Deacon Allen Tatara is a dynamic and passionate Catholic motivational speaker, preacher, storyteller, musician, and evangelist. He ministers across the country giving presentations at conferences, parish missions, retreats, workshops, diocesan and parish events, or to anyone who desires to grow and deepen their relationship with Jesus. Through his unique blend of heartfelt storytelling, humor, music, and deep-rooted spirituality, Deacon Allen’s presentations captivate and inspire audiences of all ages. His engaging and relatable approach creates a memorable experience that leaves a lasting impact on those who hear his message. With an unwavering commitment to his faith and a genuine passion for helping others, Deacon Allen continues to enrich the lives of countless individuals by helping them recognize God's presence in the messy, everyday challenges of life.
Deacon Allen is also a published blogger and author. On the Inside; On the Outside, is a collection of writings about how work and the circumstances of everyday life are opportunities to encounter and grow closer to God by living the Gospel and serving others. His writings have also been published in Give Us This Day, one of the most popular Catholic devotionals on the market.
A gifted musician and skilled songwriter, he has written more than 160 songs, with some being recorded by a Nashville recording artist. Deacon Allen has also opened for and performed with several Catholic musicians. For more than 24 years, he was the lead guitarist and a vocalist in The Gold Coast Orchestra, one of Chicago’s most energetic dance bands.
Deacon Allen is a permanent deacon in the Archdiocese of Chicago. Ordained in 2009, he serves at St. Anne Parish in Barrington, Illinois. He has been involved with teens and young adults for more than 30 years, and was blessed to work alongside his wife, Stephanie, as Youth Ministry Coordinators at St. Hubert Church. He is the proud father of three young adult sons and has been blessed with three grandchildren (thus far).
Testimonials:
- "Deacon Allen Tatara has a great gift for engaging, holding and inspiring an audience with his faith and love of Christ and the Church. He would be a blessing to anyone who would invite him to serve!" ~ Jesse Manibusan
- Deacon Allen is so good at finding that balance between driving home the important stuff while keeping people engaged with humor and light-heartedness. ~Mary Herman, Director of Religious Education, St. Thomas of Villanova Parish, Palatine, Illinois
- “Deacon Allen brought an incredible blend of music, storytelling, and deep spiritual reflection that left a lasting impact on our parish community. His unique approach to sharing the faith—through guitar-led songs, praise, and uplifting messages—made the retreat both engaging and inspiring. His ability to weave personal stories with the richness of Catholic teaching helped us deepen our understanding and love for the Eucharist. Deacon Allen’s preaching at our weekend Masses was heartfelt and moving, setting the tone for a retreat centered on the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The two retreat sessions provided an opportunity for parishioners to reflect, pray, and renew their devotion. His joyful spirit and passion for the faith made the sessions both meaningful and memorable. We are grateful for Deacon Allen’s time, talent, and witness to the Eucharistic life. His retreat was a true blessing to our parish, drawing us closer to Christ and strengthening our faith community.” ~ Fr. Charles Fladung, Pastor, St. Mary, Solon, Iowa
- “The feedback received from our diaconate community is that the entire weekend was great, and Deacon Allen was outstanding. All positive comments. His talks were reflective, insightful, full of zest, and energetic. We all felt renewed and refreshed (and recharged).” ~ Deacon Dan Vaughn, Pastoral Associate and Parish Administrator, Our Lady of the Ozarks Parish, Missouri
- “We were so recharged as we left our retreat weekend with Deacon Allen. I most certainly highly recommend him if anyone out there is in need of a retreat leader/speaker. His message, humor and most definitely his music along with prayer certainly kept us focused on our Ministry of service. God Bless and thank you Deacon Allen.” ~ Deacon Michael Medvec, St. Patrick Parish, Hubbard, Ohio
- "Deacon Allen Tatara, The Archdiocese of Chicago’s hidden gem. A word to describe him ‘AWESOME’ without a doubt. His music in getting the crowd moving and delivering God’s message is incredible. Deacon Tatara’s commitment to our church and delivering the Gospel message is a presentation to his witness. ~ Maria Perez-Eraci, Archdiocese of Chicago
- "Deacon Allen is a talented musician and emcee. He really knows how to get the crowd going and how to then transition into praying over and for a keynote presenter. He is very dynamic and I recommend him for your next event!" ~ Beth Starczewski, Archdiocese of Chicago
Deacon Allen is a high-energy Catholic motivational speaker who will provide an engaging experience that blends stories, music, Scripture, prayer, humor, and audience participation with a practical, relatable, and challenging message that will inspire and motivate your group. Here is just a sampling of the many topics that he covers:
- Finding God in the Everyday (or Allowing God to Find Me) - Do you find yourself consumed in the busyness of your day-to-day activities and just going through the motions? Were you too busy to notice that God was with you in all of it? This session will show you ways to live every day with a greater awareness of God’s presence and love.
- Avoiding Life's Obstacles to Grow Closer to Christ - Sometimes we face obstacles that seem insurmountable. What if we could learn to release from our grasp those obstacles that inhibit us from developing an intimate relationship with Christ; to let go of concentrating on what has been hurtful and look to what will be life-giving? This talk takes a look at some of the obstacles that keep us from growing closer to Christ and how we can overcome these barriers in order to experience God every day.
