Marianist Encounters Conference
Speaker Biographies
Opening Plenary Speakers
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The Marianist Charism: Gifts and Challenges for Encountering the Earth, Poor, and Youth Today
Friday, Oct 4, 2024, 7:30 – 8:45 pm
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​​​​​​Bro. Stephen Glodek, SM
Bro. Stephen has ministered as a teacher and school psychologist at secondary schools in New York. He served then for 26 years in the administrations of the Marianist Provinces of New York and of the United States in Baltimore, MD, and St. Louis, MO. He has ministered as President of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men for the United States and the National Conference of Religious Brothers. He has served for many years as the President of the board for Partners in Sustainable Development International serving the rural poor of Bangladesh. Brother Stephen presently serves as Director of the Marianist Province of the US Center for Lay Formation in Philadelphia, PA. He has also served as the Former Provincial of the Society of Mary and is the current director of the Tending the Vineyard project for the National Religious Retirement Office.
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Maureen O’Rourke
Maureen O’Rourke serves as the Director of the Marianist PULSE program and co-chairs the Marianist Social Justice Collaborative's Racial Justice Team. She is a Lay Marianist, a member of the Roots Community, and an alumnus of Chaminade-Julienne High School. Maureen holds a Bachelor’s in Education and Women’s and Gender Studies and a Master’s in Public Administration with a focus on non-profit leadership, both from the University of Dayton. With a commitment to solidarity, community building, and the center city, Maureen, her husband Brad, and their two little people, Eva and Rory, live in the South Park neighborhood in Dayton, Ohio.
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Nicole Trahan, FMI
Sr. Nicole Trahan, FMI, entered the Daughters of Mary Immaculate (Marianists) in 2005 and currently lives in San Antonio, Texas. Sr. Nicole serves as a member of the provincial leadership team, vocations director, and director of the pre-novitiate program for the FMI Province of the United States. She is also the Director of Marianist Initiatives and Special Projects at St. Mary's University. With Master’s degrees in Catholic School Leadership and Pastoral Ministry and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, Sr. Nicole has a background in teaching theology/religion on the secondary level, campus ministry on the collegiate and secondary level, retreat design and leadership, and spiritual accompaniment. She has a passion for faith formation and leadership development, especially of young people. This passion is equally matched by her dedication to seeking justice. Nationally, Sr. Nicole is the Board Chair of the National Religious Vocations Conference, a regular workshop presenter for the National Religious Formation Conference, Board member for the Center for the Study of Consecrated Life, and has recently completed her term as Secretary for the Board of the National Black Sisters Conference. In the Marianist Family, Sr. Nicole has served as a regional coordinator for Marianist LIFE, a founding member and co-chair of the Dayton Marianist Family Council, a member of the Society of Mary Province of the United States direction statement steering committee, and co-chair of the MSJC racial justice issue team. She is also a regular contributor to the National Catholic Reporter’s Global Sisters Report and enjoys writing on various topics.
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Keynote Plenary Speakers
Vincent J. Miller
Integral Ecology: Laudato Si’s invitation to transform Mind and Heart
Saturday, Oct 5, 2024, 9:30 – 10:30 am
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Vincent J Miller is the Gudorf Chair in Catholic Theology and Culture and Director of Doctoral Studies in the Religious Studies Department at the University of Dayton. At UD, he is also a Sustainability scholar with the Hanley Sustainability Institute and co-chairs the Laudato si Action Platform working group. He lives with his family in Dayton. Dr. Miller is the author of Consuming Religion: Christian Faith and Practice in a Consumer Culture and editor of The Theological and Ecological Vision of Laudato Si’: Everything is Connected. and is a regular contributor to America Magazine and Commonweal. Recently, he has authored a series of essays in Commonweal on integral ecology in an old-growth forest, attending to loss in the same forest after a catastrophic wildfire, and on Pope Francis’ notion of hope and the ecological crisis. Vincent has been featured in many publications as well as television and radio programs, including the Messy Jesus Business podcast, where he discussed The Grind of Hope in a Crises. He serves internationally as a theological consultant with the Laudato si’ Action Platform and was an invitee to the Assisi seminar delegation exploring elevating the September 1st World Day of Prayer to a Feastday of Creation.
Andrés Novela
Brewing Justice: My Journey of Encounter through Haitian Coffee
Saturday, Oct 5, 2024, 7:30 – 8:30 pm
​Andrés Novela brings over 20 years of experience as a campus minister at Msgr. Pace High School in Miami, where he has focused on social justice and community building. His commitment to serving others extends to his 15 years with Amor en Acción in the Northwest of Haiti, where he served first as mission coordinator, supporting crucial education and nutrition programs in the diocese of Port-de-Paix, and later as the president. Currently, Andrés is the president of the Archdiocese of Miami/Port-de-Paix Global Solidarity Partnership. In this role, he supports the vital work of the COCANO cooperative and the Atelier Thevenet in the Northwest of Haiti, fostering global solidarity and sustainable development. In addition to his extensive professional achievements, Andrés has been actively involved with Marianist LIFE for over 20 years. Andrés is a lover of coffee, cinema, hip-hop, and Chelsea football club, bringing a diverse range of interests and passions to his work and life.
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