The son of Mary and the late Steven Raica, with Polish/Italian roots, Bishop Raica was born on November 8, 1952 in Munising, Michigan. His mother and brother, Joseph, currently reside in Marquette, Michigan. Bishop Raica attended Sacred Heart Elementary School and William G. Mather High School in Munising before being accepted to Michigan State University in East Lansing, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics-Secondary Education in 1973. He earned his Master of Divinity from St. John Provincial Seminary in Plymouth, Michigan.

Bishop Raica was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Lansing by Bishop Kenneth Povish on October 14, 1978. In 1985, Bishop Raica was appointed Co-Rector of St. Mary Cathedral in Lansing. In 1988 he was sent to Rome to complete Licentiate Studies in Canon Law and Specialization in Jurisprudence at Pontifical Gregorian University. Raica was named a Prelate of Honor by Pope John Paul II on March 14, 1998, an honor which carries with it the title of “Monsignor.”

A gifted linguist, Bishop Raica speaks English, Italian and Polish, adding Latin, French, Spanish and German to the reading list. Raica was named fifth bishop of Gaylord on June 27, 2014. He was consecrated and installed as bishop on August 28, 2014.

Following 25 years as an award-winning corporate advertising executive, Tom Peterson’s life would radically change forever, after receiving a transforming Spiritual conversion while on a Catholic men’s retreat.  Soon afterward, he founded VirtueMedia (pro-life) and CatholicsComeHome.org.

In the first six years, Catholics Come Home® has aired Catholic evangelization commercials in 38 dioceses and nationally, helping lead a half million souls home to the Catholic Church.

In 2011 Catholics Come Home evangomercialsTM were the first to air nationally on top TV networks like CBS and NBC, reaching 125 million viewers in every city across the United States.

In the past decade, Tom has presented worldwide at Catholic Conferences including the Vatican, and multiple appearances on Fox News, EWTN and other media venues. Upon the election of Pope Francis, Tom was selected to offer live commentary on Fox News worldwide

Susan Tassone has long been a passionate champion for the holy souls in purgatory and is recognized as leading the “purgatory movement” in the United States. She is a best-selling author whose first work, The Way of the Cross for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, has sold more than 75,000 copies. In addition to her many writings on behalf of those in purgatory, she is a popular speaker and frequent guest on radio and TV shows. Susan holds a master’s degree in religious education from Loyola University and has had the honor and privilege of being granted two private audiences with Blessed Pope John Paul II, who bestowed a special blessing upon her and her ministry for the holy souls.

Teresa Tomeo is a syndicated Catholic talk show host, author of numerous books, and an international speaker. She has more than 30 years of experience in TV, radio and newspaper, 20 of which were as a secular reporter/anchor in the Detroit market. Her weekday morning radio program, Catholic Connection, is produced by Ave Maria Radio in Ann Arbor, Michigan and is now heard on over 500 radio stations worldwide, and on the internet through the EWTN Global Catholic Radio Network.

Teresa is a columnist and special correspondent for the national Catholic newspaper Our Sunday Visitor, and Deacon Digest, and appears frequently on the EWTN Global Catholic Television Network. She co-hosts the EWTN television series, The Catholic View for Women, and is a field reporter for their annual March for Life coverage in Washington, D.C. Teresa has been featured on The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News, Fox & Friends, MSNBC, The Dr. Laura Show, and Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk Radio, discussing issues of faith, media awareness, and Catholic Church teaching, especially as it relates to the culture. She also hosts a monthly webinar, Catholic Leaders Webinar Series: Media Matters, produced by Our Sunday Visitor.

Ordained a deacon in the Archdiocese of Detroit in 2012, Dominick Pastore ministers to couples at retreats, pilgrimages, conferences. He serves as a deacon at St. Isaac Jogues church in suburban Detroit. Pastore has a master’s degree in pastoral studies from Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit.

He is vice president and senior electrical engineer for SmithGroupJJR in Detroit, where he’s been employed since 1980. Pastore is a knight in the Order of Malta, and member of the board of Mary’s Mantle, a Catholic home for pregnant and unwed mothers. He and his wife lead pilgrimages to Rome and other parts of Italy for married couples.

Fr. Ken Geraci, CPM, lived the life of the prodigal son for most of his young adult life. Raised in a nominally Catholic family, who only lived the externals of the faith, Fr. Ken left the Catholic Church for many years. During that time he earned a business degree and worked as a business profession in Advanced R&D and software testing; a few years into his career he joined a few of his co-workers in establishing a $4.5 million Internet software company. Focused on money, fitness, and success, he made little room for God; but God did not give up on him. During this journey, God presented him with challenges that forced him to question his personal beliefs and the question “What is Truth?” Through a series of conversions, years of struggle, study and questioning, Fr. Ken found his way from agnosticism, to non-denominational Christianity, and ultimately back to the Catholic Church.

Fr. Ken joined the Fathers of Mercy in 2006 and was ordained in 2012. For two years, he served as an associate pastor of a medium sized parish and currently serves as a Missionary, webmaster and vocation director for the Fathers of Mercy. Fr. Ken has a great understanding of the personal and societal pressures that individuals face and knows what it is like to “hate coming to church.” His mission talks are for people of all levels of faith; from those who are madly in love with Jesus to those who struggle with church and religion.