Rev. Paulinus C. Iwuji, SMMM, Ph.D., MSc. is a Roman Catholic priest and belongs to the religious order of Sons of Mary Mother of Mercy. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy (B.Phil.) and a bachelor of Divinity (B.D) from Pontifical Urban University, Rome. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies (B.A) from Imo State University, Owerri, Nigeria. In addition, he holds a Master of Arts in International Relations (M.A) from St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, Texas, and a Master of Science in Health Care Administration (M.Sc.) from Grand Canyon University, Phoenix, Arizona. He holds a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership (PhD) from St. Mary’s College of California. Dr. Iwuji has over 16 years’ experience of hospital ministry. Presently he is a staff chaplain at the San Francisco Veterans Administration health care system in San Francisco, California, and has been with this health care system since 2017. Prior to his present job, he worked for the University of New Mexico Hospital, Albuquerque, New Mexico while at the same time doing a graduate degree program in health care administration at Grand Canyon University, Phoenix, Arizona. After completing his Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) residency and receiving training as a chaplain in 2008/2009, he worked as a staff chaplain at Seton health care system, Austin, Texas. Before becoming a hospital chaplain, he did a four year pastoral ministry in the diocese of Fairbanks, Alaska, and was the Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Emmonak, Alaska, as well as a visiting priest to six other mission parishes. He is a board certified chaplain of the National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC), as well as board certified by the National Association of Veterans Administrations Chaplains (NAVAC). He is a member of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). He is a member of the National Association of Leadership and Success, and was inducted into the membership of Sigma, Alpha, and Pi in 2012. He is a member of the National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC). He is also a member of the National Association of Veterans Administrations Chaplains (NAVAC), as well as a member of the National Association of Veterans Administration Catholic Chaplains (NAVACC). He is the author of the book, Beyond Africa’s Democratic Experiments: An Odyssey Towards Inclusive and More Humanized World (2007); he co-edited the book, Mirrors of Justice: Critical reflections on justice and mercy, leadership and membership, Catholic identity and formation (2021). He has written several scholarly articles published online and in newspapers. Dr. Iwuji enjoys reading and writing. At his spare time, he enjoys playing or watching soccer. He also enjoys basketball and tennis, as well as listening to music and spending time outdoors enjoying nature.

John has served as the Director of Communications for the Diocese since 2008. He was appointed Vice Chancellor of the Diocese in 2021. John, his wife, Natalie, and son, Johnny, are parishioners at The Holy Name of Jesus parish in Redlands. John received a bachelor’s degree in communications from Cal State, San Bernardino in 1994. Before coming to the Pastoral Center, he was a newspaper reporter for The Press-Enterprise of Riverside. He is a member of several Diocesan Committees and Boards such as the Diocesan Eucharistic Revival Planning Committee, Caritas Telecommunications Board of Directors, and he chairs the Diocesan Laudato Si Committee and the Public Policy Advisory Committee, or, PPAC.

Mary was part of the Department of Life, Dignity and Justice, working for the Diocese of San Bernardino for 24 years. She was born in Scotland, raised in Germany and has lived in the United States since 1976. Mary has an undergraduate degree from Cal State Fullerton in International Business and Economics and a Master’s Degree in Pastoral Theology and Spiritual Direction from Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles. She also earned a Graduate Certificate in Health Care from the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia. Upon her departure from the diocese in 2021, she received the Episcopal Blessing from the Most Reverend Alberto Rojas and in 2022 she received the People of Life award from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. As the director of Respect Life and Pastoral Care, she was responsible for programs that offered compassionate and practical assistance for those in need of Pastoral Care by promoting Bereavement ministries and Mental Health programs in parishes, theological and practical support of End-of-Life care and spiritual healing for women, men and families affected by pregnancy loss. Mary has since moved to Dayton, Ohio to be with her family and grandchildren.

