
Lumen Gentium
November 7-9, 2024
13280 Chapman Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92840, United States
Why THL?
Lay Catholics have a unique responsibility and privileged opportunity to influence the world for Christ. It’s not an optional prerogative, but their duty as baptized children of God.

What is The Hour of the Laity?
This is a national conference for all lay Catholics who seek to grow as leaders to influence civil society for Christ.
The conference lives at the intersection of professional development and spiritual growth.
It provides Catholic Leadership formation, but not for ministry, for the world!



What is unique about The Hour of the Laity?
All the experts, panelists, and keynotes introduced are lay people.
The Hour of the Laity puts only lay Catholic leaders, who are making an impact, in front of attendees as examples of authentic lay Catholic leadership.
We do not showcase apologists, theologians, or ministry leaders. Rather, we learn from lay Catholic leaders in civil society.
Our speakers will show lay people why and how our true calling is to be ambassadors of Christ in the world.

THL2024
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Save your place
Take advantage of the pre-sale tickets for The Hour of the Laity! Purchase now and get a special discount for a limited time. Don’t miss the chance to secure your spot and join this unique conference for lay Catholic leaders. Reserve today!
Experts


Thomas J. Olmsted
Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Phoenix
He was bishop of the Diocese of Phoenix in Arizona from 2003 to 2022. He previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Wichita in Kansas from 2001 to 2003. Pope Francis accepted Olmsted’s resignation as bishop of Phoenix on June 10, 2022. Olmsted, despite his retirement, was to remain apostolic administrator of the Ruthenian Catholic Eparchy of the Holy Protection of Mary of Phoenix.
Bishop Olmsted has supported the Tepeyac Leadership Initiative (TLI) and he is the Ecclesiastical Accompaniment for the Hour of The Laity.
MOST. REV
THOMAS OLMSTED


Monica Hannan
Award winning TV AnchorTalk show host and author
She is a 10-time winner of Eric Severeid and AP awards for reporting and writing and has three times been named Best Anchor by the North Dakota Broadcasters Association. In 2023 she was honored as the first woman to receive the NDBA Pioneer Award. She was also inducted into the Upper Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Silver Circle for her contributions to the television industry.
Monica has a Bachelor of Arts in History and Mass Communications from Minnesota State University-Moorhead, as well as a Master of Arts in Management from the University of Mary, and a Master of Arts in Theology from the Augustine Institute in Denver. She has published several books. Her most recent book, Gift of Death, was recognized with a third-place award by the Catholic Press Association for making a difficult subject easily accessible. She is married to Cliff Naylor and they have three children.
MONICA
HANNAN


Aaron Kheriaty
AARON
KHERIATY


Father Daniel Cruz
Parochial Administrator at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church
In the fall of 2010 he began studying for the priesthood at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver, Colorado. Following sacred ordination on June 3, 2017, he began his first assignment at St. Joan of Arc in Phoenix and in 2019 in addition to his duties at the parish, he was also chaplain at Xavier College Preparatory High School for women.
He has served his Alma Mater as Associate Director at the All Saints Catholic Newman Center at Arizona State University from July 2020 until March of 2022. He spent the a year as parochial vicar at St. Mary’s and St. Juan Diego in Chandler.
As of July 1st, he returned to St. Joan of Arc in Phoenix as the Parochial Administrator and continues to serve as chaplain to TLI.
REV. DANIEL
CRUZ


Christine Accurso
She served as the Executive Director of the State of Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account Program. She was an ESA mom herself and supporter of the universal expansion that was passed in 2022. She speaks often at the State Legislature and the State Board of Education on the topic of school choice. When the teacher’s unions and an anti-school choice groups attempted to overturn the new first-in-the-nation school choice law, she spearheaded the nation’s first successful Decline to Sign campaign by engaging 1200 families, most of her personal contacts in the pro-life movement and her Catholic faith connections, to stand in the breech and encourage voters not to sign their petitions.
Before taking the helm of the ESA program, Christine served as the Executive Director of First Way Pregnancy Center in Phoenix and was the Practice Administrator at Morning Star OB/GYN in Gilbert, AZ. She also served as the Vice Chair of the Arizona Life Coalition and is the co-founder and board chair of the Pro-Women’s Healthcare Centers, a national consortium of pro-life women’s healthcare. She is noted to be an effective leader in the prolife movement.
CHRISTINE
ACCURSO


