Katie is a lawyer practicing in the Government Policy Department of Dykema Gossett’s Lansing office.  She is a graduate of Ave Maria School of Law.  As a law student, Katie served as a Senior Editor of the Ave Maria Law Review and Vice President of the Lex Vitae Society, among other activities.  Her law review note entitled “Why the Equal Protection Clause Cannot ‘Fix’ Abortion Law” was published in the Ave Maria Law Review and the Human Life Review.  During the 2008 election cycle, Katie served as Chair of Michigan Students for Brownback, then as a National Committee Member for Law Students for McCain and Catholic Students for McCain.

Katie got her start in the pro-life movement as a volunteer for Right to Life of Michigan in high school. She then founded Lansing Catholic High School's Students for Life club.  As a college student, Katie planned the first statewide pro-life rally at Michigan State University and served as President of MSU Students for Life.  She also served as Outreach Director for Students for Life of America.  Katie founded Students for Life of Michigan (SFLM) and served as its first student president.  Katie currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for SFLM.

Back to top | Back to Sessions

Deacon Jim  & Terri Corder 
(When We Talk, What Are We Saying?)

Dcn. Jim and Terri Corder are members of St. Gerard Church in Lansing. They both have a BA in Management and Organizational Development through Spring Arbor College. Jim is a Permanent Deacon and has a Masters in Pastoral Ministry from Loyola University. Terri works at the State of Michigan in the Unemployment Office. Together they work with couples preparing for marriage as well as present session of marriage enrichment for married couples. They have two sons (Tim and Jeff) that are in college.

 Back to top | Back to Sessions

Sister Mary Soher, O.P.
(Does God Want You To Be Happy?)

Sister Mary Soher, OP, is a member of the Adrian Dominican Sisters. Currently Sister Mary ministers in Vocation Outreach, but previously had ministered at Barry University in Miami, FL as a campus minister. Sister Mary was born in California, grew up in Oklahoma and Kansas, and graduated with a degree in Communications from Trinity University, San Antonio, TX. She worked for a CBS Television Affiliate in San Antonio before moving to southern California as a coordinator for satellite videoconferencing. Sr. Mary met the Adrian Dominican Sisters in 1994 and entered the Congregation in 1996.  As to what brought her to Michigan – God! She says, "I fell in love with a community that has its headquarters here. I never imagined this, but I do like surprises! I was also attracted to this group of women because they are nationwide and globally focused even as they are based here. It’s a great mix."

 Back to top | Back to Sessions 

Fr. Fred Thelen
(Everything You Wanted to Know ...)

Fr. Fred Thelen grew up in Fowler, Michigan. After graduating from Fowler High School in 1972, he attended the University of Waterloo in Kitchener, Ontario where he received his BA in Psychology. Soon after, he earned his M.A. in Religious Studies from the University of Detroit continuing on to receive his M.Div. from St. Johns Provincial Seminary in 1980 and his Doctorate of Ministry from St. Mary’s Seminary and University of Baltimore in1988. Fr. Fred was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Lansing in 1980 after which time he has served the diocese in many capacities. As a parish priest, he has always had a love for good Liturgy, both as a celebrant and in teaching others about it.

Back to top | Back to Sessions

Craig Pohl
(The Truth About Christ)

Craig Pohl attended St. John Vianney Seminary on the campus of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN from 1996-1999. He obtained his degree in Catholic Studies and Philosophy and returned to his hometown of Westphalia, MI where he worked as the director of youth ministry for four years. Craig and Fr. Bill Ashbaugh developed the Ark, an ice cream shop/coffee house where teens and young adults from the surrounding area gather to socialize and learn more about their faith.

Craig also taught Philosophy and Theology at Lansing Catholic High School from 2004-2006. In 2008 Craig began working for Renewal Ministries, an organization devoted to promoting evangelization and renewal within the Catholic Church. During his year and a half there, Craig was director of marketing, producer of the popular EWTN Catholic television series, The Choices We Face with Ralph Martin and Peter Herbeck, and also spoke at various conferences and parish events. 

Craig has been featured several times in FAITH magazine for his work with youth/young adults and his involvement with the Ark. He has also appeared twice as a guest on The Choices We Face where he shared his conversion story and discussed youth ministry. Craig has also been interviewed several times on Fire on the Earth, a Catholic radio program dedicated to Catholic evangelization hosted by Peter Herbeck.

Currently Craig is working for two parishes in the Lansing Diocese of Michigan as the Director of Adult Spirituality and Evangelism and is finishing his Masters Degree in Theology at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. His passion for the Truth and evangelization has sustained his desire to keep Christ at the center of his life and to tell the world of God’s love.

 Back to top | Back to Sessions

Jennifer Delvaux
(iPray)

Jennifer Delvaux is Director of High School and  Young Adult Ministry for St. Francis Church in Ann Arbor.  She also serves on the National Catholic Young Adult Ministry Association's executive board.

Back to top | Back to Sessions

Nicholas Danne
(What Am I Going to Be...)

Nicholas has been a member of the Diocese of Lansing retreat group for single young adults, named REFRESH, since 2004. He works as an engineer and enjoys Big Ten football rivalries.

 Back to top | Back to Sessions

Rakhi McCormick
(The Heart of Worship)

Rakhi McCormick is the Associate Director for the Office of Youth, Young Adult & Campus Ministry for the Archdiocese of Detroit. Prior to this new position, Rakhi served as the Director of Genesis Ministries, a young adult ministry outreach for the Oakland County area in Michigan for four years and volunteered her time in leadership of a local young adult group while working at Oakland University for six years before that. 

She is a convert to the faith from Hinduism, having come into the Church through the campus ministry at the University of Iowa. Her passion for young adult ministry grew out of this experience, and continued to grow while she was volunteering with a parish ministry, trying to connect her peers not only to participate but to take ownership of their faith life and development.

Rakhi has a M.S. in Education Administration from Texas A&M University and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Iowa, and is currently (though sporadically) attending Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. She also serves as the current President of the National Catholic Young Adult Ministry Assocation Executive Board. (As she recently got married, some of you may have known her as Rakhi Roy.)

Marcos Luviano
(Blessed Are the Single-Hearted) [Spanish]   Marcos Luviano Bustos was born in El Limon Grande of the State of Guerrero in Mexico. He came to the United States of America in 1993. In August of 2008 he graduated from the three year leadership formation Program offered by the Instituto Cultural de Liderazgo en el Medio Oeste (ICLM). He participated in the Parish, Diocesan, Regional, and the First National Encounter for Hispanic Youth and Young Adult Ministry. He has been an active leader in various parishes for Hispanic youth. Further he has been active in leadership formation, catechesis, and parish organization. He has participated in various courses and taken seminars in leadership, theology, and pastoral ministry. Marcos has written poetry and other articles for the newspaper, El Mexicano. Currently he is involved in the Hispanic pastoral ministry in Bronson and Coldwater.

Back to top | Back to Sessions

 Back to top | Back to Sessions