The Cross of Authentic Love:
A Workshop For Families Struggling With Same Sex Attraction
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Focus of Workshop:
To obtain a better understanding of Same Sex Attraction through the eyes of Christ.Three speakers will address three aspects of this subject:
Dr. Tom Neal will focus on the LOVE that Christ taught us,
Armando & Carol Ruiz will share their personal journey as parents of a daughter with same sex attraction who identifies as gay,
Jeff Guillory will share his personal story on how he lives his Catholic faith as a person with same sex attraction.
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Information: Must be 16+ to attend
COST: NO CHARGE TO ATTEND - Love offerings accepted to cover expenses
WHERE: St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church - Family Life Center
910 Cross Gates Blvd. Slidell, LA 70461DATE: Saturday, April 5, 2025
Any additional questions, please contact Armando at 504.975.9511
TIME: 1st Saturday MASS starts at 8:45 AM in the church
Talks starts at 10:00 AM - Lunch at noon - Workshop ends at 2:00 PM -
Resources:
Courage Website: https://couragerc.org/
Testimonies: https://couragerc.org/resources/#testimonies -
Dr. Tom Neal
Dr. Neal is originally from Providence, Rhode Island. He received his B.A. in Philosophy from St. Mary’s Academy and M.A. in Systematic Theology from St. Mary’s Seminary and University. He later pursued his Ph.D in Florida State University’s Department of Religion, specializing in the evolution of Christian mysticism in the early-late medieval Europe. He wrote an defended his dissertation on writings of St. John of the Cross.
Dr. Neal has spent most of the last 25 years serving the catechetical mission of the Church in Florida and Des Moines, Iowa where he has served in pastoral leadership and as the director of catechetical institute. He served for 11 years as Professor of Theology at Notre Dame Seminary. During those years he was the co-founder and director of the Institute of Lay Ecclesial Ministry, and served as as Academic Dean of the Seminary. He presently serves as Chief of Evangelization and Mission Engagement for the diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, in the Florida Panhandle. He and his wife Patti have been married for 29 years, have four adult children and a grandson. -
Armando & Carol Ruiz
Armando and Carol have been married for 39 years. They are native New Orleanians who moved to Slidell in 1991 with 2 small children. After the move to the Northshore, they welcomed 3 additional children, one on which came to them through the blessing of adoption and unfortunately their middle son was lost to a miscarriage. The couple eventually became parishioners at St. Margaret Mary Church and enjoyed over 27 years in that faith filled congregation.Armando worked in management in Corporate America for several industries until opening up his own corporation in 1999 and started three different companies. In the meantime Carol relished creating a home and raising the family.
St. Margaret Mary Church is where they both discovered their love and devotion to God when then attended a Marriage Encounter weekend. They started volunteering and were blessed to make many lifelong friendships. They have been St. Luke parishioners for 4 years, enjoying the many ministries that allow them to continue giving back to the church. Men’s club, Pastoral Counsel, Altar Society, Family Bash committee, and Good Samaritan Ministry, to name a few. Armando and Carol are particularly excited to be a part of the Capital Campaign to build a new church for Saint Luke.
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Mr. Jeff Guillory
Mr. Jeff Guillory was born and raised in the New Orleans area. After completing 12 years of Catholic education, he attended Tulane University and later the University of Colorado, Boulder, where he earned a B.A. in International Affairs and French. His education included studying abroad at the Université de Haute Bretagne in Rennes, France.
Jeff has spent 35 years of his professional career in the hospitality industry, specializing in sales and marketing. He has worked for prestigious brands such as Le Méridien, Westin, W Hotels, Swissotel, InterContinental, Millennium, and Marriott. His career took him across the country, with stints in Chicago, San Francisco, Miami, Montana, Los Angeles, and Mammoth Lakes, California as well as Marrakech, Morocco.
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Jeff decided to return to Louisiana from Oregon. He now resides in Covington, where he is an active parishioner at St. Peter Catholic Church. Jeff volunteers with Project Lazarus, a transitional housing facility, and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, both in New Orleans. He has been involved with Courage International for over three years and serves as the local moderator for Courage New Orleans.