Isabel Sierra is an Associate Professional Clinical Counselor and an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist at Mountain Counseling and Training, where she provides therapy services for children, adults, and families facing mental health challenges. Additionally, Isabel serves as the project coordinator for Projecto AMEN in partnership with the RAND Corporation and the Diocese of San Bernardino, a project that focuses on providing mental health education and resources to the Hispanic community. Isabel's family immigrated from Mexico to the USA in 2013 after she earned a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas. She went on to earn her Master's of Arts in Psychology degree at California Southern University. Prior to her current role, Isabel worked as a Sales Manager for El Aviso Magazine, where she gained valuable business management experience. In 2019, she was nominated as Latin Executive of the year by the National Latina Business Women Association. Isabel also served as an active member of the Pomona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, where she served as secretary for five years. Throughout her career, Isabel has been committed to serving the Hispanic community in the Inland Empire, providing resources, education, and support for over nine years.

Dr. Melissa Hofstetter received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Fuller Graduate School of Psychology, an APA-accredited program in Pasadena, California. Her undergraduate degree is in psychology and religious studies from the University of Arizona in Tucson. Practicing with clinical acumen and personal warmth, her diverse clinical background includes campus counseling; intensive outpatient treatment of eating disorders; rehabilitative neuropsychology; veterans’ issues and trauma; as well as psychoanalytic study at the Wright Institute, Los Angeles. She has served as clinical adjunct faculty at Azusa Pacific University’s psychology doctoral and undergraduate programs, teaching courses in neuroscience, cognitive psychology, personality, family psychology, adult development, general psychology, and management of private practice. She has supervised the clinical work of doctoral psychology students at Fuller Graduate School of Psychology at various levels of their training. She has held membership with the American Psychological Association (APA), the San Gabriel Valley Psychological Association, and the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.

John Murillo III is an associate professor and chair of African American studies at the University of California, Irvine, and also Distinguished Course Director of LEAD-ABC RAPS in the UCI School of Medicine. His primary research interests include twentieth-century and contemporary Black literature, speculative fiction, Afropessimism, critical theory, and theoretical physics. He is the author of Impossible Stories: On the Space and Time of Black Destructive Creation. He is at work on two projects that build on the first, one entitled Infinite Blackness, and the other and a “mythological memoir” titled Orbitals.

Father David Andel was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the oldest of four children. His family moved to Alta Loma in 1979, and they attended St. Peter and St. Paul Parish. He graduated from Sacred Heart School in Rancho Cucamonga, and then Damien High School. After a year of college at Harvey Mudd, he entered Serra House of Formation and graduated from UC Riverside with a degree in applied math with physics. He then studied theology at St. John’s Seminary, Camarillo. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of San Bernardino in 1995 and has served in several parishes in the diocese, most recently Our Lady of Hope in San Bernardino and St. Adelaide’s in Highland. Fr. David earned a degree in canon law from the Angelicum University in Rome in 2001, and he currently serves as the judicial vicar of the diocese. He helps with young adult ministry and LGBTQ ministry at the diocesan and parish levels.

Alexander Cordova is a Behavioral Health Education Consultant with San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health, Substance Use Disorder Recovery Services, SUPPOrT, Inland Empire Opioid Crisis Coalition. His varied career includes alcohol and drug counselor, outreach counselor, Parent Project facilitator, Smoking Cessation facilitator, Anger Management facilitator and Intervention specialist. Alexanders experience includes 9 years working as an alcohol and drug counselor for Inland Valley Recovery Services where he facilitated outpatient groups, aftercare groups, parenting classes, anger management classes where he was successful motivating clients and building relationships to help clients reach their full potential. Alexander facilitated interventions and guided families with the intervention process and connected the family and client to a healthy family relationship. For the last 9 years Alexander has worked at Department of Behavioral Health, Screening, Assessment and Referral Center (SARC) working with clients to place them in the appropriate level of care. He also facilitated assessments out in the field with the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Homeless Outreach Proactive Enforcement Team (H.O.P.E) . In the last 3 years Alexander has been facilitating training and distribution of Narcan to the community. Alexander started a new position on January 27,2024 was promoted to Behavioral Health Education Consultant with the Department of Behavioral Health, Substance Use and Recovery Services, SUPPOrT, Inland Empire Opioid Crisis Coalition.