MOST REV. J. MARK SPALDING, JCL
Bishop of the Diocese of Nashville
Bishop J. Mark Spalding, the oldest of three children, was born on January 13, 1965, in Lebanon, Kentucky, and was baptized at Holy Trinity Church in Fredericktown, Kentucky. After graduating in 1983 from Bethlehem High School, Bishop Spalding attended college at Saint Meinrad Seminary, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in history in 1987. He attended major seminary at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium where he earned an M.A. and an S.T.B. in Religious Studies in 1990. Bishop Spalding was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Louisville on August 3, 1991, by Archbishop Thomas C. Kelly, O.P. After ordination, he continued graduate studies at Louvain, earning his Licentiate in Canon Law in 1992. He returned to the Archdiocese in 1992 and served as associate pastor of the Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral from 1992 to 1996. He was appointed part-time judge for the Metropolitan Tribunal in 1993, Adjutant Judicial Vicar in 1995, and Judicial Vicar and Director of the Metropolitan Tribunal from 1998 to 2011. From 1996 to 1998, Bishop Spalding was associate pastor of St. Augustine Church in Lebanon, Kentucky, and from 1998 to 1999, he served as a part-time associate pastor at St. Margaret Mary Church in Louisville. While continuing to serve as Judicial Vicar, Bishop Spalding was appointed pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in La Grange, Kentucky in 1999 and served there until 2011. Appointed Vicar General by Archbishop Joseph Kurtz in 2011, Bishop Spalding was also named pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Louisville that year. In 2016, Bishop Spalding was appointed pastor of Holy Name Church while continuing as pastor of Holy Trinity Church. Bishop Spalding served on the College of Consultors, the Priests’ Council, the Archdiocesan Planning Commission, the Development Council for the Archdiocese, and the Catholic Services Appeal Pastors’ Committee. Other assignments included serving as presbyteral moderator at two parishes as well as filling the role as priest-chaplain at Bethlehem High School from 1992 to 1996, and at Sacred Heart Academy in Louisville from 2011 to 2017. His appointment as the 12th Bishop of Nashville by Pope Francis was announced on November 21, 2017. His episcopal ordination and installation as the Bishop of Nashville was on February 2, 2018.
ABOUT US
RACHEL TOWNSEND
Senior Program Coordinator and Team Leader, St. John Paul II Foundation
Rachel Townsend is a Senior Program Coordinator and Team Leader for the St. John Paul II Foundation where she serves to support the parishes and couples across the country who are sponsoring and participating in the Together in Holiness Formation series. She earned her Bachelors of Science in Psychology from Texas A&M University and graduated with Honors in Psychology distinction. Prior to joining the St. John Paul II Foundation, she worked as a Career Counselor for Champions School of Real Estate helping students to achieve their career and licensing goals. Over the years, she has volunteered at her parish community as a member of the altar guild and is currently a parishioner of Presentation of the Lord Catholic Church in Montgomery, Texas.
LEONARD J. DELORENZO, PHD
McGrath Institute for Church Life; Department of Theology, University of Notre Dame
Leonard J. DeLorenzo, Ph.D., serves in the McGrath Institute for Church Life and teaches theology at the University of Notre Dame. He is the award-winning author of nine books to date, as well as the editor of an additional three. Among his recent authored books are such titles as Our Faithful Departed: Where They Are and Why It Matters (2022), Model of Faith: Reflecting on the Litany of Saint Joseph (2021), and Into the Heart of the Father: Learning from and Giving Yourself through Christ in Prayer (2021). His most recent edited volume is The Chronicles of Transformation: A Spiritual Journey with C.S. Lewis (2022). Leonard is also creator and host of the popular radio show and podcast Church Life Today. Some of his other work includes directing the Sullivan Family Saints Initiative at Notre Dame, as well as serving as the academic director of a faith formation leadership program called Notre Dame Vision. Leonard speaks around the country and across the world on such topics as prayer, the spiritualities of the saints, adolescent catechesis, the biblical imagination, and marriage and family life. Leonard and his wife Lisa are parents to six children. You can find Leonard online at leonardjdelorenzo.com and subscribe to his weekly newsletter “Life, Sweetness, Hope” at bit.ly/lifesweetnesshope.
