Our Valentine's Day, February 14th breakfast speaker, Deacon Joe Grote, is a Catholic deacon and author. He's traveling to Fresno from Cincinnati, Ohio to share his passion for strengthening families by supporting fathers in their roles as husbands, dads, and mentors. His book, Where Have All the Fathers Gone? Daily Thoughts for Dads, Dads-to-Be, and Papas was inspired by a 2010 letter he wrote to the Cincinnati Enquirer regarding the absence of grieving fathers in local murder cases. This sparked a mission to address the growing crisis of fatherlessness.
For 18 years, Deacon Joe has led the F.A.T.H.E.R.S. group at his parish, guiding men in strengthening their relationships with their families and faith. He draws on his personal experiences, decades of coaching youth sports, and his Catholic upbringing in his speaking engagements and mentorship.
His work emphasizes the importance of small men’s groups, mentoring, and supporting each other through the challenges of family life. Deacon Joe’s message has resonated with many groups across the country, including the Knights of Columbus and corporate webinars.
He has also launched the Abraham Foundation which distributes his book to prisons, drop-in centers, and places where men seek guidance to become better fathers and husbands. His message of marital and familial love will be an ideal topic for Valentine's Day!
Deacon Joe lives in Cincinnati with his wife of 46 years, Ann, their four children, five grandchildren, and their Labrador, Levon.
Jess is a wife, mother, Catholic social teaching advocate and homelessness chip changer. She leads SOFESA, a relationship-centered organization that has served homeless children and their parents for more than 24 years. SOFESA found that there is a huge gap between the housed and the unhoused populations in a local community and that homelessness is not something to be SOLVED, but something to be HEALED. SOFESA believes that in order to heal the BIG problem of homelessness, we need to think and act SMALL.
Drawing on her personal lived experience, Jess is an award-winning thought-leader on the subject of homelessness and speaks in both secular and religious national forums advancing the truths of human dignity. She has been featured on ABC, EWTN, Relevant Radio, National Catholic Register and Catholic Answers among others. She converted to the Catholic faith in 2008.
Her husband is a Permanent Deacon for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Together Deacon Charlie & Jess have five children - two teenage boys still at home, two young adults out in the world, and one lovely soul in Heaven. Jess is the Founder and Executive Director of SOFESA, a 501c(3) non-profit ministry that has been accompanying Southern California homeless families since 1999. Deacon Charlie and Jess have appeared onThe Journey Home with Marcus Grodi which aired internationally in February 2021.
Jess has previously appeared on multiple episodes of EWTN's The Catholic View for Women, Women of Grace and BEK TV'sLadies of Another View ; radio interviews with Spirit Radio, Guadalupe Radio,Son RiseMorning Show, Incorrupto Radio and Relevant Radio.
She has had the opportunity to share her testimony at various events throughout the country including theWalk for Life Orange County and twice at the Los Angeles OneLife LA. Jess was the inaugural recipient of theOneLife LA Service Award (2020). She has been featured on podcasts includingCatholic Answers, Hope Stories, Mamas in Spirit, Homeschooling Saints, Vida Initiative andLiving the CALL. She has also participated in the After the Abortion Photography Series by Angela Forker.
Inspired by the good things God has wrought in her life, Jess has published her first book,Dazzled: Finding the Key to Perfect Forgiveness, detailing her life experiences in a way that lifts up and enlightens others who are searching for ways to heal.
As a walk-on football player, you have to believe in yourself despite all else. Anthony walked on to the University of Notre Dame football team under Lou Holtz and in three years became a key contributor - playing on scholarship for the nationally ranked Fighting Irish. He'll tell us what it takes to have vision, sustained passion and how to carry out a dream.
Growing up in New Jersey, Anthony was a three sport athlete and National Honors Society President at prestigious Seton Hall Prep. Turning down scholarship offers from many of the former Division I-AA and Ivy League schools, he chose to ignore conventional advice and follow his heart by choosing Notre Dame. He played five years for the Irish, participated in three major Bowl Games and was two times chosen as the State Farm Student Athlete of the Week all while also earning a degree as a double major in American Studies and Computer Applications.
