Speaker Series

A series of talks related to our Catholic faith.  You can access past talks online, below.  Future talks are TBD.
 

PAST TALKS CAN BE FOUND HERE.

Synopses of Past Talks

Parish Speaker:  August 18, 2022:  Unleash Your Charisms

Speaker: Craig Bernard

School Speaker: August 25, 2022:  Parents as Primary Educators

Speaker: Martin Flaherty

Parish Speaker: September 22, 2022:  Dealing With Change:  On Moses, Deserts, and American Laws

Speaker: Michael Faries

Parish Speaker: October 20, 2022:  Why Be Catholic?

• Have you ever wondered how to lovingly respond to loved ones who have left the Church?
• Have you ever encountered anti-Catholic comments from colleagues of protestant denominations?
• Do you feel like you are walking on eggshells during conversations with atheist and agnostic friends?
• These questions, and more, inspired this talk. Join us!

Speaker: Terry Hart is a parishioner of St. Clare of Assisi, member of the Knights of Columbus, catechist, former retreat director, avid reader, and spent 12 years studying the Bible with Bible Study Fellowship .  Terry and his wife Cathleen have been married for 43 years and have 3 adult children and 3 grandchildren.

School Speaker: October 27, 2022:  The Catholic Worldview of History
It is a cliché to say that history is written by the victors, but, in fact, the history of the Catholic Church in the West has often been written by the Church’s enemies and detractors.  This talk will help uncover many of the myths that still persist to this day. Some points to be covered:

• Were the “dark ages” really so dark?
• Anti-Catholic aspects of the Reformation
• Marxist revolution and the war against Christ

Speaker: Patrick Rinker, originally from Denver, earned his B.A. in History from Texas A&M University. A resident of Friendswood, Patrick recently got married and had a baby girl. Patrick currently teaches 4th grade at St. Clare School.

Parish Speaker: November 22, 2022:  Dobbs:  What Does It Mean to Catholics?
In a momentous decision by the Supreme Court this past June, the Dobbs case overturned Roe v. Wade, returning the question of abortion to the states. How did we get there, and what does it mean? Find out as we look at the evolution of abortion law, and how this new situation affects us as Catholics.

• History of U.S. abortion law, including before Roe v. Wade
• Brief specifics of Dobbs v. Jackson’s Women’s Health
• Texas abortion law
• Catholic doctrine on abortion
• What to expect as a result of Dobbs
• What should Catholics do?

Speaker: Ernest Davila is a St. Clare parishioner, a practicing attorney, the Director of the Paralegal Program at San Jacinto College, and a member of the faculty at the University of Houston Law Center, where he has taught Constitutional Law.

Parish Speaker: December 15, 2022:  The Amazing Discoveries and Mysteries of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Most Catholics know something about Our Lady of Guadalupe, but get ready to dive deeper!  Guadalupe is the anticipation of the Marian age to come and an example of Mary coming when her children are most in need!

• How Our Lady’s appearance in 1531 is tied to St. James in 40 AD and “Our Lady of the Pillar”
• How is Columbus’ voyage a prophecy of Our Lady coming to America?
• What role did Our Lady of Guadalupe play in the Battle of Lepanto?
• What incredible images are hidden in the Tilma?
• How have her eyes been used to see those present when the Tilma was first revealed?
• How is her image tied to mathematics, astronomy, music, and the positions of the Mexican volcanoes?

Speaker: Rich May, a St. Clare parishioner, has a B.A. and M.A. in theology from UST and the Franciscan University of Steubenville. He speaks at conferences, retreats, and missions throughout the U.S.

School Speaker: December 20, 2022:  Devices as Babysitter:  Are There Alternatives?
Life is busy, especially if you have kids. Especially if you have little kids!  How can parents get things done around the house--like cleaning the kitchen or even taking a shower!--when the constant demand for attention from the kids becomes overwhelming? Most of us parents, when we’re honest, will admit to using devices--whether ipads, phones, laptops, or the TV--as a way to babysit the kids.  But what alternatives are there that could help us, especially as Catholics?

Speaker: Martin Flaherty

Parish Speaker: January 26, 2023:  Real Presence of Christ in Eucharist
This talk will confirm the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist as it has been taught by the Church for over 2000 years.

• A recent Pew Study shows 70% of Catholics at Sunday mass believe the Eucharist is only a symbol!
• Hundreds of miracles, however, over the course of many centuries, are evidence of the Real Presence of Jesus.
• We will examine four such miracles.

Speaker: Pat Hall is a cradle Catholic who was educated in Catholic schools, all the way through college.  He and his wife have 7 children, 21 grandchildren, and 23 great-grandchildren.

Parish Speaker: February 16, 2023:  Medically Unexplained:  Miracles Still Happen
Dr. Abreo will discuss the evidence of miraculous healings in complex cardiovascular patients in his practice, some from our own parish.

• Medical summaries of patients that were healed without a medical explanation
• Discuss the Catholic Church’s approach, historical evidence, and the issue of Faith and Reason
• Experiences as Cardiologist and Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist during the pandemic

Speaker: Dr. Gerard Abreo, MD, is a St. Clare parishioner, cardiologist, founder and managing partner of Southeast Houston Cardiology since 1999, a husband, and a father of nine children.

Parish Speaker: March 16, 2023:  The Seven Deadly Sins & The Seven Lively Virtues
We have heard about venial and mortal sin, but do we know what the Seven Deadly Sins are? And, importantly, do we know how to avoid them? Come learn how to recognize the insidious nature of these root sins--and how to counteract them by developing the seven lively virtues!

Speaker:  Diana Pombier is a St. Clare parishioner and was a Religion Teacher at St. Clare School for 11 years. She has attended Bible Studies for many years and is currently taking Fr. Mike Schmitz's Catechism in a Year program. Diana also serves as an RCIA BOW facilitator and Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. She has been married for 40 years, has 3 children, and 5 grandchildren.

Parish Speaker: April 20, 2023:  The Domestic Church: What, How and Why?
People are confused, the youth are lost, and social media threatens the family.  What is the solution?  The Domestic Church.

• What is the Domestic Church?
• What is the first proclamation of the faith?
• How to build the domestic church: as big as a mountain or as small as a mustard seed.
• Why the domestic church? Yes or no…hypothetical results for both.

Speaker:  Parishioner Carlos Cabrera is a cantor for the St. Clare family choir. He has been a Texas band director for 21 years, has judged UIL concert and sight-reading contests throughout the state, and has presented on music education in the university and public-school systems. Carlos and his wife, Jennifer, have been married 20 years and have 5 children.

Parish Speaker: April 27, 2023:  Our Lady of the Sioux
Rich May will examine the evidence that Our Lady appeared to the Lakota Sioux Indians, most notably around the year 1785 as the “White Buffalo Calf Woman,” establishing a template for Catholicism in preparation for the Jesuit missionaries that were to come.  Rich will also briefly review the status of two new causes for canonization of Native Americans, The Martyrs of La Florida and Nicholas Black Elk.

Speaker:  A national speaker, Rich is a member of the Mariological Society of America, and also plays an active part in the National Catholic Tekakwitha Conference and is a consultant to the USCCB on Native American affairs.  He has a BA and MA in theology.

Parish Speaker: Date TBD:  Science, the Existence of God, and the Divinity of Christ

Speaker:  Dr. Chris Wild, Ph.D.