Breakout Sessions

"Why You Need a Men's Group" - Michael Gormley

Description: 
This session will explore the profound impact that honest brotherhood can have on a man’s life. Drawing from personal testimonies and real-world examples, this talk will challenge stereotypes about men’s groups and highlight their role as catalysts for growth. Discover how these groups cultivate moral discipline, deepen knowledge of the faith, and forge meaningful bonds of friendship that far exceed the surface-level connections of everyday life. Whether you’re seeking to become a better husband, father, or disciple, this talk will inspire you to embrace the transformative power of community and accountability in your walk with Christ.

Presenter Bio: 
Michael "Gomer" Gormley has been leading evangelization and ministry efforts for the past 17 years, both as a full-time parish staff member and as a speaker and consultant for parishes, dioceses, and Catholic campus ministries. He has his Undergraduate Degrees in both Philosophy and Theology and a Masters in Theology and Christian Ministry, from the Franciscan University of Steubenville. He currently serves as the Mission Evangelist for Paradisus Dei, a ministry dedicated to helping men, couples, and families discover the superabundance of God. Michael is also the founder and creative director of LayEvangelist.com, and the co-host to two successful Catholic podcasts: Catching Foxes and Every Knee Shall Bow. He is married to his college sweetheart, Shannon, and they have 4 amazing children and get 3 hours of sleep a night, which is fine by him.

"Practical Evangelization for Everyone" - Fr. Nick March and Sean McVeigh

Description: 
Evangelization is far easier than many people realize. It is part of our baptismal calling to spread the Good News. In this breakout session, Fr. Nick March and Sean McVeigh from St. Jude Catholic Church in Cedar Rapids will offer some basic ways for people to share their faith in any area of their life: at home, work, school, church, or in public. If you are looking for ideas to help you grow in sharing your faith with others, this session is a great place to start.

Presenter Bios: 
Fr. Nick March is a priest of the Archdiocese of Dubuque and is currently serving as the Pastor of St. Jude Church in Cedar Rapids (since 2022). He grew up in Cedar Rapids and was ordained in 2004. He hopes to help his parish continue to grow in various forms of prayer, in reaching out to the surrounding neighborhoods, and in evangelization. The most famous person he has ever met is St. John Paul II. He has driven a combine, but only once. His hobbies and interests include golf, reading, and cooking.

Sean McVeigh was raised Catholic in southeast Pennsylvania. Due to intense growth in his faith during his college years, he decided to join the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal upon graduating to discern if he might have a calling to the priesthood. After three and a half years of prayer, discernment, and spiritual direction, he felt God calling him to the vocation of marriage instead. Sean then worked in youth ministry for a Catholic Church, taught religion in a Catholic high school, and later earned a Master's in Theology from St. Joseph College. Sean and his wife, Sarah, and their four kids moved to Iowa in 2018. He has since served as the Director of Adult Faith Formation in our archdiocese and now works as the Pastoral Minister of Discipleship for St. Jude parish in Cedar Rapids. Sean began street evangelizing in 1996 as a college student and has nearly 30 years experience evangelizing on behalf of the Catholic faith. He has had many life lessons in evangelization that have helped him know what to do, and what not to do, when it comes to sharing the Catholic faith. Sean also enjoys archery, bowhunting, fishing, camping, hiking, and wilderness survival. He has a YouTube channel called "Sean's Outdoor Adventures," which has over 100,000 subscribers and almost 19 million channel views. Through his online video presence, Sean teaches archery and bowhunting but also uses it to evangelize and share the Catholic faith in the midst of outdoor related videos. Sean's greatest joy comes in helping others grow closer to God as disciples of Jesus in the Catholic faith and helping others learn how to evangelize and set people on fire for Jesus.

"Marian Evangelization with St. Maximilian Kolbe" - Fr. Ben Valentine

Description:
St. Maximillian Kolbe had a burning desire to conquer the whole world for the kingdom of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus "as soon as possible." He believed that Mary played an indispensable role in this mission. In this session, we will delve into St. Maximillian's love for the Blessed Virgin Mary, how he evangelized, and how we also can, in our sphere of influence, conquer the world for the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Presenter Bio:
Fr. Ben Valentine is the associate pastor at Epiphany Parish in Mason City and Sacred Heart Parish in Manly. He grew up in Cedar Rapids as the youngest of three boys and is the son of Doug and Amy Valentine. He graduated from Xavier Catholic High School in 2014. He then entered seminary at St. Pius X seminary at Loras College in Dubuque and studied Philosophy and Spanish for four years. He concluded seminary at Mundelein Seminary in Illinois after four years of studying theology. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Dubuque in May of 2022. 

"Modern Manhood: Understanding and Appreciating Women" - Dave Guetterman

Description:
Modern Manhood was developed in conjunction with Guiding Star Cedar Valley in Waterloo to provide men with a modern understanding of women, their biological cycle and how it pertains to relationships, health, and fertility. This session will provide men with a deeper understanding of how God has designed the human person as male and female and the complementarity between men and women. While this session is open to men of all ages and stages of life, it is especially for young men who are dating, engaged, or married (or who are currently single but desire to get married in the future). This session will help you to develop a better appreciation for women.

Presenter Bio:
Dave Guetterman lives in Cedar Falls with his wife, Christa, and their four kids. He owns and operates AgEx which is an ag and heavy equipment dealership, and Christa works for John Deere. They are parishioners at St. Patrick parish and their kids attend St. Patrick Catholic School in Cedar Falls. Dave and Christa are passionate about the reproductive, relationship, and health benefits that come with a basic understanding of hormones and the natural female cycle.