Since college, Anthony has spent most of his adult life in Hollywood as a producer, writer and actor. He owns a multi-media company, Designerland, with his wife, Jelena, specializing in content creation and social media marketing campaigns for both secular and religious organizations such as the Knights of Columbus. He also produces a variety of documentaries and films and was a co-executive producer on the 2019 film Unplanned.
Anthony will speak on faith, football and having a vision for pursuing and achieving your dreams.
We are so excited to announce that successful entrepreneur and culture-building expert Jeff Schiefelbein will be our first Catholic Breakfast speaker for 2024 - 2025.
Jeff is traveling to Fresno from Dallas, Texas for our September 13th breakfast to share his long history of launching and leading businesses that use Catholic Social Teachings to achieve healthy growth and workplace excellence.
He is passionate about human formation, innovation, and motivational speaking and is the co-founder and managing partner for Undivided Life, a strategy and culture consulting firm. He is also the founder of several other organizations, including:
- CARPOOL at Texas A&M University - The nation’s largest college safe-ride program
- A leading energy advisory and brokerage firm throughout North America
Across his various startups, both nonprofit and for-profit, Jeff has numerous received accolades for culture, growth, innovation, volunteer service, and leadership. Most notably, Jeff received the National Points of Light Award in 2002 and the Texas A&M University Distinguished Young Alumni Award. His companies have also appeared dozens of times on prestigious lists like the INC 5000, Best Places to Work in America, Best Places to Work in Texas, Entrepreneur 360, and more.
Jeff earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Texas A&M University and has served on several nonprofit boards, including The Highlands School and The Catholic Foundation. He co-hosts a live Catholic radio show on the Guadalupe Radio Network, and a weekly podcast called the BeatiDUDES.
Jeff lives in Coppell, Texas, with his wife Amanda and their seven kids.
Our Friday, June 14th Catholic Breakfast Club speaker is traveling to Fresno from Temecula, California.
Dr. Phil Chavez utilizes his more than 25 years of ministry and study in his current work in men’s spirituality and development. He has earned several graduate degrees, and holds a doctorate from the University of the Holy Cross in Rome.
Dr. Chavez is the founder of The Men's Academy which advances teachings on Christian Patriarchy in order that men serve with a father’s heart: to lead strongly, to protect sacrificially, and to provide faithfully. The Men’s Academy helps men reach full development as Beloved Sons in Christ who encounter healing and purpose and gives men navigation to embrace their identity, fulfill their mission, and move in their journey with grit and confidence.
Knowing CP&BC's Catholic Breakfast Club includes many women, Dr. Chavez will explain how "Finished Men" succeed in Faith, work, family and all relationships - much to the benefit of women!
The Men’s Academy provides live training, online articles, podcasts and videos for high school and college males, as well as for fathers and older men who aspire to make a better impact in family, society, and Church.
Be sure to make your reservations early for our last breakfast before our summer break!
Our Friday, May 10th speaker will be Michael Danks-Ferguson. Mike has been a Catholic Educator for over forty years. Most of that time has been spent teaching religion and coaching cross country at three Catholic high schools in California. He finished his Masters of Divinity degree from the Franciscan School at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley in 1984.
At that time, he was a solemnly-professed Conventual Franciscan friar preparing for ordination. When he requested dispensation from his vows, he was teaching at Moreau Catholic High School in Hayward, California, where he taught from 1984 to 1990. Mike married his wife Martha in 1989 and a year later they moved to Fresno where they would start a family and Mike would go on to teach at San Joaquin Memorial High School for thirty-two years.
In 2021, with the assistance of a life coach (who is also his sister-in-law), Mike decided to retire from classroom teaching and begin a new ministry as a companion to men who are in the process of recovery at the Poverello House here in Fresno. Mike's talk will witness to the work God has been doing on him over the past 45 years of his life in Catholic ministry, education, and marriage. It will involve personal witness, a discussion of his developing spirituality, and an open invitation to support the work and ministry of Mike McGarvin’s wonderful gift to Fresno - the Poverello House.
Our Friday, April 12th breakfast speaker, referred to us by Steve Barr, president of The Society of Catholic Scientists, is Dr. Suzanne Bohlson.
