PRESENTERS
Retreat Facilitators and Presenters at Our Lady of Grace
Jo-Andrew D’Alessandro Accary is a spiritual practitioner, chaplain, spiritual director, and bereavement specialist. She founded On Angels Wings Enterprises in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Jo-Andrew has over 40 years’ experience as a change-agent and is an engaging communicator. She is recognized for her creative vision and excellence in cultivating and managing relationships, program development, retreats and workshops. Her wealth of multi-cultural experiences living throughout Europe and Japan as a servant leader driven by Christ’s compassion defines her work and life’s mission: to empower and serve others with dignity and respect, bringing Christ’s transformative love into action.
Michele Bernic is the Program Director here at Our Lady of Grace Spiritual Center. She is a graduate of the Diocese of Rockville Centre's Pastoral Formation Institute (2010) and The Center at Mariandale’s Contemplative Formation Program (2022) in Ossining, N.Y. She loves Psalm 23 and the Resurrection narratives. Michele is a wife and mother of four children who loves leading others to God.
Carol Cella has more than forty years ministry experience in various parishes within the Diocese of Rockville Centre, NY including eight years in Saint Mary's High School and four years in Saint Mary's parish, Manhasset. During her nine years at Catholic Health Services, she developed and conducted the Spiritual Care Companion six-week training program, which guided and inspired volunteers to be confident while visiting patients in hospitals and nursing homes. In 2016, Carol began her company, Embrace Caretaking, developed a Spiritual Care Visitors eight-week training for the Wartburg in Mount Vernon, NY and a six-week course Care for the Caregiver. She has two adult children and five grandchildren.
Maryanne Juchem is a retired Catholic elementary school teacher who has followed the call to a second career as a spiritual retreat creator, prayer group leader and contemplative meditation facilitator. She has led hundreds of hours of prayer and meditation groups and retreats. She values the opportunity to lead participants to connect with themselves, community and most importantly, God. Maryanne has a love of women’s ministry and is energized by the Spirit that moves her to remind women of their belovedness and beauty through prayer, song, meditative reflection and group sharing. She is married, has two adult children and is the founder of Mindful Haven LI, a community of seekers and supporters.
Carol Mackey has been involved in pastoral ministry for almost thirty years. She is a certified spiritual director, a retreat facilitator and a bereavement counselor. She is a retired teacher and is the mother of two grown children and grandmother to three precious little ones—all of whom teach her so much about God’s unconditional love.
Brother Paul Miller, OFS FDSM, is a professed member of the Secular Franciscan Order and the founder of The Healing Ministry of Divine Mercy, established to propagate the devotion of Divine Mercy. He is married with four adult children and twelve grandchildren. As a Franciscan, he seeks to minister specifically to the sick, the poor, the helpless, and the marginalized, thereby bringing Our Lord’s healing and peace to those most in need. Most importantly, his life's mission as ordained by God, is to proclaim The Authentic Message of Divine Mercy throughout the world. Once limited to the tri-state area, his ministry now extends throughout the United States as well as the Caribbean.
