For Heaven’s Sake! Staying on the Path with the Science of Sainthood

Bishop Gary Janak was raised in Palacios and graduated from Palacios High School. He then attended Wharton County Junior College for a year before transferring to the University of Texas. In 1982, he entered Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Santa Fe, N.M., as one of the first five seminarians for the newly formed Diocese of Victoria. In 1983 he received his bachelor's degree in History and began his theological formation at Assumption Seminary in 1984. He later obtained his Master of Divinity Degree from Oblate School of Theology in 1998. Father Janak was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Victoria on May 14, 2988. He later earned his Licentiate in Canonical Jurisprudence (JCL) from. The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. in 1995; his master's degree in Counseling from the University of Victoria-Houston in 1997, and has been licensed by the state of Texas as a professional counselor supervisor since 2000.

In addition to his parish and chancery ministry, Father Janak has served on a number of occasions since 1988 at a mission in Nicaragua and with the Faith in Practice Medical Mission team in Guatemala. Father Janak also has a keen interest in assisting married couples and has been a presenting priest for the Retrouvaille ministry since 2006. He also designed a marriage retreat for couples entitled Choosing to Live Our Vows Everyday. In 2016, he assisted in the founding of The Emmaus Center, a diocesan-sponsored counseling and spiritual direction center, where he practices professional and pastoral counseling.

Matthew Leonard is an international speaker, author, podcaster, and founder of the Science of Sainthood, a powerful online teaching program focused on Catholic spiritual formation for individuals and groups.An accomplished filmmaker, he has written, produced, directed, and hosted multiple best-selling series which have been translated into multiple languages and broadcast around the world. Matthew is a former missionary and convert to Catholicism and appears regularly on radio and television programs across the country like EWTN, Relevant Radio, and SiriusXM, as well as his own popular podcast titled “The Art of Catholic."Matthew has written two books - Prayer Works: Getting a Grip on Catholic Spirituality and Louder Than Words: The Art of Living as a Catholic. He holds a Masters in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville and lives in Ohio with his wife Veronica and their six children. See all he’s doing at ScienceOfSainthood.com.

Fr. Ken Geraci, lived the life of the prodigal son for most of his young adult life.  Raised in a nominal Catholic family, who only lived the externals of the faith, Fr. Ken left the Catholic Church for many years.   During that time he worked as a business professional in Advanced R&D and software testing; a few years into his career he joined a few of his co-workers in establishing a 4.5M Internet software company.  Focused on money, fitness and success, he made little room for God; but God did not give up on him. During this journey, God presented him with challenges that forced him to question his personal beliefs and the question “What is Truth?”  Through a series of conversions, years of struggle, study and questioning, Fr. Ken found his way from agnosticism, to non-denomination Christianity and ultimately back to the Catholic Church.

Fr. Ken joined the Fathers of Mercy in 2006 and was ordained in 2012.  Having lived a secular existence, Fr. Ken has a great understanding of the personal and societal pressures that individuals face and knows what it is like to “hate coming to church.”  This mission is for people of all ages and levels of faith, from those who are madly in love with Jesus, to those who pretty much cannot stand church or religion.

Kathryn Whitaker is the author of Live Big, Love Bigger, an award-winning book about living an intentional, hell yes, kind of life. She's a sixth-generation Texan who was raised as an evangelical Protestant and then converted to Catholicism on the eve of her wedding. On social media, Kathryn shares her honest take on family life and living the Gospel, all while drinking Dr Pepper and cheering on the Texas Aggies. She has appeared in USA Today, EWTN, radio and TV stations around the country and is a frequent guest/sometimes host on The Catholic Channel on SiriusXM. Kathryn and her husband, Scott, live with their six children in Austin, Texas.

Dave Moore is a joy filled disciple who seeks to honor God through his music, ministry, and family. A devoted Singer-songwriter, producer, and liturgist, Dave puts the bride of Christ before his artistic ambitions. Dave and his wife Lauren are the founders of Catholic Music Initiative, a non-profit apostolate that creates beautiful and singable music for Mass. Their work strives to build a bridge between contemporary and traditional isles, while summoning engagement and enlivening the hearts of the faithful to enter into full union with God in the Mass. At the invitation of Bishop Edward Burns, Dave was instrumental in the strategic execution of the Diocese of Dallas televised Mass—a ministry that was born as a response to the global pandemic, and continues to bear much fruit for the people in North Texas and beyond. Dave’s deepest desire is to see a unified church, where the Eucharistic Lord has primacy of place in the hearts of the faithful, rightly honored, adored, and worshiped. Dave resides in Dallas, Texas with his wife, Lauren, and their daughter.

Lauren Moore, is a wife and mother who seeks to inspire God’s people through beautiful music that orients people to God. Alongside her husband Dave, Lauren founded the Catholic Music Initiative and has sung and directed on over a thousand recordings since the ministry's genesis. Lauren studied vocal performance at Texas A&M Corpus Christi and The University of Texas at Austin. She has performed in many parts of the world, namely Germany and Austria. Lauren loves to sing opera, but more recently has enjoyed singing sacred chant. She currently sings and arranges chant for CMI’s partnership with the Hallow app. At the invitation of Bishop Edward Burns, Lauren serves as the Cantor for Diocese of Dallas Televised Mass; a Mass that reached over 200,000 households a week during the pandemic, and continues to bless people in North Texas and beyond.

Gabriel Castillo is a Catholic videographer and lay evangelist. He is the founder of True Faith TV, and host of the podcast, Children of Mary.Gabe has produced documentaries available online, including Lessons from Lourdes, The Power of the Rosary, Testimonies of the Rosary, How You Can Become a Saint, and many more. His talks, presentations, and videos have over 11,000,000 views and he is a dynamic and inspiring presenter on the faith.Gabriel is a husband and father of four children in Sugar Land, Texas. He was the Director of Evangelization at St. Theresa Catholic Church from 2009-2018 and is currently serving as the Director of Youth Ministry.

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