Our Leadership Team

Dr. Daniel and Bethany Meola

Co-Founders; Dan is President and Board Chairman;
Bethany is Vice President and Board Secretary

Daniel Meola is an adult child of divorce who earned his Ph.D. in Theology of Marriage and Family from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Washington, D.C. He has been leading retreats and support groups for adult children of divorce or separation since 2015 in the Archdiocese of Washington, and in 2018 he founded Life-Giving Wounds to spread the retreats, support groups, and other ministry to adult children of divorce or separation around the country an internationally.

Bethany Meola has a master of theological studies degree from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Washington, D.C. She and Dan met there and married in 2011. Bethany served the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for seven years in the Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth. Among other tasks, she managed the website For Your Marriage, and researched and wrote on various topics related to marriage and family. In 2017, Dan and Bethany welcomed their daughter Zelie-Louise through the gift of adoption, and Bethany became a stay-at-home mom. And in 2019, Grace joined their family, also through adoption.

They are authors of the book Life-Giving Wounds: A Catholic Guide to Healing for Adult Children of Divorce or Separation (Ignatius Press, 2023).

Dan and Bethany live in Bowie, MD with their two daughters and a cat.

Art Bennett

Art Bennett is the oldest of six, raised in a Catholic family in Southern California. His parents struggled throughout their marriage and divorced when he was in his early twenties. Later, as a licensed marriage and family therapist, married for ten years with two young children, he took a job helping U.S. Army families stationed in Germany with their kids’ alcohol and drug problems. While in Germany, a most secular country in a most secular era, Art and his wife recommitted to their Catholic Faith largely due to the faith of U.S. Army chaplains. Eventually he went from providing therapy to managing the whole program, and his employer brought the family to the Washington D.C. area. Art helped start the Alpha Omega Clinics, which overtly integrated the Catholic Faith and sound psychology. Together with his talented-writing spouse, Laraine, the Bennetts published five practical books on integrating the Catholic faith and relationships. After leading Alpha Omega for eight years, Art became President & CEO of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington, where he oversaw 21 programs in 21 counties and integrated the social doctrine of the Church with the social needs of the area. Art retired from that position in 2021 and is returning to marriage therapy again, hoping to further integrate faith and psychology.

Michael Hernon

Michael is co-founder (with his wife Alicia) of the Messy Family Project, a ministry that is dedicated to empowering moms and dads to embrace their sacred calling.  Parents of ten children and grandparents to three, the Hernons have traveled around the world to encourage families and spark conversations between spouses on how to be the best parents for their children. Mike and Alicia offer down-to-earth, practical insights into family life through their podcast, free marriage and parenting resources, and their virtual courses.

Mike is an adult child of divorce as well, and has shared his story and journey of healing on his podcast as well as at Life-Giving Wounds events. Before launching the Messy Family Project, Mike was Vice President of Advancement at Franciscan University and host of Franciscan University Presents on EWTN. Mike has also served national political organizations, led statewide campaigns, directed grassroots non-partisan efforts, and has been elected to local office. In 2006, he helped found The Catholic Association, a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. Mike holds both a Bachelor's degree in Theology and a Master's in Business Administration from Franciscan University of Steubenville.

Fr. John Baptist Hoang, OP

Fr. John Baptist Hoang, OP, is a Dominican priest of the Province of Saint Joseph and an adult child of divorce. Fr. John Baptist currently serves as the Chaplain and Director of Catholic Campus Ministry at the University of Louisville. He grew up in the Diocese of Arlington and attended the University of Virginia with a degree in Religious Studies and Sociology. He entered the Order of Preachers right after college and was ordained a priest on May 21, 2016. Following his ordination, he was assigned to New York City. Fr. John Baptist has also been a speaker and a small group leader at Life-Giving Wounds events.

