Congress 2008 Speaker List
Keynote Presentations
Rev. Msgr. John Griesbach - Youth Ministry
Msgr. Griesbach was ordained in 1976 in his hometown of Tulare. He has served as Assistant Pastor of Sacred Heart, Fresno, and OLPH, Bakersfield. He has taught Religion at Garces Memorial High School, was diocesan Vocations Director, Vice-Rector of the American College in Louvain, Belgium, and Pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Kerman. He is presently Director of St. Anthony Retreat Center in Three Rivers.
Rev. Mr. Charles Reyburn - Parish Life Coordinators
Deacon Charles is a native of Merced. A graduate of CSU Fresno with a Bachelor's Degree, he recently retired after 24 years with the Housing Authority of the County of Merced. Ordained to the Permanent Diaconate for the Diocese of Fresno in January, 2006, he is assigned to Our Lady of Mercy / St. Patrick Parish in Merced. Deacon Charles is also the Assistant Director of Formation for the diocesan Permanent Diaconate Program, and is co-chairman of the Parish Life Committee with Rev. Msgr. Patrick McCormick.
Rev. Msgr. Raymond C. Dreiling, V.F. - Catechesis
Ordained a priest for the Diocese of Fresno in May, 1975, Msgr. Dreiling served as Parochial Vicar at St. Aloysius Church, Tulare, and St. Helen's Church, Fresno, before being appointed Vocation Director for the Diocese in 1980. In 1984, he became the first Director of St. John Vianney House of Formation. In 1985, he was appointed Vice-Chancellor for the Diocese and in 1987, Chancellor. As Pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Clovis from 1991 until 2004, he was then transferred as Pastor of St. Mary's Parish in Visalia. In 2007, Msgr. Dreiling was elected Dean of the Tulare/Kings Deanery. When Bishop Steinbock approved the five Goals of "Our Vision for the Future," he asked Msgr. Dreiling to serve as Chair f the Catechetical Committee. Currently, Msgr. Dreiling serves as Pastor of the Catholic Church of Visalia, a "cluster" of four churches under one parish administration.
Rev. Salvador Gonzalez, Jr. - Vocations
Fr. Sal was born in Los Angeles, CA, in 1970. In 1980 the entire family uprooted and moved to Mexico where he completed his high school education. In 1988, he returned to the United States and in 1991 began his studies to the priesthood in the Diocese of Fresno at St. John Vianney house of formation. In 1996, he graduated with a B.A. Degree in Theology and a minor in Psychology from St. John's Seminary College, and in 2001 graduated with a M. Div. from Mt. Angel Seminary. Later that summer he was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Fresno. He is currently serving the people of God in the Diocese of Fresno simultaneously as Director of Vocations and Pastor of Fresno's St. Helen's Church, having previously served as Parochial Vicar of St. John's Cathedral, Administrator of Kingsburg's Holy Family Church, and Pastor of Firebaugh's St. Joseph's Church.
Rev. David J. Norris - Lay Ministry Formation / School of Ministry
The School of Ministry dean is Father Norris, a priest of the diocese of Fresno. He has served in a number of pastoral and education ministries before and since coming to Fresno from the Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island, in 1989. In twelve years as pastor in two parishes, as campus minister at Fresno's St. Paul Newman Center and part-time instructor at CSU Fresno, he has continued his interest in adult faith formation and education. He has been an instructor in the New Wine and Permanent Diaconate formation programs. Father Norris received his M.A. in theology from the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium, and his Doctor of Ministry degree from St. Mary's Seminary & University, Baltimore, Maryland. He recently celebrated his 34th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood.
Hmong Address
Misty Her
Due to unexpected circumstances the original keynote speaker, Phong Yang, was not available.
Vietnamese Address
Joseph Hung Nguyen Phi
Hung is a trainer with the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Society in the U.S.A. He completed the 3-year New Wine program in 2006 in the Diocese of Fresno. Currently, he is going through the formation process of the diocesan Permanent Diaconate Program. He is the religious education director of CCD at La Vang School of Our Lady of La Vang Church in Fresno.
Mary Hien Tran Nguyen
Hien is a coordinating leader with the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Society in the U.S.A. She completed the 3-year New Wine program in 2006 in the Diocese of Fresno. Currently, she is a CCD teacher at La Vang Educational School and is the training leader with the Holy Spirit Youth Group of Fresno.
Thai Address
Suwan Chontong
Born and baptized as a Catholic in Thailand where the majority believe in Buddhism, Suwan was an altar boy since elementary school years and had a desire to become a priest. He entered the Redemptorist Order and later decided that it was not his vocation. Now he has a wonderful family with one boy. He obtained his bachelors degree in Education in the Philippines and Master of Divinity at CTU in Chicago His ministry since 1985 to the present day is to assist in a Liturgical celebration for the Laotian community. He loves to help Catholic Refugees in the U.S. because they are facing a great challenge in their life which is to love and serve Christ in the midst of doubt and uncertainty due to the lack of spiritual leadership that is sensitive to their culture.