His experiences include clinical and administrative healthcare positions as well as teaching pastors, ministry leaders and students about counseling, leadership, parenting, marriage, and conflict resolution skills in traumatized areas like Uganda, Kenya and post-Hussein Iraq. He is currently a member of Focus on the Family’s Physicians Resource Council, the Pennsylvania Director of the American Academy of Medical Ethics, member and media spokesperson for Christian Medical and Dental Association, and serves on many other social policy task forces to educate about and fight for the physical, psychological, and spiritual health of individuals and our society . His specialties include adolescents, addictions, decision-making and infusing Christian principle and divine power into treatment. Benzio shares PsychoSpiritual insights via his Stepping Stones Daily devotional, as a content provider on many websites, and on his one-minute daily radio feature “Life Change with Dr. Karl” airing on 425 Christian radio stations.
Twitter: @drkarlb
Website: www.LighthouseNetwork.org
Cell: 215-630-8846

Mary brings to the Pro-Life Health Care Alliance over 20 years of experience in community education, outreach, and activism, as well as her experience as a homeschooling mother of six. Her positive outlook in the face of our current battle against the culture of death is rooted in her strong Catholic faith. She finds daily inspiration for her work in prayer and in time spent with her family.

We offer support by connecting parents facing an adverse diagnosis with other parents who have had the same diagnosis. We have many resources such as adoption agencies with clients waiting to adopt and love a special needs child should a parent feel they could not care for them. We believe each child is a special gift from God.

During his first five years as a priest he served as chaplain at Pacelli High School and Saint Peter Middle School in Stevens Point, WI, teaching and chairing the theology department in the high school. He also served for three years as Assistant Vocation Director.

In 2008, he was sent to the Gregorian University in Rome to pursue a doctorate in theology, with a specialization in ecclesiology. He completed his Licentiate in Theology in 2010, and defended his doctoral thesis in May 2012.

Presently Fr. Sakowski is pastor of St. Mary’s parish in Altoona and St. Raymond of Peñafort parish in Brackett, as well as coordinator of Hispanic Ministry for the Eau Claire region of the diocese.

He has been involved in the Pro-Life movement since 1974, leading Pro-Life activities in his own community, including: annual Life Chains, monthly vigils at Planned Parenthood, and Pro-Life coordinator at his church. He has also served on the board of directors of a pregnancy care center since 2000, and he held his position at Illinois Right to Life Committee from 2001 through 2013.

While at Illinois Right to Life, William developed and recorded radio messages on a variety of life issues. These messages have been played on a number of Chicago area radio stations. He also edited a quarterly newsletter that was mailed to the members of Illinois Right to Life Committee.

He is married to Nancy with four grown children, three of them married, and with five grandchildren so far.

Judie has served three five-year terms (1996-2011) as a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life in Rome. Daily Catholic cited her as one of the top 100 Catholics of the 20th century. She has distinguished herself as an unapologetic pro-life leader who has also written 12 books, including the most recent, The Broken Path: How Catholic Bishops Got Lost in the Weeds of American Politics (2011).

Judie has appeared on 20/20, 60 Minutes, Mother Angelica Live, The O’Reilly Factor, Good Morning America, Today, Oprah, and Larry King Live, as well as hundreds of other television and radio talk shows. Her comments regularly appear in major print media nationwide.

In 2009 she was appointed to serve on the Aging and End of Life Task Force of the American Association for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. She served as an Advisor and director to the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Elder Law Section as well as serving as editor to the Section’s newsletter. She was one of the founders of WisPACT, Inc. which manages community and pooled trusts for Wisconsin citizens with disabilities, for which she received the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Pro Bono Award in 2003. She has served on a litigation team of Disability Rights Wisconsin, the POLST Work Group of the Catholic Medical Association, and the Wisconsin Catholic Medical Guilds.

He is a former member of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference (5 year tenure 2007 – 2012). Dr. Capone is the co-founder (with his wife, Andrea) of the Saint Gianna Sodality for the Sanctity of Human Life, Our Lady of Grace Parish, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. He is also past-president, St. Luke Society Health Care Professionals, Diocese of Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Currently, Dr. Capone is an Adjunct Instructor, St. Vincent College, Teaching the course “Catholic Bioethics” and Adjunct Instructor, Seton Hill College, Physician Assistant Program.‌

While in graduate school, she volunteered for Texas Right to Life and developed a sense of urgency about furthering the mission to protect innocent human life. She married Jim Graham in 1997 and temporarily returned to her background of retail management before accepting full time employment with Texas Right to Life in September of 1998. With her husband Jim, they have grown Texas Right to Life into the largest prolife organization in Texas with a staff of over 25 and a membership of over 250,000 Texas households.

Through Texas Right to Life’s Family Assistance Program, Elizabeth has advocated for and worked with hundreds of families whose ailing loved ones faced the withdrawal of medical treatment and the futility process at hospitals across Texas. She has also served women and families facing unplanned pregnancies.

