Meet the Staff of the Office for Life & Family, Philadelphia
Dr. Daniel A. Drain, Director ddrain@archphila.org
Dr. Drain grew up in Toledo, OH and converted to Catholicism at age 17. After initial studies in Philosophy and Theology at DeSales University, he attended the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, earning both an MTS and PhD (Theology, with specialization in Person, Marriage, and Family). A scholar of Hans Urs von Balthasar’s theology, the themes of his research and publication also include eschatology, the nature of Catholic education, sex and gender issues, and fundamental theology. His first book, Saving Finite Freedom: Hope, Freedom, and Salvation in Hans Urs von Balthasar’s Theology of Redemption is forthcoming from Wipf & Stock. Locally, he has taught at DeSales University, Immaculata University, and was a full-time faculty member at St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry in Rochester, NY. He lives in Bucks County, PA, with his wife and daughter, and is honored to serve now as the Director of the Office for Life and Family for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and as an adjunct professor at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. He is an Ordinary Member of the Sacra Doctrina Project, a peer reviewer for Word on Fire Academic and other scholarly journals of Catholic theology, and was recently appointed to the Advisory Council of the Administrative Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. CV
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Mrs. Maria Riedlmeier, Operations Coordinator mriedlmeier@archphila.org 215-587-0500
Maria Riedlmeier was born in Baltimore, Maryland and grew up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. She was raised by devout Catholic parents with her four brothers. She currently lives in West Chester, PA with her husband, Erich. She taught at Regina Academy at St. John the Baptist, a classical Catholic elementary school in Ottsville, PA, for four years. A 2020 graduate of DeSales University, Maria received a degree in English/Secondary Education and a minor in Theology. Throughout college, she taught religious education for both third grade and seventh grade. Maria has a deep passion for authentic Catholic marriage as a witness to the love between Christ and His Church. She believes in advocating for the dignity of all life, including those at the end of life. Outside of her role in the Office for Life and Family, Maria is involved in the Shrine of Czestochowa Young Adult Group, St. Agnes Women’s Bible Study, and pro-life events
Deacon Patrick Kennedy, Marriage Preparation pkennedy@archphila.org 215-901-8446