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Questions? Call 412-343-8700

may’24 2 Thursday
may’24 4 Saturday
Catholics
At The Shore
Questions? Call 412-343-8700

Renew Your Spirit

Deepen your Faith

Please join us for a two and a half day
immersive faith filled caucus.
Bringing together
the brightest minds in the Catholic Church
today - this unparalleled event includes

tremendous inspirational speakers, wonderful relationship building opportunities, and deep
faith
formation in one of the most beautiful backdrops in the United States.

Cats 2024: Nothing is impossible with God

2024 Speaker Announcement

Jim Wahlberg will join CATS 2024


Jim is the fifth oldest Wahlberg. Like his brothers Donnie and Mark, Jim recovered from his tough upbringing in the streets of Dorchester to become a producer, writer, and director of films. Jim is the executive director of the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation, created to improve the quality of life for inner city youth through a working partnership with other youth organizations.

His recently published autobiography, The Big Hustle, tells how in prison he was befriended by a priest-chaplain, Fr. Jim Fratus, who had a major impact on his life. It was also while he was in prison that Mother Teresa visited and he heard her offer some “life-changing” words. He received the Sacrament of Confirmation while still an inmate, and began to learn and embrace the Catholic faith. Jim and his wife live in South Florida and have three children.

Identical, But Completely Unique - The Incredible Story of God’s Love.


Just a few years ago, Christen Furka was a Wall Street lawyer and her twin sister,
Natalie, was working in a hospital. Now with new names and a new calling, Sister Pia
Jude (Christen) and Sister Luca Benedict (Natalie) reflect on their journey, themselves surprised that their future would be a call to religious life. But, they say, God had a
greater plan.

Kristan Hawkins will join cats 2024


Christian, wife, mother, grassroots activist, author, speaker, Podcast host and a human rights advocate. President of Students for Life of America and Students for Life Action, she was recruited in 2006 to launch Students for Life of America’s full-time operation.

Overcoming Unbelievable Horror with Joy and Christ’s Mercy


Immaculée Ilibagiza was born and raised in a small village in Rwanda, Africa.
She enjoyed a peaceful childhood with her loving parents and three brothers.
Education was very important in her household, so it was no surprise that she did well in school and went on to the National University of Rwanda to study electrical and mechanical engineering. It was while she was home from school on Easter break in
1994 that Immaculée's life was transformed forever.

On April 6 of that year, the Rwandan President’s plane was shot down over the capital
city of Kigali. This assassination of the Hutu president sparked months of massacres of Tutsi tribe members throughout the country. Not even small, rural communities like Immaculée’s were spared from the house-by-house slaughtering of men, women and children.

To protect his only daughter from rape and murder, Immaculée’s father told her to run
to a local pastor’s house for protection. The pastor quickly sheltered Immaculée and seven other women in a hidden 3 x 4 foot bathroom. For the next 91 days, Immaculée
and the other women huddled silently in this small room, while the genocide raged outside the home and throughout the country.

Mary Devlin Capizziwill join cats 2024


Mary Devlin Capizzi advises individual corporations and consortia clients on complex regulatory compliance, legislative, scientific and policy issues and engages with key regulatory agencies on their behalf. Clients in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, health, consumer goods and technology sectors rely on Mary to help advance their business goals and achieve regulatory compliance. She also is highly valued for her facilitation of cross-industry and industry-wide initiatives focused on collaborative technology development and data sharing. Mary is an authority on product quality, research and development, data privacy, security and strategy, supply chain management, and other policy and management issues.

Jim Keyes will join cats 2024


James W. Keyes is known internationally as a business and social change agent. Currently spearheading several new tech initiatives, his career has included serving as Chief Executive of two Fortune 500 companies (Blockbuster Inc. and 7-Eleven), and creating a strategic consumer product collaboration with Walmart.

Passionate about aerospace and aviation, Keyes has been a pilot for 40 years. He frequently single-pilots Cessna Citations and other jets and is also certified to fly helicopters and floatplanes. He is a skilled sculptor, painter, musician and composer (he cowrote “Born Again America,” as performed by Shelley Laine). He enjoys playing a variety of sports, including baseball, golf, polo, tennis and skiing.

In 2005 the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans recognized Keyes with its Horatio Alger Award. Keyes currently resides in Dallas, Texas.

Jennifer Hubbard will join cats 2024


Jennifer Hubbard is the president and executive director of the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary, which she founded in memory of her daughter who died in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Hubbard is a national Catholic speaker and retreat leader and is frequently featured at Legatus gatherings. She also is an award-winning writer with Magnificat.

She has been a guest on a variety of national television shows, including Today, CBS News, and ABC News. She also has been featured on Catholic News Agency and is a monthly guest on Spirit Morning Radio in Omaha, Nebraska.

Hubbard earned her bachelor’s degree from Randolph Macon Women’s College. She is a member of the board of trustees at Fraser Woods Montessori School. She lives with her son in Sandy Hook, Connecticut.