Pete Sanz Jr.
Former attorney & former mayor of Laredo, Texas
Before being elected mayor, he operated a family ranch and practiced law for 32 years in the areas of land titles and oil and gas law. He earned his law degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law in 1982 and was admitted into the Texas Bar in 1983. He earned Bachelor’s and Masters’ degrees from Texas A&M Kingsville, Texas, in Animal Science and Range-Wildlife Management.
Pete has been married to Minerva C. Saenz, his wife for the last 49 years. She is a retired high school home economics teacher. They are parents to three children, and grandparents to six grandchildren. They are members of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, whose primary mission is to pray for, promote and preserve Catholicism in the Holy Lands.
PETE
SAENZ


Aileen Blachowski B.A.
Journalism, San Diego State University
She has been featured in dozens of radio, tv, print and podcast interviews. She engages in local, county and TX statewide strategies to expose education malpractice and restore parental rights and authenticity in education.
Shocked by her own kids’ exposure to race, sex and gender ideological grooming in the highlyrated Prosper Independent School District, she now exposes the “Triple Threat of Indoctrination” in Texas schools.
Aileen is dedicated to shining the light on the damaging impacts of Marxist critical theories and the organizations promoting them. Based on her experience in California, she provides research, perspective and thought leadership to help Texans understand what’s at stake for our children’s future–and that of our nation–if we don’t take back local control of our Independent School Districts, and develop sound policy and legislation that preserves America’s founding principles while honoring the dignity of every member of our diverse population and the moral imperative to “do no harm.”
AILEEN
BLACHOWSKI


Timothy Reckar Jr
Film Writer & Director
In 2017, Sony Pictures Animation released Mr. Reckart’s debut feature film, The Star, an animated retelling of the Nativity story from the point of view of the animals. The Star was nominated for a Golden Globe for Mariah Carey’s original song, “The Star,” and won MovieGuide’s Epiphany Prize for Inspiring Movies.
Prior to directing, Mr. Reckart worked as a stop motion animator. He was a lead animator on Charlie Kaufman’s Oscar-nominated film Anomalisa and also animated on Amazon’s multiple Emmy-winning preschool series Tumble Leaf. In 2015, Variety named him one of their “10 Animators to Watch.”
Mr. Reckart holds a master’s degree in directing animation from the National Film & Television School of the UK, as well as a bachelor’s degree in history and literature from Harvard University, where he graduated magna cum laude and won the Edward H. Potter Prize for “great enthusiasm and curiosity for truly eclectic learning.” He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and their two children.
TIM
RECKART, JR.


Berni Neal
Berni Neal started her professional career in marketing with an emphasis in advertising. After 5-years in corporate advertising, she shifted to what then was considered pioneering work addressing Latino, Asian, and Black audiences. Berni became part of a growing market for interactive consumer events. It was a factor in her decision to leave advertising and launch a special events design company, Revelry. With two school-aged children attending Catholic school, Berni became aware of the persistent challenges in Catholic education and amongst Catholic non-profits to raise money. She was able to apply her marketing skills to promote the works of the Church and Catholic organizations. Berni sold her business to have more time with her family and be more present to her children. This also allowed her time to volunteer at various Catholic apostolates.
Berni currently serves on the governing boards of Endow, EWTN, Legatus, Live Action, and Thomas Aquinas College. She completed terms on Catholic Leadership Institute, Magnificat Foundation, and Pueri Cantores early in 2024. In the past, Berni has served on committees for Given, WorldPriest, Woodson Center-Free Speech/Civil Rights Coalition, and the Vanguard University Committee to Eradicate Human Trafficking. Together with her husband, Rob, she is a member of the Legatus Orange County chapter and the Papal Foundation. They reside in Newport Beach, California. They have two adult children and two grandchildren.
BERNI
NEAL


Dr. Andrew Abela
Dr. Abela is the founding dean of the Busch School of Business and Professor of Marketing at the Catholic University of America, in Washington, D.C. His widely-cited research on marketing, communication, and integrity has been published in several academic journals and two books.
He is a sought-after speaker on business ethics and cultivating the superhabits of success in organizations. Prior to his academic career, Dr. Abela was a brand manager at Procter & Gamble, management consultant with McKinsey & Company, and Managing Director at the Corporate Executive Board. He holds an MBA from the Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Switzerland and a Ph.D. from the Darden Business School at the University of Virginia. He and his wife, Kathleen, live in Great Falls, Virginia and have been blessed with six children and their first grandchild.
ABELA


