is proficient in Spanish, Italian, and Latin.

Boris Vukićević is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Montenegro in Podgorica. He graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Montenegro in 2005 and obtained his MA and PhD in International Relations from the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Montenegro, where he has been employed since 2005.  His research deals mostly with the history of international relations, comparative Balkan politics, as well as with subjects of contemporary international relations, particularly the Holy See and its foreign policy. He is the author of numerous academic papers as well as a book on the diplomacy of the Holy See.

Brad Henry is an attorney in North Carolina. He converted to Catholicism in his senior year of college and then went on to obtain a Masters in Theology from Duke, graduating in 2002. His focus was on Hans Urs von Balthasar. He is married with five children. In his spare time, he enjoys reading books on biblical studies, theology, and literature.

Husband, father of six, idea-tinkerer. Having briefly lived amongst the cacti and coyotes of Arizona, Brian now resides in the Canadian prairies.  Brian is a co-conspirator of Where Peter Is.

Carlos X. Colorado is an attorney and blogger from Southern California. He tracked the canonization of St. Oscar Romero in his «Super Martyrio» blog from 2006-2018. He is a member of the board of the St. Thomas More Society of Orange County, a Catholic lawyer group.

Casey Stanton is the co-director of Discerning Deacons, a project fueled by love and fidelity to the Catholic Church with a mission to engage Catholics in the active discernment of our Church about women and the diaconate. Casey has spent over a decade working in the field of social concerns ministries within parish life and as part of broader, faith-based coalitions.  A Boston native, Casey is makes her home in Durham NC with her husband Felipe and their two children, Micaela and Teddy.

You can contact Casey at casey@discerningdeacons.org

Charlene Bader enjoys teaching, writing, and editing while raising 5 boys with her husband, Wally, in Conroe, TX. She has a degree in Communications from the University of North Texas and is currently a graduate student in Interdisciplinary Studies. Charlene learned to love Scripture from her Baptist parents and liturgy from her Episcopal grandma, both of which led to her conversion to Catholicism in 2003. You can read more from Charlene at FemCatholic, CatholicMom, and her personal blog, Sunrise Breaking.

Chase Padusniak is a doctoral candidate in Princeton University's English Department, where he specializes in late-medieval mysticism. His work has appeared in Augustinian Studies, Church Life Journal, Athwart Magazine, and the edited collection Slavoj Zizek and Christianity. Chase is an editor at Macrina Magazine and blogs at "Jappers and Janglers" through Patheos Catholic. He also co-hosts the podcast, Strange Language, on ecumenism and the history of religion.

Chris Damien is writer, speaker, and attorney living in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He writes fiction, poetry, essays, academic works, and music. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a B.A. in Philosophy, and from the University of St. Thomas with a J.D. and an M.A. in Catholic Studies. His writing and speaking have focused primarily on faith, (homo)sexuality, Catholic Social Teaching, the clergy abuse crisis, legal professionalism, and liberal education. For more information, check out his website here.

Christian Bergmann is a Perth-based freelance writer and copywriter. He is married to a beautiful Canadian and they have a 7-month-old daughter. His interests include literature, culture, and philosophy.

Christina M. Sorrentino resides in the Archdiocese of New York, and is a Catholic freelance writer, high school theology teacher, and author of the books Belonging to Christ and Called to Love - A Listening Heart. She is the Editor-in-Chief of Ignitum Today and has contributed to various faith-based publications including Word on FireMissio Dei, Catholic Exchange, and Homiletic & Pastoral Review. She has also appeared on Sacred Heart Radio and the How They Love Mary Podcast, and has been featured in the National Catholic Register's "Best in Catholic Blogging". You can visit her website at Called to Love - A Listening Heart, or follow her on Twitter.

Chris Hernandez lives with his wife and four children in Houston, TX, where he teaches high school theology. He is a graduate of three Jesuit institutions. Chris has a MA in Christian Spirituality from Fordham University. He is a lector at his local parish and teaches Baptism classes.

Christopher Wilson is a husband and father living in small town Pennsylvania. Raised in a non-denominational home, he entered into full communion with the Catholic Church at the 2013 Easter Vigil. He went on to receive his MA in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville and has worked in parish ministry as well as outreach to the homeless and marginalized. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, writing, listening to music, watching movies, hiking, cooking, and spending time with his family.

CJ grew up in the middle of Minnesota, went to college in the middle of Minnesota, and graduated with a Bachelor’s in sociology in the middle of Minnesota. Then she decided to keep studying, but this time in Ireland, eventually graduating cum laude with a Master’s in sociology. She has been to Mass in 4 different countries and 3 different US states; she landed back in Minnesota, where she often sings in the choir on Sundays.

Claire Navarro is a Filipina global IT professional now living in Portugal with her husband, Pedro Gabriel.  She was active in Catholic apologetics and pro-life initiatives back in the Philippines.

Clement is a passionate Catholic from Singapore who is long-time reader of Where Peter Is. While he was studying in the UK, he helped to found the Northern Universities' Prolife Students' Union. Upon return to Singapore, he was a member of the Catholic Theology Network (Singapore) for a while. Off work-hours as a software developer, Clement pursues interests of video games, theology and philosophy. He is currently trying to resurrect his Facebook Group Catholics in Asia - Truth and Charity.

Clyde Guzman is a Catholic social media apologist on a varity of platforms. A former Seventh-day Adventist, he converted to Catholicism and was formally received into the Church on Easter 2019.

In the past, Clyde has been active in political and pro-life organizations, but stepped away from active involvement in both areas in 2021 to focus on his education and Catholic Spirituality.

