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 The Linacre Quarterly, serves on the editorial board of Lux Veritatis: A Journal of Speculative Theology, and is an appointed member of the Advisory Council of the Administrative Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
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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
Deacon Patrick Kennedy is a Deacon of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, who besides serving in his home parish, he is assigned to the Archdiocese Office for Life & Family, handling marriage-related matters, assists at the Cathedral of Saints Peter & Paul, serves as an emcee, is a member of the Deacon Council, and a member of the Board of Directors for the Philadelphia Pro-Life Union. Dcn. Pat has been married to his wife Diane for 50 years and they have five adult married children and nine grandchildren. After being discharged from the US Army serving in Vietnam, Pat began his work career as a truck driver, then a Philadelphia firefighter and later a paramedic, a business owner and ending his work career as a senior executive for a Catholic hospital & health System. Called to the life of a deacon, Pat entered formation in 2010 and after completing the Master of Theology program at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, was ordained in 2017.