Category Archives: Luncheon Speaker

November 6, 2025 – Fr. Joseph Brankatelli on the Military Chaplaincy

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The Military Chaplaincy  and the Soldiers Served

with Highlights of Military Chaplains Heros currently being considered for canonization
– Fr. Emil Kapaun and Fr. Vincent Capodanno

Featuring

Fr. Joseph Brankatelli, Administrator
Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish

Fr. Brankatelli was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Cleveland in 2008.  During his first assignment at Holy Family Parish in Parma, he encountered an Ohio National Guard soldier who had spent time in Iraq – this prompted a discernment of a call to become a military chaplain.  In 2011, with Bishop Lennon’s support, Fr. Brankatelli applied and was accepted into the Military Chaplaincy.   He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2013 where he was stationed at Bagram Airfield. From here he traveled to various remote bases to celebrate mass, the sacraments and minister to the soldiers serving in Afghanistan.  Following his tour in Afghanistan, Fr. Brankatelli was sent to Arlington National Cemetery for the next two years.  He was then sent to Fort Carson, Colorado where he served with Infantry soldiers who were sent to Eastern Europe to support NATO allies.  His final assignment was Fort Riley, Kansas, after which Fr. Brankatelli returned to Cleveland and resumed his work as a parish priest.  Fr. Brankatelli is currently the Administrator of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in South Euclid. 

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WHEN
Thursday, November 6, 2025

Buffet Opens at 11:30 a.m.;  We invite you to arrive any time after 11:00 a.m. for mingling & fellowship!
Program Concludes at 1:00 p.m.

WHERE
Borromeo/Saint Mary Seminary
28700 Euclid Avenue (map)

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September 4, 2025 – Classical Catholic Education with Mike Wisnor

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Featuring

Mr. Mike Wisnor, President
Incarnate Word Academy

Moderating a Panel on Classical Catholic Education

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WHEN
Thursday, September 4, 2025

Buffet Opens at 11:30 a.m.;  We invite you to arrive any time after 11:00 a.m. for mingling & fellowship!
Program Concludes at 1:00 p.m.

WHERE
Borromeo/Saint Mary Seminary
28700 Euclid Avenue (map)
Wickliffe, Ohio 44092

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July 31, 2025 – Fr. Joseph Koopman, Professor of Moral Theology at St. Mary Seminary

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Reverend Joseph Koopman
Professor of Moral Theology, St. Mary Seminary

Rev. Joe Koopman, M.Div, M.A., S.T.D., graduated from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 1996, after which he entered St. Mary Seminary in Cleveland, Ohio. He was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Cleveland in 2001, and served as a newly ordained priest at St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Parma. From 2005 to 2009, Fr. Koopman attended the Accademia Alfonsiana in Rome, Italy, where he received a license and doctorate in theology. Since 2009, he has been a professor of moral theology at St. Mary Seminary, along with serving as an advisor in moral theology and ethics for the Diocese of Cleveland and the Ohio Catholic Conference of Bishops. (https://tobinstitute.org/about-the-institute/meet-the-faculty/) 

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WHEN
Thursday, July 31, 2025
Buffet Opens at 11:30 a.m.;  We invite you to arrive any time after 11:00 a.m. for mingling & fellowship!
Program Concludes at 1:00 p.m.

WHERE
Borromeo/Saint Mary Seminary
28700 Euclid Avenue (map)
Wickliffe, Ohio 44092

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July 10, 2025 – Dr. Thomas Fielding, St. John the Evangelist Cathedral

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Singing with Understanding:

A Guide to the Church’s Instruction on Sacred Music
featuring

Dr. Thomas Fielding

Music Director, Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist

Organist and composer Thomas Fielding, DMus. (b. 1975) is director of music for the Cathedral of St John the Evangelist, Cleveland OH and is a graduate of the Indiana University Jacobs’ School of Music where his principal teacher was Christopher Young. Previous studies were with Martin Jean and Robert A. Hobby. Fielding has taken first prize in the national Arthur Poister (Syracuse, NY) and San Marino (CA) performance competitions, has won several national composition prizes, has been the recipient of several full-tuition scholarship awards at IU and, as an undergraduate, won several music prizes offered by his alma mater Valparaiso University. He has played recitals throughout England and the Netherlands including two appearances at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. His scholarly work has been featured in The American Organist magazine. He has been commissioned by the Minneapolis AGO chapter to present a lecture-recital on the Esquisses Byzantines of Henry Mulet and he, along with Donna Walters, is co-authoring the book-biography of the composer. He was for four years the Dean of the Central North Carolina Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.

