Contributors

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.

Scott “Alex” Peyton is married to Meredith Peyton, and they have three wonderful children: Lucy, Perpetua, and Anastasia. After spending a few years in New Orleans, Alex moved his family back to Lebeau, Louisiana, where he was raised, to enjoy the peace of rural St. Landry Parish.

Alex is the Senior Advisor at Actus Wealth Strategies, where he assists clients with their investment decisions and portfolio creation.

His dedication to justice and advocacy emerged after discovering that his brother had been abused by a Catholic priest. Alex fought alongside his parents to secure justice, first defeating the abuser in criminal court and then the Diocese of Lafayette in civil court.

Following these victories, Alex transitioned into part-time advocacy work. He hosts the Resilience in the Shadows podcast with his mother, as part of their family’s nonprofit organization, Tentmakers. Tentmakers is dedicated to assisting survivors of sexual abuse in finding healing, justice, and hope.

Scott Hurd is vice president of leadership development at Catholic Charities USA. He is author of five books, including Forgiveness: A Catholic Approach and Around the Table: Retelling the Story of the Eucharist through the Eyes of Jesus' First Followers. Scott's writing has been published in multiple journals and magazines, and has twice been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. He earned his theology degree from Oxford University and in 2026 will serve as a social innovation fellow with the University of Notre Dame's Institute for Ethics and the Common Good, focusing on AI ethics.

Simone Cromwell is a middle school student with an amazing imagination. She loves to read and write, particularly when she can write fiction stories. She is a big fan of role playing games, an interest that benefits from her creativity. She is an altar server in her parish and is an active participant in her Catholic school community.

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.

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 the author of Good Intentions: A History of Catholic Voters’ Road from Roe to Trump (Liturgical Press, 2018) and his most recent book, A Consistent Ethic of Life: Navigating Catholic Engagement with U.S. Politics (Paulist Press, 2024)

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.

Tom Thomas is a Catholic entrepreneur and occasional writer based in Bangalore, India. Married for over three decades to a dedicated doctor, and blessed with four wonderful children, he writes mainly reflective articles on family and faith, seeking to glorify Him and make Him known to others through these writings. His articles appear in Catholic Stand, Radio Veritas Asia, Indian Catholic Matters, Aleteia, Christ & Co, The Tabor Kirana magazine of the Archdiocese of Bangalore, Together Magazine of the Franciscans, Logos Voice Magazine of the Vincentians. He has also been a contributing author to two anthologies of short stories published as part of The Writers Collective, Bangalore. Besides writing, Tom likes to keep fit by running and golfing.

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

V. J. Tarantino is co-founder of Sacred Beauty, a Private Association of the Faithful in the Diocese of Bridgeport.  She has studied ancient and Medieval metaphysics and has devoted her adult life to the service of liturgy (study of liturgical texts and norms, the cultivation of sacred elocution, musical performance and composition, the beautification of sacred space, and the organization and direction of public Eucharistic Adoration) and to immersion in the writings of the Doctors of the Church and of recent Popes. Her writing can be found at https://questionsdisputedandotherwise.substack.com/

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.