GUEST SPEAKERS: Continuing this year’s primary theme of “Youth and Young Adult Outreach & Ministry”

Molly (Mary) Bent

• Varsity Catholic Missionary, University of Pennsylvania, Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS)

and

Fr. Remi (Remigio) Morales, SCV

• Director of Spirituality, Penn Catholic Newman Community and Drexel Newman Catholic Community
• Director of Spirituality, St. Agatha-St. James Parish, University City/West Philadelphia

TOPIC:

“Building Foundations: Recruiting, Ministering, and Promoting Catholic Leadership in Student Athletes During and After COVID.”

Molly is a native of Cape Cod, played four years of Division I basketball at the championship University of Connecticut, where she made it to three Final Fours. Molly majored in math, with associated studies in statistics and English (2020), and is now in her third year as a FOCUS missionary specializing in outreach to University of Pennsylvania student athletes.

Father Remi is an ordained priest of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae (Sodality of Christian Life) currently serving as Director of Religious Education (RCIA and Pre-Cana programs) at St. Agatha-St. James Parish and at the Penn and Drexel Newman Centers in Philadelphia. At the same time, he is leading the graduate student, Latino, and student athlete Catholic ministries for Penn and Drexel. A native Peruvian, Father Morales moved to Philadelphia in 2017 when he received his current mission. He earned a master’s degree in Dogmatic Theology and a certificate in Christian Anthropology and in Spiritual Direction. Father Remi was ordained a priest in 2019 by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M, Cap.