- Discovering Your Prayer Personality - Each of us, made in God's image, have different ways of understanding, learning, communicating, and engaging in the world around us. Therefore, it stands to reason that we'd connect and talk with God in different ways too. This interactive session will illustrate the various forms of prayer, and which form may work best for your individual personality.
- How to Listen for God’s Voice in an Earbud-Wearing World - We love listening to music as it is an important part of our lives for it defines who we are and helps us tune out the rest of the world. And there is the problem: we are using our earbuds to tune out the rest of the world - and God. This talk will help you understand why you may not be able to hear God’s voice and provide you with actual steps that you can follow in order to hear God speaking to you.
- Recharging Your Spiritual Batteries - In many ways, our spiritual life is a lot like a cell phone battery. There are times when our "spiritual battery" is fully charged, but there are also times when it is low or even dead and we're just going through the motions in our spiritual life. This presentation will offer six steps to take when your spiritual “low battery” light starts flashing in order to plug-in to our Divine Power Source.
- Living Out Your Faith in the Workplace: It's About the Practice Not the Preaching - Given how much time we spend at work, it should be no surprise that what happens there is critical for our spiritual growth. In fact, it is through our work that we have the greatest opportunity to reach people by living out our faith so that others can see God through us. This talk will address the five disciplines that we need to follow so we can fully embrace Christ is every aspect of our day - especially at work.
- The Joy of Forgiveness - Forgiveness is often the first step we take when healing from a hurt and also starting a relationship with God. We must never tire of asking for God's forgiveness, because only when we are forgiven, we learn to forgive. This talk will reveal the three steps on how to forgive – a process that will completely change your life.
- When is Enough Enough? How to Find Calm in the Chaos - Most adults don't feel they are managing their stress well; and with our crazy-busy schedules, it's easy to see how we lose focus on what really matters. How do we live in a world in which we have more and more to do with less time for leisure, reflection, prayer, community, or to just be? Learn how to change your habits in order to keep busyness and stress to a minimum by putting God first in your lives and finding calm amidst the chaos of life.
- How Do I Carry On? Handling the Holidays After the Death of a Loved One - The emotions that come when somebody you love passes away are not always recognizable as suffering or grief. You desperately want it to go away, except for sometimes when you don't want it to go away. In this presentation, five tips will be provided to help come to terms with your grief and eventually, find a way to pick up the pieces and move on with your life.
- Confirmation: Igniting the Fire Within - Confirmation is not the end of our religious faith or a graduation, but the beginning and how we are being called to a new way of life with the Holy Spirit. This presentation will help teens learn the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and how to keep the flame of faith alive in their hearts.
- Entrepreneurs for Social Justice: Being the Hands and Heart of Christ - Everyone is talking about social justice and Catholic Social Teaching, but what does it really mean? Is there a difference between social justice and charity? And more importantly, what's in it for me? Learn practical ways to live the teachings of Jesus and to follow your call to be Christ's hands and heart in the world and to build the kingdom of God here on earth.
Parish Missions / Retreats:
- Gathered Around the Table: Becoming What We Receive (3 sessions) - Tables are one of the most important places where we connect as humans, which is why that we shouldn't be surprised that throughout Scripture, God has a way of showing up at tables. In fact, the very spiritual center of our lives revolves around a table: the table of sacrifice; the table of communion. This renewal begins at the altar, but it doesn't end there. We are called to carry the presence of Christ with us out into our communities and weave it into our everyday lives. This mission will help deepen your relationship with the Lord, reinvigorate the gift of the Eucharist, and discover how to bring Jesus to everyone we encounter.
- Divine GPS: Letting God Be Your Guide (2-3 sessions) - In the grind of everyday life, God can seem distant. Yet just like a GPS that quietly guides us through traffic and recalculates when we take a wrong turn, God is always present, directing our steps and leading us closer to him. This mission invites us to discover how God reveals himself in the smallest details of our daily lives. Together we'll explore:
- Hearing God's voice amid the noise and busyness of life
- Trusting God's direction when the path feels uncertain
- Recalculating with grace when we stumble or lose our way
- Growing a personal relationship with Christ by noticing his presence all around us
- Recharging Your Spiritual Batteries (2 sessions) - This mission (through Scripture, stores, humor, and song) will offer six spiritual practices that we need to follow to recharge our spiritual batteries in order to renew our strength, restore our joy, release our anxieties, rekindle our hope, and reconnect us with God.
- What Are We Waiting For? (Advent - 1 session) - Advent invites us to grow in spiritual wholeness by entering more frequently into silence, prayer, reflection, Scripture, and the sacramental life of our faith. But how can we achieve this during such a busy commercial season? This mission will focus on different ways to prepare for Christ's coming, how to be more aware of the hopeful longing and joyous expectation of the season, and help increase our desire for God by discovering Christ's presence in our lives right now.
Deacon and Wives Retreat:
- Recharging Your Spiritual Batteries (Full day or weekend) - As ministers in the church, we are always leading ministries, attending meetings, visiting our parishioners, assisting our pastors and priests, and following the directives of our bishops. We get so busy doing things for others that we often forget to take care of ourselves spiritually. And when we finally realize this, we've already hit rock bottom - ultimately impacting the way we minister to God's people this retreat will offer six spiritual practices that we need to follow to recharge our spiritual batteries. This will help renew our strength, restore our joy, rekindle our hope, revitalize our ministries, and reconnect us with God.
Deacon Allen will customize his message for your organization, making sure that his presentation meets your needs.