Mr. Guzman is currently a university student studying Architecture, Civil Engineering, and Computer Science. He is an avid supporter of the “Fifth Marian Dogma” and is currently in the beginning stages of writing his first book, about his life in the Adventist Church and his conversion to Catholicism.

D.W. Lafferty, PhD, is a Catholic husband, dad, and independent scholar from Ontario, Canada. He works in higher education and has published articles on the literature of Wyndham Lewis, the conspiracy theory of Douglas Reed, and the life and legacy of Engelbert Dollfuss. Online, he tweets as @rightscholar.

Daniel Amiri is a Catholic layman and finance professional. A graduate of theology and classics from the University of Notre Dame, his studies coincided with the papacy of Benedict XVI whose vision, particularly the framework of "encounter" with Christ Jesus, has heavily influenced his thoughts.  He is a husband and a father to three beautiful children. He serves on parish council and also enjoys playing and coaching soccer.

Daniele Palmer is a freelance journalist. He studied history in London and is preparing a PhD on French Political Thought. He currently works from Rome as the Vatican correspondent for Where Peter Is.

David Gordon holds university degrees in political science, law and theology. He is co-author of Rules for Retrogrades: Forty Tactics to Defeat the Radical Left. Gordon is a writer, book editor, and commentary editor at Church Militant.

David Mihalyfy received his Ph.D. in the History of Christianity from the University of Chicago Divinity School. His writing on New Religious Movements (popularly known as “cults”) has appeared in venues like the Atlantic Monthly online and the scholarly journal Nova Religio. Although perhaps unfamiliar due to their overall absence from most news coverage, details about the history of Vanier and L’Arche were carefully collated from the English translation of the February 2023 report.

David Wanat holds a Masters Degree in theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville. He has been blogging in defense of the Catholic Church since 2007. His personal blog is at http://www.ifimightinterject.com/.

Dawn Eden Goldstein, JCL, STD, is the author of several books, including Father Ed: The Story of Bill W.'s Spiritual SponsorThe Thrill of the Chaste, and My Peace I Give You: Healing Sexual Wounds with the Help of the Saints. She has taught at seminaries in the United States, England, and India. Currently she is writing a biography of Father Louis J. Twomey, SJ. Visit her at The Dawn Patrol.

Deacon Clayton Nickel is a deacon of the Archdiocese of Washington and a convert to the Catholic faith. The Washington metro area is his home. The Catholic Church is his spiritual home.

He has many years of international experience from Germany to South Africa to Japan. In addition to his native English, he is bilingual in German, and also speaks and writes French. He enjoys working with different cultures and languages . Having lived in Germany for many years, he follows the German scene closely.

Deacon Greg Kandra is a Roman Catholic deacon in the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York. For nearly three decades, he was a writer and producer for CBS News, where he contributed to a variety of programs and was honored with every major award in broadcasting. Deacon Greg now serves as Senior Writer for Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA.) He and his wife live in Forest Hills, New York. He's an author, speaker, and blogger. His website is thedeaconsbench.com.

Deacon Steve O’Neill was ordained for service to the Archdiocese of Washington in June 2013 and serves at St. Andrew Apostle in suburban Maryland.  After four years in the Marine Corps and three years at the University of Maryland (where met Traci, now his wife of 30+ years, and earned a degree in English), he has worked as an analyst with the Federal government.  Deacon Steve and Traci have two sons and two daughters and three grandchildren.

Tracy Jamison is a Catholic deacon in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Ohio. He is also a secular Carmelite (OCDS) and a professor of Philosophy at Mount St Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology (MTSM). Tracy and his wife Joyce met in a Protestant seminary and have been happily married for over thirty years.

Deacon William T. Ditewig, Ph.D. (Commander, US Navy [ret.]) was born and raised in Peoria, Illinois. After college, Bill spent the next 22 years in the Navy where he served in many assignments around the world, retiring in 1993.  He was ordained to the diaconate for the Archdiocese of Washington in 1990.

Since then, Deacon Ditewig has worked for the Church in a variety of capacities, including for the Archdiocese of Washington, the Dioceses of Davenport and Belleville, and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Bill has a BA in Philosophy, an MA in Education, an MA in Pastoral Theology, and the Ph.D. from the School of Theology and Religious Studies at the Catholic University of America, with a major emphasis in ecclesiology.  Dr. Ditewig has authored numerous books, chapters and articles.

Bill and his wife Diann have been married for forty-nine years and have four grown children and fourteen grandchildren.

Dermot Roantree works for the Irish Jesuit province and is editor of the cultural journal Studies: An Irish Quarterly Review.

Dr. Donna Chacko is the author of a new book, Pilgrimage: A Doctor’s Healing Journey. She practiced radiation oncology and later family medicine. She and her first husband raised three daughters in Florida. After his death she moved to Washington, DC, where she cared for the poor until 2013. Now retired, Donna lives in Maryland with her second husband and works in the ministry she founded, Serenity and Health. You can learn more about her book and programs and sign up for her blog at https://www.serenityandhealth.com/.

Duane Hyland is the Communications Manager at St. John Neumann Parish in Reston, VA. A lifelong Catholic, he is fascinated by the lives of the saints, especially little-known or even forgotten saints. He has just started out writing on the Saints and for a Catholic audience. He is also very interested in space and space technology and has written for several aerospace publications, including Aerospace America, SpaceRef, SpaceRef Business, and The Space Review, among others.

Efran Menny is a passionate follower of Jesus Christ and a convert to the Catholic Church. He enjoys being a loving husband and family man. When he isn't blogging, he enjoys spending time watching films or reading about Catholicism. Follow him on Twitter @menny_thoughts.

