What does the Catholic church need right now? A Superhero...enter Steven Thomas (screeching sound), Hey, he's not the Superhero...just to be clear. But he wrote the book Catholic Joe: Superhero. An iconic figure who is the unofficial "patron saint" of marriage, and boy does he fight for marriage.
Steven Thomas, with his wife Ginny and 8 living children hail from Manhattan Illinois. Steven started a number of culture changing companies. In the 90's it was Vitae Corporation, that generated money for various pro-life groups and crisis pregnancy centers, and in the 2000's it was Faith and Family Flix, that promoted family friendly and faith based movies. His wife and several of his children still work in the film industry.
Steven spent 5 years in the seminary discerning a vocation to the Priesthood. He taught high school for several years and moved into a sales role where he was an industry sales leader. He developed SaaS products and eventually sold, and transitioned to become an author. His first book in a series has seen tremendous response and is currently under review by a number of movie producers.
Steven was a part of a 4500 mile pilgrimage in the US in which he braved some of the worst conditions, praying for our church and our country. He will take you on a journey where you will be PROUD to be Catholic. You will get an insider's view of this heroic journey which produced a series of books that are meant to transform marriage in our country and the world.
Steven shares the darkest moments of his life in what he describes as the crucible of divorce, and from the ashes (and God's grace) the phoenix of his redemption to marry and raise 8 children who all have been involved in mission work. As an avid teacher and promoter of NFP and chastity, he shares his white-hot passion for marriage which you will find contagious. His transforming words for the wounded of divorce will bring healing, and meaning to one of the greatest scourges of our time. Be prepared to laugh, cry, and be inspired to fight one of the most important battles of our lifetime! Let the triumph begin!
Selected Speaking Topics (more available)
- Catholic Joe: Superhero – Steven delves into the rich backstory and reason he felt God called him to write this book. He shares some of the "supernatural" experiences that happened, and actually make up part of the storyline. He shares the incredible stories of conversion from those who have read the book; as well as the mandate that, like a consuming fire, will ignite each person to find their place in this epic battle. The key to understanding our mission is to understand our identity which was formed in our baptism. We are Priest, Prophet, and King, and grafted into the family of God. It is from this that we draw our power to be "Superheroes!"
- The Crucible of Divorce – Steven shares his experiences as a child and adult on how he dealt with the wounds of divorce. He shares how our society, and even sometimes our church have become comfortable and complicit with divorce. He discusses how we can transform our wounds into powerful instruments of grace. There is an enormous army of suffering souls that need a purpose, and to find meaning in their suffering. Steven will lead you with God's grace from victim to victor. Our past does not define us...the beautiful moment that we experience now, infused with grace, enacted by our will defines who we are to become! He shares how his prayer and relationship with God are the key drivers toward "wholeness."
- Marriage/Fatherhood – Steven is happily married and the father of 8 grown children. He states tongue in cheek, that his 33 years of marriage are 28 of the best years of his life. No marriage is perfect and he shares some of the highs and lows, and some of the secrets to get you through the rough spots. Having grown children gives him the hindsight to be able to speak to the victories in parenting; as well as some of the defeats. He says, "I find it amusing when you have a parent giving talks on parenting when their kids are still young...and you haven't had the chance to screw them up yet" he says with a smile. He will share how coming from a very dysfunctional divorced family as a child presented numerous challenges. He counts as one his most proud achievements that his children all love God in their own unique way. Four of his children did mission work, and his oldest is a member of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal.
- NFP/Chastity – Steven shares his experiences teaching NFP (natural family planning) and giving chastity talks through his diocese. He states, "renewal in the church will never happen if we don't fix marriage." St. John Paul II calls marriage the Primordial Sacrament; that is that from the beginning God created marriage to be a sign of His love. If couples don't espouse or understand what the church teaches on family planning there will always be a barrier (pardon the pun) to God's grace. The key to forming holy marriages starts by forming our children properly, and conveying the power and beauty of nuptial love in its proper context.
