"I Thirst" Orange County Presenters 

Bishop Kevin Vann

Most Rev. Kevin Vann after working for three years as a medical technologist, he entered the seminary in l976, spending a year at the Immaculate Conception Diocesan Seminary in Springfield and four years at Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, majoring in theology.

 He was ordained and installed as the third bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth on Wednesday, July 13, 2005, at Texas Christian University’s Daniel – Meyer Coliseum.

On September 21, 2012, His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI announced the appointment of Bishop Kevin W. Vann as the fourth Bishop of Orange. Bishop Vann has led the Diocese of Orange – the 10th largest diocese in the country and the second – largest west of the Mississippi – in its multicultural mission to meet the social, economic and spiritual needs of the region’s increasingly diverse Catholic population. He led the historic effort to transform the former Crystal Cathedral from a world – renowned center of Protestant worship into the West Coast’s most visible center of Catholicism. Christ Cathedral was dedicated on July 17, 2019.

Bishop Timothy Freyer

Timothy Freyer is an auxiliary bishop in the Diocese of Orange, California.  He grew up in Huntington Beach, was ordained a priest in 1989 and a bishop in 2017.  Bishop Freyer has a passion for evangelization, which he describes as " proclaiming the Good News of God’s love manifest in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ."  He continues, " Especially in these times, people need to hear that there is hope in death.  St. Paul tells us that “We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him.” [Romans 6:9]  We need to repeat that in different ways so that people can hear it."

Deacon Steve Greco 

"The Pursuit of Holiness"

Steve Greco is a permanent deacon of the Diocese of Orange, president of Spirit Filled Hearts Ministry, a retired pharmaceutical industry executive and author of numerous books and articles on Catholic spirituality.  He also believes he was inspired by the Holy Spirit to be a messenger for the Lord through I Thirst.  St. Teresa of Calcutta, better known as Mother Teresa, was called by God to thirst for souls and share her love for God's people in a powerful day.  Jesus is calling all of us to quench His thirst at Calvary by evangelizing people in the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I Thirst is a call to respond to the mandate of Jesus Christ to go to the ends of the earth to proclaim the Gospel.

Robert Spitzer, SJ 

"The Holy Eucharist, Miracles and Devotion"

Fr. Robert Spitzer is a Jesuit, and president of the Magis Center of Reason and Faith and the Spitzer Center for Ethical Leadership.  He also hosts "Father Spitzer's Universe" for EWTN.  A focus of his work has been to demonstrate the compatibility of science and faith.  He said, " Some people argue that religion has done more harm than good.  But that’s not the case.  Religion has led to every kind of social good: law, culture, public education, hospitals, humane treatment of widows, orphans and the helpless (and not just to Christians).  People point to bad things that religious people have done, but that doesn’t characterize religion, but weak human beings who are religious."

Barbara Heil

"How to Win a Catholic"

Barbara Heil is founder of the Catholic ministry From His Heart. Barbara grew up on the West Coast, and as a student, had a life changing encounter with the love of Christ and became Christian. Barbara didn’t know until recently that she had been baptized as a child in the Catholic Church, and after much prayer and deliberation, she received the Rite of Confirmation in St Paul, Minnesota in April of 2013. She is a public speaker, trains missionaries to share the love of Christ and leads pilgrimages to the Holy Land.  She said, "It's my mission to go and tell everybody that God is real and He is alive."

Deacon Larry Oney

"“A Thirst, a Cry, and a Response From the Heart of God!”

Larry Oney is a permanent deacon for the Archdiocese of New Orleans and serves at Divine Mercy Parish in Kenner, Louisiana.  He is also chairman of HGI Global, a third-party administration and project management firm.  He is also founder and president of Hope and Purpose Ministries.  With a passion for lifting people up across the world, he inspires men and women to live their lives with hope and purpose.  Through Hope and Purpose Ministries, he aims to put the New Evangelization into practice through preaching, teaching and the media; offering hope and purpose to everyone.

Andi Oney

"Thirsting for a Visitation"

Andi Oney is the wife of Deacon Larry Oney.  She has a background in education, and has developed a love for Scripture.  In 2013, Andi attended the International Prophetic Consultation gathering of leaders in the Renewal in the city of bread (Bethlehem, Israel), where she had a profound experience as she prayed in the Upper Room with leaders from all over the world for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  As a result of Andi’s Upper Room experience, she has answered the call to share with others the gift of the baptism in the Holy Spirit and just finished writing her first book on praise entitled:  Extravagant Praise!

Kathleen Beckman, L.H.

"Jesus Thirsts for a New Priestly Pentecost and Eucharistic Amazement: Prophecies of Blessed Conchita."

