Meet our speakers!

Connie Bruesch I am a wife, mother, and grandmother. I love God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. My ministry experience includes Director of High School Youth Ministry, Director of Middle School Faith Formation, Director of Ministry at Pacem in Terris Retreat Center, Founder and Executive Director of Transformed by Love Ministries, Chaplain at St. Joseph’s Hospital, and Chaplain for Pohl’s Pediatric Hospice.

Fr. Scott Padrnos
Fr. Scott grew up on the edge of Brainerd and Nisswa. His parents, Dan and Sue, owned and operated a small resort on Gull Lake, where Fr. Scott and his four siblings grew up working. After graduating from Brainerd High School in 2008, he went to St. John’s University in Collegeville for his undergraduate studies. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and returned to the resort in 2012. After a brief stint at Aerotech as a recruiter for businesses in the St. Cloud area, Fr. Scott returned home with plans to remain at the resort. However, the Lord had other plans. After an encounter with the living God, the desire to become a priest continued to grow. A few months later, he started the application process for seminary. He was ordained June 24, 2022, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary in Duluth. In Fr. Scott's words, “I have fallen in love with Jesus Christ and desire to spread that fire of His love to everyone I encounter!”