Fr. Daniel Leary

Father Dan Leary graduated from Mount Saint Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, MD, and was ordained a priest in the Archdiocese of Washington DC in June 1997. For the next 23 years, he ministered at various parishes throughout the Archdiocese. During this time, he led numerous retreats for men, women and couples, and pilgrimages to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  In addition, Father Dan organized several mission trips each year to serve the poor through Mustard Seed Communities in Jamaica and the Missionaries of Charity in Haiti. He continues to support two non-profits: The Talitha Cumi Foundation, Inc., and Anima Christi Retreats, Inc. Father Dan has spiritually assisted the Life-Giving Wounds ministry since its beginning, and has served as the retreat priest for several retreats.

In July 2020, Father Dan was appointed Chaplain of the Sisters of Mary, a religious community founded in 1964 by DC-native Venerable Father Al Schwartz. He served for three years as their Chaplain, a Spiritual Father to the 350+ Sisters of Mary and tens of thousands of children in their care. In 2023, Fr. Dan returned to the Archdiocese of Washington and is currently pastor of St. John the Evangelist parish in Clinton, MD.

Dr. Andrew Lichtenwalner

Vice-Chairman

Andrew (Andy) Lichtenwalner, Ph.D., is the Director of the Office of Formation and Discipleship in the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Prior to coming back to his home state of Georgia in 2018, Andy worked at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops from 2006 to 2018, serving the last six years as Executive Director of the Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth. He holds a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from The Catholic University of America, an M.A. in Theology from the University of Dallas, and an A.B. in Religion and Philosophy from the University of Georgia. He and his wife are the proud parents of four beautiful children (with three little ones interceding from heaven). Andy is the youngest of seven siblings, and his parents were married over sixty years, offering a loving and joyful example. Andy’s extended family has experienced the pain and difficulty of divorce in various ways.

Michael Manocchio

Michael Manocchio is a seasoned executive with deep experience in the healthcare sector.  He is currently the Chief Strategy Officer of Pediatric Associates, the largest pediatric physician practice management organization in the nation, where he leads the organic and inorganic growth efforts for the Company.  Prior to Pediatric Associates, Mike was a Senior Vice President at HealthSun Health Plans, a Medicare Advantage health plan based in Miami, Florida.  At HealthSun, he led the business development, financial planning and medical economics functions before and after its sale to Elevance Health, a leading national insurance company.  Michael spent the ten years prior as an investment banker where he covered the managed care and healthcare services sectors.  Michael holds a Master's degree in Business Administration from Columbia Business School and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Florida State University.

Michael is an adult child of divorce and believes strongly in the ministerial opportunity to serve others as they seek peace through experiencing Christ’s love.  He lives in South Florida with his wife, Michelle, and their four children.

Jessica Root

Treasurer

Jessica Root has held varying roles in the nonprofit sector since graduating with a B.A. in Sociology from Mount St. Mary’s University in 2009. She has experience in nonprofit management, development and fundraising, volunteer recruitment and management, finance, and human resources. She recently obtained her Master’s in Business Administration with a concentration in Organizational Development from Mount St. Mary’s in 2018. Her personal mission is service to those in need and creating sustainability for faith-based nonprofits. Being an adult child of divorce herself, she is excited to join the Board of Directors for Life Giving Wounds in order to help bring healing to others in need. She attended a retreat in 2018 and it was life changing to be able to begin a healing process that was previously unknown to her. She is looking forward to contributing her skills and talents in nonprofit management so others can begin that same healing journey. 

Beth Sri

Beth Sri is the mother of eight children and is married to Catholic theologian Edward Sri. A graduate of Benedictine College, she was among the first FOCUS missionaries and has led numerous Bible studies and women’s groups. She is the author (with Edward Sri) of The Good, the Messy, and the Beautiful: The Joys of Struggles of Real Married Life (Ascension, 2022), contributor (with Edward Sri) to the Catholic for a Reason series (Emmaus Road) and a presenter in the acclaimed film series, Beloved: Finding Happiness in Marriage (Augustine Institute). Beth has been a guest on podcasts including Among the Lilies, How-To Catholic, and All Things Catholic.

