Faculty Members of the Avila Institute
Dr. John Bergsma is Professor of Theology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, in Steubenville, Ohio. He holds the M.Div. and Th.M. degrees from Calvin Seminary, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and served as a Protestant pastor for four years before entering the Catholic Church in 2001 while pursuing a Ph.D. in Theology from the University of Notre Dame. He specialized in the Old Testament and the Dead Sea Scrolls, graduating with high honors in 2004. His major study of the interpretation of the Year of Jubilee in ancient times is published as The Jubilee from Leviticus to Qumran (Brill Academic, 2007).
Dr. Bergsma’s articles, some co-authored with Dr. Scott Hahn, have appeared in several academic journals as well as Lay Witness, the magazine of Catholics United for the Faith, and he has published many books, A Catholic Introduction to the Bible: Old Testament (Ignatius Press, 2018), Stunned by Scripture: How the Bible Made Me Catholic (Our Sunday Visitor, 2018), Psalm Basics for Catholics (Ave Maria Press, 2018), and Yes! There is a God! And Other Answers to Life’s Big Questions (The Word Among Us, 2017), Bible Basics for Catholics (Ave Maria Press, 2012) and New Testament Basics for Catholics (Ave Maria Press, 2015). He also has a wealth of resources on his website, johnbergsma.com
Additionally, he has appeared as a guest on EWTN’s The Journey Home, Franciscan University Presents, and Relevant Radio’s Drew Mariani Show, and has given presentations internationally through Parousia Media. Twice voted Faculty of the Year by graduating classes of the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Dr. Bergsma is a popular teacher who inspires his students with a love of Scripture. He and his wife Dawn reside with their eight children in Steubenville, Ohio.
Fr. James Dominic Brent, O.P. was born and raised in Michigan. He pursued his undergraduate and graduate studies in Philosophy, and completed his doctorate in Philosophy at Saint Louis University on the epistemic status of Christian beliefs according to Saint Thomas Aquinas. He has articles in the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy on Natural Theology, in the Oxford Handbook of Thomas Aquinas on “God’s Knowledge and Will”, and on “Thomas Aquinas” in the Oxford Handbook of the Epistemology of Theology. He earned his STL from the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception. He taught in the School of Philosophy at The Catholic University of America from 2010-2014, and spent the year of 2014-2015 doing full time itinerant preaching on college campuses across the United States. Since then he has been an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the Dominican House of Studies.
This module explores the wisdom of St. Teresa, Doctor of the Church, and the normal progress of prayer and holiness of life as revealed in her writings.
An advocate of contemplative prayer, her writings are filled with practical suggestions and a living devotion to Christ that can enrich one’s prayer and discernment.
Dr. Charles (Chuck) Stokes earned his undergraduate degree in Congregational Studies from Samford University and his Master’s of Divinity from Beeson Divinity School, with the intention of entering evangelical Protestant ministry. His love for sociology and teaching led him to pursue a PhD in sociology at the University of Texas, where he and his wife Betsy converted to Catholicism after a long investigation of the truths of the Catholic Faith. Today, he teaches at his beloved alma mater (Samford) and sponsors the Catholic Student Association there, where he and Betsy (and their two teenagers) host college students in their home for fellowship, Bible study, and regular social events. Chuck’s research interests center around education, religion, and healthy, sustainable relationships—particularly in dating/courtship. You can hear more from him about building healthy relationships in the Rock Your Relationships podcast, available at ChuckAndBetsy.org.
Simone Rizkallah is currently the Director of Program Growth for Endow Groups. Previously she worked at St. Mary’s Catholic High School in Phoenix, Arizona as Theology Department Chair and Senior Theology Teacher. She is also an Institute of Catholic Theology Fellow based on the campus of St. Thomas the Apostle in Phoenix, Arizona.
Her graduate degree is in Theological Studies from Christendom College with an emphasis in Systematic Theology. Her undergraduate studies and professional background include marketing communications, media, radio, and theatre before discovering her passion for the Faith and the call to evangelize through teaching and speaking.
Simone is also a Witherspoon/John Jay Institute Fellow and an Acton Institute Fellow. She has studied at the St. Albert the Great Center for Scholastic Studies in Norcia, Italy, at the Phoenix Institute at the International Theological Institute in Trumau, Austria, and at the Tertio Millennio Seminar in Krakow, Poland.
She has led local chapters of the ecclesial movement of Communion and Liberation in Virginia and Arizona and the Washington, D.C. based non-profit organization In Defense of Christians. She is also a member of Women Speak For Themselves. As the daughter of immigrants from the Armenian Diaspora in Cairo, Egypt, she has a particular interest in matters of religious freedom and culture. In her free time she enjoys teaching RCIA, speaking and writing. She has been published in ChurchPOP, Aleteia, Verily, CatholicU, Ethika Politika, The Catechetical Review and Angelus and was featured as a Guest Contributor in the book Road Signs for Catholic Teens published by Our Sunday Visitor.
She blogs at www.culturalgypsy.com
Psalm 105:5 tells us to remember God's wonders—His miracles and the judgments He pronounced. God is the essence of goodness, mercy and love. But sometimes, we forget what He has done for us. This module, our closing seminar, will consider the importance of "remembering" and how our memories can serve us in discernment, particularly emphasizing the virtue of hope. Among other topics, we will also reflect upon the nature of time, Christ's words, "do this in remembrance of me," and ways we can better serve the path of remembering what God has done for us.
