When the White Smoke Clears

Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio (“Dr. Italy”) received his Ph.D. in historical theology from The Catholic University of America under the direction of Avery Cardinal Dulles and has had a prolific career as a Catholic author, internationally-respected speaker, pilgrimage leader, and university professor. He is the Co-founder and Director of The Crossroads Initiative, the author of five books and hundreds of articles, and a regular guest on both secular and Catholic TV and radio programs.

In 2004, Dr. D’Ambrosio co-authored the New York Times bestseller A Guide to the Passion: 100 Questions about The Passion of the Christ with Ascension founder Matt Pinto. In 2019, Dr. D’Ambrosio published the groundbreaking Bible study on the life of Jesus Christ filmed in the Holy Land, Jesus: The Way, the Truth, and the Life, presenting alongside Jeff Cavins and Dr. Edward Sri. In 2022, he became the co-author and co-presenter of What We Believe: The Beauty of the Catholic Faith, together with Dr. Andrew Swafford and Sarah Swafford, and in 2025 was announced as a co-presenter of the groundbreaking Foundations of Faith: A Journey Through the Catechism of the Catholic Church with Fr. Mike Schmitz, Jeff Cavins, and Dr. Edward Sri.

Dr. D’Ambrosio is currently teaches for the Catholic International University (formerly known as Catholic Distance University). He has previously been on faculty at the Loyola College in Maryland as well as the University of Dallas.

Dr. D’Ambrosio and his wife Susan reside in Dallas, Texas, where they frequently spend time with their many children and grandchildren.

Dr. Edward Sri is a theologian, well-known Catholic speaker, and author of several best-selling Catholic books and resources. His work with Ascension includes Foundations of Faith: A Journey Through the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a groundbreaking Catholic study program filmed in 40 locations across 4 continents. Together with Fr. Mike Schmitz, Jeff Cavins, and Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio, Dr. Sri guides viewers on a spiritual pilgrimage through Foundations of Faith that will transform the way participants understand Catholic teachings and live the Catholic Faith.

Dr. Sri’s other study programs with Ascension include A Biblical Walk Through the Mass, No Greater Love: A Biblical Walk Through Christ’s Passion and When You Pray: A Clear Path to a Deeper Relationship with God. He has also authored several books with Ascension, including the Pocket Guide to Prayer, co-written with his wife, Beth and Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR.

Dr. Sri is the host of the acclaimed Ascension podcast All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri. Together with Curtis Martin, Dr. Sri is a founding leader of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), of which he serves as senior vice president of Apostolic Outreach.

Dr. Sri lives with his wife Beth and their children and grandchildren in Colorado.

Katie Prejean McGrady is an author, sought after speaker, and the host of SiriusXM’s "The Katie McGrady Show" on The Catholic Channel. She hosts the Ave Explores podcast, the Like a Mother podcast, and co-hosts Family Mass Prep on Hallow. Katie is a Vatican Analyst for CNN and collaborates with the Vatican Dicastery for Communications on Digital Media initiatives. She lives and works in Lake Charles, Louisiana, with her husband, Tommy, and daughters, Rose and Clare.

Fr. Mike Schmitz, a Catholic priest and evangelist well known for his social media videos and podcasts, hosted the 2021 breakout podcast The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)™, which became the #1 podcast on the Apple charts after its January 2021 launch, and is the most popular Catholic podcast of all time. The Bible in a Year was Chartable’s #1 global podcast in religion for several years, and was covered by news outlets including CBS, Fox, and The New York Times Magazine.

Jeff Cavins is recognized both nationally and internationally as one of the most effective and engaging speakers in the Church today. Few can communicate their love for Jesus Christ with as much zeal, clarity, and enthusiasm as Jeff Cavins. In addition to his outstanding presentations related to Catholic Bible study, Jeff is available to speak on a variety of other faith-formation topics.

After twelve years as a Protestant pastor, Jeff returned to the Catholic Church under the guidance of Bishop Paul Dudley. His conversion story, one of the best known and most inspiring stories of its kind, is chronicled in the best-selling book, My Life on the Rock. After his conversion, Jeff received an MA in Theology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville.

Over the past several decades, Jeff has dedicated his life to developing The Bible TimelineⓇ: The Story of Salvation, a practical, interactive program that helps people read the “big picture” of God’s plan of salvation in Sacred Scripture and understand its meaning for their lives.

For 2025, The Bible Timeline has been refreshed with new videos filmed on location in the Holy Land, Greece, Rome and several other locations, and new presenters such as Fr. Mike Schmitz, Mary Healy, and Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio. The Great Adventure Bible Timeline presents the entire sweep of the Bible in a way that is easy to understand and genuinely fun to engage. As the foundational element of The Great Adventure Learning System, the Bible Timeline has revolutionized Catholic Bible Study for hundreds of thousands of Catholics.

After powerfully encountering Jesus in the Eucharist as a teenager, Fr. Josh Johnson dedicated his life to becoming a wholehearted disciple of Jesus Christ. Ordained for the Diocese of Baton Rouge in 2014, Fr. Josh has dedicated his priesthood to inviting all people to become saints in their walk toward eternity.

Fr. Josh travels widely as a speaker at conferences, retreats, and youth events, and was one of 3 MCs at the historic National Eucharistic Congress in 2024. He is well-known for his popular Ascension podcast Ask Father Josh as well as his Q&A videos on Ascension Presents, one of the largest Catholic YouTube channels in English.

Fr. Josh has written several books with Ascension, including the best-selling Pocket Guide to Reconciliation co-written with Fr. Mike Schmitz and On Earth as It Is in Heaven: Restoring God’s Vision of Race and Discipleship. He appears in many Ascension video programs including Connected: Catholic Social Teaching for This Generation, and his latest book—the Pocket Guide to Overcoming the Seven Deadly Sins—is the topic of the 2025 Lenten program in the Ascension App.

Fr. Josh is the vocations director for the Diocese of Baton Rouge, as well as pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus parish. He can often be found praying the Rosary and walking in the neighborhoods of his parish, inviting those under his pastoral care to become intentional disciples of Jesus Christ.