Familiaris Consortio 2023

Averse to Adversity: 

Why Christians should pursue resilience over avoidance.

Saturday, March 25 at 8:00 am - 12:00 noon

Father Gabriel Richard High School

4333 Whitehall Drive 

Ann Arbor, MI 48105

Join us for a morning of in-depth discussion of on the topic of resilience. Hear from Keynote Speaker, Dr. Kristin Collier, who has experienced professional repercussions due to her personal beliefs. She is joined by Dr. Tom Bishop, who will present the psychological perspective of resilience and Mrs. Jennifer Thomm, who will approach the topic from a theological perspective. Al Kresta will round out the conversation.

A light breakfast will be included. 

This event is free and open to the public. Please register below.

Dr. Kristin Collier

Kristin Collier, MD, FACP is an associate professor of Internal Medicine at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor Michigan where she serves as the director of the University of Michigan Medical School Program on Health, Spirituality and Religion. She is also an associate program director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program at University of Michigan. Her academic interests are in the overlap of spirituality, religion and medicine. She is also the proud mother of four boys.

Most recently she is well known for the infamous White Coat Ceremony walk out where medical students at the University of Michigan walked out of their White Coat Ceremony in protest after Dr. Kristin Collier, a known pro-life professor, took the stage.

Dr. Tom Bishop

Dr. Bishop is a Clinical Psychologist and Associate Professor with the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Michigan.  He serves as the Director of Interprofessional Education with the Medical School and as an Assistant Residency Director within the Department of Family Medicine.  He received his doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at Wheaton College where he also studied theology.  Dr. Bishop has spent almost 23 years of his career in interprofessional education and collaboration.  He served as a core faculty in the development of interprofessional education within the Academic Health Sciences Center at East Tennessee State University.  He has worked with organizations in addressing culture, leadership, and in team development.  He has worked with agencies in developing interprofessional education curriculum and integrated practice. 

Jennifer Thomm

Jennifer Thomm has been involved in Catholic education for 22 years. A product of Catholic education and a graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville, where she studied Biology and Theology, Jen discovered a passion for teaching, especially for sharing the person of Jesus Christ with her students. Her experience ranges from three year olds to high school juniors, teaching science, math, writing and theology. Ms. Thomm is currently employed by Spiritus Sanctus Academy Ann Arbor, where she has spent most of her career, and is currently teaching preschool and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. She will share how she grew in resilience and maintained her faith and joy through the trials of infertility, adoption, fostering, and caring for her husband during an almost fifteen year battle with a brain tumor, until his recent passing. Ms. Thomm lives in Ypsilanti with her three children.

Al Kresta and Dr. Rusty Chavey will also present. A panel discussion with our speakers and Amanda Garred, College Advisor at Father Gabriel Richard High School will round out the morning.

The Familiaris Consortio Lecture Series is an outreach initiative by Father Gabriel Richard High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Its mission is to bring scholars and accomplished individuals to speak on a variety of issues that directly affect modern family life striving to contribute to the common good. It takes its name from the 1981 Apostolic Exhortation by Pope St. John Paul II which was the fruit of thirty years of philosophical reflection and practical experience on issues regarding the family.  

Familiaris Consortio is sponsored by: