I think It’s the great paradox of life that blessings can come in curses, and strength comes when we are at our weakest. That’s what happened to me, as the darkest moments of my life brought me nearer to deciphering that subtle whisper I had been hearing throughout the years. When someone very dear to me became addicted to drugs, the addiction and overdose epidemic that was happening “out there” to others, suddenly sabotaged my life and my family. And at the same time that it seemed to drain me of everything (family, friends, sanity!), it filled me with the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit — knowledge, understanding, courage . . . love, patience, kindness . . . even joy and peace. Gifts such as these come with a price — they must be shared. And so I shared (and continue to share) these gifts by educating and inspiring others to draw near to God, to support one another, to make visible the Body of Christ on earth, and to emanate the light of hope.
Nina Marie Corona is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree at Fordham University. She possesses a Master of Arts in Spirituality from Loyola University Chicago. She also studied graduate theology at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary and LaSalle University. Because of her desire to contribute to a solution to the national addiction and overdose epidemic, Nina also obtained an education certification in Alcohol & Drug Counseling from Villanova University. Nina is an experienced artist with a B.A. in Studio Arts, and she utilizes her gifts of drawing, painting, and sculpting to express the joyful and painful experiences of life.
Nina is the Founder and Executive Director of AFIRE, Inc., a nonprofit faith-based movement that was born out of the popular We Thirst series (Christian Reflections on Addiction), which Nina authored and facilitates. She is the author of When on Earth: Discovering Christian Spirituality in the Daily Happenings of Ordinary Life, a book of her reflections and illustrations.
As an educator, a theologian, an artist, and an inspirational speaker, Nina’s speaking engagements combine all of her God-given gifts and talents to provide an educational and inspirational experience for all. Her retreats and presentations always include images and music in addition to lectures — to move both minds and hearts.
Nina has been a guest on several radio spots including Radio Maria and Domestic Church Media. She is an approved speaker for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Catholic Diocese of Allentown. Nina resides in Easton, Pennsylvania with her husband Mark. Nina and Mark have been married for over thirty-five years and have two adult daughters and one grandson.
List Of Some of Nina's More Popular Talks:
- Letting Love In. Acceptance is one of the keys to inner peace. This retreat examines the challenges of accepting ourselves, others, suffering, and fully accepting of God's infinite love.
- Masterpiece in the Making. Our life's goal is to be saints -- God’s masterpieces. Like a fine work of art, the path to a holy life is often frustrating, messy, painful, and filled with mistakes and corrections. This retreat explores the challenges of co-creating a masterpiece with God and some tools that we can use to assist us in the creative process.
- We Thirst (Christian Reflections on Addiction): A very popular, comprehensive, educational and inspirational series on the topic of addiction from a Christian perspective.
- Spiritual and Religious. Spirituality and religion go together. One without the other can leave us feeling incomplete and unfulfilled, with a sense that there is more for us to discover and to share. This talk will explore the nature of authentic Christian Spirituality and some ways to breathe new life into our faith.
- Choices: The Hinges of Destiny. The decisions that Jesus made at pivotal moments in his life reveal much to us about who he is and who we are called to be. Join us as we walk closely alongside Jesus of Nazareth to learn from him how to choose wisely on the path towards authentic discipleship. A series of 3 or 4 talks, each session will include lectures, meditations, private contemplative activities, music, and plenty of tools for discernment!
- The Virtue of Hope in Times of Despair. Where is the hope when things are falling apart? This talk explores the virtue of hope in times of despair. We will explore those things that hinder and nourish hope. As always, the presentation will include lectures, prayer, music, and more! The Virtue of Hope in Times of Despair will leave attendees feeling renewed and hopeful!
- Discipline in the Spiritual Life. This weekend retreat focuses on topics such as spiritual training, desire, grace, habits, vices, perseverance, vigilance, detachment, humility, self-deception, spiritual guidance, prayer, meditation, and more! We will learn from those who have gone before us the importance of discipline in the spiritual life.
- Sowers of Hope. Society (including our Church) is inundated with overwhelming messages and experiences of suffering, tragedy, crime, scandals, and natural and manmade disasters of all kinds. These messages instill and reinforce fear, despair, and hopelessness in so many people. One of the great challenges and responsibilities of Christians is to be sowers of hope for others, especially when they are facing (or have experienced) horrific tragedies. This program consists of three talks in which we will reflect on the many blessings and the real challenges of being Sowers of Hope.
