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, 1988. 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.

Dr. Brant Pitre is Distinguished Research Professor of Scripture at the Augustine Institute, Graduate School of Theology. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame, where he specialized in the study of Christianity and Judaism in Antiquity. He is the author of several best-selling books, including Introduction to the Spiritual Life (Image, 2021), Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary (Image, 2018), The Case for Jesus (Image, 2015), and Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist (Image, 2011). He is also author of Jesus and Divine Christology (Eerdmans, 2024), Jesus and the Last Supper (Eerdmans, 2015), co-author of A Catholic Introduction to the Bible: The Old Testament (Ignatius, 2018), and co-author of Paul, a New Covenant Jew (Eerdmans, 2019). Dr. Pitre has also produced dozens of video and audio Bible studies, in which he explores the biblical roots of the Catholic faith (available at BrantPitre.com). He currently lives in Louisiana with his wife Elizabeth and their five children.

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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.

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, on 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.

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.

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 primary 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 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 the 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.

Fr. David is a 7^th generation Texan and native Houstonian.  He’s the oldest of two boys. His family lives in the Southwest part of Houston, in Meyerland.  St. Thomas More is his home parish.  Fr. David attended St. Thomas More parochial school, went to St. Thomas High school, and then the Franciscan University of Steubenville.

In college, he earned a BA in Biology. While he had wanted to be a doctor, God said He had something else for him.  So, despite his original intention of going to medical school, Fr. David spent 5 years before seminary discerning God’s will and striving to grow in holiness.  He did many things from releasing a contemporary Christian music album to getting certified in Catholic Medical Ethics. Eventually He heard the voice of God speak and call Him to the priesthood. Fr. David responded in joy and entered seminary in 2011.  

He has since ministered to Seafarers in the Port of Houston and to the infirmed at St Dominic Village on Holcombe.  He did his Pastoral Year at St. Helen Catholic Church in Pearland and served as a deacon at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Houston.  He was ordained to the priesthood of Jesus Christ in 2018 and served at St. Vincent de Paul in the Medical Center.  From 2021-2024 he served at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in the Woodlands.  He is now the Pastor of St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church in Huffman, Texas.