Category: Teams – Youth Conference

2020 Youth Conference Teams

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Fr. Jonathan McElhone, TOR

Father Jonathan McElhone is a Franciscan TOR, serving at Franciscan University of Steubenville. Before responding to a call with the Franciscans, Father Jonathan worked as an industrial electrician, programming robots. Ordained in 2012, Father Jonathan ministered as a parochial vicar at a parish in Texas before moving back to his alma mater in 2017. Currently, Father Jonathan serves Franciscan as the director of the Priestly Discernment Program. Father Jonathan loves being a priest and ministering the sacraments. He has a passion for sharing the Gospel and never tires of witnessing miracles!

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Fr. Agustino Torres

Father Agustino Torres, CFR, is a priest with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal based in the Bronx, New York. He is the founder of Corazon Puro, an organization dedicated to forming youth. He hosts the EWTN television shows Icons and Clic con Corazon Puro in Spanish. Father Agustino was one of the friars who founded Catholic Underground, an apostolate of the Friars of the Renewal, and the Casa Guadalupe (women) and JPII (men) houses of discernment. He is internationally sought to address topics such as the Church’s teachings about human sexuality, vocational discernment, and missionary discipleship.

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Ricky Vazquez

Ricky Vazquez is a bilingual worship leader and songwriter/recording artist of Puerto Rican descent who currently resides in Nashville, TN. Ricky has traveled the country and internationally leading worship at a wide range of events for the last 8 years and has also released two folk singer-songwriter albums “Ghost of You” and “More Heart Than Sleeve” which both charted in the top 10 on the iTunes singer-songwriter charts. Ricky is a part of the worship collective called “Village Lights” which was nominated for a GMA Dove Award and is signed to Integrity Music alongside Ike Ndola and Sarah Kroger. He is also a part of Anchor Hymns, a collective of artists writing new hymns for the church, alongside artists such as Paul Baloche, Sandra McCracken, and Dee Wilson. Beyond that, Ricky is a man of faith trying to portray the beauty of life through song, in both mainstream and Catholic/Christian audiences.

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Fr. Edwin Leonard

Fr. Edwin Leonard shares the Gospel with devotion and enthusiasm. A graduate of Francisan University and veteran of NET Ministries, he was ordained in 2012 by Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell for the Diocese of Dallas. Fr. Edwin served his first two years of priesthood as the parochial vicar at St. Rita Catholic Church until he was assigned as the director of Vocations for the diocese. Under Fr. Edwin’s direction, the diocese accepted 80 new seminarians into formation.

In addition to vocations work, he was appointed in 2018 as chaplain of Bishop Lynch Catholic High School where he served until 2021 when he was assigned as pastor of St. Ann Catholic Church in Coppell, Texas. Fr. Edwin also serves on the executive board for the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors. As comfortable in a Crossfit gym or at a music festival as he is at the altar of the Lord celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Fr. Edwin loves sharing the Gospel and teaching the next generation of saints.

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Nic Frank

Nic Frank has been reaching youth and young adults all around the country for over a decade. He has worked in large and small parish communities, sharing the Gospel and walking with people as they enter into a personal relationship with Jesus. He lives in the Chicagoland area with his amazing wife, Carolyn, and five kids. In his downtime, you can find him arguing over the correct pronunciation of the word “gif.”

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Fr. Leo Patalinghug

Father Leo Patalinghug is a priest member of a community of consecrated life called Voluntas Dei. He founded PlatingGrace.com, an international apostolate connecting food and faith. He’s an internationally renowned speaker, best- selling author, TV and radio host, and a theological and cultural contributor to the media. Father Leo’s unique background as a martial arts instructor and former breakdancer helps him connect with people of all backgrounds. In addition, he has appeared on The Food Network, where he won Throwdown with Bobby Flay. Father Leo uses food, faith, and fun to bring people closer to the Lord’s Table.

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Sarah Kroger Quaglia

Sarah Kroger is a songwriter and worship leader. She has been leading worship at a range of national and international events for the past 12 years. Her passion is to create a safe, prayerful space through her music in which people can encounter the heart of God. She has released her fourth studio album, Light, in 2020. Sarah lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband, Dom.

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Chika Anyanwu

Chika Anyanwu is a Catholic evangelist, contributor to many Catholic youth, young adult, and adult resources, and the author of My Encounter: How I Met Jesus in Prayer. Her love of God and neighbor enthuses her to share the Gospel through testimony, Scripture, and honest conversations about the difficult realities of faith and life. You can learn more about Chika from her website: chika.church
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Kyle Huelsing

Kyle Huelsing is a Catholic worship leader and evangelist in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, Missouri. He has ministered to thousands of people across the country for the past 15 years, leading conferences, faith rallies, Catholic camps, and retreats. Kyle has a heart on fire for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and works full time as a music minister at St. Joseph in Cottleville, St. Clement of Rome, and the Lindenwood University Catholic Newman Center. He currently resides in St. Louis, Missouri, with his wife, Kimberly, and their four children.

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Chris Stefanick

Chris Stefanick is an internationally acclaimed author, speaker, and television host who has devoted his life to inspiring people to live a bold, contagious faith. His live events reach over 85,000 annually; his reality TV show, Real Life Catholic, videos, and radio spots reach millions. Chosen, a confirmation program he authored, has already formed over 500,000 teens. A graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville, Chris is founder and president of Real Life Catholic, a nonprofit operating as the headquarters for his various initiatives. Above all, Chris is proud to be husband to wife, Natalie, and father to their six children.

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Mark Hart

Mark Hart, affectionately known as the Bible Geek, is a best-selling author, Catholic radio personality, and highly sought-after speaker. He proudly serves as the chief information officer and executive vice president of Life Teen International. Mark and his wife, Melanie, have four children and live in Phoenix, Arizona.

