Join us for the second Spirituality and Recovery Conference: Honoring the Sacred Journey, taking place from November 12-14, 2024. This inspiring program will explore the powerful relationship between spirituality and recovery through a series of engaging talks featuring six presenters over three evenings.

Our invited speakers will help raise awareness about addiction and recovery, offer encouragement to those on their healing journey, and inspire faith communities to foster safe and welcoming environments for everyone in recovery. You’re invited to join us on this sacred journey!

Registration and sponsorship information can be found below.

Event Schedule

(all times Central Standard Time)

November 12, 2024

5:00 pm – Welcome

5:00 pm – Featured Speaker: La Tanya Jenifor-Sublett

6:30 pm – Featured Speaker: Marketta Sims

8:00 pm – Closing

November 13, 2024

5:00 pm – Welcome

5:00 pm – Featured Speaker: William Schmidt, Ph.D.

6:30 pm – Featured Speaker: Lauren Morton

8:00 pm – Closing

November 14, 2024

5:00 pm – Welcome

5:00 pm – Featured Speaker: Jeff Henrich

6:30 pm – Featured Speaker: Sister Cathy Cahill, OSF

8:00 pm – Closing

Speaker presentations will be recorded and made available to all registrants.

Interested in sponsoring the Spirituality and Recovery Conference?

Click here for sponsorship levels and benefits!

Loyola Sponsors

Learn more about our invited speakers!

Sister Cathy Cahill, OSF

Sister Cathy Cahill, OSF, is a Franciscan Sister of Allegany with forty-five years experience in recovery. She trained as an alcoholism counselor and worked in the field for ten years. As director of a retreat center for twenty-three years, she also traveled widely leading retreats for people in 12-Step programs. She is currently the director of The Sisters’ House, a place for women in recovery to find a safe environment to gather and to  tend to their spirituality.

Marketta Sims

Marketta Sims is a resilient mother of two, an activist, and a poet whose life journey has been marked by overcoming adversity. Having survived domestic violence, homelessness, and incarceration, Marketta brings a powerful perspective to her role as a speaker with the Chicago Coalition to end Homeless and as a member of its Speaker’s Bureau. Her advocacy focuses on transforming policies affecting the reentry population, driven by her lived experiences and commitment to meaningful change.
This spring, Marketta graduated proudly from Kennedy King College, embodying the spirit of perseverance. Her passion lies in giving back to the community that has supported her journey, and she stands before audiences today as a testament to the strength found in sacrifice and the fulfillment found in service. Marketta’s story inspires others and demonstrates the power of resilience and purpose.

Jeff Henrich

Jeff Henrich is a recovering alcoholic and addict with 44 years of recovery. He has been an addiction professional since 1990 and is currently the CEO of Guest House, an addiction treatment center for Catholic Clergy and men and women Religious.

La Tanya Jenifor-Sublett

La Tanya Jenifor-Sublett is a Mental Health Worker, Social Justice Advocate, Public Speaker, Community Organizer, and now CTJC’s Peer Reentry Program Director. She experienced abuse and torture at the hands of Chicago Police at the age of 19. Sentenced to 42 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for a crime she did not commit, she did her very best to reinvent herself. During her 21-year incarceration she studied law, business, and social justice. While incarcerated, La Tanya earned two Bachelor’s Degrees. Upon her release in October of 2013, she began working at Dawson Technical Institute as a Recovery Coach and an Employment Specialist serving clients who were formerly incarcerated, in recovery, veterans, and clients with disabilities. She is currently working on her Masters of Arts Degree with a specialization in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Social Justice.

Lauren Morton

After graduating from Emory and earning her master’s from The George Washington University, Lauren began a career in hospital management and worked her way up through a series of leadership positions at Tenet Healthcare. Despite her success in the field, strong familial roots and deep reflection steered her toward more intimate grassroots community work. She is currently the Co-Founder/Executive Director for Bee at Peace, Inc. and the Education Outreach Manager for Clark Scholars and Dean’s Scholars Program at Georgia Tech in the College of Engineering. 

William Schmidt, Ph.D.

William (Bill) Schmidt, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Institute of Pastoral Studies (IPS) of Loyola University Chicago. He was the Graduate  Program Director at IPS for degrees in both Pastoral Counseling and Spirituality for over ten years. He is a Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapist with ACPE (Association for Clinical Pastoral Education), and Editor of the Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health (Taylor and Francis/Routledge). His current research interests include trauma theory by addressing the interface of Psychology, Theology,  and Spirituality. An additional specific current focus addresses the theme of contemporary Pilgrimage as a resource for personal growth, transformation, and healing.