Retreat Facilitator
Beverlee Klopfenstein
Beverlee Klopfenstein is a Soul Care Artisan who leads retreats and workshops in Praying in Color, Kintsugi, and mixed-media art through Experiential Ministries, the nonprofit founded by Beverlee and Mark Klopfenstein. Her workshops combine creativity, reflection, and spiritual practice to create meaningful opportunities for connection and renewal.
Alicia Maciel, Wellbeing Coach and Mindfulness Mentor
Alicia Maciel is a certified Mindfulness Mentor and Executive Leadership and Wellbeing Coach with an MBA from Harvard Business School and extensive experience coaching high-potential leaders at every stage of their careers. She equips participants with practical tools and evidence-based practices to strengthen self-awareness, emotional regulation, motivation, and interpersonal effectiveness. Alicia’s approach encourages individuals to […]
Colleen “Coke” Tani
Colleen “Coke” Tani is a spiritual director/companion, writer and InterPlay(c) leader. She was once a hospice/bereavement therapist as well as congregational coordinator of spiritual nurture. She misses and communes with her deceased parents everyday.
Cathie Tani
Cathie Tani is a retired elementary and middle school teacher and a bereaved mother of two children. She helps lead grief support ministries and coordinates memorial services at her church, offering comfort and compassion to those experiencing loss.
Leigh Shindo
Leigh Shindo is an Educator, Family Assistant and a Reiki Master Practitioner. Caregiving her brother and parents through their transitions, she feels, is an honor. She lives her life with love, gratitude and resilience at its core.
Cathie Tani, Leigh Shindo, and Coke Tani
Cathie, Leigh, and Coke are educators, grief support facilitators, energy healers, artists, and spiritual directors who have all experienced great losses as well as life in the aftermath. Their unique approach to bereavement care includes movement meditation, arts & crafts, and communal altar-making.
Fr. Mike Hutchins, SVD
Fr. Mike Hutchins is a Divine Word Missionary, now semi-retired. Over the years, he has served primarily in educational ministries, including high school teaching in South Los Angeles, college teaching in the Philippines, seminary formation and administration in Divine Word institutions in the U.S. Midwest. He has enjoyed complementary ministries in Worldwide Marriage Encounter and, […]
Elsy Arevalo, M.A.
Elsy Arevalo, M.A., mother/wife, spiritual director, assistant director for the Center for Religion & Spirituality at Loyola Maymount University where she heads the Family Spirituality course & the Ministeries in Spanish certification program.
Laureen Lazarovici & Victor Narro
Laureen and Victor, both trained SoulCollage® Facilitators, have guided participants in settings from UCLA to the Religious Education Congress. Their passion is helping people bring their whole, authentic selves into their homes, work, and communities.
Terry Hershey
TERRY HERSHEY—author, humorist, inspirational speaker, dad, ordained minister, golf addict, and smitten by French wine. He divides his time between designing sanctuary gardens and sharing his practice of “pausing” and “sanctuary,” to help us rest, renew, and live wholehearted. Terry’s book, This Is The Life, offers the invitation and permission to savor this life, to taste the present moment. Most […]
Chantel Zimmerman
The Art and Soul of Journaling - Spiritual Journaling as a practice to invite God, explore possibilities, and begin again. “Each new day is a blank page in the diary of your life. The secret of success is in turning that diary into the best story you possibly can.” — Douglas Pagels Begin anew. A […]
Mark Mitchell, LMFT
Mark Mitchell has been a coach, psychotherapist, and educator for over 40 years. He has taught at Loyola Marymount University in their Center for Religion & Spirituality, and their addiction studies program. He is a National Geographic educator, former wilderness survival instructor, and a community gardener. He is know for his humor & finding hope.
Jo Brooks
Jo is a recurring program facilitator – both onsite and online for Mary & Joseph Retreat Center. Jo is a registered teacher and recovery coach with many years of experience. She is a mother, wife, friend, guide, and a compassionate advocate for living life one day at a time. Jo leads TURNAROUND workshops and one-on-one […]
Dennis Branconier
Dennis Branconier has 30 years experience in financial and estate planning to address family legacy issues that typically go untouched by technical professional advisors. He serves as President of the Mary & Joseph Retreat Center Board of Directors, and also regularly volunteers at Retreat Center events. Dennis and his wife Kathleen live here in Rancho […]
Fr. Joe Miller, SVD
Fr. Joe Miller, SVD, has been a Divine Word Missionary priest for over 50 years, including 9 years as seminary formation and vocations director, 3 years as a parish priest, 10 years in hospital chaplaincy, and 10 years as Missions Office Director. He currently works in Spiritual Formation, retreat ministry,, hospital chaplaincy, and Mission Animation.
Sue Ballotti
Sue Ballotti is a spiritual director, retreat facilitator, and docent for labyrinth walks at Mary & Joseph Retreat Center. She is a Master Catechist for the LA Archdiocese and a past director of RCIA at St. Margaret Mary in Lomita. She serves on the Board of Directors of the MJRC as Vice-President, and is a […]
Sr. Pascazia Kinkuhaire, DMJ
Sr. Pascazia Kinkuhaire, DMJ, is a Daughter of Mary and Joseph of Ugandan origin. She specializes in Social Ministry in Mission, and is a Spiritual Director. She has served in her Order as Teacher, Social Worker, Formator, and in Leadership on the Africa Province level. Here in California, she is a Designated Board Member of […]
Valeria Chow – Life Coach, Facilitator
The first time Valeria Chow stepped into American Martyrs Church was for 5pm Mass on Easter Sunday. Monsignor Barry gave his homily and then proceeded to pull out a stuffed toy that sang, and she knew she had to come back. Eventually, she did and became an official member of AMC in 2021. Wanting community […]
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Laurie Wallace
Laurie Wallace is co-facilitator of a women's prayer group, a graphic designer, ceramicist, and has taught art to children and the elderly.