NASPA 2026 Convention
We invite you to join us for our Annual Convention being held this year at the Mother Cabrini Shrine in Golden, CO, September 13 - 16.
Under the theme Sacred Heights: Renewed in Spirit and United
in Mission, this year’s gathering invites participants to step away, reconnect and be renewed. Through prayer, fellowship and shared learning, we will strengthen one another in our vocation as stewards of sacred places and as missionary disciples serving our Lord Jesus Christ.
Silver Sponsor
Convention Speakers
Sunday, September 13
5:00 PM Vespers
Fr. John Lager, O.F.M. Cap.
Ordained in 1979, Fr. John Lager, O.F.M. Cap., has served the Capuchins as an associate pastor, a high school campus minister and as the Order’s director of development and missionary activity. He has also served as the executive director of the Samaritan House of Denver, vocation director for the Capuchin Province of Mid-America and cofounder of Marked Men for Christ ministry. He serves as National Chaplain for FOCUS.
Sunday, September 13
5:30 PM Keynote
Carol Bezak
Director of The National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Middletown, NY since January, 2016. She graduated from St. Elizabeth University in Convent Station, NJ with an MA in Theology. She ministered at St. Monica’s parish, Sussex, NJ for 24 years as Pastoral Associate & Director of Faith Formation. Carol continues to lead days of reflection, retreats,workshops and classes in the field of Theology, Pastoral Ministry and Spirituality.
Monday, September 14
10:15 AM Session 1
Bo Brustkern the Executive Director of Creatio. He is an avid mountaineer, passionate about the intersection of Creation and formation. A seasoned entrepreneur and turnaround specialist, he brings over two decades of executive leadership experience to Creatio.
Monday, September 14
1:45 PM Session 2
Curtis and Michaelann Martin founded FOCUS in 1998. In 2004, Curtis and Michaelann, were awarded the Benemerenti Medal by Pope Saint John Paul II for their outstanding service to the Church. In 2011, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Curtis as a Consultor to the Pontifical Council of the New Evangelization. In 2023 Pope Francis appointed Curtis as a Consultor to the Dicastery of the New Evangelization. Curtis and Michaelann live in Colorado. They have been blessed with nine children and eight grandchildren….so far.
Monday, September 14
3:00 PM Session 3
Br. Robert Chiulli, O.Carm., currently serves as the Prior Provincial of the Carmelite Friars (St. Elias Province). Born in Yonkers, NY, and raised in Catskill, NY, Br. Robert pursued his undergraduate studies in chemistry at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, followed by graduate work at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy. Br. Chiulli professed his first vows in 1997. He later earned a Master of Divinity from the Washington Theological Union in 2002.
Tuesday, September 15
9:00 AM Session 4
Hon. Rebecca Simmons is the executive director of El Camino de San Antonio Missions, a new evangelization program of the Archdiocese of San Antonio Texas that encourages pilgrimages to the four eighteenth century Spanish Colonial Mission churches and San Fernando Cathedral. She is a former district and appellate judge as well as a recognized author and speaker on a variety of legal topics. READ MORE
Tuesday, September 15
10:15 AM Session 5
Monsignor Vito A. Buonanno is Associate Rector and Director of Pilgrimages of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. A native of New York, Monsignor Buonanno was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Brooklyn in 1981 and was named Chaplain to His Holiness by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012. Monsignor Buonanno has served the Basilica as Director of Pilgrimages since 2009. He facilitates pilgrimages to the National Shrine and welcomes thousands of pilgrims from near and far throughout the year.
Tuesday, September 15
1:45 PM Session 6
Julia Attaway is Executive Director of St. Frances Cabrini Shrine in New York. A convert to Catholicism, Julia is passionate about speaking to youth about the role saints play in helping us draw closer to Jesus. Her favorite audience is teenagers, but she is always happy to talk to anyone about Mother Cabrini.
Tuesday, September 15
1:45 PM Session 6
Miguel Mireles became the Executive Director of the Shrine in June of 2023. A native of Amarillo, Texas, Miguel is bilingual in English and Spanish and has been named to community leadership positions in several cities. He has worked in youth ministry, scouting and development for several Catholic dioceses, including the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. He helped oversee the “One Church Many Disciples” capital campaign for the archdiocese that funded dozens of parish projects and the building of the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine.
Tuesday, September 15
1:45 PM Session 6
JoAnn Seaman, Experienced Executive Director with a demonstrated history of working in the religious institutions industry. Skilled in Nonprofit Organizations, Event Planning, Fundraising, Strategic Planning, and Grant Writing. Strong community and social services professional with a Master's degree focused in Nonprofit Management from Regis University.
Schedule
NASPA Annual Convention 2026 “Sacred Heights: Renewed in Spirit and United in Mission"
Tentative Schedule
Day 1 Sunday, September 13 ​​​​
1:00 p.m. Exhibitor set-up
4:00 p.m. Convention Check-In
5:00 p.m. Evening Prayer or Vespers - Fr. John Lager, O.F.M. Cap.
5:30 p.m. Welcome - Keynote: Sacred Heights - Renewed in Spirit. United in Mission with Carol Bezak- Director of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.
6:30 p.m. Reception - heavy hors d'oeuvres
Day 2 Monday, September 14
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8:00 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. - Breakfast & Vendor Showcase in Shrine Cafeteria
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. - Shrine Tour
10:00 a.m. - BREAK
10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. - Session 1: Encountering God in Nature with Bo Brustkern - Creatio organization - Executive Director
11:30 a.m. - MASS - Welcoming All Cultures: Cultural Competency, Hospitality, and Belonging with Bishop Jorge Rodriquez , PH. D. - Auxiliary Bishop to the Archdiocese of Denver
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. - Lunch & Vendor Showcase in Shrine Cafeteria
1:45 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. - Session 2: Finding the Seekers with Curtis Martin Founder of FOCUS
2:45 p.m. - BREAK
3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Session 3: Continuing the Pilgrimage - From Visitor to Pilgrim: Designing a Transformative Shrine Experience with Br. Robert Chiulli - Prior Provincial, North American Province of St. Elias
5:30 p.m. - Dinner departure
6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Dinner at The Buffalo Rose
Day 3 Tuesday, September 15​
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8:00 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. - Breakfast & Vendor Showcase in the Shrine Cafeteria
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. - Session 4 - Mission-Driven Shrines: Evangelization, Partnership, and the Wider Church with Rebecca Simmons - Executive Director of El Camino de San Antonio Missions
10:00 a.m. - BREAK
10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. - Session 5: The Shrine as a School of Prayer and Devotion with Monsignor Vito A. Buonanno
11:30 a.m. - MASS
12:30p.m - 1:30 p.m. - Lunch & Vendor Showcase in Shrine Cafeteria
1:45 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. - Session 6: Marketing, Money, and Visibility: Sustainable Growth for Shrines with Miguel Mireles, JoAnn Seaman, and Julia Attaway (SPONSORED by Eickhof Columbaria Inc.)
2:45 p.m. Break
3:00 p.m. - Depart for Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception tour: Sacred Spaces & Design with Adam Hermanson -Integration Design Group
5:00 p.m. - Return to Origin Hotel & Shrine
6:00 p.m. - Dinner On Own
Day 4 Wednesday September 16
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8:00 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. Breakfast & Vendor Showcase in Shrine Cafeteria
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Mass
10:00 a.m. - Guest check-out at the Shrine
10:30 a.m. - NASPA Business Meeting
12:00 p.m. - Lunch/Departures Lunch or Box Lunch
Places to visit
