Steubenville Conferences

Father Leo Patalinghug is a priest member of a community of consecrated life called Voluntas Dei. He founded FatherLeoFeeds.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. His 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.

WAL is a contemporary Catholic-Christian band from Los Angeles, California, comprised of music artists, songwriters, and worship leaders who serve their local parishes as coordinators of youth ministry. For over 15 years, WAL has been serving the Church both nationally and internationally through God’s gift of song and carries with them an energetic sound that rejoices in the goodness of our Lord. WAL strives to have their music draw each of your hearts to a knowledge and deep acceptance that we are all infinitely, passionately, and unconditionally loved by God.

Dr. William Christopher Hoag  has ministered in diocesan, school, and parish settings for 25 years in the areas of catechesis and liturgy. He currently serves as the catechetical director for St. Bernadette Parish in Westlake, Ohio. He is also a member of the online faculty for Franciscan University’s MACE and MA theology programs. Dr. Hoag previously served as associate director of Catechesis for the Cleveland Diocese for seven years. His areas of theological interest include catechesis, liturgy, and ecclesiology. He was certified as a lay ecclesial minister for the Diocese of Cleveland in 2009 and has been a participant of the Bosco Conference since 2004, completing the Diocesan Officials track in 2019.

Rania Garnem has been handing on the faith in Catholic high schools since 2006. After earning her MA in theology and Christian Ministry with a specialization in catechetics from Franciscan University, she went on to teach for six years at St. Pius X High School, a co-ed archdiocesan school in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Since that time, she has been teaching at Jesuit High School, an all-boys college preparatory school in Tampa, Florida. Rania has taught a variety of courses in theology and has taught students in every grade level of high school.

Maureen and Jim Otremba have been married since 1995. Both hold master’s degrees in Catholic theology and have appeared on EWTN. They have co-authored a Catholic, catechetical pre-marriage inventory called Fully Engaged (www.getfullyengaged.com), which is used throughout the U.S. Maureen has held numerous Catholic ministry positions, including teaching, catechetical work, and pastoral care. Jim also holds a master’s in applied psychology, is a licensed therapist, and works as a Catholic coach. He is a regular guest on Relevant Radio and is finishing his doctorate in psychology. Together, they bring their personal and professional teachings to thousands of Catholics each year throughout the country through workshops, Catholic workbooks, and retreats. Learn more about the Otrembas at catholicfamilyresources.com.

Luke Crawford  has been at the forefront of Catholic educational leadership for the last 15 years. Most recently, Luke served as president of North Catholic High School in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. After graduating from Franciscan University, Luke taught high school theology for eight years and filled a variety of leadership roles, including director of Mission Integration and Campus Ministry, religion department chair, dean of students, and principal. During the six years that Luke served as principal and then president of NCHS, the school grew from 270 to 630 students. Luke has an intense passion for Catholic education and evangelization. His greatest joy is family life, which he shares with his beautiful wife, Katy, and their five sons and two daughters.

Dr. Larann Wilson’s personal and professional mission is based on Matthew 28:18-20: to share the good news of Jesus Christ and to lead people into a deeper relationship with our Lord through daily conversion, knowledge, prayer, and the sacramental life. She holds her master of arts from Franciscan University with a specialization in catechesis and her doctorate of ministry from The Catholic University of America. Dr. Wilson serves as director of Parish Leadership Engagement in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City where she supports pastors, principals, and ministry leaders in their roles in evangelization and catechesis. Originally from Connecticut, Dr. Wilson now calls Oklahoma home.

Damon and Melanie Owens are founders of Joyful Ever After (joyfuleverafter.org) and hosts of The Catholic Marriage Summit (CatholicMarriageSummit.com). Since 1993, Melanie, full-time homeschooling mother of eight, and Damon, first executive director of the Theology of the Body Institute, have trained over 20,000 couples in marriage, NFP, and theology of the body. Presenters at the 2015 World Meeting of Families and the 2017 USCCB Convocation of Catholic Leaders, Damon and Melanie keep a full international speaking schedule on the good news of marriage, sexuality, theology of the body, theology of the family, adoption, and NFP. In 2018, Pope Francis honored Damon with the papal Benemerenti Medal. Damon and Melanie have been married for 27 years and currently live outside Philadelphia with their children.

Eric Gallagher is a husband and father living in South Dakota. He has been in full-time ministry since 2003 and is currently serving the Diocese of Sioux Falls as the director of Youth Discipleship and Evangelization. Eric holds a master of arts in theology from the Augustine Institute. Eric is also the founder of ComeFollow.Me, a platform that assists those desiring to grow as disciples of Christ through online resources and community.

Dr. Joshua Miller is devoted to building culture in which each person can flourish in his/her personal vocation for building up the body of Christ and sanctifying the world. He is the co-author with Luke Burgis of Unrepeatable: Cultivating the Unique Calling of Every Person (2018) and a contributing author of The Motivation Code (2020). Dr. Miller helped build The Center for Leadership (CFL) at Franciscan University of Steubenville. He leads the freshmen seminar, Personal Vocation and Christ Centered Leadership, and coordinates the CFL vocation coach program. He has an MA and PhD in philosophy of the human person. He and his wife, Brooke, are joyfully Catholic, have six children and live in Steubenville, Ohio.

Dr. Douglas Beaumont earned a PhD in theology from North-West University and an MA in apologetics from Southern Evangelical Seminary, where he taught for several years before coming into full communion with the Catholic Church. He has since appeared on The Journey Home and Catholic Answers Live and has been interviewed for The National Catholic Register, EWTN, Relevant Radio, and The Patrick Coffin Show. Douglas is the author of Evangelical Exodus and The Message Behind the Movie, has contributed to Mind, Heart, and Soul: Intellectuals and the Path to Rome, Bumper Sticker Catholicism, The Best Catholic Writing, and The Apologetics Study Bible for Students, and has written for Catholic Answers Magazine, Strange Notions, National Catholic Register, and Catholic World Report.

I had a great upbringing, the oldest of four boys to two loving parents. Married right after college, we had three kids in six years. I bought a business at 27 and grew it moderately over 10 years before hitting the proverbial homerun.

Although things looked good from the outside, I was never satisfied. I was chasing the American dream. I was incapable of living in the moment, always pushing for more, striving for what I hadn’t already achieved. The pace crowded out the peace.

I then suffered significant tragedy, where I was literally forced to my knees, in need of real help. Quite unexpectedly in March, 2006, I experienced conversion, really feeling the unconditional love of God for the first time in my life. My journey began there.

Having become passionate about my faith, I felt a real call to leave the commercial world to go to work for the Catholic Church, joining Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2012. Today I work as the Vice President of Outreach and Evangelization at the University, where I am part of a team that gets to evangelize, educate, and empower, all by God’s grace, tens of thousands every year.

Given what I’ve learned and how the message resonates with so many, all by the grace of God, I’ve become committed to helping others.

I’ve written a book, which was published in August, 2018 by Our Sunday Visitor, and launched this web site. I blog, speak, and work with people who are overwhelmed by life to understand that they are made for greatness, coaching them through the process that leads to peace, joy, and fulfillment.

I am married to my best friend, Cyndi, and have three adult children, two son-in-laws, one soon to be daughter-in-law, and a granddaughter. Cyndi and I live outside of Pittsburgh, PA., where our passions are faith, family, health, and fitness.