Ellie Hidalgo is co-director of Discerning Deacons, a project dedicated to contributing to the Catholic Church’s discernment about admitting women to the diaconate and to creating a more synodal, listening, participatory Church. Ellie brings 12 years of parish ministry experience at Dolores Mission, a Jesuit parish in the Mexican/Central American immigrant community of East Los Angeles, California where she served as a pastoral associate. This small church with a giant heart is known for its advocacy of immigrants, restorative justice ministries and faith-based community organizing, and for being the home parish of Homeboy Industries. Ellie was commissioned as a pastoral associate for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 2013; she preached for Catholic Women Preach in 2020 and in 2018 and helped to facilitate national prayer services in 2020 and 2021 to commemorate St. Phoebe, one of the early Church’s female deacons. Ellie graduated with a Masters in Pastoral Theology from Loyola Marymount University and received her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania. She is now based in Miami, Florida.

Emmett O'Regan is the author of Unveiling the Apocalypse: The Final Passover of the Church. He is currently a PhD candidate studying Catholic theology at the Loyola Institute, Trinity College Dublin. After graduating in 2006 with First Class honours in 2006, he won the theology prize scholarship at the Institute of Theology at Queen's University Belfast. He also won the Sean O'Riordan scholarship at the Loyola Institute, Trinity College Dublin in 2019, as well as the Loyola Trust PhD scholarship in 2020. His writings have appeared in various publications, including Vatican Insider and the Catholic Truth Society.

Enrique Soros, originally from Argentina, has lived for 25 years in Washington, DC, USA, with his wife Erica, with whom he has a son, Martín. He is a social communicator, writer, and public translator. He is a pastoral and communications specialist in the United States, where he is vice-president of the National Catholic Council for Hispanic Ministry (NCCHM), whose mission is the promotion and integration of the Hispanic pastoral forces in the country. He participates in pastoral and communication projects in Latin America and since 2012 collaborates with CELAM (the Latin American Episcopal Council) in pastoral integration efforts between that institution and the Church in the United States.

Father Tim Kelly is a priest of the Diocese of Tyler in Texas. Ordained in 1999, he has spent most of his ministry in parishes in "Deep East Texas."  He spent three years studying Patristics in Rome and two years teaching at St. Mary’s Seminary in Houston. Fr. Kelly’s interest is in the history of theology -- the forces which shape how the Catholic Church expresses herself in any particular moment of history.

Fr. Alex Roche is the pastor of St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church in Laflin, Pennsylvania and serves as the director of vocations for the Diocese of Scranton. Ordained in 2012, he has a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Lateran University. He went to college with a girl who went to high school with the niece of the guy who played Al in Quantum Leap.

You can listen to his podcast at www.wadicherith.com.

Father Bernardo Lara is a priest of the Diocese of San Diego and pastor of three Southern California parishes: Sacred Heart and St. Margaret Mary in Brawley and St. Joseph in Westmorland.

Fr. Francis Afu is a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Armidale, Australia. He is currently undertaking a PhD Research Fellowship in the United States.

Fr. Fredrick Devaraj comes from India. He was a member of the Congregation of the Holy Redeemer, the Redemptorists of Bangalore Province.  Now he is a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, Missouri, serving at St. Alban Roe Catholic Church.

Fr. Michael Najim was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Providence in 2001. He currently serves as the pastor of St. Pius X Parish in Westerly, RI.

Fr. Satish Joseph was ordained in India in 1994 and incardinated into the archdiocese of Cincinnati in 2008. He has a Masters in Communication and Doctorate in Theology from the University of Dayton. He is presently Pastor at Immaculate Conception and St. Helen parishes in Dayton, OH. He is also the founder Ite Missa Est ministries (www.itemissaest.org) and uses social media extensively for evangelization. He is also the founder of MercyPets (www.mercypets.org) — a charitable fund that invites pet-owners to donate a percent of their pet expenses to alleviate child hunger. MercyPets is active in four countries since its founding in December 2017. Apart from serving at the two parishes, he facilitates retreats, seminars and parish missions.

Frank J. Tassone lives in New York City’s “back yard” with his wife and son. He fell in love with writing after he wrote his first short story at age 12 and his first poem in high school. He began writing haiku and haibun seriously in the 2000s. His haikai poetry has appeared in Drifting Sands, Colorado Boulevard Poetry Salon, Failed Haiku, Cattails, Haibun Today, Contemporary Haibun Online, Contemporary Haibun, The Haiku Foundation, and Haiku Society of America member anthologies. He is a contributing poet for the online literary journal Image Curve, and a performance poet with Rockland Poets.

Gabe Lewis is a Catholic educator, husband, and father of four young children. He holds degrees in classical humanities, philosophy, and psychology, and works at a Catholic 6th-12th grade school as a theology teacher and campus minister.

Gareth Thomas lives a solitary life in the mountains in Spain with his donkeys. A former aircraft engineer, Franciscan friar and geography teacher, he is a veteran of the pilgrim routes to Compostela and writes about the Camino de Santiago on his blog Equus Asinus (equusasinus.net).

Gary Campbell is a freelance writer living in Australia, writing history and educational literature. He has also worked as a schoolteacher. Gary was a member of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) for 12 years, including as an ordained priest for five years. He was reconciled to Rome in 1999 and laicized.

Gunnar Gundersen is an attorney in Newport Beach, CA. He serves in his parish council and choir, is a published essayist, and regularly lectures on natural law and the American Founding. He is also the first Ordinariate member of the Knights of Peter Claver and is starting their first council in Orange County. Follow him on Twitter at @GBGundersen.

