Roster of Presenters

Welcome

NRVC Episcopal liaison Archbishop Charles C. Thompson

National Board Commissioning

USCCB-CCLV Executive Director Father Luke Ballman

Convocation Facilitators

Sister Kristin Matthes, SNDdeN, NRVC Board Chair
Father Adam MacDonald, S.V.D., NRVC Board Vice-Chair
Sister Virginia Herbers, A.S.C.J., NRVC Board Vice-Chair

Keynote presentations

Encountering Christ in Harmony:
Inviting our Asian & Pacific Island Sisters & Brothers to Religious Life

Presenter: Father Linh Hoang OFM, Ph.D.

​Father Linh Hoang, O.F.M., Ph.D. is a Franciscan priest with the Holy Name Province in New York City. He is an Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Siena College in New York. Fr. Linh has published articles in the areas of Asian American Catholics, race, migration and theology, historical theology, religion, and inter-generational religious experience. His book, Rebuilding Religious Experience was published in 2007 and Experiences of the Sacred was published in 2019. He has blogged for the online site, Pop Culture and Theology. He is currently serving as a consultant to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) on Asian and Pacific Islander Catholics. Fr. Linh serves as a peer-evaluator for accreditation through Middles States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). He is working on a monograph about Asian American religious experience and racism.

Reconciliation, a Ministry of Hope

Presenter: Father Dave Kelly, C.PP.S., D.Min.

Father Dave Kelly, C.PP.S., D.Min. is priest of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. He is the Executive Director of the Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation (PBMR), a restorative justice hub in the Back-of-the-Yards/Englewood communities.  PBMR is dedicated to healing and reconciliation, especially among those who have been impacted by violence and incarceration.  PBMR strives to be a resource to other groups and communities who seek healing and reconciliation. For more than forty years he has ministered in jails and detention centers, most of that time in Chicago, IL.  He holds a Doctor of Ministry (D.Min) from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. He is certified as a mediator and has received training in the restorative practice of Peacemaking Circles. He has published articles and spoken on reconciliation, restorative justice, and jail/detention ministry. 

Reason for Hope: Testimony to Life, Death, and Resurrection

Presenter: Sister Addie Lorraine Walker, S.S.N.D., Ph.D.

Sister Addie Lorraine Walker, S.S.N.D., Ph.D. is a School Sister of Notre Dame and served as provincial leader of the Dallas Province of S.S.N.D. for nine years. Currently, she is Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology and founder and director of the Sankofa Institute for African American Pastoral Leadership at Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, TX. Sr. Addie Lorraine earned a Ph.D. in religion and education from Boston College in 1996. She is a contributing author of Power of Sisterhood: Women Religious Tell the Story of the Apostolic Visitation. Her research and writing interests include spirituality and culture, SSND spirituality, the spirituality of religious life today, formation for contemporary living of religious life, Christian Education in the 19th and 20th centuries, Catholic Social Teaching from a Black Perspective, and dialogue as a strategy for transformative education.

Communal prayer

La esperanza nos rodea/Hope is all around us

Presenter: Mr. Jaime Cortez sponsored by OCP

Mr. Jaime Cortez was born in New York and raised in El Salvador. He has dedicated a portion of his ministry to promoting better Hispanic liturgies and bringing cultures together for worship. Jaime is a talented composer, arranger, and performer with Oregon Catholic Press. His main instrument is guitar, though he is proficient in piano and other string instruments, such as charango, vihuela, and bass guitar. He holds a bachelor’s degree in music composition from Arizona State University. He was named Pastoral Musician of the Year in 2016 by the National Association of Pastoral Musicians (NPM). He lives in Mesa, AZ with his wife and their three musically talented sons.

Convocation workshops

Candidate Issues in Immigration Law 

Presenter: Mr. Miguel Naranjo

In a short period of time, changes to U.S. immigration policy have had a profound effect on immigrants in the U.S., including those who serve as religious workers. This workshop will discuss the immigration law challenges impacting international religious workers who serve the Church in the U.S. We will discuss the R-1 Religious Worker Visa process as well as other Visa types that may be utilized by religious to enter the U.S. We will also discuss the permanent residence process for religious workers and current issues impacting that program. This workshop will provide valuable information for international religious workers and also for vocation directors or those responsible for the international members of their religious institute.

Mr. Miguel Naranjo serves as the Director of the Religious Immigration Services (RIS) section of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., otherwise known as CLINIC. Miguel leads a group of immigration attorneys who practice exclusively in religious immigration law. They represent over 170 archdioceses, dioceses, and religious communities throughout the U.S., assisting them in bringing international priests, brothers, sisters, novices, seminarians, and other religious workers into the U.S. to serve the Church.  He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and has been practicing immigration law since 2002.

Communicating Key Messages of Hope

Presenter: Sister Maxine Kollasch, I.H.M.

Hundreds of messages compete for our attention each day on the internet and in other spaces of our lives. How can messages about religious life be conveyed in ways that engage people and make a difference? This workshop offers a practical model for combining internet and in-person approaches to communicate messages about religious life. A case study is used to demonstrate the model. The session highlights the concept that informs the model and addresses a range of topics including key messages, audiences, platforms, content development, analytics, and other areas. Guidelines and resources are provided to offer assistance with hands-on application of the model from start to finish. This workshop is designed for vocation ministers and leadership at any level of experience in communications and online presence. 

Sister Maxine Kollasch, I.H.M. is a member of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in Monroe, Michigan. She serves as Executive Director and co-Founder of A Nun’s Life. Established on the internet in 2006, this ministry helps people discover and grow in their vocation, wherever God is calling. A Nun’s Life brings the centuries-old tradition of religious life in areas such as discernment, prayer, and spirituality into conversation with everyday lives. Sr. Maxine works with sisters to create podcasts, blogs, videos, and events. People in 175 countries engage with aNunsLife.org. She holds master’s degrees in Advertising and Theology and has an extensive background in Corporate Communications. She is committed to helping shape a narrative of religious life that is inspiring, accurate and engaging.

The Impact of the Consumption of Gaming and Pornography

Presenter: Father David Songy, O.F.M.Cap., Psy.D.,
sponsored by Saint Luke Institute

Americans now spend sixty hours a week across an average of four digital devices. Video games provide fun opportunities for social bonding, problem solving, and healthy competition. However, excessive gaming can cause multiple problems, such as social isolation, anxiety, poor grades, employment absences, greater impulsivity, violence and depression. Each day, PornHub averages 92 million people with over 1,000 searches per second. This workshop will address the implications of digital arousal for candidate assessment along with the methodology used to determine behaviors that preclude admission due to excessive misuse

Father David Songy, O.F.M.Cap., Psy.D. is a priest of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America and is the current President of St. Luke Institute. A clinical psychologist, he is a former spiritual director and prefect of studies at Redemptoris Mater Missionary Seminary in Denver. He also was director of counseling services at the Pontifical North American College in Rome and held several positions at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary. Father David holds a doctorate in psychology from the University of Denver and a doctorate in sacred theology from the Teresianum, the Pontifical Institute of Spirituality in Rome. He holds a Master’s Degree in pastoral counseling from Loyola College and theology degrees from Aquinas Institute. He presents on formation in priestly celibacy, cybersex addiction, and the integration of psychological and spiritual treatment.