MOST REV. DAVID A. KONDERLA
Bishop of Tulsa
Bishop David A. Konderla is the second of twelve children, son of the late David and Ann Konderla. He grew up in Bryan, Texas; graduated from Bryan High School in 1978; and worked for several years as a machinist before entering the seminary in 1985.
After graduating from the University of Dallas in 1989 with a bachelor's degree in history, he earned his Master of Divinity from the University of St. Thomas and St. Mary's Seminary, and was ordained on June 3, 1995.
Bishop Konderla served at St. Louis Parish in Austin and St. Luke's Parish in Temple before his assignment as associate pastor of St. Mary's Catholic Center in College Station. After almost four years with the Aggies, he was named as Vocation Director for the Diocese of Austin, where he served the diocese for four years. He then returned to St. Mary's as pastor and Director of Campus Ministry in August 2005.
Bishop Konderla was appointed the fourth Bishop of Tulsa on May 13, 2016 by Pope Francis. He was ordained and installed as Bishop of the Diocese of Tulsa on June 29, 2016.
DAMON OWENS
Founder of Joyful Ever After
Damon Owens, international speaker and evangelist, is executive director of Joyful Ever After (joyfuleverafter.org). The first executive director of the Theology of the Body Institute and chairman of the 2016 International Theology of the Body Congress, Damon founded Joyful Ever After as a non-profit ministry dedicated to encouraging and educating couples to understand and live marriage and family life together with joy through St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. A presenter at the 2015 World Meeting of Families, 2017 USCCB Convocation of Catholic Leaders, and 2019 Catholic Family Life Symposium, Damon keeps a full international speaking schedule at conferences, seminars, universities, high schools, seminaries, and parishes on the good news of marriage, sexuality, Theology of the Body, Theology of the Family, adoption, and NFP. In 2018, Pope Francis honored Damon with his Benemerenti Papal Medal in recognition for his work in support of marriage and family. Damon lives outside Philadelphia with his wife Melanie and their eight children. Damon has published numerous articles, appeared on many radio and television programs (EWTN, Catholic Answers, Ave Maria, Relevant Radio, Immaculate Heart Radio, ABC World News Tonight, CBS News, NPR), taught in many major Catholic faith programs, and has hosted and produced three 13-part television series for EWTN. He is also an accomplished gospel singer honored with a solo during the 1995 NJ Papal Mass at Giants Stadium presided by Pope St. John Paul II.
SUSIE SAENZ
Vice President of Operations, St. John Paul II Foundation
Susie Saenz is Vice President of Operations at the St. John Paul II Foundation where she oversees and supports the Conference team as they plan and execute Converging Roads and Together in Holiness conferences, along with the Together in Holiness Formation series Business Development team as they expand this initiative to parishes and schools across the country. Susie earned her BS in Kinesiology from Texas A&M University and, prior to joining the St. John Paul II Foundation in 2017, worked at Baylor College of Medicine in the philanthropy and alumni relations office. She and her husband, Victor, are parishioners at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Houston, TX.
ROBERT AND DIANE SCHWIND
Co-Directors of Three Hearts Institute
Robert and Diane Schwind are the co-directors of Three Hearts Institute, a marriage and family ministry which was born 15 years ago in the Fort Worth Diocese. Robert and Diane’s passion is marriage and family lived God’s way. Their 36 years of marriage has been an exciting journey towards Our Lord and towards each other as together they continue to learn and live and share God’s design for marriage and family. With four children and 11 grandchildren, so far, Robert and Diane greatly desire to share the love of the Three Hearts in their family and with others who also desire the peace and joy that can come only from living marriage and family life God’s way. Their ministry has focused on marriage preparation, marriage enrichment, marriage in crisis, and family development, all from the foundation of Church teaching. In the last five years, Robert and Diane have developed a method for married couples to give them a focus in their marriage called Matrimonial Spirituality. Not unlike the rule of a monastery, Matrimonial Spirituality is a method of life that calls each of the couple to a greater union with God and thereby a greater union with one another.