Conference Schedule

Journey of Hope Conference 2010

Conference Workshops

This conference is an incredible opportunity for you to hear some of the Catholic Church's most dynamic and trusted speakers talk on the issues that impact you most as a separated or divorced Catholic, all based on the foundation of finding healing in Christ.

Eucharistic Adoration and confessions will be offered most of the day Saturday.

Understanding, Parenting and Loving the Children of Divorce: A Mini-Workshop for Parents

Sandra McKay, BSN, M.ED, LMFT

During this workshop I hope to help parents have a deeper understanding of what their children are going through during and after a divorce, as well as to have exercises in parenting techniques and attitudes that can be helpful. This will be done with a perspective especially for Catholic children and families.

Sandra has been in private practice as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist for 26 years, also contracting with Catholic Social Services. Her work has covered marriage, family and individual counseling, as well as divorce healing, parenting, women's issues, and addictions. She is the co-founder of the Holy Family Counseling Center in Duluth, and the president and co-founder of the Catholic Psychotherapy Association (CPA). She has great hope that through the work of both of these associations, clients will find therapists who follow the advice given by Pope John Paul II to utilize the good that has been discovered within psychology, while never abandoning the wisdom and truth as taught by the Holy Catholic Church.

Sandra's workshops will be presented on Saturday at 11:00am and 4:00pm. She will also be part of our Speaker
Q & A panel on Sunday.

Psychological Perspectives on Forgiveness

Tom Spudic, Ph.D.

Dr. Spudic will talk about forgiveness, giving us a multi-faceted view of this important issue, by looking at:
    ·   What forgiveness is.
   ·   What forgiveness isn't.
   ·   How does one handle anger?
   ·   How long does it take to forgive and
         what does it look like when it
         happens?
   ·   What does the process of forgiveness
         look like?
He will also provide helpful resources that you can use and implement immediately.

Dr. Tom Spudic is a clinical psychologist in private practice, licensed since 1980. He has worked in many settings, in both Connecticut and Georgia. He has a particular love for marriage and has spoken on the topic many times. Dr. Spudic is a member of the Georgia Psychological Association, Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy, and Treasurer for both the Catholic Psychotherapy Association (CPA) and Our Mother of Good Counsel (OMGC). He's also a member of Saint Andrew parish in Roswell, GA.

Dr. Spudic's workshops will be presented on Saturday at 11:00am and 1:30pm. He will also be on our Speaker Q&A Panel on Sunday.

Dealing with Your Ex-Spouse: A Deacon/Lawyer's Perspective

Mike T. Byrne, Byrnes & Count, LLC.

Are you frustrated with the way you and your ex-spouse interact? Are your encounters agitated and volatile? Do you need help with understanding when it is time to consult your lawyer for post-divorce decree issues? Would you like to have more peace in your life?

Mike Byrne of Byrnes & Count, LLC has answers for you and some great practical tools you can use to help soothe the frustrations that come with dealing with ex-spouses.

Mike brings not only the legal perspective, but a Catholic spiritual perspective as he has been a deacon for many years and currently serves at St. John Neumann parish in Lilburn, GA. He has also been a frequent contributer to our newsletter in the "Ask Deacon Mike" section.

Deacon Mikes workshops will be presented on Saturday at 1:30pm and 4:00pm. He will also be part of our Speaker Q&A Panel on Sunday.

Dating and Intimacy After Divorce

Vince Frese

Going through a divorce is so disorienting, especially for Catholics because the Church does not recognize civil divorce as ending a marriage. Unless your marriage is annulled, you are still considered married and must honor those vows. This creates a tremendous amount of confusion, bitterness, and anger. So many questions hang over the head of the divorced Catholic: Am I allowed to date? If so, when? Can I be intimate? What exactly does the Church teach about relationships after divorce? Isn't chastity just for priests? How can I ever find another partner if I can't be intimate? I can't imagine myself getting married again... does that mean I will have to be celibate the rest of my life?

This workshop will answer all these questions and remove the confusion regarding dating and intimacy after divorce. It will explore what the Church teaches and give specific guidance on how to live your life as a "single" Catholic. You may be pleasantly surprised to learn of the tremendous gift your life can be to the Church and to your world after divorce.
Vince will present this workshop on Saturday at 11:00am and 1:30pm and will be part of the Speaker Q&A Panel on Sunday.

Tapping the Power of Your Catholic Faith to Regain Balance and Restore Optimism

Divorce thrusts you into the world of the unknown. There are so many new responsibilities, so many choices, and so many decisions to be made. Due to confusion and shame, many Catholics pull away from their faith after a divorce--the very thing that can help them the most. The result is poor decisions, too little balance, and a general sense of despair. Something just seems to be missing, but you can't put your finger on it. That "something" is your Catholic faith. This workshop will examine several keys ways to more fully tap the power of your Catholic faith. You will learn how to create a better, more potent prayer life, how to use the power of the Holy Spirit to make better decisions, how to avoid the bad habits and situations that lead you astray, and how to better take advantage of the Sacraments. The result will be a more vibrant faith that helps you regain a deeper sense of balance and renewed optimism for your future.

Vince will be presenting this brief talk during at dinner.

