Sr. Regina Marie
Growing up as a child in the Southern California, Sister Regina Marie Gorman never had a thought of being a nun. She wanted to “grow up and be a normal person.” During a high school retreat (which she was thought was a Catholic slumber party) she encountered the gratuitous, unconditional, personal love and call of the Father. Two years later tragedy struck, yet the call remained. Three years later she began her life in Carmel as a Postulant, and she has never looked back.
As a Carmelite religious, Sister Regina Marie has served as a classroom educator, Directress of Novices, Superior General and Vicar General and currently serves on the Formation Team for her Community of Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles.
One of Sister’s greatest joys is helping people welcome the God who draws near – even when we cannot see Him.
Dr. Danielle Koestner
Dr. Danielle Koestner is a family medicine and obstetrics physician with expertise in reproductive endocrinology, women’s health, and fertility. A fellow of the RHRI, Dr. Koestner is trained in the FEMM and RHRI protocols for the treatment of these conditions. Dr. Koestner offers telehealth services in over 40 US States and internationally.
She is passionate about helping couples find and treat the root causes of infertility which of course helps them reach their reproductive goals but most importantly to prevent disease and become the best version of themselves as intended by God.
Dr. Koestner and her husband Kyle are working together in this mission and spend half of their time mentoring other physicians and healthcare providers to learn this evidence based approach to infertility. They traveled to Tanzania in Africa with their 6 children to help with the infertility crisis there. There were 78 live births from previously infertile couples within a year and half after leaving. To God be the Glory!!
Edward Luersman
Edward Luersman is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor practicing in the states of Ohio and Florida and owner of Blessed Are They Counseling, a Christian counseling practice near Columbus, Ohio.
As a Catholic and mental health counselor who has personally experienced the agony of primary infertility and several pregnancy losses, his top clinical specialty and passion is supporting Catholic and other Christian individuals and couples experiencing the grief of infertility, pregnancy loss, or infant loss through compassionate online therapy.
He earned his Master of Art in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree from The Ohio State University and has many years of clinical experience with providing Christian Counseling services. Outside of work, he lives in Central Ohio with his beloved wife Kate of 7 years, his velcro golden retriever, and his feisty cat.
You may learn more about Edward and contact him at blessedaretheycounseling.com.
Sister Renée Mirkes, OSF, PhD
Sister Renée Mirkes, OSF, PhD is a member of the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity, Manitowoc, WI. She serves as director of the Center for NaProEthics [the ethics division of the Pope Paul VI Institute, Omaha, NE] and was editor of its ethics publication, The NaProEthics Forum, from 1996 to 2002.
Together with an undergraduate degree in music education and an undergraduate and master degree in vocal performance from Wisconsin Conservatory and University of Michigan School of Music, Sister Renee has a graduate degree in theology from the University of St. Thomas, Houston, TX and a doctorate degree in theological ethics from Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI (1995).
In her current position, she deals with procreative and birth ethics through consultations, publications, and public speaking. To these commitments Sr. Renée brings experience in clinical ethics as well as broad experience in bioethics as a research fellow from 1987-1990 with the National Catholic Bioethics Center (formerly the Pope John Center: Houston, TX).
Sister Renée was appointed to the Nebraska Bioethics Advisory Commission by University of Nebraska President L. Dennis Smith in 2000. She is a founding member and serves on the board of Nebraska Coalition for Ethical Research. Recently, the Center for NaProEthics has been approved as a host organization for the Blackstone Legal Fellowship Program and Sister Renee as on-site director of the Phase II practicum. Sister Renee has published articles in The Journal of Philosophy and Medicine; Ethics & Medics; New Blackfriars; The Thomist; Linacre Quarterly; The American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly; Catholic Answer;Our Sunday Visitor; The NaProEthics Forum;National Catholic Bioethics Center Quarterly; Ethics and Medicine, and The Catholic Response.