Men Under Construction 2022 Speakers
A PASSION for Fatherhood
Featuring actor Jim Caviezel, Devin Schadt, Jim Blackburn, Tyler Rowley and Dave Prather
Jim Caviezel
Actor “Passion of the Christ”
Jim Caviezel grew up on the country side in Mount Vernon, Washington. He was raised in a devout spiritual Catholic family as one of five siblings. The Caviezels were a family of athletes, so Jim’s fervor became sports. He developed a passion for basketball as a hobby which in turn became a lifestyle for him. His coach described him as the “hardest worker he had seen in 30 years”. However, a foot injury curtailed his basketball endeavors and during his recovery, he stumbled upon acting.
Jim Caviezel is best known for his roles as Jesus in “The Passion of the Christ” and John Reese in the hit TV series “Person of Interest.” Jim also has an upcoming film release, “Sound of Freedom,” which is the true-life story of Tim Ballard, a former US government agent who quits his job in order to devote his life to rescuing children from global sex traffickers.
Jim is married to Kerri, a high school English teacher by trade. They believe adoption is a blessing from God and have, themselves, adopted three children from China. The couple is outspoken advocates for the unborn and their right to life.
Devin Schadt
Author, National Speaker
FathersOfStJoseph.org
Devin Schadt is the executive director of the Fathers of St. Joseph, an apostolate that labors for the restoration, redemption, and revitalization of fatherhood. Devin is the author of Joseph’s Way: 80 Days To Unlocking Your Power as a Father; Show Us the Father: 7 Secrets to Become a Father on Earth like the Father in Heaven; and is the creator of the video-devotional system LEAD: The Four Marks of Fatherly Greatness. Devin lives with his wife and five daughters in the Midwest. Learn more at fathersofstjoseph.org and on YouTube at: The Catholic Father Devin Schadt.
Jim Blackburn
Author, National Speaker, and Apologist
CatholicQuestions.com
Jim Blackburn is the Founder and President of Catholic Questions. He is a popular apologist, author, and speaker. Jim holds a Masters Degree in Theology from John Paul the Great Catholic University and is the author of several books (Click Here)including 101 Quick Questions With Catholic Answers: Marriage, Divorce, and Annulment, 20 Answers: Scripture and Tradition, 20 Answers: The Papacy, 20 Answers: Divorce & Remarriage, 20 Answers: Homosexuality, and 20 Answers: The Early Church. Jim supervised the one-on-one apologetics Q&A department during his tenure with Catholic Answers where he also contributed dozens of articles to Catholic Answers Magazine and has been a regular guest on the Catholic Answers Live radio program for more than 15 years.
Tyler Rowley
Husband, Father, Author, Entrepreneur
TylerRowley.com
Rowley is a husband, father, and entrepreneur who currently serves as the president of Servants of Christ for Life, which defends unborn children through politics, media, and pro-life activism. He is a leader in young adult ministry in the Diocese of Providence. Tyler is a graduate of Brown University where he studied Political Science and played football. He lives in Lincoln, Rhode Island with his wife (Nichole) and three children (Gerard, Fulton, EveMarie).
Tyler Rowley is the author of “Because of Our Fathers: Twenty-Three Catholics Tell How Their Fathers Led Them to Christ” (Ignatius Press). In 2018, Rowley set out to find a handful of Catholic men and women who could explain how their fathers kept them in the Catholic Church. “Because of Our Fathers” was born from there.
Rowley is currently working on his second book which he is co-authoring with Abby Johnson. The book will feature twenty powerful pro-life stories that show the dignity and worth of every human life.
Dave Prather
Lieutenant Colonel USAF Retired
Dave Prather is a local Catholic convert who left home at 18 for the military for the US Air Force Academy and a degree in Engineering and Management. He served in the Air Force as a fighter pilot with 15 years of experience flying F-15s and F-16s in peacetime and combat. He married his Kansas City sweetheart and had two children while serving in the Air Force. Dave retired from the Air Force Reserves as a Lieutenant Colonel but continued flying in his current capacity as a pilot and instructor for Southwest Airlines.
He quickly developed a love of Scripture by age 40, wanting to be better informed when discussing faith with his kids. After deep involvement in Men’s Bible Studies and volunteer teaching in Prison Ministry in Lansing, Kansas, he realized the historical truth of Christianity that originated in the 2,000-year-old Church – finally joining his wife as a Catholic at age 48. He completed training as a Catechist and continued teaching the faith in RCIA classes both in and outside of prison. His love for Christ grew dramatically in the Sacraments, Prayer, Catholic Men’s groups, and the Holy Family School of Faith’s Spiritual Mentorship Program.
The Archbishop of Kansas City in Kansas is the shepherd of the Catholic Church in northeastern Kansas. His threefold mission is to:
- Teach. As a successor of the apostles endowed with the authority of Christ, the Archbishop has as his first task the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all men and women.
- Sanctify. Having received the fullness of the Sacrament of Holy Orders, the Archbishop helps the faithful to grow in holiness through the celebration of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, and through his prayers, example, and humble service.
- Govern. The Archbishop is responsible for the governance of the Church in Kansas City, Kansas. His God-given authority is a spiritual fatherhood that beckons him to show concern and compassion to all. His authority is exercised in communion with the whole Church under the guidance of the Pope.
