Diocese of Saint Augustine | Eucharistic Congress

Great music hinges on compelling writing, honest delivery, and a refined, unique musical identity. Great leadership hinges on openness, compassion, devotion. Singer-songwriter and worship leader Matt Maher has built his career – his life – on striving to embody those ideals.

Matt Maher the songwriter cemented his respected reputation penning songs with Chris Tomlin, Michael W. Smith, Matt Redman, Passion (Here for You), Audrey Assad and Jars of Clay.

The heart of Matt Maher the worship leader has shown through clearly over years spent teaching, sharing and praying all over the world, including appearances at the Papal Rally in New York City and World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia.

With the Sept. 20 release of The Love in Between, Matt Maher the artist – fully defined, fully formed – steps fully into the foreground.

His third national release on Essential Records shows Maher finding his voice both sonically and lyrically, the rootsy pop aesthetic he introduced in his 2010 hit, Hold Us Together (from 2009’s Alive Again) flowing into a 12-song study of suffering, grace, redemption and hope.

Those ideas coalesce particularly in Heaven and Earth, The Love in Between track that inspired the album’s title.

The six-time GMA Dove Award nominee also recognizes that he’s a living example of the value in shedding boundaries, be they perceived or physical. Raised Catholic in Newfoundland, Canada, he was inspired to pen Woke Up In America, a personal and patriotic anthem on The Love in Between.

Maher, always ready to share the music and the Gospel offers, “At the end of the day, I’m just thankful to be in a place where I get to share the music I was inspired to write. It’s been a great road.

Ralph Martin has been a leader in renewal movements in the Catholic Church for many years. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame, he did graduate work in philosophy at Princeton University and holds a master’s in theology, from Sacred Heart School of Theology in the Archdiocese of Detroit, a licentiate in sacred theology (S.T.L.) from the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C., and a doctorate in sacred theology (S.T.D.) from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas (the “Angelicum”) in Rome.

He worked for a number of years for the National Office of the Cursillo Movement and subsequently became a leader in the national and international development of the charismatic renewal movement in the Catholic Church. He was the founding editor of New Covenant Magazine, as well as the founding director of the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Office, currently located in Rome.

Currently Ralph is president of Renewal Ministries, an organization devoted to Catholic renewal and evangelization. (www.renewalministries.net) Renewal Ministries is accountable in its work to a Board of Directors in the United States, which Archbishop Robert Carlson of St. Louis serves as Episcopal Advisor, and to a board in Canada that Cardinal Thomas Collins of Toronto serves as Episcopal Advisor. Renewal Ministries is the sponsor of The Choices We Face a widely viewed weekly Catholic television and radio program distributed throughout the world. Renewal Ministries is also actively involved in assisting the church in more than 30 different countries through leadership training, evangelistic conferences and retreats, and the publication and distribution of literature.

Ralph is an associate professor and director of graduate theology programs in the New Evangelization at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in the Archdiocese of Detroit (www.shms.edu) and a visiting professor of theology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas in Rome.

He is the author of a number of books, the most recent of which are The Fulfillment of All Desire: A Guidebook for the Journey to God Based on the Wisdom of the Saints, and Will Many Be Saved? What Vatican II Actually Teaches and its Implications for the New Evangelization.

He and his wife Anne are parents of six children and reside in Ann Arbor, Mich. in the Diocese of Lansing.

As Ireland’s first winner of the prestigious Eurovision Song Contest, schoolgirl Dana became an overnight star when she beat out international superstars such as Julio Iglesias of Spain. A successful music career followed with hit records throughout Europe and award winning television appearances, including her own hit series for the BBC; ‘A Day Out with Dana’ and ‘Wake Up Sunday.’

In the midst of her flourishing career in secular music, Dana started to speak publicly about her Catholic faith, and she and her husband, Damien, began writing Christian songs together, including Totus Tuus – inspired by the motto of the late Pope John Paul II. In 1987 she was honored to lead 86,000 young people singing Totus Tuus for Pope John Paul II in the New Orleans’s Super Dome.

In recent years Dana has been a key note speaker at various events such as the Boston Catholic Women’s Conference; the Lift Jesus Higher Rally, in Toronto, Canada; New York’s Yankee Stadium welcome for Pope Benedict XVI’s first visit to the United States; she has also sung at the Opening Mass for World Youth Day 2008, Australia and the First International Marian Congress and Guadalupe Festival in Phoenix, Ariz., organized by the Knights of Columbus.

Dana has remained close to her Irish roots, working tirelessly for peace, Christian family values, and respect for life. She is currently working on her new series for EWTN; Dana & Friends, featuring Dana and fellow Catholic artists who share their inspiring music

When asked for his biographical information, Randy Raus said, “I help people lead teenagers closer to Christ. I am president and CEO of Life Teen, child of God, husband to Monica, father of eight incredible children.” But Randy’s humility does not express fully his incredible willingness to allow the Holy Spirit to work through him.