Dr. Andrew Whiskeyman
Dr. Andrew Whiskeyman, COL (ret.), teaches and researches at the National Defense University’s College of Information and Cyberspace (CIC) and lectures internationally on the topics of information warfare, emerging technology, and strategic foresight. He is also an Associate Research Scientist at the Applied Research Laboratory of Intelligence and Security (ARLIS) at the University of Maryland. He was recently selected as a non-resident senior fellow with the Global National Security Institute (GNSI) and elected to the board of a non-profit group, the Information Professionals Association (IPA). Dr. Whiskeyman serves as an adjunct professor with Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and the Air War College. He has been working to coordinate a series of Global Information Symposia to identify challenges and opportunities shared by allies and partners in the information environment and to foster shared solutions. He lectures internationally on the subject of cognitive security, and lectured recently at the National Liberal Club in London on the topic, “Artificial Intelligence: The End of the World as you Know it?”, which addressed the hype and hysteria surrounding the adoption of artificial intelligence in a military context. He previously served for 28 years in the US Army and is the recipient of multiple military awards including the Defense Superior Service Medal and the Bronze Star. He deployed multiple times (Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan) in support of combat operations. This past year, Dr. Whiskeyman received France’s Chevalier de L’Ordre du National Mérite.
Dr. Whiskeyman is the Deputy Grand Knight of KofC Servant of God Vincent Capodanno Council 14495, at Epiphany of Our Lord Catholic Church in Tampa, Florida. He is the leader of his parish Exodus 90 fraternity, created and teaches a Teen Apologetics Course for Homeschool students, is active in the parish youth group, and is founder of the Tampa Bay GK Chesterton Society.
He is married with four children, two grandchildren, two dogs, and a turtle.
WHISKEYMAN


Rich Loesing
Rich Loesing is a Catholic husband, father, speaker, writer, thought leader, and aspiring saint. Focusing on topics such as courageous evangelism, men’s spirituality, and defending the faith, Rich inspires Catholics of all backgrounds to live virtuous, fully integrated lives.
Rich currently serves as the Director of Mission Advancement at the Napa Institute, a lay apostolate whose mission is to empower Catholic leaders to renew the Church and transform the culture. As a licensed attorney and CFP, he has a diverse professional background that enables him to speak on a wide array of issues and experiences, while always keeping Christ at the center. In his spare time, Rich is dedicated to serving a variety of value-driven organizations. As the program coordinator for the Los Angeles chapter of the Leonine Forum, an Advisory Board member for Manalive Media Group, and a lay leader at his parish of Holy Innocents, he continues his drive to evangelize and inspire in all areas of his life.
Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Rich’s “spiritual Renaissance” took place in Southern California, where he has resided since 2009. He now lives in Long Beach, California with his beautiful wife, Brenda, and their two young sons, Ricky and Luke.
LOESING


Jonna Schuster
Jonna Schuster is Co-Founder and Director of Catholic Revival Ministries, which she launched in 2019 with her husband, Jim. Through it, she serves the Church by equipping Catholics to bring supernatural impact to all areas of life by partnering with the Holy Spirit in power and love. She has served a variety of parishes, ministries, and audiences world-wide, including Endow, Metanoia Catholic, Pray More Novenas, Legatus, TAM NOVA, Awaken Kingdom, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, CA, the Diocese of Peoria, IL, and the Diocese of Austin, TX.
Jonna graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in graphic design and completed a master’s degree in moral theology at Christendom Graduate School. She has over 20 years of professional ministry experience, including 10 years as a full-time Director of Youth Ministry in the diocese of Arlington, VA, two years as the first Campus Minister of Western Illinois University, and as an adjunct professor of theology at John Paul the Great Catholic University in Escondido, CA.
Jonna and her husband currently reside in Southern California. She believes everyone is called to greatness and has a heart to see people come into the fullness of their identity and calling.
JONNA
SCHUSTER


Alex Julian
Alex Julian has spent the last thirteen years in education working for Great Hearts schools after receiving his bachelor’s in Medieval History from Arizona State University. Over that time, he has taught 6th grade US History, 8th grade Medieval History & literature, and 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade humane letters courses covering great works in literature, philosophy, theology, and politics ranging from the classical to the modern period. He has served as a dean of students, assistant headmaster, and headmaster several classical schools. He has advised on curriculum in history, literature, and philosophy for Great Hearts.
Most recently he began working with Arcadia Education, helping Catholic, Christian, and charter schools & leaders to execute their mission of creating lifelong learners, virtuous citizens, and saints who model Christ.
Alex lives in Phoenix Arizona with his wife Katie and their four beautiful children.
JULIAN


