Danielle Heckenkamp is a born and raised Midwesterner with a love for her Catholic faith, her family, but little love for the Wisconsin winters. With a strong-will and passionate temperament, Danielle oftentimes finds comfort in the words of St. Catherine of Siena and St. Joan of Arc as these women sought to find their place in this world for God's glory. Through Danielle's inspiring words, she encourages her audiences to contemplate a life that cultivates beauty, truth, and goodness.
Focusing on the importance God's glory, Danielle speaks on a variety of topics including: friendship, womanhood/femininity, spiritual growth, the impact St. Catherine of Siena had upon the Church, etiquette/manners, and family life.
Danielle's love for classical literature is interwoven into many of her talks, for the lessons taught through the Great Books and the Good Books also carry integral learning experiences even for our modern society. With faith in God's providence and a desire to promote His love and mercy, Danielle relies heavily on her Catholic faith and desires to share her passion for cultivating beauty, truth, and goodness with others.
Danielle Heckenkamp earned her B.A. from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee in Political Science. After spending many years working in the legal field, she now works in the non-profit sector, while also writing for a variety of media publications in her free time. She writes articles for the “Catholic Exchange”, “The Catholic Woman”, “Crisis Magazine”, “Catholic Mom”, "OnePeterFive", and “Her View from Home”. Danielle has been a guest several times on Relevant Radio’s “The Morning Air Show”, Relevant Radio’s “Trending with Timmerie”, and Respect Life Radio (Archdiocese of Denver).
Danielle Heckenkamp is active in the Milwaukee Catholic community and also works in nonprofit administration. Danielle Heckenkamp loves to spend time with her family, while also dreaming of her next writing topic, which eventually morph into new speaking topics.
Danielle Heckenkamp offers talks related to: womanhood and femininity, motherhood, marriage, family life, classical literature and its effects on developing a virtuous society, traditions, etiquette/manners, friendship, and spiritual growth according to the saints, specifically St. Catherine of Siena.
With a special love for St. Catherine of Siena, Danielle desires to promote the writings and contemplative thoughts of this great mystic and Doctor of the Church. Danielle speaks on the importance of free will/freedom according to St. Catherine of Siena, which includes an emphasis on Catholic Morality that is based on Natural Law and Moral Law.
Speaker Topics
My Nature is Fire: Danielle takes a closer look at the Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena and the emphasis on the relationship between God and the soul. This talk focuses on the greatest gift from God - free will and the ability to choose His love. Danielle delves into the love of God and how the soul grows in virtue, while burning in love with God through charity to our neighbors.
Femininity is a Gift from God: Danielle speaks about a woman's strength is through her virtue and feminine attributes. This talk also delves into the qualities of Our Lady and how she is a role model for all women. Though every woman is unique, we are given similar characteristics that have the ability to change the world for good, through example, God's love, and following His Truths.
Virtuous Friendships: What does it mean to be a good friend? How does modern society view friendship in comparison to holy friendships? Danielle delves into the mystery of good and holy friendship, first by focusing on God's creation, saintly friends throughout history, and how we can form good and holy friendships in the modern world.
The Forsaken Art of Hospitality: Has the modern world lost common decency? What does etiquette and hospitality look like in our fast-paced world? Danielle touches on the changes to hospitality over the decades, and discusses the importance of hospitality. It is not a coincidence that the first miracle of Christ was at the Wedding Feast of Cana, which was an act of charity and hospitality. By respecting others, through acts of charity, we give back to God some of what we owe him. Etiquette does not have to be stuffy, or actions from a bygone area. It is through etiquette and hospitality that we offer other souls the respect and love God wishes for all.
Spiritual Growth and The Importance of Reading Classical Literature: Danielle has a love for the classics. It is through classical literature that human nature is given an opportunity to learn moral lessons through the stories of other individuals. Literature is an important aspect of human development, and Danielle delves into the common themes found in literature and how they impact society in learning about human nature, virtue, and vice. Common themes: family (Louisa May Alcott, LM Montgomery, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Daphne Du Maurier), personal growth (Willa Cather, Tolstoy, Evelyn Waugh), womanhood (Jane Austen, Louisa May Alcott, LM Montgomery).