Bob Bashaw will join cats 2024


Walter R. Bashaw II joined Coherent Corp. in 2018 and has been President of the company since 2019. Mr. Bashaw previously served as Vice President of Strategy. In this role, he was primarily responsible for the company’s M&A and integration work. Prior to joining Coherent, Mr. Bashaw was a senior partner at the law firm of Sherrard, German & Kelly in Pittsburgh, where his areas of expertise were corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, and technology planning. Mr. Bashaw has broad emerging-company experience and regularly works on complex corporate transactions with manufacturing, e-commerce, real estate, medical service providers, and high-tech companies.

Fr. Fred Jenga will join cats 2024


Father Fred Jenga, C.S.C. President of Holy Cross Family Ministries. Father Fred Jenga is President of Holy Cross Family Ministries, (HCFM) founded by Venerable Patrick Peyton with the mission of nurturing the prayer life and spiritual well-being of families around the world in 17 countries. Father Fred, a native of Uganda, has multiple degrees including theology, philosophy, and a Doctorate in communications. He has been a teacher, researcher, author, and family-life minister. Father Fred is committed to helping build God’s masterpiece one family at a time.

Like Father Peyton, Father Fred has experienced firsthand the power of media in the work of evangelization through weekly radio programs on matters of faith, prayer and family life. As the Second Vatican Council pronounced “media as gifts from God” (Inter Mirifica, #2) Venerable Patrick Peyton, C.S.C. was a global pioneer in the use of media in the work of evangelization with his radio programs, television and films. Family Theater Productions, a media ministry of HCFM continues to produce high-quality remarkable stories enriching faith and unlocking hearts to God’s promises of love, hope and belonging.

PRAY: The Story of Patrick Peyton, is a short 70-minute film from Family Theater Productions that tells the remarkable life story of the Irish Rosary Priest who made famous the phrase “The Family That Prays Together Stays Together” to 28 million through Rosary rallies and media. By overcoming adversity at every turn through steadfast prayer and faith and with a disposition of gratitude for a miraculous healing, Father Peyton dedicated his priesthood to spreading devotion to the Blessed Mother’s most holy Rosary to families throughout the world. After the film, Father Fred Jenga will lead a brief conversation and Q & A with attendees.

Ronald Vance will join cats 2024


Ronald Vance is a Managing Director with Alvarez & Marsal Healthcare Industry Group in Washington, D.C. He is Co-Head of the Health Insurance & Managed Care service line. Mr. Vance has more than 25 years of experience in restructuring, turnaround management, growth plans, product development, operational improvements, provider contracting, mergers and acquisitions and the development of strategic business alliances in the health benefits and insurance industry.

Mr. Vance is an associate faculty member at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He serves on the Board of Directors for Ally Behavior Centers.

Father Dave Pivonka Read bio

Curtis Martin Read bio

Dr. Scott Hahn Read bio

Sister Mary Gabriel Read bio

Father John Ezratty Read bio

Catherine Hadro Read bio

General Kevin Chilton Read bio

Father Dan Leary Read bio

Sr. Mary Elizabeth Read bio

Fr. Stephen Gadberry Read bio

Sr. Maris Stella Read bio

View all speakers

2024 Conference Schedule

Thursday, May 2th

12:00 PM - 5:00 PM - Registration (Seaglass Room)
12:00 PM - Golf at Union League National
(Additional Fees Apply)
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM - Movie Showing of PRAY: The Story of Patrick Peyton at Stone Harbor Theatre
4:45 PM - Shuttle from Resort to Maris Stella Church
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM - Holy Hour with Rosary and Benediction at Maris Stella Church
6:00 PM - 6:45 PM - Holy Mass
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM - Opening Night Dinner with Jennifer Hubbard “Finding God after Sandy Hook”
-
Confession and Spiritual Direction Offered
Throughout the Day

Friday, May 3th

6:00 AM - 8:30 AM - Eucharistic Adoration and Confession
7:00 AM - 9:00 AM - Breakfast Available (Veranda)
7:30 AM - 8:45 AM - Pickleball & Prayer
9:00 AM - 9:50 AM - Fr. Dan Leary
"Healing Our Deepest Wounds"
10:00 AM - 10:50 AM - Bob Bashaw, Ronald Vance, Mary Devlin Capizzi "Christ Driven Capitalism - Building a Business with an Eye on Eternity"
11:00 AM - 11:50 AM - Monsignor Jim Vlaun "Evangelization Through Media"
12:00 PM - 1:15 PM - Lunch
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM - Jim Wahlberg “The Big Hustle: Finding God Against All Odds”
2:45 PM - 3:30 PM - Sister Luca Benedict and Sister Pia Jude “Identical Yet Completely Unique”
4:30 PM - 4:45 PM - Continuous Shuttle to Maris Stella Church
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM - Rosary and Holy Mass at Maris Stella Church
7:00 PM - Cocktails & Dinner with Jim Keyes
9:00 PM - Conversation & Music by the Fire Pits
-
Confession and Spiritual Direction Offered
Throughout the Day

Saturday, May 4th

7:00 AM - 8:00 AM - Eucharistic Adoration,
Confession and Mass
(Omaha Room)
7:00 AM - 9:00 AM - Breakfast Available (Veranda)
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM - Kristen Hawkins “Saving Lives on Today’s College Campuses”
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM - Immaculée Ilibagiza
“Overcoming Horror with Joy”

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