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Katie Hartfiel

Katie Hartfiel received her theology degree from Franciscan University of Steubenville and spent the following seven years serving as a youth minister in Houston. She now feels blessed to spend her days with her husband, Mark, and their four children, while still getting to travel to speak about Jesus. For more on Katie, her books, and your first chapters free, visit womaninlove.org.

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Dan Harms

Dan Harms is a host and speaker who attended his first Steubenville Conference as a teen in 2000. His speaking and music ministries have led him to 46 states and six countries. He lives in Richmond, Virginia, with his wife and children and is the director of Evangelization at Saint Bridget Catholic Church.

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Matt Regitz

After graduating from Texas A&M and pursuing an oilfield sales career, Matt Regitz took a leap of faith and became the youth minster at his parish in Houston, Texas. The mission has grown to include parishes around the world as he serves as a global leadership coach with Divine Renovation Ministries. Matt and bride, Stephanie, started Survive and Thrive Ministries to share their story of healing and hope with other families. The rest of the Regitz clan includes their four children at home and a daughter in heaven, Mary Clare. They love soccer games, barbecues, road trips, and the communal life.

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Fr. Rufino Corona, TOR

Father Rufino Corona, TOR, is a friar on the campus of his alma mater, Franciscan University of Steubenville. Shortly after his graduation, he entered the Third Order Regular of St. Francis and was ordained in 2020. Having grown up in California as a self proclaimed “conference kid,” Father Rufino is excited to minister at the conferences for the first time this summer.

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Heather Khym

Heather Khym is an established speaker and worship leader with over 25 years of experience. She attended Franciscan University of Steubenville where she studied theology and catechetics and met her husband, Jake. Currently, Heather speaks on a variety of topics, leads conferences, retreats, and women’s ministry, and has a successful Catholic podcast called “Abiding Together.” Her passion is in evangelization, discipleship, and creating an environment for people to have a personal encounter with God. She lives in British Columbia with Jake and their three teenage children.

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Noelle Garcia

Noelle Garcia is a speaker and recording artist with World Library Publications and One Voice Media. She was featured on EWTN and CNN’s Latino in America for her witness on overcoming insecurity. Noelle has been working in youth ministry for over 10 years and combines witness and song to spread the Gospel. She is currently pursuing her master’s of theological studies and resides in Dodge City, Kansas, with her husband and fellow youth/music minister and their five children. Noelle loves avoiding Kansas tornados, eating tacos, and binge watching British drama and The Office reruns.

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Josh Blakesley

Josh Blakesley has acknowledged a simple calling: to make music that moves people into prayer and action. Josh and his bandmates have dedicated themselves to making music for liturgy in today’s era by answering the question, How do I create a song that will honor traditions, yet speak to people in the modern Church and lead them to worship? He has led music for 20-plus years at various events, churches, festivals, and conferences including Steubenville Conferences. In addition to touring, songwriting, and producing, Josh serves as the music director at St. Anthony of Padua in The Woodlands, Texas.

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Chris Padgett

Chris Padgett has been doing ministry for over 30 years. He is an author, musician, teacher, comedian, and motivational speaker. Chris has been married to his high school sweetheart for 31 years, and they have nine children. He has appeared on television and radio and has been a regular speaker and entertainer at Steubenville Youth Conferences. Chris was an adjunct professor of theology at Franciscan University and currently teaches for Catholic Distance University. The Padgett family lives in Central New York. Check out chrispadgett.com and his YouTube channel, Happy Place Homestead.

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Sr. M. Karolyn Nunes, FSGM

Sister M. Karolyn Nunes entered the Franciscan Sisters of the Martyr St. George in 2005. Since graduating from Franciscan University, the native of Rhode Island has worked in the field of catechetics and youth ministry in parishes and schools around the country. She loves to share the fullness of life and the merciful love of Christ with others and to help them to find the same in God’s incredible plan for their lives; this is her current apostolate as vocation director for her community. She enjoys arts and crafts and is known to be a human jukebox.

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Mike Gormley

Michael Gormley,  or “Gomer” as his friends call him, struggled with faith, belief, and the existence of God for years. He eventually found his way to God through studying whether the resurrection of Jesus Christ was real. He has degrees in philosophy and theology, a family, works at a parish with adults, and runs three side businesses: the Catching Foxes Show, Every Knee Shall Bow, and LayEvangelist.com

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Fr. Rick Martignetti, OFM

Father Rick Martignetti, OFM,  is a Franciscan priest in the Order of Friars Minor who holds a doctorate in sacred theology and Franciscan spirituality from the Pontifical University Antonianum in Rome. He has served God through preaching, teaching, campus ministry, spiritual direction, retreat ministry, formation work, youth ministry, and pilgrimage work. He is currently director of Campus Ministry at Ave Maria University in Florida. His latest book, Perfect Love: 40 Stories and Reflections Inspired by Saint Bonaventure’s De Perfectione Vitae, is available from Tau Publishing. Check out his 2-Minute Homilies on YouTube or through his blog, fatherrick.wordpress.com.

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David Calavitta

David Calavitta is a passionate Catholic in love with Christ and his Church. He’s also very much in love with his wife, Brittany, and their two sons.  In addition to his speaking ministry, he currently serves as the director of Design and Marketing for Life Teen International.

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Sr. Josephine Garrett, CSFN

Sister Josephine Garrett, CSFN is a native Texan, a convert to the Catholic faith, and a sister of the Holy Family of Nazareth. She lives and serves in Tyler, Texas, as a licensed professional counselor. She also loves traveling around to share the love of God with the young Church.