Henry Karlson was raised a Southern Baptist, and became a Byzantine Catholic in 1995. He is the author of The Eschatological Judgment of Christ from Wipf and Stock and writes at "A Little Bit of Nothing" on Patheos.

Patrick is a layman who lives in North Carolina with his wife and children. He holds a bachelor’s degree in theology from Belmont Abbey College and a master’s degree in theology and Christian ministry from Franciscan University of Steubenville.

J.D. Combs has a Master's Degree in Theological Studies from the Franciscan School of Theology where he wrote his thesis on the evangelization of young people. He is currently a parish director of catechetical ministries, and is beginning his Ph.D. in Spirituality at Oblate School of Theology in the Fall of 2021.

Jake Hardin is a psychology graduate of Oklahoma State University who has worked in Catholic media as a video editor, op-ed writer, and social media manager. He is a cradle Catholic and attends the TLM.

Jeannie Gaffigan is an actress, producer, writer, philanthropist, mother of five and all around comedic force. Jeannie is the director and a founding member of The Imagine Society Inc., a youth-led nonprofit organization. Jeannie is also the author of a New York Times Bestseller, When Life Gives You Pears, a memoir chronicling her diagnosis, surgery and recovery from a Pear sized brain tumor. Jeannie lives with her husband Jim and their five children in New York City.

JM Kraemer is a Catholic artist and disability advocate based in Saginaw, Michigan. He is known for his annual Lego Church Project that he has been doing for over twenty years.

 

 

Joe Dantona is a convert living in eastern Ohio. He studied political science, history, and theology. He divides his free time between entertaining his wife and kids with dad jokes and getting distracted while reading good books.

Joe Schweighofer is a lay Catholic and civil engineer originally from Ontario, Canada. He has lived in Graz, Austria for over ten years, where he studied at the Graz University of Technology and worked for two years in a Catholic campus ministry project. He currently works as a geotechnical engineer in Graz, where he lives with his wife, Elyse.

I've been a peace and pro-life activist for many years. Time magazine (and others including Joan Andrews Bell who should have known better) have called me the “father of the rescue movement.” I have written extensively about nonviolence (for), and eugenics (against). I'm currently working to strengthen bridges between the left and the right wings of the Church; birds fly better with two wings. Current work: seven part series on immigration in Scripture and Tradition. My publications include pamphlets and booklets that laid the foundation for pro-life nonviolence, especially “Peaceful Presence” (1978) and No Cheap Solutions (1984). I also wrote Emmanuel, Solidarity: God’s Act and Our Response (2000) and Roots of Racism and Abortion: An Exploration of Eugenics (2001). I wrote two books about immigration in 2012: Sign of the Crossing and Welcome! Date TBD. In ancient days, there were stories about me in NY Times Magazine, Time, and the New Yorker. NY Times reporter Jim Risen and Kansas City Star reporter Judie Thomas, in their book Wrath of Angels, devoted a chapter to me: “Father of Rescue: John O’Keefe.”

A convert to Catholicism for 25 years, John D. Lewis (related to Mike only in the order of grace, we think) is a bizjet pilot based in Asia with his wonder-woman wife and amazing five sons. Lewis, founder of “Josephology” Facebook Group, is the author of three books, including his latest, Journey with Joseph (which is “highly recommended” by Fr. Donald Calloway), and On Wings and Prayers: 1,001+ Quotes for a Happy Flight and a Happy Life.

Dr. John Morrissey is a semi-retired NHS specialist in anaesthesia and critical care medicine. He is a Catholic husband and father of four. Born to Irish parents, he was raised in the UK. He is an Oxford scholar and an ex-culture warrior. In the past, his writing has been published in the Catholic Herald and he has been a contributor to group blogs.

John Paul Manfredi is a Catholic school educator in the Diocese of Las Vegas. He holds a Master's degree in Theology from the University of Notre Dame. His writing has also appeared in the Church Life Journal and EpicPew. John Paul is a husband and father of three.

John Paul Shimek holds ecclesiastical degrees from the graduate schools of Philosophy, Theology, and Religious Studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, and is a 2003 honors graduate of Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH. John Paul has provided special counsel to numerous Church leaders, including both the former and current archbishops of Milwaukee, Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Archbishop Jerome Listecki, including as a technical theological assistant to Abp. Listecki during the preparation of a pastoral letter for the Year of Faith. He has been interviewed and has written on a wide spectrum of religious and public forum issues for numerous media outlets, including CNN, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Telemundo, Zenit, the Catholic News Agency, the National Catholic RegisterCatholic Exchange, and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. John Paul writes on a wide spectrum of religious and public forum topics, centering on the relationship between faith and reason, the enduring presence of Catholicism in American and Western culture, contemporary Vatican affairs, the legacy of Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI, and the theological foundations of the Francis Revolution.

John W. Miller is a Pittsburgh-based writer and filmmaker. He's a contributing writer at America Magazine and Daily Yonder, and founder and editor of Moundsville, an online magazine. Born in Brussels and fluent in French, John was a staff reporter at the Wall Street Journal from 2004 to 2016.

Joseph Sherer was baptized in his teens and was led by the Holy Spirit to the Catholic Church not long after. He is an attorney based in Texas, and enjoys volunteering to teach at his local parish.

Joseph Snearline is a Catholic writer, travel consultant, and advocate for people with disabilities. He lives in Colorado’s Front Range with his wife Grace and their two kids.

Joshua Polanski studied religion and strategic communication at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, MI. He currently attends Boston University School of Theology, where he is completing a Master of Theological Studies. He was confirmed into the Catholic Church this past Easter.

