Women of Grace® Event Details
Women of Grace Retreat, Ave Maria University
"Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy: Our Refuge on the Battlefield of Life"
Speakers Include:
Johnnette Benkovic
Father John Paul Mary Zeller, M.F.V.A.
Thomas K. Sullivan
Susan P. Brinkmann, OCDS
Tentative Schedule
FRIDAY, AUGUST 5
3:00pm Registration
4:45pm Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Homily One
Father John Paul Mary Zeller, MFVA
6:00pm DINNER/Welcome/Introduction
7:15pm Talk One: Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, Our Life, Our Sweetness, and Our Hope
Johnnette Benkovic
8:30pm Talk Two: To Thee Do We Cry, Poor Banished Children of Eve
Father John Paul Mary Zeller, MFVA
9:30pm Fellowship/Nocturnal Adoration in Chapels
SATURDAY, AUGUST 6
8:00am BREAKFAST/Announcements/Witness Talk
9:00am Talk Three: Our Lady in God’s Plan in the Kingdom
Thomas K. Sullivan
10:15am Talk Four: Our Lady of Fatima and God’s Plan for Our Time
Susan P. Brinkmann, OCDS
(Note: Confessions will be available beginning at 10:30am, locations TBD)
11:15am Confession/Prayer/Reflection/Fellowship
12:00pm LUNCH/Witness Talk
1:15pm Talk Five: Turn Your Eyes of Mercy Toward Us…Show Us Jesus
Johnnette Benkovic
2:30pm Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Homily Two
Father John Paul Mary Zeller, MFVA
3:30pm Break
4:00pm Women of Grace in Action: Raising Young Women of Grace
Susan P. Brinkmann, OCDS and her Young Women of Grace Study Group, Isabelle Liberatore, Johnnette Benkovic
5:00pm Facilitator Training/Prayer/Reflection/Fellowship
6:00pm DINNER/Witness Talk
7:15pm Talk Six: O Clement, O Loving, O Sweet Virgin Mary
Father John Paul Mary Zeller, MFVA
8:15pm Healing Service
10:00pm Social/Nocturnal Adoration
SUNDAY, AUGUST 7
8:00am BREAKFAST/Testimonies of Healing
9:00am Talk Seven: Pray for Us, O Holy Mother of God, Make Us Worthy
Johnnette Benkovic
10:00am Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Homily Three
Father John Paul Mary Zeller, MFVA
Preceded by the Benedicta Leadership Enrichment Seminar
Event Date/Time(s)
Event Information
Contact Information
$175 Commuter Registration, Five Meals
$225 Retreat Registration, Two Night Accommodations, Five Meals, bring your own linens (two twin top sheets recommended), pillows, towels, and blankets
$250 Retreat Registration, Two Night Accommodations, Five Meals, linens, pillows, towels and blankets provided
$305 Retreat Registration, Two Night Accommodations, Five Meals, private room, linens, pillows, towels, and blankets provided
Stay on campus in the Pope John Paul II Hall or the Blessed Mother Teresa Hall. Quad suites sleep four, two on each side with private sink, shared restroom and shower.
For more info, www.avemaria.edu
Helpful Tools
Event Speakers
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Johnnette Benkovic Williams
Johnnette Benkovic Williams is Founder and President of Women of Grace®, a Catholic apostolate for women featuring a number of outreaches including conferences, media, study groups and more.
After years of being a non-practicing Catholic, Johnnette experienced a deep conversion back to her Catholic faith in 1981. Her conversion sparked a new vocation: sharing the Gospel message through the utilization of media. She has been an inspiring and consistent presence on EWTN Catholic radio and EWTN Catholic television for over 30 years. -
Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Susan Brinkmann, O.C.D.S., is an author and award-winning journalist who is a member of the Third Order of Discalced Carmelites. She serves as the Director of Communications and New Age Research for Women of Grace® and is a frequent guest on EWTN's Women of Grace® television show. Susan formerly worked as a Correspondent for the Catholic Standard & Times, the newspaper for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. For the last 10 years she has been the lead researcher for Women of Grace’s New Age Q&A Blog which is the largest blog of its kind in the world. The library of information now exceeds 1200 entries on everything from acupuncture and angels to wicca and yoga. She has also authored eleven books, including the Learn to Discern Compendium: Is it Christian or New Age, and her latest book, Day by Day in the Little Way: 365 reflections on the Teachings of St. Therese of Lisieux. Along with Johnnette Williams, she co-authored the Young Women of Grace Study Program which teaches girls ages 13+ about what it means to be authentically feminine. The Catholic Guide to Mindfulness, was published by Avila Institute, and her Like a Catholic series, which has imprimaturs from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, was published by the Catholic Life Institute Press. Her national journalism awards include the Bernadine-O'Connor Award for Pro-Life Journalism, the Eileen Egan Journalism Award from Catholic Relief Services, and numerous awards from the Catholic Press Association and the Philadelphia Press Association.
