Defending the Faith Conference

Katie Prejean McGrady

Katie Prejean McGrady is an award-winning author of seven books, international Catholic speaker, host of The Katie McGrady Show on The Catholic Channel on SiriusXM, a CNN Vatican analyst, and host of Ave Explores for Ave Maria Press. She also program directs Ave's audio projects and co-hosts Family Mass Prep on Hallow with her husband. Katie lives in Lake Charles, Louisiana, with her husband, Tommy, and daughters, Rose and Clare.

Dr. Mary Healy

Dr. Mary Healy is professor of Scripture at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit and an international speaker. She is a general editor of Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture and author of two of its volumes, The Gospel of Mark and Hebrews. Her other books include The Spiritual Gifts Handbook and Healing. Dr. Healy serves as chair of the Theological Commission of CHARIS (Catholic Charismatic Renewal International Service) in Rome. She was appointed by Pope Francis as one of the first three women ever to serve on the Pontifical Biblical Commission.

Dr. Scott Hahn

Dr. Scott Hahn is the "Fr. Michael Scanlan Professor for Biblical Theology at Franciscan University". He is the founder and president of the St. Paul Center, an apostolate dedicated to teaching Catholics to read Scripture from the heart of the Church. Dr. Hahn has been married to Kimberly for 44 years. They have 6 children and 22 grandchildren. They also have one son ordained to the Diocese of Steubenville, Fr. Jeremiah Hahn. The author and editor of over 50 popular and academic books, Dr. Hahn's works include bestselling titles: Rome Sweet Home and The Lamb's Supper. His most recent title is Catholics in Exile; Biblical Wisdom for our Journey Home (Emmaus Road, 2023).

Kimberly Hahn

Kimberly Hahn wed Scott in 1979. They met at Grove City College, where she earned a B.A. in Communication Arts. While Scott studied to be a pastor, Kimberly earned an MA in Theological Studies in 1982. They have 6 children and 22 grandchildren. Kimberly became a Catholic in 1990 in Joliet, Illinois, after a difficult struggle during the four years following Scott’s entrance into the Catholic Church. Together they wrote Rome Sweet Home: Our Journey to Catholicism. Kimberly also wrote Life-Giving Love: Embracing God’s Beautiful Design for Marriage, and a four-volume series on marriage and family life: Chosen and Cherished, Graced and Gifted, Beloved and Blessed, and Legacy of Love. Her podcast “Beloved and Blessed” reaches tens of thousands weekly.

Dr. John Bergsma

Dr. John Bergsma is Professor of Theology at Franciscan University and served as a Protestant pastor for four years before entering the Catholic Church in 2001. Dr. Bergsma holds a PhD in theology from the University of Notre Dame, where he specialized in the Old Testament and the Dead Sea Scrolls. He has authored over twenty books on Scripture and the Catholic faith, including Bible Basics for Catholics, Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls, and A Catholic Introduction to the Bible . He speaks regularly on Catholic radio and at conferences and parishes nationally and internationally. He and his wife, Dawn, reside with their children in the Steubenville area.

Shane Owens

Dr. Shane Owens is assistant professor of theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville and director of three master's programs in theology. Owens is a theologian with the St. Paul Center and host of Bible Across America. An alumnus of Franciscan, he earned his PhD at The Catholic University of America, specializing in the theology of St. Augustine, the reception of the Bible, and the Franciscan Intellectual Tradition. He previously taught at The Catholic University of America, the Dominican House of Studies, and Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University. He is author of Return to the Heart: The Biblical Spirituality of St. Augustine’s Confessions. He and his bride, Esther, raise their three children in Steubenville, Ohio.