Julian Waldner is a Hutterite from the Decker community in Manitoba. He works as a welder and in his spare time writes for his blog Coffee With KierkegaardJulian has an ongoing love of the work of Søren Kierkegaard, and recently, partly through the work of Where Peter Is, has been captivated by the life and message of Pope Francis. In his life and in his writing, Julian is interested in exploring how the way of Jesus calls us into lives of freedom, grace and radical friendship.

Kate Williams is the Vice President of Sacred Music at GIA Publications, Inc. She holds a Bachelor of Music Composition degree from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois as well as a Masters of Arts in Liturgical Studies degree from Catholic Theological Union in Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago where it was her privilege to study as a distinguished Bernardin Scholar. She serves as a workshop leader, consultant, and musician in the Archdiocese of Chicago and abroad, following a passion to serve in multicultural, multigenerational communities, while mentoring young voices and building bridges through music ministry.

Kathleen Murphy is a journalist who has worked for CQ Roll Call, Stateline.org and Internet World. She was the inaugural journalist in residence at Marymount University. Early in her career she was Marco Island bureau chief and columnist for the Naples (Fla.) Daily News. Murphy earned a B.S. from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and a master’s degree from Yale Divinity School.

Kerry Campbell is a Catholic Christian, music teacher to little ones, church cantor, writer, full-time noticer, and Mom to two grown-ish kids. She lives in the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts. She has been published in Guideposts, For Every Mom, and (in)courage. Kerry is a contributing writer in the book Take Heart: 100 Devotions to Seeing God When Life’s Not Okay (October 2020). She blogs at www.mylittleepiphanies.com and you can find her on Instagram @kerrycampbellwrites.

Kevin Beck is a former educator who lives in Colorado Springs with his family. After being diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder, he began writing on disability, grief and the intersection of disability and faith.

Raised in Connecticut, Kevin has spent the last five years living in the Boston area. During his education at Xavier High School in Middletown, CT by the Xaverian Brothers, Kevin took an interest to theology, ranging from simple apologetics to existential literature. He is a passionate cinephile and baseball fan, anxiously awaiting the return to movie theaters and baseball stadiums, above all: Fenway Park, which is his Heaven on Earth.

Kevin is married to a good Irish woman and they live in rural Alberta, Canada. They are blessed with three grown children and are looking forward to the arrival of their first grandchild this summer! Kevin has worked on parish and diocesan pastoral councils. As a Hippocratic family physician he is distraught to see so many colleagues supporting voluntary euthanasia and ‘Medical Assistance in Dying.’

Kevin Stephon R. Centeno, is 22 years old and an incoming Jesuit novice for the Philippine province. He taught philosophy courses for one year in his local seminary. He loves reading theology books.

Kristi McCabe is an award-winning freelance writer, Catechist, a former teacher and editor who lives with her family in Owensboro, Kentucky.  As an adoptive mother of four and an adoptee herself, Kristi is an avid supporter of pro-life ministries.  She is active in her local parish and has served as Eucharistic minister and in various children's ministries.

Malcolm Schluenderfritz hosts Happy Are You Poor, a blog and podcast dedicated to discussing radical Christian community as a means of evangelization. He works as a graphic design assistant and a horticulturalist in Littleton, CO.

Marissa Nichols can be found on Twitter.

Mark Chamoun is an M.A. graduate in political science from the University of Toronto, interested in Middle Eastern politics, violence, public policy, minority groups, and religion. A cradle Catholic, he attends his local Chaldean Catholic Church in Toronto and is a ‘reader’ deacon in the Chaldean tradition.

Mark Hausam lives in Columbia, MO, with his wife Desiree and his nine children, where they are members at Our Lady of Lourdes parish. Mark teaches Theology at Fr. Tolton Catholic High School as well as Philosophy at State Fair Community College in Boonville, MO. He runs a blog at https://freethoughtforchrist.blogspot.com/ and is the author of Why Christianity is True and No Grounds for Divorce: Why Protestants (and Everyone Else) Should Return to the Unity of the Catholic Church.

Mark Joseph Williams, a parishioner and special advisor in the Archdiocese of Newark, is a forensic social worker and management consultant.

Mark Redmond has worked in the field of caring for homeless and at-risk youth for over 42 years, starting as a member of the Covenant House faith community in 1981.  He is presently executive director of Spectrum Youth & Family Services in Burlington, Vermont.  

He has published columns in ForbesThe New York TimesThe Washington PostHuffington PostCommonweal, The National Catholic Reporter and America.  He is also a storyteller.  His story “This Church” was on The Moth Radio Hour and podcast, and he has had stories on other podcasts such as The LapseFamily Secrets, The Goodness Exchange, Outside the Walls and Risk!  A story he told for WGBH’s Stories from the Stage played on most public television stations around the United States, and his one-person show on Broadway, So Shines a Good Deed, premiered in October 2019. Six days later his one-person show The Moustache Diaries premiered at The Flynn Space in Burlington. He has performed on stage in Boston, Brooklyn, Montreal and Burlington.

His first book, The Goodness Within: Reaching out to Troubled Teens with Love and Compassion (Paulist Press) was published in 2003 and his latest book, Called: A Memoir (Onion River Press) came out in May 2021.

Mark graduated from Villanova University in 1979 and from New York University with a masters in 1986.

