About Catholic Church Resource Institute

"A group of dedicated, faithful Catholics determined to place their particular skills in business, management and planning at the service of the church."

CRI's role is to provide education and training. Speakers with expertise in each discipline are available to conduct seminars for your organization.

Church Resource Institute Board of Directors

How Are We Funded?

Church Resource Instiutute is funded by board member donations, grants, annual membership dues, non-member fees and other donations.

Bishop Robert F. Vasa

The Most Reverend Robert F. Vasa
Bishop of Baker, Oregon

Undergraduate Studies - Saint Thomas Seminary College, Denver, CO B.A. 1972
Theological Studies - Holy Trinity Seminary (University of Dallas) M. Div.  1976
Ordained a Priest for the Diocese of Lincoln in Nebraska - May 22, 1976
Associate Pastor, Cathedral of the Risen Christ Lincoln - 1976-1979
Post Graduate Studies in Canon Law - Gregorian University in Rome - 1979-1981
License in Canon Law  (J.C.L.) from the Gregorian University - June 1981
Appointed Chancellor of the Diocese of Lincoln 1981- 1985
Appointed as Judge of the Diocese of Lincoln Tribunal 1981-1985
Appointed Pastor of Saint James Parish in Cortland  - May 20, 1985
Appointed Judicial Vicar of the Diocese of Lincoln 1985—1990
Named Pastor of newly established Parish of Saint Peter in Lincoln - May 21, 1990
Named Prelate of Honor - November 28, 1995
Appointed Vicar General of the Diocese of Lincoln 1996-1999
Helped establish Holy Family Medical Specialties in Lincoln - 1996
Established the Diocese of Lincoln self-insured Health Plan - 1996
Named Bishop of the Diocese of Baker - November 19, 1999
Ordained Bishop for the Diocese of Baker - January 26, 2000
Named Episcopal Moderator for the Catholic Medical Association - November 2000
Established the Diocese of Baker self-insured Health Plan - January 1, 2002
Issued Giving Testimony to the Truth in May of 2004
Issued Entrusted with Sacred Duties in May of 2005

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William J.  Barbera

Community Bank, Chief Financial Officer
National Association of Securities Dealers (Series 7)
Life and Health Insurance Licenses, State of Louisiana

Personal Information
Married, 26 years to Dawn Dugas of Napoleonville, 3 sons – Josh(25), Blake(23), Jordan(17)

Education
NASD Series 7 Securities License
Graduate of the ABA School of Bank Investments, Colorado State University, 1987
BS, Nicholls State University – Finance, 1982 (Minor Accounting & Military Science)
E.D. White Catholic High School, 1979

Licensing and Training
National Association of Securities Dealers (Series 7)
Life and Health Insurance Licenses, State of Louisiana
Securities Licenses, State of Louisiana

Business Experience

• July 2008 to present, Community Bank, Chief Financial Officer

• Senior Executive Officer, reports to the CEO and the Board of Directors

• Participates as a member of the decision making body in managing the various businesses of the majority stock holders

• Responsible for the accounting, financial reporting, and regulatory reporting of the bank to all state and federal regulatory agencies and the Board of Directors.

• Manage the liquidity position, investment portfolio, and deposit pricing decisions

• Additional responsibilities include Information Technology and Human Resources departments

• June 2003 to June 2008, Diocese of Houma Thibodaux, Chief Financial Officer and Coordinator of Administration, Corporate Secretary

• Responsible for all aspects of financial administration for Diocesan central administration, 51 church parishes and 13 schools

• Managed the investment operations and administration of over $60 million in investment assets of the Central Finance System (deposit and loan operation for all agencies of the diocese.)

• Managed all aspects of property, casualty and liability insurance program insuring approximately $296 million of insured assets

• Supervised the benefits administration covering 1,000+ employees of the Diocese

• Supervised the Buildings and Construction, the Computer Operations, and Development Offices

• Coordinated external audits as well as internal administrative review.

• Represented the Diocese as the fiscal officer on the Louisiana Catholic Workers Compensation Pool, providing coverage to 5 dioceses.

