Week 1 Speaking Team

Our team for the Steubenville 2023 Week 1 conference comes from diverse backgrounds. Bringing a range of experiences and their individual talents, they will share their journeys of faith with us. We are blessed to have an incredible team! Learn all about them here.

Ennie Hickman–Host

For over two decades, Ennie Hickman’s determined pursuit of Gospel joy has aided in transforming the lives of countless people. With a heart for the outcast and forgotten in society, he has served as a youth minister, coach, domestic missionary, international speaker, and non-profit president. He currently serves at The Saint Constantine School and College in Houston, TX. Ennie and his wife Cana founded Del Rey Collective to empower families to live on mission through the beauty of everyday life. Ennie Hickman has had various titles over the last 20+ years. However, his primary focus has been to become an expert at loving his wife and their nine children.

Find out more about Ennie at his website, or follow him on Instagram and Twitter.

Kyle Huelsing–Worship Leader

Kyle Huelsing is a Catholic worship leader and evangelist in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, Missouri. He has ministered to thousands of people across the country for the past 15 years, leading conferences, faith rallies, Catholic camps, and retreats. Kyle has a heart on fire for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and works full time as a music minister at St. Joseph in Cottleville, St. Clement of Rome, and the Lindenwood University Catholic Newman Center. He currently resides in St. Louis, Missouri, with his wife, Kimberly, and their four children.

You can follow Kyle on Twitter or Instagram.

Fr. Mike Schmitz–Team Priest

Father Michael Schmitz is the director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Duluth as well as the chaplain for the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Father Mike attended Saint Paul Seminary and was ordained in 2003. He offers weekly homilies on iTunes and bulldogCatholic.org and has appeared in programs for youth and young adults through Ascension Press, as well as through regular short video messages on Ascension Presents.

Father Mike can be found on Twitter or at Ascension Press.

Sr. Josephine Garrett, CSFN–Speaker

Sister Josephine Garrett, CSFN, is a native Texan, a convert to the Catholic faith, and a sister of the Holy Family of Nazareth. She lives and serves in Tyler, Texas, as a licensed professional counselor. She also loves traveling around to share the love of God with the young Church.

Keep up with Sr. Josephine on Instagram and Twitter.

D.J. Bernal–Speaker

D.J. Bernal has the great privilege to routinely travel for ministry events serving youth, young adults, and adult groups at conferences, retreats, and parish events. D.J.’s ministry focuses on a relationship with Christ and with his people (Rom. 8:38-39). He is a leadership development consultant, helping leaders empower and engage teams through leadership program facilitation, business coaching, and change management. He also founded a Catholic-Christian clothing line called “AGOH Apparel” (After God’s Own Heart).

You can find out more about D.J. Bernal on Twitter, Instagram, or on his website.

Sarah Swafford–Speaker

Sarah Swafford is the founder of Emotional Virtue Ministries and author of the book Emotional Virtue: A Guide to Drama-Free Relationships. She speaks internationally to people of all ages and has appeared on EWTN’s Life on the Rock, EWTN Live, and is co-host of EWTN’s At the Heart of Relationships. She contributed to Ascension Press’ confirmation program Chosen, YDisciple’s True Beauty, Dynamic Catholic’s Better Together, and is a proud team member of chastity.com. Sarah and her husband, Dr. Andrew Swafford, reside in Atchison, Kansas, with their children, Thomas, Fulton, Cate, Kolbe, John Paul, and Avila.

Find out more information about Sarah on her website, or follow her on Instagram.

Written by Amanda Jelavich