As an active and commissioned composer, Dr. Fielding’s works appear in the catalogues of many publishers. His works have been performed by soloists, choirs and orchestras throughout the US, Canada, Europe and Asia in addition to the 2016 American Guild of Organists national convention in Houston, TX. His compositions have also been broadcast on National Public Radio on both Weekend Edition and Pipedreams. His works appear in the catalogs of Choristers’ Guild, E. C. Schirmer, GIA and Selah. Additionally, Paraclete Press has released three works of his so far, with several more in their publication queue. The first commercial recording of his prize-winning piece “Behold the Dark and Bitter Night” has been released on the Gothic label.

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WHEN
Thursday, July 10, 2025
(This presentation will take place on the second Thursday due to the July 4th Holiday.)

Buffet Opens at 11:30 a.m.;  we invite you to arrive any time after 11:00 a.m. for mingling & fellowship!
Program Concludes at 1:00 p.m.

WHERE
Borromeo/Saint Mary Seminary
28700 Euclid Avenue (map)
Wickliffe, Ohio 44092

Register Today

 

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The Council of Nicaea’s 1,700th Anniversary: An Occasion to Get to Know Eastern Christianity

Featuring

Fr. Andrij Hlabse, SJ

Fr. Andrij Hlabse, SJ

Fr. Andrij M. Hlabse, S.J., is a Ukrainian Greek-Catholic priest and a Jesuit.  He was born and raised outside of Cleveland, Ohio, where there is a large Ukrainian community; his family practiced the Catholic faith in both the Byzantine and Latin Rites.  Fr. Andrij completed a BA in music performance (as a jazz saxophonist) and romance languages and literatures at the University of Notre Dame in 2006.  After entering the Society of Jesus in 2007, Fr. Andrij earned an MA in philosophical resources from Fordham University, a Bachelor of Sacred Theology from the Gregorian University in Rome, and a Licentiate in Eastern Ecclesiastical Sciences with a concentration in Patristic and Eastern Christian theology from the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome.  He also taught religion and Spanish, as well as served as liturgist at St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago.  While in the Eternal City, Fr. Andrij served as director of the choir of the International College of the Gesù at the Church of the Gesù from 2016-2017.  He was ordained to the priesthood in the Byzantine Rite in 2018.  Since 2021 Fr. Andrij has been engaged in Ph.D. studies in theology at the University of Notre Dame; his work focuses on the development and relations of the Latin and Greek theological traditions to 1600 and liturgical studies.  His interests also include languages and philosophy, especially the metaphysics of culture.

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WHEN
Thursday, May 1, 2025

Buffet Opens at 11:30 a.m.; we invite you to arrive any time after 11:00 a.m. for mingling & fellowship!
Program Concludes at 1:00 p.m.

WHERE
Borromeo/Saint Mary Seminary
28700 Euclid Avenue (map)
Wickliffe, Ohio 44092

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April 3, 2025 – Sister Susan Durkin, OSU, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Women Religious Archives Collaborative

This luncheon is sold out. You may click here to add your name to a wait list.

Featuring

Sister Susan Durkin, OSU
Executive Director and Co-Founder
Women Religious Archives Collaborative

So The Stories Can Be Told:
The Women Religious Collaborative Archives

Storytelling is a powerful teaching tool. Jesus used stories and parables to teach his disciples. Our faith tradition, families, and communities share stories that convey valuable lessons and inspire younger generations. But what if these stories were lost or destroyed and no longer existed? That’s the situation many congregations of Catholic Sisters are facing right now, and the need is urgent.

Catholic Sisters are vital to the Church’s story and our country’s history since they first arrived in the United States in 1727. These intrepid women established schools, hospitals, and social service ministries, many of which continue today. They are the educators, nurses, doctors, CEOs, lawyers, advocates, and inventors who helped build the infrastructure of our communities. These unsung heroes are the workforce of the Church. But unfortunately, their history and records are in danger of being lost.

Catholic Sisters need our help to preserve their stories and ensure their legacy.

The Women Religious Archives Collaborative is constructing a Heritage Center in Cleveland, one of only four such centers in the United States, to preserve these histories and legacies and make them available to researchers and the general public.

Come and hear some of the inspiring stories we hope to preserve with the establishment of this center. Learn about the vision of this project that will soon be part of our Diocese and our city. 

For more information, visit archivescollaborative.org
or: https://archivescollaborative.org/heritage-center/

WHEN
Thursday, April 3, 2025
11:00 a.m. Mingling & Fellowship
11:30 a.m. Buffet Opens
1:00 p.m. Program Concludes

WHERE
Borromeo/Saint Mary Seminary
28700 Euclid Avenue (map)
Wickliffe, Ohio 44092

This luncheon is sold out. You may click here to add your name to a wait list.