Mark lives in Essex, Vermont with his wife Marybeth and son Liam who is a junior at the University of Notre Dame. 

www.markredmondbooks.com

 

Mark Wilson is a normal working guy. He has a Masters from Franciscan University and has worked at several jobs which have given him a place to pray and visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament during his breaks, including the Carmelite gift shop at the North Shore Mall in Peabody, MA, Catholic TV, and at two nursing homes.  He has also taught catechism  and has volunteered for a suicide prevention hotline. Mark enjoys writing, reading, and watching movies, as well as spending time with friends – and of course with his beautiful, holy wife Kristin. When he is not spending time at work or with his spouse he blogs over at The Catholic Bard at Patheos Catholic.

Massimo Borghesi is professor of moral philosophy at the University of Perugia. He is the author of several books, including volumes on Augusto del Noce, Luigi Giussani, and political theology. More recently, he is the author of The Mind of Pope Francis: Jorge Mario Bergoglio’s Intellectual Journey.

Matt Hoberg earned a BA in Philosophy from Princeton University in 2009 and currently resides in Minnesota. He also writes at Kinder Conservative and can be found on Twitter.

Matt Kappadakunnel is a finance professional who lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children  Previously, Matt spent a few years studying to be a Catholic priest. He is a graduate of Creighton University and is a CFA Charterholder.

Matt Palmer is a journalist and media relations director who led the U.S. Bishops’ social media effort during Pope Francis’ visit in 2015. He was born in Washington D.C. and is married with two children and lives in Baltimore.

Matthew A. Shadle is Professor of Theology and Religious Studies at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia. He received his B.A. in Religion from Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Theology from the University of Dayton, in Dayton, Ohio. He has published Interrupting Capitalism: Catholic Social Thought and the Economy (Oxford, 2018); The Origins of War: A Catholic Perspective (Georgetown, 2011); and “No Peace on Earth: War and the Environment” in Green Discipleship: Catholic Theological Ethics and the Environment, edited by Tobias Winright (Anselm Academic, 2011). His work focuses on the development of Catholic social teaching and its intersection with both fundamental moral theology and the social sciences, with special focus on war and peace, the economy, and immigration.

Matthew McKenna is a Ph.D. candidate in Theology at Ave Maria University in Florida.

Melinda Ribnek is a lifelong Catholic, originally from Savannah, Georgia. She currently lives on California's Central Coast with her husband Brian and their seven children. In her spare time, she volunteers for the Church and in her community.

Meredith Dawson is a Catholic convert living in the Midwestern United States. She is a Cherokee Native American and an independent Tolkien scholar.

Michael E. DeSanctis, Ph.D., is retired professor of fine arts and theology at Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania. He is the author of Building from Belief: Advance, Retreat and Compromise in the Remaking of Catholic Church Architecture   (Liturgical Press, 2002) and Renewing the City of God: Catholic Architectural Reform in the United States (Liturgy Training Publications, 1994). He also has an article soon to appear in the October 2022 issue of Worship journal entitled, "An Architecture of Pardon and Consolation," which examines new and reconfigured place of Catholic worship that embody the theology underlying Pope Francis's 2016 "Year of Mercy."

Michael Lofton is a graduate of Christendom College Graduate School of Theology where he received his Master of Arts in Theological Studies (Cum Laude) in 2018. He is currently working on a doctorate in Theology with Pontifex University and is writing a dissertation on the Magisterium of the Catholic Church. Michael is the founder of the Reason & Theology show, where he has interviewed many of the leading figures in contemporary theology. He has worked with Catholic Answers as an affiliate apologist and also appeared on EWTN, SiriusXM Radio, Radio Maria. He has also contributed frequently to various newspapers and websites.

Michel Therrien, STL, STD is the President and CEO of Preambula Group. Prior to founding Preambula Group, he served as the President of the Institute for Pastoral Leadership and the Director of Evangelization for the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Before moving to Pittsburgh in 2014, he was a professor moral theology and Academic Dean at the Augustine Institute in Denver, CO. He taught for seven years at Saint Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, PA, also serving as Academic Dean from 2008-2012. He holds a B.A. in Theology from Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA, an M.A. in Theology and Christian Ministry from Franciscan University of Steubenville, a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the International Theological Institute in Gaming, Austria, and a Doctorate in Fundamental Moral Theology from the University of Fribourg in Switzerland (2007). Michel is the author of The Catholic Faith Explained (Sophia Institute Press, 2020).

Mike Gray is a husband, father of four (with one on the way), combat veteran, and attorney living in
Findlay, Ohio. He writes about his interests (mostly about homebrewed beer, barbecue, parenting, and
Catholicism) at www.mikegrayblog.com and on Twitter @mikegrayok.

Mike Lewis is the founding managing editor of Where Peter Is. He and Jeannie Gaffigan co-host Field Hospital, a U.S. Catholic podcast.

Co-founder and editor at

Nathaniel "Nate" Tinner-Williams is a co-founder and editor of the Black Catholic Messenger. He is also a theology grad/nerd and loves to engage in the New Evangelization through the internet. A lifelong Christian and newborn Catholic, he is always looking to discover just how deep and wide the Church truly is.

Nathan Turowsky is a native New Englander and now lives in Upstate New York. A lifelong fascination with religious ritual led him into first the Episcopal Church and then the Catholic Church. An alumnus of Boston University School of Theology and one of the relatively few Catholic alumni of that primarily Wesleyan institution, he is unmarried and works in the nonprofit sector. He writes at Silicate Siesta.

Nicholas Senz is a husband and father, and Pastoral Associate at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Fishers, IN. He received a B.A. in Communication Studies (Journalism track) from the University of Portland, and an M.A. in Philosophy and M.A. in Theology from the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley, CA. Nicholas served as a Master Catechist in California. He has taught faith formation and catechist training courses in parishes across the country, and has taught philosophy and religion at the community college level. He has also been published in several Catholic websites and periodicals, including Aleteia, Catholic Digest, Catholic Herald (UK), Catholic World Report, and Homiletic and Pastoral Review. Nicholas lives in Indiana with his wife and three children.

