Sr. Maximilian Marie was born and raised in Bend, Oregon. She earned a Bachelor of Arts and Apostolic Catechetical Diploma from Magdalen College in Warner, New Hampshire, and a Certificate in Elementary Education from Eastern Michigan University. She holds a Masters degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from the University of Southern Mississippi. She entered the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist in 2001 and made her Perpetual Vows Aug. 5th, 2009. She is currently the Superior at the Loomis, CA. Mission, Regina Caeli Convent, and the Principal at the newly established Spiritus Sanctus Academy in Granite Bay, CA.

I am the poster child for the “Prodigal daughter” … “I’ve been there, done that and am NOT going back” said Leah Darrow. “Satan’s has had his fun with me for too long, I have been blinded by ignorance and corrupted by vanity and pride, I take back from satan what is Yours and I give my entire self to You…Dear Lord, make me new again in You.” -- A private entry in Leah’s journal. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the feast day of St. John the Baptist, in the year 1979, Leah entered into this world. The oldest of six children, Leah was born and raised on a small farm in Norman, Oklahoma, and quickly realized the value of her faith. With the tragic murder of her grandfather, Leah saw her family turn to God for support. It was then, at the tender age of 12, she became aware that it was God alone that would mend any problem – even death. Leah attended private Catholic school up through her freshman year in high school in Oklahoma when in 1994 her father’s job transferred their family to St. Louis, Missouri. She went on to attend and graduate from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. At UM-St. Louis Leah earned a B.A. degree in Psychology, receiving every possible award from her department and served two consecutive terms as the Chapter President of Psi Chi, the National Honor Society in Psychology, and still being able to graduate with Magna Cum Laude Honors. Not too long after college, Leah made her TV debut on Season 3 of the hit reality TV Show, America’s Next Top Model. Having modeled briefly before Leah became swept away by the Fashion industry and soon came to realize its dark depths and the suggestive nature of where her new career was trying to take her. Leah’s “prodigal daughter” experience happened in the abyss of New York City, in the midst of the madness, the craziness, and the lonely; she found her way back to Christ. At a very young age, Leah was drawn to fashion and as God would have it, He led her to Brenda Sharman, National Director of Pure Fashion. “I briefly saw a story for Pure Fashion on EWTN and wondered why those cute girls and adorable outfits were being showcased on the ‘catholic channel’. I immediately found out more information on Pure Fashion’s website and decided to write Brenda an email thanking her for putting together the program. Little did I know what one small email can do; Brenda called me personally and we talked for what seemed to be only 20 minutes when in actuality hours had passed.” With Pure Fashion up and running, Brenda helped Leah link up with Chicago’s Pure Fashion Team and Leah has since helped put together the first St. Louis Pure Fashion team as well. Leah loves sharing her personal testimony as well as her new strategy to modeling, “I bring each modeling opportunity to Our Blessed Mother, if I feel that I can participate in it with Her by my side, then I know Jesus will be happy with it too,” said Leah. Leah’s wonderful and what some might call “stubborn” faith in God has brought her to many crossroads in her young life. After much reflection Leah realized that her journey has not been in vain. She, like many, has reformed …. better yet, repented and is willing to allow the Holy Spirit to guide her as He takes her on another journey of sharing her life’s events with others.

