Alex Jones was an "on-fire" Pentecostal minister in Detroit who was a completely dedicated shepherd of his flock. He greatly loved his people and they loved him. In seeking to give his flock the most genuine experience of the early Church prayer and worship services, he carefully read Scripture, the Fathers of the Church and writings of the early saints. The more he read, the more Alex came to the startling conclusion that the present day Catholic Church - and the Holy Mass - is the same exact "worship service " from the very early Church. Alex began to share his findings with his parish, and eventually Alex, and most of his parish, joined the Catholic Church. His book, No Price Too High: A Pentecostal Preacher Becomes Catholic, is his incredible story of a black Pentecostal minister's challenging and dramatic spiritual journey, and the flock that followed him. Today he preaches with his usual passion about Christ - as a Catholic deacon! The book tells the story of Alex's life from his childhood all the way to his conversion to Catholicism in 2001. It simultaneously tells the story of his wife, Donna, and her spiritual journey as well, which shows how they were not always on the same path during Alex's preparation for entering the Catholic Church. Each had to be personally, deeply convinced that this momentous, life-changing and career-changing spiritual decision was God's will for them.

Fr. Tadeusz Pacholczyk grew up in Tucson, Arizona. His father Andrzej Pacholczyk was a professor of astrophysics at the University of Arizona. He earned his doctorate in neuroscience from Yale University and did post-doctoral studies at Harvard University.

Michael Ford has a long history at the executive level in the administration of human services programs following earning his Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from U.C. Berkeley. He began his career with the Washoe County (Reno) District Health Department in 1971 and was the first non physician director of that department from 1981 to 1989. He next spent 13 years as the Health Agency Director in Merced County in California until June 2003. His experience in leading such programs as maternal and child health, communicable disease control, early childhood development, correctional and indigent health services and many more, provided him with an extensive understanding of the problems and needs for human services and social services for the low income and impoverished among us. Following his retirement from public service, Mike found his way to Catholic Community Services of Northern Nevada where he was appointed Executive Director in September, 2004.

Since 1941, Catholic Community Services has been offering numerous services in Washoe County and throughout Northern Nevada including a hot meal each day at the St. Vincent’s Dining Room, a helpful hand through a personal crisis in the Emergency Assistance, groceries from the St. Vincent’s Food Pantry, quality child care for working parents at Holy Child Day Home, unique items at bargain prices at the St. Vincent’s Thrift Shops, affordable low income housing at St. Vincent’s Residence, the gift of love through the Adoption program and a warm welcome to newcomers in the Immigration Assistance Program.

Mike will share some of the realities of delivering services to the less fortunate—the daily challenge of providing services upon which some depend for basic survival, and the rewards of connecting people with food, shelter, and the healing power of hope.

Ms. Norma L. McCorvey was born September 22, 1947, in Simmesport, Louisiana. In 1969, at the age of twenty-two, Norma was introduced to two lawyers from Texas, Sarah Weddington and Linda Coffee; both were looking to overturn the Texas statute which outlawed abortion. They approached a pregnant Norma McCorvey. As a result, Norma signed on the dotted line making her the plaintiff in an abortion suit against the State of Texas.

Robert Colbert currently serves as the director of mission integration/catholic identity at the National Center of Catholic Charities USA. Prior to this, he served in a number of leadership positions in mission and educational leadership at the Bon Secours Health System, National Catholic Educational Association, University of the Incarnate Word and the Diocese of Lafayette, Louisiana. Bob enjoys hiking, biking, handywork, reading, homebrewing and his four children.

Professor Ronald J. Rychlak is Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the University of Mississippi, School of Law. He is the author or co-author of six books and numerous articles. He also was featured in all 12 episodes of EWTN’s television series, Pope Pius XII.

Ron and his wife Claire have been married for 21 years, and they have six children, ranging in age from 6 to 18 years. A few years ago, the Rychlaks were named the Mississippi Knights of Columbus State Family of the Year.

Wesley Smith’s writing and opinion columns on assisted suicide, bioethics, the morality of human cloning, the dangers of animal liberation, legal ethics, and public affairs have appeared nationally and internationally, including in Newsweek, New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Weekly Standard, National Review, Mother Jones, Free Inquiry magazine, The National Post (Canada), The Age (Australia), Western Journal of Medicine, and the American Journal of Bioethics.

He has also been published in regional publications throughout the nation. Smith wrote the chapter on assisted suicide for the Encyclopedia of Crime and Justice and has authored chapters in several books relating to the various issues about which he advocates.

Randolph Roque Calvo was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as the seventh Bishop of Reno on December 23, 2005. Bishop Calvo was born on August 28, 1950, in Agaña, Guam. As a child, he moved with his family to San Francisco where he attended elementary school. He completed his clerical formation at Saint Joseph College Seminary in Mountain View, California, and at Saint Patrick Seminary in Menlo Park, California. Shortly thereafter, he earned a doctorate in canon law at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas (Angelicum) in Rome. He was ordained to the presbyterate on May 21, 1977 for the Archdiocese of San Francisco and served as parochial vicar at Holy Name Parish in San Francisco (1977 - 1979) and at Saint Pius Parish in Redwood City (1979 - 1982). From 1982 to 1986, he studied canon law in Rome. He served as Vice Judicial Vicar for the San Francisco archdiocese (1986 -1987) and then as Judicial Vicar (1987 - 1997). In 1997, he was appointed as Pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Redwood City, California. He also taught canon law at Saint Patrick Seminary in Menlo Park. His episcopal ordination and installation was February 17, 2006 in Reno, Nevada.

Peter Herbeck is the Vice President and Director of Missions for Renewal Ministries. Peter oversees the work of lay mission teams throughout the world who work to equip Catholic lay people to respond to the Holy Father's call for a new evangelization. He has traveled extensively in the U.S., Canada, Africa, and Eastern Europe for the past twenty five years, assisting and training local churches in proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ and ministering through the exercise of spiritual gifts. Peter is the co-host of the weekly television show The Choices We Face, and the host of the daily radio show Fire on the Earth. He is a frequent conference speaker, and the author of books and audio tapes about discipleship and life in the Spirit. His most recent book is entitled When the Spirit Comes in Power.