First Things First: How to Better Manage Your Demanding Life After Divorce

Divorce creates tremendous change. Suddenly, you have to shoulder the responsibilities of two people. If you have kids this means doing the day-to-day tasks of both a father and a mother including: school conferences, doctors appointments, sports, scouts, homework, church activities, etc. Even if you don't have kids, it still means having to deal with all the things your ex-spouse used to do. This could be financial matters, housework, or even having to replace an income that is now gone. Being thrust into this dual-role can create plenty of chaos. One of the best ways to bring more peace into your life is to eliminate it. This workshop will teach specific techniques on how to better manage your time, focus on priorities, and eliminate the "urgency" syndrome that tends to reign in so many divorced persons lives. Learn how to make sure you stay on top of the truly important things in your life, insure that your kids are thriving despite the divorce, and find more peace and joy for yourself.

Vince will be presenting this workshop on Sunday at 8:30am.

Vince Frese, a lifelong Catholic, is a father, a ministry leader, a catechist, and a business leader. After experiencing first hand the pain and difficulty of divorce, Vince felt a calling to help serve other divorced Catholics. He has worked with the Archdiocese of Atlanta and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to help create programs and resources for divorced Catholics. Vince founded the Embrace Ministry, a ministry serving the on-going needs of divorced, separated, and single-parent Catholics. Through this ministry he has hosted a variety of spiritual, educational, and social programs that have helped many Catholics rebuild their lives after divorce. He is Vice President for Journey of Hope Productions Corporation, and is active in his parish as a catechist, ministry head, and program facilitator. He has been President and CEO of Tridia Corporation, a software development company, for twenty years. Vince lives in Marietta, Georgia with his wife, Monica, and their seven children.

Successful Money Management After Divorce

Jim Duffy, Partner, Phoenix Global Mortgage

One of the hardest hit aspects of divorce is the finances and it can be a devastating experience. Whether you have the benefit of spousal support or are working yourself to the bone trying to make it all work on one income, this workshop will give you the tools and strategies you need to bring stability back to your finances, save money, repair your credit, and much more. Jim's "The 4 Step Priority of Cash Flow" will show you how it is possible to get ahead even when it seems like everything is holding you back.

Jim Duffy is a managing partner at Phoenix Global Mortgage in Atlanta, GA. His experience in the lending and finance field has earned him the status of "Preferred Lender" for many real estate groups in the area. Jim has a Master's Degree Summa Cum Laude in Philosophy from the Regina Apostolorum in Rome, Italy. He speaks fluent Spanish and Italian. Jim lives with his wife, Lisa, and their three children in Georgia.

Jim will be presenting this workshop at 11:30am and 4:00pm and will be part of our Speaker Q&A panel on Sunday.

Understanding the Annulment Process

Lisa Duffy

Is the annulment process is just a Catholic divorce? Can the Church really say I am free to re-marry? What effect does that have on my children? Is it expensive? What is it all about, anyway?

Based on Canon Law, Sacred Scripture, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Lisa will dispel the myths and misinformation about the Catholic annulment process, but more than that, will give you a clear and concise explanation about what an annulment really is and the role it plays in healing the pain of divorce.

Lisa will present this workshop on Saturday at 1:30pm and will be a part of our Speaker Q&A Panel on Sunday.

How to Facilitate the Journey of Hope Program in Your Parish

Does your parish need a Catholic support group for separated and divorced men and women? Look no further than the Journey of Hope program - completely Catholic and loyal to the teachings of the Church, yet an instrument of hope and healing for divorced Catholics everywhere. You can bring this 18-week comprehensive program to your parish and help those who are suffering through separation and divorce to find peace and healing.

In this session, you will understand how to implement the program from start to finish in easy steps, and will participate in a sample session.

Lisa will present this workshop on Saturday at 4:00pm.

The Five Keys to Healing

This conference is presented as one of the elements of Lisa's post-divorce coaching program especially to help you begin moving forward and leaving the pain and unhappiness of the past behind. You will walk away with practical tools that you can use immediately to accelerate your healing process and find peace and a renewed relationship with Christ and others.

Lisa will present this workshop on Sunday at 8:30am.

Lisa Duffy has more than 16 years of both personal and professional experience in helping others deal with their divorces. Born and raised in Southern California, Lisa suffered through the pain of being a divorced Catholic in the early 1990s and knew that after seven years intense struggle, spiritual growth, personal triumphs, and finally remarriage in the Church and the birth of three miracle children, her one desire was to help others who were suffering find hope and healing. Lisa has worked for the Church in a variety of roles, most recently in directing the Journey of Hope program in the Archdiocese of Atlanta for the past 7 years, which she authored and upon which this book was based.

Lisa has been featured on many radio programs including "Catholic Answers Live", "The Teresa Tomeo Show", Relevant Radio's "On Call with Wendy Wiese", Sirius Satellite Radio's "The Catholics Next Door" with Greg and Jennifer Willits, "Kresta in the Afternoon" with Al Kresta. She and Vince have appeared on EWTN's "Living His Life Abundantly" with Johnette Benkovic in the fall of 2009.

Lisa has given workshops for the North American Conference for Separated and Divorced Catholics (NACSDC, now Catholic Divorce Ministry CDM) national conference and a part of their speaker panel, and a weekend conference for the Diocese of Lexington, KY. She is currently the President of Journey of Hope Productions and Co-Founder of DivorcedCatholic.Org. Lisa lives in Georgia with her husband and three children.

Main Navigation