The 2025 Eucharistic Encounter: Reason for our Hope has a line-up you won’t want to miss!
Looking to celebrate Mass and Adoration with Bishop Gregory Parkes?
Are you searching for inspiration and how to open yourself to an encounter with the one true God?
Do you listen to Seize the Day with Gus Lloyd and love his message?
Do musical performances by top Christian artists grab your attention?
Look no further because this event has it all and will set hearts on fire and transform the lives of participants!
Most Rev. Gregory Parkes
Pope Francis appointed Bishop Parkes to serve as the fifth bishop and shepherd of the Diocese of Saint Petersburg on November 28, 2016, and his Installation Mass was celebrated on January 4, 2017, at the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle in St. Petersburg. He succeeded Bishop Robert Lynch who retired at the age of 75 and is serving as Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of St. Petersburg.
Bishop Parkes was ordained to the episcopacy and installed as the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee on Tuesday, June 5, 2012, at St. Paul Catholic Church in Pensacola. Archbishop Thomas Wenski was principal consecrator at the Ordination Mass.
He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Orlando by Bishop Norbert Dorsey on June 26, 1999.
His assignments after ordination have included parochial vicar at Holy Family Catholic Church in Orlando and founding pastor of Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Celebration. Bishop Parkes served the Diocese of Orlando as Vicar General and Chancellor for Canonical Affairs while also serving as pastor of Corpus Christi Parish.
Most Rev. David Toups
Bishop David Toups was ordained a priest in the Diocese of Saint Petersburg, FL, in 1997. Assigned for the next four years as parochial vicar to St. Frances Cabrini in Spring Hill, FL, he also participated in the diocesan Presbyteral Council and the National Federation of Priests’ Councils. Subsequently he served at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, FL, as a professor, assistant dean, and then dean of students. From 2007 to 2010, he served as the associate director of the Secretariat of Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations at the USCCB; from 2010 to 2012, as pastor of Christ the King Parish; for the next eight years, as rector of the St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary. On June 9, 2020, Pope Francis appointed him as bishop of the Diocese of Beaumont, TX. Bishop Toups holds an STL from the Pontifical Gregorian University and an STD from the Angelicum.
Rev. Mike Schmitz
Father Mike Schmitz is the director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Duluth as well as the Chaplain for the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. The Duluth Newman Center focuses on being fed through the Sacraments as well as study and knowledge of the Church and has thrived under his humble and Spirit-filled guidance. He has preached to thousands locally and nationally. He is the host of the widely popular podcasts, “Bible in a Year” and “The Catechism in a Year” produced by Ascension. Father Mike also offers weekly homilies on iTunes, Hallow, and bulldogCatholic.org and has appeared in programs for youth and young adults through Ascension Press, as well as through regular short video messages on Ascension Presents.
Sr. Bethany Madonna, SV
Sister Bethany Madonna, SV, was raised in Melbourne, FL. While attending the University of Central Florida, she had a profound encounter with the Lord, which drew her heart toward the vulnerable unborn and their mothers. After her graduation in 2006, she worked for the Respect Life Office for the Diocese of Orlando before joining the Sisters of Life in 2007. She made her final vows in 2015 and serves as the local superior and mission coordinator in Phoenix, where the Sisters accompany vulnerable pregnant women and also have a ministry of presence and evangelization on ASU Tempe’s campus. She is passionate about sharing the message of life and love.
Dr. Edward Sri
Dr. Edward Sri is a theologian, author and well-known Catholic speaker who presents to tens of thousands of people from around the world each year, including clergy, parish leaders, catechists and laity. He has written several best-selling books and is the presenter of several Ascension Press and the Augustine Institute faith formation film series. As a founding leader with Curtis Martin of FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students), where he currently serves as Sr. Vice President of Apostolic Outreach.
Dr. Sri leads pilgrimages to Rome and the Holy Land each year and is the host of the acclaimed podcast “All Things Catholic.” He holds a doctorate from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome and is an adjunct professor at the Augustine Institute. He and his wife Elizabeth reside in Littleton, Colorado. They are blessed with 8 children and one grandchild.