Disheartened with how far society has strayed from Dame Saunders’ founding beliefs regarding end of life care — rooted in Christian tradition — Cristen is passionate about educating the greater public in order to raise awareness of the needs and rights of the terminally ill.

In 1997, Dr. Krebs began the first faith-based, non-profit hospice serving Pittsburgh and surrounding counties-Good Samaritan Hospice. Additionally, Dr. Krebs’ vision to enhance care of the dying was the driving force for building The Good Samaritan House, the first free-standing hospice residence in southwestern Pennsylvania.

Embracing the Vatican’s teachings on care for individuals with advanced and terminal illness, in May 2007, Dr. Krebs incorporated Catholic Hospice and Palliative Services, the only pro-life non-profit hospice and palliative care agency in Pittsburgh, caring for all faiths while upholding the teachings of the Church. Catholic Hospice & Palliative Services embraces the dignity and sanctity of human life, and holds true to the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services issued by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Dr. Krebs remains dedicated to providing excellence in palliative and hospice care and spearheads education for both healthcare professionals and consumers regarding Medicare Hospice Law, and Hospice Patient Rights and Entitlements. Additionally, she is the owner of Palliative Care Associates, an out-patient palliative care practice offering expertise in the treatment of pain and other symptoms for individuals living with progressive late stage chronic and terminal illness, including emotional and spiritual support for patients and family members.

Gracie is passionate about working to meet the emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and physical needs of seniors and their caregivers. Gracie is a licensed clinical social worker and is on the board of the Catholic Social Workers National Association. She received a B.A. in Theology and a B.S. in Mental Health and Human Services from Franciscan University of Steubenville. She earned her masters in social work from Boston College.

In 1984, Mark developed degenerative and aggressive multiple sclerosis, after which he shifted much of his energies in Life issues to working against euthanasia and assisted suicide. Mark says: I am now disabled (triplegic) with advanced multiple sclerosis. As my disability increases, I have become interested in discovering Christian meaning in suffering.” He has begun speaking about suffering, and comments, “unresolved grief fuels calls for euthanasia and assisted suicide. We need to help people with chronic illnessses or acquired severe disabilities to terminal conditions find meaning to their anguish. Ultimately, it is found in Jesus Christ.” At this late stage in his journey, Mark’s priorities remain faith, family and sanctity of human life. His articles on Life and disability issues are widely published. Mark has addressed legislators (Canadian and American), universities and colleges, Christian dominational leadership, hospital medical staffs, community groups and conferences across North America. He says:

“I will dedicate whatever energies I have left to these things. I am now convinced that if a society does not embrace the sanctity, dignity and equality of all human life (and North American society does not) then any barbarity is possible. A truly civilized society includes in its tender embrace every human life. This includes every child developing in the womb, those people with mental or physical disabilities, those with terminal conditions, derelicts, the old, and people who are not wanted or even loved by anyone. Impossible you say? Perhaps, but I’m a sucker for hopeless causes. Maybe it comes from having what many consider a hopeless disease. Love is what defines enlightened and civilized society. But love needs the divine. The brotherhood of man needs the Fatherhood of God. Love without God becomes selective, coercive and arbitrary — turning lives of the weakest and most vulnerable into hell on earth. Yes, I am convinced that human enlightenment is impossible without God.” Mark Pickup is available to address any of Life issues.

Alex Schadenberg recently published a book: Exposing Vulnerable People to Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide.

After working in critical care, hospice, home health, oncology, dialysis and other specialties for 45 years, Nancy is working as a legal nurse consultant, and writes a blog “A Nurse’s Perspective on Life, Healthcare and Ethics”.

Nancy has served on medical and nursing ethics committees and gives speeches and workshops around the country on medical ethics issues. She has also served on the board of the Saint Louis Down Syndrome Association in the past and is still active in the field of disability advocacy. She has also worked as a volunteer for children with disabilities, people with severe brain injuries, and bereaved parents.

Nancy has appeared on many radio and television shows on various medical, ethical and pro-life topics and has written on these topics for The National Catholic Register, The National Catholic Bioethics Center, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, First Things magazine, Magnificat and other publications.

Nancy has personally cared for many relatives with a variety of physical or mental disabilities, including her mother with Alzheimer’s and terminal cancer and a daughter, Karen, who was born with Down Syndrome and a severe heart defect. Although both are now deceased, the influence of her mother and daughter has positively motivated her activities in medical ethics and working for greater support for people and families dealing with such issues as disabilities, chronic illness and terminal conditions.

Nancy married her wonderful husband Kevin Scannell in June, 2008 and they live in St. Louis, Mo. Together, they are blessed with 4 children and 3 grandchildren.

In 2009, she lost her 30 year old daughter Marie to suicide and in 2012, she and Kevin lost their 6 year old grandson Noah to a rare autoimmune disease called HLH.