LARRY G. FREENEY, PHD
Director of Education and Assessments, Rejoice Counseling Apostolate
Dr. Larry serves as a Team Leader, Lead Parish Counselor, and Director of Education and Assessments at Rejoice Counseling Apostolate. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a National Certified Counselor, and an Accredited Financial Counselor Candidate. Dr. Larry completed a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision at Sam Houston State University and conducted research on the lived experiences of Millennials with student loan debt. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a Minor in Christianity (2014) and a Master of Arts in Counseling (2016) at Houston Baptist University. At Rejoice, Dr. Larry coordinates educational opportunities for our counseling team, our parish partners, and their parishioners. He also oversees the administration and evaluation of various psychological assessments, as he received extensive training under a licensed psychologist throughout his doctoral program. As a student supervisor, Dr. Larry works with counseling students from various universities by providing them with a practicum and internship experience that focuses on the wholistic formation of each student. When it comes to counseling, Dr. Larry serves onsite at multiple parishes and counsels from a refined approach that integrates Gestalt-based counseling with traditional, Catholic fundamentals. He has additional experience working as a Care Coordinator and Mental Health Counselor at The Harris Center (formally known as MHMRA) and as a Registered Behavioral Technician at Therapy & Beyond, where he worked with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other developmental disorders. Dr. Larry has also acquired 1500+ hours of experience working with individuals and couples with financial issues, focusing on budgeting, paying off debt, and basic investing.
Aside from counseling, Dr. Larry serves on the Advisory Board for the St. John Paul II Foundation, a national Catholic apostolate dedicated to proclaiming the gospel of life and forming families as intimate communities of love. He also serves as the Secretary for Generosity Works Inc, a non-profit which serves as a vehicle by which employees of Rejoice Counseling Apostolate can develop initiatives that share the gift of counsel with the Church and community. He is a member of the Catholic Psychotherapy Association, where he serves as member of the Intergratus Committee and CEU coordinator. Through this position, he is gaining experience with grant writing, fundraising, and advocacy. Dr. Larry also serves as an adjunct professor at Houston Christian University and he works closely with UST MAXstudios at the University of St. Thomas in Houston where he serves as an outside expert on relationship, communication, and conflict resolution.
Dr. Larry and his family are parishioners at St. Cyril of Alexandria Catholic Church in Houston, Texas.
DANIEL AND MICHELLE SCHACHLE
Parishioners at St. Christopher Catholic Church
The Schachles have been married for 25 years and are parishioners at St. Christopher in Dickson. They have thirteen living children, five babies in heaven as well as five grandchildren.
Michelle is the youngest of three children and was raised in a Church of Christ family, she converted to the Catholic Church after her marriage to Daniel. She has been busy homeschooling their children for 21 years. She has been active in the pro-life movement for many years. She led her family, parish, and community in tirelessly working on Amendment 1 to the TN Constitution and remains active with their local crisis pregnancy center.
Daniel is a cradle Catholic and 29-year KofC member and Past Grand Knight. His passion for widows and orphans as well as family and culture has led him into a 17-year career at KofC Insurance & KofC Asset Advisors. As a General Agent he now has 18 offices covering Tennessee, Kentucky, and E. Arkansas. Daniel serves chairman of their local Parish Council. He’s also serves as a director on the boards the Nashville Young Catholic Professions, the National Association of Fraternal Insurance Counselors and Finance Committee of KIND Charites. Daniel is a private pilot and an active officer the local squadron of Civil Air Patrol with his children serving as a cadet program commander.
The healing of their youngest son Michael in 2015 led to the approval for beatification of the great defender of Christian family life Blessed Michael J. McGivney in 2020.
