Join us for our Marriage Enrichment Day to be held on Saturday, April 22nd, 2023 featuring Nationally acclaimed speakers, Bill and Rebecca Donaghy and Damon and Melanie Owens.
Damon and Melanie Owens
Joyful ever after: Getting the marriage you want from the marriage you have
Damon and Melanie Owens have been married for 29 years. They founded Joyful Ever After in 2020 with a passion to help couples get the marriage they want from the marriage they have.
Since 1993, Melanie, full-time homeschooling mother of eight, and Damon, the first executive director of the Theology of the Body Institute, have trained over 20,000 couples in marriage, natural family planning, and Theology of the Body.
Delegates at the 2022 and 2015 World Meeting of Families and the 2017 USCCB Convocation of Catholic Leaders, Damon and Melanie keep a full international speaking schedule at conferences, seminars, universities, high schools, seminaries, and parishes on the good news of marriage, sexuality, Theology of the Body, Theology of the Family, adoption, and NFP.
Melanie earned her BA in Sociology at the University of California at Santa Barbara, and her MSW at the University of California at Berkeley. Damon earned his BS in Mechanical Engineering at Brown University and his MS in Mechanical Engineering at the University of California at Berkeley.
Damon has published numerous articles, appears regularly on many radio and television programs (EWTN, Catholic Answers, Ave Maria, Relevant Radio, Immaculate Heart Radio, ABC World News Tonight, CBS News, NPR), and has hosted and produced three 13-part television series for EWTN. He is also an accomplished gospel singer honored with a solo during the 1995 NJ Papal Mass at Giants Stadium presided by Pope St. John Paul II.
In 2018, Pope Francis honored Damon with the papal Benemerenti Medal for his service to the Church in support of marriage and family. Damon and Melanie have eight children, and two grandchildren, and live outside of Philadelphia.
Bill and Rebecca Donaghy
The Beautiful Mess of the Family: Finding and Fostering Peace in the Midst of the Chaos!
Bill and Rebecca Donaghy (Don-a-hee) have four children and live outside of Philadelphia. Infertility has been a cross for the Donaghys, and yet that cross was turned into a crown through the gift of adoption. Their four children each came at the moment God designed, and they gave their yes!
Bill has spoken internationally on faith and the New Evangelization since 1999. Through his work with the Pontifical Mission Societies, Bill has given hundreds of talks on the spirituality of mission to young people throughout the greater Philadelphia area and beyond, creating a teaching and speaking ministry known as MissionMoment.org. He holds an Associates Degree in Visual Arts, a Bachelors in Philosophy and a Masters in Systematic Theology. In addition to his full-time work for the Theology of the Body Institute, Bill teaches at Immaculata University.
Rebecca received a Bachelors Degree in Religious Studies with Education from Lemoyne College in Syracuse, New York. She served two years as a Franciscan Volunteer missionary, working with the homeless and downtrodden in Philadelphia, PA. She taught theology at Mount Saint Joseph’s Academy in Flourtown, PA. Presently, Rebecca works as an assistant teacher with pre-K students at Regina Angelorum Academy.
PROGRAM OUTLINE
| 8:30 - 9:30 | Registration, Coffee, and Continental Breakfast |
| 9:30 - 10:00 | Welcome and Introductions |
| 10:00 - 11:30 | Keynote Talk followed by Q & A with Damon & Melanie Owens |
| 11:30 - 12:00 | Introduction of Afternoon Breakout Session Speakers and Topics |
| 12:00 - 1:00 | Lunch |
| 1:00 - 2:00 | Breakout Session “A” Damon & Melanie Owens talk Bill & Rebecca Donaghy talk |
| 2:00 - 2:15 | Fellowship break |
| 2:15 - 3:15 | Breakout Session “B” Damon & Melanie Owens talk Bill & Rebecca Donaghy talk |
| 3:15 - 3:30 | Fellowship break |
| 3:30 - 4:00 | Adoration |
| 4:00 | Mass |