Religion to Reality Webinar Series

Are you a diocesan or national ministry person committed to improving the effectiveness of your ministry? Have you sat in meetings that go around in circles, where everyone has ideas but nobody seems to have facts? Religion to Reality is a must-watch series for you.

Dave Plisky, Director of Product and Innovation at DeSales Media, has partnered with Fr. John Gribowich to unpack a recent discipleship study that reveals what our most engaged parishioners are looking for to take their faith to the next level. With their guests, Dave and John will explore how you can put the findings of the study to work in your ministry and personal life.

Our job is simple: follow the data the faithful have given us and provide the tools to help us all grow closer to Christ. The evidence is clear: most parishioners have only touched the hem of Christ’s cloak. However, as we discuss the results of this survey with experts in Parish Ministry, we will discover how each of us can help build a stronger Catholic community in our parishes, schools, and families.

By exploring this data, our goal is to guide and equip you with facts and insights that will support you in building your ministry and helping those you serve lead an integrated life by decompartmentalizing their spiritual journey.

Webinar Schedule

Episode 1: Catholic Discipleship in the U.S. – Cracking the Code (Sept. 30)
Guest: Hans Plate, Founder and President of Vinea Research
Video | Presentation Slides (PDF)

Episode 2: Spiritual Direction – Guidance and Grace (Oct. 14)
Guests: Dr. Greg Popcak, Catholic Counselor and Co-Founder of Catholic HOM, and Fr. Boniface Hicks, a monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, PA
Video | Presentation Slides (PDF)

Episode 3: Technology and Faith – Embracing Tech for Spiritual Growth (Oct. 28)
Guests: Juan Acosta, Founder of Tabella, and Alessandro DiSanto, Founder of Hallow
Video | Presentation Slides (PDF)

Episode 4: Nurturing Growth in Faith – From Seeds to Saints (Nov. 11)
Guests: Brian Butler, Co-Founder of Echo, and Paul Fahey, Counselor and Founder of Third Space
Video | Presentation Slides (PDF)

Episode 5: Community – Connection, Growth, and Renewal (Nov. 25)
Guests: Scott Weeman, Founder of Catholic in Recovery, and Andrew Whaley, founder of Calix
Video | Presentation Slides (PDF)

Episode 6: Generational Differences in Discipleship – Same Goal, Different Roads (Dec. 9)
Guests: Josh Packard, Founder of Future of Faith, and Rosie Chinea Shawver, Executive Director of Catholic Campus Ministry Association
Video | Presentation Slides (PDF)

Resources

In the Media

Partnerships

For sponsorship, co-branding, and distribution opportunities, contact Dominic Ambrosio, Director of Programming and Content at DeSales Media, at dambrosio@desalesmedia.org.

For interview requests, contact Dave Plisky, Director of Software and Services at DeSales Media, at dplisky@desalesmedia.org.

Hosts

Dave Plisky is the Director of Product & Innovation and head of DeSales Tech, where he leads a Software & Services team focused on modernizing the Church through products and services that together create a communications hub for dioceses, parishes, schools, and ministries. Through special projects like the study on intentional disciples, Dave helps DeSales use the contemporary gifts the Holy Spirit has given us to drive Catholics to put their faith into action. Dave and his wife reside in Weston, CT.

Fr. John Gribowich is a theology teacher and campus minister at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory High School in San Francisco, CA. He is also the director of curriculum development for Sunday to Sunday, an initiative dedicated to cultivating compelling preaching in the Catholic Church and beyond. He previously taught at Allentown Central Catholic High School in Allentown, PA, and played an instrumental role in founding the Central City Project, which enabled students to engage in social justice initiatives in the city of Allentown. John has been active in the Catholic Worker Movement and is the co-owner of the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker Farm in Harveys Lake, PA. He earned his undergraduate degree in history and theology at DeSales University and studied theology at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, PA, and St. Joseph’s Seminary (Dunwoodie) in Yonkers, NY. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Brooklyn in 2015 and has been an adjunct lecturer at DeSales University, Immaculata University, and St. John’s University (Jamaica, NY). Additionally, John has graduate degrees in art history and library science from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and an MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. He has contributed articles and interviews to Magnificat, The Tablet, and The National Catholic Reporter. Along with theology and art history, his personal interests include meditation, reading, running, and the music of Bob Dylan.

Featured Guests

Hans Plate is the Founder & President of Vinea Research. He has more than 25 years of experience providing professional market research to industry-leading companies such as Pfizer, Medtronic, and Genentech. His research experience includes qualitative moderation and quantitative research design, encompassing varying levels of research complexity and business issues explored.

Hans is a lifelong committed Catholic. His involvement at his local parish includes starting the Greeters Ministry and two different men’s groups (both are active), as well as having served as an RCIA team member, Confirmation catechist, and small group leader.

Dr. Greg Popcak is the founder and director of CatholicCounselors.com, a group pastoral telecounseling practice that conducts over 30,000 sessions per year with Catholic individuals, couples, and families around the world. Together with his wife, Lisa, he is the author of over 20 books integrating insights from counseling psychology with the timeless wisdom of our Catholic faith. He and Lisa also host More2Life, a call-in, Theology of the Body-based advice program that airs Monday through Friday at 10am Eastern on EWTN Radio, SiriusXM 130.

Fr. Boniface Hicks, O.S.B., is a Benedictine monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, PA. He entered the monastery in 1998 and was ordained a priest in 2004. He has provided spiritual direction for many men and women, including married couples, seminarians, consecrated religious, and priests. He completed a Ph.D. in computer science from Penn State University and a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Angelicum. He is an on-air contributor for We Are One Body Catholic Radio and has recorded thousands of radio programs on theology and the spiritual life.

