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Bishop Patrick J. Zurek
Most Reverend Patrick J. Zurek is the eighth Bishop of the Diocese of Amarillo and was installed on Feb. 22, 2008. A native Texan, he was born in Sealy on August 17, 1948. His family belonged to Guardian Angel Parish in Wallis, where he attended elementary school and high school. After he graduated from the University of St. Thomas, Houston, with a degree in mathematics, he attended St. Mary’s Seminary in Houston and the Pontifical North American College in Rome, and received his Bachelor of Sacred Theology from the Angelicum and his Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Alfonsianum in Rome. He was ordained a priest in St. Peter’s Basilica on June 29, 1975, and served as associate pastor in Temple and Bryan, and as pastor in College Station and Austin. He worked in vocation ministry and became president of the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors. After his episcopal ordination as Auxiliary Bishop of San Antonio by Archbishop Patrick F. Flores on February 16, 1998, Bishop Zurek assisted Archbishop Flores and Archbishop Jose H. Gomez in numerous ministries and served as Vicar General and liaison for partnership with the Archdiocese of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Bishop Zurek serves on the USCCB Committee for Protection of Children & Young People, serves on the Board of Governors for the Pontifical North American College in Rome, serves on the USCCB Planning Committee to develop a new Spanish Bible, serves on the Border Bishops Committee, serves on the Texas Catholic Conference subcommittee for Health Care, serves as Liaison for TCC to the Diocesan Respect Life Coordinators and Group of Ethicists who advise Catholic Health Care Institutions in Texas and is president and CEO of the Czech American Priests Association.________________________________________________________________________________________
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Br. Vince Mary 'Vinny' Carrasco, OFMCap
Br Vince Mary ‘Vinny’ is a Capuchin friar for the Province of St. Conrad and is a Media Evangelist, an Itinerant preacher. Worship leader, musician, speaker and podcast host. Br. Vinny has been in the Order for 8 years, entering in 2014 after finishing college in Oklahoma and professing his Solemn Vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience in August of 2020.
In recent years, Brother Vinny has participated in summer sports programs, he has participated in diocesan retreats and International conferences, giving talks and workshops to local parishes. As a musician, Brother Vinny leads worship during evenings of Eucharistic Adoration for a ministry he re-launched titled “Seraphic Praise.” In 2021, he released his debut EP album titled, ‘The Inner Room’ in January of 2021. Later that year, he was invited to be a featured artist for the International Theology of the Body Catholic Conference with over 80k participants in attendance. In 2022, Br. Vinny released his second recorded single titled, ‘Lifelong’ with other rising artists, along with two others in 2023, ‘Every Moment,’ and ‘All My Love.’
After being ordained into the Transitional Diaconate in March of 2022, Br. Vince is currently assigned at St. Bernadette’s Parish in Denver, Colorado preparing for his ordination into the priesthood. He preaches regularly, and leads worship for the local community
https://linktr.ee/brvinmary
https://thefrequentfriar.wordpress.com/about-3/
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Carlos Zamora
I’M CARLOS ZAMORA (C2SIX), A CATHOLIC HIP-HOP ARTIST AND PUBLIC SPEAKER WITH OVER 12 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN PERFORMING AND SPEAKING AT EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES AND INTERNATIONALLY.
GROWING UP IN THE LATE 80S AND EARLY 90S, MY HOMETOWN OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS REPORTED THE HIGHEST OVERALL CRIME AND MURDER RATE PER CAPITA IN THE UNITED STATES. I BECAME INVOLVED IN GANGS, DRUGS, AND OTHER ELEMENTS OF STREET LIFE. AS AN ESCAPE, I BEGAN TO WRITE AND RECORD “GANGSTA” RAP, EVENTUALLY SELLING OVER 100,000 ALBUMS INDEPENDENTLY, AND HAVE SHARED THE STAGE WITH MAJOR ARTISTS SUCH AS BONE-THUGS-N-HARMONY, CYPRESS HILL, AND MORE. IT WAS AT AN ALL-AGES CONCERT THAT I UNDERSTOOD THE IMPACT MUSIC HAD ON YOUNG AUDIENCES. CHRIST PIERCED MY HEART AND BEGAN MY REVERSION TO MY CRADLE CATHOLIC FAITH.