• Served as President of the Catholic Wind Pool, reinsuring 16 dioceses for named-storm deductibles

• Successfully implemented the placement of two bond issues totaling $24 million dollars to finance major construction and a pension financing issue

• June 2001 to June 2003, Hibernia National Bank, Private Client Group Resource Manager – Bayou Region

• Provided services to high net-worth clients and businesses in the areas of asset management, insurance, business transition, estate planning and trust services

• November 1998 to June 2001, American Express Financial Advisors, Registered Representative

• Provided financial planning, insurance and investment services to individuals, businesses and non-profit organizations

• Managed all aspects of running this business of 6 advisors and staff while growing the practice by over 100 clients  and $15 million in assets under management

• Named a member of the Advanced Advisor Group, received numerous regional and national awards for advancing quality advice

• April 1986 to November 1998, Whitney National Bank, Thibodaux, Vice President and Controller

• Formerly First Federal and Meritrust, FSB

• Supervised accounting department of a $270 million institution

• Managed $80 million investment portfolio

• Prepared all financial reporting to the Board of Directors and regulatory agencies

• Supervised annual audits and examinations performed

• Participated in the negotiation and administration of all Property and Casualty, benefits and liability policies for the institution

• Handled all contract negotiations with third party vendors to include data processing, ATMs, computer system providers, postal systems and software providers

• Executive Officer – involved in all aspects of the Initial Public Offering (IPO) of Meritrust, FSB and the negotiation, sale and transition to Whitney National Bank

• December 1982 to April 1986, United States Army, Europe (West Germany), Finance Officer

• Supervised 50+ personnel in the disbursing (banking) and military pay divisions, handling and accounting for over $4 million in disbursements monthly

• Executive Officer of the Area Finance Office responsible for supplies and equipment

• Oversaw all audits performed on the Officer and Enlisted Clubs (restaurant and lounge operations)

• Achieved rank of Captain with numerous commendations

Professional Contributions
Catholic Wind Pool, President
MyWants, Inc., Board of Directors
Diocese of Houma Thibodaux Priest Retirement Trust, Trustee
Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce, past Chairman and board member
NSU Alumni Federation, past President and board member
Financial Managers Society, past President of the Louisiana Chapter
National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA), President of Bayoulands Chapter

Community Service
American Cancer Society, past member, Board of Directors
Thibodaux Rotary Club, past member
E.D. White Catholic School Advisory Board, President 2002-2003
St. Genevieve School, past member School Advisory Board
St. Genevieve Church, Finance Council member, lector, commentator & Eucharistic minister
Rev.Willie Todd Foundation, Board of Directors

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Bernard Dobranski

President and Professor of Law
Ave Maria School of Law

As Dean of the Ave Maria School of Law, Bernard Dobranski is responsible for selecting the core faculty, establishing educational guidelines and overseeing the general operation of the school to ensure compliance with the American Bar Association standards for legal education.

Before joining Ave Maria, Mr. Dobranski served as the Dean of Catholic University School of Law in Washington, D.C. While there, Mr. Dobranski was responsible for strengthening the law school’s reputation and mission, upgrading the law school’s reputation in such areas as Bioethics, International Law, and Law and Religion, increasing the amount of financial aid available for students, and improving the quality of the legal writing program.

From 1983 to 1995, Mr. Dobranski served as Dean and Professor of Law at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.  Previously, he was a member of the law faculty at the University of Notre Dame Law School (1977-1983) and the Creighton University School of Law (1971-1972).  While a Faculty Supervisor for the Creighton Legal Information Center, a criminal justice research project under his leadership was designated an “exemplary project” by the LEAA.

Prior to his career in education, Mr. Dobranski held several positions, including General Counsel of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Commission, Administrative Assistant in the United States House of Representatives and Professional Staff Member of the President’s Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders (the Kerner Commission).  He also served as a Legal Advisor and Board Member of the National Labor Relations Board.

A well-respected arbitrator, Mr. Dobranski has rendered more than 350 arbitration awards over the past 20 years.  He has been a member of the National Arbitration Panel of the United States Postal Service and the American Postal Workers Union; the Supplementary Expedited Panel of General Electric; the National Futures Association Arbitration Panel; and the National Association of Securities Dealers Arbitration Panel.

Mr. Dobranski is equally well known as a lecturer and for his many published works in various law journals.

Mr. Dobranski holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Notre Dame and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Virginia.  He was admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, the United States Court of Federal Claims and the Supreme Court of Virginia.  He has been included on the Roster of Arbitrators of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service and the American Arbitration Association.

Mr. Dobranski has served on the Accreditation Committee of the American Bar Association Section on Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, and the Michigan Legislative Commission on Death and Dying.  In addition, Mr. Dobranski holds a number of professional memberships, including the Virginia Bar, and he is on the Board of Editors of the American Journal of Jurisprudence.  He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Culture of Life Foundation and on the Endowment Advisory Board of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist.  Mr. Dobranski serves as a Board member and has served as a past President of the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars.

Mr. Dobranski and his wife, Carroll, have three children and four grandchildren.

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Deal W. Hudson

Deal W. Hudson is Director of InsideCatholic.com and President of the Morley Publishing Group, a Catholic media apostolate in Washington, DC.  Formerly publisher and editor of CRISIS Magazine for ten years, Dr. Hudson's articles and comments have been published widely in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, and U.S. News and World Report.

