Bishop Sam Jacobs was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Lafayette in 1964 where he served as pastor, chaplain, and associate pastor of several parishes there and also in the Diocese of Lake Charles. He has served as chairman of the National Service Committee for the Charismatic Renewal and diocesan director of Vocations and Seminarians for the Diocese of Lake Charles. Bishop Sam was appointed the tenth bishop of Alexandria in 1989 and was installed as the third bishop of Houma-Thibodaux in 2003. He retired in October of 2013 and is now the bishop emeritus of Houma-Thibodaux. He celebrated 50 years of priesthood on June 6, 2014, and marks 25 years of episcopacy on August 24, 2014.  Fr. Dave first met Bishop Sam when he was Fr. Sam and Fr. Dave was just . . . Dave.   Over the last 25 years Bishop has been a tremendous blessing, guide and teacher for Fr. Dave.   Fr. Dave states; “My relationship with Bishop Sam has been one of the greatest blessings in my life.  He has taught me so much about what it means to live a life in the power of the Holy Spirit.  I am so grateful for his fatherly care, love and concern for me.  I am pleased that the Bishop accepted my offer to be a part of the Wild Goose.”

Fr. Michael Scanlan, T.O.R is a member of the Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular and has been a priest for over 50 years.  Fr. Mike, along with the Holy Spirit, is largely responsible for the revival and transformation of the College of Steubenville, now known as Franciscan University of Steubenville where Fr. Mike served the university as president for 26 years.  He currently resides near his motherhouse in Loretto, Pennsylvania. 

      Fr. Dave has been so blessed by his 25 year relationship with Fr. Mike.  Fr. Dave spent his first ten years of priesthood working closely with Fr. Mike and reflects on this experience.  “In many ways Fr. Mike took me under his wing and discipled me.  He taught me what it was to love Jesus and be faithful to him as a young Franciscan priest.  He shared with me years of experience of living and ministering in the power of the Holy Spirit.  He showed me what it was to live the vowed Franciscan life and being faithful to the Brotherhood.  I am very grateful that Fr. Mike was willing and able to help with the Wild Goose.”  

    Fr. Mike wrote the popular book “Let the Fire Fall” which tells this story of his relationship with the Holy Spirit.

Sister Maris Stella was born and raised in Charleston, SC, where her great loves were family, friends, and the Atlantic Ocean. In high school she experienced the grace of conversion and renewal in her Catholic faith, and soon began to discern that God was calling her to religious life. The summer after her senior year in high school, while attending a Steubenville youth conference, she first met Fr. Dave. She recalls, "At the end of the conference, Fr. Dave invited all young people who were open to a religious vocation to come forward for a blessing. It was both terrifying and exhilarating as I stood and went forward, because until that point I had not shared with anyone what the Holy Spirit was doing in my heart." In the fall of 2003, she began college at Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH, where she again met Fr. Dave, and he became a mentor and friend to her. She entered the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia in the fall of 2004. During her years as a religious sister, she has been led by the Holy Spirit on some marvelous adventures, including her current assignment as a missionary in the Netherlands. With her fellow sisters she is active in the New Evangelization through catechesis and other forms of teaching, including directing plays at the local high school. As Sister tries to preach the Good News of salvation in Dutch, she often finds herself praying with extra fervor, "Come Holy Spirit!"
 

Deacon Larry D. Oney is the Chairman of HGI International and President of Hope & Purpose Ministries, based in New Orleans, LA. The mission of Hope and Purpose Ministries is to participate in the New Evangelization through preaching and teaching and by offering hope and purpose to all through encouragement and knowledge sharing.

He is an active member of the New Orleans chapter of Legatus, and is the Chairman of the Board of Regents for Our Lady of Holy Cross College in New Orleans.  Deacon Larry is the author of several books including: Amazing Grace, Overcoming Race; Reflections on the Kingdom of God; and Up Faith!  Deacon Larry and Fr. Dave serve together on the board of Renewal Ministries.