Suzie is currently Professor of Teaching, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at the School of Biological Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. She earned her Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame in 2001. As Director of both the Master of Science in Biotechnology and Master of Science in Biotechnology Management programs at UC Irvine, her research interests include biotechnology education, innate immunity, complement, and macrophage activation.
Sounds intimidating? It's not! Suzie's talk on Faith and Academia is filled with stories of her own conversion journey as well as experiences from notable scholars who argue that faith is supernatural, it is borne by grace as proposed by Cardinal Avery Dulles, SJ. and that rational thought alone cannot lead to assent. Suzie interweaves the nature of conversion from noted academics with her own experience in a style that is both easily accessible by lay Catholics and intellectually stimulating. You won't want to miss her talk!
Our Friday, March 8th breakfast speaker, Lisa Hendey, last spoke to our club on May 13, 2011 (almost 13 years ago!) and has since moved from Fresno to Southern California. Besides that, Lisa has kept very busy and we are delighted she agreed to drive back up to Fresno to update us on all she's been doing!
Lisa is the founder of the award-winning CatholicMom.com and is the bestselling author of multiple books for adults and children, including The Handbook for Catholic Moms, A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms, The Grace of Yes, I’m a Saint in the Making, and the Chime Travelers fiction series.
She travels internationally, giving workshops for adults and children. Selected as an Egan Journalism Fellow with Catholic Relief Services, Lisa has traveled, written, and spoken on behalf of CRS, Unbound, Cross Catholic Outreach, and other non-profit organizations to support their humanitarian missions in Rwanda, the Philippines, India, Tanzania, Kenya, the Dominican Republic, and Columbia.
Visit her online at lisahendey.com
Our February 9th breakfast speaker, Jonna Schuster, is Co-Founder and Director of Catholic Revival Ministries, which she launched in 2019 with her husband, Jim. Together, they serve the Church by equipping Catholics to bring supernatural impact to all areas of life by partnering with the Holy Spirit in power and love. They have served a variety of parishes, ministries, and audiences world-wide, including Endow, Metanoia Catholic, Pray More Novenas, TAM NOVA, Awaken Kingdom , the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, CA, the Diocese of Peoria, IL, and the Diocese of Austin, TX.
Jonna graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in graphic design, and completed a masterís degree in moral theology at Christendom Graduate School. She spent 10 years as a full-time Director of Youth Ministry in the diocese of Arlington, VA, before which she served for two years as the first Campus Minister of Western Illinois University. She and Jim moved to California in 2018 and currently reside in Santa Clarita. In addition to her work at CRM , Jonna is also an adjunct professor of theology at John Paul the Great Catholic University in Escondido, CA. She believes everyone is called to greatness, and has a heart to see people come into the fullness of their identity and calling.
Jonna will be speaking about navigating important decisions and innovating new projects to problem-solving and caring for our loved ones, and how we do not have to rely on our human strength alone. As Catholics, she explains, we have received ìthe mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16)î and can turn to Him for insight and strategies regarding the issues we face today. In this presentation, Jonna will share stories and methods of how we can invite the Lord into our thought process, provide practical tools for discerning His guidance, and suggest ways of collaborating with Him in our everyday pursuits.
Back by popular demand, the Our Lady of Perpetual Help School Choir, under the direction of Melita Mudri-Zubacz, will perform traditional and sacred carols for us at our December 8th Christmas breakfast. Mrs. Zubacz earned dual master's degrees in Eastern Christian Studies and in Music from the University of Manitoba.
In addition to participating in school-related masses and concerts, this is the performing group that travels in order to represent OLPH’s school in the wider community, including the Blue Mass at St. John’s Cathedral, Right to Life Fundraising Dinners, as well as Disney Performing Arts Workshops.
This auditioned ensemble consists of students from the 4th through the 8th grades, who work exceptionally hard at their once-per-week rehearsals to prepare their advanced repertoire.
Come share the Joy of the Season with time planned for networking, humorous holiday icebreakers, and music by the wonderful young performers from Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Clovis - all designed to put us in the right frame of mind for this blessed time of year.
Invite your Catholic as well as non-Catholic co-workers to join us at the party as it is the ideal "meeting" to introduce them to what CP&BC is all about.
We wish everyone a very blessed Christmas!
