Ave Maria Communications Presents “Catholic Witness in a Nation Divided”

Posted: Jan 10, 2013 at 8:42 AM [Jan 10, 2013]

On Saturday, January 12, 2013, Ave Maria Communications will offer a one-day conference “Catholic Witness in a Nation Divided” on the campus of Eastern Michigan University.  The conference will address four areas of concern to Catholics following the 2012 election:  religious liberty, the definition of marriage, life issues, and immigration. 

OPENING ADDRESS – Deal Hudson, President of the Pennsylvania Catholics Network and former publisher of Crisis Magazine, will introduce the conference.

RELIGIOUS LIBERTY – Gerard V. Bradley, professor of law at Notre Dame University School of Law, will address the area of religious liberty.  There will be a response and discussion by a panel including Richard Thompson,  president and chief counsel at the Thomas More Law Center; and Robert Muise, Co-Founder and Senior Counsel of the American Freedom Law Center. 

DEFINITION OF MARRIAGE – William B. May, founder and president of Catholics for the Common Good, will be the keynote speaker on marriage, with a response from panelists Dr. Gregory Popcak, executive director of the Pastoral Solutions Institute and host of More2life on Ave Maria Radio, and David Grobbel, associate director of the Office of Marriage and Family Ministry in the Archdiocese of Detroit.

PRO-LIFE ISSUES – The keynote presenter on Life issues will be Father Frank Pavone, national director of Priests For Life.  Responding to his presentation will be panelists Dr. Monica Miller, director of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society; Michael J. New, assistant professor of political science at UM-Dearborn and columnist at National Review Online; and Teresa Tomeo, host of Catholic Connection on Ave Maria Radio. 

IMMIGRATION – Kevin Appleby, director of the Office of Migration Policy and Public Affairs, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, will be the keynote speaker on immigration.  Fr. Robert Sirico, president of the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty, will respond.

CLOSING ADDRESS – Al Kresta, CEO of Ave Maria Communications and host of the popular Kresta in the Afternoon on Ave Maria Radio, will moderate the panel discussions and deliver the closing address.

The conference will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom in Eastern Michigan University’s Student Center, located at 900 Oakwood Street, Ypsilanti, Michigan 48197.  The conference registration fee of $40 will include lunch and parking.

For more information, contact Kathy Schiffer at 734.358.9876 (kschiffer@avemariaradio.net).