2008 Rocky Mountain
Catholic Home Educators Conference
Guest Speakers

The Most Reverend Bishop Michael J. Sheridan was born in St. Louis, MO on March 4, 1945. He was ordained as a diocesan priest by Cardinal John J. Carberry on May 29, 1971. On September 3, 1997 Bishop Sheridan was ordained as an auxiliary bishop of St. Louis by Archbishop Justin Rigali. On December 4, 2001 Bishop Sheridan was appointed coadjutor bishop of Colorado Springs and became the bishop of the diocese on January 30, 2003.

Bishop Sheridan has received several graduate degrees in theology, including a Doctorate of Sacred Theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas [Angelicum] in Rome. In addition to serving as a parochial vicar and pastor of several parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, Bishop Sheridan taught on the theological faculty of Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis.

Currently he is a member of the Board of Governors of the North American College in Rome, a member of the Board of Directors of Catholic Relief Services, and a member of the Committee on Education of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. He is also a member of the International Dominican Foundation and a member of Kenrick/Glennon Seminary Board of Trustees.

Fr. Antoine Thomas is a native of France. Before joining the Brothers of St. John in 1985, he was a member of the French Army in the Alpine Troops, pursued a degree in marketing both in France and the US, and enjoyed many active sports such as hang gliding, windsurfing, and mountain climbing in the Alps.

Fr. Antoine was ordained in 1992. After six years as chaplain of a large Catholic school in Paris, he was the prior of the new foundation of his community in Peoria, Illinois for six years. He was also the chaplain to the Bradley University students during that time. He now resides as vicar at St Joseph's Priory in Princeville, Illinois.

Fr. Antoine has given many Youth 2000 retreats throughout the United States, as well as seminars and retreats to seminarians and to active and contemplative sisters. He has formed a children's Eucharistic Adoration program known as "Children of Hope" which is being implemented in parishes around the World. Fr. Antoine is a regular guest on EWTN. He has filmed several series for them, as well as appearing on "Life on the Rock", "Mother Angelica Live", and other shows.

The Congregation of St. John is one of the fastest growing religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1975 by Father Marie-Dominique Philippe, an outstanding Dominican figure in our time, the Order now numbers over 900 Brothers and Sisters who have been called to over 20 countries.

Fr. Joseph Hearty, FSSP is a member of The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. The Fraternity of St. Peter is a Society of Apostolic Life that was founded twenty years ago, this year, to offer the Mass and the Sacraments, in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Mass, according to the Missal of Blessed John XXIII.

Fr. Hearty is currently assigned as Assistant Chaplain at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Latin Mass Community in Littleton, CO. Father is originally from Ontario, Canada and has been living in the U.S. since his entrance into the seminary in September 1996. Before entering the seminary, Father studied Broadcast Journalism in college. Fr. Hearty will celebrate his fifth anniversary of Ordination in June 2008.

Fr. Andreas Hock, S.S.D., was born in Cologne/Germany. He studied Philosophy, Theology, and Exegesis in Bonn/Germany, Anápolis/Brazil, Rome, and Jerusalem. After his ordination as a Catholic priest in 1992 he earned his doctorate at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome in 2002. Father Hock speaks 14 languages.

He is a member of the clergy of the Archdiocese of Denver and is currently teaching the New Testament at the Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary in the Archdiocese of Denver as a Professor. He is the chairman of the Scripture Department. Fr. Hock also teaches for the St. Francis School of Theology for Deacons and is a published author.

Christopher Stefanick is a highly effective speaker with years of experience in youth and young adult ministry. He's also a proud dad of four - who he shares stories about whenever he talks. Chris has served at parishes in the East LA area, Pennsylvania, and as the Diocesan Director of Youth Ministry for La Crosse, WI. He is currently the Director of Youth, Young Adult and Campus Ministry for the Archdiocese of Denver.

You can hear Chris regularly talking about the Saints on Relevant Radio (as the Vice President of the Dead Theologians Society) - and occasionally on Catholic Answers Live talking about chastity (as a chastity speaker for pureloveclub.com). Chris is currently co-authoring his first book with Matt Pinto, "Do I Have to Go? - and 100 other questions about the Mass, the Eucharist, and Worshipping God" scheduled for release in January 2008.

Chris' power packed presentations hold the undivided attention of young people with gripping stories, humor, music, and drama. His dynamic presentations and retreats have inspired tens of thousands of young people nationwide to a deeper love for Jesus Christ and His Church.

Michael J. Rayes is a homeschooling father of seven and the author of several articles on parenting and marriage. While in college, Michael founded the first pro-life club on his college campus and won second place in a nationwide pro-life speaking contest. He wrote Bank Robbery!, a Catholic children’s mystery book (published by Rafka Press). He is also the author of an upcoming workbook on making children behave at Sunday morning Mass.

