Oct. 12-13, 2018 St. Agnes Church, Arlington, VA
- 110 women
- 5 speakers
- Too many blessings to count!
- An introduction to the 2018 conference and Future with Hope history
- Visit our Facebook page to see livestreamed videos
- View video clips from the five speakers
2018 Speakers
- Mary Elizabeth Sperry is the author of Making Room for God: Decluttering and the Spiritual Life and four other books. Her articles have appeared in a number of publications, including Give Us This Day. She is the associate director for permissions and New American Bible utilization for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and her degrees include a master's in liturgical studies.
- Alejandra Segura has more than 20 years of professional experience in research, teaching, and fundraising for women's and children's rights. Her current focus is on the promotion of the culture of life as well as social and economic rights for needy children in Africa and Latin America. She also was the driving force behind the landmark 2014-2015 exhibition "Picturing Mary: Woman, Mother, Ideal.
- Maria Suarez Hamm is a native of Cuba and the proud mother of twelve living children and six in heaven who range in age from eighteen to forty-one. She holds a bachelor of arts from Harvard University and is enrolled in the master's of theology program at the Catholic Distance University. She and her husband, Peter, have been married for forty-one years. Maria is a former executive director of Centro Tepeyac in Silver Spring, a crisis pregnancy center, and recently received an honorary degree from Catholic University for her work there and as her work with the National Institute of Womanhood. She works for the Archdiocese of Washington, where she was director of Hispanic Family Life and Leadership Development.
- Anthony (Tony) DeCristofaro is a Catholic blogger and public servant. In 2006, he founded Your Daily Tripod and continues to serve as a contributor and the editor. When not blogging, he works at the Office of Personnel Management as deputy director of the Combined Federal Campaign. He and his wife, Beth, have been married thirty-eight years and have two adult daughters.
- Erin Benbennick has never lived more than 15 miles from her "home base" in Vienna, Va. She learned to knit when she was a Brownie, and in 2008 started a prayer shawl ministry at St. Thomas a Becket. Currently, she's an active member of the St. Mark prayer shawl ministry. She's spun story yarns at campfires; her sons' and grandsons' bedsides; and local, state, and international speaking and storytelling events.
(From L) Mary Sperry, Alejandra Segura, Maria Hamm, Tony DeCristofaro, Erin Benbennick
2018 Sponsors and exhibitors
Our Sponsors
- Joyful Spirit Gifts in Arlington, VA, carried a comprehensive selection of family-oriented conservative Catholic materials.
- Arlington Diocese Council of Catholic Women's task is to bring the Gospel of Jesus to the women of the Arlington Diocese.
Exhibitors
- Benedictine Sisters of Virginia is a vibrant monastic community that serves the public through activities at its pastoral center in Bristow.
- Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington, Newcomer Services, which actively welcomes the stranger through Hogar Immigrant Services and Migration and Refugee Services.
- Catholic Distance University makes lifelong learning in the faith not only a goal, but a reality for thousands of Catholic adults worldwide who are earning accredited degrees, certificates, and diplomas without leaving the comfort of home.
- Christian Bling Ambassador Tuba Malachowski; Christian Bling offers unique jewelry while helping women see that faith is beautiful and is our best accessory.
- Christine Eberle is the author of Finding God in Ordinary Time (Green Writers Press) and director of campus ministry at Gwynedd Mercy University near Philadelphia.
- Colette Kalvesmaki is the founder and director of the Center for Byzantine Material Arts, which includes a gallery of icons as well as a studio offering private lessons and lectures on iconography.
- doTerra, with wellness advocate Michelle Dunne, offers pure essential oils that help families manage their health.
- Human Life International, which organizes, trains, equips, and mentors pro-life leaders in over 100 countries around the world.
- Hello Blessings, which offers printables and art prints celebrating God's blessings.
- Landings International, a Paulist program that offers a safe place for those away from the Church to tell their stories, discern their place, and find a way home to Catholicism.
- Leaving a Legacy, which helps people pass on to future generations the stories of their personal faith journeys, and Hello Blessings, which offers Christ-inspired art prints, invitations, greeting cards, and other materials.
- My Life Journey with life coach Jeanette Engel provides life, career, adoption, and spiritual journey coaching.
- Soli Deo Gloria Sacred Art strives to meld traditional artistic techniques with advanced technology to create richly engraved and accented adaptations of traditional religious artwork in wood and other natural media.
- T’s Chic Adornments by Paparazzi, a direct sales company specializing in fabulous and affordable accessories that are nickel & lead free and only $5.
- WMET 1160-AM, the Catholic radio station for the Washington, DC area.