The second oldest of twelve children, our November 10th breakfast speaker, Robert Renzi, believes in story and storytelling and that beauty can change the world whether it be on the big screen or in a room full of people.
Robert's passion grew as he found himself making his way to Hollywood and at the same time (after a short detour in his faith) experiencing a complete reversion back to the church. This love for acting and newfound love of Catholicism came to a head when he was cast as Jesus Christ in the upcoming feature film about Eucharistic miracles called 'The New Manna'.
Several years ago, Robert moved to LA to pursue his dream of being an actor with the grandiose confidence that many actors have…the dream of “making it big”.
As the years progressed and his career did not, his faith was exploding. He couldn't get enough of learning about it, studying it, and reading scripture. His heart was on fire, and his priorities began to shift from Saturday night fun with the boys to waking up early for Sunday Mass.
When COVID struck and everything was shutting down, his faith and trust in Jesus was growing. It was during this time that he was in search of a parish he could call home. After many prayers, God led him to a small church in the town of San Fernando called St. Vitus.
The story of how all this led to him being cast in the role of Jesus is a story about how God brings out the best in us - so much so that others see something within us that we often don't see in ourselves.
We hope you will join us to hear Robert's uplifting story about how everything in life, all the goodness and all the beauty that anyone sees is a direct result of the greatest love story known to man: Christ’s life, suffering, pain, and glorious resurrection.
Our October 13th breakfast speaker, Valerie Staples, is a cradle Catholic and native Southern Californian who felt very close to God in her childhood. But as a teen she began to take her faith for granted like so many of us do. At one point she was even a self-professed "cafeteria catholic".
This would all change when Valerie had her Catholic Faith challenged by a friend who was a self-proclaimed "fundamentalist" and "bible scholar". Not just Valerie, but she and her two sisters were each challenged by well-meaning friends who wanted them to leave the Catholic Church of their youth. It was during this time their father introduced them to the science of apologetics. It was then that Valerie fell in love with her Catholic faith all over again. And it would only be a few years later when Valerie would meet and marry one of the most famous modern catholic apologists in the United States, Tim Staples. The rest, as they say, is history!
Valerie has been a guest speaker with Magnificat, is a regular speaker with MOM's ministries in Southern California and is a full-time homeschooling mother of 7, one of whom is autistic! Valerie has a degree in Liberal Arts but is a student of philosophy and theology. She has been a facilitator with ENDOW (Education on the Nature and Dignity of Women) study groups and was the Director of Goretti Girls for six years (a San Diego based catholic fellowship ministry for teens). She is also a Director of Marketing with Legal Shield Services, and was Ambassador Secretary with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Orange County.
As anyone who knows Valerie would tell you, she has a passion for sharing her Catholic Faith. And when you join us on October 13th, you'll discover just how inspiring and contagious Valerie's passion truly is!
Our exciting September 8th breakfast speaker, John Johnson, is coming to us from Sacramento. John is a lay Catholic businessman and educator with a philosophy degree from St. Mary's College and a Master's degree in Theology from the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology where his work focused on the beatific epistemology of St. Thomas Aquinas.
John is a generalist. He serves on the executive boards of thriving companies he helped to found in four distinct sectors: education, technology, real estate, and food. Each serves to renew the culture through beauty.
John has been featured on EWTN, the History Channel, and the DIY Network (For completely different reasons). While running businesses he has concurrently served the church as a director of propaedeutic formation for seminarians, the director of youth and young adult ministry, and a catechist.
He is the Executive Director of the Albertus Magnus Institute, a nonprofit foundation offering online coursework in the great books, and the host of the Magnus Podcast.
Known for his treatment of St. John's Gospel, John has spoken at Catholic colleges, retreats, and events across the United States and internationally. He is happily married and father to six children.
Christopher Check is president of Catholic Answers - the largest lay-run Catholic apologetics and evangelization organization in the English-speaking world. He holds a degree in English Literature from Rice University.
Chris served as vice president of The Rockford Institute, a think-tank based in Rockford, Illinois, for nearly two decades. Before that, he served for seven years as a field artillery officer in the Marine Corps, attaining the rank of Captain while serving in deployments and expeditions in the Far East and the Persian Gulf.