Michael earned a B.A. in Education ('97), an M.B.A ('07), and was a junior-high teacher in public schools in Arizona. He and his wife have 14 years experience homeschooling their children. At the conference, Michael will bring his many years of experience applying psychology and Church teachings to education. His talks include "The Four Temperaments in Your Home School" and "The Father’s Role in Home Schooling."

Michael has articles, special reports, and a free monthly newsletter for Catholic parents on his web site, www.michaelrayes.com. He mentors Catholic married couples who wish to utilize his expertise on marriage and parenting.

Mary Gildersleeve began designing shortly after teaching herself to knit at the age of 8. Knitting and designing were her constant activities until, in 1997, she finally established By Hand, With Heart…hand-knit designs, where she creates designs for various knitwear outlets (including published designs in Knitters, INKnitters, Cast On), custom knits original designs, and self-publishes her patterns. She has a knitting blog (By Hand, With Heart … hand-knit designs) where she discusses her work, her “finds” and suggestions for teaching kids this age-old art. She is also a published writer, reviewer, teacher … and talker about knitting whenever anyone will listen. Hillside Education has just published her latest book, Great Yarns for the Close-Knit Family: Over two dozen original hand-knit designs inspired by one dozen fantastic family read-alouds.

Mary Gildersleeve earned an MBA from the College of William and Mary (Williamsburg, VA) and a BA in Print Journalism from Gonzaga University (Spokane, Washington). She continues with her knitting education by attending seminars, voraciously reading all knitting books/magazines/websites, and constantly honing her practical knitting skills.

Her primary vocation though is as wife, mother and home-educator ... living, loving and learning with her husband Rick and their 5 children (5 to 18 yrs) in the shadow of the Front Range in Denver, Colorado. You can read more about their home-centered learning experiences at St. Athanasius Academy.

Anthony Lilles grew up in the San Joachin Valley and is a graduate in theology of Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio in 1987. After finishing his licentiate in spiritual theology at the Angelicum in Rome in 1992, Anthony settled in Denver, Colorado with his wife, Agnes and son, John Joseph. He now has two daughters, Elisabeth and Marie. After working as a director of religious education for parishes in Denver, he completed his doctorate at the Angelicum in 1998. He then served as Director of the Office of Liturgy for the Church in Northern Colorado. In 2001, he was elected Academic Dean of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. An assistant professor, he teaches Spiritual Theology and is considered an international expert in 20th Century Carmelite mysticism.

Marie Pizzolatto has 15 years home schooling experience with her seven children. Over the past 11 years her experience has expanded to include caring and cooking for her children's insulin dependent diabetes, celiac disease (gluten intolerance) and multiple environmental and food allergies.

Eric Genuis is a composer, virtuoso pianist and captivating performer. Since 1997, Eric has been performing his works throughout the world in countries including the United States, Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, and Poland. In addition to performing for millions of people, Eric has recorded 8 CDs and written music for film, documentaries, television, and internet media.

Eric is the homeschool father of 4.
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Mrs. Virginia "Ginny" Seuffert, a native New Yorker and mother of twelve, currently resides in Illinois with her husband.

While in New York, Mrs. Seuffert lectured, debated, and wrote a number of articles for the Pro-Life movement. After moving to Illinois, she became a founding member of the Network of Illinois Catholic Home Educators, helped establish the "Round Table" (a Catholic home school leadership discussion group), and became a founder and officer of the Catholic Home School Network of America.

Mrs. Seuffert has appeared on EWTN, and has spoken at numerous Catholic family conferences throughout the U.S. and Canada. She is the author of various articles on home education, particularly stressing the teaching of virtues and discipline. Mrs. Seuffert wrote the chapter on "Home Management" in Dr. Mary Kay Clark's book, Catholic Home Schooling: A Parent's Guide.

Dr. Edward Sri is a regular EWTN guest and the author of several books, including two Catholic best-sellers: The New Rosary in Scripture: Biblical Insights for Praying the 20 Mysteries (Servant) and The Da Vinci Deception: 100 Questions About the Facts and Fiction of The Da Vinci Code (Ascension Press) (coauthored with Mark Shea).

His most recent book, on men-women relationships, is called Men, Women and the Mystery of Love: Practical Insights on John Paul II’s Love and Responsibility (Servant).

Edward is a founding leader with Curtis Martin of FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students). He is professor of theology and Scripture at the Augustine Institute’s Master’s in Catechetics and Evangelization program in Denver, Colorado, and he regularly writes and speaks on Scripture, apologetics and the Catholic faith. He also serves as a visiting professor at Benedictine College, where he taught full-time for nine years. Edward holds a doctorate from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. He resides with his wife Elizabeth and their four children in Littleton, Colorado.

Other book by Edward Sri include: Mystery of the Kingdom: On the Gospel of Matthew (Emmaus Road), Queen Mother: A Biblical Theology of Mary’s Queenship (Emmaus Road) and Dawn of the Messiah: The Coming of Christ in Scripture (Servant). He also is a contributor to the popular apologetics series, Catholic for a Reason and the recent volume on Catholic theology of Mary, called Mariology (Queenship Publishing).

Dan Spadaro MA, LPC is a licensed professional counselor in Colorado who received both his undergraduate (Theology '92) and graduate (Counseling '97) degrees from Franciscan University. Dan has devoted much of his counseling practice (Imago Dei Counseling) toward the restoration of the family; by helping those who struggle with impurity and sexual addiction know hope and real freedom. Dan has received training with Dr. Patrick Carnes and is completing his preparation as a Certified Sexual Addictions Therapist (CSAT). In 2006, Dan completed certification for adolescent disruptive behavior disorders as part of the Integrated Psychotherapy Consortium Training Institute with Columbia University. Dan and his lovely wife Amee, have three beautiful children.

Fifteen years ago, Fran Rutherford began the homeschooling adventure with her children and chose a classics-based curriculum. To ease her children's journey through the classical literature, she wrote study questions to keep them focused and to make the works accessible to her young teenagers.

Those study questions have been expanded with additional information and illustrations, and currently appear in three 2-volume study guides: Greek Classics, Ancient Rome and Old World Europe. Each one has a student book and a teacher's answer key and can be used with any of the classical curricula available.

In her talk Beauty and the Beast, Fran will discuss the relevance of enduring truth and beauty in classical works and show that they are the antidote to the ugliness and repugnance which are so prevalent in contemporary literature, art and music. Because the classics lift up the human spirit and elevate human dignity, they are an essential component of education.

She and her husband Larry have four children and nine grandchildren. They live in Black Forest, Colorado, where Fran is homeschooling their youngest child Mike, who will graduate in May.

Dr. Stanley Schmidt became a Christian on May 14th when he was picked up bodily and carried into the church sanctuary and baptized. He says that this was the most important day of his life. He doesn't remember a lot about that day (May 14, 1944) since he was only four months old at the time. Since that day, he has gained over 200 pounds, and no one carries him into church anymore. Children who know Stan say that he is a very silly man. After years of teaching math at the high school and college level, he retired himself and wrote eleven award-winning mathematics books that have been enthusiastically received by Catholic homeschoolers. (The Life of Fred series---arithmetic through calculus.) He created and produced the television series "Stan Now Considers All Things" which ran for five years. Its theme was "What It Means to be Well Educated," presenting segments on 15 themes including: English, history, science, the Bible, sociology, poetry, economics, philosophy, and health. His blood flows in a lot of people--a 38+ gallon blood donor. He believes--silly man!--that mathematics can be the most fun-filled part of a homeschooler's education.

Stan will be speaking on “Learning the Art of Living in the 4th Dimension.” It is a no-algebra needed presentation. Everyone can come and enjoy. You’ll learn how to tell what dimension you are in and how to draw four-dimensional cubes, and five-dimensional cubes, and six. . . .

A homeschool graduate herself, Chantal Howard is a wife, mother, and aspiring author. Chantal offers her audience a unique glimpse into "the school of the family." She was homeschooled from fourth grade through high school. Her homeschool experience was a bit unconventional as she spent time training as a high-level gymnast, discerning a religious vocation with the Community of St. John, being involved with a family-owned business and assuming greater responsibilities at age 14 in helping her mother raise the family following the untimely death of her father due to cancer.

Shortly after her graduation, Chantal married Peter Howard and has dedicated her time to raising her family and sharing with others the insights she has gained through her young, but eventful life. She is now in the process of writing a book on the role of the family in forming holiness from childhood to motherhood. Through her own testimony of homeschooling and Catholic family life, Chantal brings to light the necessary ingredients for building a future generation of well-formed and faith-filled families. She and her husband have two children, Gemma and Jacinta Claire, and are presently expecting their third.

Debra Wright has been involved in Religious Education programs since 1980 while living in the 'Bible Belt' of this great nation. Teaching everything in Parishes from First Communion classes, Confirmation Programs and Human Sexuality to high school seniors, she has seen a growing need for more Scripture Study within the Catholic community. She studied "The Bible: Plain and Simple" with Logos Ministries over seven years, moving from Genesis through Revelation. By the end of that program, she and her husband Thomas traveled the fifth gospel (according to St. Jerome), the Holy Land of Israel, where Scripture became alive. Through more study on Apologetics, great interaction with her Protestant brothers and sisters in addition to becoming a Certified Catechist, she developed her Apologetics program. This curriculum is designed especially for teenagers, enabling them to effectively explain and defend their Catholic faith through Scriptures.

Debra has home-schooled her children through High School to include Apologetics as part of their curriculum. Currently, she teaches Apologetics as part of the Post-Confirmation Education at Our Lady of the Pines in Black Forest, Colorado.