2019 Speakers
Father Donald Calloway, MIC
Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC, a prominent Marian priest, exhibits an unmistakable zeal for the priesthood and devotion to Our Lady. He is a well-known conference speaker on Divine Mercy and the Blessed Virgin Mary. He speaks passionately about these topics in his moving conversion story. He is the editor of two books: The Virgin Mary and Theology of the Body and The Immaculate Conception in the Life of the Church. He has also authored eight books: Purest of All Lilies: The Virgin Mary in the Spirituality of St. Faustina, No Turning Back: A Witness to Mercy, Under the Mantle: Marian Thoughts from a 21st Century Priest, Marian Gems: Daily Wisdom on Our Lady, Mary of Nazareth: The Life of Our Lady in Pictures, Rosary Gems: Daily Wisdom on the Holy Rosary, and Champions of the Rosary: The History and Heroes of a Spiritual Weapon, Consecration to St. Joseph.
Fr. Chris Alar, MIC
Marians of the Immaculate Conception
“Father Joseph” – Director of the Association of Marian Helpers Stockbridge, Massachusetts
Father Chris entered the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception, the religious community entrusted with spreading the message and devotion of Divine Mercy, as a postulant in July 2006. Prior to that, he received a BS in industrial engineering and an MBA from the University of Michigan. After working several years at a Fortune 500 company, he began his own consulting company in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2000. After answering the Lord’s call, he attended Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, for his philosophy studies and earned his Masters of Divinity from Holy Apostles Seminary in Cromwell, Connecticut. Over the past several years he has been mentored by the world’s leading experts in Divine Mercy, and he has spoken at over 100 parishes to date. Currently, he lives and works on Eden Hill in Stockbridge, Mass., home of the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy, where he serves as “Fr. Joseph, MIC,” the director of the Association of Marian Helpers.
Dr. Ray Guarendi
Clinical psychologist
A clinical psychologist for over 40 years, Dr. Ray has a wide variety of experience working with parents, families, educators, substance abuse programs, in-patient psychiatric centers, juvenile courts, and private practice. He has witnessed the common time-tested factors that consistently contribute to success in marriages and families. As a practicing Catholic, Dr. Ray’s in-depth experience has led to his discovery that the so-called “experts” are undermining parental authority and preventing parents from following their God-given instincts to raise their kids for Heaven. This guiding principle led him to write his first best-selling book, You’re A Better Parent Than You Think. By putting the power, knowledge, and authority back into the hands of parents, Dr. Ray has helped thousands eliminate parenting frustrations by replacing them with proven parenting techniques that result in happy, well-adjusted children. Throughout his vocation and career, he has expanded on this theme to empower families to confidently take charge of the many challenges that arise with respect to marriages, families, raising teenagers, and more. Other book titles of Dr. Ray’s include: Good Discipline, Great Teens; Back to the Family; Discipline that Lasts a Lifetime; Winning the Discipline Debates; Adoption and Fighting Mad.
In addition to the Parenting and Family genre, Dr. Ray speaks on many topics concerning the Catholic faith. As an adult “revert,” he has written and spoken extensively on Catholic Apologetics. His ecclesiastically approved books, What Catholics Really Believe and Why Be Catholic are a basis for many of his presentations designed to help Catholics understand and defend the wisdom and beauty of the one, true faith. His book, When Faith Causes Family Friction, addresses many issues of faith that are surprisingly common causes of division among family members and relatives.
Msgr. Eduardo Sánchez Chávez
General Director
Msgr. Eduardo Chávez Sánchez is co-founder and rector of the Institute for Guadeloupian Studies, and is a canon of the Basilica of Guadalupe. Born in Mexico City, he studied philosophy and theology in the Institute for Ecclesiastical Studies at Mexico’s Conciliar Seminary. He was ordained on Aug. 15, 1981, in the Archdiocese of Mexico. He holds a diploma in philosophy from the Universidad del Valle de Atemajac
in Guadalajara and, a doctorate in Church history from the Pontifical Gregorian University.
On May 17, 2001, Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, Archbishop of Mexico, appointed him postulator for the cause of Saint Juan Diego, who was canonized on July 31, 2002. Msgr. Chávez was also general secretary for Pope John Paul II’s visit to Mexico. Msgr. Chávez has made many contributions to the study of the Guadeloupian event, addressing major academic institutions internationally and publishing more than 28 books and articles.
Fr. Wade Menezes
Missionary
Fr. Wade L. J. Menezes, CPM is a member of the Fathers of Mercy, a missionary preaching Religious Congregation based in Auburn, Kentucky. Ordained a priest during the Great Jubilee Year 2000, he received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Catholic Thought from the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Toronto, Canada and his dual Master of Arts and Master of Divinity Degrees in Theology from Holy Apostles Seminary in Cromwell, Connecticut. His secular college degrees are in journalism and communications.
Fr. Wade is currently the Assistant General and has served as Director of Vocations and Director of Seminarians for the Fathers of Mercy. Fr. Wade has also served as the Chaplain-in-Residence at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in Hanceville, Alabama. While at the Shrine, Fr. Wade was a daily Mass celebrant, homilist, and confessor; he also gave spiritual conferences on specialized points of Catholic Christian doctrine to the many pilgrims who visit the Shrine. Both the Monastery and Shrine are affiliated with EWTN, the Eternal Word Television Network.
Fr. Wade has been a contributing writer for The National Catholic Register, Our Sunday Visitor, Catholic Twin Circle, Catholic Faith and Family, The Wanderer, Pastoral Life, The Catholic Faith, Lay Witness and Christian Ranchman publications. Several homiletic series of his have appeared in Homiletic and Pastoral Review, an international journal for Priests. Fr. Wade has also been a guest on various episodes of EWTN’s “Mother Angelica Live” and “Life on the Rock” programs during which he discussed such topics as the sanctification of marriage and family life, vocations, and the Sacred Liturgy. He has also hosted several televised series for EWTN, which have covered such topics as the necessity of the spiritual life, the Four Last Things, the Ten Commandments of Catholic Family Life, and the Gospel of Life vs. the Culture of Death. He is also the host of the EWTN segment series “The Crux of the Matter” and “The Wonders of His Mercy”. His many theological and doctrinal presentations have been featured on EWTN Radio, Ave Maria Radio, Guadalupe Radio Network, Covenant Network Radio, Catholic Broadcasting Northwest, and Voice of Virtue International. He is the host of EWTN Global Catholic Radio’s “Open Line Tuesday”.
