Conference Details
9:00 am – 9:30 am Morning Registration
9:30 am – 12:00 pm Conference
The Pain of Abuse: Our Role in Responding, Healing and Protecting
Presentations: 9:30 am – 11:00 am
Ashley K. Fernandez, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Director, Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Ohio State University College of Medicine
Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Luis A. Torres, Jr., Attorney, Co-Founder, Spirit Fire Ministries and Abuse Survivor
Frederick Jones, LMHC, Victim Assistance Coordinator, Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany
Panel Discussion: 11:10am -12:00pm
Thomas R. Fallati, Esq., Tabner, Ryan & Keniry, LLP (presenter and moderator)
12:00 pm – 12:45 pm Afternoon Registration and Lunch
12:45 pm – 1:15 pm Healing the Pain of Abuse
Teresa Pitt Green, Co-Founder, Spirit Fire Ministries and Abuse Survivor
1:15 pm – 4:00 pm Afternoon Mini-Retreat, Father Robert McTeigue, S.J., Ph.D.
The Sacredness of the Human Person
The Human Person: Common Misunderstandings and Catholic Corrections (1:15 pm – 2:00 pm)
The Incarnation and the Body as the Sacramental Vessel of the Person (2:15 pm – 3:00 pm)
Adoration and Confession (3:15 pm – 3:45 pm)
Mass – Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger, Celebrant (4:00 pm)
Please join us for our second annual Catholic Professionals Conference, this year on The Sacredness of the Human Person. It will be held on June 22, 2019 at the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs in Auriesville, New York. Sponsored by the Albany Catholic Lawyers Guild and the Albany Catholic Medical Association, the day includes a morning conference, an afternoon mini-retreat, and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Confession and Mass celebrated by Bishop Edward Scharfenberger.
Morning Conference: In the wake of revelations of child abuse in the Church and society, what can we learn to identify children who may be abused, report abuse and help prevent abuse? A panel presentation will examine the issue from medical and legal perspectives, with insights on how we can play a role in facilitating healing. Ashley K. Fernandez, MD, PhD, professor of pediatrics, will focus on the signs of abuse and impact on the health of children. Attorney Luis A. Torres, Jr. will explain the law surrounding the reporting and legal remedies for abuse, with the added perspective of his being an abuse survivor himself. Licensed Mental Health Counselor Frederick Jones will offer the perspective of working with victims through the process of healing. Applications for NY CLE (for Panel Discussion only) and CME accreditation are pending. Following lunch, survivor Teresa Pitt Green will give a powerful talk on the process of healing from abuse.
Afternoon Mini-Retreat: Jesuit author and speaker Father Robert McTeigue, S.J., Ph.D. will present two talks on The Sacredness of the Human Person. The first will examine the Catholic perspective on the human person; the second will examine how, in light of the Incarnation, the body is itself the sacramental vessel of the human person. The talks will open up a fresh understanding for understanding ourselves and others in light of the Incarnation.
General Admission is $25. The fee for medical and legal professionals is $75 (email albanyclg@gmail.com for financial aid details). Please register and pay online at https://shrineconference.eventbrite.com, or mail a check payable to Albany Catholic Lawyers Guild to Thomas R. Fallati, Esq., Tabner, Ryan & Keniry, LLP, 18 Corporate Woods Blvd., Albany, NY 12211.