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Catholics at Work OC Fall Speakers Series:
September 12 - Gil Alderete
President of Catholic Men’s Fellowship of CA
CMF is a parish based ministry to men, which has seen explosive growth under Gil’s leadership. He will share his own story of faith and share experiences from the trenches in parishes throughout the state where men are growing in their knowledge and love of God, and those they serve. Gil is a radio host on the Spirit Filled Hearts radio network, and Master of Ceremonies for the I Thirst Eucharistic Revivial Conferences organized by Deacon Steve Greco.
October 14 - Rich Pintang
Rich Pintang, host of the Catholic Dadcast podcast, a parishioner at San Antonio del Canon parish in Anaheim Hills, and a regional Vice President with Dale Carnegie.
November 14 - Deacon Tony Mercado
Deacon Tony Mercado of St. Mary’s parish in Fullerton. An ordained minister in service to the Bishop of Orange, Deacon Tony is assigned to to support the parish of St. Mary’s in Fullerton, an historic parish in our diocese which serves and economically and demographically diverse congregation. Professionally he works as a mortgage broker, and he and his wife of 20+ years have a great story to share.
December 12 - James Lawson (Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe)
James Larson is a 68-year-old retired litigation defense paralegal with an impressive 38-year career in the legal field. He and his wife, Anna, have been married for 36 years and have two sons: Jonathan, 35, and Anthony, 26. Originally from North Dakota, James moved to California to pursue his career. Raised in the Lutheran tradition, he later found a deeper spiritual calling and converted to Catholicism through the RCIA program 27 years ago.
James's journey with the Knights of Columbus began 24 years ago after being invited to join at a church festival. His leadership skills quickly became evident, and he rose through the ranks, serving as Grand Knight of St. Lucy Council 12542 in Long Beach. He continued to excel, taking on roles such as District Deputy, various chapter leadership positions, and ultimately ascending to the state level. Today, James serves as the California State Deputy of the Knights of Columbus, overseeing the activities of more than 82,000 Knights across 700 councils, 178 districts, and 16 chapters, making him the chief executive officer for the state council.
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