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March 6, 2025 – Peter Burak, Renewal Ministries

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The First Friday Club of Cleveland
Featuring

Peter Burak
Vice President, Renewal Ministries


Peter Burak is the vice president of Renewal Ministries, a ministry dedicated to Catholic renewal and evangelization around the world.  He is a graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville and has a master’s degree in theology from Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, Michigan.  Pete is a frequent speaker on discipleship and evangelization and co-director of Pine Hills Boys’ Camp.  He is a monthly columnist for Faith Magazine and the host of two podcasts:  Spirit-filled Leadership and The Hour.  Pete and his wife, Cait, have five children.

Presenting
“What Must I Do To Be Saved?”    

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WHEN
Thursday, March 6, 2025
Buffet Opens at 11:30 a.m.
Program Concludes at 1:00 p.m.

WHERE
Borromeo/Saint Mary Seminary
28700 Euclid Avenue (map)
Wickliffe, Ohio 44092

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Click to Enjoy a Preview of Our Speaker

 

February 6, 2025 – The 67th Annual Bishop’s Luncheon

LIMITED NUMBER OF NEW SEATS AVAILABLE!

We are pleased to announce that a limited number of additional seats are now available. Note that these seats will be in a “Bonus Room” that is ADJACENT to the main event room. Attendees can flow freely and mingle between the two rooms prior to the time that the formal program begins. Attendees will then be seated for lunch and the formal on-stage events, which will be livestreamed into the Bonus Room. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.

Most Reverend Edward C. Malesic, J.C.L.
12th Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland

67th Annual Bishop of Cleveland “State of The Diocese” Luncheon

Thursday, February 6, 2025
at
Windows on the River
2000 Sycamore Street
Cleveland, Ohio 44113

Join us for the 67th annual Bishop of Cleveland’s “State of the Diocese” lunch on Thursday, February 6, 2024 at Windows on the River!

Bishop Malesic was born August 14, 1960 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  He is a 1978 graduate of Central Dauphin East High School in Harrisburg.  He attended Lebanon Valley College in Annville pursuing a degree in biology  for three years prior to entering the seminary.  In 1981, Bishop Malesic was accepted into the seminary program at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy in 1983.  He continued his theological studies at Josephinum and was awarded a Master of Divinity in 1987.

Bishop Malesic was ordained to the priesthood on May 30, 1987 at St. Patrick Cathedral in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  In 1996, Bishop Nicholas Dattilo sent him to study canon law at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. where he received his licentiate in canon law in 1998.  Bishop Malesic served the Diocese of Harrisburg’s Tribunal in various capacities until he was named Bishop of Greensburg, appointed by Pope Francis in 2015.  On September 14, 2020, Bishop Malesic was installed as the 12th Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland.

In addition to leading the Diocese of Cleveland, Bishop Malesic is also a member of two USCCB (United States Catholic Council of Bishops) committees – the Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance and the Subcommittee for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe. 

January 9, 2025 – Peter Range, Senior Fellow at the Center for Christian Virtue

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The First Friday Club of Cleveland
Featuring

Peter Range
Center for Christian Virtue,
Senior Fellow for Strategic Initiatives

Prior to coming to the Center for Christian Virtue, Peter was the Executive Director of Ohio Right to Life after serving for 7 years as the Director of the Office for Life and Justice of Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Toledo. Peter was promoted to Chief Executive Officer eight months into his tenure with the Ohio Right to Life. Peter hosts his own radio show called “Say Yes to Life,” which airs in both Ohio and Michigan.

Peter graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a Masters in Theology with a focus in Biblical Studies in 2009. Preceding Notre Dame, Peter received his Bachelor of Arts in History from John Carroll University in 2004. Peter’s history of ministry work includes serving immigrant families, inner-city youth, university students and the homeless.

Peter is passionate about family, service, and encountering the one true God, Jesus Christ. Peter married his wife, Laura, in May of 2015. They reside in Northwest Ohio, and they have five children.  (https://www.ccv.org/peter-range)

Presenting
Rebuilding Culture

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WHEN
Thursday, January 9, 2025
Buffet Opens at 11:30 a.m.
Program Concludes at 1:00 p.m.

WHERE
Borromeo/Saint Mary Seminary
28700 Euclid Avenue (map)
Wickliffe, Ohio 44092

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October 31, 2024 High School Student Panel moderated by Frank O’Linn

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You’re Invited to Join thefor our Luncheon on
Thursday, October 31, 2024
for a High School Student Panel
moderated byDr. Frank O’Linn
Superintendent of Schools for the
Catholic Diocese of Cleveland

More Information Coming Soon

WHEN
Thursday, October 31, 2024
Buffet Opens at 11:30 a.m.
Program Concludes at 1:00 p.m.

WHERE
Borromeo/Saint Mary Seminary
Founders Hall
28700 Euclid Avenue (map)
Wickliffe, Ohio 44092

Reserve Your Spot Today