He has extensive experience as a retreat master for laity, consecrated religious, and clergy. He serves Saint Vincent Seminary as the director for Spiritual Formation and the director of the Institute for Ministry Formation. He authored the books “Through the Heart of St. Joseph” (Emmaus Road, 2021), “The Fruit of Her Womb” (Sophia Institute Press, 2023), and “The Hidden Power of Silence in the Mass: A Guide for Encountering Christ in the Liturgy” (Sophia Institute Press, 2024), and co-authored, along with Fr. Thomas Acklin, O.S.B., the books “Spiritual Direction: A Guide for Sharing the Father’s Love” (Emmaus Road, 2017) and “Personal Prayer: A Guide for Receiving the Father’s Love” (Emmaus Road, 2020).

Juan Acosta founded Tabella, which was inspired by many miracles experienced in Juan’s life. After a successful career in product management and venture capital, he shifted his talents to fully helping The Church.

Juan is also co-founder of Catholic Angels, the first and only Angel Investment network that funds and supports Catholic entrepreneurs.

Juan currently also serves on the board and is Treasurer of the fundraising arm of the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC Inc.).

Prior to starting Tabella, Juan personally trained 700+ entrepreneurs and business leaders as the Chief Operating Officer of Draper University, a world renowned accelerator. He also served as an investor in dozens of early stage technology companies. He’s been a featured judge on Sony’s international startup show “Meet The Drapers.”

Juan was born in Venezuela to Venezuelan and Colombian parents. He currently lives between Miami and Austin. He loves boxing as a hobby.

Alessandro DiSanto is one of the co-founders at Hallow, the #1 Catholic app in the world. Raised in a large Italian-American family, Alessandro is a proud product of Catholic education from kindergarten through college, ultimately graduating summa cum laude from the University of Notre Dame with degrees in finance and economics. Alessandro began his career on Wall St, at Goldman Sachs in New York City before becoming a private equity investor in Chicago.

After a series of life-changing experiences in prayer, Alessandro left his career in finance to join his friends in building Hallow, a Catholic prayer and meditation app. Alessandro serves as CFO and leads Hallow’s efforts is supporting the institutional church, especially in the area of Catholic education. In February 2024, Hallow was the first religious or wellness app in history to reach #1 spot in the App Store, above every other app across all categories.

Alessandro is a founding member and venture partner at the 81 Collection, a Chicago-based venture capital fund focused on providing capital to founders in industries often overlooked by traditional venture capital funds. He also advises early-stage technology start-ups on go-to-market and corporate strategy.

Along with the other co-founders of Hallow, Alessandro was recognized as a member of the Forbes 30 Under 30 class of 2021 for consumer technology. Alessandro serves on the Board of Trustees of the Catholic Institute of Technology, the Department of Economics Advisory Board at the University of Notre Dame, and is a 4th Degree Knight of Columbus. He lives in Chicago with his wife and two sons.

Brian Butler is executive director and co-founder of Echo Community, which cultivates chastity and authentic masculinity and femininity with young adults and families via the lens of St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. Brian has authored several books and programs, including “YOU: Life, Love & Theology of the Body.” He has produced numerous initiatives as part of the New Evangelization, including the original productions of GARDEN, the musical. He is the founder of a dynamic retreat for teens and young adults called ECHO, and his latest book is entitled “GARDEN Meditations” and his latest program is called ENVISION, published by Ascension. Brian’s bachelor’s degree is in Communications and he holds a Masters in Theology. He has 20+ years of ministry experience at the parish, school, diocesan and non-profit levels, and is a popular speaker and trainer around the country. Brian enjoys music, sports, the outdoors, and spending time with his wife, Lisa, and their four children.

Paul Fahey is a limited licensed professional counselor, retreat leader, and catechist. He is the host of the Third Space podcast. He provides counseling for those who have been spiritually abused and produces resources for Church leaders to better safeguard their communities against all forms of abuse. Paul Fahey lives in Michigan with his wife and five kids.

Scott Weeman is the founder of Catholic in Recovery, a community of individuals and families seeking freedom from various addictions, compulsions, and unhealthy attachments by integrating 12-step recovery with the Catholic faith. Scott is the author of The Twelve Steps and the Sacraments and The Catholic in Recovery Workbook. His Catholic in Recovery organization won the top prize in the OSV Institute for Catholic Innovation Challenge Showcase in 2021. 

Scott holds a master’s degree in clinical counseling from Point Loma Nazarene University and serves as a marriage and family therapist in addition to his ministry work. He has appeared on EWTN’s The Journey Home, Women of Grace, and EWTN Live and is a recurring guest on Catholic Answers Live. His work has been featured on the Hallow App, Aleteia, and Patheos. He lives in Nashville with his wife and three children.

Dr. Josh Packard is the co-founder of Future of Faith and one of the foremost experts in the spiritual lives of American youth and religious trends in the United States. He is an accomplished researcher in the sociology of religion and new forms of religious expression. He has authored numerous books and articles in both popular and academic outlets including Church Refugees: Sociologists reveal why people are DONE with church but not their faith and Meaning Making: 8 Values That Drive America’s Newest Generations.

Rosie Chinea Shawver, a native of Southern California, is the Executive Director of the Catholic Campus Ministry Association. She has worked as the Director of Campus Ministry at the USC Caruso Catholic Center in Los Angeles and the University of New Mexico. Prior to this role she was the Executive Director of the Catholic Association for Latino Leadership. She also has experience in working on the border in El Paso and at Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. Rosie has her B.A. in psychology and a minor in health care and social issues from UC San Diego and a Masters in Divinity from the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley.

She has one daughter, Sofia Rose, who is 13 years old, and a wonderful husband, Mike, who is a theology teacher and campus minister at Loyola High School in Los Angeles, CA.