Beth is an adult child of divorce and has found opportunities to share with others about that wound and her path of healing, including on podcasts and at Catholic conferences. Beth also has a heart for women who are striving to live up to the beautiful ideals of Catholic marriage and find themselves surprisingly struggling in their marriages, in their motherhood and ultimately in their own brokenness.  Her ministry and website www.borntodothis.org helps women know they are not alone in this noble endeavor and equips them to move forward in their vocation without fear.

Mary-Rose Verret

Mary-­Rose Verret is the co-founder of Witness to Love and the co-author of Witness to Love: How to Help the Next Generation Build Marriages that Survive and Thrive. Witness to Love is a virtues-based, Catechumenate model of marriage renewal and preparation that integrates modern principles of psychology and the virtues to help couples facilitate an authentic dialogue about their relationship. Mary-Rose, together with her husband Ryan, speak on issues regarding evangelization, marriage, NFP, miscarriage, and medical ethics. They have seen firsthand the pain and isolation that divorce causes in the lives of children. Mary-Rose and Ryan are frequent guests on Catholic radio and they reside in the heart of Cajun Country with their six children. Their passion is teaching couples to share their marriage with others!

Fr. Mario Majano

National Chaplain + Hispanic Ministry Advisor

Fr. Mario A. Majano is a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington, DC and was ordained on June 16, 2012.  He currently serves as parochial vicar of the Parochial Vicar of Misión San Andrés and St. Andrew’s Apostle Church in Silver Spring, MD. Fr. Mario attended Franciscan University of Steubenville and graduated from St John’s University in Queens, NY.  He did his Theological studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, studying at the Angelicum and the Teresianum.

He is an assistant vocations director for the Archdiocese of Washington and helps as an adjunct spiritual director of the Saint John Paul II Seminary. He has a zeal to help others grow in holiness and fervently believes in God’s healing power. Has dedicated much of his time to accompanying people in their growth in the faith through their own personal experience. He enjoys working with youth and helping them find their place in the Church.

Fr. Mario is excited to be the chaplain of Life-Giving Wounds and to accompany adults from broken homes as part of this ministry.

Lacy Prebula, MTS

Donor Advisor and National Ministry Coordinator + DC Chapter Coordinator

Lacy Prebula is a lifelong Marylander and an adult child of divorce. She became a Catholic while she was a student at the University of Maryland. After college, she attended the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family where she received her masters in theological studies.

Lacy and her husband Tony have four beautiful children. Together they own and run Saints Row Brewing. Lacy is a stay-at-home mom and homeschools their oldest daughter.

Lacy credits much of the healing from her parents' divorce to her time at the John Paul II Institute and her work with the Life-Giving Wounds ministry. She has been honored to be on the traveling retreat team and is very excited to be a part of the leadership team now as well. Lacy is grateful for this opportunity to share Christ’s healing love with others.

Alexander Wolfe

Donor Advisor and National Chapter Support Coordinator + Online Ministry Advisor

Alex grew up in western Pennsylvania and is an adult child of divorce. He graduated from DeSales University with a B.A. in Catholic Theology. After undergrad, he spent a year teaching theology at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, MD.

After gaining this experience, Alex went to graduate school at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Washington, D.C., where he completed the Master of Theological Studies degree and coursework for the Ph.D. He is now employed by the Office of Marriage, Family, and Respect Life at the Diocese of Arlington.

Alex is an alumnus of the Life-Giving Wounds retreat and now serves as the retreat leader for Life-Giving Wounds in Arlington. Alex joined the traveling retreat team in 2019.

Katey Mooney

Media + Communications Specialist

Katey Mooney is a Virginia native and part of the Arlington chapter of Life-Giving Wounds. As an adult child of divorce, Katey is passionate about helping others to find peace in their healing journey. After attending the Arlington Life-Giving Wounds retreat in 2022, Katey leaned into God's call to continue supporting our mission. Today, Katey serves as the LGW Media + Communications Specialist, as well as a Small Group Leader for the Online Book Club. 

