JOHN & CLAIRE GRABOWSKI
Catholic Authors and Speakers
Married for 39 years, John and Claire Grabowski have 5 children and 12 grandchildren. They have done pre-Cana marriage ministry together for over 30 years, post-Cana ministry for 10 years, and served as a member couple from the United States on the Pontifical Council for the Family after their appointment by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009. Together they are the authors of the commentary on the anniversary edition of Familiaris Consortio (Boston: Pauline, 2015), One Body: A Program of Marriage Formation for the New Evangelization. (Steubenville, OH: Emmaus Road Press, 2018), and Raising Catholic Kids for their Vocations (Charlotte, NC: TAN Books, 2019). They have spoken together to groups of laity, priests, and bishops across the United States and abroad. They have also appeared together on EWTN television and Relevant Radio programs.
Claire has been a Catholic educator, stay at home mother, in-home childcare provider, financial administrative assistant, and care-giver and companion to the elderly. She has been a mentor to women and couples and has been active in a variety of lay ministries for many years.
John has taught moral theology at The Catholic University of America for the last 33 years. He has three times been appointed as a theological consultant to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. In 2015 he was appointed by Pope Francis to serve as an expert (adiutor) at the Synod of Bishops on the Family. His books include A Catechism for Family Life: Insights from Catholic Teaching on Love, Marriage, Sex, and Parenting, edited with Sarah Bartel (Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 2018). He also wrote the Foreword to the 1997 English edition of Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body (Boston: Pauline, 1997).
RYAN HANNING, PhD
Fellow, San Juan Diego Institute
Dr. Hanning is a Professor of Theology and Catholic Studies and is a founding Fellow of the San Juan Diego Institute which serves several Universities, non-profits and religious apostolates, and a Fellow of the Havard Institute for Virtuous Leadership Institute and the Institute of Catholic Theology. In addition to teaching and consulting, Ryan also serves as Asst. Editor at Hearth & Field a Christian Agrarian Journal and writes and speaks internationally on education, theology, ecological ethics and virtuous leadership. He is the co-author of The WillPower Advantage: Building Habits for Lasting Happiness, along with Tom Peterson, Founder of Catholics Come Home. Ryan currently homesteads in Tennessee with his beautiful wife Rebecca, and their ten well socialized homeschooled children.
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.
VERY REV. ADRIAN PORRAS
Pastor, St. Barnabas Catholic Church
Fr. Adrian was born in El Paso, TX and moved to North Carolina in 1980 with his family. He began discerning a vocation to the priesthood during his junior and senior years of high school. The Marian Sisters of the Immaculate Conception at his home parish in Greensboro, NC helped him process this calling through spiritual direction. He then went on to Brevard College and finished his BA in Theology from Belmont Abbey College. After entering the Marian order he remained there for six years and later decided that the Diocesan priesthood was a better fit for his gifts. He went on to get his Masters in Divinity from the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC. He was ordained to the priesthood in December 2001 and has served in four different parishes. He has been at St. Barnabas since 2008, being named the Vicar Forane for the Asheville Vicariate in 2018 by Bishop Jugis.