Jim became interested in scripture as a teenager and has followed a self-directed scripture study program for many years. He has attended Bible study seminars presented by some of the world's foremost scripture scholars. In 1995, Jim received his BA in Religious Studies (Magna Cum Laude) from Indiana University, where he was recognized as an "Outstanding Scholar".

For more than twenty years, Jim has presented his scripture program, The Ascending View, at parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. This program has also been featured on the campuses of Ball State University and Marian College. He has also authored a Bible study series entitled New Light on the Gospels. As Pastoral Associate, Jim co-founded a parish bereavement ministry and presided at wakes and memorial services. He is a Eucharistic minister, a homilist, and a volunteer catechist for the RCIA programs in several parishes. Jim began the St. Monica E-mail scripture ministry that sends out daily scripture readings and reflections to more than five thousand subscribers nationwide. Jim's first book, When Winter Comes: Scripture Reflections for Daily Living, is a compilation of reflections from that ministry.

A popular and gifted speaker, Jim brings clarity, sensitivity and humor to his presentations, reflecting his life experience as a pastoral minister, public speaker, author, scholar and businessman.

Helen is a 1984 honors graduate of the Indiana University School of Nursing. For more than twenty years, Helen has devoted her career to serving the terminally ill and their families. She is one of the original recipients of the Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse (CHPN) designation. Helen is a member of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and serves on the speakers bureau of the Indiana Hospice Association. She also holds a certificate in parish nursing through the University of Indianapolis.

Helen's teaching background is most evident in the many training and in-service presentations she has made during her career as a hospice nurse. She is a recognized authority on pain control and end-of-life issues, and has participated in the development of related programs in both corporate and parish settings.

As a wife, mother, teacher, businesswoman and hospice nurse, Helen deals daily with the subjects about which she speaks. In her teaching series, Comfort My People, Helen continues to advocate death with dignity and a higher quality of life for the terminally ill. She suggests practical ways for Christians to comfort one another in times of grief and loss. Helen speaks from personal experience and with considerable authority on end-of-life issues and the grieving process.