Christine Rich
Christine Rich has been driven throughout her life by her Catholic faith as a daughter, wife, mother, entrepreneur, and most recently as a grandmother.
As a spiritual entrepreneur, Christine is honored to mentor Catholic female entrepreneurs navigating their vocations in business while not allowing their work to overcome their primary vocations designed by God. At Archetype Group she has created a platform for changing culture through business, founded on the ideal that success is measured, not only in financial gain, but also in the long-term goal of leading souls to God and to give Him glory and honor in all things.
In Christine’s last venture, she co-founded and led as CEO, My Saint My Hero, a Catholic inspirational jewelry company grounded in faith and prayer. The vision of My Saint My Hero was to empower women through meaningful work and to help people understand that saints were real people that walked this earth and that each one of us was created to become one. Founded on the principle of “prayer first’, the company grew communities of women in Eastern Europe that hand-made their wearable blessings and MY Saint My Hero grew exponentially into a successful national brand along with becoming a beloved label on the shopping network, QVC.
Christine and her husband, Joe, live in Southern California and have four children & four grandchildren. She serves as mentor for the Tepayac Leader Initiative and the GIVEN institute. She is also a member of the International Marian Society. She is indebted to Our Lady for her deeper conversion in her Catholic faith and is currently working to create a Sanctuary of Prayer & Peace in Southern California under her patronage.
RICH


Chris Meehan
Chris Meehan is a Psychotherapist and Integrative Trauma Specialist with extensive experience treating a wide variety of clients, including those who are treatment-resistant and suffer from severe depression, anxiety, complex trauma, and substance abuse. As a natural caregiver, Chris has dedicated his life to helping others, which has led him to work with diverse populations, including at-risk youth as a service instructor and counselor.
A fourth-generation Californian and native San Franciscan, Chris has lived in the Colorado Mountains, New York City, and San Diego. His first love for the creative process as an accomplished playwright introduced him to the vastness of the human experience. Now, he maintains a private practice on the westside of Los Angeles.
His work with trauma clients has given him a profound understanding of the organic and spiritual nature of recovery. He has witnessed firsthand the power of healing, walking with clients through some of the darkest times in their lives, and guiding them towards peace, clarity, and purpose.
Chris is also known for his contributions to the entertainment industry. He is former actor and celebrated comedian, recognized for his appearances on NBC’s «Last Comic Standing.» His critically acclaimed one-man show, «Swiping Mr. Right,» is a comedic exploration of modern dating, centered on a 40-something man navigating the complexities of relationships through dating apps. This show is an offshoot of the well-received feature documentary, «The Dating Project.»
CHRIS
MEEHAN


Michael Gates
Michael Gates was elected as Huntington Beach City Attorney on November 4, 2014. Prior to his election, Mr. Gates was a partner at a successful law firm in Orange County, serving as a trial attorney and had defended numerous clients in a wide range of legal areas such as: Federal Civil Rights (Excessive Force), Public Entity Law, Government Tort Liability, General Liability, Truck/Automobile Liability, Premises Liability, Products Liability, Professional Liability, Medical Malpractice, and Employment Law. He has represented clients such as the County of Orange, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Orange County District Attorney, Catholic schools and parishes, various large scale trucking companies, and various physicians, surgeons, and other medical professionals and hospitals in the Orange County and Los Angeles areas.
Mr. Gates earned his Juris Doctor from Chapman University School of Law. Prior to his legal education, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Management, magna cum laude, from Pepperdine University, and is a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma Honors Society. Mr. Gates is a life-long practicing Catholic. He and his wife, Kelly, are life-long residents of Huntington Beach and their home parish is St. Vincent de Paul. Mr. Gates and his wife met in Huntington Beach shortly after graduating high school, were married at St. Mary’s by the Sea Catholic Church in 1997 and now have five beautiful children. Mr. Gates has been an active member of the Huntington Beach community involved as a coach and mentor in various youth sports for years, and Mr. Gates has taught law-related courses at Cal State Long Beach and Golden West College for a number of years.
Mr. Gates has been stellar in-house legal counsel City of Huntington Beach. Since 2014, he has saved/protected well-over $300 million of taxpayer money through is aggressive, creative, savvy, and effective lawyering. Recently, he prevailed in a massive lawsuit against the State of California, Department of Finance to recover over $38,000,000 in money the State wrongfully withheld, failing to reimburse the City for decades in old redevelopment loans. In addition to this recent success, Mr. Gates has successfully taken a number of cases to trial personally defending our police officers, including prevailing in a $20,000,000 officer-involved shooting trial last year. Finally, Mr. Gates is fighting for the character and integrity of his City and the local control authority of his City Council by actively challenging the aggressive State actions against the City in court, such as the 2020 COVID-related State-mandated Beach Closure, State high-density housing mandates that seek to impose heaving, untenable burdens on the City, defending the City from the State’s lawsuit against the City’s new Voter ID law, and more. Mr. Gates is a great example of strong legal acumen and success to other cities.
MICHAEL
GATES