He lectures on Church and military history and his writings have appeared in *Chronicles: A Magazine of American Culture, Catholic Answers Magazine, Touchstone, The Wanderer, Angelus, New Oxford Review, Culture Wars,* and T*he Chicago Tribune.* Thomas Roeser, Program Chairman for Chicago Legatus says, "When you combine the magnificent historical research done by Chris Check together with his passion for the Church, you have a combination of excellence that is hard to match, much less surpass."
Chris and his wife, Jacqueline, have four sons. The Checks show and breed Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, famed companions of the Stuart kings, under the kennel name Top Meadow Cavaliers, named for G.K. Chesterton’s Beaconsfield estate.
From falling off of bridges and piers as a stunt actor in Hollywood to building bridges as a Catholic broadcaster, our May 12th breakfast speaker, Brenda Garcia, is most passionate about emphasizing the need of truly living out the commandments - especially by fulfilling the first two. Part of her mission includes living the Corporal Works of Mercy, in which instruction is one of her favorites as an orator. Brenda realizes that a lot of our problems today consist not only because of a lack of belief in Jesus, but also because people "bottle in" their emotions and sufferings all too often.
As a philanthropist with a Counselor/Psychologist background, Brenda focuses on the healing of the whole individual human being by emphasizing the importance of the Sacraments, God's Great Divine Mercy and the Salvific Grace of our Faith within the realms and dimensions that make us human and children of God.
Brenda's passion for "building bridges" (as opposed to falling off of them!) extends to mending relationships. She is fascinated by the idea of reviving the art of seeking and knowing as a means for transforming mainstream culture to The Way, The Truth and The Life through Truth, Goodness and Beauty.
Her love for storytelling and her experience as a professional Host and Emcee make her a dynamic speaker with a desire to inspire others to utilize (and discover) their own unique gifts for the glorification of God.
Our April 14th speaker, Chéri Ballinger, began her career in film after being discovered as a young girl and cast in the 1998 remake of the iconic Walt Disney classic "The Parent Trap:"
After suffering a severe traumatic brain injury that stopped everything and resulted in four+ years of recovery, she is now back to work in the industry as a film producer.
Cheri's story reminds us that every day of life is a beautiful gift, and that we all have the ability to overcome all odds against us with God's help. She is one of the executive producers of the recently released feature film "Roe v Wade;' starring Jon Voight, which has enjoyed tremendous press and critical acclaim.
She is currently working on several upcoming high-profile productions with the desire to have her name and talent associated with films that reflect her passion for life and storytelling. Her motto is: "Be the Light."
Our March 10th speaker will John Gerardi, who is an attorney, the Executive Director of Right to Life of Central California, and co-founder and CEO of the Obria Medical Clinics of Central California. He is the host of “The John Gerardi Show” and “Right to Life Radio,” both on Powertalk 96.7 KALZ in Fresno, and available on Apple Podcasts. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Notre Dame Law School. John and his wife Holly live in Clovis with their five children, Madeleine, Sophia, John, Elizabeth, and James.
Many of you will remember John as our CP&BC president from September 2018 to October 2020. John’s faith makes him powerful “warrior” for unborn.
Please Note: Due to the scheduled remodeling of Pardini’s Banquet facility, CP&BC's March, and April breakfasts in 2023 will be held across the street at the Hotel Piccadilly’s Crown Room. Thank you for your understanding!
After winning election last June, John Zanoni was sworn in as Fresno County Sheriff on January 3rd, 2023, succeeding Margaret Mims, who had served as sheriff for 16 years.
Born and raised Catholic in Fresno, John attended San Joaquin Memorial High School and after graduation, Fresno State where he received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminology with a minor in Agricultural Business.
John began his career with the Fresno Sheriff’s Office as a 108 Reserve Deputy Sheriff in May of 1996. He was hired as a full time Deputy Sheriff in November of 1998.
During his career as a Deputy Sheriff he has worked in the Boating Enforcement Unit, Court Services, Detention Custody, Patrol, Uniformed Tactical Assignment, M.A.G.E.C (Multi Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium) Detective, and the Search and Rescue Team.