Matt Maher
Since his major-label debut in 2008, Matt Maher has become a staple in the artistic and songwriting community. A nine-time-GRAMMY® nominee and three-time-GMA Dove Award® winner, he has garnered multiple radio successes writing and recording songs. Maher has written or co-written six No. 1 radio singles.
Penning numerous songs recorded by Crowder, Hillsong, and other well-known artists, he’s had multiple titles on the CCLI chart’s Top 500 list. With career album sales of more than 600,000 units to date, Maher was awarded RIAA Platinum® certification for “Lord, I Need You” and RIAA Gold® certification for “Hold Us Together,” “All The People Said Amen,” and “Because He Lives (Amen)”. He’s released 10 studio albums, and his first Christmas album and children’s book, both titled The Advent of Christmas.
Maher, an official Steinway Artist, has been headlining his own tours and performing at major Catholic and Evangelical events since 2004, including multiple World Youth Day festivals. He has also participated in the industry’s biggest tours and festivals, such as Worship Night In America with Chris Tomlin.
Very Rev. Carlos J. Rojas, V.F.
Father Carlos Rojas was born in Boston, Massachusetts and raised in Puerto Rico. At age 15, he moved with his family to Tampa. He graduated from St. John Vianney Seminary in Miami, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and then St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, where he received a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts in Theology. Father Rojas was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Robert Lynch for the Diocese of Saint Petersburg on May 20, 2006. He is a certified Spiritual Director and Retreat Director from the Institute of Priestly Formation from Creighton University. He completed a pontifical certificate in Marian Studies from the International Marian Research Institute from the University of Dayton, Ohio. He considers himself a Marian diocesan priest with the mission of raising children into Christ Jesus in partnership with Mary, in the spirit of St. Joseph, chaste spouse of Mary. Father Carlos Rojas is currently Parochial Vicar of St. Cecelia Parish, Clearwater and is the Spiritual Director of Schoenstatt Tampa Bay, Inc.
Ricky Vazquez
Ricky is a recording artist and worship leader of Puerto Rican descent who currently resides in Georgia. Ricky has led bilingual worship full-time for the last 7 years traveling nationally and internationally performing at a wide range of conferences and events. Musically, Ricky has released two singer-songwriter albums entitled “Ghost of You” and “More Heart Than Sleeve” which have both charted in the top 10 on the iTunes singer-songwriter charts. In October 2024, he released a Christian album titled “All is Not Lost.” Ricky is a part of the worship collective called Village Lights alongside artists Ike Ndolo and Sarah Kroger which recently was nominated for a GMA Dove Award and is signed with Integrity Music. He is also a part of Anchor Hymns, a collective of artists writing new hymns for the church, alongside artists such as Paul Baloche, Sandra McCracken, Dee Wilson, and many more. Beyond that, Ricky is a man of faith trying to portray the beauty of life through song for both mainstream and Christian audiences.
Shevin McCullough
Shevin McCullough is a multifaceted Christian recording artist, writer, actor, and producer dedicated to creating faith-based content for children. As the co-founder of Studio 3:16, Shevin co-wrote and performed the song “Emmanuel Forever” with Australian priest and musician Fr. Rob Galea. This collaboration debuted live at World Youth Day in Portugal in August 2023. Shevin’s commitment to children’s religious education is further evidenced by Studio 3:16’s teaching materials, which are utilized in 38 dioceses across 25 states. Beyond his creative endeavors, Shevin is recognized as a member and honoree of Team Do Good, an initiative presented by Tampa Bless, highlighting his contributions to the community. His dedication to faith-based media has made a significant impact on children’s religious education and the broader Christian community.
Gus Lloyd
Gus was raised Catholic but drifted from his faith during his teen years. After a near-drowning incident with their daughter in 1987, Gus and his wife, Michelle, returned to God, eventually rediscovering the Catholic Church. Gus became active in the Catholic Charismatic movement and pursued lay evangelization.
In 1992, he joined WBVM, a Catholic radio station in Tampa, hosting a popular morning show for 13 years. Since 2006, he has hosted Seize the Day on The Catholic Channel (Sirius XM 129).
Gus is a sought-after speaker on apologetics, evangelization, and Catholic living. He is also the author of the A Minute in the Church series, with nearly a million copies distributed globally. His 60-Second Reflection is a daily meditation on Scripture, and his apologetics teachings are available at guslloyd.com.
