Steubenville Conferences

Fr. Joshua Johnson was aware of a deep ache in his heart for something more throughout his teenage years. He sought to fill that ache in every way that the world could offer him happiness. He wrestled deep within his heart and came to know Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of the restlessness in his heart. Today Father Josh is the director of Vocations for the Diocese of Baton Rouge. He is also a nationally recognized speaker, author with Ascension Press, and podcast host of Ask Father Josh.

Father Michael Schmitz, is the director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Duluth as well as the chaplain for the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Father Mike attended Saint Paul Seminary and was ordained in 2003. He offers weekly homilies on iTunes and bulldogCatholic.org and has appeared in programs for youth and young adults through Ascension Press, as well as through regular short video messages on Ascension Presents.

Fr. Ed Fride has been the pastor of Christ the King Catholic Church in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a charismatic personal parish, for 25 years. He has been actively involved in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal since 1971, which was also the year he entered the Catholic Church. He has a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. Its focus was “The Second Vatican Council’s Charismatic Rediscovery According to Pope John Paul II and its Implications for the New Evangelization.” His parish is a member of the Divine Renovation Network and is pursuing on-going parish renewal as all parishioners are being encouraged to become the intentional, missionary disciples that the Lord Jesus intends all His People to be.

Leah Darrow is an international Catholic speaker who inspires others to embrace mercy and be a light and leader for Christ Jesus. Leah is the founder of Lux University and the first Catholic app a community exclusively for Catholic women that provides spiritual formation. She owns a white couch, is a mama to six wild saints-in-training, and wife to a pretty cool dude named Ricky.

Sarah Kaczmarek serves as the Director of Pastoral Ministry at Encounter Ministries and overseer of the Encounter School of Ministry. She has served in ministry for the last 15 years and has a desire to see all of God’s children walk in wholeness and holiness. She is the co-founder of the Millenial Church Conferences and a co-creator of Kindred Collective. She has loved serving as a youth minister in a parish and as the Associate Director of Alpha Catholic before joining Encounter Ministries. She holds an MA in Counseling and is currently completing a certificate in Spiritual Direction.

Bishop Peter Smith is auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Portland. He is originally from South Africa. Involved in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal since 1979, he is a member of the People of Praise and is part of the international leadership team of CHARIS. He is involved in a variety of ecumenical initiatives.

Peter Mallampalli is a seminarian of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. He is completing his undergraduate degree in philosophy with a minor in Spanish at Franciscan University of Steubenville. Peter is one of two founders of Opus Novum Catholic Charismatic Renewal at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh and is honored to speak at the Jesus 2020 conference.

Father Boniface Hicks, OSB, is a Benedictine monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. He has provided spiritual direction for many men and women, including married couples, seminarians, consecrated religious, and priests. He became programming manager and on-air contributor for We Are One Body® Catholic radio in 2010 and has recorded thousands of radio programs on theology and the spiritual life. He serves as the director of Spiritual Formation and director for the Institute for Ministry Formation at Saint Vincent Seminary. Together with Father Thomas Acklin, OSB, he is the author of Spiritual Direction: A Guide for Sharing the Father’s Love and Personal Prayer: A Guide for Receiving the Father’s Love, both published by Emmaus Road Publishing.

John Beaulieu has worked in the Christian Outreach Office of Franciscan University since 2003 and serves as the director of Evangelization and Engagement. A graduate of Franciscan University, John has served in ministry for over 30 years. He spent 2 years serving with NET and 19 years as a parish youth minister. A regular speaker at parish and diocesan events, John addresses topics such as life in the Spirit, media and teen culture, and Catholic evangelization. John and his wife, Lisa, live in Steubenville with their five children.

Since his 2008 major label debut, Matt Maher has become a staple in the artistic and songwriting community. A nine time-GRAMMY® nominee and three time-GMA Dove Award winner, he has garnered multiple radio successes, writing and recording songs such as his Top 5 CCLI song “Lord, I Need You” and the chart-topping radio single “Because He Lives (Amen).”
Matt Maher achieved a career highlight in 2013 when he performed for Pope Francis and a crowd of three million people for World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro. Two years later he performed again for the Pope in downtown Philadelphia as part of the World Meeting of Families, appearing along with The Fray, Aretha Franklin, Juanes, Jim Gaffigan and Mark Wahlberg, among others. Maher also recently joined the elite group of musicians and artists as an official Steinway Artist.