John was promoted to Sheriff’s Sergeant in April of 2005 and worked Patrol, Supervised the Patrol Training Program and Civil Unit and also coordinated the Sheriff’s Explorer Program.
He was promoted to Sheriff’s Lieutenant in 2012 and worked Operations Support Services as a Watch Commander, and was Commander of the Human Resources Unit, Internal Affairs Unit, Concealed Weapons Permit and Background Units and was also involved with the Sheriff’s Office Recruitment Team.
John was promoted to Sheriff’s Captain on February 2, 2016. He served as the Operations Support Bureau Captain and as the Patrol Bureau Captain.
He was promoted to Assistant Sheriff in May of 2018 and was in charge of the Field Services Division.
John is married to Jennifer, and they have three children; Rose, John and Joseph.
Our Friday, December 9th breakfast will be our annual Christmas Party!! Once again, we'll welcome Our Lady of Perpetual Help School choir members under the direction of Melita Mudri-Zubacz and we'll also hear about Catholic Education in our Diocese from Superintendent for Catholic Education, Joan Bouchard. We invite all CP&BC members to bring your checkbooks for direct donations to both the OLPH student choir and the Office of Catholic Education.
Prior to becoming Superintendent, Joan served the Diocese of Fresno for the past 18 years as an educator, Elementary School Principal, High School Dean of Students, High School Vice-Principal and Assistant Superintendent.
She holds a Clear Multi Subject Credential with a Business Addendum, Master of Business Administration and Master of Arts in Education. When not at work, she enjoys taking long walks with her dog Callie, reading, and spending time hiking and kayaking with her three boys.
We look forward to seeing everyone for our last breakfast of 2022 - a celebration of the Christmas season with a focus on the children who will be entrusted with our families, faith and future.
Our exciting November 11th breakfast speaker, Joe Heschmeyer, is traveling to Fresno from Kansas City. (Thanks be to God for Southwest Airlines service to Fresno!)
Joe’s first foray into the world of public speaking came as a high school and college debater, skills which he honed as a law student and eventually, a litigator. His introduction to Catholic apologetics came with his blog Shameless Popery which he launched in 2009 to share the truth of Jesus Christ and his Catholic Church. In 2021, Joe joined *Catholic Answers* as a regular contributor.
Joe has a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., a philosophy degree from Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, and a theology degree from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome. He enjoys speaking (and debating) on a wide range of issues, including the papacy, the beliefs of the earliest Christians, the Eucharist and sacramental theology, and pro-life issues.
Based on his book, *Pope Peter*, Joe’s talk explores the biblical basis for the idea that St. Peter really was chosen by Jesus Christ as the first pope and why that truth means that everyone should be Catholic!
Joe lives in a suburb of Kansas City with his wife Anna and their children.
Our Friday, October 14th breakfast speaker will be Patricia Santy, M.D., O.P., who our members may recall served as the flight doctor for the crew of the ill-fated U.S. Space Shuttle Challenger mission.
Pat is now a lay Dominican who works in a healing prayer ministry and has written a wonderful book, *Prodigal Daughter: A Journey with Mary, in which she details how, through a series of dreams, she found her way back to God and Mary. She will have copies of her book available for purchase at our breakfast.
In her own words, Pat admits she was raised in a severely dysfunctional family and had swallowed the culture's lies about womanhood and motherhood. After she angrily rejected God and Mary, she set out to become a self-directed, self-made woman - an "anti-Mary."
Her marriage crumbled, she struggled with the burden of having an abortion, and she began to wonder if the God she had rejected might actually exist.
Eventually, Pat found healing, love and deep joy by passing through the "garden" of the rosary. In her book and in her talks, she speaks from her own experience about her amazing journey. She shares powerful arguments for the existence of God and for the rightful place of Mary in the believer's journey toward Him.
We look forward to you joining us for our October breakfast to hear from Pat, who but for the grace of God and through the intercession of Mary, would never have found either.
Our kick-off speaker for CP&BC Fresno's fall season is the dynamic Orlando Javien, Jr. coming to us from San Diego.
Orlando operates a bookkeeping business by day and is known as a storyteller who believes everyone has a story. In business, that story is your financial picture. The story tells if your company is making money or losing money and why. The problem with many small businesses is that they neglect to examine or actually write out their story.