Patric is a 27 year-old graphic designer, writer, and wannabe theologian. He graduated from Western Kentucky University with a BA in Religious Studies and BA in Graphic Design. He is currently working on an MA in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville. He is an active member of his parish in Bowling Green, KY, where he acts as a catechist and member of his church’s young adult core team.

He is active on his faith blog www.smellysheep.wordpress.com.

Paul E. Jarzembowski is the author of Hope from the Ashes: Insights and Resources for Welcoming Lenten Visitors (2022) from Paulist Press. He serves on staff at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in Washington DC, within the Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, and has been actively involved in the leadership of several USCCB initiatives including World Youth Day, the Convocation of Catholic Leaders, the Fifth National Encuentro, the Synods on Young People and on Synodality, Journeying Together, and the Eucharistic Revival. Paul is also a national and an international leader in the Church’s pastoral work with youth, young adults, and the laity, consulting with and speaking for dioceses, eparchies, parishes, colleges and universities, religious communities, digital ministries, and conferences around the world.

Paul Fahey lives in Michigan with his wife and four kids. For the past eight years, he has worked as a professional catechist. He has an undergraduate degree in Theology and is currently working toward a Masters Degree in Pastoral Counseling. He is a retreat leader, catechist formator, writer, and a co-founder of Where Peter Is. He is also the founder and co-host of the Pope Francis Generation podcast. His long-term goal is to provide pastoral counseling for Catholics who have been spiritually abused, counseling for Catholic ministers, and counseling education so that ministers are more equipped to help others in their ministry.

Pedro Gabriel, MD, is a Catholic layman and physician, born and residing in Portugal. He is a medical oncologist, currently employed in a Portuguese public hospital. A published writer of Catholic novels with a Tolkienite flavor, he is also a parish reader and a former catechist. He seeks to better understand the relationship of God and Man by putting the lens on the frailty of the human condition, be it physical and spiritual. He also wishes to provide a fresh perspective of current Church and World affairs from the point of view of a small western European country, highly secularized but also highly Catholic by tradition.

Pete Vere is a canonist, author, and catechist. His books include Surprised by Canon Law (volumes 1 & 2), More Catholic Than The Pope, and Annulments: 100 Questions and Answers. Pete and wife Sonya are blessed with seven children. In his spare time Pete enjoys camping with his family, riding his Indian Scout motorcycle, and refereeing professional wrestling.

Preslaysa Williams is an award-winning author who writes contemporary romance and women's fiction with an Afro-Filipina twist. Proud of her heritage, she loves sharing her culture with her readers. She has a MFA in Writing Popular Fiction at Seton Hill University, a Master in Public Administration from the College of Charleston, and an undergraduate degree in Spanish Language & Literature from Columbia University. Preslaysa is also a professional actress, a planner nerd, an avid bookworm, and a homeschool mom who often wears mismatched socks. Her contemporary romance entitled A Lowcountry Bride releases on June 1, 2021 with Avon Books/HarperCollins.

To follow along with her busy life, visit her at www.preslaysa.com where you can sign up for her newsletter

Rachel Amiri is a contributor and past Production Editor for Where Peter Is. She has also appeared as the host of WPI Live. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame with degrees in Theology and Political Science, and was deeply shaped by the thought of Pope Benedict XVI. She has worked in Catholic publishing as well as in healthcare as a FertilityCare Practitioner. Rachel is married to fellow WPI Contributor Daniel Amiri and resides in St. Louis, Missouri, where they are raising three children.

Rachel Dobbs is a Catholic convert and a happily married woman with two black cats living in Jacksonville, Florida. She works as a Sr. Library services associate at the University of North Florida where she received her Bachelor's and Master's in history. In addition, she's a novice Benedictine oblate. Her interests include history, reading, knitting, fantasy, and RPGs.

Rafael Luciani is a Lay Venezuelan theologian, appointed as Expert of the Theological Commission of the General Secretariat for the Synod of Bishops. He was among the Expert Theologians who took part in the October 2023 Synodal Assembly in the Vatican.

Robert Fastiggi, Ph.D. is Professor of Systematic Theology at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, MI. He is a former president (2014–2016) of the Mariological Society of America; a member of the theological commission of the International Marian Association; and a corresponding member of the Pontifical Marian Academy International.

Rodrigo Guerra López is the secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

Originally from Mexico City, he graduated in philosophy from the Free Popular University of the State of Puebla, Mexico; he was then awarded a higher degree in university humanism from the Ibero-American University, Mexico, and a doctorate in philosophy from the International Academy of Philosophy of the Principality of Liechtenstein.

He has held the role of academic coordinator of the John Paul II Pontifical Institute in Mexico City and has served as professor of metaphysics, bioethics, and philosophy of law at the PanAmerican University, Mexico. In 2013 he held the Karol Wojtyla Memorial Lectures at the Catholic University of Lublin, Poland.

From 2004 to 2007 he directed the Observatorio Socio Pastoral of the Latin American Episcopal Council. In 2008 he founded the Centro de Investigación Social Avanzada (CISAV), of which he is professor-researcher of the Division of Philosophy and member of the Consejo de Gobierno.

He is a member of the theological commission of the Latin American Episcopal Council and of the Pontifical Academy for Life, and is the author of numerous publications in the field of anthropology, bioethics, and social philosophy.

Sara Scarlett Willson was born and raised in the Middle East and studied politics and international relations at Royal Holloway, University of London. She now works as a journalist and author.