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Father John Paul Mary Zeller, MFVA
Father John Paul Mary Zeller, MFVA is a member of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word, a religious community of men, founded by the late Mother Mary Angelica, PCPA. The MFVA’s were founded in 1987 by Mother Mary Angelica to preach and teach the Catholic Faith through the modern means of social communication, television, radio, internet and printed word, as well as leading retreats and attending to the spiritual and sacramental needs of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration. Father John Paul was ordained to the Sacred Priesthood of Jesus Christ by His Excellency Robert J. Baker on June 22, 2013 in the Cathedral of St. Paul in the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama. His current assignment is at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama as the Assistant Chaplain. On Ash Wednesday, February 10, 2016, Father John Paul Mary was commissioned by His Holiness Pope Francis, a Missionary of Mercy during the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. He received a special mandate to preach and to teach about the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, Forgiveness, the Mercy of God and in Pope Francis own words— “the closeness of God.” Pope Francis gave all the Missionaries of Mercy the faculties to lift the excommunication and absolve from 4 specific penalties or “sins” otherwise reserved to the Holy See. The four specifics are: Profaning the Eucharistic species by taking them away or keeping them for a sacrilegious purpose; the use of physical force against the Roman Pontiff; the absolution of an accomplice in a sin against the Sixth Commandment and a direct violation against the sacramental seal by a confessor. Pope Francis reminded each of the Missionaries of Mercy that is Christ who welcomes, it is Christ who listens and it is Christ who forgives in the Confessional.
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Thomas K Sullivan
At the young age of 17, Thomas K Sullivan began a career serving in the United States Military (US Navy and Coast Guard). During his 12 years of service, Tom spent 5 of those years as a Company Commander in the US Navy, training young men and women in the ways of military life, and was awarded the designation as a "Master Training Specialist". Little did he know God was preparing him for a training field much bigger than he could imagine.
At the age of 30, Tom returned to the Catholic Faith and found his true mission in life. Using the same determination, skills and abilities that made him a successful and highly decorated military leader, Tom has spent the past 26 years in Catholic education, apologetics and evangelization.
In 1992 following a disabling injury which brought his military career to an end, Tom began working with St, Joseph Communications in California. During this time, he developed evangelization and educational materials for both national an international audiences. Tom also conceived and developed the Scott and Kimberly Hahn Adult Education on Video program now in thousands of homes and parishes. Tom is a founding member of the National Catholic Family Conference held each year in California and was the 1996 recipient of the annual Fulton J. Sheen award for his work in evangelization.
In 1998, Tom formed a youth outreach organization featuring the Catholic Rock Music group, Sons of Thunder Outreach. The group went on to record a highly requested CD "Fatherland", a Catholic rock music CD with lyrics telling the story of salvation history, conversion, the sacraments and more.
In 2001, Tom joined the staff of Living His Life Abundantly International. He serves as the Director of Operations, Director of Information Technology and Network Administrator as well as Senior radio engineer.
Tom is also the producer of the daily Television program "Women of Grace" on the EWTN Global Catholic Television Network.
In addition, Tom has extensive experience teaching parish adult education and youth confirmation preparation. He speaks at conferences and events, nationally and internationally, on the many topics concerning the Catholic Faith.
Tom is the author of the book "Called to Knighthood: The Sacrament of Confirmation in the Kingdom Family of God" published by Simon Peter Press and co-author with Johnnette Benkovic of the book "The Rosary: Your Weapon for Spiritual Warfare" published by Servant Press.
He has been a radio guest on The Abundant Life, Women of Grace LIVE, Faith and Family Radio programs, as well as Seize the Day with Gus Lloyd on Sirius Satellite radio.
He has also been a television guest on EWTN's Life on the Rock, Bookmark with Doug Keck, The Abundant Life, and over a dozen Women of Grace television programs.
?Tom is the creator and designer of the one-of-a-kind Warrior's Rosary that has been distributed all over the world since 2014.
He is currently working on an expanded book on the Sacrament of Confirmation titled “Warriors for the Kingdom.” He continues to spend much of his free time speaking about the Kingdom of God, the Rosary, and the importance of the sacraments and their relationship to Spiritual Warfare here on the battlefield of life!
Tom is a devoted husband to his wife Carol and father of six children; Jeffrey, Tommy, Maria, Michael, Joshua and Gabriel. He is also the proud Grandfather of his 15 grandchildren (currently).
