Biographies

Champions of Faith

What is a Champion of Faith?

A Champion of Faith is a man who is focused on running the race of life while keeping his eyes fixed on Jesus.

He trains for this race with the gifts our Father has given each of us, including the Bible, the Sacraments, and our Church.
He perseveres through the struggles and challenges that the world places before him as he makes his way to his ultimate goal of eternal life with Jesus—while striving to bring along his family and as many others as he can.

2012 Speaker Biography: Bishop David M. O’Connell

Bishop David M. O’Connell was born April 21, 1955, in Philadelphia. Bishop O’Connell, a priest of the Eastern Province of the Congregation of the Mission, also known as the Vincentians, grew up in Langhorne, Pa. He is one of four sons of June O’Connell, a resident of Langhorne, and the late Arthur J. O’Connell. His brothers, Arthur Jr., Dennis and Daniel, all reside in the Philadelphia area.

His family are long-time members of Our Lady of Grace Parish, Penndel, Pa. He attended the parish grammar school, where he was taught by the Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters. Knowing from an early age that he wished to pursue the priesthood, Bishop O’Connell attended the Vincentians’ St. Joseph Preparatory High School, Princeton. He continued his Vincentian education in Niagara University, New York, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in philosophy in 1978.

2012 Speaker Biography: Patrick Madrid

PATRICK MADRID is the publisher of Envoy Magazine, a quarterly journal of Catholic thought, and is the director of the Envoy Institute of Belmont Abbey College.He is the author or editor of 16 books on Catholic themes including, Pope Fiction, Search and Rescue, Does the Bible Really Say That?, 150 Bible Verses Every Catholic Should Know, and The Godless Delusion: A Catholic Challenge to Modern Atheism (co-authored with Kenneth Hensley). He edited and co-authored the multi-volume Surprised by Truth series. His total book sales, including foreign-language editions, have exceeded 775,000 copies.

2012 Speaker Biography: Darrell Miller

Darrell Miller is the Director of Major League Baseball’s Urban Youth Academy. Darrell had a five-year career as a player with the California Angels. He has also served as an executive in community relations and a professional scout for the Angels organization. Darrell also played for the Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees.

2012 Speaker Biography: Father Jonathan Morris

As a news contributor for the Fox News Channel, Fox Business Channel, and the Wall Street Journal, Father Jonathan Morris offers coverage of the ethical, social, and religious news stories of the day. As a Roman Catholic priest with pastoral experience developed from serving around the world, he brings not only a journalist's eye to issues, but also a pastor's heart in relating how that issue will affect the audience.