Peter Stur is the founder of In Ipso, a Denver-based Catholic ministry designed to help the lay faithful develop a more intimate relationship with Christ through prayer. The ministry draws heavily on Saint Ignatius’ principles of prayer and discernment of spirits, but expands its Ignatian foundation with wisdom from other spiritualities within the Catholic Church, including the Dominican and the Carmelites, among others. Peter, was formed as Spiritual Director at the Lanteri Center for Ignatian Spirituality in Denver. In addition to conducting parish missions and public speaking programs, he directs silent retreats for laity and deacons, is one of the formators of future deacons at St. John Vianney seminary, guides faithful through the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius, teaches pre-seminary program at Avila Institute.
Reverend Samuel Aquila, S.T.L, Archbishop of Denver granted In Ipso the decree of Private Juridical Personality and its programs are supported and recommended many spiritual and retreat masters as Father Daniel Barron, Director of Spiritual Formation at the Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver, and Father Greg Cleveland, OMV, executive Director of the Lanteri Center for Ignatian Spirituality. Prior to founding In Ipso, Peter owned and operated a high-end custom kitchen and cabinet design, manufacture and installation business, and won a number of awards including Kitchen of the Year in 2007 according to Colorado Homes and Lifestyles Magazine.
Peter has been married for 32 years and has 10 children. He is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys hunting and falconry.
This module offers reflective insights on the experience of conversion and matters of spiritual importance that arise in the wake of conversion.
The aftermath of conversion is as important as the conversion itself. There will also be special emphasis placed on understanding sin, mercy, and the soul’s response to grace.
Msgr. Michael G. Carruthers is the Pastor of St. Lawrence Catholic Church and School in Tampa, Florida. He holds graduate degrees in divinity, systematic theology and in exceptional student education. He has served as Rector-President of St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami, as well as the Pastor of St. Augustine Church and Catholic Student Center at the University of Miami. He has been a lecturer at the seminary, in formation programs for the diaconate, and in ecclesial lay ministry formation. He served on the Mission Advisory Board for the Institute for Priestly Formation. He also leads retreats (preached and directed) and parish missions.
This module reflects on the call of God and the way of seminary life. By emphasizing missionary discipleship, this module starts the conversation on the importance of being an instrument of grace in the place God calls you.
A native of Colorado, Fr. Sam Morehead was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Denver in 2012. Having first studied broadcasting journalism and English at the University of Colorado at Boulder, he completed his formation and studies for the priesthood at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary. Since 2015, he has served as the pastor of All Souls Catholic Parish—a Denver parish of a thousand families and a Catholic School. Having a passion for priestly formation, he has also served over the years as a regular guest lecturer on the Sacred Liturgy and the spiritual life for the Spirituality Year of his alma mater seminary, in addition to being a visiting professor for the Midwest Theological Forum’s Rome Experience summer formation program. With a penchant for history and culture, he is particularly passionate about his family’s English homeland. Yet, his greatest loves are Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin, and the Catholic Church.
This module explores the role of the priest who is “in persona Christ” – the power to act, in the person of Christ, when exercising their sanctifying, teaching, and guiding functions for the sake of the mystical Body of Christ, the Church. With a special emphasis on the sacrament of the Eucharist, this module then explores how the sacrifice of Christ helps shape and form friendships into holy, sacramental friendships.
Meghan Schofield was born and raised in Massachusetts. She is a graduate of Ave Maria University where she studied theology and literature. She later earned her MTS from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute in Washington, D.C., concentrating in Biotechnology and Ethics.
For eight years she served as the Co-Director of Formation and Instructor of Theology at the Language and Catechetical Institute in Gaming, Austria. While in Austria, Meghan spent five years as instructor of Theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville’s study abroad program. She also has taught as an adjunct instructor for Assumption University.
Meghan is the creative visionary and author of grades 6-8 in the supplemental curriculum series, ROOTED: Theology of the Body K-12 from Ruah Woods Press. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute, writing her dissertation on Joseph Ratzinger’s theology of creation.
This module looks specifically at the different ways a missionary disciple may be called to live out the Christian life found in the Gospels and the teachings of St. Paul. Drawing from Theology of Body, it explores the nuptial meaning of the body as a gift of self for God and for others as part of an integral vision of Man.
Dr. Mark Miravalle earned his Sacred Theological Doctorate at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. He holds the Saint John Paul II Chair of Mariology at Franciscan University of Steubenville, where he has been teaching since 1986. He also is a professor at Ave Maria University.
Dr. Miravalle is the founder and senior editor of Ecce Mater Tua, an international journal of Mariology research. He is also president of the International Marian Association, comprised of more than 130 theologians, bishops, clergy, and laity worldwide who seek to promote Marian devotion and doctrine.
This module will consist of a theological investigation of the doctrines and magisterial teachings concerning the singular role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the providential plan of salvation. This will be followed by examining the important relationship between discipleship, discernment, and Marian devotion. Lastly, there will be a theological and pastoral analysis of the Marian messages from the principle apparitions of Mary in the modern world.
Dr. Margaret Turek is originally from the Midwest. She earned a B.A. at the University of San Francisco where she studied in the St. Ignatius Institute, an M.A. at the Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology, and a Doctor of Sacred Theology degree at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. Prior to her graduate studies, she received spiritual formation as a Carmelite for six years. Dr. Turek’s scholarly interests include Trinitarian theology, Soteriology, and the re-integration of Dogmatic Theology and Spirituality. Before joining the faculty at STPSU in 2001, she was a tenured Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at the University of Dallas. She also teaches in the Deacon Formation Program for the Archdiocese of San Francisco and the Diocese of Oakland.
“Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn 14:9). This three-week module will be an exercise in contemplating Jesus Christ as the definitive interpreter and living icon of God the Father (Jn 1:18; Col. 1:15). Following the guidance of Sacred Scripture and the theological reflections of Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI, we will bring to light the glorious features of the face of the Father. This is the true God and Father whom (with Christ and in Christ) we are called to imitate as his beloved sons/children (Eph 5:1; Mt 5:48).