Katey received her B.S. in Mass Communications at Virginia Commonwealth University and has served many roles in media production, communications management, television news, and now serves as a nonprofit development strategist for an Alexandria-based nonprofit. Katey and her fiancé are getting married in the Fall of 2023, and soon after will set off for life as a military family. She is excited to further the mission of Life-Giving Wounds and to support others in their pursuit of healing.

Kate Sell

Organizational Development Advisor

Kate Sell is an organizational strategist with more than 15 years of experience in business and nonprofit consulting. Her experience in the Catholic sphere throughout the United States and abroad brings a unique perspective to those serving the "Pope Francis Church." By assisting organizations to better understand the Catholic landscape in the 21st Century, Kate is able to guide organizations to more effectively live their unique mission with innovative evangelistic strategy and to utilize their resources to most effectively to serve the needs of the modern Church.

Having worked with for-profit companies, national nonprofits, dioceses, parishes and ministry-based organizations, Kate has experience in all phases of organizational change and development, as well as the communications strategy and messaging necessary to bring initiatives to the forefront. Her expertise in planning and strategy provides clarity and focus to organizational growth and transition while equipping clients to maximize resources – human, time, and capital. In addition, Kate’s reputation for communication strategy and messaging ensures that project, campaign, or organizational identities reach target audiences with specific messaging that resonates with their needs and invites them to learn more.

A convert to the Catholic faith in 1999, Kate lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband Bryan and their five children.

Fr. Jim McCormack, MIC

Spiritual Advisor

Fr. Jim McCormack, MIC, is a priest for the Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary and an adult child of divorce.

He received a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Yale University and a Master’s degree in the same subject from Stanford University. After graduate school, he moved to Colorado, where he worked seven years for Hewlett-Packard and skied every month of the year for seventy consecutive months!

His first sense of a priestly calling came in graduate school, but he ignored the call for nearly six years. During that time, he was engaged to be married, but his fiancée broke off their engagement six months before the wedding. It was at that point that he decided to take his original calling more seriously. On a pilgrimage to Italy in 2002, while praying in the Holy House of Loreto, he received the grace to follow the Lord’s invitation to become a priest.

He eventually entered the Marian Congregation and was ordained to the priesthood on July 10, 2010. He later earned his licentiate in Rome in the Theology of the Consecrated Life. He now serves as novice master, prefect of formation, provincial councilor and local superior at the Marian house of studies in Washington, D.C.

Drs. Nate and Jill Verschaetse

Psychological Advisors

Drs. Nate and Jill Verschaetse are licensed clinical psychologists in Arizona and practice in the greater Phoenix area. Their clinical work includes therapy with adults, children, couples, families, clergy, and religious. They also provide psychological assessments for those seeking entrance to religious life and seminary. In addition to their interest in helping children of divorce heal, they enjoy giving talks on married love and assisting couples to deepen their connection. They have been involved with integrative healing ministries and are passionate about the integration of faith and psychotherapy. The couple believes fervently in the power of the family to be vessels of life-giving graces to the world.

Samuel Russell

Blog Coordinator

Sam grew up in Southwest Georgia and now resides in sunny Florida with his wife and daughter. He attended the Life Giving Wounds retreat in 2018 before getting married and after completing his graduate studies at The Catholic University of America. At CUA, he studied Library and Information Science, American History and met his wife. Sam is a convert to the Catholic faith having grown up in other Christian denominations. His maxim is Love to Know—Know to Live—Live to Love.

Sam is very happy to work with any Life Giving Wounds alumni or supporters on writing and editing a blog post for the site. You can reach him at blog@lifegivingwounds.org.

Traveling Retreat Team

Please see this page for information about the team that takes the Life-Giving Wounds retreat to dioceses and parishes.