Father John Trigilio, Jr. was born in Erie, Pennsylvania, where he attended Blessed Sacrament Grade School. He entered Saint Mark High School Seminary and graduated from the Catholic college of Gannon University in 1983 with a B.A. in Liberal Arts (concentration in Theology and Philosophy). After studying for the Diocese of Erie and then for the Diocese of Arlington, Father Trigilio joined the Diocese of Harrisburg where he was ordained on May 14th, 1988 by William Cardinal Keeler. He completed his seminary training at Holy Apostles Seminary, Cromwell, CT and at Mary Immaculate Seminary, Northampton, PA. His first two assignments were as Parochial Vicar, then one year in the Diocesan Tribunal and as Catholic Chaplain to two hospitals. He was reassigned as Parochial Vicar three times and was made pastor of two parishes in June, 2002 (Our Lady of Good Counsel, Marysville & St. Bernadette, Duncannon) where he is presently working. Father Trigilio earned a Doctorate (PhD) in Mediaeval Philosophy and a Doctor of Theology (ThD) in Biblical Studies; is a member of the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars and is President of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy (national association of 600 priests and deacons). He has hosted a weekly TV series on EWTN with Father Robert Levis, entitled WEB OF FAITH for more than eight years and has been an online internet spiritual advisor for EWTN for fifteen years. Fr. Trigilio co-authored with Fr. Ken Brighenti several books, including CATHOLICISM FOR DUMMIES, WOMEN IN THE BIBLE FOR DUMMIES, JOHN PAUL II FOR DUMMIES, EVERYTHING BIBLE BOOK, CATHOLICISM ANSWER BOOK. He has also hosted television & radio series Council of Faith, Crash Course in Catholicism and Crash Course on John Paul II for EWTN which are broadcast on cable, satellite, internet and short-wave. Fr. Trigilio is a regular contributor of articles to Homiletic & Pastoral Review as well as The Priest Magazine. Listed in Marquis’ Who’s Who in Religion and Who’s Who in America, Father John Trigilio is also a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus and Chaplain to the Sons of Italy, as well as Director of the Italian-American Apostolate for the Diocese of Harrisburg. He preaches retreats at Casa Maria in Irondale, AL and gives lectures across the country.

Tim Staples was raised a Southern Baptist. Though he got away from the faith of his childhood during his teen years, he came back to faith in Christ in his late teens through Christian television and some friends in the Assemblies of God. Tim decided to join the Marine Corps and during his four-year tour, he got involved in ministry in various Assembly of God communities. Immediately after his tour of duty, Tim would become a Youth Minister in an Assembly of God Community and later enroll in Jimmy Swaggart Bible College. During his final year in the Marines, Tim met a Marine who really knew his Faith and challenged Tim to study Catholicism from Catholic and historical sources. Having been challenged, Tim was determined to prove Catholicism wrong and ended up studying his way to the last place he thought he would ever end up… the Catholic Church. Since his conversion in 1988, Tim spent six years in formation for the priesthood earning a degree in Philosophy from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Overbrook, PA. He then studied theology on a graduate level at Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md. for two years. Deciding that his calling was not to the priesthood, Tim left the seminary in 1994 and has been working in Catholic Apologetics and Evangelization ever since.

Mother Mary Assumpta Long, O.P., is the Prioress General of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She holds a S.T.L. in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. She has taught at the elementary, secondary and junior college levels, and served as President of Aquinas Junior College in Nashville, Tennessee. Mother Assumpta is a former President of the Forum of Major Superiors, and was invited by John Cardinal O’Connor to assist with the initial formation of the Sisters of Life in New York. She currently serves on the Board of Regents for Ave Maria University in Naples, Florida. The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist was founded in 1997 by Mother Assumpta and three other Dominican sisters; the community has experienced phenomenal growth, expanding from four to 86 sisters in eleven years. The community’s primary apostolate is Catholic education in the spirit of the New Evangelization; fully Dominican in spirituality, the two distinguishing marks of the community’s charism are devotion to Jesus in the Holy Eucharist and total consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Sisters operate the Spiritus Sanctus Academies, two K-8 independent Catholic schools in Southeastern Michigan, and also have sisters teaching at the elementary and secondary level in the dioceses of Phoenix, AZ, Charleston, SC, Sacramento, CA and Venice, FL. The Dominican Sisters of Mary are committed to the reclamation of a truly Catholic culture through education, igniting one soul at a time with love for Jesus Christ and His Church.

Q: What do machine guns have in common with IUD’s? A: These are just two of the perils that Fr. Tony and his parishioners fight and vanquish in his destitute border parish in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. After being ordained by Pope John Paul the Magnificent (with Fr. John Corapi, S.O.L.T.) and receiving his doctorate in theology in Spain, Fr. Anderson has served in academia in the U.S. and also in difficult foreign missions. There is hope for our world, he maintains, but only in Mary, the Church and the Eucharist.