Matthew Pinto

Matthew Pinto is a co-founder of CatholicExchange.com, a premiere Internet portal for Catholics. He is also a co-founder and former president of Envoy Magazine, which received the 1st Place award for General Interest Catholic magazines in 1998 and 1999 from the Catholic Press Association. The author of Did Adam and Eve Have Belly Buttons?? and 199 Other Questions from Catholic Teenagers (Ascension Press, 1998), co-author of its sequel Did Jesus Have a Last Name ? and 199 Other Questions from Catholic Teenagers and creator and co-author of the Friendly Defenders Catholic Flash Cards, Matt is a well-known speaker whose work has focused primarily on youth and young adults.

Raised a Catholic, Matt "woke up" to the Faith after being challenged by an Evangelical Protestant friend. Unsettled by his friend's strong objections to Catholicism, Matt searched for answers. For two years, he spent hundreds of hours reading Catholic books and listening to cassette tapes. This study led him to firm convictions about the truth of Catholic teaching.

While running a successful advertising business, Matt felt God calling him to full-time work for the Church. He sold his business and entered the apostolate of apologetics and evangelization, working for Catholic Answers of San Diego, CA.

Matt then accepted a position with the Diocese of San Diego, working with the diocesan newspaper and in youth and young adult ministry. The young adult evangelization program he developed has become a nationally recognized model for success. Matt's desire to broaden his apostolate of evangelization was realized when he joined forces with author and apologist Patrick Madrid (Surprised by Truth, Pope Fiction, Basilica Press) to launch Envoy Magazine in November 1996.

Matt is a 1987 graduate of Temple University with a bachelor's degree in communications and a minor in sociology. He has appeared on numerous television and radio programs, including Life on the Rock, Mother Angelica Live!, and Living His Life Abundantly explaining and defending the Catholic Faith, and has conducted seminars on a variety of Catholic issues throughout the country. A native of Philadelphia, Matt and his wife Maryanne reside in West Chester, PA, are the parents of five boys, sons Michael (9), Andrew (7), James (5), Thomas (3), and newborn David.

Katherine Andes

Katherine Andes is a "revert" to the Catholic faith. After 19 years of pursuing "the things of the world versus the things of God," she had a spiritual awakening. She began to listen to evangelical preachers on television, and even prayed the "sinner's prayer" a few times. In response to that prayer, she would always see herself as a seven-year-old little girl, kneeling at the altar rail after a good confession. In her memory, she would hear Jesus' voice say, "I have always been with you, Kathy." She and her husband (now deceased) returned to the Church and the faith of her childhood.

As an award-winning free-lance writer, her work has appeared in Envoy, This Rock, Immaculata, Catholic Parent, Twin Circle, The Family Magazine, Human Life Review and many secular publications. She also served as Managing Editor for Merciful Love magazine. She has also worked in the entertainment industry in script development and written industrial films. She also occasionally works as an announcer for radio and television. Currently, she is a catechist in the Diocese of Fresno and home schools her "two great kids," Lauren and Bill.