WHILE I WAS BORN AND RAISED CATHOLIC, I WAS MORE OF A CULTURAL OR A NOMINAL CATHOLIC. DUE TO A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING, I WAS LED OUT OF THE CHURCH WHEN I EXPERIENCED MY CONVERSION. I BECAME VEHEMENTLY ANTI-CATHOLIC AND BEGAN CHURCH-HOPPING. LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT MY PRAYERS, STUDIES, AND DILIGENT SEARCH FOR TRUTH WOULD EVENTUALLY LEAD ME BACK TO MY CATHOLIC ROOTS.
I LIVE IN FORT WORTH, TEXAS WITH MY WIFE OF 23 YEARS AND OUR TWO CHILDREN. I HAVE A PASSION FOR WORKING WITH UNDERPRIVILEGED, AT-RISK YOUTH, TROUBLED TEENS, GANG MEMBERS, AND PRISON MINISTRY.
https://www.c2six.com/
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Giancarlo Bernini
Using the art of illusion, Giancarlo shares a unique perspective on faith and what it means to seek Truth. His Catholic faith, BA in Religious Studies, and love of apologetics have allowed him to create a program tailored to Catholic audiences.
Attentive to the needs of the Church today, Giancarlo has crafted a show designed to entertain audiences while inspiring them to seek God through the sacraments of the Church and to wholeheartedly pursue their call to sainthood.
https://www.berninimagic.com/
Annie Struckhoff
Annie Struckhoff is a senior at Benedictine College pursuing a degree in Nursing and Spanish. She is a worship leader for Underground, a worship band that leads music for adoration and Mass for college and high school students. She recently spent her summer in Spain studying the Spanish culture and language and has gone to Peru for medical mission serving the poor and marginalized through prayers and medical help. She is delighted to have this opportunity to be with this archdiocese for the conference and share in the Lord with all of the teens present.
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Carla Struckhoff
Carla Struckhoff is currently in her 11th year of teaching Sacred Scripture and Theology of the Body at Chaminade College Preparatory School, an all boys School in St. Louis, Missouri, where she is also the director of the Pro-Life and Vocation clubs. She has been blessed to speak at various events in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, including student, faculty, and parish retreats, and Life in the Spirit seminars. She has also served on prayer and healing ministry teams for the Steubenville Youth Conference and similar events. She earned her Masters degree in Pastoral Theology through Ave Maria University. She led parish Youth Ministry at St. Clement of Rome parish for over 15 years, leading Confirmation and Discipleship retreats, Life Nights, and multiple service projects. She is blessed to be a mother of 7 and wife to Eric for almost 25 years, and is inspired by the lives of the saints and consecrated to Our Lady and her mission of bringing all to the heart of her Son Jesus Christ.
________________________________________________________________________________________Karl Zimmerman
Karl is a Worship Leader each Sunday at St. Catherine Laboure in STL and St. Clement in Des Peres MO. He plays in the House Band at the Steubenville St. Louis and Belleville Diocesan Youth Conferences. Karl and the Band lead music for hundreds of Masses, retreats and special events every year. He has played concerts at the Sheldon in St. Louis and led worship at Six Flags and the Edward Jones Dome. He helped start XLT in St. Louis – a monthly evening of praise, worship and Eucharistic Adoration of our Lord. XLT is going strong, where Karl helps lead 100s of teens closer to Christ.
KZ’s new CD, Love Will Lead Us Home, released in June 2007 (Out of the Box Records), is a burst of joy. It lifts you up. He also has two other CD’s, Friends andYour Name. But there is no doubt the all originals Love Will Lead Us Home is the best and closest reflection of Karl and his music.
He likes buffalo wings, espresso, and drives a Jeep. But he would rather people not see him, but Christ. That teens would draw closer to Christ and the Church. And that everybody would know that he is just A man, not THE MAN.
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/karl-zimmerman/261529718