He has appeared on TV and radio news shows such as the O'Reilly Factor, Hannity & Colmes, NBC News, and All Things Considered on National Public Radio.

Dr. Hudson worked with Karl Rove in coordinating then Gov. Bush's outreach to Catholic voters in 2000 and 2004. In October 2003, President George W. Bush appointed Dr. Hudson a member of the official delegation from the United States to attend the 25th anniversary celebration of John Paul II's papacy.

Dr. Hudson, a former professor of philosophy for 15 years, is the editor and author of eight books.  Dr. Hudson tells the story of his conversion from Southern Baptist to Catholic in his An American Conversion published in 2003 by Crossroad, and his latest, Onward, Christian Soldiers: The Growing Political Power of Catholics and Evangelicals in the United States was published in March 2008.

Dr. Hudson is married to Theresa Carver Hudson, also a Baptist convert, and they have two children, Hannah, 20, and Cyprian, 12, adopted from Romania in 2001. 

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Father Daniel J. Mahan

Father Daniel J. Mahan is the executive director of the Marian College Center for Catholic Stewardship. He is a priest of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.

Father Mahan was ordained to the priesthood in 1988. Until recently, he served as pastor of Saint Louis Catholic Church in Batesville, Indiana, a parish of 1500 families. Now he serves full-time in stewardship ministry, making presentations to dioceses and parishes throughout the United States, Canada, and most recently in Australia and the Philippines. He serves as a faculty member and the director of formation for the Institutes and Conferences of the International Catholic Stewardship Council.

He has recently authored More than Silver or Gold: Homilies of a Stewardship Priest, published by Saint Catherine of Siena Press. The book can be ordered through Saint Catherine of Siena Press. Father Mahan is an avid Notre Dame football enthusiast.

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Pat O'Meara

President and Founder
O’Meara, Ferguson, Whelan, and Conway

Patrick O'Meara is the President and founder of O'Meara Ferguson. Mr. O'Meara has responsibility for business development and corporate strategy.

Prior to founding O’Meara Ferguson, he worked for Bear Stearns & Co., and Raymond James Financial.

Mr. O'Meara has spoken to Catholic audiences in 35 states, three European countries, and four Canadian provinces ranging from 10,000 young adults at World Youth Day in Denver to the Secretariat for Education in the Vatican.

Mr. O'Meara previously served as the Virginia State Chairman of the RNC Catholic Outreach and served on the Finance Council for the Diocese of Arlington. Additionally, he also worked for the Archdiocese of Mobile, Alabama.

He currently serves as a Pontifical Overseer for the Dominican House of Studies and the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. Mr. O’Meara is a member of Legatus, is on the Council of Scholars for NAPCIS (National Association for Private, Catholic, and Independent Schools), and is a member of the steering committee for the Catholic Leadership Conference. He has frequently appeared on EWTN, Fox, CBS, ABC affiliates, and Catholic Answers Live, and has also been quoted in Bond Buyer Magazine, Bloomberg, National Catholic Reporter, Wall Street Journal, Our Sunday Visitor, and TIME, among others.

Mr. O’Meara holds a degree in Philosophy and Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville.

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John M. Whelan

Mr. Whelan is Chairman and CEO of O’Meara, Ferguson, Whelan, and Conway, Inc. (O’Meara Ferguson), a multi-dimensional firm providing advice and counsel to Catholic organizations on the best possible use of their temporal resources as they work to further their missions. 

He joined O’Meara Ferguson in July 2004 as Chief Executive Officer after retiring from Golden Rule Insurance Company where he served as President and Chief Executive Officer since 1983 and as President and Chief Operating Officer since 1979.   

Prior to joining Golden Rule, he worked as a management consultant with Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. in Chicago focusing on marketing and finance.  Mr. Whelan is a founding member and past president of Legatus of Indiana, an organization of Catholic CEOs. 

Active in community affairs, Mr. Whelan currently serves as President and member of the Board of Directors of Church Resource Institute, Chairman of the Culture of Life Foundation, as a member of the Saint Joseph’s College Board of Trustees and as an honorary member of the Educational CHOICE Charitable Trust Board of Trustees. 

He is Past Chairman of the Health & Hospital Corporation of Marion County Indiana Board of Trustees, the USIC Educational Foundation and Volunteers in Prevention, Probation, and Prisons, Inc.  Mr. Whelan has actively served the Catholic Church in Indiana in a number of capacities over the last 25 years.  Currently he chairs the Archdiocesan Advisory Board, which provides confidential advice to the Archbishop of Indianapolis regarding the sexual abuse scandal. 

He also served as a member of the cabinet for the recently completed Archdiocesan capital campaign.  Mr. Whelan holds a B.S. degree from Drexel University, Philadelphia, and an M.B.A. from Columbia University, New York.

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