Michael Podrebarac

2023 Speaker

Michael Podrebarac

Director of the Office for Liturgy and Sacramental Life at Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas

Michael Podrebarac has served the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas in the Office for Liturgy and Sacramental Life since 1997.

Michael grew up in Emporia and earned a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts (concentrations in music and history) and a master’s degree in history from Emporia State University. He pursued post-graduate studies in voice and musicology at the University of Kansas and in liturgical studies at St. John’s University in Collegeville, MN.

He has served as an adjunct instructor for the Holy Family School of Faith, the St. Meinrad Seminary Deacon Formation Institute, and Donnelly College. Since 1990 Michael has been privileged to serve as a pastoral musician, liturgist, and catechist in several parishes in the archdiocese, presently serving as Director of Ministries at Christ the King parish in Topeka.

He has four beautiful and loving children.

We are excited to once again bring the men of the Kansas City region a strong and faithful lineup of speakers for another Men Under Construction Conference. Scheduled for Saturday, February 25, the 26th annual conference will feature Adam Blai, Dr. Tim Gray, Joe Heschmeyer, Michael Podrebarac and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann.

Tickets Are On Sale Now

Tickets can be purchased here. Doors open at 6:30 a.m. ahead of a 7:45 start on Saturday, Feb. 25 at the Church of the Ascension in Overland Park. The full schedule can be viewed here. Please send questions to Admin@MenUnderConstruction.org.

Adam Blai

A sought-out Catholic speaker and author, Blai returns to Men Under Construction as one of the conference’s most requested speakers. He is a Church-decreed expert on religious demonology and exorcism in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Blai has assisted at dozens of solemn exorcisms, house exorcisms, and resolutions of hauntings. In addition to Church cases, he seeks to educate people on the current paranormal craze, the dangers therein, and more ethical ways to resolve hauntings.

Dr. Tim Gray

As president, Dr. Gray has led the charge in cementing Augustine Institute’s legacy as the largest Catholic graduate school of theology in the country.

He has created some of the best-selling Catholic programming on the market, including Symbolon, The Search, and FORMED — just to name a few — and has authored a wide range of books on the faith.

Joe Heschmeyer

A Kansas City area native, Joe is a popular Catholic speaker, author, blogger, and podcaster, as a staff apologist for Catholic Answers. Joe, who discerned the priesthood from 2012-17 within the Archdiocese of KCK, previously spent three years as an instructor at School of Faith.

He currently contributes his words and knowledge — in written and verbal form — on several Catholic Answers platforms. To date, Joe has authored four books.

Michael Podrebarac

Michael Podrebarac currently serves as the director of ministries at Christ the King in Topeka and has previous experience as an adjunct instructor for School of Faith, the St. Meinrad Seminary Deacon Formation Institute, and Donnelly College.

Since 1990, Michael has been a pastoral musician, liturgist, and catechist in several parishes in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann

Archbishop Naumann, the fourth Archbishop and 11th Bishop of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, seeks to lead his flock in upholding and promoting the immense dignity of every human person from conception to natural death. Through education and evangelization, he seeks to facilitate opportunities for encounters with the person of Jesus Christ, winning disciples that will live the Joy of the Gospel and lead others to Christ by the fruit of their lives.

Archbishop Naumann has served in his current role since 2005.