COLLEGE PARK—When the 18th annual Eucharistic Congress convenes at the Georgia International Convention Center in a few short weeks, it will be an event hosted by Atlanta’s three bishops—Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory, Auxiliary Bishop Luis R. Zarama and Auxiliary Bishop David P. Talley—attended by thousands and featuring prayer, music, halls filled with exhibitors and many renowned speakers and musicians.

As part of the Year of Faith, which in the Archdiocese of Atlanta is also a Marian Year, the theme of the Congress is “Do Whatever He Tells You—Mary and the Year of Faith.”

The schedule for the Eucharistic Congress follows a well-established path. On Friday, May 31, at 6:30 p.m. the opening Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Zarama on the feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Following the Mass are two concurrent activities: the healing service, beginning at 7:45 p.m. and taking place in the convention center, and the REVIVE track for young adults, beginning at 8 p.m. and taking place at the Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway Hotel.

On Saturday, June 1, following a colorful morning procession of churches and Catholic organizations into the main hall for a Benediction service and homily, the afternoon will continue with concurrent tracks in various languages: English, Spanish, American Sign Language and Vietnamese. The Congress ends at 5 p.m. with a closing Mass for all, celebrated by Archbishop Gregory and the priests of the archdiocese.

The Adore! Kid Track will serve a limited number of children 5 to 11 years old, who must be preregistered online, with a parent on site attending the conference. The Kid Track will be open from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with the theme “Around the World With Mary.”

Deacon Dennis J. Dorner Sr., the Atlanta Archdiocese’s chancellor and director of the permanent diaconate, is also the long-time organizer of the congress.

He said that he is “truly excited” about the slate of speakers set for the congress. He spoke of Dr. Elizabeth Lev as “amazing,” adding, “many of us have had the experience of her taking us on tours in Rome, something she does in addition to her teaching at the university there. She is funny, articulate and brilliant.”

Deacon Dorner said that many know Scott Hahn as a brilliant writer, and Collin Raye “already has a great following.” Doug Barry “promises to have a presentation very different and very inspiring.”

He added that Frank Hanna will be a “new voice. … A faithful active member of our local church, it will be wonderful to hear his powerful witness.”

He said, “Every year the congress offers each of us the opportunity to grow in faith by the inspiration of those who are invited by the archbishop. I have no doubt that this 18th annual Congress will be no less inspiring.”

Friday, May 31, Speakers

Father Tim Hepburn (Healing Service): The vocations director of the Atlanta Archdiocese, Father Hepburn regularly celebrates Masses with healing services in local parishes. This gifted musician has served as the Catholic chaplain at Blessed Trinity High School, Roswell, and on the college campuses of Emory, Agnes Scott and Georgia Tech in Atlanta, as well as a pastor. A native of Atlanta, he received a bachelor’s degree in architecture at Auburn University and his master of arts and master of divinity degrees at St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana.  He was ordained a priest in 1993. Father Hepburn has been active in teen and young adult ministries, priestly formation, conference speaking, preaching and teaching. In 2006 he pursued graduate study in the New Evangelization and received his license in sacred theology from the Angelicum through Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit.

Missionary of St. Charles Father Jacques E. Fabre (Healing Service): Born in Haiti in 1955, Father Fabre was ordained a priest on Oct. 25, 1986, at St. Teresa of Avila Church in Brooklyn, N.Y., by Archbishop Gregory, then an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Chicago.

Since his arrival in Atlanta in 2006, Father Fabre’s ministry has included assignments as parochial vicar at St. Joseph, Athens, and at Holy Trinity, Peachtree City. He currently serves as administrator of San Felipe de Jesus Mission, Forest Park, where he has been serving since 2008. Father Fabre also serves currently as spiritual director to the Hispanic Charismatic Renewal in Atlanta.

Dr. Elizabeth Lev (REVIVE and English Tracks): Lev studied art history at the Universities of Chicago and Bologna and has lived in Italy for over 20 years. She has been teaching art history at Duquesne University’s Italian campus since 2002 and also teaches at the Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas. A regular contributor to ZENIT news service, she has written articles for First Things, Inside the Vatican, Magnificat and The College Art Association. She has appeared as an art history analyst on ABC Nightline, the Today Show and the History Channel. Recently Lev has collaborated with the Vatican Museums on several projects, including the exhibit “A Body for Glory: Theology of the Body in Vatican Art,” art and faith-themed itineraries through the Vatican collections, including a DVD on the history of the Vatican collections. She also wrote and presented “Catholic Canvas,” an EWTN television series on sacred art in the Vatican Museums.

Jon Ferguson (REVIVE Track): A native of Atlanta, he went to college at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, where he received a bachelor of arts degree in theology and philosophy. He was a religion teacher at Pinecrest Academy in Cumming from 2002-2005. He has served as the Life Teen music minister for Holy Spirit Church, Atlanta, and St. Andrew Church, Roswell, and currently leads the Life Teen Band at St. Catherine of Siena Church, Kennesaw. He has led worship for various archdiocesan events for youth and young adults, including Spirit and Truth, XLT, Wide Open Worship, various Life Teen youth retreats and previous young adult tracks at the Eucharistic Congress. Ferguson and his family are parishioners of St. Catherine of Siena Church.