When Orlando began his faith journey, his goal was actually not to be Catholic. Although born, raised and married in the Catholic Church his faith walk would begin at a Protestant Church.
Desiring to lead his family in the right path Orlando constantly prayed that God would open his wife’s eyes to the errors of the Catholic Church. What God did instead was open his eyes to what was right in the Catholic Church.
It was Orlando’s fervent prayer that God would light a fire upon his wife’s heart. What God did was tell him to stop blowing out her flames.
It was Orlando’s passionate desire to be used in the building of God’s Kingdom and God told him that would be done if he allowed it to be done in the Catholic Church.
Perplexed with that call upon his life, he took it to prayer and gained the wisdom to accept the call. Orlando is now an inspiring voice for the Catholic Church sharing his passion as an inspirational speaker.
Orlando talks openly about issues of faith and also shares his beautiful journey back to the Catholic Church. Orlando believes that by sharing his struggles and successes others can find freedom and faith beyond ordinary.
Tim Staples is Director of Apologetics and Evangelization at Catholic Answers, but he was not always Catholic. Tim was raised a Southern Baptist.
Although he fell away from the faith of his childhood, Tim came back to faith in Christ during his late teen years through the witness of Christian televangelists. Soon after, Tim joined the Marine Corps.
During his four-year tour, he became involved in ministry with various Assemblies of God communities. Immediately after his tour of duty, Tim enrolled in Jimmy Swaggart’s Bible College and became a youth minister in an Assembly of God community. During his final year in the Marines, however, Tim met a Marine who really knew his faith and challenged Tim to study Catholicism from Catholic and historical sources. That encounter sparked a two-year search for the truth. Tim was determined to prove Catholicism wrong, but he ended up studying his way to the last place he thought he would ever end up: the Catholic Church!
This much sought-after speaker is one you won’t want to miss!
Our May 13, 2022 speaker is Fr. Alex Chavez, pastor of Visalia's Good Shepherd Parish and called by Bishop Joseph V. Brennan to lead the parish in the completion of construction of the parish's new, 3,100 seat St. Charles Borromeo Church. The massive church is being built in a mission style architecture with the familiar cross-shaped floor plan, but utilizing modern design and building techniques necessary to build at a significantly larger scale.
Fortunately, before being ordained a priest, Fr. Alex studied Civil Engineering at Fresno State and worked nearly eight years as a Civil Engineer for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). During his career at Caltrans, he worked in three of their units: Construction, Project Management, and Design. Providentially, the last project he worked on before becoming a priest was the preliminary design work of the 6-mile stretch of Highway 101 in the City of Prunedale, where Highways 156 and 101 merge. This highway, as many of you know, roughly follows the same route as the El Camino Real, the original road traveled by Fr. Junipero Serra over 250 years ago between the original 9, then ultimately all 21 California missions.
Even as Fr. Alex was working as an engineer, he responded to our Lord’s call to follow Him as a priest and entered priestly formation in 2006. He attended St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, CA and was ordained a priest in 2012. and since then he has continued to be extremely honored, grateful, and joyful to have received and responded to our Lord’s invitation to serve him as an ordained priest.
His first priestly assignment was in Merced at Sacred Heart parish, which he refers to as his first love. Ten months after a need arose in Huron at Saint Francis Cabrini parish, he was sent there by Bishop Armando X. Ochoa. He served there for a year and three months until Bishop Armando assigned him to the beautiful City of Visalia.
In Visalia, Fr. Alex worked as associate pastor with Fr. Eric for two years at Good Shepherd Catholic Parish and then was asked by Bishop Armando to be rector of St. John’s Cathedral. He served there for three years. He was then asked by Bishop Brennan to return to Visalia as pastor of Good Shepherd Parish. Upon his return to Visalia, he said, "I've only been ordained for 8 yrs and my experiences have been beyond all my expectations. I praise God our Father for that. I return to you as your pastor with great enthusiasm and joy. I know the challenges ahead are monumental, but with God not insurmountable."
We look forward to seeing a great turn-out at our breakfast on May 13th when we'll hear so much more from this inspiring priest in our own diocese and all about the exciting progress toward opening the largest Catholic parish church in the United States. Bring a friend to hear all about this new mission church where, as the architect states, "the power of over three thousand Catholics coming together can give testimony to Christ’s love for us and emotionally move us as we share our Catholic faith."