Sr. Gabriela of the Incarnation, O.C.D. (Sr. Gabriela Hicks) was born in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, in the Gold Rush country of California, which she remembers as heaven on earth for a child! She lived a number of years in Europe, and then entered the Discalced Carmelite Monastery in Flemington, New Jersey, where she has been a member for forty years. www.flemingtoncarmel.org.

Sr. Carino Hodder is a Dominican Sister of St. Joseph, based in the New Forest, England. She is a First Holy Communion catechist and works regularly with teenagers and young adults. She is also a theology student at the Maryvale Institute.

Sr. Maureen Sullivan is a Dominican Sister of Hope from New York and Professor Emerita of Theology at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire. She currently serves as a National Religion Consultant for William H. Sadlier, Inc. She received her master of arts in Theology from Manhattan College in the Bronx and her PhD in Theology from Fordham University, also in the Bronx. While Sr. Maureen offers presentations on a number of theological topics, the Second Vatican Council, along with its impact on our Church, is at the center of her theological research. She has written two books on this topic: 101 Questions and Answers on Vatican II (2002) and The Road to Vatican II: Key Changes in Theology (2007), both published by Paulist Press.

Stephen G. Adubato received his BA in Religious Studies and Spanish Literature at Fordham University, and his MA in Moral Theology at Seton Hall University. He teaches religion and philosophy to high school students in New Jersey, and blogs regularly on the Patheos Catholic Channel at the Cracks in Postmodernity.

Stephen Staten is a co-founder of and writer for Black Catholic Messenger. A Black Catholic in the San Francisco Bay Area and a Knight of Peter Claver, he is a tenor in the St. Dominic’s Schola Cantorum and is active in local Catholic action for racial justice. He is also Claudio Monteverdi's #1 fan.

Stephen Walford, a married father of five living in Southampton, on the south coast of Great Britain, is a Catholic author who combines teaching piano with writing theological works ranging from Catholic eschatology and Mariology to the papacy, notably the vision of Pope Francis. His most recent book, Pope Francis, the Family, and Divorce: In Defense of Truth and Mercy, contains a preface by Pope Francis, and is also endorsed by various members of the Vatican Curia, including Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga, chair of the 'C9' Council of Cardinals, and Cardinal Kevin Farrell, prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life. His writings have also appeared in L'Osservatore Romano, Vatican Insider and National Catholic Reporter.

Steven P. Millies is associate professor of public theology and director of The Bernardin Center at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. His most recent book is Good Intentions: A History of Catholic Voters’ Road from Roe to Trump (Liturgical Press, 2018).

Theresa Zoe Williams is a writer with credits all over the Catholic inter-webs. She received her BA in Theology, Catechetics/Youth Ministry, and English Writing from Franciscan University of Steubenville. She has contributed to the books Catholic Hipster Handbook: The Next Level and Epic Saints: Wild, Wonderful, and Weird Stories of God's Heroes. And has written her own book, A Catholic Field Guide to Fairy Tale Princesses. She is Pennsylvanian by birth, Californian by heart, and in Ohio for the time being. She writes at The Future Patron Saint of Liars and Fakes at www.theresazoewilliams.substack.com. Yinz can find her on Twitter @TheresaZoe.

Therese Brown is the Executive Director of the Association of Catholic Publishers. She holds a master of arts degree in youth and liturgy from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. She previously served as senior marketing specialist at United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Publishing Office. She is the author of Graced Moments: Prayer Services for the Lives of Teens (World Library Publications). She resides in the Baltimore area.

Timothy Quigley is a writer, actor, and filmmaker from Lancaster, PA. His wife of two years, Karolina, is a painter. Together with their four cats, they live a small life full of artistry, prayer, and love.

​Tobi Kozakewich, PhD, is a Catholic wife, mom, and aspiring editor/writer. She's taught at various levels for the past 20 years and has published articles on Canadian Literature.

Toni Vercillo is a cradle Catholic born and raised before Vatican II. She was educated by the Franciscans in Latin language, literature, music and liturgy. She has a devotion to Franciscan spirituality. In the past, Toni worked as a journalist for the Catholic Northwest Progress. She has been published in Homiletic and Pastoral Review, Catholic Digest, Queen Magazine, and St. Anthony Messenger, among others. Presently, she is a wife, mother, grandmother, and retired Catholic bookstore owner.

Tony Magliano is an internationally syndicated Catholic social justice and peace columnist. He is available to speak at diocesan or parish gatherings. Tony can be reached at tmag6@comcast.net

Will Sipling works at Word on Fire Catholic Ministries and is an independent scholar who researches and writes about social theory, theology, and ministry. He earned an MA in Catholic Studies from the University of St. Thomas (MN), and was a Student Fellow of the Department of Catholic Studies and the Thomas J. Murphy Center for Catholic Thought, Law, and Public Policy. Before this, he was Assistant Director of Digital Content and Marketing at Dallas Theological Seminary, where he earned a master’s degree in biblical and theological studies.

William Doino Jr., a contributor to Inside the Vatican and First Things, among many other publications, writes often about religion, history and politics. He has published an 80,000-word annotated bibliography on Pope Pius XII, which appears in the anthology The Pius War: Responses to the Critics of Pius XII (Lexington Books), available in hardcover, paperback, and in Kindle format.

William is a convert to Catholicism and a graduate of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. He earned a Master's in Theology from St. Joseph's College of Maine. He lives with his wife and four children in Tucson, AZ and is active in teaching the faith at his parish.

William F. Murphy Jr. is Professor of Moral Theology at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, OH.

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