Angelus has over six years of experience in full-time ministry that includes speaking, coordinating Life in the Spirit seminars, young adult retreats, workshops, conferences and evangelization outreach for adults in the Diocese of Arlington in Northern Virginia. Before her life in ministry, she worked in Corporate America as a consultant at KPMG.  Eventually, she discovered her call to evangelize to young adults and has since been on an amazing journey with the Holy Spirit. Fr. Dave met Angelus in January 2010 when she coordinated her first Young Adult Charismatic Retreat at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Arlington, in which about 350 young adults participated. Many lives were changed at that retreat and this led to the parish hiring her as Director of Adult Faith Formation and Young Adult Coordinator. Her greatest passion is to spread the joy of the Gospel to anyone who is hungry for God’s love and mercy.

Mark and Niki Kalpakgian worked with Fr. Dave in Gaming, Austria, where they helped lead Franciscan University’s Study Abroad Program.  Sharing a mutual love of skiing and travel, they shared many epic adventures together in the Austrian outdoors. Mark and Niki currently reside in San Diego where Mark works for the Classical Academies, an innovative K-12 charter school that combines homeschooling, the traditional classroom experience and online learning.  Niki is a freelance journalist supermom of four boys and has been a great help to Fr. Dave by being one of the primary editors of his books.  It is Niki who first introduced Fr. Dave to the Celtic term for the Holy Spirit, the Wild Goose.   The “Wild Goose” continues to equip, engage and inspire their daily journey. Mark and Niki recently released their book, Stars, Stripes, and Edelweiss: An American Family Braves Austrian Living, available on Amazon.com.

Janine is a self-proclaimed cradle-convert Catholic and grateful for the heavenly pursuit of God through the Holy Spirit in her life. She experienced a powerful conversion which led her to taking her family on a radical sabbatical from worldly pursuits. Janine resides in Cary NC with her husband, Mike, and three teenage sons: Luke, Seth and Ben. She is blessed to work with her best friend and fellow youth minister, Liz, at St. Mary Magdalene parish in Apex NC. Janine’s first encounter with Father Dave was a weekend retreat in Blowing Rock, NC.  After discovering a shared hatred of brown bananas, she knew theirs was going to be a long and lasting friendship. Janine is passionate about Jesus, her family and youth ministry. She enjoys combining fitness and nutrition with Theology of the Body teachings and can drink her bodyweight in coffee.

Dave fell in love with the Lord at the age of fourteen and has dedicated his life to brining others into a radical relationship with Christ. He is currently serving as the Director of Evangelization at St. Bonaventure’s Parish in Glenshaw, PA. Dave is also the Young Adult Coordinator for the National Service Committee of the Charismatic Renewal.  Dave is a popular speaker and retreat leader who focuses on proclaiming the universal call to holiness, authentic Catholic spirituality, spiritual warfare and deliverance. He lives in Pittsburgh with his wife, Amber, and their four children: Sam, Max, Judah and Josie. As a longtime family friend, Dave has known Fr. Dave since before he became a priest.  They first met when Dave was 4 or 5 years old and sporting shorts, suspenders and a snazzy propeller cap; their relationship has grown ever since.

Bob is the Director of the Masters of Arts in Catechetics and Evangelization at Franciscan University of Steubenville and is currently a candidate for a PhD in Evangelisation (how the Brits spell it) at Liverpool Hope University. In the classroom, he combines his academic knowledge with over ten years of parish youth ministry experience. Outside the classroom, he is an internationally known speaker, acclaimed musician, and innovative writer. Fr. Dave and Bob have been friends for over twenty years and are always happy at the chance to do ministry together. Fr. Dave texts him every time he sees a movie, so Bob can explain if it was any good or not.  That is how Bob rolls.  Bob lives in Steubenville with his wife, Jennifer, and their seven adorable children, one of which is Fr. Dave’s Godson.  You can find out more about him at bob-rice.com.

