The National Service Committee is ...

Josephine Cachia has been in the renewal for 22 years. She is currently the Bishop's liaison for the English speaking prayer groups in the Diocese of Brooklyn and Director for the Charismatic Renewal Office there. Josephine was elected to the NSC in 2000 and elected to a second term in 2003. Josephine has been a speaker at Conferences, Womens' Days of Healing, and Retreats. She was formerly employed in the Health Care Profession as a nurse. She has been married for 34 years to Peter, and they have two adult children

Caroline Gambale-Dirkes, an Italian New Yorker, is a dynamic and passionate evangelist. She is the Coordinator of Evangelization at St. Joseph Church in Hillsborough, NJ and the Area Coordinator for LIFE TEEN in New Jersey and Eastern, PA. Caroline is a 1993 graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville with a bachelor's degree in Theology and Psychology. She has been active in youth ministry and evangelization for 16 years and served one of these years with the National Evangelization Teams. Caroline is an international speaker with a passion to proclaim the Gospel and help others be effective evangelists for Christ.

Rev. John Gordon was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Newark in 1988. He has been active in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal since 1975. He has served in various local, regional, national and international ways. Currently he is Vice-Chair of NARSC (North American Renewal Service Committee) an ecumenical umbrella group, and was a member of the NSC Council from 2001 until 2003. In January of 2003 he was elected a member of the National Service Committee.

Rev. Gordon has been a speaker at a variety of Catholic charismatic conferences throughout the country as well as Steubenville High School Age Youth Conferences. He is a doctoral student at Fordham University, Graduate School of Education. Rev. Gordon was recently moved to Steubenville, Ohio to work as the Assistant Director of the Pre-Theologate Program at Franciscan University of Steubenville.

Rev. Robert (Bob) Hogan, BBD is one of the founding members of a new charismatic and Marian religious community called The Brothers of the Beloved Disciple. He was formerly a member of the Society of Mary. He holds a Master of Divinity, an MA in Theology and did doctoral studies in Marian Theology.

He became involved in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in 1970 while in high school. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1983. He was Archdiocesan Liaison for the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Cincinnati from 1989 - 1996. From 2000 - 2006 he served as Pastor of St. Mary Magdalen Church in San Antonio. He currently serves as Parochial Vicar there and is also working in the Renewal in the Archdiocese of San Antonio.

He was a member of the NSC's Advisory Committee from 1992 - 1996. He was elected to the Service Committee in January 2007.

Chuck Hornsby is a native of San Antonio, Texas, who moved to Georgia and joined the Alleluia Covenant Community in Augusta in 1976. Chuck has worked as a teacher of the deaf, having taught in the poverty-stricken districts of San Antonio. He has served as a lay pastor, administrator and head of finances for the Alleluia Community, and presently serves as the Community's Pastoral Coordinator and School Superintendent. He has been a member of the NSC Council.Chuck was elected to the NSC in 2003. Chuck and his wife, Peggy, have three children.

Judith Hughes, Co-Director of Spiritual Renewal Services for the Diocese of Norwich, Connecticut, has been involved in charismatic renewal for over 25 years. She co-founded the Heart of God House of Prayer in Old Saybrook and the Renewal and Prayer Center in Norwich. Judith is an active member of Isaiah Ministries, an international ministry, and a member of the Association of Christian Therapists. Judith is a member of the Association of Diocesan Liaisons and served as Chairperson of their Steering Committee. This year Judith was elected to the National Service Committee. Mrs. Hughes is a widow, a mother of three children, and a proud grandmother of five.

Rev. Richard Loch was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Scranton in 1979. He has recently been appointed Episcopal Vicar for Priests. Rev. Loch became involved in the Charismatic Renewal in 1972 and has participated in numerous prayer groups, Days of Renewal, Retreat Weekends and Conferences. Since 1985 he has been Moderator of the Charismatic Renewal in the Diocese of Scranton and Liaison to the Bishop. Rev. Loch was on the Steering Committee of the Association of Diocesan Liaisons from 1995 through 2001, including being Chairman from 1998 through 2001. In January of 2003 Rev. Loch was elected to the National Service Committee. He was re-elected in January 2006.

Gerry Mader has been serving the Catholic Charismatic Renewal for the past 27 years. He and his wife, Lois, moved to Florida as full time residents in 2002. Gerry serves in the Venice Diocese as Central Area Commissioner, assisting prayer groups and he and Lois have helped develop days of renewal and activities to build up prayer groups and their leaders. Gerry has helped organize bilingual (English-Spanish) area prayer meetings and is involved in retreats with all age groups. In 2002, Gerry became the Development Manager for the NSC/Chariscenter and is involved in fund raising part-time. Prior to his selection to the National Service Committee this year, Gerry served on the NSC Council and its predecessor, the Advisory Committee. From 1978 until 2002 Gerry was an active leader in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee including serving as Associate Liaison to the CCR. Gerry has been a featured speaker at many conferences and has taught in over 40 Life in the Spirit Seminars. Gerry and Lois have five children and six grandchildren.

Aggie Neck has been a leader in Catholic Charismatic Renewal since 1972. She currently is Co-Director at Servant House, a Catholic Charismatic House of Prayer in Marksville, Louisiana. She is also the Chair of the National Service Committee, a member of the steering committee for the Southern Regional Conference in New Orleans, and the Diocesan Service Committee for the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in the Diocese of Alexandria, Louisiana.

Rev. Dave Pivonka, TOR was ordained a priest on May 4, 1996. He has recently been made Director of Formation for the Franciscan Third Order Regulars after serving at Franciscan University of Steubenville for several years and most recently serving as the Director of the Study Abroad Program in Gaming, Austria. He was born and raised in Durango, Colorado and has four brothers, one sister and 19 nieces and nephews.

He has been involved in the Renewal for over 20 years. He served with the National Evangelization Teams (NET) for one year and FIRE for four years. He has spoken at Charismatic Conferences across the US and Canada.

He has produced two CD series of talks: There is Freedom is a series of 6 talks on the spirituality of freedom, and Generation Why which is a series of talks discussing the youth culture. He has a new book that will be released this Easter titled Spiritual Freedom: God's Life Changing Gift.

Sr. Mary Anne Schaenzer, SSND has experienced charismatic renewal since 1968. She served on the steering committee of the Association of Diocesan Liaisons from 1987 to 1993. She served on the NSC Advisory Committee and later on the NSC Council from 1992 to 2002. Sr. Mary Anne was elected to the NSC in 2002.

Sr. Mary Anne currently serves as Pastoral Associate for Adult Faith Formation Ministries in a large suburban parish in Burnsville, Minnesota. Her past experience includes teaching, full time work in charismatic renewal, hospital/hospice chaplaincy, pastoral care to the Sisters in her own SSND community healthcare in Mankato, Minnesota and R.C.I.A. coordination.

Walter Matthews has been Executive Director for the National Service Committee of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of the United States since January 1993. He began working for the National Service Committee as Associate Director in May 1984. He has been involved in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal since January 1972 and has served in various leadership positions in the Renewal for over 25 years.

In April 1990 Pope John Paul II appointed Matthews to a five-year term as a member of the Pontifical Council for the Laity. The department is at the direct service of the Pope. His term, which had been extended one year, ended in April 1996. He has also served an an Advisor to the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on the Laity.

He is a native of New York City and is married to the former Claire Casey. The Matthews have three children and live in Locust Grove, Virginia.

The National Service Committee has gathered about 50 leaders from throughout the US as the NSC Council. For more information and for a list of Council members click here.