John Martignoni, our April 8th speaker, is traveling to Fresno from Birmingham, Alabama. Born Catholic, but never learning the Faith growing up, John left the Church when he went off to college.
He earned a B.S. in Finance and then an M.B.A. from the University of Alabama and went to work in the defense industry as a cost analyst for several years before returning to school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - to get a Ph.D. in Finance.
He did not get that Ph.D., but came back to the Church at the end of his year in North Carolina. He was a “Cafeteria Catholic” for a couple of years until he heard Scott Hahn’s “Conversion Story” talk and starting delving deeply into apologetics.
John became Founder and President of Bible Christian Society- an apologetics and evangelization apostolate that reaches tens of thousands in all 50 states and more than 70 countries around the world with the truths of the Catholic Faith.
John’s methodology is so easy to learn and to apply, that people started calling what he does blue collar apologetics, and so he adopted that term. Which is why he called his recent book from EWTN Publishing: Blue Collar Apologetics: How to Explain and Defend Catholic Teaching Using Common Sense, Simple Logic, and the Bible.
Over the last 20+ years, John has given hundreds of talks at parishes and conferences throughout the United States and Canada.
Our March 11th, 2022 speaker is traveling to Fresno from Belleville, Illinois, just outside of St. Louis, Missouri. David L. Gray is a Catholic Theologian, Author, Speaker, Radio Host, and President and Publisher of Saint Dominic's Media. He is best known for his uncompromising proclamation of the Catholic Church's prohibition against Freemasonry, his passionate defense of life in the womb, and his inspiring lessons on how to live our lives in continuity with the Catholic liturgy of the Mass.
David spent his early adult years being comfortably Agnostic and conveniently Diest and progressing fast up the ranks of Freemasonry until 2004 when the suffering of losing it all became the consequence of a life without God. In the pit of that suffering he chose to commit suicide, and in the process of that despair, he heard an audible voice speak to him, saying, "I love you. I am here". The fact that he somehow knew it was the voice of Christ Jesus, whom he had believed was just the main protagonist and fictional character in a failed religion, is still a point of awe in his life today.
Since then, David has been on a path to draw nearer to the Lord who had mercy on him that day. That path has led him to the Catholic Church, a discernment of the priesthood that resulted in earning a Master of Arts Degree in Theology at Ohio Dominican University, teaching Catholic theology to high school students, the establishing of Saint Dominic's Media to produce books and media for the crusade of peace through truth, and speaking throughout the country in reparation of the harm done before his life in Christ - boldly calling men out of Freemasonry and out of sexual habits that lead to the destruction of life through abortion.
David and his wife Felicia are active in the Queen of Peace Catholic community on Scott Air Force Base. David's David L. Gray - Off Code and Unscripted is on YouTube and other platforms, and he is also an on-air radio personality for the Guadalupe Radio Network on The David L. Gray Show: Voicing Truth and Reason, which airs every Wednesday at 4 PM Central Time on 39 stations and at grnonline.com
Kicking off CP&BC's spring 2022 speaker lineup on Friday, February 11th is “The Candid Cajun," Billy Arcement, traveling to us all the way from Prairieville, Louisiana!
A cradle Catholic, Billy served as an Altar Boy from age five (Yes FIVE) through age thirteen. This fostered a love of the mass and his faith that is still burning brightly in his soul today.
A teacher by training, he taught and coached at a high school level for six years. Leaving the profession, he started a career as a chemist for a new chemical manufacturing facility. Within five years, he was promoted to a management position. For 28 years, he had oversight of product quality, global customer service, and safety and environmental regulatory compliance.
Since retiring from his former employer, he began his current speaking and consulting business.
Billy is the author of six books: “Searching for Success,” “The Journey,” “Leading Yourself, Leading Others,” “Leadership Skills and Strategies that Win,” “Become the Best Version of Yourself,” and “Creating a Climate of Respect and Building Relationships in Today’s Workplace Culture.”
We hope you will join us for this very special breakfast speaker in-person at Pardini’s on February 11th.