Shannon is a cradle Catholic, who in her own words “has been blessed by wonderful examples of faith well-lived” in her life. She is a devoted wife to her husband, Jeff, who entered the church in 2002. Together they are raising their two teenaged sons.  She is an active volunteer in her church and her community, working in youth ministry, marriage preparation and stewardship.  Fr. Dave first met Shannon when he led a couple’s retreat that she and her husband attended.  Through that retreat, Shannon was inspired to seek a deeper relationship with the Holy Spirit, which she considers a “milestone” in her spiritual journey.

Liz is married to her best friend, Matt, and is a mom to two awesome kids and one pretty great dog! Her life in youth ministry began 16 years ago as a volunteer, and after three years in that role, she answered God’s call to be a full-time youth minister at a parish in North Carolina.  Liz has been at her current parish for 8 years as the high school youth minister.  Fr. Dave was blessed to meet Liz through a mutual friend.  Liz says, “Fr. Dave and I have been doing ministry together for the past four years, and I pray for many more years to come!”

Andrew is youth minister at J Serra Catholic High School in Aliso Veijo, CA.  He is also a very talented musician and worship leader and often ministers at conferences around the country.  His life is a testimony to what the Holy Spirit can do if you only give him permission.  Fr. Dave first encountered Andrew when he was a part of a worship band at a youth conference.  Fr. Dave was impressed by Andrew’s openness to the Holy Spirit in worship.  Andrew reflects on his encounter, “I would see Fr. Dave at multiple conferences through the summer and every time his preaching and witness had an impact on my life. To see a priest earnestly desiring the spiritual gifts and a relationship with the Holy Spirit has always been encouraging to me.”  Andrew firmly believes that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit has changed the course of my life.  Andrew’s greatest love is for Christ, but another love he has is for surfing and he believes you can find God in a wave.  Of course he does.

Ron was raised Presbyterian and gave his life to Christ as a teenager at a charismatic youth conference. He fell away from his faith after hearing a college professor’s arguments questioning God’s existence. Ron married his college sweetheart, Terry, a cradle Catholic, and became focused on building his career as a bank consultant, acquiring possessions and seeking pleasure. On September 11, 2001, Ron underwent a radical conversion as he watched the ball of fire and smoke billow above the Pentagon from his 22nd floor office in Arlington, VA.  Soon after, Ron entered the Catholic Church and was baptized in the Holy Spirit. Ron’s life changed dramatically, with the passion for worldly success giving way to a passion to serve and evangelize in his parish, diocese and beyond. Ron and Terry began to develop a personal relationship with Fr. Dave over a beer at the Augustiner in Salzburg Austria as well as through Charismatic Renewal Conferences, pilgrimages and spiritual direction.

Both life long Catholics, Mark and Mary have been married 32 years and are the parents of three grown children. Fr. Dave met Mark and Mary through traveling on pilgrimages he was leading and well as attending conferences where he was a speaker. Mary was introduced to the Holy Spirit in a personal way, through a Bible Study twenty-one years ago. Mark’s relationship with the Holy Spirit has developed a little more slowly.  He came to know the Holy Spirit in a more intimate way on a retreat led by Fr. Dave in 2014. Mark reflected after the retreat, “The power and presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives has made our marriage stronger, brought us closer to each other, and enriched our relationships and deepened our prayer lives.”

A native of New Orleans, Casey spends her time painting, building towers and being a personal chef and chauffeur to her three little children. Outside of the home, she is highly involved in the Charismatic Renewal. A member of the National Service Committee, Casey enjoys speaking on matters of the Catholic faith. With a Master’s degree in Catechesis and Evangelization, she has a heart for the New Evangelization as she ministers around the country. Casey and her husband, Kevin, live in Louisiana.  Casey and Fr. Dave met four or five years ago and have ministered at various conferences together.  They are both Denver Bronco fans, which is nice.