St Mary's Church, Swormville

Sunday, May 19:

Afternoon theme:  Our Catholic Faith

1:00 PM ~ The Bible Blueprint for the Mass

You go to Mass every Sunday and follow the liturgy, reciting the prayers, the creed, and everything in between, just the way you have been taught. But how much do you really know about why we worship the way we worship? How do you respond when Protestant friends and family put you on the spot and claim that Catholic worship is unbiblical? In this talk, Karlo takes you on a journey through the scriptural foundations for the highest form of Christian prayer—the Holy Mass. He shows you how the structure of the Mass, its words and gestures, its built-in theology, its heavenly orientation, can be traced to types and models in God’s written Word—to a “Bible blueprint” showing how to build a perfect temple of praise!

2:30 PM ~ The Eucharist: Mere Symbol or Substantial Presence?

In this talk, Karlo demonstrates the biblical nature of the Catholic Church’s teaching on the Eucharist as the real body and blood of Jesus. He will do this by drawing out the eucharistic truths found in Jesus’ Bread of Life discourse, the Last Supper, and St. Paul’s teaching on the Eucharist in his first letter to the Corinthians. Karlo will also explain the importance of the Eucharist in our lives in light of God’s relationship with the Israelites in the Old Testament.

Sunday evening: Teens and Parents Event

6:30 PM ~ Why God Matters (geared toward a teen audience)

In this talk, Karlo dispels the common myth that science is sufficient to explain the universe in the place of God. Karlo further argues that God still matters for complete human happiness, moral obligation, and our very existence.

Monday, May 20:  

10:00 AM ~ “I Will Build My Church”: Defending Catholic Hierarchy & Authority

In response to common errors about the Church among many Christians, Karlo gives evidence from the Bible that the first-century Church established by Jesus Christ was not merely an invisible group of believers who possessed equal authority but a community of believers with visible leaders exercising divine authority to lead the people of God in the unity of belief—an authority that was transferred to other men beyond the Twelve.

Monday evening theme: Sharing Our Faith   

6:30 PM ~ Religion: Why Should I Care

It’s often said that what folks need (especially teenagers and young adults) is not Aquinas’s Five Ways for proving God’s existence but a reason to care about religion in the first place. How do we pique the interest of those who are apathetic to the big questions that religion says it has answers to? In this talk, Karlo suggests that the key is to help folks identify the one thing that every person cares about: happiness. And inasmuch as happiness is linked to religion, it becomes clear why religion matters.

 7:50 PM ~ Cajun Accordionist to Cajun Apologist: The Life Testimony of a Cradle Catholic

 In this talk Karlo will share his story of how he left a promising musical career in Southern Louisiana to become a Catholic apologist. Karlo will give examples from his life of how Catholic apologetics strengthened his faith as a cradle Catholic.

Tuesday, May 21:

10:00 AM ~ Bible Blueprint for Marian Dogmas

In this talk, Karlo gives biblical evidence for the four major Catholic Marian dogmas—namely, her title as Mother of God, her perpetual virginity, her freedom from sin, and her bodily assumption.

 Tuesday evening theme: Defending Our Faith to non-Catholics 

6:30 PM ~ Apologetics for an Age of Unbelief

In this talk, Karlo gives a how-to approach for dispelling the major cultural myths that serve as obstacles to faith—namely, that there is no such thing as truth, belief in God is incompatible with science, and Jesus is no different than other religious leaders.

7:50 PM ~ Meeting the Protestant Challenge

Protestants challenge Catholics in many ways. Sometimes the challenge takes the form, “Where’s that in the Bible?” But other times they object to a particular Catholic belief because they think a bible passage contradicts it. For example, “How can the Catholic Church teach that Mary was a perpetual virgin when the Bible says Jesus had brothers?” In this talk, Karlo gives five bible passages that Protestants commonly use to challenge Catholic beliefs and explain how to respond.

Wednesday, May 22:

10:00 AM ~ Miracles: God’s Light in the Darkness of Unbelief

In this talk, Karlo responds to objections that skeptics give to the possibility of miracles and offer credible historical evidence that miracles have occurred, as in the case of the resurrection of Jesus, and the miracles documented throughout Catholic history. Karlo also explains why miracles are important in the life of the Catholic while at the same time emphasizing the need to have a healthy balance in our search of the miraculous.

 Wednesday evening theme: Today's Relativistic Culture through a Catholic Lens

Karlo will help us to understand the Catholic teaching on various ideologies present in today's society and how to charitably respond to them.

Two evening talks:

6:30 PM

7:50 PM