Cardinal Mafi of Tonga Soane Patita Paini Mafi was born in the Kingdom of Tonga and ordained a priest in June 1991. His mother was a convert and both his father and grandfather were catechists. He grew up in Tonga and as a young man, joined a youth group at his parish in Kolofo'ou near the capital Nuku'alofa on the main island of Tongatapu. He studied for the priesthood at the Pacific Regional Seminary in Suva, Fiji. He was ordained a priest in 1991 at the age of 29. He is the fourth Roman Catholic Bishop of Tonga. On February 14, 2015 at the age of 53 he was appointed by Pope Francis as the first ever cardinal from Tonga and he became on that date the youngest member of the College of Cardinals with the title of cardinal priest assigned to the titular church of Santa Paola Romana. On April 13, 2015 he was appointed a member of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum for Human and Christian Development.

Fr. Bill Quinlivan is a Catholic priest in the diocese of Buffalo, New York. He is currently pastor of two parishes in South Buffalo. Fr. Bill heard his vocation call around age 11 but by mid-high school was convinced that it wasn’t for him. He also had grand delusions of the entertainment industry in high school and say’s, “In God’s plan, my attempts to sing for entertainment, my dreams of being a screenwriter and other such things were just illusion. The one bit of “success” I had was that in my search for vocation during years of confusion, I actually wrote one-liners/gags for comedienne Joan Rivers”! But all the while the Lord was gently waiting and saying to me “Can we TALK??”. Fr. Bill’s autobiography/vocation story was published in the Fall of 2014, “Made to Praise Him: Finding My Song”. It is sprinkled with Irish wit, stories of inspiration and reflections on his song lyrics and faith life. He has recorded several CD’s which will be available for purchase at the conference, as well as his autobiography.

Fr. Chris M. Alar, MIC, entered the Marians of the Immaculate Conception (the religious community entrusted with spreading the message and devotion of Divine Mercy) as a Postulant in July, 2006. Prior to that time he received a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and an MBA from the University of Michigan. After working several years at a Fortune 500 company he began his own consulting company in Charlotte, NC in 2000. After answering the Lord’s call, he attended Franciscan University in Steubenville, OH, for his Philosophy studies and earned his Masters of Divinity Degree from Holy Apostles Seminary in Cromwell, CT. Over the past several years he has been mentored by the world’s leading experts in Divine Mercy and he has spoken at nearly 100 parishes to date. Currently he serves as “Fr. Joseph” – the honorary title given to the Director of the Association of Marian Helpers located in Stockbridge, MA.

Three time Unity Award Winner, singer, songwriter and musician Donna Lee has been ministering with her music for 27 years and has written several songs inspired by the Diary of St. Faustina. She continues to share her story of hope and healing, traveling to different countries and all over the U.S. She is a regular on the Catholic Familyland TV Network and has appeared on two segments of EWTN’s show “Backstage”. Her CD’s will be available for purchase at the conference or download on iTunes.

Coffee & donuts available in morning as well as beverages all day long. As always, you are welcome to bring your own lunch. A box lunch will be available for pre-order. Please let them know if you prefer water or soda. Place order with your registration or call Dominic at 619-286-4911. BOX LUNCH- 1/2 Turkey & 1/2 Roast Beef sandwich, bag of chips, trail mix, cookie & soda or water. $7.50