SCRANTON – Hundreds of people from around the country will be descending on The University of Scranton in early August as the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of the Diocese of Scranton holds its annual conference.

The 2024 Conference will take place from Friday, Aug. 2 – Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, at The University of Scranton. 

This year’s theme is “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Cor 3:17).

Organizers are anticipating an exciting weekend of Teaching, Preaching, Praise, Worship, and Prayer!  All people of faith are encouraged to attend and deepen their relationship with God during the weekend Conference! 

As the disciples were forgiven, transformed, freed from their past, so are we when we reach out to the Lord and ask the Holy Spirit to work in us!  Attendees will pray to stir into flame the gifts God has given us!  

The main speakers at this year’s conference will be Msgr. William John-Lewis, Maria Vadia, Fausto Franco, and Rev. John Gordon.

Fausto Franco is the oldest of four children born and raised in the Bronx, New York. He served as the national coordinator for the Secretaria Juvenil Nacional (National Youth Secretariat) for the Hispanic Catholic Charismatic Renewal for the United States and Canada and served in the Albany Diocesan Service Committee.

He participated in the first international Catholic Charismatic Youth Conference in Parana, Brazil in 2012.  He was published in the summer 2018 and issue 2 2023 of Pentecost Today magazine and has also written for the Dominican Republic national Catholic Charismatic Renewal magazine  “Revista Alabanza” in Spanish.

He was the Hispanic Youth/Young Adult coordinator for Ministerio Juvenil at the Hispanic Catholic Charismatic Center for the Archdiocese of New York. Fausto was a speaker at the Golden Jubilee 50th anniversary for the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in July 2017 and was a participant at the V Encuentro of Latino/Hispanic Ministry representing ecclesial movements.

Fausto served as the CHARIS USA Youth representative and also as a facilitator for the CHARIS Servant Leadership Course. He is a member of the Locos por Jesus ministry that travels to the Dominican Republic on mission, and is a speaker who has traveled throughout the United States and abroad to evangelize.

Fausto is currently an adjunct professor at Catholic International University and a Council Member for Pentecost Today USA serving on the magazine editorial board and formation. He is a member of the REC Council (Resident Encounter Christ) prison ministry for the Albany Diocese and a Catechist at his parish The Shrine Church of Our Lady of the Americas. He is married to his wife Natalie and they live in Albany, NY with their children.

Maria Vadia, born in Havana, Maria Vadia was 10 years old when she and her family fled to Miami to escape the Communist regime in her native country. She attended Catholic schools and was a Sunday Catholic with no personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Later married to a wealthy man, she was gripped with materialism; yet in the midst of everything that the world had to offer, she felt an emptiness deep within her heart.

Maria’s life was radically changed when she was baptized in the Holy Spirit in 1987. She consecrated her life to Jesus and to the preaching of the Gospel. In spite of great adversity, the Lord has been with her like a mighty warrior (Jeremiah 20:11).

Active in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of the Archdiocese of Miami, Maria has spoken at many conferences and has traveled extensively around the world in over 30 nations, carrying a message of faith, salvation and healing.

She is Founder of the ‘Jesus is Lord’ Chapter of Magnificat in Miami, a ministry to Catholic women, and is connected with Glory House of Miami, a safe haven for human traffic victims. As Founder of The Glory of God Foundation, Maria is committed to making Jesus known to the nations by the preaching of the Gospel in the power and demonstration of the Holy Spirit. This foundation is currently
helping the Pygmies of Uganda to construct homes suitable for human living.

It is Maria’s desire to see the Catholic Church restored to the beauty of the Bride of Christ with miracles, signs, and wonders. She and her team have been helping God’s people enter into deeper worship and experience the Glory of God.

Together with Fr. Tom di Lorenzo, she also sponsors two main events annually: The School of the Holy Spirit and Days of Glory conference. Maria has authored ten books: “There’s Power in Your Tongue”, “Pressing on in The Spirit”, “An Arrow in His Hand”, “Healing is for You”, “Break Open Your Wells”, “Miracles in the Glory”, “Victory in the Eye Gate”, “No More Orphans”, “Jesus Man of War!” and “Created to be a Champion”.

Msgr. William John-Lewis was ordained to the Sacred Priesthood for the Diocese of Roseau on 16 August 1986. As a diocesan priest of the Diocese of Roseau, he has served as parish priest of various parishes, and Rector of the Cathedral.

He received the ecclesiastical honor of Monsignor in 1996. He is a gifted speaker and revivalist and often blends music and song in his presentations. He has had speaking engagements at various Charismatic Conferences, parish missions, and prayer breakfasts in Ghana West Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and throughout the Caribbean region.

He holds a Master’s in French Literature from Seton Hall University, USA and a Master’s in Theology from the Washington Theological Union in Washington, DC, USA. He completed graduate courses in Spirituality and Ecumenism at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, the Angelicum, in Rome.

He is currently the Delegate of the Apostolic Administrator, the Director of the Diocesan Pastoral Center, the Vicar for Communications, and a Member of the Diocesan Liturgical Commission in the Diocese of Roseau, and a Member of the Antilles Episcopal Conference sub-committee on Liturgy and Liturgical Music. He has released several CD collections of music.

Father John Gordon is a priest of the Archdiocese of Newark, NJ and is the Director of Evangelization for the Archdiocese. Father John has served the Charismatic community since 1975 in various local, regional, national and international ways.

He is a past member of the National Service Committee. He is a frequent speaker at various Catholic Charismatic Conferences. Father has served as Director of Pre-Theologate Program at the Franciscan University of Steubenville.