Jack Valero is Press Officer for Opus Dei in the UK and the co-ordinator, with Austen Ivereigh, of the Da Vinci Code Response Group in 2006, a team of Catholics who made themselves available to the media in the run-up to the DVC film. During 2010 he was also Press Officer for the Beatification of Cardinal Newman.
The Team
Coordinators
Jack Valero
Austen Ivereigh
Austen Ivereigh is a Catholic journalist and commentator who writes regularly for the Guardian CiF section and Our Sunday Visitor, and is European correspondent for America magazine in New York. His latest book is Faithful Citizens: a practical guide to Catholic Social Teaching and community organising (2010).
Kathleen Griffin
Kathleen Griffin is a broadcaster, writer and journalist. She has been a reporter and producer on many BBC Radio 4 programmes, including Woman's Hour, Feedback, In Touch, The Food Programme, and All in the Mind. She currently teaches Broadcast Media at Brighton University. Her latest book is The Forgiveness Formula (2002), a practical guide on the steps to forgiveness.
Speakers
Dominic Burbidge
Dominic Burbidge is a postgraduate student of the University of Oxford, interested in the local politics of East Africa. He also works as a Researcher to Timothy Garton Ash.
Jim Carr
Jim Carr is an Irish pharmacist currently working in the NHS. He is pursuing a part-time PhD in political theology at the University of Bristol.
Robert Colquhoun
Robert Colquhoun is the editor of the recent book: Pure Heart Create for Me: theology of the body today. He organises talks, seminars, catechism classes and papers about the truth and meaning of human sexuality.
Daniel Coughlan
Daniel Coughlan is a PhD student in Cambridge working on Cardinal Heenan and Vatican II. He has theology degrees from both Oxford and Cambridge and is currently co-chair of the Cambridge University Catholic Graduate Society.
Laura Crowley
Laura Crowley is a barrister, practising in commercial law. Before being called to the Bar, she read History at Cambridge.
Neil D’Aguiar
Neil D’Aguiar has Degree in Theology from Durham University, including a year at Kings College London. He works as a RE Teacher and Director of Spirituality at Richard Challoner School. He is also a carer to his wife.
Michael d'Arcy
Michael d'Arcy is a barrister, practising in commercial law. After a degree and doctorate in physics at the University of Oxford he was a lecturer both at Oxford and King's College London. He has also carried out science policy research in Washington DC.
William Johnstone
William Johnstone was an Anglican clergyman. He works for the St Barnabas Society, a Catholic charity that supports convert ministers and religious, while studying classics at University College London.
Marie Jones
Marie Jones is a full-time mother of two with a background in Youth Ministry. She has worked with the physically and mentally handicapped and spent time with L’Arche community.
Fr Paul Keane
Fr Paul Keane works as a parish priest in north-east Essex and is the Catholic chaplain at the University of Essex. Born in London, he read History at Cambridge and trained to be a priest at The English College in Rome.
Ella Leonard
Ella Leonard is married with three children. She is a corporate lawyer specialising in investment funds and is a governor of three educational charities, one of which operates two Catholic primary schools in South London.
Poppy MacDonald
Poppy MacDonald is currently studying for an MA in Bioethics at St Mary’s University, Twickenham whilst working full-time as a Commodity Buyer in Aerospace Engineering.
Chris Morgan
Chris Morgan is a tax advisor specialising in international and European law. He is a member of the Catholic movement, Communion and Liberation.
Fiona O’Reilly
Fiona O’Reilly is a management consultant, specialising in programme and project management. She also leads Soul Food, a lay initiative that brings together a large range of Catholic professionals living and working in London.
Fiona Paley
Fiona Paley works in Communications and Public Affairs. She has a Theology and Religious Studies degree from Cambridge University.
Edward Rennie
Edward Rennie is a Christian Socialist, Borough Councillor and religious broadcaster. He has previously worked for the campaigning solicitor Imran Khan, and has had a few stints as a Wine merchant. He became a Catholic in 2007.
Chris Serpell
Chris Serpell is a research scientist in supramolecular chemistry at the University of Oxford. A former Catholic Society President, he has also spent time living in community and working with the disadvantaged.
Peter D. Williams
Peter D. Williams is a former Atheist ‘revert’ to the Catholic Faith, works as a Campaigner for the Pro-Life organisation Right to Life, and is a part-time Graduate Theology student at King's College London.
Liz Toy
Liz Toy is a Consultant Clinical Oncologist in the NHS specialising in thoracic malignancy. She has an interest in ethical issues at the end of life.
John McAleer
John McAleer read Philosophy and Theology at Trinity College Dublin and Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. He worked for the Papal Visit Team prior to Pope Benedict's visit to the UK and is now teaching in a Catholic Secondary School in London.
Isaac Chenchiah
Isaac Chenchiah is lecturer in applied mathematics at the University of Bristol. He is a convert to the Catholic Faith.
Anna-Marie Treloar
Anna-Marie Treloar is a medical student at Hull York Medical School, and recently completed an intercalated BSc at Manchester University. She has worked as a parish catechist, with several Catholic youth initiatives, and with York University Catholic Society.
Mary Clarkson
Mary Clarkson is a Labour Councillor and governor of a Catholic primary school in Oxford. Married with four children, she has a background in management consultancy and in employment and social policy.
Clare-Ann Hamel-Smith
Clare-Ann Hamel-Smith is a recently qualified architect. She grew up in Trinidad and Tobago and has been living in the UK for nearly 10 years. From a young age she has been involved in giving talks on pro-life and human sexuality issues.
Helen Hunt
Helen Hunt is a theology student at Durham University and President of Durham University Catholic Society. Before University she spent some time working as a volunteer youth worker for the Church.
Gregory Daly
Gregory Daly is completing a PhD in ancient history at the University of Manchester. Author of Cannae: The Experience of Battle in the Second Punic War, he studied History and Greek and Roman Civilization in University College Dublin, where he taught for several years.
Caroline Farrow
Caroline Farrow is a Catholic blogger and writer currently studying for a degree in English Literature at the University of Sussex. She is married with three young children.
Marianne Neary
Marianne graduated at Cambridge University and is continuing her Medicine degree at University College London. She is a keen science writer, musician and will be running for CAFOD in the London Marathon 2012.