Armando Ruiz
Armando Ruiz, a former state lawmaker, was elected in 1982 as the youngest Hispanic legislator ever in its history to the Arizona State House of Representatives. In 1995, Armando became the executive assistant to the Republican Governor of the State of Arizona.
Armando founded Mary Town-Espiritu Community Development Corporation to form leaders from primarily low-income communities, so they could transform their communities. He became the Chief Executive Officer-Servant Leader and established the National Football League-Youth Education Town Center.
In 2019, Ruiz was in the Arizona State Board of Education, and was selected by the Catholic Bishops of Region XII to represent the organization on the National Advisory Committee to the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops. He is a member of the Loan and Risk Management committee for Raza Development Fund.
Armando lives in his South Phoenix neighborhood and is happily married to Monica Ruiz. They have eleven children and twenty-two grandchildren.
ARMANDO
RUIZ


Roxana Amaton
Roxana Amaton is a licensed therapist in the state of Arizona with ten years of experience. She holds a master’s degree from Arizona State University in Counseling. Roxana graduated from the first TLI cohort in 2018 and has remained an active Tepeyac Leader. Currently, she is Co-director of Evangelization at Young Catholic Professionals in Phoenix, Arizona. Roxana has been working for non-profit organizations and supports helping the Spanish speaking community of West Phoenix.
In 2013, she began serving on the Spanish speaking retreats for post abortive healing called Rachel’s Vineyard. She also served as a board member for Restore Dignity, a Catholic non-profit organization. She has traveled to South American countries to support retreat teams in healing in their communities. Roxana is passionate about advocating for the unborn and the respect and dignity of all persons, no matter what stage in life they are in.
ROXANA
AMATON


Donald P. Wagner
Donald P. Wagner serves as the Third District Supervisor of the Orange County Board of Supervisors. Don is an active participant in Orange County business and legal communities with prior service on several committees and advisory boards for the Orange County Bar Association.
Don holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of California, LA, earning a Juris Doctor in 1987 from the University of California, Hastings College of Law; joining the California Bar that same year. Don began his public service career as a South Orange County Community College District Trustee and has dedicated his free time to nonprofits and charities, serving as the past president of the American Lung Association of Orange County. He is also the founder and first president of the Orange County Chapter of the Federalist Society.
Don and his wife Megan have three children. His family shares a love for the game of baseball.
DONALD P.
WAGNER


Dr. Courtney Harkins
Dr. Courtney Harkins, Psy.D. is a licensed Marriage, Family and Child Therapist specializing in the assessment and treatment of children, adolescents, and their families. She is currently the clinical supervisor for the Personal Counseling program at JSerra. In 2013, she created «Coffee with Courtney» an ongoing seminar series in which she educates and interacts with JSerra parents on subjects such as raising teens and maintaining healthy families.
Dr. Harkins received her doctorate degree in Marriage and Family Therapy in 2014 and holds an M.A. from Pepperdine University in Clinical Psychology. She was a contributing researcher for the book Raising Winners.
She is a wife and mom to four. She believes inter-family relationships should mirror the love that Jesus Christ has for His Church.
DR. COURTNEY
HARKINS
Conference Venue
Join us at Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove for The Hour of the Laity, where the sacred meets the civic in a stunning architectural marvel. This iconic venue, located at 13280 Chapman Ave, is not just a backdrop but a beacon for lay Catholic leadership and spiritual growth. Accessible and welcoming, Christ Cathedral provides the perfect setting for our transformative gathering. Here, amidst beauty and inspiration, we embark on our mission to influence civil society for Christ.
Address: 13280 Chapman Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92840, United States
Contact: [email protected]

Accommodations
We have secured a group discount for those traveling to THL2024. Through our relationship with Hotel Fera, a DoubleTree by Hilton (which is within walking distance to Christ Cathedral), you may call their reservation department at 714-634-4500, extension 1, and use group code CDT91S.
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