Anita Draper
Catholic Herald staff
A keynote speaker with a gift for showcasing the beauty of humanity will return to the Diocese of Superior in October to lead a retreat-style Fall Conference in Rice Lake.
Bill Donaghy, an author, senior lecturer and content specialist with the Theology of the Body Institute, last headlined a diocesan event in Hayward in 2024. The Theology of the Body immersion day drew a capacity crowd; Donaghy also returned to the diocese for a parish event, “The Way of Wonder,” at Nativity of Our Lord, Rhinelander, in 2025.
Fall Conference, the diocese’s annual event for catechists, educators, youth ministers, parish staff and clergy, takes place on Friday, Oct. 23, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Rice Lake. Donaghy will present “Wonderfully Made: Rediscovering the Gift of Being Human,” a response to the proliferation of artificial intelligence in education and everyday life.
“As the AI revolution continues to touch seemingly every aspect of our lives, in particular the field of an authentic education for the young, the need for a return to what a person is and how a person grows in wisdom and knowledge of God and the world is essential,” Donaghy explained.
“Using rich sources from the Catholic philosophical and theological tradition, we will offer ways to rediscover the gift and the vocation of being human,” he added.
The Fall Conference format varies from year to year. School Superintendent Peggy Schoenfuss, the diocesan chancellor who also heads the Office of Catholic Formation, teams up with Office of Evangelization and Missionary Discipleship Director Chris Hurtubise to decide whether to offer morning keynotes and afternoon breakout sessions or a daylong series of keynotes.
Breakout sessions can be helpful in years when changes in individual programs or grade levels require discussion and training; a series of keynotes, conversely, promotes unity among educators, a more retreat-like feel and a deeper dive into a single, widely applicable subject.
This year, Schoenfuss and Hurtubise opted for the latter, scheduling Donaghy’s three keynotes at 10:20 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. The conference has also been opened to the public, and anyone interested in the subject matter, or just in hearing Donaghy’s presentations, is invited to register and attend.
“We cannot wait to welcome Bill back this fall,” Hurtubise commented. “His days of formation on Theology of the Body in recent years have been such a gift to the diocese. Our theme is ‘Wonderfully Made: Rediscovering the Gift of Being Human,’ which is a timely topic to be sure. The world has changed so much in recent centuries, and it feels like we are in midst of perhaps the biggest change yet.”
The day begins with registration at 8 a.m., followed by Mass with Bishop James P. Powers at 9 a.m. Lunch is at 11:30 a.m. and is included in the $60 cost. The conference wraps up at 3:30 p.m.
To register, visit catholicdos.org/fall-educators-conference.
Bill Donaghy (TOB Institute)