Randy began as a parish youth minister in Marietta, Ga., with a desire to help teens fall in love with Christ in the Mass. He was introduced to Life Teen through a teen in his program and began a Life Teen ministry at his parish with 300 teens attending the kickoff.

Father Glenn Sudano, originally from Brooklyn, N.Y., is one of the founding members of the Community of Franciscan Friars of the Renewal.

He entered the Franciscan order in 1978 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1984. He has served the community as Vocation Director, Novice Master and then as Community Servant (Superior) for six years.

Fernando y Maria Gómez

Fernando Gómez es cantautor cristiano ecuatoriano radicado en Miami. En 1996 entrega su vida al Señor, quien lo sana de la adicción a las drogas y al alcohol. A partir de ese momento pone al servicio de Dios el talento de la música que antes lo usaba en el mundo. Participa en diferentes seminarios y retiros de la Arquidiócesis de Miami, pertenece a la parroquia “Madre de Nuestro Redentor,” donde conoce a su esposa Miriam, con quien canta en el coro.

De las drogas a la música Cristiana

Fernando Gómez conoció el infierno. Pero por la misericordia de Dios pudo escaparse y ahora se dedica a cantar las maravillas del Amor divino como muestra de su agradecimiento al Creador. A continuación su testimonio.

“Desde los 12 años empecé a cantar en programas infantiles de la televisión, con el pasar del tiempo en discotecas, peñas, etc., simultáneamente fui cayendo en la adicción a las drogas, fueron 20 años de destruir mi vida y hacer sufrir a mi familia, especialmente a mi madre, para mi el significado de la vida eran las drogas y el alcohol, como todo adicto siempre negaba mi condición de enfermo. En la carrera artísticas estaba cosechando éxitos ganando festivales de música por lo que decidí viajar a los Estados Unidos en busca del “Sueño Americano”. Empecé con el pie derecho cuando una compañía me patrocinó en muchos eventos, pero aquí la cosa se puso peor, seguí en las drogas y lo perdí todo, incluyendo mi matrimonio, y el trabajo, toqué fondo, era prácticamente un desamparado. Un día inconsciente sobre el volante del automóvil, la policía me detuvo y fui a parar a la cárcel por manejar borracho, ahí me di cuenta que “tenía que hacer algo para cambiar el rumbo de mi vida, o la perdería”, narra Fernando Gómez canta-autor ecuatoriano residente en Miami, feligrés de la Parroquia Madre de Nuestro Redentor.

Decidido, comenzó a buscar ayuda, la cual encontró en el Movimiento Nueva Vida, el que conoció a través de Radio Paz, en Abril del 1996, durante un retiro de fin de semana, “El Señor transformó mi vida hasta hoy”, asegura con convicción. “El amor y el perdón de Dios” lo hizo enfrentar su realidad y reconocer que era un adicto, de allí en adelante se recuperó de su adicción “En tres días fui sanado por medio del Espíritu Santo que me reveló un Dios desconocido, me hizo dar un giro de 180 grados, a partir de ese momento, fui un hombre nuevo.”

Hoy Fernando ha grabado siete producciones de música cristiana, rehízo su vida junto a Miriam, su esposa actual, una joven cubana que conoció en la iglesia durante su proceso de conversión, tienen dos hijos, Michael y la pequeña Adriana Maria .

Mike Buresh

Mike is a self-professed weather“holic.” His fascination with weather developed at a very young age while growing up in rural Iowa. As early as the second grade, Mike was drawing weather maps and as his mom said: "always looking at the sky."

He began his college education at Oklahoma University where, besides studying, he also storm chased and worked at the National Weather Service. Mike continued his education at Iowa State University where he graduated in 1987. Shortly after graduating Mike earned the American Meteorological Society's "Seal of Approval" and has also achieved his Certification for Broadcast Meteorologist which certifies that Mike meets specific educational and experience criteria and has passed rigorous testing in his knowledge and communication of meteorology and related sciences needed to be an effective broadcast meteorologist.

Mike began his television meteorology career at WHO-TV in Des Moines, Iowa then at WKRC-TV in Cincinnati, Ohio before coming to the First Coast more than 10 years ago.

Mike was a member of CBS47 News at 11 team, which won the Edward R. Murrow award for "Best Newscast" in Florida and Georgia in 2006 and again 2012. Since 2006, Mike and his First Alert Weather team have been rated as "Most Accurate" in the Jacksonville television market according to the independent service "WeatheRate."

When Mike isn't forecasting your weather he enjoys all kind of sports and spending time with his lovely wife, daughters and "best friend," Opie, the dog. Mike is a member of Holy Family Catholic Church and an active member of the Jacksonville Salvation Army Advisory Board.