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​Fr. Joshua Waltz received his bachelors of Sacred Theology in Rome at the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas. During this time he also obtained a Masters degree in Moral Theology with an emphasis in Bioethics. Fr. Waltz spent the first six years of his priesthood teaching theology at St. Mary’s Central High School in Bismarck, North Dakota and served as the chaplain of the high school. He is presently teaching a class in Spirituality at the University of Mary and is the Vocation Director for the Diocese of Bismarck in North Dakota. Prior to entering the seminary, Fr. Waltz was an All-American Soccer Player.  Experience Fr. Waltz's combination of humor and candor as he shares his journey of going from the soccer field to hearing and answering God's call to the priesthood.

ManUp 2016

"Let Me Become the Desire of Your Heart"

 Fr. Joshua Waltz 

​​Jimmy "The Rookie" Morris 

Patrick Novecosky

Patrick Novecosky is one of America’s most accomplished young Catholic journalists. The winner of over two dozen awards from the Catholic Press Association of the United States, Patrick has written for some of America’s top Catholic publications including the National Catholic Register, Our Sunday Visitor, Catholic Digest and others. In 2007, he received the coveted Bernadin-O’Connor Award for Pro-Life Journalism from Priests for Life.

Throughout his 23-year career, Patrick has edited and written for magazines and newspapers across North America and Europe. He has been published in five languages. Patrick has served as the Editor-In-Chief of Legatus magazine since 2005. Born and raised in Saskatchewan, Canada, Patrick earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Saskatchewan and was trained in print and broadcast journalism at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. He’s traveled to 22 countries and has been blessed with the opportunity to kiss the ring of St. John Paul II four times. Most importantly, he is a husband and father of five beautiful children.



​Cinderella story serves as testimony to the power of dreams and their ability to inspire and transform human life. Jim Morris’s meteoric rise from 35 year-old high school teacher to flame-throwing major league pitcher in 3 months, made cinematic history with the release of The Rookie starring Dennis Quaid.

This heartwarming and unforgettable Disney blockbuster about chasing your dreams and keeping your promises was nominated for a Critics Choice Award, won an ESPY for “Sports Film of the Year.” and Sports Illustrated magazine voted The Rookie one of the “five greatest baseball films ever made.”

Originally drafted in the 1st round in 1984, Jim Morris’s dream was to become a major league baseball player, but his career was derailed by a series of debilitating arm injuries before he got out of the minors in 1988. Instead, Jim got married, raised a family and got his college degree before becoming a high school science teacher and baseball coach in West Texas.

Eleven years after retiring from minor league baseball, Jim Morris was giving a speech to his high school team about the importance of dreams and hard work when his high school players challenged him to pursue his own dream of pitching in the major leagues. Jim Morris made the bet with his high school team: if they won the District Championship, he would tryout for the majors.

Jim Morris’s team fulfilled their end of the bargain, which committed him to a big league tryout. Inspired by his family and students, Jim immediately signed a professional baseball contract. His rise from obscurity became the feel-good story of 1999. After pitching for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2000, Jim Morris signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers and retired from baseball in 2001.

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