Saturday, June 1, Speakers

Italian Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the apostolic nuncio to the United States, will give a homily at the Eucharistic Congress June 1.

Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano (Benediction and Morning Homily): Archbishop Vigano was appointed in October 2011 by Pope Benedict XVI to be the Vatican’s nuncio to the United States, its top diplomat in this country with the rank of ambassador. He said at that time that being a nuncio is “a call to know this people, this country and come to love them.” He serves both in diplomatic matters with the United States and as the papal representative to the Roman Catholic Church here. Able to speak Italian, French, Spanish and English, Archbishop Vigano is a seasoned papal diplomat and before his appointment to the United States was secretary-general of the commission governing Vatican City for two years. He holds a doctorate in both civil and canon law from the Pontifical Lateran University. He has served at Vatican embassies in Iraq and in Great Britain and as nuncio to Nigeria for six years. A native of Varese, in northern Italy, he was ordained a priest in 1968 for the Diocese of Pavia, entered the Vatican’s diplomatic service in 1973 and worked in the Vatican Secretariat of State from 1978-89. He was the Vatican’s permanent observer at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France, from 1989 to 1992, when Pope John Paul II named him an archbishop and nuncio to Nigeria. Pope John Paul ordained him a bishop and visited Nigeria while he was serving there. Returning to the Vatican Secretariat of State in 1998, Archbishop Vigano coordinated the appointments of nuncios and papal representatives around the world.

Bishop Eusebio Elizondo, MSpS (Spanish Track):  Bishop Elizondo, auxiliary bishop of Seattle, Wash., is a native of Victoria, Tamaulipas, Mexico. He received a bachelor’s degree in theology and a canon law degree from the Gregorian University in Rome. In 1984, he was ordained a priest of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit, a religious congregation of men consecrated to God for the service of the Church, providing spiritual direction for priests and consecrated religious. He was assigned to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Bothell, Wash., in 2000 to provide ministry to the growing Hispanic community in western Washington. He was appointed auxiliary bishop of Seattle by Pope Benedict XVI on May 12, 2005, and was ordained on June 6, 2005. Bishop Elizondo is the first Hispanic bishop in Seattle and is honored to serve the people of the Northwest.

Father David H. García (Spanish Track): Father García is the archdiocesan director of the Old Spanish Missions in San Antonio, Texas. He also serves as the pastoral administrator of Mission of Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción and is on the national staff of Catholic Relief Services as senior advisor for clergy outreach. In the Archdiocese of San Antonio, he has served as rector of San Fernando Cathedral, as vocation director, and as interim rector of Assumption Seminary and as a faculty member there. He holds master’s degrees from Notre Dame University in theology and institutional administration.

Msgr. Eduardo Chávez (Spanish Track): Msgr. Chávez is one of the most renowned experts on the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe. He was born in Mexico and ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Mexico in 1981. He holds a doctorate in church history from the Pontifical Gregorian University and was chosen to be the postulator of St. Juan Diego’s cause for sainthood. The saint, who witnessed the apparitions, was canonized in 2002. Msgr. Chavez is the author of many works, including “Our Lady of Guadalupe and Saint Juan Diego: The Historical Evidence.” He is an honorary canon of the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City and the founder and first rector of the Higher Institute for Guadalupan Studies.

Msgr. Daniel Stack (Spanish Track): Msgr. Stack, a native of Florida, has been a priest of the Atlanta Archdiocese for 31 years. He has ministered in Spanish and English at parishes, including St. Bernadette in Cedartown, St. Mary in Rome, St. Joseph in Dalton, St. Anna in Monroe, and currently serves as pastor of St. Francis of Assisi in Cartersville. He has served in the past as a vocation director for seminarians from Mexico and Guatemala and is currently the director of a priest mentoring program.

Frank J. Hanna III (English Track): The chief executive officer of Hanna Capital in Atlanta, Hanna is an investment banker and philanthropist. Involved in education for the last 28 years, he was instrumental in the founding of three independent Catholic schools in the Atlanta area, two with high schools that have been recognized as among the top 50 Catholic high schools in the country by the Cardinal Newman Society. During the administration of President George W. Bush, he served as the chair of the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans.

Hanna is the founder of the Solidarity Association, which serves as trustee of the Mater Verbi/Hanna Papyrus Trust, which safeguards in the Vatican Apostolic Library the oldest copy of the Gospel of Luke and the oldest copy of the Lord’s Prayer in the world. He has received the William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership and the David R. Jones Award for Philanthropic Leadership. He is also a Knight of Malta, of the Holy Sepulchre, and a Knight of the Grand Cross of the Order of St. Gregory.

Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio (English Track): D’Ambrosio has devoted himself to sharing the riches of the Catholic faith through teaching at the university level and through writing, speaking, and every type of media, from television and radio to web and social media. After starting out as a rock musician in Rhode Island, he encountered a group of Catholics whose Christian life was an exciting adventure, an adventure worth living for. He received his doctorate in historical theology at The Catholic University of America, as a student of Jesuit Cardinal Avery Dulles, and has taught at the University of Dallas, while remaining deeply involved in pastoral work, especially teen evangelization and Hispanic ministry. He is fluent in Spanish. Married and the father of five, he has spent the last decade developing the Crossroads Initiative, an apostolate of Catholic renewal and evangelization. He is a book author, columnist, speaker on Eternal Word Television Network, and teacher with a practical, down-to-earth perspective that makes his words easy to understand and to put into practice.

Scott Hahn, Ph.D.

Scott Hahn, Ph.D. (English Track): A professor of theology and Scripture at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, where he has taught since 1990, Hahn is the founder and director of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology. He was the Pope Benedict XVI Chair of Biblical Theology and Liturgical Proclamation at St. Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, Pa., from 2005-2011. An exceptionally popular speaker and teacher, he has delivered many talks nationally and internationally on topics related to Scripture and the Catholic faith. A former Presbyterian minister, his intense study of Scripture led him to enter the Catholic Church in 1986. He holds a master of divinity degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in biblical theology from Marquette University. His books include “The Lamb’s Supper,” “Reasons to Believe,” “Many Are Called,” “Hope for Hard Times,” and “Rome, Sweet Home,” coauthored with his wife, Kimberly.

Doug Barry with Eric Genius (English Track): Barry, with pianist Genius, will perform a dramatization of the Passion of Christ as seen through the eyes of Our Blessed Mother, Mary. Barry is the founder and director of RADIX, a Catholic apostolate. Since 1992 he has traveled throughout the country and internationally, spreading and defending the Catholic faith. He is co-host of the EWTN television show, “Life on the Rock.” He is probably best known for his one-man performance of the Passion of Christ, seen regularly on EWTN and other Christian television networks.

Genius, a composer and virtuoso pianist, studied piano performance at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Canada, where he achieved first-class honors. He performs in concert internationally and has collaborated with British maestro, Allen Wilson, and the Slovak National Symphony to produce four CDs of his original work. He is a writer, composer and artist on the roster of Platinum Productions and Media, Inc.

Collin Raye

Collin Raye (English Track): Raye, a Catholic convert at the age of 23, has had great impact on the personal lives of people of all faiths through his music. He debuted on the American country music scene in 1991 with his first number one song and his signature song, “Love, Me.” Over the next decade, he charted several more number one hits, sold over 8 million albums and was nominated as country music’s Male Vocalist of the Year. He considers his greatest gift to be that of the holy Eucharist and his Catholic faith. After the death of his granddaughter, Haley Bell, in 2010, he began speaking out on his long journey of taking care of a sick child and how this led to the strengthening of his faith and trust in God. His first inspirational album of Catholic Christian music entitled “His Love Remains” was released in 2011, dedicated to Haley. He is the national spokesperson for the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network and has established a foundation in memory of Haley. He shares his faith and his music in concerts and conferences.

Msgr. Glenn Nelson (American Sign Language Track): Before he became a priest, Msgr. Nelson received his bachelor’s degree from Northern Illinois University in 1987 in deaf education. He was a teacher and interpreter for the deaf for two years before deciding to become a priest and enter the seminary. He was ordained a priest in 1993 for the Diocese of Rockford, Ill., and was appointed director of the Deaf Apostolate for the diocese. He has served the deaf Catholic community as a priest for over 18 years. Msgr. Nelson is vicar general, moderator of the curia, and director of deaf/campus ministry for the Rockford Diocese. Since 2001, Msgr. Nelson has been elected to the board of the National Catholic Office for the Deaf. He represents Region IV (the Great Lakes Region) and serves as board vice president.

Father Matthew Hy K. Nguyen (Vietnamese Track): Father Nguyen, a member of the Society of St. Sulpice, teaches at Assumption Seminary in San Antonio, Texas, and at the Oblate School of Theology and the Mexican American Catholic College. A native of Vietnam, he was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Oakland, Calif., in 1997. He joined the Sulpicians in 2000, an association dedicated to the formation of diocesan priests. He holds a doctorate in dogmatic theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and previously taught at St. Mary Seminary and University in Baltimore, Md.

Father Martino Thong Nguyen  (Vietnamese Track): Rising from humble beginnings as a refugee from Vietnam, Father Martino began working with homeless children even before receiving his master in divinity at Mount St. Mary University and Seminary and receiving ordination in 2004. His passion and perseverance to inculcate hope in the hopeless led him to establish OBV (One Body Village) in 2008 to champion the cause of Vietnamese children who are trafficked and enslaved as sex workers in brothels around Southeast Asia. He also serves as vice chaplain for the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Society in America, which serves 20,000 members. A priest of the Savannah Diocese, Father Martino is pastor at St. Mary’s Church in Americus and St. Michael Church in Montezuma.