Meet Our Instructors
Meet Our Instructors

Gina Waters – Houston Campus Director
Gina Waters is the Community Director of the Marian Servants of the Incarnate Wisdom as well as the Director of the Houston campus of Our Lady of Divine Providence School of Spiritual Direction. Gina’s roots are in Louisiana where she received 13 years of catholic education, earned a B.S. in Geology & Geophysics from LSU. Gina is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Theology from the Augustine Institute. Since her certification in 2007, Gina has led many directees through Ignatian prayer and the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, and she helped open the Houston Campus in 2015. Gina teaches many of the Elements of Spiritual Direction classes at both the Clearwater and Houston campuses. In addition, Gina has been invited to lead retreats in other locations of the country, including for religious orders.

Father Joseph Waters is the Rector of St. Jude the Apostle Cathedral, St. Petersburg, FL. Father Waters is a canonist with a JCL degree from the Catholic University of America. Fr. Waters did seminary studies at St. John Vianney and the North American College. Ordained in 1987, Father served a variety of parishes as parochial vicar; in diocesan administration, at St. John Vianney College Seminary; and Pastor of Corpus Christi Catholic Church. Father is called upon often as a speaker on all things Catholic.

Father Peter Ryan, SJ is a member of the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus. Fr. Ryan served as executive director of the Secretariat of Doctrine and Canonical Affairs of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) from 2013-2016. Previously he was director of spiritual formation and professor of moral theology at Kenrick-Gennon Seminary in St. Louis, a professor of moral theology at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, Emmitsburg, Maryland, assistant professor of theology at Loyola College in Maryland, 1994-2001. Fr. Ryan holds a licentiate and doctorate in theology from the Gregorian University, Rome; a master of divinity degree from Regis College, Toronto; a master of arts degree in English, a licentiate in philosophy from Gonzaga University, Spokane; and a bachelor of arts in political science from Loyola College in Maryland. He is currently teaching at the Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit and has agreed to act as academic adviser for the Cenacle Spiritual Direction Program.

Father Gallagher, O.M.V. has dedicated years of his life to an extensive ministry of retreat work, spiritual direction, and teaching in the Ignatian spiritual tradition. He received his doctorate from the Gregorian University in 1983. As a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, he has taught at Our Lady of Grace Seminary Residence (Boston) and at St. John’s Seminary (Brighton, MA); he was also provincial for two terms for the USA province of the Oblates. Father Gallagher is the author of five popular books on the Ignatian Exercises.

Dr. Regis Martin is a Full Professor of Systematic Theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville, where he teaches courses on the Trinity, Incarnation, Church, Grace, Sacraments, and the Last Things. The author of six books, including The Suffering of Love, Confessions of a Cradle Catholic and Garlands of Grace, he is married and the father of ten children.

Father McAlear is past director of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate European Sabbatical Program. He has had a nationally recognized healing and deliverance ministry for over fourteen years. Father McAlear is a popular speaker, teacher, and homilist.

Dr. Schreck received his doctorate in theology from Notre Dame University. For many years he was the chairman of the undergraduate theology department at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. He is the author of nine books, many of them on Church History.

Dr. Stefano is an Associate Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology at St. Vincent de Paul Seminary in Boynton Beach, Florida. He holds an M.T.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN

Father Yavarone is a 2004 graduate of the Cenacle School of Spiritual Direction. He is on the faculty of Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina, and an M.A., M.Div from St. John’s Seminary.

Fr. John Horn is a Professor of Spiritual and Pastoral Theology at St. Vincent de Paul Seminary in Boynton Beach, FL. Fr. John holds an M. Div. from Weston School of Theology, Cambridge, MA., an M.A. from Creighton University, Omaha, NE, an M.A., from Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. a D.Min., Emory University, Atlanta, GA.

We are grateful to Franciscan University for providing many of our instructors from their outstanding Theology Department.