Life & Family National Conference 2016

Catholic Archbishop of Hobart, Tasmania since 2013, He was previously Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney, Australia and Episcopal Vicar for Renewal and Evangelisation. He served as Rector of the Seminary of the Good Shepherd, Sydney from 2002 to 2008. He has been an advocate of John Paul II’s New Evangelisation and 40 Days for Life campaigns. We are proud to have Archbishop Porteous as Patron of FLI.

Bishop Bonivento is an Italian by birth, a Missionaries of the Sacred Heart religious and Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions member. His diocese of Vanimo is the only diocese in PNG with a minor and major seminary. He is the author of the book “The Celibate Priesthood – an institution of the Church or an Apostolic Tradition?” and he will speak about the impact of the Statement of Conclusions from the recent Synod on the Family.

As an agnostic and pro-choice socialogist undertaking a doctoral thesis at Stanford University, Steve Mosher had a major conversion in 1979 following his ground breaking study of life in a rural Chinese villiage. His first hand observations of China’s one-child policy saw him denounced by the Chinese Government as a spy and led him to the founder of HLI, Fr Paul Marx and to his conversion. Steve is a world renowned expert on population issues and works to expose the myth of overpopulation.

Angela is a breast cancer surgeon practicing since 1984, a clinical assistant professor of surgery, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and certified by the American Board of Surgery. She is president of the Breast Cancer Prevention Institute, and has traveled internationally speaking about breast cancer risks, including its association with induced abortion and hormonal contraceptives. She has authored many articles on abortion, breast cancer, hormonal contraceptive risks and informed consent.

Born and educated in Sydney, Vice moved to Zagrelo, Croatia in 1990 and completed a PHD in sociology. He is well known in Croatia as the head of the NGO “Vigilare” which ran a campaign gathering 750,000 signatures in 15 days for a referendum on “same sex” marriage. The subsequent referendum was the first successful “peoples” vote in favour of traditional marriage. Vice works for the Office for Family Life for the Archdiocese of Zagreb, teaches part time about Family and Marriage and is married with three children.

A daughter of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart religious, Sr Yvonne trained as a nurse, midwife and then nurse education, spending time in NT and Papua New Guinea. She has worked as a parish assistant, hospital chaplain and in aged care for religious. She attends prayer vigils in Sydney with the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants.

Fr Dr Peter Murphy completed his Doctorate in Moral Theology in Rome whilst working for the Holy Sea. He is a lecturer in Moral Theology at Viannay College and is currently Parish Priest of Holy Spirit Parish, Lavington.

Fr Terence Mary Naughton is a Conventional Franciscan Friar and an experienced public speaker. He has a particular interest in the relationship between the sanctity of life and the worship of God.

Former Army Major Bernard Gaynor served in Afghanistan and was discharged after complaining of military personnel marching in uniform in Sydney’s Gay Mardi Gras. The NSW Anti Discrimination Commission dismissed a litany of complaints against him in 2015. He is married with children and runs an online blog website.

Michael has practiced as a Sydney Barrister for over 25 years. He has a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Law as a Masters of Bioethics from the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family, Melbourne. Michael is a vice president of the St Thomas Moore Society.

Eamonn Keane is a school teacher and is currently the head of social sciences at Redfield College, Dural. He has given lectures and published books and magazine articles on various aspects of Catholic faith throghout Australia ans overseas.

Dr Little is a practicing Obstetrician and Gynaecologist. Deirdre has written various articles and given presentations on the important area of prenatal screening and the associated moral issues.

Dr Obeid is a Senior Staff Specialist in Geriatric Medicine and Strike at Blacktown. His special interests are delirium, dementia, stroke, and Parkinson’s disease. He is passionate about improving the quality of care given to older people and promoting the rights and dignity of the aged.

Dr Wanda Skowronska is a registered psychologist and has experience with pregnancy and post-abortion counselling. She is guest lecturer at the John Paul II Institute in Melbourne. Wanda’s special pro-life focus is spiritual adoption of the unborn.