Forward in Faith

By Press release submission

Jul 29, 2022

Forward in Faith

Join us as we bring Catholic schools from across the Archdiocese together for a day of learning, collaboration, and reflection.At Forward in Faith, we're honored to bring everyone together for an opportunity to hear from nationally acclaimed keynote speaker LeAnn Thieman, author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, as well as a wide range of conference breakout sessions presented by local professionals.

Keynote Presentation: Balancing Life in Your War Zones

LeAnn Thieman, a farm girl from rural Iowa, is a nationally acclaimed professional speaker, author, and nurse who was “accidentally” caught up in the Vietnam Orphan Airlift in 1975 when she helped rescue 300 babies as Saigon was falling to the Communists.

Through God’s grace, she endured and is living proof that God uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things. By sharing her amazing adventure and stories from her book Chicken Soup for the Soul, Living Catholic Faith, she proves her conviction that, just as God led her to Vietnam, He leads us all when we trust His guidance. Her presentations fill people with hope and love, nourishes their souls, and deepens their faiths.

LeAnn has authored 13 other Chicken Soup for the Soul books, including Chicken Soup for the Soul, A Book of Miracles, and Chicken Soup for the Soul, Answered Prayers. And most recently a four-book series from Sophia Press featuring the miraculous stories from those Chicken Soup books.

She has been featured in Newsweek Magazine’s "Voices of the Century" issue, on FOX-TV, BBC, NPR, PBS, PAX-TV’s It's A Miracle. In 2008 she was inducted into the Speaker Hall of Fame and in 2018 she was pronounced a Legend of Speaking Profession.

Forward in Faith | LeAnn Thieman (1:23)

Forward in Fairh keynote speaker LeAnn Thieman welcomes you to join her on August 4.

Registration for schools is currently open!

We welcome all local Catholic schools to register to attend. If your school plans to use Title IIA funds, please download this justification letter.

Important Information for Conference Attendees, Exhibitors, and Sponsors

Please view the Mount Mercy University Campus Map here.

Parking is available at the Prairie Drive Lot and at the 27th Street Lot. These are marked on the campus map.
Please check in/register at the Hennessey Recreation Center.
A continental breakfast, box lunch, and an afternoon break are included in your conference registration.

Event Schedule:

Please see the conference program booklet for a detailed list of breakout sessions and speaker bios. (PDF)

7:30 AM | Registration, exhibitors, and breakfast

8:30-8:45 AM | Opening remarks and introductions

8:45-10:00 AM | Mass with Archbishop Jackels

10:00-10:15 AM | Break

10:15-11:15 AM | Keynote presentation

11:15 AM-12:45 PM | Lunch, exhibitors, and book signing by LeAnn Thieman

12:45-1:45 PM | Breakout session

1:45-2:00 PM | Break

2:00-3:00 PM | Breakout session

3:00-3:30 PM | Concluding remarks, prayer, and dismissal

Hotel Reservations:

Hotel at Kirkwood

Please call 319-848-8700 for guestroom reservations for the night of August 3, 2022. The guestroom block is under "Forward In Faith" at the rate of $136, as long as there are sleeping rooms available.

The DoubleTree by Hilton

Please call 319-731-4444 for guestroom reservations for the night of August 3, 2022. The guestroom block is under "Forward in Faith" at the rate of $179. The cut-off date for the guestroom block is July 12.

Graduate Credit Option

If you are planning to apply for graduate credit, please download the syllabus for details.

If you have any questions, please stop by the Mount Mercy University Graduate Center table in the exhibition area on August 4.

For additional information, please contact Dawn Behan.

Exhibitor Marketplace