Kathleen Beckman, for the past twenty-five years, and in thirteen countries, she has served in the Church’s ministry of evangelization as a speaker, retreat director, media host, and writer. She is the Author of several best selling books including: Praying for Priests, When Women Pray, A Family Guide to Spiritual Warfare. Since 2007, she serves as the administrator of Exorcism-Deliverance Ministry, is on the exorcist’s team, and the Advisory Board of the Pope Leo XIII Institute, the school that trains clergy for exorcism ministry. In 2013, Kathleen and Monsignor Stephen Doktorczyk began an apostolate for the holiness of priests, “Foundation of Prayer for Priests” featuring spiritual motherhood and fatherhood of clergy. Her newest book will be released in 2023 on the spiritual life of the mystic Blessed Conchita Cabrera titled, “Beautiful Holiness”. 

Donna Lee 

Donna Lee  Is a three time Unity Award winner Donna Lee started playing guitar and singing at the age of seven. In 1972, she joined the folk group at her local parish where she sang and played guitar for 11 years. At the age of 15, she wrote her first song for a Catholic youth retreat. Her music ministry focuses on Reconciliation, the Eucharist, and Divine Mercy. She also has a special devotion to the Blessed Mother, whom she says played a big part in her conversion back to the Catholic church. Donna’s music ministry began to grow shortly after her conversion in 1988. 

    Monsignor Stephn Doktorczyk, JCD 

Monsignor Stephen is a priest of the Diocese of Orange, California, a canon lawyer, and Co-founder and Spiritual Director of the Foundation of Prayer for Priests. Ordained to the priesthood in 2005,  he earned a Bachelor's degree in Sacred Theology in 2004 from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome and a Licenciate in Canon Law from the  Pontifical Gregorian University, also in Rome, in 2007. He served as parochial vicar at Costa Mesa from 2007-2011 and concurrently as Adjutant Judicial Vicar. From 2011 to 2016 Msgr. Doktorczyk was an official at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Vatican City and Adjunct Spiritual Director at the Pontifical North American College, also in Rome. In 2016, Msgr. Doktorczyk earned his doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He serves as Vicar General for Legal and Canonical Affairs and pastor at St. Martin de Porres for the Diocese of Orange.

Rev. Peter Saucedo 

Rev. P. Peter Saucedo es nativo de Los Ángeles, del Valle de San Gabriel. Nacido en la ciudad de Baldwin Park, CA, de padres inmigrantes de ascendencia mexicana, el P. Peter fue criado en un hogar católico devoto y atribuye su fe a sus padres. es nativo de Los Ángeles, del Valle de San Gabriel. Nacido en la ciudad de Baldwin Park, CA, de padres inmigrantes de ascendencia mexicana.  Luego ingresó al seminario de San Juan aquí en el sur de California en el verano de 2012, y fue ordenado al sacerdocio el 2 de junio de 2018. Actualmente, es el Director Asociado de Vocaciones de la Arquidiócesis de Los Ángeles.

Francisco Muñoz

Francisco Muñoz ha estado comprometido con ministerios de jóvenes y adultos en el Valle de San Gabriel por más de veinte años. El fue parte del Ministerio Life Teen en la Misión de San Gabriel, donde fue organizador de retiros de fin de semana para adultos, sirvió en el ministerio juvenil, y apoyó el programa de Confirmación.En 2017, Francisco se unió a la Comunidad de Hombres Católicos (Catholic Men's Fellowship) en St. Louise de Marillac en Covina, CA. A partir de 2019, Francisco fue nombrado miembro de la directiva de CMF y actualmente ocupa el cargo de Vicepresidente, donde sigue formando y apoyando grupos de hombres en parroquias. 

Sponsors

Deacon Tony Mercado

Tony Mercado is a permanent deacon of the Diocese of Orange, chaplain for police departments in the county of Orange, and a grief ministry facilitator. He is also an insurance agent by trade. Tony has always felt a calling for helping others in their time of need. As a result of personal loss, he has been called to minister to those that are marginalized and in the most need of healing during their time of grief. Deacon Tony is also a co-host of “Called to Serve” internet radio podcast on Spirit Filled Radio.

Partners 

Obispo David O'Connell

El Reverendísimo David G. O'Connell es Vicario Episcopal de la Región Pastoral de San Gabriel, una de las cinco Regiones Pastorales de la Archidiócesis de Los Ángeles. Fue nombrado Obispo Titular de Cell Ausaille y Obispo Auxiliar en 2015. Fue miembro de la Junta de Pensiones Sacerdotales, y actualmente forma parte de la Junta "Unidos en Misión." El Obispo O'Connell también es miembro del Consejo de Finanzas de la Arquidiócesis, y desde hace tiempo ha sido miembro del Consejo de Sacerdotes. Además, es Caballero de Pedro Claver. En su ministerio pastoral, el Obispo O'Connell siempre se ha mostrado muy activo en el servicio a los necesitados.