SPEAKER : DEACON RALPH POYO
Deacon Ralph Poyo was born to his Colombian mother, Connie, and his Cuban father, Jose, in Cali, Colombia. They came to the United States in 1965 and spent a few years in Atlanta, Georgia before settling in Miami, Florida. It was in high school in Miami that he met his future wife, Susan, and after five tears of dating, they married in 1984. They now have five beautiful daughters. After graduating from Taylor University with a B.A. in Scripture, Ralph first set out to work in the Lord’s vineyard by serving in Miami Youth for Christ as a trained evangelist. After serving the youth in Miami he spent eight years within the St. Louis community, he moved his young family to Raleigh, North Carolina where he took on the youth ministry position at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Seven years later, he became the Director of Faith Formation at St. Luke the Evangelist Parish in North Raleigh, the position he held until his recent move to Steubenville, Ohio. Also during this time, Ralph was ordained to the permanent deaconate for the Diocese of Raleigh in November of 2005.

SPEAKER : DOUG BARRY
He is the founder and director of the Catholic apostolate RADIX, as well as a husband and father. Since 1992 he has traveled throughout the United States along with journeying to several other countries, spreading and defending the Catholic faith. With a dynamic and explosive style Doug has spoken to thousands, young, old alike, through television, radio, and live appearances. He is best known for his powerful one-man performance of the Passion of Christ, seen regularly on EWTN and other Christian channels throughout the world. Pulling no punches in his presentations, Doug goes after the issues that we are all confronted with. There is a fight for souls at hand. We must be Christian soldiers of prayer and of action. Raised as a Catholic from birth, like many, Doug never really embraced his faith in his youth. It wasn’t until a powerful experience involving the Blessed Mother and Doug was finally awakened to reality.

MUSIC : POWER OF PRAISE
POP, which stands for "Power of Praise", is a group of musicians and singers that are dedicated to a ministry of Christian praise and worship. We are from various parishes through out the Youngstown Diocese and have joined together in the joy of Christian love. Our goal is to bring glory to God through our music. Our objective is to have people join us in praising our Lord, to sing out and enjoy the Love that Jesus has to share with each person that hears our songs. We are available for Evenings of Praise and Worship that includes adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Masses, Events of Christian music, Festivals and what ever else the Lord has planned for us. We discern each event through prayer, as a group, and try to make ourselves available to our Lord.

MASS : MOST REVEREND BISHOP GEORGE MURRY, SJ
Appointed fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Youngstown by Pope Benedict XVI, Bishop Murry holds a Master’s of Divinity degree from the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, CA, as well as a Master’s and a Ph.D. in American Cultural history from the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. A member of the United States Conference of Bishops he serves on the education and domestic policy committees as well as the board of Catholic Relief Services. In November, 2007 Bishop Murry was elected Secretary of the USCCB.

MASS : MOST REVEREND GEORGE GRIES

Bishop Gries, son of the late Dorothy and John Gries, was born March 26, 1937 in Maple Heights, Ohio. A member of St. Wenceslas Parish, he attended that grade school before entering Benedictine High School in 1950. In 1959 he graduated from St. John’s University in Minnesota with a Bachelors degree in Philosophy and Education. He earned a Master’s degree in Education in 1964 from Loyola University in Chicago. He entered the novitiate in July of 1956 and made his profession of vows as a monk of St. Andrew Abbey in July, 1957. He solemnly renewed his vows for life in July, 1960. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 18, 1963 in Cleveland, Ohio He began teaching at Benedictine High School in 1964 and before he left in 1981, his accomplishments covered the areas of mathematics’ teacher, football coach, transportation director, assistant principal, and principal. He was named Titular Bishop of Presidio and Auxiliary Bishop of Cleveland on April 9, 2001 and received the Episcopal Ordination on June 7, 2001. He also received an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Belmont Abbey College, Narth Carolina on May 11, 2002.